Common Centaury: Benefits, Uses and Precautions

Dr. Boris Wydoff

Common centaury (Centaurium erythraea) is an herbaceous plant of the Gentian family with a pronounced bitter taste. According to herbal medicine guides, it is traditionally used as a bitter tonic to stimulate appetite and digestive functions. The herb is used in infusions, decoctions, and herbal blends.

What is this plant and how to recognize it?

I talk about common centaury as a medicinal plant that has long been described in herbals. Its Latin name is Centaurium erythraea. In reference books, you may also find related names such as umbrella centaury and European centaury.

This is an annual herbaceous plant. Its height is usually 15–50 centimeters. The stem is straight and branching. At the base, there is a rosette of basal leaves. The plant has a short, rough-pubescent coating.

Centaury grows in dry meadows, forest clearings, and edges. It can be found in fallow lands and as a weed in fields. According to botanical descriptions, it is widespread in the European part of Russia, the Caucasus, Crimea, Central Asia, and Western Siberia. The plant is also known in Western Europe.

The flowers of centaury are reddish. The herb of the plant is used for medicinal purposes. Reference books indicate that the aboveground part is harvested before the flowers bloom, while the basal leaves are still well developed.

The plant has almost no scent. Its main feature is a purely bitter taste. It is this bitterness that has driven its long-standing use in herbal therapy.

Where is centaury found in the wild?

Centaury prefers places with relatively dry conditions. It is described as growing in meadows, forest clearings and edges, fallow lands, and fertile fields where it can act as a weed.

In botanical sources, its range is associated not only with the European part of Russia. The plant is also widespread in Western Europe, parts of North Africa, and Western Asia. In Russia, it is most often found in the middle and southern zones of the European part, as well as in the Caucasus, Crimea, Central Asia, and Western Siberia.

This wide distribution explains why centaury has long been known in traditional herbalism across various regions. In older materials, you can also find local names for the plant: serdéchnik, tsentauryya, tysyachnik, serdeshnik, zolotnikova trava, zolotukha, and semisilnik.

How to distinguish centaury from a similar species?

When harvesting, it is important not only to look for red flowers, but also to evaluate the size of the plant and the presence of a basal rosette.

Another species permitted for collection is the beautiful centaury — Centaurium pulchellum Druce. It is noticeably smaller, with a height of about 5–15 centimeters. Its stem branches right from the base, and there is no basal rosette. The flowers are red as well.

The centaury described as medicinal raw material is characterized by larger sizes and a well-developed rosette at the base. Therefore, when harvesting independently, one should not rely solely on the color of the flowers.

Why is this plant so bitter?

According to herbal reference books, centaury herb contains bitter substances. Among them are bitter glycosides, gentiopicrin, swertiamarin, and other compounds.

The composition also mentions the alkaloid gentianine, the flavone glycoside centaurein, resin, wax, mineral salts, and other substances. In older botanical descriptions, erythrocentaurin is noted separately. Its crystals can turn pink and then bright red when exposed to sunlight.

Reference books describe that an infusion of the herb at a dilution of 1:2000 should taste bitter. This is due to the content of bitter glycosides. The bitterness of the plant determines its traditional use. Centaury is classified among bitters — plants used to stimulate appetite and digestive activity.

What other substances are in its composition?

The chemical composition of the herb is described somewhat more broadly in various guides. In addition to gentiopicrin and other bitter glycosides, eritaurin and erythrocentaurin are indicated. Ascorbic and oleanolic acids, essential oil, and mucilage have also been found. Among other components, older sources mention resin, wax, and mineral salts.

The alkaloid gentianine is described separately. In one of the guides, its content is estimated at approximately 0.6–1%. The plant's composition is primarily linked to its pronounced bitterness, which is easy to notice even in a heavily diluted infusion.

An interesting feature of erythrocentaurin is that its colorless crystals first turn pink under sunlight and then bright red. When heated to 130 °C, they become colorless again.

What properties are described in herbals?

The main direction noted by reference books is the use of centaury as a bitter remedy. It is traditionally used to stimulate appetite and improve digestion. Herbal books describe that the herb is part of appetite-stimulating and stomach herbal blends. It is also used to prepare bitter tinctures. Herbal guides also mention the alkaloid gentianine, which is credited with anthelmintic action. At the same time, it is important to understand the purpose of such descriptions. Information from old herbals reflects the traditional use of the plant and does not replace a doctor's examination and recommendations in case of illness.

