Meadowsweet plant medicinal properties. Meadowsweet: types, medicinal properties, methods of application, contraindications, recipes

It is useful to know the medicinal properties and contraindications of meadowsweet, given the wide range of growth of this almond-flavored herb. Along with the benefits for the body, lush inflorescences have long been an integral part of wedding bouquets, bringing love and happiness to family life, according to popular beliefs.

Description and composition

A rather tall (up to 1 m) meadowsweet plant (in Latin - Filipendula) is a representative of the genus of perennial grasses. It is known under one more name - meadowsweet and belongs to the numerous family of Pinks (Rosacea). It is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere in areas with a temperate climate. Prefers conditions with high soil moisture.

Of the 13 species, palm-shaped, Kamchatka, six-petalled meadowsweet (common meadowsweet) has found application in folk medicine. It is often used as a raw material for the preparation of medicinal compositions meadowsweet, which is listed in the register of the Russian official pharmacopeia.

In the meadowsweet, all parts are used, therefore, during flowering, not only leaves and white fragrant flowers with a yellowish tint, united in an inflorescence - a panicle, are harvested, but also stems with roots.

Among the people, meadowsweet is considered a remedy for 40 diseases. This is due to the various useful substances included in its composition:

salicylic acid;
vitamins A, P;
vanillin;
fatty acid;
carotene;
starch;
terpene;
wax;
catechins.

Meadowsweet owes its attractive aroma to the presence of essential oils in the composition. The roots contain phenolic compounds, tannins. They also contain large amounts of flavonoids and vitamin C.

Useful qualities

Analyzing the beneficial properties of meadowsweet, its beneficial effect on the body in several areas should be noted:

Anti-inflammatory;
soothing;
Painkiller;
Antibacterial;
diaphoretic;
Antiviral.

Its ability to thin the blood is taken into account.

What does the meadowsweet treat?

The presence in the composition of diverse elements that are vital for the body, due to the medicinal properties of meadowsweet, used successfully to alleviate the condition in various pathologies.

Experienced herbalists know that the application depends on the variety of meadowsweet. Meadowsweet ordinary and Kamchatka contributes to a faster recovery if diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract are diagnosed. Fistula palmate is known for its hemostatic qualities, being an effective remedy for open wounds.

In general cases, the use of meadowsweet has a positive effect on the following problems:

cardiovascular diseases;
headache;
haemorrhoids;
diabetes;
epilepsy;
viral infections;
colds;
rheumatism, gout;
high blood pressure;
loss of healthy skin color.

Meadowsweet is known to be useful in therapeutic measures after traumatic brain injury. It helps to slow down the decline of mental abilities when old age is reached. Helps reduce swelling, alleviates the condition in oncological diseases.

Meadowsweet in cosmetology

For women, the meadowsweet flower can become a constant assistant in the process of acquiring external beauty.

Pimples gradually disappear if you wipe your face in the morning and evening with a mixture of meadowsweet decoction (200 ml) and alcohol (a tablespoon).
By adding a teaspoon and honey to the decoction (two tablespoons), a mask is obtained that makes the skin smooth with a beautiful “tan” shade. Keep the mixture until washed off on the face, neck, décolleté for 15 minutes.

Narrows overly enlarged pores, characteristic of oily skin, a mask of meadowsweet decoction (4 tablespoons), into which a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice is added and 2 tablespoons of oatmeal, previously ground in a meat grinder, are added. Action time - 15 minutes.

Benefits of meadowsweet oil

Meadowsweet oil, which has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory properties, is the basic basis for rubbing to help relieve joint pain. It is used as a lotion for various skin lesions.

The aroma of this oil is uplifting. Taking a teaspoon of oil daily for 30 days can reduce swelling, eliminate insomnia, strengthen the nervous system, and normalize intestinal activity.

Use in the medical diet

Young shoots, fresh meadowsweet leaves allow you to saturate the diet prescribed during therapeutic measures with vitamins and essential microelements.

Meadowsweet greens, harvested in clean places away from roads and settlements, are chopped, mixed with cucumbers, fresh dill, parsley, getting a delicious vitamin dish. You can add meadowsweet leaves to the soup at the end of cooking.

Some healing recipes

Given the variety of useful characteristics, meadowsweet is used in various forms as part of a therapeutic or prophylactic complex for many pathological disorders of the functioning of the body.

hypoxia

A pinch of the dried upper part of the meadowsweet is poured into the teapot along with the tea leaves. Drink a glass of this tea every day for breakfast.

You can make an infusion of leaves, as well as flowers, to eliminate oxygen starvation. In the morning, a teaspoon of raw materials is poured into a glass of boiling water. Cover with a towel. An hour later, the infusion is filtered. Divide into three parts and drink throughout the day.

