Carqueja: what it is used for, properties and how to prepare tea

Carqueja is a medicinal plant of the species Baccharis trimera, which is widely used as a home remedy to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as helping to strengthen the immune system. Due to its anti-inflammatory and diuretic action, carqueja can also be used to improve digestion, fight gas and help lose weight, for example.

Carqueja tea, prepared with the sticks, is the form in which this plant is most commonly used, which can be found in health food stores and some drugstores. Another way to consume carqueja is in capsules.

Although it has several health benefits, the use of carqueja can also cause side effects, mainly when consumed in excessive amounts, besides being contraindicated in pregnant women or during breastfeeding. Therefore, the use of carqueja should always be guided by a physician or other health professional with experience in the use of medicinal plant.

Carqueja: what it is used for, properties and how to prepare tea

What it is used for

Carqueja has several medicinal properties that can be used for:

1. Helps control blood sugar

Some studies show that carqueja can be an important ally in the treatment of diabetes due to flavonoids in its composition, such as apigenin, luteolin and quercetin, which act by regulating glucose metabolism and reducing insulin resistance, allowing blood sugar levels to be controlled more easily.

2. Lower blood pressure

Carqueja helps lower blood pressure due to its diuretic action, which increases the elimination of fluids from the body. This causes the volume of fluids in the blood vessels to decrease, also reducing the effort the heart requires to pump blood and, consequently, lowering blood pressure.

3. Combat fluid retention

By possessing a diuretic effect, due to the large amounts of flavonoids, such as quercetin and apigenin, and phenolic compounds, such as caffeic and chlorogenic acids, carqueja stimulates the elimination of fluids through urine, combating swelling and fluid retention.

4. Strengthen the immune system

Carqueja is rich in antioxidants, such as quercetin and rutin, which stimulate the production of white blood cells that are essential defense cells to prevent and fight infections. Therefore, carqueja can help strengthen the immune system, being useful to help in the treatment of flus and colds, for example.

5. Improve liver function

The flavonoids present in carqueja have a strong antioxidant action, fighting free radicals and reducing damage to liver cells, as well as stimulating the production of healthy liver cells.

In addition, due to its antioxidant properties, carqueja has a protective effect on the liver, decreasing the accumulation of fat that can cause fatty liver, for example.

6. Lower bad cholesterol

The saponins present in carqueja help lower bad cholesterol levels in the blood by reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestine. In addition, the saponins in carqueja also increase the elimination of cholesterol in the stool.

7. Helps in the treatment of inflammation

Carqueja is rich in flavonoids such as rutin, luteolin and apigenin, which function as potent anti-inflammatories by reducing the production of inflammatory substances such as prostaglandins and cytokines. Thus, the use of this plant can be useful in the treatment of inflammatory processes such as in the throat, in the case of tonsillitis; in the stomach, in the case of gastritis or ulcer; and in the intestine in case of gastroenteritis, for example.

8. Helps in the treatment of gastritis

The flavonoids present in carqueja help to control stomach acids. Thus, the plant can be very useful to help in the treatment of gastritis.

In addition, carqueja has a stomach protective action, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that reduce damage to stomach cells that can cause gastric problems such as heartburn or ulcers.

9. Helps to lose weight

Carqueja has flavonoids and caffeic and chlorogenic acids with antioxidant and diuretic properties, which help eliminate fluids that can cause excess weight, especially when used in tincture form.

In addition, caffeic acid in carqueja has thermogenic effect, which helps increase metabolism and burn fat, contributing to weight loss.

10. Treat intestinal parasites.les

Carqueja has an essential oil that acts to paralyze and kill some intestinal parasites, especially Schistosoma mansoni, which causes schistosomiasis. In addition, carqueja essential oil inhibits the production of parasite eggs in the intestine, which helps to treat schistosomiasis and prevent the spread of the disease to others.

How to prepare Carqueja Tea

Carqueja tea is simple and quick to prepare and has several health benefits.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of carqueja sticks;
  • 1 liter of boiling water.

    • How to prepare

    Place the carqueja sticks in the boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink up to 3 cups per day.

    Another way to use carqueja to obtain its benefits, is to use carqueja in capsules, which can be taken 1 capsule of 300 mg, 1 to 3 times a day.

    Side effects

    The most common side effects of carqueja usually arise when the plant is consumed in higher than recommended amounts, mainly by people who have diabetes or hypertension, as carqueja can make it difficult to control blood pressure in cases high blood pressure or greatly reduce blood sugar levels, causing a hypoglycemic crisis.

    In addition, carqueja can cause uterine contractions and can cause miscarriage. Therefore, in case a woman desires to become pregnant, it is recommended to take a pregnancy test before consuming carqueja.

    Contraindications

    Carqueja should not be used in children or pregnant women, as it may cause increased uterine contractions and miscarriage. In addition, it should also be avoided during lactation, as it can pass into breast milk causing side effects in the baby.

    Carqueja should be used with caution in diabetics or hypertensives, as it can increase the effect of drugs being used to treat these diseases and cause side effects.

    It is important to emphasize that carqueja should always be used under medical guidance, from a phytotherapist or a health professional with specific knowledge in medicinal plants.

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