Origin: Rhubarb is a very old plant. The medicinal uses and horticulture of the rhubarb have been in the record since ancient China. Rhubarb natively belongs to china. It was found around 2700 BC in China where Rhubarb was only cultivated for medicinal purposes. The Chinese people use to use rhubarb and its dried roots as a laxative.
The first documented use of rhubarb was 2100 years ago in western civilization in Greek and Roman medicines. Dried rhubarb roots were also used as an astringent.
Rhubarb reached Britain in the early 18th Century. Rhubarb attained popularity after world war II. It became more popular in the US and the UK than Australia and New Zealand. "Rhubarb" originally comes from the two Greek words for rhubarb. Rheon from the Persian rewend, later became the Latin word rheum, meaning rhubarb.
Scientifically: Rhubarb belongs to the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. It is a herbaceous and a perennial plant that grows from short, thick rhizomes. Rhubarb is fleshy, edible stalks that are cooked and used for food. The leaves of the rhubarb are triangular in shape and are inedible because of the presence of oxalic acid. The flowers are in white to red in color.
Rheum rhabarbarum (syn. R. undulatum) and R. rhaponticum species are very popular in Europe and have been in use ever since 18Th century. Nowadays, there are a lot of hybrid varieties of rhubarb. Rhubarb Stalks are usually crimson red in color and are also called crimson stalks.
Usage: Rhubarb is known for its culinary and medicinal benefits. Rhubarb is used to treat cold sores and also improves the intestinal function. It also reduces any kind of inflammation in the body. It Helps In treating constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, stomach pain, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, and preparation for certain GI diagnostic procedures.
Some people use rhubarb to decrease the strain during bowel movements. Rhubarb is also used for gonorrhea, high levels of cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure associated with pregnancy, and weight loss. It is used to make pies, puddings, muffins, cakes, crumbles, barbecued dishes, Meat, jams, marmalade, bread, etc. Rhubarb has amazing healing and anti-aging properties thus are loved by all the skincare experts. It is full of Dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Calcium, Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium and Beta-carotene. It improves the structural integrity of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid of the skin.
Below are some DIYs with rhubarb:
- Take a stalk of rhubarb and blend it with a tablespoon of yogurt. Mix them together and apply on the face for 10 minutes. Rinse it later. This remedy helps in brightening the skin.
- Blend a stalk of rhubarb with aloe vera gel. Apply this mixture on the face for 15 minutes. Rinse it later once dried. This helps in shrinking the pores.
- Take a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of rhubarb puree. Mix them together with 2 pinches of cinnamon powder. Apply this on the face and leave it on for 10 minutes. This reduces inflammation on the skin and reduces acne.
- Take a tablespoon of rhubarb puree and add a few drops of tea tree oil to it. Apply this concoction to the active acne and it will reduce and soothe the acne.
- Take a tablespoon of rhubarb juice with a tablespoon of coconut oil and sugar each. Mix them together and use this scrub on the body and face. This scrub removes the dead skin and gives smooth skin.