Viral diseases

To resist the flu, as a prophylactic, an infusion is prepared from crushed dry meadowsweet leaves (3 tablespoons) and rose hips (4 tablespoons). In the evening, place the mixture in a thermos with a liter of boiling water. The next day, the strained infusion is drunk at any time as tea, until the entire volume is over.

Effectively fighting a viral infection, a drug made with one's own hands from the inflorescences of the meadowsweet (25 g), which is poured into a glass of pharmaceutical water, previously diluted in a ratio of 1:10. After insisting in an unlit place for 10 days, use one tablespoon three times before meals, adding a little water.

Application of infusion

Infusion of meadowsweet, prepared from crushed dry grass (teaspoon), filled with boiling water (200 ml) and aged in a closed container for an hour, is taken during the day in strained form for 4 times.

It is useful in different situations:

Acts as a sedative;
Allows to reduce erosive manifestations;
Helps regulate hormonal levels;
Improves the functioning of the thyroid gland;
Helps to cure a number of female pathologies - thrush, endometriosis.

When applied externally, it helps in the healing of trophic ulcers, serious purulent wounds.

Meadowsweet decoction in medical practice

If it becomes necessary to prepare a decoction of meadowsweet, then take its dry roots in crushed form (a tablespoon). Put in a small enamel pan, add hot water (200 ml). After bringing to a boil, keep on fire for about 7 minutes.

If preference is given to a water bath, then the cooking time is increased to 20 minutes.

After removing, cover with a lid, wrap with a towel and leave for 40 minutes. Use strained broth on a tablespoon per day 4 - 5 times.

Such a tool has proven its effectiveness if you want to get rid of the following diseases:

kidney disease;
high blood pressure;
epilepsy;
intestinal disorders;
gynecological diseases.

Receiving a decoction of the meadowsweet allows you to reduce the pain manifestations characteristic of rheumatism and gout.

Healing ointment on meadowsweet

The unique herb meadowsweet can serve as the basis for home-made medicinal ointment.

The roots of meadowsweet dried in advance are brought to a powdery state in a coffee grinder. Add lanolin and. The proportions are observed in the ratio 1:1:2, respectively. After thorough mixing, the ointment is ready. It helps to get rid of itching after insect bites. May bring noticeable improvement in the presence of eczema. Used after a snake bite. Reduces pain in rheumatism.

From burns, vegetable oil is poured into powder from meadowsweet roots in a volume ratio of 1:5. After 12 hours of infusion at room conditions, the ointment is ready for use after straining.

If you introduce three times a day of tea from the meadowsweet into the daily diet, then the skin condition gradually improves. The face is refreshed, the grayish tint disappears, a healthy blush appears.

Dry meadowsweet leaves are brewed according to the same principle as regular tea. The amount of raw materials poured with boiling water is determined empirically, given that the color of the finished drink should be greenish. The appearance of a brown tint indicates the need to reduce the portion of the leaves. Insist no longer than 15 minutes.

This tea improves immunity, has a beneficial effect in the treatment of diseases of the stomach, bladder.

Possible harm meadowsweet

In an effort to get rid of emerging problems with the help of herbal medicine, it is necessary to take into account the contraindications of the meadowsweet used for these purposes. Read more about herbal treatment.

It is forbidden to take it in the presence of cholelithiasis, asthma. Any preparations from meadowsweet are not recommended for pregnant and lactating women. Serve as a contraindication for constipation, colitis. Caution is observed by people with low blood pressure, who are not recommended for long-term use of drugs based on the meadowsweet. Their reception is excluded if an allergic reaction is detected.

Be healthy!

Meadowsweet, or meadowsweet, is a medicinal plant that has been used in traditional herbal medicine to reduce inflammation, as a pain reliever, and as a remedy for swelling. Today, this plant has found application in a fairly wide range of cosmetic products, where it is used in various variations: as an astringent, tonic, anti-inflammatory and fat-burning substance.

Synonyms: Meadow Sweet Extract, Spiraea ulmaria/ Filipendula ulmaria, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract, Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. and contains phenolic compounds, Spiraea ulmaria extract, Meadowsweet (Spiraea Ulmaria) Extract. Patented Formulas: Actiphyte® Queen-of-the-Meadow Conc., Cosme-Phytami® Meadowsweet, Actiphyte® Meadowsweet, Slimming, Herbal Extract Meadowsweet EG.

