It’s plain to see that lily of the valley is beautiful. This sweet-smelling flower is often carried by blushing brides as they walk down the aisle, symbolizing a long and prosperous married life.
Native to cool temperate parts of the planet such as North Asia, North America and Europe, lily of the valley is actually a part of the Greek legend — Apollo stumbled upon it and gave it to Aesculapius due to its medicinal properties. Among Christians, lily of the valley represents the tears of the Virgin Mary. It’s exactly for this reason why lily of the valley is also sometimes referred to as “Mary’s tears” or “Our Lady’s tears”.
Did you know that lily of the valley also offers an incredible array of health and beauty purposes?
It Has Mild Diuretic Properties
Being able to promote diuresis, the intake of lily of the valley increases the production of urine. It’s because of this why it can be used for problems that can be managed by eliminating excess water in the body.
For instance, it can be very effective in eliminating urinary tract infections or UTIs because it helps in flushing out bacteria trapped in the various parts of the urinary system. Lily of the valley may also be employed for detoxifying the liver, relieving it from the need to work very hard to neutralize toxins in the body.
Lily of the valley’s diuretic properties may also be used for lowering the blood pressure. However, it should not be used together with blood pressure-lowering medications because the blood pressure may drop to dangerous levels.
It Possesses Laxative Properties, Too
Traditional healers recommend lily of the valley for people who are suffering from constipation. Needless to say, the flower is also very good at easing problems associated with constipation, such as bloating and gas.
In some cases, lily of the valley is given to induce vomiting. It only means that the beautiful-looking and sweet-smelling flower may be used for the removal of poisonous substances ingested by a person. However, it’s not all the time that vomiting is recommended whenever a toxic substance is consumed. It’s very important to consult a health professional to know which steps are appropriate to be taken.
It Improves Brain Functioning
According to legend, you can impart wisdom on someone simply by placing the oil obtained from lily of the valley on his or her forehead. Evidently, there is no truth to this. However, scientists say that lily of the valley can in fact encourage superb functioning of the brain.
There are certain compounds in lily of the valley that are said to slow down the aging process of the brain cells, and thus helping to ward off loss of memory. It is said to help enhance storage as well as recall of information. Lily of the valley is also revered for its ability to provide relief from mild cases of depression.
Traditional healers actually use lily of the valley in the management of epilepsy. Oftentimes, it’s also given to provide immediate relief from nagging headaches.
It Helps Makes Skin Look More Beautiful
For hundreds of years now, lily of the valley’s oil is being applied on scars to make them go away. It’s also commonly employed for treating mild burns for faster healing, and also to prevent horrible scarring afterwards.
Water in which lily of the valley is soaked has been also used for bathing in order to lighten one’s skin tone. Similarly, the said water — called “aqua aurea”, by the way — is used as skin astringent.
Caution
Just like any other herb on the planet, using lily of the valley excessively or in the wrong ways may cause some nasty side effects. Some of them include GI distress and dehydration. Overdosing on lily of the valley is also known to have unfavorable effects on the heart.
Planning on using lily of the valley for whatever health purpose? Make sure that you let your doctor know about your intention. This is especially true if you are in the family way, breastfeeding, or diagnosed with a medical condition and trying to control or manage it with prescription drugs.
