Parsley Usage

Germany’s Commission E suggests the use of parsley leaf or root to relieve irritation of the urinary tract (such as may occur in bladder infections ) and to aid in passing kidney stones . ¹ Although there is no evidence that parsley is helpful for these conditions, parsley, due to its constituents apiol and myristicin, is believed to have a diuretic effect; ² because diuretics would increase the flow of urine, this might help the body to wash out bacteria as well as stones. However, no studies have as yet evaluated whether parsley is actually beneficial for either health problem.

A test tube study evaluated parsley extract as a topical antibiotic, finding that the extract had a weak effect against Staphylococcusbacteria. ³ However, it did not appear to be strong enough to be practically useful for this purpose.