Featured Ingredient Parsley

Juicing is one of my favorite ways to nourish my body, not to mention the easiest way to get my daily dose of vegetables and fruits.  We women need all the help we can get from the hormones department. If you are looking for a hormone balancing, uterine tonic and cleanser this juice is it.

I remember growing up, that my mom and grandma would occasionally drink a similar version of this juice or would simply boil water and then add lots of parsley.  Eeek!

I used to think they had lost their marbles and since I wasn’t “of age’ I was able to watch.  Yaaaas… Not so fast sisters, all of that changed once the monthly friend started visiting my sister and truly yours.  Grandma’s theory was that parsley served as a uterine tonic, and helped the uterus do its job in getting rid of dead tissue aka the monthly period (among other complex jobs).  Right grandma, stay away with your smelly weed I used to think… 🤢.

Fast forward 20 years… Guess what?  Abuela was right all along.  The smelly weed was indeed a fantastic herb for us women.

I have to admit, I couldn’t stand the smell and flavor then– today is no different. I despise the herb.  We just have a love-hate relationship, but as you may know me by now my motto is: If it is good for your body and heals it– eat it or drink it!

Yes, even if it requires some serious breath holding…! 

In retrospect sister and I never suffered from severe cramps, painful or delayed period.  I am now fully convinced it was that parsley tonic my grandma and mom conspired to feed us every few months.  By the way, we also ate healthily, had good sleeping patterns- for the most part, and stayed active.

Now let’s get to the important stuff– parsley and why it is beneficial:

Here’s some data on the nutritional value of Parsley. 

According to Worldhealthiestfoods.com This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Parsley provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Parsley can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Parsley, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

Back to the great benefits in parsley…
While doing some research for my UTI article,  I found that parsley is in fact, a pretty healthy herb especially for us women because is loaded in vitamins A, and B, and folic acid which is a very important nutrient that insures proper cell division.

Antioxidant ~ The flavonoids in parsley—especially luteolin—have been shown to function as antioxidants that combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules (called oxygen radicals) and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In addition, extracts from parsley have been used in animal studies to help increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood. (source)

Now, this juice was delicately crafted for us women as a uterine tonic, Urinatry Tract cleanser and of course a hormone balancing aid. Here’s how:

Uterine Tonic & Cleanser

Parsely as a uterine tonic, assists with irregular and very painful menstruation. It is a mild emmenagogue — in other words it will definitely stimulate menstruation (understand that it is predicted to work whenever your period is late and definitely not at the time you’re pregnant). Ingestion of parsley should be avoided by pregnant women.  

Parsley tea has been recommended for generations to help in monthly periods and used for mothers after delivery to promote uterine contractions after delivery. This process been considered due to the presence of apiol in parsley. Apiol is naturally a element in the female sex hormone estrogen.

Hormone Balancing

Dandelion root is not only nutritious, it is  particularly helpful in stimulating the liver, which helps the body clear out built up toxins, wastes, and bacteria which could be throwing your hormones out of balance. {Dandelion isn’t safe around here so I buy organic most times}

Parsley is yet another herb that that can be used as part of a daily vitamin regimen, overall wellness, and balance your hormone levels. Parsley is the highest source of iron in any leafy green, and contains three times equally as much Ascorbic acid (vitamin c)} as citrus. This herb is also in Vitamins A and B, plus it’s wonderful for regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Kelp (not in this juice) but you can add it to it. I usually add these kelp flakes to this juice or will add them to my tuna salad, on top of my eggs as a salt sub or any food I see fit.  Kelp is often used for female hormonal issues as well, because it provides a wide variety of nutrients.  Kelp also helps stimulate the different glands in our body. Kelp is particularly helpful in regulating the thyroid, it is also a natural source of iron, iodine and calcium.
[box title=”Important:” style=”noise” box_color=”#efe3f0″ title_color=”#060705″ radius=”12″] If you are trying to get pregnant or already pregnant you must be cautious in juicing or drinking lots of parsley at once.  Parsley is know to be a menstrual stimulating herbal and it’ll induce contractions.

According to this study the use of herbal infusions used for induced abortion, certain herbs such as parsley, ruda (Ruta chalepensis/graveolens), cola de quirquincho (Lycopodium saururus), parsley (Petroselinum hortense), and an over-the-counter herbal product named Carachipita. The components of Carachipita are pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), yerba de la perdiz (Margiricarpus pinnatus), oregano (Origanum vulgare), and guaycuri (Statice brasiliensis). Abortion occurred in 23 cases after the ingestion of parsley, ruda, Carachipita, celery, Cedron, francisco alvarez, floripon, espina colorada. So please be cautious when juicing parsley or any of the herbs mentioned above. [/box]

Question: Have you ever used a Uterine Tonic? Was it a juice or any other herb or plant remedy? Share your recipes or experiences in the comments below.