Parsley and its Health Effects

Common Parsley or Petroselinum crispum has quite a few synonyms in its taxonomy: Apium crispum, Apium petroselinum, Carum petroselinum, Petroselinum hortense, Petroselinum sativum and Petroselinum vulgare. Parsley has been reclassified quite a few times since binomial nomenclature taxonomy started in the 1700’s with Carl Linnaeus, and this can lead to some confusion if all the synonyms are not known. The root of its Latin name comes from the Ancient Greek Petroselinum meaning Petro-rock and Selinum-celery. This addition of petro-rock differentiated Petroselinum from Heleio-marsh selinon-celery, Heleioselinon or true Celery Apium graveolens. Over time the name Petroselinum evolved into Petrocilium - Petersylinge - Persele - Persely and finally in English to Parsley. This root can be seen in many languages e.g.

Croatian - Peršin, Czech - Petržel, Danish - Persille, Finnish - Persilja, French Persil commun, German - Petersilie, Greek - Persemolo, Hebrew - Petrosilia, Hungarian - Petrezselyem, Italian - Prezzemolo, Japanese - Paseri, and Korean - Pa sul li.

Whilst there is only one species to the Petroselinum Genus that of Petroselinum crispum, there are a multitude of varieties with over 37 varieties of the crispum var. or variety alone. It is the crispum var. or curled leaf variety with its dense curled leaves, short thin branches and long thin woody roots that we know as Common Parsley. It is unclear where Parsley originated from exactly, but most botany scholars support the Eastern Mediterranean region as most likely. If Parsley’s prime tap root is left unbroken, it proves to be one of the hardiest of the culinary herb plants, and has become naturalised in England since the Romans first brought it there in 70 CE. It was in fact the Romans who popularised the use of Parsley as a garnish, to be eaten before the meal to aid with digestion of rich dishes it was lain upon. Until the Romans, Parsley was used medicinally, ritually and planted on graves, but not in food at all. It was however given to horses, specifically chariot horses, as a supplement to their regular feed to give them strength and endurance.

Today fresh Parsley although still used as a garnish, has found its way into many dishes from across Europe to West Asia. It is however dried Parsley and Bouquet Garni the mixed herb selection that uses dried Parsley as a constituent, that it is primarily grown and harvested for world wide. Bouquet Garni originated as a small muslin cloth packed with local herbs tied tight and thrown into soups, stews and sauces. This gave the dish the flavours of the herbs without having to eat them in the final meal. Bouquet Garni by its highly localised nature is varied in its herbs and their quantities according to region, country and even village, but Parsley is generally one of them.

Parsley is a power house of minerals and vitamins, which would give support to its use in ancient Greece as a tonic for horses. This is due in part to its primary tap root which grows very deep in proportion to its above ground size. From this deep well Parsley draws many minerals and retains them within its leaves. Take a look at this average per 100g, mineral and vitamin content for Parsley and you will see what I mean.

Carbohydrates 6.3 g

Sugars 0.9 g

Dietary fibre 3.3 g

Fat 0.8 g

Protein 3.0 g

Thiamin (B1) 0.1 mg

Riboflavin (B2) 0.2 mg

Niacin (B3) 1.3 mg

Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.4 mg

Vitamin B6 0.1 mg

Folate (B9) 152 μg

Vitamin C 133.0 mg

Calcium 138.0 mg

Iron 6.2 mg

Magnesium 50.0 mg

Phosphorus 58.0 mg

Potassium 554 mg

Zinc 1.1 mg

As you can see that tap root works overtime, giving a content that rivals most green vegetables we eat on a daily basis. So why don’t we eat fresh parsley as a prime vegetable dish? Apart the superstition from its ancient association with death, and ancient myth nearly always stems from actual pharmacological content and effects, so let’s look at Parsley’s pharmacology.

Apiol is an organic compound found nearly exclusively in Parsley and at 576000 ppm (parts per million) in the essential oil of Parsley (can be processed from the whole plant but more from the root and seeds), and Apiol dominates its content. The essential oil has been used medicinally since at least 50 CE when it was named by Pedanius Dioscorides in his De Materia Medica, a pharmacopoeia or book of plants and all their known medicinal uses. The Materia Medica was almost solely used by most western medical practitioners until 1600 CE, that’s nearly 1550 years Dioscorides single medical book reigned for. Back to Apiol which primarily has a powerful effect on the female reproductive system. It can be used to induce menstruation and as an abortifacient, and was Parsley was sited by Hippocrates for these purposes above others. Parsley could therefore be one of our first ever morning after treatments, but just like today’s modern morning after abortifacient pill, in high frequent doses Apiol can be very toxic to the liver and kidneys. The essential oil of Parsley is still widely used in the Middle East for these effects, though it has been mostly replaced in the west with other compounds that are perhaps less toxic in the require dosages.

