Carqueja is a medicinal plant, of the species Baccharis trimera, widely used as a home remedy to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as helping to strengthen the immune system. Due to its anti-inflammatory and diuretic action, carqueja can also be used to improve digestion, combat gas and help you lose weight, for example.
Carqueja tea, prepared with the stems, is the most commonly used way to consume the plant, which can be found in health food stores and some compounding pharmacies. Another way to use carqueja is in the form of capsules.
Although it has several health benefits, the use of carqueja can also cause side effects, especially when consumed in excessive quantities, in addition to being contraindicated for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Therefore, the use of carqueja should always be done under the guidance of a doctor or other health professional who has experience with the use of medicinal plants.
What is it for
Carqueja has several medicinal properties that can be used to:
1. Help control blood sugar
Some studies show that carqueja can be an important ally in the treatment of diabetes due to the flavonoids in its composition, such as apigenin, luteolin and quercetin, which act by regulating glucose metabolism and reducing insulin resistance, which allows controlling blood levels. blood sugar more easily.
2. Lower blood pressure
Carqueja helps reduce blood pressure due to its diuretic action, which increases the elimination of fluids from the body. This causes the volume of fluid in the blood vessels to decrease, also reducing the effort that the heart needs to make to pump blood and, consequently, reducing blood pressure.
3. Combat fluid retention
Because it has a diuretic effect, due to large amounts of flavonoids, such as quercetin and apigenin, and phenolic compounds, such as caffeic and chlorogenic acids, carqueja stimulates the elimination of fluids through urine, combating swelling and fluid retention.
4. Strengthen the immune system
Carqueja is rich in antioxidants, such as quercetin and rutin, which stimulate the production of white blood cells, which are essential defense cells to prevent and fight infections. Therefore, carqueja can help strengthen the immune system, being useful to help treat flu and colds, for example.
5. Improve liver function
The flavonoids present in carqueja have a strong antioxidant action, fighting free radicals and reducing damage to liver cells, in addition to stimulating the production of healthy liver cells.
Furthermore, because of its antioxidant properties, carqueja has a protective effect on the liver, reducing the accumulation of fat that can cause fatty liver, for example.
6. Lower bad cholesterol
The saponins present in carqueja help reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood, as they reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. Furthermore, carqueja saponins also increase the elimination of cholesterol in feces.
7. Help fight inflammation
Carqueja is rich in flavonoids such as rutin, luteolin and apigenin, which function as potent anti-inflammatories, as they reduce the production of inflammatory substances such as prostaglandins and cytokines. Therefore, the use of this plant can be very useful in the treatment of inflammations in the throat such as tonsillitis, in the stomach, such as gastritis or ulcers, and in the intestine, such as gastroenteritis, for example.
8. Help in the treatment of gastritis
The flavonoids present in carqueja help control stomach acids. Therefore, the plant can be very useful in helping to treat gastritis.
Furthermore, carqueja has a protective action on the stomach, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which reduce damage to stomach cells that can cause gastric problems such as heartburn or ulcers.
9. Help you lose weight
Carqueja has flavonoids and caffeic and chlorogenic acids with antioxidant and diuretic properties, which help eliminate liquids that can cause excess weight, especially when carqueja is used in the form of a tincture.
Furthermore, the caffeic acid in carqueja has a thermogenic effect, which helps to increase metabolism and burn fat, contributing to weight loss.
10. Fight intestinal worms
Carqueja has an essential oil that acts by causing paralysis and death of some intestinal worms, especially Schistosoma mansoni, which causes schistosomiasis. Furthermore, carqueja essential oil inhibits the production of worm eggs in the intestine, which helps to combat schistosomiasis and prevent the transmission of the disease to other people.
How to make carqueja tea
Carqueja tea is simple and quick to make and has several health benefits.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of carqueja stems;
- 1 liter of boiling water.
Preparation mode
Place the carqueja stems in boiling water and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain and drink up to 3 cups per day.
Another way to use carqueja to obtain its benefits is to use carqueja in capsules that can be taken 1 capsule of 300 mg, 1 to 3 times a day.
Possible side effects
The most common side effects of carqueja normally arise when the plant is consumed in larger quantities than recommended, especially by people who have diabetes or high blood pressure, as carqueja can make it difficult to control blood pressure in cases of hypertension or greatly reduce blood pressure. blood sugar levels causing hypoglycemia crisis in diabetics.
Furthermore, carqueja can cause uterine contractions and lead to miscarriage. Therefore, if a woman is planning a pregnancy, it is recommended that a pregnancy test be carried out before using carqueja.
Who shouldn’t use
Carqueja should not be used by children or pregnant women, as it can cause increased uterine contractions and miscarriage. Furthermore, it should also be avoided during the breastfeeding period, as it can pass into breast milk, causing side effects in the baby.
Carqueja should also be used with caution by diabetic or hypertensive people, as it can increase the effect of medications being used to treat these diseases and cause side effects.
It is important to emphasize that carqueja should always be used under the guidance of a doctor, herbalist or a healthcare professional with specific knowledge of medicinal plants.