Meadowsweet action in cosmetics

Meadowsweet meadowsweet is rich in flavonoids, phenolic compounds with exceptionally powerful antioxidant activity, and the presence of salicylates predetermines the pronounced analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action of the components based on this plant. in addition to these phytocompounds, the meadowsweet contains a high concentration of rutin, vitamins A, C, fatty acids, tannins, coumarins, sterols, phenolcarboxylic acids, alkaloids, anthocyanins, α-terpineol, linalool, ionone, vanillin, heliotropin, benzaldehyde, ethyl benzoate, benzyl alcohol and β-damaskenone. Basically, the action of this ingredient is aimed at inhibiting various molecular pathways in the inflammatory process, so this component is able to reduce inflammation on the skin, regardless of the cause of its occurrence.

In addition, meadowsweet is an excellent detoxifying and decongestant agent, which also stabilizes vascular tone, that is, it actually has a capillary-protective, neurotropic effect. Meadowsweet extract is also used as a fat-burning agent in weight loss products. As a rule, for this purpose it is used in combination with other plant components (gurana, coffee, extracts of horsetail, ivy, etc.). In this case, the anti-inflammatory and astringent properties of the meadowsweet extract have an additional effect - the stabilization of tissue metabolism.

To whom meadowsweet is shown

This component is indicated for oily, oily skin, although it may be suitable for any type of skin, depending on the presence of the following indications or problems:

Skin toning.
Elimination of inflammation or irritation on the skin.
Bags under the eyes.
Fight against puffiness.
To accelerate the healing of microtraumas on the skin (cuts, cracks).
In cosmetics after traumatic mechanical cleanings and other invasive cosmetic manipulations.
For normalization of sebum regulation of the skin of the scalp.
Fight excess body fat.

The meadowsweet is also used in home cosmetics. For example, meadowsweet grass is used to make compresses on wounds and ulcers, and its decoction is rinsed on the head when washing to enhance hair growth.

To whom meadowsweet is contraindicated

Meadowsweet meadowsweet is a safe plant component (meadowsweet is even eaten). Strict contraindication - reaction of individual hypersensitivity.

Cosmetics containing meadowsweet

Meadowsweet extract is used in daily skincare as a protective antioxidant supplement, as well as in products for the care of oily and combination skin prone to acne and comedones. Also use the meadowsweet in aftershave and hair removal products. In hair cosmetics, meadowsweet may be present in masks, sprays and lotions for the scalp, indicated for oily seborrhea. Less often, toothpastes and rinses are made on the basis of meadowsweet extracts for inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, with increased bleeding of the gums. According to the European Union Regulation, the optimal working concentration of this component in finished cosmetic products is 5% (from 5 to 10% in gels and creams).

Meadowsweet sources

Meadowsweet or meadowsweet (Spiraea ulmaria / Filipendula ulmaria) is a moisture-loving plant that grows mainly in damp meadows, as well as near lakes, swamps and rivers. It is a herbaceous perennial that prefers the most humid places. The height of the plant varies in the range of 50-150 centimeters. Meadowsweet blooms in summer - maybe both in June and in August, depending on the location and weather. The flowers are small, creamy in color, collected in fluffy paniculate inflorescences. The basal leaves are large and oblong, while the stem leaves are smaller. In the middle lane there are many plants that have a more or less similar appearance, but due to the strong characteristic smell, meadowsweet cannot be confused with anything. It is noteworthy that after drying, the sweetish aroma with light herbal and honey notes does not weaken, but only becomes more tender.

In herbal medicine and folk medicine throughout history, any part of the plant has been used, including berries, twigs with needles, bark, resin, and even roots have been used. At the same time, indications for the use of meadowsweet were not limited to external forms: medicines based on it were prescribed both to improve digestion and to prevent infectious diseases. As a rule, for the production of cosmetics, an extract is used that is made from the ground parts of the meadowsweet by freeze-drying from a purified water-alcohol extract. The output is an amorphous free-flowing powder, green-brown in color, astringent taste, easily soluble in alcohol, water and glycerin. The extracts obtained by distillation of flowering tops are most valued (the raw material is a mixture of flowers, their parts, buds, underdeveloped fruits, pedicels and thin, up to 1 mm, branches of inflorescences). Usually this raw material is added to cosmetic products in the form of hydrolates.

Meadowsweet, or meadowsweet, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Pink family. In total there are about 10 species of this herb. Meadowsweet grows in places with a humid climate - near lakes, swamps and rivers. The leaves of the plant are quite large and have a green color, and are covered with a small fluff below, which makes them appear lighter. In places where this herb grows, it is easy to recognize it by the strong smell of flowering. Cream or white small flowers are collected in large inflorescences. The flowers and leaves of the meadowsweet contain many useful substances, due to which this herb is widely used to treat many diseases. The medicinal forms of the plant are collected and prepared during its flowering period - from July to August.

