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Centaury

Uses

Botanical names:
Centaurium minus

Parts Used & Where Grown

This small grassland plant is native to Eurasia. The leaves, stems, and flowers of centaury are used medicinally.

What Are Star Ratings?

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for Why
1 Star
Indigestion, Heartburn, and Low Stomach Acidity
Refer to label instructions
Centaury acts as a digestive stimulant and may be helpful for indigestion.

Bitter herbs are thought to stimulate digestive function by increasing saliva production and promoting both stomach acid and digestive enzyme production. As a result, they are particularly used when there is low stomach acid but not in heartburn (where too much stomach acid could initially exacerbate the situation). These herbs literally taste bitter. Some examples of bitter herbs include greater celandine, wormwood, gentian,dandelion, blessed thistle, yarrow, devil’s claw, bitter orange, bitter melon, juniper, andrographis, prickly ash, and .. Bitters are generally taken either by mixing 1–3 ml tincture into water and sipping slowly 10–30 minutes before eating, or by making tea, which is also sipped slowly before eating.

1 Star
Loss of Appetite
Refer to label instructions
Centaury contains bitter glycosides that stimulate secretion of stomach acid and digestive enzymes as well as activity of the entire digestive tract.
Centaury contains bitter glycosides that stimulate secretion of stomach acid and digestive enzymes as well as activity of the entire digestive tract. Centaury is recommended by the German Commission E for people with poor appetite and indigestion.

Traditional Use (May Not Be Supported by Scientific Studies)

Centaury is one of the mainstays of European folk herbalism as a tonic for the digestive tract.1 It was also used as a general tonic for people who had fevers.

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