ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe to our Newsletter:
Healthy Diet Plans >>  Herbs and Natural Cures >>  Tarragon

Tarragon Health Benefits


Botanically called Artemisia dracunculus, Tarragon is a perennial herb, which is widely known for its medicinal uses. 

Some of the health benefits of tarragon are as under:
  • First and foremost, tarragon stimulates the digestive system and also enhances appetite. It helps regulate metabolism by promoting the secretion of digestive juices and activates the co-enzymes that assist digestion. Tarragon herb helps relieve anorexia, flatulence, constipation, hiccups and dyspepsia. As such, its usage helps prevent and cure a variety of ailments of the digestive system.
  • Tarragon being a rich source of Vitamin C helps boost the immune system of the body. It helps prevent strain on the immune system, preventing a variety of infections and ailments.
  • Another health benefit of tarragon is its ability to cure oral problems like loosening of teeth, cavities and fragility of gums.
    It may be used as an antiseptic and anesthetic agent in dentistry.
  • Tarragon may also be deployed to cure insomnia. It helps relax the nerves and also regulates the circulatory system. It helps cure restlessness and may be used to induce sound sleep.
  • Tarragon regulates blood circulation, thereby leading to proper distribution of nutrients and oxygen in the body.
  • Tarragon also helps remove toxins from the body, detoxifying the body. This helps prevent the formation and growth of oncogens or cancer cells, thereby preventing the grave affliction.  
  • Being a detoxifying agent, tarragon helps reduce the pace of aging. It helps prevent visible signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines, patchy skin and dark spots.
  • Tarragon is an anti-rheumatic substance which helps prevent and cure rheumatic arthritis by removing toxins from the body and promoting blood circulation in the body, including lymph.
  • Another health benefit of tarragon is its ability to curb the growth and proliferation of microbes under the skin. This may be attributed to its spicy smell and chemical composition. As such, it may be used as a deodorant.
  • Tarragon is a potent vermifuge, which helps eradicate round worms and tape worms from the intestines, thereby preventing digestive ailments. It helps prevent the loss of nutrients from the body, thereby maintaining the overall physiology.
  • Another health benefit of tarragon is its ability to regulate menstrual cycle, and alleviate pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS), serving as a powerful emmenagogue.
  • Tarragon inhibits the activation of blood platelets, preventing the aggregation and clinging of platelets on the walls of blood vessels, thereby preventing heart attack and stroke.
  • Tarragon is anti-bacterial in action and as such, it may be applied to external cuts and wounds to prevent septic infections.
  • Tarragon helps in the formation of blood pigment called hemoglobin and as such, prevents deficiency of red blood cells or anemia.
  • Tarragon being a rich source of zinc helps in protein synthesis, thereby regulating the formation of cellular structures of the body.
  • Another vital health benefit of tarragon is its ability to promote the state of the thyroid gland, attributed to its rich copper content. It helps protect the nervous system by preserving the myelin sheaths of nerves.
  • Being a rich source of calcium, tarragon helps maintain the health of skeletal system by strengthening bones.
  • Tarragon promotes cholesterol metabolism by promoting the secretion of essential digestion co-factors, attributed to its manganese content. As such, tarragon prevents the susceptibility of arteriosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.
  • Tarragon also helps enhance vision, hair and skin texture.
  • Tarragon should not be consumed during the pregnancy period as some of the chemical components of tarragon like methyl chavicol may adversely affect the health of the mother and the baby.  
  • Some of the known tarragon supplements are wormwood, mugwort and sagebrush.

Nutrition Benefits Of Tarragon Tea


The health benefits of tarragon tea include its ability to relieve depression and anxiety. It also helps relieve fatigue, and induces a feeling of well being.

Side Effects Of Tarragon


Tarragon is generally reported to have positive effects on health, with no side effects. However, some people may be allergic to the herb, and as such, refrain from its usage as herb, tea or essential oil.

Information & Facts:

Here is some of the basic information and facts about tarragon:

  • Also called dragon-wart, tarragon is a native of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly Eastern Europe, Eastern Asia, Northern America and Mexico.
  • Tarragon plant grows up to a height of 150 centimeters and has slender, branched stems.
  • It has glossy green, broad and lanceolate leaves. The tarragon plant produces flowers in capitulate, each capitulate contains about 40 small florets.
  • Tarragon is usually used as one of the flavoring ingredients in the kitchen.
  • Tarragon is a rich source of phyto-nutrients, which imparts numerous health benefits.
  • Some of the chemical substances in the tarragon essential oil are methyl chavicol, ocimene, phellandrene and cineol.
  • Tarragon is also a rich source of certain vital vitamins including Vitamin A, Vitamin B-complex and Vitamin C.
  • Terragon is a rich source of certain essential minerals including zinc, calcium, manganese, iron, magnesium, potassium and copper, among others.
  • Tarragon may be used as tea, dried leaves, fresh leaves, tincture, infusion and essential oil.
Submitted on January 16, 2014