Want to learn about corydalis health benefits, corydalis remedies, and corydalis uses? Continue reading this article and see how to use corydalis in remedies at home.
Corydalis is one of those gorgeous bulbous spring flowers, similar to snowdrops, that come out in early spring. They are fairly easy to identify since these two early spring flowers are the first two to bloom and they differ considerably. Similar to the snowdrop, the main corydalis medicinal uses are for neurological problems, as you will see. Before we move to corydalis health benefits, let’s see how to identify, harvest, and preserve this medicinal flower.
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Which Corydalis is Medicinal?
The corydalis species known for their medicinal use are Corydalis cava and Corydalis solida, native to Europe, and Corydalis yanhusuo or the Asian corydalis, native to China. The medicinal part of corydalis is the bulb (Bulbus corydalidis).
How to Identify Corydalis
Corydalis is native to Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, as well as parts of China, and it grows at the edge of bright forests, plains, and mountains. It has flowers of different colors, white, yellow, pink, purple, cup-shaped “welded” petals, like those of snapdragons, and two long petiolate leaves. Corydalis has a spherical bulb with a rough or wrinkled surface and can be confused with that of crocus or saffron. The bulbs are yellow-brown to reddish-brown on the outside, and white-gray or yellowish in section, with a bitter, odorless taste.
How to Harvest Corydalis
The bulbs are harvested after flowering when the stem, flowers, and leaves have withered and the bulb is completely formed and matured. After harvesting, remove the outer peels, cut them into rounds, like onions, and place them in a thin layer in a well-ventilated place, to dry naturally. Move them daily to prevent mold. You can dry the corydalis bulbs faster in the oven, over minimum heat and open door, or in a dehydrator (at a maximum 40°C/104°F temperature). Store in paper bags or in glass containers after they are completely dry. Now that you know how to identify and harvest corydalis bulbs, here are the most important corydalis health benefits.
Corydalis Health Benefits
Corydalis has a beneficial action on the nervous system, but it is also used in heart conditions, especially for lowering blood pressure. Corydalis extracts have a positive influence on the good functioning of the gastrointestinal tract as well. Corydalis has anesthetic, antiseptic, anti-allergic, anti-parasitic, emetic, fever-lowering, emenagogue, and antimicrobial properties. The main corydalis health benefits are:
- central nervous system disorders
- neurological problems
- paralysis accompanied by agitation
- Parkinson’s
- tremors caused by nervous disorders
- hemiplegia
- minor chorea
- vestibular problems
- cancer
- pain management
- intestinal and biliary colic
- urethral colic
- parasitic worms
- eczema (topical)
The bulbs of corydalis contain up to 5% alkaloids, the main three being corydaline, coricavine, and bulbocapnine. They also contain glaucine, canadine, coridine, and isochoridine. Bulbocapnine can be a toxic substance, this is why before using any corydalis products you should consult with a physician.
How to Make Corydalis Infusion
To make corydalis infusion pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of chopped corydalis bulb. Cover for 10 minutes, then strain. Can be consumed a spoonful at a time, throughout the whole day for intestinal worms, pain, tremors, Parkinson’s, and corea minor.
This tea has a strong sedation effect on the central nervous system. The infusion has a milder action compared to the tincture, which is used for more severe conditions and symptoms. Please consult a health professional before using corydalis infusion.
Corydalis Tincture Recipe
Since the treatment requires a precise dosage, for neurological problems, perhaps the most suitable pharmaceutical form of corydalis is the tincture. To make corydalis tincture at home you need:
- 10 grams of dried and coarsely chopped bulbs
- 100 ml of food alcohol or other distilled homemade alcohol
Soak for 10 days in a sealed glass bottle, while stirring 3-4 times per day. Filter through a piece of gauze, seal, and leave to decant in the refrigerator for 6 days to clear out completely. Gently transfer the clear tincture to an amber bottle with a dropper, leaving out the residue deposited at the bottom. The shelf life of the corydalis tincture is two years from the date of preparation. Shake before use.
The tincture can also be used externally, to rub the affected areas or along the spine because it helps to restore the nerves and relieve pain. Corydalis tincture frictions are recommended in paralysis and hemiplegia.
How Much Corydalis to Take
For neurological and central nervous system disorders (including Parkinson’s disease, psychomotor agitation, and delirium tremens) the regular dose is 20 drops of corydalis tincture, twice a day, in a cup of periwinkle herb tea or Ginkgo Biloba tea.
Warning! We strongly recommended any treatment with corydalis is done under the supervision of a herbal doctor, or a naturopath because the self-treatment with corydalis preparations can be quite risky.
External Corydalis Uses
In the folk tradition of Moldova, people used to boil corydalis bulbs in cow’s milk and used this milk to wash children with eczema (impetigo) and other skin rashes. In the Iași region, Romania people made a decoction from the flowering stems and used it to treat venereal diseases.
Is Corydalis Toxic?
Bulbocapnine in corydalis bulbs can be a toxic substance, this is why before using any corydalis products you should consult with a physician.
Is Corydalis Hallucinogen?
One active compound in corydalis bulbs, corydaline has known narcotic properties. Moreover, another active compound in corydalis, bulbocapnia has a scopolamine-like action. Scopolamine is in the antimuscarinic family of drugs and works by blocking some of the effects of acetylcholine within the nervous system, similar to galantamine in snowdrop bulbs. Bulbocapnine acts on the central nervous system as an anesthetic, leading to catatonic immobility. This can influence neurologic function, increase heart rate, and decrease motility of the smooth muscles, something similar to paralysis. Glaucine in corydalis can include dissociative-type symptoms and hallucinatory effects manifest as bright and colorful visualizations.
Please consult a health professional before using any corydalis products or supplements!
How to Make Natural Insecticide with Corydalis
In addition to corydalis health benefits, this magical spring flower makes an amazing natural insecticide. Indeed, an effective alternative to toxic insecticides is the extract obtained from corydalis bulbs. This is due to corydaline, which has a paralyzing effect on insect larvae and worms.
For the natural insecticide recipe, soak 100 grams of chopped and dried corydalis bulbs in 200 ml of boiling water and leave for two days. Strain the infusion and mix it with 10 liters of water. Use this natural insecticide to spray the trees in the optimal periods, as recommended by pomologists.
Read About The Health Uses of Other Spring Flowers:
Cowslip
Daffodil
Daisy
Lily of the Valley
Sweet Violet
Snowdrop
Now you know how to use corydalis and what for, the most important corydalis health benefits, how to harvest and process corydalis bulbs and the main corydalis uses. If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media so more people can find it.
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