There are over 300 chemical compounds altogether that have over 742 effects on our bodies when we consume Parsley in whatever manner or concentration. Though of course eating a sprig is vastly different compared to a few drops of the highly concentrated essential oil. One can see it would be a bad idea for anyone who is pregnant no matter the dosage or concentration. Moving on, let’s take a look at the top five effects backed by the most compounds present in Parsley.

Cancer Preventative effects are supported in Parsley with 43 compounds that are known to have a preventative action toward initial cancer development.

(5-METHOXY-PSORALEN, ALPHA-PINENE, ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL, APIGENIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, BERGAPTEN, BETA-CAROTENE, BETA-SITOSTEROL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CHLOROGENIC-ACID, ERIODICTYOL, ESTRAGOLE, FIBER, GERANIOL, IMPERATORIN, ISOPIMPINELLIN, KAEMPFEROL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, METHIONINE, MUCILAGE, MYRISTIC-ACID, MYRISTICIN, NARINGENIN, NIACIN, NICOTINAMIDE, OLEIC-ACID, OSTHOL, P-COUMARIC-ACID, PANTOTHENIC-ACID, PSORALEN, QUERCETIN, RIBOFLAVIN, ROSMARINIC-ACID, RUTIN, SELENIUM, SHIKIMIC-ACID, STIGMASTEROL, SUCCINIC-ACID, TAURINE, UMBELLIFERONE, VIT-B2, XANTHOTOXIN)

There are 42 compounds that support an Antibacterial effect in Parsley; these compounds effectively knock off bad bacteria more than anything else when applied.

(8-METHOXY-PSORALEN, ALPHA-PHELLANDRENE, ALPHA-PINENE, ALPHA-TERPINEOL, APIGENIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, BENZALDEHYDE, BETA-PHENYLETHANOL, BETA-SITOSTEROL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CHLORINE, CHLOROGENIC-ACID, CITRIC-ACID, DELTA-3-CARENE, DELTA-CADINENE, DILLAPIOL, ERIODICTYOL, ETHANOL, FALCARINDIOL, FALCARINOL, GERANIOL, KAEMPFEROL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, MALIC-ACID, MYRCENE, NARINGENIN, NERAL, P-COUMARIC-ACID, P-CYMENE, PHENETHYL-ALCOHOL, PROTOCATECHUIC-ACID, QUERCETIN, ROSMARINIC-ACID, RUTIN, SABINENE, SILVER, TERPINEN-4-OL, THYMOL, TIN, UMBELLIFERONE, XANTHOTOXIN)

Anti-oxidants with 32 compounds present in Parsley that help the body by donating their electrons (which they regain without harm) to stabilise free radicals who are missing theirs and therefore dangerous. This effect is affiliated to cancer prevention but it is not the only benefit of anti-oxidants for the body.

(ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL, APIGENIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, BETA-CAROTENE, BETA-SITOSTEROL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CAMPESTEROL, CAMPHENE, CHLOROGENIC-ACID, ERIODICTYOL, FUMARIC-ACID, GAMMA-TERPINENE, KAEMPFEROL, LUTEIN, METHIONINE, MYRCENE, MYRISTIC-ACID, MYRISTICIN, NARINGENIN, P-COUMARIC-ACID, PALMITIC-ACID, PROTOCATECHUIC-ACID, QUERCETIN, ROSMARINIC-ACID, RUTIN, SELENIUM, SHIKIMIC-ACID, STIGMASTEROL, TAURINE, TERPINEN-4-OL, TERPINOLENE, THYMOL)

An Anti-Inflammatory effect is supported in Parsley with 31 compounds that are known to reduce inflammation, which is the intricate reaction of blood vessel tissue to various stimuli resulting in inflammation of that tissue.