The medicinal properties of the plant

This plant has a strong anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antiseptic effect, and also has a diaphoretic, astringent and hemostatic effect. Meadowsweet leaves contain a large amount of carotene, vitamin C, tannins, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. The flowers of the plant are rich in avicularin, spirein glycoside, quercetin. Due to the high content of salicylic acid derivatives, this plant is considered a natural substitute for aspirin. This fact was proven back in 1899 by the German scientist Felix Hoffmann. The use of this herb as a source of aspirin avoids the harmful effects on the gastric mucosa as a result of the use of a synthetic drug.

Meadowsweet has the ability to thin the blood, so it is often used with a tendency to thrombosis and thrombophlebitis. This herb has been widely used in the prevention and treatment of colds, as well as diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, the plant has long been used in the treatment of skin diseases, burns, and indigestion.

Application in medicine

In traditional medicine, meadowsweet is used to make Zdrenko's potion, which is used as an antitumor agent, as well as to treat anacid gastritis, tachycardia and bladder papillomatosis.

In case of poisoning, as well as disorders and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, herbal infusion of meadowsweet is used. In addition, this plant is very effective for hypertension, bronchitis, diabetes, diseases of the nervous system. It is not for nothing that the people call the meadowsweet "magpie", that is, a cure for forty diseases.

For diseases of the renal system and bladder, a decoction of the meadowsweet is also used. The effectiveness of this herb in this case is due to diuretic properties. To prepare a decoction, pour 1 tbsp. a spoonful of herbs 250 ml of boiling water. The infusion should be cooled and filtered. Drink in small portions throughout the day.

For the treatment of endocrine diseases in women, a tincture of the root of the meadowsweet is used. This is a very effective remedy for mastopathy, hormonal disorders, thyroid diseases. In the treatment of infertility, the cause of which is a hormonal failure in the body, a decoction of meadowsweet root is also considered a good remedy. For the treatment of goiter, alcohol tincture is used. To do this, you need to take 100 g of fresh meadowsweet root and pour it with 500 ml of vodka or alcohol. Close the bottle with the mixture tightly and place in a dry, dark place. Two weeks later, the infusion is filtered and taken in a diluted form: for 50 ml of water - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of tincture. The medicine is drunk half an hour before meals 3 times a day for 1-2 weeks.

Meadowsweet is widely used in the treatment of skin diseases. So, wounds, diaper rash, burns, as well as areas of the skin affected by eczema are covered with dry powder of the plant. Vaseline-based skin ointment is made from the meadowsweet herb. Known use of this plant for insect and snake bites.

Use in cosmetology

Due to its antiseptic properties, meadowsweet is used as lotions and skin tonics. At home, you can brew the flowers of the plant, insist and strain the cooled broth. Wipe your face with this infusion morning and evening. This remedy has an anti-inflammatory and tonic effect.

To combat acne, you can prepare the following infusion: brew 3 teaspoons of herbs with a glass of boiling water. Insist for an hour and strain. This decoction is used as a compress. It is necessary to withstand the compress for 20-30 minutes, then rinse your face with water. The duration of treatment is 10 days.

The meadowsweet is also used to activate hair growth. After washing, it is necessary to rinse the hair and scalp with infusion of inflorescences of this plant. This procedure is effective for hair loss.

Meadowsweet in cooking

Meadowsweet has a pleasant taste and light honey aroma, due to which it is widely used by many cooks and housewives. This herb can be brewed and drunk as an independent drink, or added to tea. The flower infusion of the meadowsweet is an excellent tonic. Also meadowsweet inflorescences are used in the preparation of jam and preserves. The stems, leaves, and roots of the herb are added to soups as a dressing. Delicious salads are prepared from young leaves of the meadowsweet. To give a special aromatic note in Scandinavia, this plant is added to wine and beer. The plant is stored in dried form in a dark and dry place.

Contraindications

pregnancy and lactation;
hypotension;
thrombocytopathy;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
chronic constipation;
allergic reactions;
children's age up to 12 years.

This medicinal plant can be called unique. Indeed, in folk medicine, almost all of its parts are used. For example, roots and flowers meadowsweet. Useful properties and contraindications of such herbs are described in detail below.

Meadowsweet - useful properties

In addition, the following useful substances are found in various parts of the plant:

Flavonoids- strengthening the walls of blood vessels, coping with swelling and allergy symptoms. They also slow down the aging process and normalize metabolism.
Tannins- effectively destroy bacteria. This makes the use of parts of the plant relevant for diseases of the stomach, sore throat, diarrhea.
Glycosides- aggressive against pathogenic microorganisms. These substances, similar in composition to hormones, remove stagnant fluid from the organs and activate the heart muscle.

Grass meadowsweet is used for a variety of diseases. In healing recipes, there are recommendations for using both fresh and dried parts of the plant.

