Jasmine: properties, use and contraindications



Jasmine ( Jasminum L. ) is a plant belonging to the Oleaceae family. Useful against stress and to promote rest, it has a sedative, soothing and antioxidant action. Let's find out better.

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Properties of jasmine

Jasmine is used for many purposes because there are many properties. It appears to be a mild sedative, able to help rest and calm agitated mental states (antistress).

Jasmine is effective in relieving coughs and respiratory problems. It is used for its analgesic and antispasmodic properties even in cases of premenstrual syndrome or pain during menstruation.

It also has antioxidant capacity due to the flavonoids contained in it, making it also a natural anti-aging remedy because it counteracts the free radicals responsible for cellular aging.

Method of use

Jasmine is composed of active ingredients such as linalyl acetate and benzoyl, linalool, phenylacetic acid, farnesol and in particular jasmone which is the responsible part of its fragrance. The main product obtained by steam distillation or enflorage is the essential oil of jasmine flowers .

INTERNAL USE: one of the classic methods of taking jasmine internally is jasmine tea where dried flowers are mixed with tea leaves. Furthermore, the dried jasmine flower is used in this way or as an aroma in some pastry recipes such as biscuits and jams. The aroma of jasmine is sought after and considered a delicacy; in fact, it is present in history as a fragrance in the foods that came to the tables of the nobles and the class of the richest people who were proud of using it as a habit only granted to them. Its properties, even in small dosages for internal use, are soothing, analgesic and mildly sedative .

EXTERNAL USE: the methods of external intake are various, the essential oil of jasmine can be diluted with other oils or added to creams to help massages, or it can act as a pleasant relaxing scent when used together with an environmental diffuser or, with the same ability to release tension, a few drops may be added to a bathtub. The cost of essential oil is quite conspicuous precisely because large quantities of flowers are needed to obtain very small quantities of essential oil . Unfortunately, there are often synthetic jasmine aromas on the market that reproduce the aroma but are not extracted from the plant. Its tone is associated with the 4th chakra that corresponds to the area of ​​the heart and, in fact, is used for the relaxation of the breath and the opening towards the other and the world.

Contraindications of jasmine

Some systems of traditional medicine or some schools of alternative medicine attribute to jasmine numerous properties not always proven by scientific tests. Jasmine essential oil, like the vast majority of essential oils, can be highly irritating to the mucous membranes, therefore it is not recommended for external use.

You can learn more about all the properties and use of essential jasmine oil

Description of the plant

The primary characteristic of the jasmine plant is undoubtedly the unmistakable aroma, which accompanies the long flowering that starts in the spring.

It is a climbing plant that can grow in height over 4 meters. It can also be set as a tree through a pruning job, or it can be left to grow as a lush bush.

The leaves are dark green and the flowers are star-shaped with 5 petals with a pure white color which is the secret of its innate elegance. The flowering period is therefore from spring to early autumn and with its fragrant flowers it gently fills the whole surrounding area with sweetness and refinement.

The best area for growth is on sunny exposure and sheltered from the wind . It does not like water stagnation and in winter it requires protection from the cold with a nonwoven fabric and a mulch on the ground at the base of the growth branches.

Jasmine habitat

Jasmine is definitely a subtropical plant, of Asian origin, although it is able to resist without difficulty at low temperatures in temperate climates.

Because of its scent, its ornamental characteristics and the medicinal properties attributed to it, jasmine was imported into the Mediterranean area and into the countries of northern Europe.

Background

With the name "jasmine" we mean mostly refer to Jasminum officinalis, otherwise called common jasmine. It comes from an area that goes from Asia Minor to the Indian peninsula, not for nothing is the national flower of Pakistan . Damascus is also called the city of jasmines and just the jasmine is the flower symbol of the city itself.

Linked from ancient times to the idea of ​​pure and unconditional love, it is linked to the figure of the Madonna . Even in the Muslim tradition, jasmine is a symbol of divine love and is the flower of Fatima, daughter of the prophet Muhammad.

Also read:

> The essential oil of jasmine among the remedies against tachycardia: discover the others

> Jasmine, a natural sedative

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