Latin Name
Petroselinum crispum

General Description
The feathery leaves of parsley, added to salads and cooked foods or used as a decorative garnish, are also a source of chlorophyll and vitamins C and A, as well as a versatile herbal remedy. Because of its ability to ease muscle spasms or cramps, parsley is used as a digestive aid. Parsley is also considered an expectorant to be taken for coughs and asthma. And it is prescribed as a diuretic and mild laxative. Native to the eastern Mediterranean area, parsley is now cultivated around the world. One of the first herbs to appear in the spring, the plant develops tiny chartreuse flowers on an umbrella-shaped canopy.

Target Ailments

• Indigestion, congestion from coughs and colds, asthma, irregular menstruation and premenstrual syndrome, fever. (Taken internally.)
  
• High blood pressure and congestive heart failure. (Taken internally under the supervision of your physician.)

Preparations
Over the counter:
Available as tinctures and as fresh or dried leaves, seeds, stems and roots.

At home:
Tea: 1 to 2 tsp. dried leaves or roots per cup steeped in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes in a closed container; or chopped fresh leaves and stems steeped in hot water.
Nutrition and diet: Raw, green leaves eaten as a breath freshener.

Special Information

• WARNING: Pregnant and nursing women should not take parsley juice or oil in medicinal doses, because it may stimulate uterine contractions. A few sprigs served as garnish will probably not cause any harm if eaten.
  
• WARNING: If you use this herb frequently as a medicine, you should increase your intake of foods high in potassium, such as bananas and fresh vegetables, because diuretics deplete the body of potassium.
  
• Do not give medicinal doses to children younger than 2 years old.
  
• Only experienced field botanists should pick wild parsley, because of its resemblance to toxic plants.