Centaury is a plant known for its bitter taste and medicinal properties. It is used to improve appetite and digestion, increase bile production, and manage fevers. Research shows it has antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. Centaury can be used as a tonic to strengthen the body's systems, and to support liver, kidney, and digestive health. It is generally safe to use but may cause irritation in large doses.

1. Centaury
Centaurium
erythraea
Gentianaceae
Loves boggy meadows
Leaves, stems &flowers are used
Also known as century gentian
and feverwort
Image by BerndH

2. Medicinal Actions
Bitter - improves appetite and digestion
Hepatic - increases flow of bile from liver
Cholagogue - increases bile from gallbladder
Febrifuge - manages fevers
Diuretic - increases urine output
Tonic - strengthens the body systems and health

3. Bitter effects
Useful with loss of appetite
for general anorexia or
recovery and debilitation.
Not useful n case where
loss of appetite is due to
severe disease such as
cancer.
Image by Mill Hill Flora

4. Useful for:
Toning the kidneys
Regulating digestive secretions from liver and
gallbladder
Corrective for liver troubles and jaundice
Assists in regulating kidney health

5. Constituents
Bitter glycosides such as gentiopicrin
Nicotinic acid compounds
Oleanic Acid
Phenolic Acid
Image by AlexNB (Talk)

6. Research of note
Research conducted on a variety of centaury
species showed the value of adding centauries to
the diet as a nutritive. Centauries have good
antioxidant activity, antimicrobial and antibacterial
activity.
In addition to aiding in digestion and encouraging
appetite it can also be used as an additive to foods
to assist with preservation by possibly inhibiting
pathogen and microorganism proliferation.

7. Usage information
Safe when used appropriately, although excessive
doses can cause irritation to mucus membranes,
nausea and vomiting.
Fluid extracts, infusions, powder and tincture
preparations can all be used internally.
The bitter taste should have aromatic or other herbs to
disguise the taste. The bitter taste is not required for
the bitter effect.

8. References
BerndH. (2016). Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 November 2016, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaurium_erythraea#/media/File:Centaurium_erythrae
a_220603.jpg
Flora, M. H. Mill Hill 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2016, from
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Centaury409.jpg
Petersen, D. (2016). Herb 303 Textbook. Portland, Oregon: ACHS.
(Talk), A. (2016). Wikipedia. Retrieved 26 November 2016, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarogentin#/media/File:Amarogentin_gentiopicrin.png
Weiss, R. F. A., Fintelmann, V., & Wandrey, S. O. (2000). Herbal medicine (2nd ed.).
Stuttgart, Germany: Thieme Medical Publishers.
Šiler, B., Živković, S., Banjanac, T., Cvetković, J., Nestorović Živković, J., Ćirić, A., …
Mišić, D. (2014). Centauries as underestimated food additives: Antioxidant and
antimicrobial potential. Food Chemistry, 147, 367–376.
doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.10.007