Medicinal Benefits and Uses of Marigold

In Mexico, cempasúchil flowers catch everyone's eye with their characteristic color as the Day of the Dead approaches. In pots or cut and placed on the altar, these flowers are not just decorations. Its scientific name is tagetes erecta, but it is commonly known as cempasúchil, cempoalxóchitl, cempaxóchitl, cempoal, or also zempoal in Mexico, and as African Marigold in the United States. Its meaning in Nahuatl is flower of twenty petals (cempohualxochit: twenty flowers or several flowers) and within the altar, it marks the path that guides the souls to the altars. Our ancestors already used it to alleviate stomach ailments, such as vomiting, indigestion, and diarrhea, and today it is used to color textiles, make insecticides, and also as medicine.You can also read: You didn't know all you can do with cempasúchilThe importance of cempasúchil on the Day of the DeadIn addition to its incredible medicinal properties and its use as a pesticide and colorant, this flower is essential on the altars of Day of the Dead, as pre-Hispanic cultures considered it a symbol of life and death, as well as being associated with the sun. This is why in many places, paths of cempasúchil flowers are placed from the cemetery to the home to guide the souls of the deceased to the offerings.The benefits of cempasúchil flower The whole plant is an antihelminthic (meaning it acts against parasitic worms), aromatic, digestive, diuretic, sedative, and beneficial for the stomach. The main medicinal uses of cempasúchil are for digestion, but also for respiratory diseases like cough. It is also used to treat skin conditions, such as rashes, in addition to these other uses:Useful for treating conjunctivitis and sore eyes externally.The root serves as a laxative.The flowers help expel gas and eliminate intestinal worms.As an infusion, it is used to treat colds and mumps.It is also used to treat warts, rashes, and sores, among other skin conditions.According to experts, the petals of this flower are rich in carotenoids, making it a powerful antioxidant.The cempasúchil flower has many uses, whether in poultices, hot baths, applied, or inhaled. If you use it in your offerings this year, you now know its other benefits and uses, so you could give your cempasúchil flowers a second use. You can also read: 9 foods that must not be missing from your Day of the Dead altarOther uses for cempasúchil flower Besides being used to treat digestive problems, skin conditions, and to treat cough, this flower is also used in the food and textile industries. On one hand, the yellow dye obtained from the flowers can be used as a substitute for saffron to give color and flavor to food. In poultry farming, cempasúchil is often used to feed birds, as this way the meat takes on an orange color or to give a more intense color to the egg yolk. Furthermore, today the flower is used to prepare ice cream, pulque, atole, beer, and many other dishes. If planted in your garden, it acts as an insecticide, thanks to the secretions of the roots of the growing plants.You can also read: The importance of sugar skulls on the Day of the Dead altarRecipes with cempasúchil flowerMake the most of this Mexican flower and prepare drinks and dishes to celebrate the Day of the Dead!Cempasúchil FlanCempasúchil AtolePan de Muerto Ice CreamOaxacan Tamal with Cempasúchil Flower in Green Sauce