Oenothera Biennis Uses

Use as food
In the vernacular of the evening primrose is also called "Schinkenwurz" because its root discoloration during cooking of red. Their wide distribution in Europe, mostly in its 18th And 19th century Century due to frequent cultivation as a vegetable plant. Old proverbs alleged that a pound of evening primrose root give as much power as one ton of beef. The common evening primrose is one reason to date to the typical plants of the farmhouse garden, even if it is now only grown as an ornamental plant.

From the Commons next to the root of evening primrose and the leaves, the flowers and the seeds are edible. The root is cooked like salsify or parsnips in the broth. The boiled roots were sometimes cut into slices and seasoned with vinegar and oil. Harvested, the roots of autumn thick taproot the first year (rosette stage) until the spring. Like other old vegetable plants is the common evening primrose out of fashion. In the modern kitchen, but the petals are sometimes used as an edible decoration.

In some regions, such as in Mazury used the roots and the leaves of Commons evening primrose as pig feed.

Use as a medicinal plant
Already, the North American Indians used the common evening primrose as a medicinal plant.

In natural medicine has today all the evening primrose oil a meaning. This derived from the seeds of evening primrose oil fat is used to treat and for the symptomatic relief of atopic dermatitis within. It contains large amounts of cis-linoleic acid, which is converted in the human body by the enzyme delta-6 desaturase in gamma-linolenic acid. From this results in a further enzymatic process dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid. From it, the body forms prostaglandin E1, which is involved in many functions of the cells. In atopic dermatitis is a shortage of these are important for human metabolism of gamma-linolenic acid, because the delta-6 desaturase has a deficient enzyme activity. The permits in evening primrose oil in a concentration of between 8-14% contained gamma-linolenic acid the formation of the anti-inflammatory effective prostaglandin E1 without delta-6 desaturase-mediated conversion of cis-linoleic acid into gamma-linolenic acid. Because evening primrose oil, however, very expensive is, is increasingly used as a substitute hemp oil.

The crushed seeds of Commons evening primrose can be directly applied to the skin rashes.

Use in cosmetics
Evening primrose oil is also used because of its effects as an active ingredient and additive in cosmetics, especially in skin creams. The ingredients have a calming especially here in reizempfindlicher skin and may accordingly be used pharmaceutically especially for dry, scaly and itchy skin. As a cosmetic oil, it protects the skin from moisture loss, can disappear rough spots and promotes cell growth and cell regeneration.


Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeine_Nachtkerze
See Also: sending flowers, online florist