How are bitters connected to digestion?

In medicinal plant guides, centaury is classified among plants containing bitter glycosides. Such plants are traditionally used as bitters to increase appetite.

The same description indicates that bitters enhance stomach motility and increase the secretion of gastric juice. This explains why centaury has long been included in stomach and appetite-stimulating herbal blends.

In medical reference books, centaury herb is also described in the form of infusions and decoctions for gastritis with low secretion, certain types of dyspepsia, and flatulence. This information belongs to reference descriptions of the plant's use.

Why is this plant interesting?

When people talk about common centaury, they most often recall its bitterness. It is precisely this property that forms the basis of the plant's traditional use.

According to reference books, the herb is used as a bitter tonic to support appetite and digestive function. It is included in various herbal blends and used to prepare infusions and tinctures.

Older descriptions contain various directions for the folk use of the plant. However, such information belongs to traditional herbalism and is not a universal recommendation for self-treatment. I pay attention to a simple principle: any herbal remedy requires careful handling. A bitter taste does not mean the plant is suitable for everyone.

How was the plant used in the past?

Centaury has been known as a medicinal plant since antiquity. A source on medicinal plants notes that it is mentioned as early as 13th-century herbals.

Several names and stories are associated with it. The scientific generic name Centaurium is linked to the red-flowered plant mentioned by Dioscorides. According to Pliny's account, centaury was used by the centaur Chiron, hence the theory that the name originates from the Greek word "kentaureion" — "centaur's herb."

There is another version as well. According to it, the word centaurium is connected to the meaning "100 gold coins." The story says that a rich man paid this sum for treatment, after which the doctor accidentally added another zero to the number.

The history of its use continued into later times. Before the First World War, centaury was harvested as medicinal raw material, delivered to pharmacies, and sold to middlemen.

What forms of use are described?

The medicinal raw material is the centaury herb. Reference books describe it both as a standalone raw material and as a component of blends.

One option is an herb infusion. The reference book gives a proportion of 10.0 g of herb to 200 ml of water. It is taken at 1 tablespoon. The source indicates the use of such an infusion as a bitter tonic to increase appetite, as well as in traditional descriptions for certain digestive system conditions.

The exact dosing regimen for this specific infusion is not indicated in the provided description, so the regimens of other recipes should not be applied to it.

Reference books also describe a bitter tincture. In one version, centaury herb and gentian are taken at 4 parts each, calamus rhizome at 2 parts, and the remaining components at 1 part each. Alcohol is indicated in an amount sufficient to obtain 65 parts of the tincture. For this form, a dosage of 20 drops 2 times a day before meals is indicated.

Other herbal blends are also found. Their compositions and proportions differ, so the dosages of one recipe cannot be automatically transferred to another.

What other herbal blends contain centaury?

In traditional reference books, centaury is included in a large number of multi-component formulas. It has been combined with yarrow, St. John's wort, calamus, mint, caraway, bogbean, and other plants.

For example, a blend of centaury, plantain, wormwood, and juniper berries is described. It was prepared as a aqueous decoction. Another formula combines centaury with curly dock and is also classified as a stomach remedy.

Herbal blends containing bitters and plants traditionally used for various digestive conditions can be found. Among them are combinations of centaury with tormentil, St. John's wort, elecampane, and other herbs.

These recipes show the breadth of the plant's folk use, but at the same time reveal another feature: centaury was rarely the sole component of a complex blend.

How to properly brew this plant?

The query "How to brew common centaury" is often associated with preparing a simple infusion. Reference books indicate the following proportion: 10.0 g of herb to 200 ml of water.

Other options relate to complex herbal blends. For example, a blend of centaury herb, St. John's wort, chamomile flowers, peppermint leaves, and cudweed is described. All components are taken at 20.0 g each. A decoction from this blend is indicated in an old reference book at 1/2 cup in the morning and evening, 40 minutes before meals.

There is another blend where, along with centaury, plantain, St. John's wort, cudweed, knotweed, yarrow, mint, caraway, and calamus are indicated. The reference book recommends taking the decoction at 1/3 cup 4 times a day, 1 hour after meals.

Such recipes belong to descriptions from herbal medicine guides and should not be considered a substitute for modern medical care.

How was centaury tincture prepared?

The reference book describes a bitter tincture using 40% alcohol. Its composition includes centaury herb and gentian — 4 parts each, calamus rhizomes — 2 parts, as well as bogbean leaves, wormwood herb, and mandarin peels — 1 part each.

