Annatto benefits contraindications For several weeks we have received several questions related to achiote such as: Does annatto have benefits and contraindications? Does urucum have contraindications? Do urucum seeds have contraindications? What are the contraindications of achiote? Does the urucum seeds have contraindications? What are the contraindications of the urucum or the contraindications of the bija? What are the benefits of annatto?
To answer, it is necessary to first point out that the achiote receives various names such as orellana, achote, anato, bija, bixa, urucum, uñañé, mashú, oshin mashe, sacha achote, urcu achiote, achihuete, apisiri, atase, bandor, shambo, sham- bu quiro, tsooti, vehimi, cacicuto, diteque, eroya, ipiaku, kisafa, mantoro, maxu, masce, potsoti, glove box, pumacoa, rocou. Brazil: orellana, urucú. Ecuador: man-duru, cua cuña. Honduras: analto. Peru: huantura, gapijru, chancanguarica. El Salvador: guajachote. Venezuela: onoto, rocú.
Annatto is native to Central America and tropical South America. It is widely planted and naturalized in tropical regions of the world, including Southeast Asia. Let’s see, next, more of its botanical aspect.
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Description
It is a member of the Bixaceae family. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can grow up to 2-6(-8)m tall.
The trunk measures up to 10 cm in diameter. The bark is light to dark brown, hard and smooth, sometimes fissured and lenticelada. The inner bark is filled with orange sap. The branches are greenish and thickly rusty and scaly when young, but later turn dark brown. They are ringed at the nodes.
The leaves are spirally arranged, simple, herbaceous, stipulate, ovate, measuring 7.5-24 cm x 4-16 cm, slightly cordate to truncate at the base, acuminate at the apex, dark green above, grayish or brownish-green below, and scaly when young but almost hairless. The first leaves are cordate. The petiole is 4.5-1 cm long, cylindrical and thickened at both ends.
The flowers are borne in terminal panicles of 8-50 flowers, fragrant and 4-6 cm wide. The pedicel is scaly and thickened at the apex bearing 5-6 large glands. The 4-5 free sepals are obovate. They are 10-12 cm long and have a caduceus. There are (4-) 5-7 petals that are obovate, measuring 2-3 cm x 1-2 cm, pinkish, whitish or purplish. The stamens are numerous while the anthers are purple. The ovary is superior, unilocular, with a style 12-15 mm long and thickens upwards.
The fruit is a spherical, or widely elongated, ovoid capsule. 2-4 cm x 2-3.5 cm, flattened, 2-valved, more or less densely clothed with long bristles, green, greenish-brown or red when ripe, and many-seeded. The seeds are 4-5 mm long, obovoid and angular, and with a bright orange-red fleshy seed coat.
The seedling is with epigeal germination, with thin, ovate, veined cotyledons, with a fairly long hypocotyl, and alternate.
Annatto requires a warm, humid, frost-free climate and a sunny location. It can grow in a wide variety of tropical to subtropical climates and requires little care, although in locations where rainfall is not evenly distributed throughout the year, irrigation may be necessary. It grows in almost all types of soils, with a preference for neutral and slightly alkaline soils.
It grows into a larger tree when planted in deeper, more fertile soil rich in organic matter. It does well on limestone, where the topsoil is only a few inches thick and overlaps a coral base. In Indonesia, it is planted up to 2000 m altitude.
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Properties and benefits of achiote
Annatto benefits The seeds contain carotenoids (bixin, norbixin and ishwarane), orellanin, tomentosic acid, beta-carotene, vitamin A, cryptoxanthin, methylbixin and zeaxanthin. The leaves contain bixin, norbixin, orellin, cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene, luteolin, and hypolaetin.
The seeds and the aril (fleshy covering of some seeds) are used.
The decoction of the seeds is recommended as a digestive stimulant, anthelmintic, antivomiting, expectorant in cases of bronchitis and moderately aphrodisiac.
Other benefits achiote is given externally, achiote oil is brushed (the seeds are fried) on the herpes labialis and genital or in cases of Burns.
Likewise, the decoction of the seeds is used to make gargles in pharyngitis or angina, fomentations in cases of hemorrhoids or as resolution of dental abscesses and phlegmonsas well as in various skin conditions.
The yellow pigment of the achiote is used as a food coloring.
The seeds of the achiote are intensely red in color, and its pigment is used as a food additive and to color the skin, as it is an excellent sunscreen.
Known remedies that can be made with achiote for rheumatism, weight loss and more
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recommendations
Annatto can be purchased in different forms. You can buy the seeds, ground powder or infused in cooking oil or lard.
Annatto is generally available at herbal stores or those that specialize in selling spices. The achiotes are packaged in bottles, vacuum-sealed bags, and cans.
When purchasing achiote seeds, look for those that are bright red or orange in color, as these are newer and fresher. Avoid buying the golden and brown seeds, these are signs of age and may have already lost their healing and nutritional properties.
Ground or powdered annatto is often mixed with other herbs, spices, and even cornstarch. The shelf life in hermetic containers reaches up to 3 years. While those mixed with oil can be used within 3 months when properly refrigerated. Let’s see, next, achiote contraindications.
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Annatto contraindications
Annatto contraindications #1 Avoid in case of pregnancy or lactation D.Since there are not enough studies done to investigate the adverse or secondary effects of consuming annatto in medicinal doses during pregnancy and lactation, it is best to avoid it (internally and externally) during that period of time.
Annatto contraindications #2 May cause allergies (skin or respiratory tract) Annatto can be used as a vegetable coloring and is commonly included in cereals, snacks, dairy products such as yogurts, ice creams and cheeses, snacks and a wide range of other foods. It is the only natural colorant that has so far caused as many adverse allergy reactions as artificial colors and that affects more consumers than artificial colors.
Annatto contraindications #3 It can cause headaches, irritability and other Reports have been received of people with headaches, irritability in young children, restlessness, inattention, and sleep disturbances in children and adults, as well as the full range mentioned above. Reactions to annatto can occur the same day, but are more likely to be delayed than reactions to artificial colors, making them more difficult to identify.
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