Eyebright - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Eyebright, which is also known as Euphrasia,  is a herb that has small white flowers with purple stripes and a yellow spot in the middle.

It has been used in Europe for hundreds of years as a traditional herbal medicine, especially for minor eye problems like redness and irritation.

The herb's Greek name, Euphrasia, means "joy," which is how you might feel if it helps your eyes get healthy again.

What is eyebright?

Eyebright, or Euphrasia officinalis, is a plant that grows in North America, Europe, and Asia. It can be anywhere from 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) tall, and it only blooms for a few months towards the end of its growing season.

Eyebright grows well in poor soil and gets a portion of its water and nutrients from the roots of other plants because it is a semi-parasitic plant.

Its stems, leaves, and flowers are commonly used in traditional herbal medicine, such as in teas and dietary supplements.

Eyebright is also used in homoeopathy, which is a form of natural medicine that treats people with very diluted substances.

What is eyebright used for?

Eyebright is a herb that is often used to treat minor eye problems. Eyebright can help with eye problems like conjunctivitis, styes, redness, blepharitis, dry eyes, and allergies. It can also help treat small eye injuries as a first aid measure.

How does eyebright help your eyes?

Eyebright is full of compounds that can help when you have a minor problem with your eyes. Eyebright extracts have been studied by pharmacologists and found to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.

Eyebright has tannins in it that help reduce swelling and dry up any extra fluids. The caffeic acid is antibacterial. Iridoid glycosides in eyebright, such as aucubin, help fight infection and swelling.

Early use of eyebright:

Eyebright is a plant that grows in Europe. It has small, white flowers with scalloped edges, yellow spots, and a black centre. In the past, Eyebright was used to treat eye problems because of the Doctrine of Signatures. This was a theory from the 1600s that said a plant's appearance showed what it could treat.

Eyebright has been used for a long time to treat all kinds of eye problems, such as inflammation, conjunctivitis, red eyes, styes, itchy eyes, sore eyes, and poor vision.

In the Middle Ages, people with bronchial colds often mixed dried Eyebright with tobacco and smoked it. During the Elizabethan era, it was used to make Eyebright Ale, which helped people see better (as long as they didn't drink too much!).

Health benefits of eyebright:

Eyesight:

There are phytonutrients in this herb that can help reduce the symptoms of eye pain. Eyebright contains an anti-inflammatory compound called aucubin, which helps tired or inflamed eyes feel better. Eyebright also contains tannins, which act as astringents to help dry up secretions and relieve inflammation of the mucous membranes. This helps a lot when you have conjunctivitis or blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids).

The flavonoid quercetin, which is also in Eyebright, can help with hay fever symptoms (especially runny eyes). People think that this phytonutrient makes allergies less severe by stopping histamines from being released.

Eyebright is also good for getting rid of styes (inflammation of one or more of the sebaceous glands in the eyelid). It has caffeic acid, which has antiseptic properties that will help fight the infection.

It is thought that the antioxidants in this herb can help the eye absorb more vitamin A and vitamin C. It also has the minerals zinc, copper, and selenium, which all help to protect against cataracts.

Helps in Breathing

Eyebright has tannins that are naturally astringent and can help reduce catarrh and mucus discharge. This can help with allergies, colds, sinusitis, and general respiratory discomfort. It is thought that these tannins work by tightening the mucous membranes, while the flavonoids in this herb can help with seasonal allergies, coughs, colds, and chest congestion.