Quoted By:
SCOT'S BROOM
The flower buds are pickled and used as a substitute for capers[4, 46, 183, 244]. They can also be added to salads[183]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. The tender green tops of the plant have been used like hops to give a bitter flavour to beer and to render it more intoxicating[4, 183]. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[2, 4, 115, 183].
Broom is a bitter narcotic herb that depresses the respiration and regulates heart action[238]. It acts upon the electrical conductivity of the heart, slowing and regulating the transmission of the impulses[254]. The young herbaceous tips of flowering shoots are cardiotonic, cathartic, diuretic, emetic and vasoconstrictor[4, 13, 21, 46, 165]. The seeds can also be used[4]. The plant is used internally in the treatment of heart complaints, and is especially used in conjunction with Convallaria majalis[238]. The plant is also strongly diuretic, stimulating urine production and thus countering fluid retention[254]. Since broom causes the muscles of the uterus to contract, it has been used to prevent blood loss after childbirth[254]. Use this herb with caution since large doses are likely to upset the stomach[4, 21]. The composition of active ingredients in the plant is very changeable, this makes it rather unreliable medicinally and it is therefore rarely used[9]. This herb should not be prescribed to pregnant women or patients with high blood pressure[238]. Any treatment with this plant should only be carried out under expert supervision[9]. See also the notes above on toxicity. The young herbaceous tips of flowering shoots are harvested in spring, generally in May[4]. They can be used fresh or dried[4, 238]. They should not be stored for more than 12 months since the medicinally active ingredients break down[238].