Meadowsweet are part of the complex therapy of the following ailments:

Polyarthritis, arthritis, bursitis, arthrosis. To anesthetize problem areas and relieve inflammation.
Hemorrhoids, hypertension, thrombosis, arrhythmia, thrombophlebitis. As an effective diuretic.
Gastritis, ulcer of the intestine, duodenum and / or stomach, dysentery. As an astringent.
Herpes, psoriasis, shingles. To create the thinnest protective film on the affected part of the skin.
Pneumonia, tonsillitis, bronchitis, SARS, influenza. As a natural antipyretic and diaphoretic drug.
Gout. To relieve painful attacks.

Infusions and decoctions of the meadowsweet are used to stop internal bleeding, as a remedy for worms, and constipation. They will also be relevant for maintaining women's health. For example, they will relieve a girl from pain during menstruation, relieve the unpleasant symptoms of thrush and various inflammations. Regulate the female hormonal background.

In oncological diseases, tinctures from meadowsweet leaves are used as a natural blood thinner. Interestingly, it also accelerates hair growth in a patient after chemotherapy.

What are the medicinal properties of different parts of the plant?

When using different parts of the plant, you need to take into account the special healing properties of each of them. You can use them individually or in combination. For example, roots and leaves in one infusion. This method of application enhances the medicinal properties of meadowsweet.

Meadowsweet roots and rhizomes

The rhizomes of the plant under discussion contain tannins. They allow the perennial to stop bleeding, accelerate the process of blood clotting in case of damage to blood vessels, relieve pain and lower body temperature.

meadowsweet inflorescences

Fresh meadowsweet flowers are even used in cooking. For example, as part of fruit salad dressing - in the form of a sweet syrup. And also - for making tea, making alcoholic beverages.

Meadowsweet grass

The herb of this plant contains a lot of ascorbic acid. As you know, it is famous for its antioxidant and stabilizing properties. Helps grass to increase the immunity of children, adults.

Strong tea from these parts of the plant speeds up the process of treating a runny nose, improves night sleep, and helps to cope with fatigue. Powder from them is used to combat diaper rash.

The method of using meadowsweet depends on what ailment it is planned to deal with. Modern herbalists prepare infusions, decoctions, teas, ointments, and even meadowsweet oil. The recipes for any of these remedies are quite simple and affordable.

In traditional medicine, meadowsweet is used to make Zdrenko's potion, which is used as an antitumor agent, as well as to treat anacid gastritis, tachycardia and bladder papillomatosis.

Infusion of meadowsweet

The simplest infusion of a medicinal plant is prepared from dried and crushed roots. Raw materials are taken approximately 5-6 g per 1 glass of very hot boiled water. For further infusion, the mixture is left for 6-7 hours. You can put it at room temperature.

The finished product is released from the cake and drunk in small sips throughout the day. It is prescribed to patients with a variety of ailments. For example, with hepatitis, diabetes (sugar), psoriasis and even cancer of a different nature. Helps infusion to fight joint problems.

A decoction of meadowsweet

To prepare a classic decoction, only grass and water are taken. 4 g of grass and 470 ml of freshly boiled liquid will be used. The components are mixed in a small container with a thick bottom and walls. The future broth must be heated in a water bath. You need to make sure that excess water from the bottom pan does not get into it. The mixture will warm up for half an hour.

Facial tea

To make tea, 4 g of inflorescences and a little less than a glass of purified water are taken. The raw material is poured with freshly boiled liquid, after which the mixture is left for 6-7 minutes. Meadowsweet herbal tea is famous for its delicate honey taste and amazing aroma. But you shouldn't just drink it. We must not forget that the drink in question is the strongest diuretic.

Tea is also actively used in cosmetology. Girls can use it for facial skin care at home. A cotton swab is wetted in strong freshly brewed tea.

The product is wiped with problematic skin covered with blackheads and pimples. Tea helps to cope with dry skin, relieve irritation and eliminate redness. It is worth adding such rubbing to the daily skin care plan.

Ointment from the meadowsweet

To prepare an ointment yourself, the first step is to choose a high-quality fatty base for it. It can be lanolin, petroleum jelly, or even butter. If a dairy product is chosen for the purpose under discussion, then it must be unsalted. The base will be enough 90-100 g.

The meadowsweet herb is ground into a fine powder. Raw materials will need to be taken 20-25 g. The powder is combined with the base and mixed very thoroughly.

You can use the ointment immediately. She lubricates the joints with rheumatism to relieve pain and alleviate the general condition of the patient, as well as skin with inflammation. The procedure is repeated 3 times a day. The ointment is applied in a very thin layer.

