The meadowsweet is a popular condiment and was used to reduce the pains and the fever. In the 1830s, anti-inflammatory compounds were first extracted from the herb. About 60 years later, the pharmaceutical company Bayer produced a similar synthetic substance: the acetylsalicylic acid. They named aspirin from spiraea ulmaria, the old Latin name of the plant. The long term use of aspirin may lead to gastric ulcers and bleeding, but the meadosweet does not appear these effects because of the fact that is milder for acidity of digestive system.
Selected Spices and Herbs
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