The Beauty and Brain Benefits of Eating Flowers
"V-Day idea: Get them flowers…that they can eat!
A recent study reported that certain compounds in edible flowers offer neuroprotective benefits. Oh, and it’s also been reported that edible flowers contain 10x the concentration of antioxidants compared to fruits and veggies.
There are many types of edible flowers but, not all flowers are safe to consume—so only eat flowers that are grown for culinary use and are free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
Below, we break down the beauty and brain benefits of 5 different edible flowers.
1. Dandelion
The entire dandelion plant, from root to flower, is edible and packed with nutrients. The flowers and greens can be eaten raw or cooked, and the root is typically consumed as a tea.
Brain: Dandelions are rich in beta carotene and polyphenols, antioxidants that help protect against cell damage and reduce inflammation. The greens are high in lutein, a neuroprotective that also helps improve eye health.
Beauty: The flower contains lots of vitamin A, which helps prevent acne. Polyphenols and other antioxidants help improve the health of skin.
2. Nasturtium
Both the leaves and flowers of this plant are edible and can be enjoyed raw or cooked.
Brain: It’s rich in vitamin C, which helps improve cognitive function, convert dopamine into serotonin, and reduce stress by reducing cortisol production.
Beauty: Vitamin C also helps firm and brighten skin, as well as defend against pollution and free radicals.
3. Pansy
These flowers are typically used to garnish salads and desserts.
Brain: Pansies are rich in phenolic compounds like quercetin, a neuroprotective compound with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Beauty: The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help prevent free radical damage, which can cause premature aging.
4. Calendula
A versatile flower, it’s typically brewed as a tea or used as a garnish.
Brain: This flower is rich in antioxidants like polyphenols and carotenoids, which have anti-inflammatory benefits. It may help delay cognitive decline.
Beauty: It contains vitamin E, which helps reduce redness and irritation and may help reduce sun damage from UVB rays. Also, its vitamin C helps brighten skin.
5. Lavender
This well-known flower can be consumed fresh or dried and is commonly steeped to make tea or added to baked goods.
Brain: These studies suggest that lavender may help treat certain neurological conditions, act as a mood stabilizer, improve cognitive function, and contain neuroprotective properties.
Beauty: Like other edible flowers, lavender contains potent antioxidants that help repair skin and slow the visible signs of aging."
Read the full article on Poosh
@innateJoy9602 Some pesticides can be used and items still consumed, I always recommend washing though!
I have eaten squash flowers before, I would not bother doing so again. They aren't bad but they just taste like nothing, I could see putting them in a salad if wanting to do up a really nice presentation. I have heard there are some traditional foods where they are battered and deepfried, likely more flavour that way! Less of a healthy food when prepared that way though.
Otherwise the flowers I tend to eat are from herbs. I'm bad at prevent my herbs from bolting - chives, basil come to mind right away likely quite a few others too.
@AffyAvo
Ooh interesting to learn!
Never heard of having them deep-fried! While it may be less healthy, it sounds yummier that way.
I tend to stick to herbs as well. Chives and basil are great. I like chamomile, bee balm, and mint :)💜
Dandelion can also be used to make wine and jelly. I've eaten it. Not a fan. Raw is better because cooked is too close to canned spinach *shudder* I have a jar of the jelly but haven't tried it. It looks thinner then other jellies though
Nasturtium I grow here. These are great in salads. They have a slight peppery taste. They also have antibacterial properties too
Rose hips are ok but its been a few years since I've done these myself. They're good for vitamin c. You can use them for teas but you can eat them raw too. You have to remove the seeds inside because they have little hairs that can irritate your stomach
Plants are so awesome lol :)
@mytwistedsoul
Yes, a lot of flowers can have a bitter taste.
This is the first I’ve heard of Nasturtium.
May have to look into adding it to my garden!
Also, I am a big fan of tea. So, having those kinds of herbs around are always nice!💜
@innateJoy9602 We grow a couple different kinds of mint for tea. I love cold mint tea and it's so great to go out and pick the mint to make it and it makes the house smell so good!
@mytwistedsoul I think strawberry mint is the best smelling plant! I don't really remember the flowers on that though.
@AffyAvo Oh gosh I don't have any strawberry mint! But I'm definitely going to see if I can pick some up at the nursery 🙂
@innateJoy9602 Awesome! Thanks for sharing this!
@hopefulPond6108
Thank you for reading. :)💜
@innateJoy9602
I have eaten banana flower, which is chopped up and cooked with spices and other aromatics into a side dish, which is eaten along with rice in my culture.
It wasn't too bad; just that I'm not a big fan of it.
It's interesting to read about many edible flowers in this post.
@hardworkingThinker6293
Oh wow!! I have never heard of banana flower.
It sounds soo good. I will have to try it someday!💜