Meadowsweet oil

It is almost impossible to prepare real oil from a plant at home. This requires special equipment and a huge amount of raw materials. But you can just combine 1 tbsp. meadowsweet powder with 60 ml of high-quality olive oil and leave to infuse in a tightly closed container for a whole week.

The finished product is used to eliminate acne, seborrhea, dermatitis, as well as against baldness. The resulting oil has wound healing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Despite the huge list of useful medicinal properties of the plant, there are also many contraindications from it, which every person who plans to use it must be familiar with.

If a man or woman often has high blood pressure, then it is dangerous to prescribe such a natural remedy to yourself. This should be done exclusively by an experienced competent doctor. Usually, under such conditions, medicines from meadowsweet are allowed to be used for a short time.

We must not forget about the strong astringent properties of the plant. For this reason, it is strictly forbidden to take it for chronic constipation. It can cause problems with stools (as well as colic and nausea) even in healthy people.

If it is necessary to treat an existing disease for a long time with drugs based on meadowsweet, then it is important to constantly monitor your own blood test. This precaution is due to the presence of salicylates in the composition of the plant.

In the presence of an allergy to the medicine or individual intolerance to any components from its composition, the plant is used exclusively in the form of incense sticks.

during pregnancy;
with thrombocytopathy (otherwise, bleeding can be provoked);
with poor blood clotting.

Despite the numerous medicinal properties of the meadowsweet plant, we must not forget about its toxicity. Therefore, it is necessary to use the meadowsweet as part of the treatment of any ailment with extreme caution. It is important to strictly adhere to the dosage recommended by the doctor and not to self-medicate.

Meadowsweet - how to collect and dry?

In folk medicine, inflorescences and roots are used, which are collected at different times. For the first plant materials, you need to go from May to June. Only the upper parts of the shoots with a flower panicle should be cut. Meadowsweet grass should be collected and dried according to a number of rules:

It is important to collect in clean places away from roads and factories. Choose undamaged branches that look fresh.
The best time to cut the flowers is in the morning when the dew has dried.
Hang bunches of meadowsweet in the shade, for example, in the attic or loggia. Another option is to spread the grass in a thin layer on paper and stir it up periodically.
Store raw materials in a dry place where there is no moisture and sun. Choose glass containers that seal tightly. Meadowsweet ordinary will retain its properties for two years.

Roots and rhizomes should be collected in September-October, since at this time the maximum of useful substances is concentrated in them. There are a number of rules to consider:

The roots should be dug when the upper part is almost dry.
Discard the ground, cut off the side roots and the aerial part. Rinse the roots and inspect them, removing rotten parts.
Lay out the roots on cardboard and dry them. After that, grind them and dry them again. You can do this in the oven at a temperature of 40-50 ° C.
Store raw materials in glass containers or cardboard boxes. Roots can be used in traditional medicine for up to five years.

Since the plant has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, it began to be used in home cosmetic procedures. The benefits of meadowsweet for the body are as follows:

More often, plants are used in order to cope with inflammatory processes, regardless of the nature of their occurrence.
Helps to remove puffiness, that is, to get rid of ugly bags under the eyes.
Stabilizes vascular tone, helping to cope with an ugly capillary network.
With regular use, you can make the skin healthier and more hydrated.
Meadowsweet ordinary contributes to the rapid healing of microtraumas on the skin.
When caring for hair, the plant helps to cope with seborrhea and hair loss, get rid of brittleness and make curls healthy and silky.

Meadowsweet for hair

In order to give your hair health, it is recommended to use the following tools:

To prepare a healing infusion in 200 ml of chilled, but previously boiled, water, add a small spoonful of herbs. Infuse in a closed container for eight hours. It has already been mentioned that meadowsweet herb heals, so in order to improve the condition of the hair, it is necessary to use a ready-made shampoo.
Meadowsweet for hair growth applies as follows: pour a large spoonful of flowers with 400 ml of boiling water and put on fire. Boil for 30 minutes, and then leave under the lid to infuse for the same time. It remains only to strain and you can use the product for rinsing the hair after washing them. Duration of application - a month.

Meadowsweet for the face

To get the claimed benefit, you can use the following tools:

To give the skin a smooth and healthy look, mix a small spoonful of honey with two large spoons of meadowsweet broth prepared according to the classic recipe (1 tablespoon per 200 ml of boiling water). Add another small spoonful of carrot juice. Apply a homogeneous mixture with a brush on the face in several layers. Wash it off after half an hour.
The meadowsweet plant will help to cope with acne, for which prepare the infusion according to the traditional recipe (1 tablespoon per 200 ml of boiling water). After an hour, strain, add a large spoonful of alcohol to the infusion. Use this tonic morning and evening, wiping your face.
To narrow the pores and give the skin a matte finish, you need to mix four large spoons of decoction with chopped oatmeal, so that you end up with a mass that is similar in consistency to sour cream. Add a spoonful of lemon juice to the resulting mass and apply the product on the face for 15 minutes.

