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If you sometimes have swollen feet, then you certainly know how painful this health problem can be.
Swelling of the feet usually appears in their lower part and affects the feet, ankles and partly the calves.
Occasionally swelling can also appear on the hands.
There are many reasons why they occur. The most common causes include:
- a sedentary lifestyle or standing for long periods in one position
- consumption of large amounts of processed or salty foods
- poor blood circulation
- premenstrual syndrome
- side effects of some medications
- pregnancy
Mild swelling during pregnancy or after prolonged standing can be normal. However, frequent or chronic swelling may point to other illnesses, for example kidney disease, heart failure or liver problems.
Therefore, in the case of increased occurrence of leg swelling it is always appropriate to see a doctor to try to determine their cause.
For other cases of occasional swelling there are effective home remedies from herbs that reduce swelling and rid you of accumulated fluids. One such herb is parsley.
It was used to treat several health complications already in antiquity.
It is said that even Hippocrates used it for kidney stones, rheumatism and also as an antidote to certain poisons.
Parsley as a natural diuretic
According to the Green Handbook of Herbal Medicine, parsley is an excellent diuretic that helps the kidneys remove excess fluids from the body.
A 2002 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology showed that parsley inhibits the sodium-potassium pump, thereby affecting the process of osmosis and increasing urine flow.
Compared to common diuretic drugs, parsley has one major advantage.
These drugs cause potassium to be flushed from the body, while parsley, on the contrary, supplies potassium to the body. Therefore, unlike them, parsley has no adverse side effects on the body.
Another Brazilian study from 2009 reached similar results and moreover found that parsley can to some extent lower blood pressure.
Recipe for parsley tea to reduce leg swelling
According to the well-known American herbalist Dr. John Christopher, you should drink at least 1.5 liters of parsley tea per day to achieve the best results.
But a 200 ml glass every 3 hours is sufficient, that is roughly 5 glasses of tea per day in total. Don’t drink the tea a few hours before bedtime, so you won’t have to get up at night to go to the toilet.
For preparing the tea it is recommended to use fresh light-green parsley leaves, together with the roots and seeds if you have them. If not, it’s fine.
When preparing the tea proceed as follows:
- Chop the parsley leaves and root into small pieces.
- Place approximately 1/4 cup of chopped parsley into a tea infuser. If you don’t have one, you can simply put the parsley loosely into a teapot.
- Pour 200 ml of boiling water over it and let it steep for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the infuser with the parsley, or strain the tea.
- If you like, add a little honey, lemon or ginger for flavor.
- For the best result, always drink the parsley tea warm.
In addition to drinking parsley tea, don’t forget to use other methods simultaneously to reduce swelling, such as elevating the feet above heart level while lying down.
Another suitable activity is doing foot exercises, which help pump the accumulated fluids out of them.
