Spring is rhubarb season.The low-calorie vegetables contain a lot of vitamin C and minerals, but can also be unhealthy due to the high oxalic acid content.This should be considered during preparation and consumption.The rhubarb season lasts from mid-April to the end of June.Whether as a porridge with vanilla sauce or as a cake with a meringue crown - opinions differ when it comes to rhubarb: some love its sour taste, others don't like it at all.And the question of whether rhubarb is healthy or poisonous can also lead to discussions.First of all: Both are true!But the same applies here: the dose makes the poison.In fact, rhubarb is considered a medicinal plant.However, it is not the stems that are used for medicinal purposes, but the dried roots of the plant.For short-term treatment of occasional constipation, for example, roots of so-called medicinal rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) and Chinese rhubarb (Rheum officinale) are used.If rhubarb is not prepared with too much sugar or flour, it is very healthy and nutritious.100 grams of rhubarb contain only 20 calories.The vegetables have a high content of minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.Rhubarb also contains vitamin C and fiber such as pectin.Pectin supports digestion and the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria.The anthranoids also found in rhubarb are vegetable bulking agents that ensure that more liquid gets into the intestines.That is why rhubarb is also a traditional home remedy for constipation.The anthraquinones, or tannins, found in rhubarb root have a bitter taste and were used in traditional herbal bitters to stimulate appetite.In the form of drops, rhubarb extract can help with problems of the oral mucosa, herpes or also in the treatment of apes because of its anti-inflammatory and decongestant effect in the mouth and throat.The active ingredients from the rhubarb roots can also be helpful in creams for cold sores and osteoarthritis.Rapontic or Siberian rhubarb is used to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, nervousness or depression.It contains fewer laxative anthraquinones, but a so-called phytohormone with estrogen-like effects.On the other hand, the high content of oxalic acid in rhubarb is problematic.It can lead to health problems such as abdominal pain or nausea, but also worsen diseases such as rheumatism, gout and arthrosis.Anyone suffering from kidney and gallbladder problems should be careful with rhubarb, because the oxalic acid promotes the formation of so-called calcium oxalate stones.The calcium bound in it is then not only missing from the bones, but can also lead to kidney and gall stones.Be sure to discard the water used to cook rhubarb.Because blanching or cooking reduces the oxalic acid content by allowing the toxin to escape from the sticks into the water.Incidentally, there is a particularly large amount of the toxic oxalic acid in the rhubarb leaves to protect them from predators.They must therefore not be consumed under any circumstances.Practice Berliner Allee Berliner Allee 15 22850 Norderstedt www.praxis-berliner-allee.deRathaus Apotheke Bargteheide Rathausstraße 11 22941 Bargteheide (04532) 31 11 www.rathaus-apotheke-bargteheide.deRestaurant Hobenköök Stockmeyerstraße 43 20457 Hamburg (040) 228 655 38 www.hobenkoeoek.deIt is easy to care for, grows quickly and tastes delicious: rhubarb.Planting depends on the right location.moreThe tart spring vegetables taste particularly good in desserts.Recipes and tips for preparation and storage.moreFlying pollen is currently causing problems for allergy sufferers.A few simple measures can help relieve hay fever.moreHere you will find all the episodes that have been broadcast so far to read and listen to, as well as a scientific glossary and much more.more