Meadowsweet in cooking

Also meadowsweet inflorescences are used in the preparation of jam and preserves. The stems, leaves, and roots of the herb are added to soups as a dressing. Delicious salads are prepared from young leaves of the meadowsweet. To give a special aromatic note in Scandinavia, this plant is added to wine and beer. The plant is stored in dried form in a dark and dry place.

meadowsweet or meadowsweet

I happened to hear such words from my grandmother-herbalist: "Meadowsweet cures 40 diseases." There is a belief that the meadowsweet was called the meadowsweet by hunters because it served them as a shelter - a storehouse - to track down ducks. Meadowsweet meadowsweet has been widely used in folk medicine since ancient times. It blooms for quite a long time from June to the end of July, at this time the tops-panicles with a small amount of leaves were torn off. In the villages and now in many bathhouses you will see twigs made from dry meadowsweet grass.

The meadowsweet flowers exude the most delicate aroma of honey, vanilla, almonds. From the end of June to the end of July, industrious bees buzz over the white fluffy panicles of meadowsweet flowers. The flower consists of small white or light cream five petals.

It is necessary to pay attention to how to recognize meadowsweet, because it differs from other species - for example, six-petal meadowsweet has spherical thickenings on the rhizomes (hence the name: meadowsweet peanuts). These are two different types of meadowsweet. And they also differ in their effect on the body. Meadowsweet meadowsweet is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 2 meters high. The stem is ribbed, the leaves are alternate pinnately compound, large, dark green above, and white-tomentose below. Slices of each leaf are ovate-lanceolate, sharp, serrated along the edge. The fruit is a composite achene, consisting of spirally twisted achenes. Creeping rhizome. In the meadowsweet, it is without thickenings.

Where can you find meadowsweet? It can be found along the banks of rivers, in swampy and water meadows, in grassy swamps in forests, in wetlands of central Russia, in Altai, in the Urals, in the Far East.

Grass meadowsweet contains essential oils, glycosides gaulterin, spirein, heliotropin, vanillin, terpein, tannins, vitamin C, wax,

fats. The flowers contain essential oil, the phenolic glycoside spirein, and the rhizome contains gaulterin glycoside, which, upon hydrolysis, is cleaved to form

irritant methyl ester of salicylic acid (methyl salicylate).

In our folk medicine, meadowsweet is used as:

astringent for diarrhea
sweatshop,
diuretic,
choleretic,
restorative,
stimulating immunity,
soothing
anti-sclerotic,
antiscorbutic,
anti-inflammatory,
painkiller,
bactericidal,
antiseptic agent.

This herb is the most natural healer!

Meadowsweet seed tincture vyazolistny in folk medicine is used for rehabilitation treatment after a stroke.

Composition and preparation: 2 teaspoons of meadowsweet seeds pour 1/2 cup of vodka, let it brew for 14 days in a dark, cool place. Shake daily. Strain. Take 1 dessert spoon in water 3 times daily with meals. The course is 21 days, then a break of at least 7 days.

In folk medicine, meadowsweet is widely used apply when:

pyelonephritis,
cystitis,
with edema,
rheumatism,
gout,
colds, flu, herpes,
shingles,
in gynecology in the treatment of infertility, endometriosis, erosion, thrush (in the form of douching)

Cooking meadowsweet water infusion ( it is suitable both inside and for douching): 4 teaspoons of meadowsweet grass are poured with 1 cup of boiling water, boiled in a water bath for 15 minutes, filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day orally.

The well-known Bulgarian pharmacologist V. Petkov spoke very well about the medicinal properties of meadowsweet, he recommended an aqueous infusion of meadowsweet for gout and edema. In Russia, V. I. Dubin was engaged in meadowsweet. He recommended the use of meadowsweet for shingles, herpes, influenza, acute respiratory infections, in the complex treatment of viral hepatitis and pancreatitis.

In the folk medicine of Siberia and now, the infusion of meadowsweet grass with flowers is used for heart disease, tachycardia, dyspnea, as well as migraine and headache in in the form of tea: 1 tablespoon of meadowsweet flowers and leaves per 0.5 liter of boiling water, let it brew, drink like tea.

The optimal dose of meadowsweet per day is 3 grams of chopped dry grass with flowers.

The meadowsweet is used as antitoxic agent up to the treatment of alcohol poisoning, as well as snake bites.

Used in these cases rich infusion of flowers: 2 teaspoons of dried flowers pour 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes and take 2 tablespoons 6 times a day.