(3-N-BUTYL-PHTHALIDE, ALPHA-PINENE, APIGENIN, ASCORBIC-ACID, BERGAPTEN, BETA-PINENE, BETA-SITOSTEROL, CAFFEIC-ACID, CHLOROGENIC-ACID, COPPER, DELTA-3-CARENE, ERIODICTYOL, IMPERATORIN, ISOPIMPINELLIN, KAEMPFEROL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, MAGNESIUM, MYRISTICIN, NARINGENIN, OLEIC-ACID, OSTHOL, PROTOCATECHUIC-ACID, QUERCETIN, ROSMARINIC-ACID, RUTIN, SALICYLATES, STIGMASTEROL, THYMOL, UMBELLIFERONE, XANTHOTOXIN)

Anti-Spasmodics have 30 supporting compounds. They suppress smooth muscle contractions mostly within tubular organs such as the stomach intestine and bladder. This is effect is useful for gastric complaints such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

(3-N-BUTYL-PHTHALIDE, ALPHA-PINENE, ALPHA-TERPINENE, APIGENIN, APIIN, APIOLE, BENZALDEHYDE, BERGAPTEN, BETA-PINENE, CAFFEIC-ACID, GERANIOL, KAEMPFEROL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, MYRCENE, MYRISTICIN, NARINGENIN, NERAL, NIACIN, P-COUMARIC-ACID, POTASSIUM, PROTOCATECHUIC-ACID, PSORALEN, QUERCETIN, RUTIN, SHIKIMIC-ACID, TERPINEN-4-OL, THYMOL, UMBELLIFERONE, XANTHOTOXIN)

We have been using Parsley medicinally for over 2650 years and for a variety of purposes, so let’s see what some of their purported traditional medicinal uses have been and match them to corresponding known pharmacological compound effects.

Abortifacient (induces abortion) (2)

Antibiotic (inhibits or destroys the growth of harmful bacterium) (42)

Aperient (laxative) (4)

Cancer (cancer preventative 43) (anti-existing cancer 11) (anti-tumour 38)

Carminative (prevents or eases the formation of gases in the alimentary canal) (1)

Diuretic (increases flow of water from the renal system) (14)

Emmenagogue (stimulate blood flow to the pelvic area in women) (1)

Fever (to reduce body temperature during a fevered condition only) (4)

Parasiticide (to kill or suppress parasites within the body) (1)

Pediculicide (to treat head lice or scabies) (69)

Stimulant (excitement of the central nervous system) (4)

Sudorific (helps with excessive sweating though not sweating caused by shock) (0)

Uteritis (helps with disorder of the uterus and menstruation) (5)

So we can see again the mythology and continued use of medicinal Parsley within our now global society is justified pharmacologically. Culinary wise it is perhaps one of these very nutritious herbs that should be eaten by all except those who are pregnant much more than we do currently. Though like Comfrey which is also very high in minerals and vitamins this should not be a daily consumption. It is with accumulated concentrations that would come with daily eating in which Parsley can become toxic to the body. So whilst it should not replace your A grade vegetable of the day such as spinach, it should at least be consumed monthly for the benefit of its highly nutritious nature. It is my belief that many of the edible herbs and plants of the world are like this, which if included into our diets would provide an overall great health advantage.

Over years of actively listening to my body and its needs, I have found that I eat a widely varied diet and maybe repeat a single dish only once in a month and sometimes much longer. I think this listening to the body, is very much like the cravings a pregnant woman experiences when her body demands certain compounds. This need by the body is translated into cravings for the closest known substance that might contain those properties. It is perhaps just so much stronger in pregnant women because the baby’s life and normal development is on the line if these bodily requests are not followed.

The difficulty in this process of listening to the body’s need of course is complicated by our own mental satisfaction desires e.g. that eight bar of chocolate is not for your body but for your mind. But if you can learn to recognise the difference, for me I get a flash of a taste in my mouth sometimes when I am not eating and this has proved to be true e.g. I got a couple of flash tastes for lemons and went on to make a batch of pure lemonade (real lemons), the next day I had cold symptoms that developed into a mild two day cold. Now if I had not consumed all that lemonade and the resulting ascorbic acid, perhaps my cold would have been far worse and lasted longer. This listening could be different for each individual I can only speak for myself, but by listening and using this information in my dynamic eating patterns I do believe I have benefited in the long run from doing so.

So for all of you who have an endless set weekly eating pattern remember as humans our bodies are looking for the widely varied diet that we have experienced for the last 100 000 years or so. It also pays to remember anything in excessive quantities can harm your body, no matter how good it purported to be for you.

A diverse diet for thought C=;}

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