For many people, aromatic oils are an integral part of life. Their influence on the he alth and general well-being of a person has been proven for a long time. Some use ethers in everyday life, others use them for body care or for medicinal purposes, and someone simply improves the atmosphere in the house with the help of an aroma lamp.
There are a huge number of oils, widely used and known for their medicinal qualities. However, there are also such extracts, the properties of which are not so illuminated, because of which they unfairly remain in the shadows. One of them is Monarda essential oil.
What is this plant?
Monarda is an essential oil plant that belongs to the family of labiales. It is also called golden melissa, bee balm, Indian bergamot and lemon balm. It has a straight branching stem that reaches a height of over 100 cm.
The leaves of the Monarda are opposite, serrated,oval in shape, with reddish veins and a pointed tip. The color is light green, with a slight silvery tint.
The flowers of the plant may have different colors - lilac, red or pink. They have a very pleasant aroma, besides they are an excellent honey plant. Lemon mint older than 4 years produces about a hundred flowering shoots.
Monarda begins to bloom in mid-summer, and ends at the end of August. In some cases, this period may be extended until the onset of cold weather. After flowering, dry fruits appear, which consist of several nuts. The plant does not lose its decorative effect. Practically all parts of the monarda have useful properties.
On the garden plot, the monarda is most often grown in seedlings. In winter (in January-February), the seeds of the plant are sown in boxes with nutrient soil to a depth of 2.5 cm, placed in a greenhouse. The temperature under the film must be at least 20oC. Seedlings are expected to appear in 2-3 weeks. The seedlings are then dived into containers. As soon as they come into force, they can be planted in open ground.
Flower varieties
The most common types of monarda are:
- lemon;
- double;
- hybrid;
- fistula.
Moreover, each variety of flower has its own healing qualities. For example, lemon monarda is used in medicine as a natural antiseptic. She received this name for her unusual lemon aroma. In addition, the plant is used as a spice duringmaking vermouth, and also in the cosmetic industry. It is from lemon monarda that a popular tea is made, which has not only medicinal properties, but also a unique taste. Such a drink has proven itself in the fight against asthma and viruses.
Double monarda is often used as an inhalation to treat colds. This kind of flower also helps with rheumatism, and also acts as an antimicrobial and laxative. It contains a lot of carvacrol and thymol, which is beneficially reflected in the improvement of the heart muscle and the normalization of blood circulation.
The fistulose herbal plant contains many vitamins of groups B1, B2 and C. When they are deficient in the body, it is customary to use monarda fistula oil. In cooking, this kind of flower is used as a seasoning.
Hybrid monarda helps to improve digestion, in addition, it has excellent antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. That is why it is often used to eliminate colds such as acute respiratory infections, SARS and influenza.
What is included in the monarda?
Essential oils in this plant are the main biologically active components. It is thanks to them that the monarda has a pleasant aroma. It also contains vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, and also produces pectins, bitterness, tannins, bioflavonoids, amino acids and cellulose.
Monarda oil, whose medicinal properties have long been known to traditional healers, contains about 40 substances, 16 of which are the main ones. Many samples of the essential oil of this flower contain thymol and carvacrol as an active ingredient. In different species of monarda, their content varies from 41-85%.
In addition, the essential oil of bee balm (as the monarda is popularly called) contains the following elements:
- linalool;
- sabinene;
- borneol;
- myrcene;
- tuyen;
- terpinene;
- thuyol;
- cineol and cymol.
By the way, in dried form this unique herb is used to get rid of household pests. Its components help to destroy bed bugs and other parasitic insects that feed on particles of the skin.
Monarda oil: properties and uses
Golden Melissa is a fairly valuable bactericidal agent with a wide spectrum of action. The main useful element in it is a natural antibiotic - thymol.
Monarda essential oil - a solution with a strong antiseptic effect. The composition of the flower has a large amount of antioxidants, retinoids and vitamins. Thanks to useful substances, monarda has an antifungal, immunostimulating, regenerative, hemostatic and antiseptic effect on the body.
The healing properties of essential oil help eliminate inflammation, increase immunity, relieve spasms, remove toxins and poisons from the body, and fight colds. In addition, it perfectly protects against the harmful effects of radiation and even helps to get rid ofradiation sickness.
Monarda oil, the use of which should be dosed inside, is added to tea to increase strength for people after a course of chemotherapy. It is used to eliminate bronchial asthma, dermatitis, burns and eczema. Ether perfectly copes with diseases caused by fungi, dandruff, helps to rejuvenate the skin and strengthen weakened hair.
As already known, the plant has antibacterial properties, so it is used to disinfect and purify the air in the room, especially during epidemics. To relax and warm the muscles while taking a bath, just add a few drops of golden lemon balm oil to the water.
Monarda essential oil, whose properties can have a beneficial effect on the body, is used in the following cases:
- To enhance the effect of antibiotics and speed up the healing process.
- For the treatment of bronchial asthma or acute respiratory diseases. With such ailments, the plant is used as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent.
- To eliminate ulcers, fractures, abrasions and burns. In case of violation of the integrity of the bones, a mixture of oils is used, for the preparation of which you will need 5 drops of monarda ether, 10 ml of wheat germ oil and a little lavender. The damaged area must be lubricated with the resulting product.
Monarda oil: use in traditional medicine
Essential oil, quite popular in traditional medicine, has powerful healing properties, so it must be taken with caution.
The strongest and most important propertygolden melissa is its antifungal action. It is used in the treatment of all fungal pathologies. The main quality of medicinal substances is the absence of bacteria getting used to them. Used to eliminate fungal infections of the nails and skin, cystitis, vaginitis, psoriasis and eczema.
