Astringent facts for kids
An astringent is a special chemical that can make body tissues shrink or tighten. The word comes from a Latin word, adstringere, which means "to bind fast." You might have heard of some common astringents like calamine lotion or witch hazel. There's also a plant from California called yerba mansa that works as an astringent.
Astringency is that dry, puckering feeling you get in your mouth, especially when you eat unripe fruits. This feeling is caused by natural chemicals called tannins. These tannins are important because they make unripe fruit taste bad, which stops animals from eating them too soon. This helps the fruit mature properly.
What Causes the Dry Feeling?
Many fruits have tannins, especially when they are not fully ripe. For example, blackthorn berries (also called sloes), Aronia chokeberries, chokecherries, bird cherries, rhubarb, quince, persimmon fruits, and even banana skins can be very astringent. Citrus fruits, like lemons, also have a bit of this effect.
Tannins are a type of polyphenol. When they mix with the proteins in your saliva (the spit in your mouth), they make these proteins clump together. This clumping creates a rough, dry, or "sandpapery" feeling in your mouth. You might also notice a mild astringent feeling from the tannins in some teas or red grape wines.
Uses of Astringents
Astringents have several helpful uses, especially in medicine.
Medical Uses
In medicine, astringents are used to make mucous membranes (the moist linings inside your body, like in your nose or mouth) and other exposed tissues tighten up. This can be very useful for different health issues:
- Reducing Swelling: They can help reduce swelling in areas like a sore throat.
- Stopping Bleeding: Astringents can help slow down or stop minor bleeding by making blood vessels constrict. This is why they might be used for small cuts or to help with hemorrhages.
- Controlling Discharges: They can also reduce the amount of fluid or mucus that comes out of tissues. For example, they might be used to help with diarrhea or to manage secretions from peptic ulcers.
See also
In Spanish: Astringencia para niños
