Pheasant’s eye is sometimes known as “Adonis vernalis”, obviously named after Adonis — the Greek god of beauty as well as desire. According to mythology, Aphrodite — the Greek goddess of beauty, fertility and love — wept when Adonis was slain by a wild boar, and the tears she shed became the lovely flowers of pheasant’s eye.
Yes, it’s true that pheasant’s eyes have really beautiful flowers, but don’t let that fool you — the herb, which is native to grassy mountainous areas across the northern hemisphere, is actually so powerful that it’s being used for so many years now in dealing with a wide assortment of health problems.
Commonly available in tea, tinctures and liquid extract form, there are lots of issues pertaining to the heart and the rest of the circulatory system that this herb is known to manage. It’s also commonly employed for combating anxiety and insomnia, as well as for dissolving kidney stones and controlling urinary tract infections or UTIs.
Since it’s a powerful herb, the use of pheasant’s eye or any preparation that contains it should be done only under the direct supervision of an experienced herbalist. If taken in the correct manner, pheasant’s eye can work to your complete advantage. Some of the amazing things that it’s known to be capable of include:
Improves Blood Circulation
Traditionally, pheasant’s eye is used for improving the circulation of blood in the lower extremities, which, in other words, means that it enables blood to return to the heart so that it may be oxygenated in the lungs. As a result of this, the pooling of blood as well as fluids in the legs (edema) can be prevented from happening.
Lowers Heart Rate
Other than optimizing blood circulation, pheasant’s eye is also known to keep the heart rate within the normal range, which is anywhere between 60 to 100 beats per minute. This only means that the said herb has the ability to increase the effectiveness of the heart to circulate blood throughout the body as it doesn’t have to pump rapidly.
Maintains Normal Blood Pressure
Pheasant’s eye is capable of increasing the amount of urine produced by the kidneys. So in other words, the herb named after Adonis has diuretic properties. This is beneficial for people who are suffering from high blood pressure or hypertension — by flushing out excess water, their blood pressures can be kept from spiking.
Relieves Urinary Tract Issues
Being a diuretic, pheasant’s eye is commonly employed by traditional healers for dealing with urinary tract infections or UTIs. The increased amount of urine produced helps in flushing out bacteria in the kidneys and urinary bladder. Pheasant’s eye is also usually given to individuals who have kidney stones that need to be dissolved and excreted.
Lowers Anxiety and Stress
It’s also not uncommon for pheasant’s eye to be used for lowering both stress and anxiety levels given that it has superb sedating properties — it helps in calming both the mind and body. Because of such ability of pheasant’s eye, it is also beneficial for people whose bouts of insomnia are keeping them from having a good night’s sleep.
JUST A FEW WORDS OF CAUTION: Pheasant’s eye is known to contain toxins, but they are deemed harmless by herbalists since they are poorly absorbed by the body. Nonetheless, it’s very important for the various aerial parts of pheasant’s eye to be kept away from other herbs when being dried to prevent contamination. If you’re pregnant, nursing or diagnosed with a medical condition, let your doctor know about your plan on taking pheasant’s eye tea, tincture or liquid extract — or any preparation containing it — for therapeutic purposes.
