Not only used as an ornamental plant, the benefits of tulips for health are also very many. What are the contents in the tulip flower and its benefits for health? Let's see here.
There are various types of tulips, but the types that are often found and used are garden tulips (Tulipa sp), namely the yellow, pink, and purple tulips. This flower is included in edible flowers (edible) and is usually consumed in the form of tea or as a food garnish.
In addition, thanks to their striking aroma and color, tulips have also begun to be investigated for their benefits as natural food coloring or other products, such as aromatherapy, perfume, and cosmetic basic ingredients.
Various Benefits of Tulips for Health
Tulip flowers contain essential oils as well as various bioactive compounds that are strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Thanks to these ingredients, there are quite a lot of benefits of tulips that we can get, including:
1. Relieves stress
Limonene and linalool are the main essential oils of the tulip flower. These compounds can scent and freshen the air in the room.
Not only that, the aroma of tulip essential oil is also known to affect the nervous system and relax the inhaler. It is associated with reduced levels of anxiety, stress, and even depression.
2. Improve sleep quality
In addition to relieving anxiety, the content of linalool compounds in tulips is also known to produce a sedative or sedative effect. This natural compound works by decreasing nerve activity in the brain and muscles, causing a drowsy effect.
No wonder that tulip flower essential oil is often used as a therapy to reduce the risk of sleep disorders, make sleep more sound and longer, and even overcome insomnia. This will certainly support the improvement of overall body health.
3. Fight free radicals
The next benefit of tulips is to ward off free radicals. This benefit is due to the high levels of antioxidants in tulips. Even in red tulips, its antioxidant activity is known to be higher than other flowers which are also often used as food ingredients.
Antioxidants are needed by the body to counteract the effects of excess free radicals that have the potential to damage body cells and cause various health problems, ranging from premature skin aging, diabetes, to heart disease.
4. Fights bacterial infections
Research shows that the active compounds contained in red tulip extract can fight various disease-causing bacteria, ranging from diarrhea, typhoid fever, to skin infections.
5. Fights the growth of breast cancer cells
A study proves that extracts of yellow tulips and dark red tulips have the potential to be breast cancer drugs.
Although not yet applicable to humans, this study found that a collection of tulip bioactive compounds with cytotoxic properties can kill and inhibit the spread of breast cancer cells significantly.
The health benefits of tulips sound very interesting. To get these benefits, you can use tulip essential oil by inhaling it, either directly from the bottle or mixing it in diffuser. These oils are generally safe to use.
Even so, more research is needed before you can consume tulips as a treatment for a disease. So, don't rush into using herbal remedies that claim the benefits of tulips.
It's best if you consult with your doctor first if you want to use tulips to treat your health problems.
