Khella Essential Oil
Native of North Africa, also grows wild in the Middle East and Mediterranean. It has been naturalized in Australia and South America. An annual herb growing to 2ft with delicate leaves and egg shaped fruits. Ammi originates from the Nile delta and was used therapeutically by the ancient Egyptians. The plant was used in Egyptian folk medicine to treat urinary calculi and bladder stones which was common as a result of widespread bilharzia. The plant’s dried umbels are still sold today in markets in the Middle East and the Far East, where the stems are used as toothpicks. The name Ammi was used for the plant early on by Dioscorides. The word comes from the Greek term ammos meaning “sand” and refers to the plant’s habitat. The Arabic name, khella is used throughout the Middle East and often in Europe. Lonicerus wrote that Ammi was a hot, dry plant and could therefore be used for “cold afflictions”, claiming its effectiveness: “against irritable stomachs and for the womb; it stimulates urine and women’s cycles (menstruation).” The seeds of this plant were at one time used to treat sterility, convulsions in the urethra and kidney stones; such conditions were regarded as “cold afflictions”. All of these effects have since been confirmed by scientific research.
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Properties: Antispasmodic, coronary dilator, bronchodilator, and anticoagelant, Used as an inhalant to mask the function of the mast cells. (1)
Indicated for: Insufficiency of heart muscle, atherosclerosis, asthma, colitis, liver disturbance and allergic reactions. (1)
Uses: Particularly useful in the treatment of respiratory problems, allergic asthma and bronchial spasms. (1) |
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