Mustard Seeds

Common Name: Mustard

Latin Name: Brassica alba

Intro:

A traditional spice used worldwide to add warmth to dishes like curries and chutneys, as well as condiments such as mustards, pickles, and relishes, mustard has a rich history dating back to ancient India and Sumatra. Traded along the historic spice routes, it holds deep biblical, cultural, and medicinal significance.

There are dozens of mustard species, and it is one of the oldest botanical medicines used externally for its stimulating and warming properties. The seed pods are collected in late summer and are valued in medicine for their rubefacient action — gently irritating the skin to stimulate circulation and help relieve tension and pain.

The volatile oil of mustard can cause severe burning if applied directly to the skin or mucous membranes and was, tragically, used in WWI as mustard gas. However, when diluted, the oil acts as a counterirritant, reducing pain signals sent to the brain via peripheral nerves, making it an effective natural remedy for muscular and joint discomfort.

Parts Used:
Seeds

Actions:
Rubefacient, irritant, stimulant, diuretic, emetic

Medicinal Uses:

Mustard’s stimulating and diaphoretic properties have been used traditionally in plasters, poultices, and liniments to treat fevers, colds, bronchitis, and overall congestion from colds and flu. 

For fevers, colds, and chest congestion, mustard’s stimulation of circulation and diaphoretic properties can be utilized by sprinkling the powder in baths or using it as a poultice to relieve congestion, or applied externally as a chest rub.

It combines well with cayenne pepper and ginger root for its analgesic qualities, helping with pain, arthritis, poor circulation, and even chilblains (frostbite).

Caution:  Mustard oil can be highly irritating — use caution when applying to children under six, and avoid large amounts during pregnancy or direct application to the abdomen or in baths.

Used In: Heat Rub