Borage

Also Known As : Bee Plant, Beebread, Borage Flower, Borage Leaf, Borage Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Borago, Borago officinalis, Borraja, Bourrache, Bourrache Commune, Burage, Burrage, Common Borage, Common Bugloss, Cool Tankard, Feuille de Bourrache, Fleur de Bourrache, Huile

Technical Name : Borago officinalis

Descriptions
details

Vegetarian

Taste Profile

Borage plant when fresh has a cucumber-like odor. While the flowers and leaves have a flavor slightly similar to cucumber and salty to taste.

Usage Tips

Borage is used as either as a fresh vegetable or a dried herb. As a fresh vegetable, it is used in salads or as a garnish. The flower has a sweet honey-like taste and is great to decorate desserts and cocktails. Dried borage herb, make good tea blends.
Borage leaves are also added to yogurt or cream cheese or served with shellfish.
The stalks are cooked like any other vegetable.
The oil from borage seeds have medicinal properties and used for may ailments like eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, stress, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), diabetes, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), alcoholism, pain and swelling (inflammation), and for preventing heart disease and stroke.

Common names and forms

Star Flower

Description

Borage is a plant that grows annually which originated in Syria, however it was adopted throughout the Mediterranean region, Europe, Great Britain, North Africa, North America, and Iran. It is an edible and ornamental plant belonging to the family Boraginaceae. It grows up to 2 feet in height. Its stem and leaves are covered with coarse, prickly hairs and it has clusters of star-shaped bright blue flowers. These flowers are attractive to bees and are borage is sometimes grown for honeybee feeding. Borage flowers can also be lavender or purple in color, making the plant beautiful in appearance and hence used ornamentally too. The flowers blossom mostly during spring and summer months. In earlier times, the consumption of borage was expected to instill bravery and happiness in people. Hence, Celtic warriors in an effort to increase courage drank borage wine before going into battle. So also, the knights of the medieval times were given a drink made of borage flowers before war to induce bravery. Also, borage flowers were at times secretly added to the drinks of men by women to encourage the male suitors to propose the women. Borage is a highly prized plant as all its parts are utilised- stalks, leaves, flowers, seeds for various purposes.

Health benefits

Heals respiratory condition- Borage leaves when chewed provide relief from sore throat, stuffy nose, cold and painful sinuses. It's effective in removing the phlegm and mucus from the respiratory tracts and also opens up the sinuses.⁽¹⁾
Treats skin conditions- Indian borage helps treat skin conditions such as bug bites, stings, psoriasis and eczema. It reduces swelling, redness and itchiness due to its anti-inflammatory properties.⁽¹⁾
Reduces anxiety levels- Tea or infusions made from Indian borage is helpful in reducing chronic stress, anxiety and promotes peace of mind, brings about relaxation and induces sleep.⁽¹⁾
Supports kidney function- Diuretic properties in Indian borage cause urination which helps clear toxins from the body and lowers excess salt and water in the body, thus strengthening kidney function.⁽¹⁾
Relieves bowel disturbances- Indian borage soothes upset stomach providing relief and regulates digestion.⁽¹⁾
Relieves Arthritis pain- Borage oil contains GLA (gamma-linoleic acid ) which relieves pain due to rheumatoid arthritis. GLA contains omega 6 fatty acids such as which treats arthritis by causing regeneration of joints.⁽¹⁾

Selection Guide

Borage leaves wilt soon after picking, so wrap them in moist tissues and put them in airtight containers so that they don't lose moisture and wilt more. To use the fresh flowers, remove the thorny backside and also watch out for bees. Rinse the flowers gently and pat them dry and use.

Note

Borage contains harmful compounds like pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) when taken orally. These can damage the liver or cause cancer, especially when taken in high doses or for a long time. Borage seed oil might increase bleeding time leading to a higher risk of bruising and bleeding especially in people with bleeding disorders. Borage products which contain hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) may worsen liver disease.⁽²⁾

Resource & Links

(1) https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/borage/

(2) https://www.rxlist.com/borage/supplements.htm

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