Outwardly, the same infusion of meadowsweet grass is used for the treatment of wounds, pustules, acne, boils, psoriasis, as well as for the treatment of burns, Moreover to improve hair growth, in the form of enemas for hemorrhoids, in the form of douches for gynecological diseases.

In tsarist Russia, zemstvo doctors successfully treated rheumatism of the joints meadowsweet. At the same time, an infusion of herbs with flowers was used inside and an ointment from meadowsweet flowers on interior lard or badger lard was rubbed into the affected joints.

Cooking ointments : an ointment is prepared at the rate of 1 part of well-crushed meadowsweet flowers and 5 parts of the fatty base. Pre-melt the fat, mix thoroughly with the powder from meadowsweet flowers.

In this case, meadowsweet flowers should be ground into a fine powder and ground with an equal part of fat or vaseline. Get an ointment.

Oil from grass and meadowsweet flowers, cooked at home, used in folk medicine to reduce temperature, relieve migraine and headaches, for the treatment of radiculitis, osteochondrosis, rheumatic pain, for joint and muscle pain, for the treatment of colds.

Preparation of meadowsweet oil at home: Pour 50 grams of chopped meadowsweet herb with olive or sunflower oil so as to cover all the grass, mix. Insist in a dark place for 14 days. Strain. At the beginning, you can heat it in a water bath, but do not boil.

How to use meadowsweet oil:

rub into the sore spot
massage with meadowsweet oil,
add to shower gel or bath foam,
apply to the aroma lamp for colds.

Contraindications for taking meadowsweet are:

individual intolerance,
intestinal atony, tendency to constipation,
hypotension, low blood pressure,
low platelets,
pregnancy.

For medicinal purposes, collect grass with flowers during flowering. Dry in a dark room. Shelf life 3 years.

Meadowsweet six-petal - you need to be able to distinguish

Meadowsweet in nature, there are about 15 species. In Russia, the most common are meadowsweet, six-petal meadowsweet (earthnuts), common meadowsweet, palm-shaped meadowsweet, and Kamchatka meadowsweet. In folk medicine, meadowsweet and six-petal meadowsweet are widely used.

Meadowsweet six-petal grows in meadows, forest edges, glades in central Russia, in Altai, in the Urals, in the Far East. This is a perennial herbaceous plant, 30-80 cm high, with an oblique rhizome, its roots are thin, with tuberous, fusiform or almost spherical thickenings. Hence the name - peanuts. Stem erect, ribbed, almost leafless at the top. Radical leaves are larger, interrupted-pinnately compound, with numerous up to 20 pairs of deep serrated lobules, between which are smaller leaflets, stem leaves are smaller with fewer lobules. The leaves are green on both sides, glabrous above, slightly hairy below along the veins. The flowers are regular, white-pink, small, collected at the top of the stem in a fluffy panicle. The aroma of flowers is pleasant, fragrant, honey-almond.

The fruit is a cumulus achene. Blooms in June.

Unlike meadowsweet meadowsweet six-petal grows on dry light forest edges and clearings.

The chemical composition of nodules "earthnuts" contains up to 36% tannins. They have an antioxidant, anti-cancer effect, astringent effect (for diarrhea), hemostatic effect.

The leaves contain gaulterin glycoside, which is hydrolyzed with the release of salicylic aldehyde. This causes anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-edematous action. A small amount of ascorbic acid was found in the leaves. Found flavonoids, phenol compounds, phenylcarboxylic acids, catechins, essential oils, glycosides, fatty acids, wax. The chemical composition and explains the application.

Previously, the rhizome with roots was used in scientific medicine as part of the Zdrenko collection.

In folk medicine, the herb is used as hemostatic (unlike meadowsweet), antihemorrhoidal, astringent, as well as pain in the stomach, and nodules in the complex treatment of leukemia and blood diseases, for immunostimulation in oncology.

Grass is harvested during flowering. Shelf life 3 years.

The rhizome with roots is dug out when the snow melts (March, April) or in September-October. Rhizome and roots quickly, thoroughly rinse, cut into thin strips. Dry in a well-ventilated area or outdoors under a canopy. The finished raw material is:

rhizomes - whole or cut, uneven, tuberculate, up to 10 cm long, up to 1.5 cm thick, dark brown, pinkish in a break;

the roots are thin, cylindrical with thickenings in the middle part, longitudinally wrinkled, up to 15 cm long. The smell is characteristic, the taste is bitter-astringent.

A decoction of the roots of meadowsweet six-petal in folk medicine is used in oncology of various localization, as well as in blood diseases, leukemia.

Decoction recipe: pour 2 teaspoons of crushed roots in an enamel bowl with 1 glass of boiling water, cook in a water bath for 35 minutes, let it brew. Strain.

pharmacist-herbalist Sorokina Vera Vladimirovna