40% alcohol is taken to obtain 65 parts of the tincture. In the description, it is characterized as a transparent brownish-yellow liquid with an aromatic, bitter-spicy taste.

For this specific form, taking 20 drops 2 times a day before meals is indicated. This is a separate recipe, so its proportions and dosage cannot be transferred to a simple herb infusion.

How to harvest and store its parts?

Centaury herb is harvested during the flowering period. One reference book indicates that it is collected before the flowers bloom, while the basal leaves are still well-developed. During harvesting, plants are pulled out entirely with their basal leaves, after which the roots are removed. An admixture of roots is undesirable because it contaminates the raw material and increases ash content.

For drying, the herb is laid out in rows with the inflorescences facing one direction. A method of drying in small bunches in a well-ventilated room or outdoors in the shade is also described.

Light is undesirable during drying and storage. Reference books note that centaury flowers fade easily.

When harvesting, it is important to correctly identify the plant. Herbal books describe that another species, the beautiful centaury, may be permitted for collection. It differs in smaller size and the absence of a basal rosette.

What to consider when harvesting the herb?

In another description, it is recommended to collect the raw material right at the beginning of flowering. The condition of the basal leaves serves as a guide: they should not yet have started to turn yellow and dry out.

The plant is usually pulled out by hand along with the basal leaves, after which the roots are chopped off. This method preserves the necessary aboveground part while preventing excess root impurities in the medicinal raw material.

For drying, the herb is laid out in rows with the inflorescences turned in one direction, which facilitates subsequent packaging. Another described method is to tie the plants into small bunches and hang them in a well-ventilated room or dry them outdoors in the shade.

Light is undesirable during drying and storage because the flowers fade easily. Therefore, it is best to keep the dry raw material protected from light.

How to store the herb?

Dried raw material is stored in a dry place protected from light. Before use, it is worth checking the appearance of the herb and the absence of excess impurities. Proper harvesting is important for medicinal use. If the plant is incorrectly identified or the raw material contains unwanted parts, the quality of the herb decreases.

How to find common centaury abroad

In the USA, look for centaury, common centaury, or European centaury. In Germany, the plant is called Tausendgüldenkraut, Echtes Tausendgüldenkraut, and on medicinal packaging it may be listed as *Centaurii herba*. In France, the names petite centaurée, centaurée petite, and érythrée are used. The Latin name is *Centaurium erythraea*.

The plant is sold as dried, crushed herb for infusions, tinctures, and liquid extracts. In the USA, alcohol-free liquid drops are also available as a supplement. In France, dried flowering aboveground parts are sold for *tisane* and tinctures.

You can look in specialized herb shops, some pharmacies, *herboristeries*, and online herb and supplement stores. In Germany, *Arzneitee* can be found in pharmacies and online pharmacies.

On the packaging, check for *Centaurium erythraea* and indications of flowering aboveground parts: stems, leaves and flowers, *Kraut*, *parties aériennes fleuries*, or *sommités fleuries*. Roots and fruits are not the required raw material.

Sales regulations vary by country: for example, in the USA, supplements do not undergo prior FDA approval for safety or efficacy.

Contraindications and precautions

The query "Common centaury contraindications" is primarily related to the safe use of the plant. According to modern safety data, the medicinal use of centaury is not recommended for children and adolescents under 18 years of age due to insufficient data. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the safety of medicinal use has not been established, so such use should be avoided.

A known hypersensitivity to the plant is a contraindication. Safety guides also indicate that centaury should not be used in cases of gastric or duodenal ulcers.

When using herbal remedies, it is important to exercise caution. If a person takes medications regularly, the use of the herb should be discussed with a specialist.

When to see a doctor

In case of prolonged or pronounced symptoms, it is important to see a doctor. This applies to persistent digestive disorders, pain, nausea, and other conditions that require determining the cause. During pregnancy, breastfeeding, in children, and in chronic illnesses, the use of the herb should be discussed in advance with a specialist. If signs of an allergic reaction appear, the intake of the plant should be stopped and medical help sought. Herbal remedies should not replace diagnostics and treatment when they are necessary.

Boris Wydoff — naturopath and author, Ph.D. in nutrition. For over fifty years I have helped people restore health through nutrition, cleansing and the power of the mind — in Europe, America and Asia. About the author →

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