What are calendula benefits and side effects every ethical consumer must know? Here are calendula pros and cons and how buying them will impact your health, the environment, animals and laborers.
Food is something we consume every day. If you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on calendula benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about calendula benefits and side effects. This will include calendula benefits for your health and potential risks, calendula water footprint and carbon footprint, sustainability, if calendula is vegan or impact animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if calendula is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be able to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about calendula benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Top Calendula Benefits And Side Effects
Health
Calendula health benefits may include:
- regulating mensuration
- menstrual cramps relief
- muscle fatigue relief
- combat cancer and tumors
- detoxification
- heart health
- reduced inflammation
- anti-aging
- diaper rash treatment
- oral conditions treatment such as gingivitis
- skin health
- wound and skin ulcer healing (when applied topically)
Calendula benefits also include being…
- Alkaline 9.0 pH level once digested
- Gluten Free
- Not a common Food Allergen
★★★★★
- Reduce your footprint + grow your own!
- Sustainable. Easy. Clean. Foolproof.
- Year-round solution for herb and veggie gardening.
- Pays for itself in no time.
- A great gift idea. We love it!
Environment
Water footprint: low
Destruction: low, calendula production is relatively sustainable, there is no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc.
Calendula is…
- Sustainable
Animals
Kills: none, calendula production does not require any animals
Harms: none, calendula production does not require any animals
Indirectly kills or harms: none, no animals are indirectly killed or harmed from calendula production as long as toxic chemicals have not been used, buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Calendula is…
- Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic
★★★★★
- Perfect for children ages 2-8.
- Available in paperback, ebook, audio formats.
- Suitable for vegan kids and vegan families (does not include farm animals, animal food products or byproducts).
- Written + Illustrated by HEALabel's Adriane Marie.
Laborers
Health and safety: overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Calendula…
- May have labor issues
Where does most calendula come from? 📍
China, India and Peru are the world’s leading countries that produce and export marigold flowers. Egypt is also a known producer of calendula.
Is calendula nutritious? 🥗
Yes! Calendula is high in antioxidants like triterpenes, flavonoids, polyphenols, and carotenoids.
Other names for calendula? 🗣️
Other names for calendula are pot marigold.
calendula is alkaline.
Is calendula alkaline or acidic?
Calendula is alkaline.
What is the pH level of calendula?
Herbal tea has a 9.0 pH level, once digested.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
calendula is gluten free.
Is calendula gluten free?
Yes, calendula is gluten free. Calendula does not contain gluten. Calendula is a type of herb, therefore making it a gluten free food.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
calendula is not a common food allergen.
Is calendula a common food allergen?
No, calendula is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to calendula but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
calendula likely has a low water footprint.
Does calendula have a high or low water footprint?
Calendula likely has a relatively low water footprint compared to other foods.
How much water does it take to produce an apple? A serving of rice? A steak dinner?
We need to be aware of “water footprints”. That is, the amount of fresh water utilized in the production or supply of goods we consume. As it turns out it takes significantly more water to yield foods that come from animals than foods that come from plants. Imagine how much water a cow needs to consume to generate a piece of beef. Not only how much water a single cow drinks, rather all the water that went into producing the crops that the cow ate.
Find out how much water your food consumes with this: Water Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
calendula likely has a low carbon footprint.
Does calendula have a high or low carbon footprint?
Calendula likely has a low carbon footprint.
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
But that’s not all!
It’s best to keep the following in mind when grocery shopping:
- shopping locally reduces transportation emissions
- food without packaging reduces waste as well as the carbon footprint
- refrigerated and frozen foods increase carbon emissions
- seasonal foods reduce carbon emissions from hothouses (greenhouses)
- growing plant-based foods at home is the most environmentally sustainable method with zero carbon footprint
Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
calendula is sustainable.
Overall, is calendula eco friendly? Is calendula sustainable?
Calendula production is relatively sustainable. Be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. when using regenerative practices.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
calendula is vegan.
Is calendula vegan?
Yes, calendula is vegan. Calendula is a flower / herb and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
calendula may have labor issues and human rights concerns.
Is calendula a product that has known labor issues?
At this time, there are no known specific reports of worker mistreatment regarding calendula farming but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Calendula may or may not have labor issues.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation. Additionally, fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Conclusion
Calendula benefits include:
- numerous health benefits
- sustainable
- vegan
- alkaline
- gluten free
- not a common food allergen
- low water footprint
- low carbon footprint
Calendula side effects include:
- possible laborer exploitation (as with most foods)
- pesticide ingestion and contamination if not organic (as with most produce)
Sources:
Calendula officinalis1 – Environmental Horticulture
Taxonomy browser (Calendula officinalis) – NCBI
Specialty Cropportunities – Calendula
