Looking for a natural boost to strengthen your defenses?Mountain Savory essential oil is a powerful anti-infectious and tonic concentrate. Renowned for its high carvacrol content, this warm, invigorating essence is ideal for getting through winter, bolstering your immunity or relieving temporary digestive problems. At Soin-et-Nature, you'll find a rigorous selection of 100% pure, natural oils, chosen for their effectiveness and perfect traceability.
Mountain savory, a perennial plant from the Mediterranean basin, has fascinated people since Antiquity, both for its digestive virtues and its aphrodisiac reputation. The Romans used it extensively at their banquets, not only to spice up dishes rich in meat and heavy sauces, but also to stimulate sexual vigor. It was thus a condiment at orgiastic feasts, supposed to rekindle ardor and soothe bloating.
The nickname "plant of the satyrs", found in its Latin name Satureja, derives directly from this symbolism brimming with sensuality. In Greek mythology, Dionysus offered it to the satyr Anos to awaken his weakened appetites. It belongs to a group of aromatic plants whose uses and properties are listed in the great phytotherapeutic and aromatic traditions. A way of restoring the satyr's legendary flamboyance.
During the Middle Ages, this reputation led to its exclusion from monasteries, where its presence was considered sulphurous. However, certain Christian texts extol its merits: Saint Hildegarde of Bingen acknowledges its major tonic and digestive properties. It is also said to soothe rheumatic pains.
Savory also features in the Capitular De Villis, the emblematic list of medicinal and vegetable plants that Charlemagne imposed on imperial estates. This recognition by political and religious powers shows the extent to which the plant had established itself in the pharmacopoeias of the early Middle Ages.
A herbaceous perennial, mountain savory grows wild in dry, stony or even limestone soils at high altitudes. It is distinguished by its upright branches, woody at the base, bearing opposite, linear leaves that are highly aromatic when crinkled. It blooms from July to September, producing small, labiate, white to pink flowers.
The plant is very similar to thyme or oregano, both in its habit and in its spicy fragrance, but it is distinguished by a powerful peppery odor, characteristic of its essence, rich in carvacrol and thymol. These molecules give it remarkable antimicrobial activity.
As far back as Antiquity, Dioscorides and Galen classified it as a hot, dry plant, capable of warming numb bodies, circulating humors and dissipating stagnant energies. Savory was used against bloating, colic, coughs, loss of libido and urinary tract infections.
In the Middle Ages, although some ecclesiastical physicians were wary of its stimulating effects, it was nevertheless recommended for its digestive and tonic effects. Saint Hildegarde made it a major plant in her therapy for gout, stomach cramps and deep fatigue.
Macer Floridus, in his famous De Viribus Herbarum, asserts that savory, taken in warm wine, unblocks colic, warms the stomach, acts against lethargy, induces menstruation and even, when used externally, cures migraines.
Mountain savory has many properties:
Rich in carvacrol and thymol, savory essential oil is one of the most powerful of the Lamiaceae. It acts by solubilizing the plasma membrane of bacteria, thus destroying them. It is formidable against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and many fungal strains.
Studies conducted by the University of Montpellier showed that savory outperformed the other essential oils tested (including thyme) in antifungal activity, with very low active concentrations.
Traditionally used to aid digestion, savory stimulates gastric and biliary secretions, limits intestinal fermentation and acts as a digestive antispasmodic, relieving cramps, gas and bloating. It is also diuretic, promoting the elimination of toxins through the urine.
It acts on the neuro-endocrine sphere, stimulating cognitive and sexual functions (aphrodisiac), and reinforcing the immune system by activating white blood cells and inhibiting chronic inflammation.
Its antiviral action is currently being studied in the context of ENT or winter viral infections. It is also useful in cases of intestinal parasitosis, thanks to its vermifugal properties.
A traditional condiment in Provencal cuisine, savory is nicknamed "donkey pepper" for its full-bodied character. It is used in civets, mountain cheeses, terrines and vegetable dishes. Along with thyme, bay leaf and parsley, it is also used in bouquets garni.
Easy to grow in pots or in the garden, it thrives in dry, poor, sunny soil. It attracts pollinating insects, simultaneously repelling aphids and ants.
A plant with a thousand virtues, mountain savory embodies the dual power of ancient aromatics: medicinal and culinary. Its branches emanate a protective, stimulating and purifying essence. Used with respect and precision, it restores strength to the digestive system, vigor to the body and clarity to the mind.
More than just an aromatic, savory is a concentrate of solar energy, an ancestral ally that has crossed the centuries with enthusiasm. Today, its rediscovery deserves a place of choice in natural dispensaries and inspired kitchens alike. The spicy, memorable fragrance of its leaves is a living tribute to the wisdom of the ancients and the incredible richness of the pharmacopoeia of the simple.
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