HEALTH The many uses of marigolds

The many uses of pot marigolds


Herbal Medicine
Sabine Hiller

Calendulas, also known as pot marigolds and often seen as a cottage garden plant, add a cheery splash of yellow or orange to any flower bed or vegetable patch. They should not be confused with marsh marigolds (gorgeous as they are for a damp corner or garden pond!) and French marigolds, as these belong to the Tagetes genus. The Calendula genus consists of numerous species, but here I will just talk about Calendula officinalis and its medicinal and culinary uses.
Calendula officinalis is easy to grow, and once established, it will self-seed freely. In the kitchen, calendula provides little splashes of colour to otherwise dull-looking dishes. Try adding chopped calendula petals alongside chopped chives and dill to egg-salad for added interest and colour. Green salads, rice and couscous dishes can be equally ‘pepped up’ by stirring in chopped calendula petals or by using whole petals as a garnish. Much cheaper than saffron, calendula petals can be used as a colouring agent for milk, cream, butter or sugar. In fact, calendula extract is often added to chicken feed to produce darker egg yolks.
Calendula has long been used as a medicinal plant. The ancient Romans gave the plant its name – derived from the Latin calend, meaning month, it refers to its long-flowering period. It was used in ancient Greece and Rome as well as early Indian and Arab cultures for ceremonial, culinary and medicinal purposes.
Calendula is very safe, and preliminary research suggests that calendula extracts even help to protect the kidneys and the liver from damage by toxins. The reason may be that calendula petals are rich in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that protect the body against cell-damaging free radicals. The likelihood of calendula preparations causing a contact allergy is low, but anybody with a known sensitivity to plants of the daisy family should avoid topical application of calendula or calendula products.
Medical herbalists nowadays often use calendula for digestive problems to combat both infection and inflammation. Research has indicated that calendula does indeed possess anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. A recent study showed that calendula inhibits the growth of Campylobacter jejuni. This bacterium is one of the most common causes of infection in the human  digestive system, particularly amongst children, and can lead to severe diarrhoea.
Apart from dealing with that nasty little critter, calendula also inhibits the growth of Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that has been found to be a major predisposing factor in the development of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Seeing that resistance to antibiotics is a serious problem, this antibacterial activity of calendula must be of great interest, especially as it comes with antifungal and antiviral properties.
The most commonly known application is probably the topical use of calendula for treating inflammatory skin conditions and to enhance wound healing. One study in breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy suggests that calendula ointment may be helpful in preventing skin irritation, redness, and pain. Other studies showed that calendula extract significantly speeded up the healing of venous leg ulcers, and that it is effective for the topical treatment of burns. Clinical studies also suggest that calendula possesses mild anaesthetic properties when used in ear drop preparations for ear infections.
In addition, calendula extracts have, as already mentioned, an inhibitory effect on fungi that has been shown to be comparable to that of standard antifungals. Independently of its direct antimicrobial action, calendula may also modulate aspects of the immune system, helping us to fight infections more efficiently. 
If you suffer from seborrhoeic dermatitis and the flaking and irritation associated with it, you can very easily make a hair rinse that can help control the numbers of offending yeast spores on your scalp. Simply infuse a large handful of calendula flowers in boiling water, let it cool, strain, and then use the liquid as a rinse to prevent and treat dandruff. Again, avoid calendula, if you are allergic to members of the daisy family.

Sabine Hiller BSc(Hons) MIIMH MNIMH – is a qualified professional medical herbalist based in Westport. She is a member of the Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists and the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK). She can be contacted at 098 35909.