In addition, Monarda has an antihelminthic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibiotic effect. That is why the plant is used to treat burns and wound infections. It is also used to sanitize wards in hospitals, since the flower destroys Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococci and streptococci. On top of that, the plant is able to reduce the contamination of the air with diphtheria and pertussis bacilli. Monarda oil is often used to combat otitis media, influenza, tuberculosis, protracted pneumonia, SARS and bronchitis.
Also, the essential oil plant has anti-cancer properties. But its use is possible only after radiation or chemotherapy.
Monarda oil, the use of which has been appreciated by many, can act as a regenerating agent and as a blood preservative. It perfectly stimulates the immune system. According to the number of useful and medicinal properties, this flower is similar to nard oil.
Monarda has a radioprotective effect, so it is advised to use it for the treatment of radiation damage in small doses. In addition, the plant has an antioxidant effect on the body, since the elements of the oil can be oxidized, absorbing excess oxygen in the cells.
Moreover, golden melissa has angioprotective andanti-sclerotic action. It improves lipid metabolism, resulting in the removal of bad cholesterol from the body. The essential oil of the plant helps to cleanse the aorta from sclerotic plaques and strengthen the walls of small peripheral vessels.
Using the essential oil plant for other purposes
Monarda oil is not the only remedy from this plant. Monarda is also used as a decoction. Products based on this flower can get rid of acne, pimples and other skin diseases, as well as foot fungus.
Monarda decoctions effectively cope with such a problem of oily scalp as seborrhea. The plant is also used as a face mask with the addition of white or blue clay.
To prepare a decoction, use 200 ml of hot water and 2 tablespoons of dry grass. Insist in a thermos for about 10 hours. The resulting product should be washed daily to eliminate inflammation in the pores of the skin.
Essential oil of monarda fistula is often used in massage to delay old age at least a little. During this procedure, cell renewal occurs. Golden lemon balm is added to various skin care products. After all, products with this plant perfectly tone her up.
Monarda has a very unusual and pleasant aroma, so dishes with it always turn out delicious. Fresh young greens of this plant are great for salads and soups, as it normalizes digestion and improves appetite. This herb is added tocompotes, tea and kissels. Drinks with it acquire healing properties, so it is recommended to drink them against colds.
Monarda greens, combined with tarragon, basil and mint, are used as a seasoning for fish or pastries. But in order to preserve all the beneficial qualities of the plant during heat treatment, it must be put in a dish a few minutes before cooking.
Household use of golden melissa is due to the antifungal and bactericidal effects of the ether. In living rooms with high humidity, affected by fungus and black mold, spraying with a product from this plant is carried out. To get such a spray with Monarda oil, you need to add 15 drops of ether to 1 liter of water and mix thoroughly. It is necessary to process the premises with the resulting solution at least 1 time in 7 days.
If someone in the family has caught a viral infection, you can spray for preventive purposes or scent the rooms to avoid infection.
Oil extract at home
Unfortunately, it is impossible to get real monarda oil, the properties of which have a beneficial effect on the human body, at home. But you can prepare an extract from this plant yourself.
When growing monarda in the country, raw materials for oil must be collected only during the active growing season of the flower. To get a homemade extract, use dried leaves and inflorescences. They are mixed with a refined herbal product in the proportion of 1 teaspoonraw materials and 10 - oils. The finished mixture should be put in a water bath, heated for several hours. The solution is then cooled and filtered. The oil extract is used for inhalation, treatment of abrasions and the treatment of the common cold.
Contraindications to the use of golden lemon balm
Monarda oil should be used in moderation. It is worth refusing treatment with this plant in the following situations:
- If the child is younger than 5 years old, because it is not known exactly how the properties of this flower will affect the baby.
- When breastfeeding and carrying a child. Moms-to-be should not eat Monarda-based products or even inhale their fragrance.
- In case of individual intolerance. There is always such a contraindication, especially when it comes to plants with such a diverse composition.
Combination with other essential oils
Monarda oil has a very specific composition, so it is rarely used in perfumery. For the same reason, it interacts only with certain ethers. In combination with other oils, the healing properties of the plant can be enhanced.
In case of skin diseases, Monarda esters act more effectively on the affected area in combination with basil. These herbs, when combined, neutralize each other's negative side effects, thereby enhancing their healing properties.
For the preparation of products with monard ether, it is better to use peach, apricot or almond oil as a base. To enhance the antiviral and bactericidal qualities of the plant, eucalyptus and lemon wormwood should be used. And you can improve its aromatic properties with the help of essential oils of lime, geranium, lemon and lavender.
Monarda harvesting
This perennial flower is an excellent honey plant that attracts many beneficial insects, so it can often be found in summer cottages. It looks great in the background of the garden, as well as in combination with phlox and rudbeckia. As a rule, the ground part of the golden melissa is used to create culinary dishes and medicines. It is best to collect plants at the beginning of flowering. After all, it is during this period that the most essential oils are present in it.
Cut Monarda should be dried in a dark place, while the room should be well ventilated. Rough and thick stems should be thrown away immediately, as it is difficult to prepare medicinal preparations and infusions from them. A dry plant does not need to be crushed much, otherwise the essential oil glands can be spoiled. If they are damaged, the efficiency of raw materials will deteriorate.
The ratio of substances in monarda and the amount of essential oils vary depending on the variety, growing conditions, harvesting time. Monarda oil is a very valuable and useful plant, its healing properties are of great benefit to the human body, but you should consult a doctor before using it.
People's opinions about this flower
Monarda oil, reviews of which are mostly positive, contributes tostrengthening hair when added to shampoos. Some users note its pronounced effect on the skin when added to cosmetics. Many more were convinced that the plant really helps to fight viral and colds. People who use it in aromatherapy have noted the tonic effect of this herb's essential oil.
