When we talk about mustard we immediately think of mustard sauce, an essential condiment in international cuisine. This sauce is obtained from different plants, mustards, to which many medicinal applications are also attributed, especially to relieve rheumatic and muscular pain.

mustard plant

They are known by the name of mustard various related species of the cruciferous familyall of them used to make the famous kitchen condiment. They are white mustard (Sinapis alba), black mustard (Sinapis nigra) or Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea), among others.

The mustards are robust plants, up to 1 meter high, with large, bluish-green, rough leaves, in some cases divided into irregular segments, and large, yellow flowersgathered in terminal inflorescences. The fruits are elongated and pointed capsules, called siliqueswhich open longitudinally and contain numerous seeds inside.

These mustard seeds are the part used, both in cooking and in natural medicine.

His place of origin varies depending on the plant: Eastern Europe for black mustard or Western Asia for white mustard, for example, but some of these species are found spontaneously throughout Europe and are cultivated on a large scale for industrial use.

The main producers of mustard seed They are Ukraine, Russia, Canada, the United States, China and Ethiopia.

Properties of mustard

Mustard is basically used as a cooking seasoning. Its medicinal use is much less than in past times and is based on traditional practices.which in some cases they are trying to recover.

Mustard seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, linolenic and erucic. They also contain abundant mucilage, essential oil with sulfur compounds such as sinigrin (in black mustard) or glycosinolate (in white mustard), glycosides such as sinalbin in the white mustard, mineral salts, vitamins C and B3.

They are attributed analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic properties, antimigraine, aperitif, revulsive, rubefacient, antibiotic, antioxidant and antifungal.

What mustard is used for as a natural remedy

The medicinal use of mustard is based mainly on traditional uses, which continue to be promoted by well-established herbalists and Chinese medicine treatments.

Mustard for pain

The mustard flour applies in the form of a hot poultice to combat severe or prolonged pain in arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout attacks, neuralgia, sciatica and sports injuries. The heat of the flour dough attracts blood to the point where the pain is located and tends to reduce it, like a revulsive.

It is also indicated for relieve muscle paincaused by contractures and sprains, tendinitis, bursitis, back and cervical pain.

It has been traditionally used to combat headaches, including migraine, in the form of rashes on the forehead or in relaxing baths.

Remedies with mustard, externallyare recommended in many herbalists to relieve some symptoms of menopause and menstrual periodsuch as fatigue, lower back pain or headache.

Mustard for blood circulation

The mustard, in the form of sitz baths and footbaths, It has been traditionally used to stimulate blood circulation in the feet and legs, to combat the feeling of heaviness and fatigue, as well as leg swelling.

Mustard for cold

The poultices of mustard and flax flour They were traditionally used to relieve acute colds, flu episodes, bronchitis, mild pneumonia and asthmatic attacks, applied hot to the chest.

Mustard as antifungal

The baths and rinses with mustard have been used in traditional and herbal remedies to combat fungal infections of the feet and other parts of the bodysuch as athlete’s foot or ringworm on the toes, onychomycosis or fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails, oral thrush, and other fungal infections.

How mustard is used for therapeutic purposes

Mustard is basically applied topically in the form of:

• Mustard flour in poultices (synapism) for respiratory conditions. Mustard flour poultices are also used to relieve joint and muscle pain.
• Baths and footbaths with mustard flour bags in the bathtub to combat fungal infections, for muscle and neuralgic pain.
• Foot baths and massage with mustard flour to combat migraine.
• Mustard essential oil, mixed with almond oilto apply in the form of scrubs or massage in case of headaches, muscle tension, rheumatic pain, sports injuries, etc.
• Mustard seed oilobtained by cold pressing, to apply externally against muscular and rheumatic pain or sports or professional injuries.

More rarely, mustard is used orally, in the form of:

• Infusion of seeds, in combination with other plants, as a diuretic and laxative, in which case combined with mucilaginous plants, although it is not usually used.
• Infusion of young leaves as a diuretic, purifying and laxative.

mustard flour

Mustard flour is obtained by grinding and sifting a good handful of black or white mustard seeds – even mixed with oriental mustard seeds – until obtaining a fine and uniform paste, which can be used for gastronomic and also medicinal purposes, in the form of poultices, baths and footbaths.

Depending on the type of mustard, the flour takes on a lighter, darker, blackish, yellowish or brownish tone.

Mustard in traditional Chinese medicine

Chinese mustard seeds and others like them are used in traditional Chinese medicine in a technique known as auriculotherapy or auriculopuncture, a type of acupuncture that focuses on the ear, stimulating certain reflex points in the pinna to treat some common physical and emotional conditions, from hives, rheumatism, neuralgic and back pain, chronic or repeated pain, to anxiety or postpartum depression, among others.

Mustard in the kitchen

We find mustard as part of a wide variety of sauces to season various dishes. They have a flavor that goes from very spicy to sweeter, depending on the type of seed or combination of seeds used.

They know each other many varieties of mustardswith great roots in certain national cuisines such as French or German. We are talking about Dijon mustard, Bordeaux mustard, Orleans mustard, Bavarian mustard used to season sausages, English or Colman’s mustard, mixed with turmeric, mustard flavored with various spices, etc.

Mustard sauce is used to dress salads, vegetables, pastas, stews and vegan vegetable pies, etc.

Contraindications of mustard

Mustard seeds, taken taken orally, they can cause gastric irritationgastritis, gastroenteritis and even nausea, dizziness and vomiting.

The seeds and essential oil should be strictly avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.. They are attributed a certain abortifacient potential, especially at high doses. They should not be administered to children under 12 years.

Topically, they should never be applied mustard remedies directly on the skinbut wrapped in poultices or in fine cloth or cloth bags, or in the form of baths or footbaths. There may be cases of skin irritation, as it shows a clear flushing and revulsive action.

They should not be applied on sensitive parts of the body such as eyes, lips, genitals, ears or nipples. For candidiasis of the lips, apply it carefully and mixed with vegetable oil.

Application of hot poultices They should not be prolonged to avoid the eventual appearance of blisters or vesicles on the skin.

Taking mustard remedies internally may present some unwanted interactions with some medicationsas occurs in diabetes. Consult with your trusted doctor.

Mustard seeds, due to their glucosinolate content, are among goitrogenic foods, that is, they can promote the growth of goiter in the thyroid. To avoid such effects, it is necessary to take them cooked or processed, since heat destroys their harmful effect.

By Jordi Cebrián, expert in phytotherapy