Harnessing the Astonishing Hydrangea Benefits for Your Overal Health
Are you looking for a health and well-being supplement which can help benefit your body in your daily life? If the answer is yes, you’ve landed on the right page. This article will address everything you need to know about hydrangea and its potential health benefits.
The truth is that this source has been utilised in folk medicine spanning back hundreds of years to focus on specific infections and conditions. While no scientific evidence supports its uses yet, the benefits of consuming hydrangea are promising. Read on to explore more about what hydrangea could do for you and your daily health today!
What is hydrangea?
Hydrangea refers to a range of flowering plant species originating from the Americas and Asia. With over 75 different species, hydrangea has considerable diversity in Asia, with shrub and tree heights varying from 1m to 30m. The most cultivated hydrangea species are deciduous, although some evergreen types exist. The rhizome and root of this plant are commonly utilised in medicine.
What are the health benefits of hydrangea?
Like many plants, hydrangea has a range of potential benefits which could help boost your physical health. Scan the list of uses we’ve put together below to discover how you could be taking advantage of this nutritional supply.
- Reduces blood sugar levels
Hydrangea may have the potential to reduce blood sugar levels, which can help with a variety of insulin-related conditions. In some studies, this source enhanced the use of blood sugar and decreased insulin resistance. With this in mind, hydrangea could even help with weight management.
- Helps with inflammation
Inflammation occurs when your body becomes subjected to infection and injury and may damage your organs, thus making anti-inflammatory mechanisms critical. The root of hydrangea plants contains high amounts of coumarin, a compound known to potentially provide anti-inflammatory properties. Since inflammation can trigger pro-inflammatory markers such as nitric oxide, it may be worth exploring this plant further to help protect your body’s overall well-being.
- Enhanced kidney health
According to some studies, hydrangea may help enhance kidney health by protecting against kidney damage and kidney stones due to the fact that it can dissolve calcium. Some research has found that hydrangea extra could reduce blood creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and urinary albumin excretion, all of which relate to kidney inflammation. This could be because of skimmin, an active molecule within hydrangea roots. While this is the case, we must be aware that many studies surrounding this topic have only been performed on mice, meaning that they may not translate to humans.
- Improves liver health
Coumarin and other chemical compounds present in this source may be able to protect livers from toxins, as shown in some lab investigations. Despite this, as with all the potential benefits listed so far, this claim needs to be backed up with more human studies to determine its effectiveness.
- Protects against antioxidants
Oxidative stress typically happens when too many reactive oxygen species are present within the body, triggering tissue damage and other adverse health impacts. Because it contains coumarins, hydrangea may have antioxidant effects that protect your body against oxidative stress. Mouse studies have supported this claim, discovering that hydrangea extract decreased oxidative stress in its subjects.
How should I take hydrangea supplements?
Since limited human studies are linked to taking hydrangea supplements, there is no standard recommended dosage. However, many individuals choose to take 1 tablespoon of powdered or dried hydrangea in a cup of tea. Doses which fall higher than 2g have been strongly connected to a range of side effects which we’ll go through below, so it’s worth keeping some measurements in mind when taking hydrangea root.
What are the side effects of taking hydrangea?
As with any supplement or plant, you may suffer from various side effects by taking hydrangea. While this plant extract is generally safe for most people, you should be aware of the consequences before consuming this nutritional source. These include:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Risk of combining drugs
- Risks in pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Vomiting
- Chest tightness
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach and intestine irritation
There need to be more studies carried out to establish if taking hydrangea root is safe to take in higher doses.
Rounding up
So, there you have it. Hopefully, this article has given you more of an idea about what hydrangea is and how it can benefit your health in your everyday life. Like similar herbal supplements, hydrangea has the potential to help boost your daily health and flourish in the long term. Knowing the possible consequences of taking this plant extra is critical to helping you decide whether you should take this nutritional resource.