Today, people have begun to forget that it is possible to be treated not only with medications. A variety of herbs work well in this direction. Now I want to talk about such a plant as field horsetail: indications for use and instructions for its use will be described below.
The main thing about the plant
Initially, you need to understand what this grass is. So, this is a herbaceous perennial plant. In our strip, there are three of its species: forest, meadow, and field horsetail. Only the latter is completely safe, because it does not contain absolutely no toxic substances. It can grow in meadows, along roads, on sandy slopes and mounds, in forest glades, as well as in crops and vegetable gardens.
What else can be said about such a plant as horsetail? Its structure is diverse depending on the time of year. So, initially, whitish-pink, unbranched shoots with rather large spikelets that are flowering appear before the gaze. Later, in May, when the stems die off, the horsetail appears to be a completely different person. Its structure is changing to a more familiar one - plants with leaves similar to Christmas needles.
It should also be said that horsetail people have other names: pine, earth cone, pusher, pig-pig, conifer, field tree, spice, whisk, marijuana and even cat tail. This plant can also be called “horse tail” (literally translated its Latin name - Equisetum).
The chemical composition of horsetail
What has horsetail in its composition? This plant consists of organic substances that belong to the most diverse groups: alkaloids, flavonoids, vitamins, saponins, phytosterols, etc. If we talk about inorganic substances, then in the field needles you can find silicic acid, for which this plant is mainly valued . Also in the horsetail there are tannins, proteins, carotene, fatty oil, as well as useful micro and macro elements: copper, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc.
Horsetail action
What are the beneficial properties of horsetail? So, he has the following actions:
- firming;
- hemostatic;
- astringent;
- diuretic;
- expectorant;
- anthelmintic;
- bactericidal.
Indications for use of horsetail
Why is a horsetail plant so useful? Indications for use are as follows:
- From ancient times this plant was considered one of the best hemostatic agents. So, the fresh juice of this herb can stop even bleeding caused by polyps of the bladder, acute cystitis. He successfully fights with uterine bleeding.
- Back in the 16th century, doctors established the diuretic activity of horsetail, i.e. This tool perfectly removes excess fluid from the body, increasing the outflow of urine.
- If you combine the juice of horsetail with the juice of a coltsfoot plant, you get an excellent antitussive. It helps even with a catarrh of the bronchi and upper respiratory tract.
- Field horsetail is also used as an antiemetic. It can also be used for dysentery, diarrhea, liver and bladder diseases.
- Field horsetail is used for hair: it helps to combat baldness, dandruff, seborrhea.
- You can make lotions from the juice of horsetail with a disease such as conjunctivitis.
- An excellent detoxifier is horsetail. Indications for use: poisoning with lead salts, alkali metals.
The use of field horsetail in cosmetology
It is also worth noting that this plant is widely used in cosmetology. So, field horsetail for hair is great. From it you can make decoctions and infusions, which are recommended to rinse your hair. And all thanks to such a building material as silicon, which is in sufficient quantity in this grass. In addition, using ready-made products, based on horsetail, you can not only rinse your head after washing, but also massage, rubbing them into the scalp.
Special diseases in which horsetail is used
Further we consider such a plant as field horsetail. Indications for its use - the presence of certain diseases with which this herb helps to cope as soon as possible:
- Osteoporosis (i.e., thinning of bones). In this case, it is silicon that is most useful - a special building material, which is a part of horsetail.
- Field horsetail is widely used for skin diseases: ulcers, wounds, boils, lichens and even eczema.
- You can use this plant with various heart ailments, such as hypertension.
- Other diseases: rheumatism, gout, sand in the bladder, atherosclerosis, etc.
The most useful are the horsetail baths. In such a broth, children who suffer from colds are often bathed.
Horsetail infusion
Apply this plant in a variety of ways. One of the most commonly used is an infusion for oral administration. To cook it, you need to brew 20 grams of the plant in a glass of boiling water, insist for 60 seconds, then be sure to strain. This tool is taken in finished form about one and a half tablespoons three times a day. Widely used infusions for the treatment of female diseases, pathologies of the kidneys, bladder, as well as hypertension and atherosclerosis.
But this is not a complete list of indications for the use of horsetail infusion. So, they can wash the wounds and injuries on the skin. Often with this tool they gargle with various diseases, in particular, during a sore throat. You can also make compresses on sore joints.
Horsetail broth
How else can I use field horsetail? The instruction for its use states that decoctions can be prepared from this plant. To do this, you need to brew about 25 grams of the plant in a glass of boiling water, simmer everything over low heat for half an hour. After cooling, the medicine is ready to use. It can be used for edema of various origins, inflammation of the bladder and kidneys.
Broth, as well as infusion, you can rinse a sore throat, wash wounds and pressure sores, prepare compresses for sore joints.
Horsetail Juice
Field horsetail juice also helps to cope with various problems. To get it, the plant needs to be thoroughly washed under warm running water. Then it is crushed, juice is squeezed out of it. You need to take this medicine in smaller doses: two teaspoons three times a day. This is an excellent diuretic that will help cope with edema. Also, sap from this plant is washed with various kinds of wounds (including suppurating or bleeding), as well as ulcers. If a person has a problem with frequent nosebleeds, you can instill a few drops of the horsetail juice into the nostril twice a day.
Contraindications
We continue to consider such a plant as field horsetail (medicinal properties). Contraindications - this is what else you need to stop your attention. Like any other plant, it must be used with extreme caution. Initially, it should be noted that long-term use of medicines from horsetail is not worth it (maximum course is 21 days). This can be harmful to health: Vitamin B1 may be washed out of the body. To avoid this, along with taking medications from this plant, you must take a complex of vitamins, which contain substances of group B.
Field horsetail should not be taken for people who have kidney, heart, or diseases such as gout or diabetes.
During the use of drugs based on horsetail, alcohol should be avoided.
Horsetail leaches potassium from the body. You should not forget about this either.
You can not take this plant in any form to pregnant women, as well as mothers during lactation.
But in order to avoid various problems, before taking horsetail, it is best to consult your doctor. After all, this way you can protect your health from negative consequences.
Collection and storage of plants
How to collect field horsetail? Reviews of people who know this matter indicate that it is necessary to collect fruitless vegetative shoots of horsetail, which will have to be cut off at the very base. The grass is dried in well-ventilated cool rooms, but not in the open sun. Storage time for blanks is a maximum of 4 years.
It is worth remembering that you need to collect exclusively field horsetail. Inadmissible collection of other species of this plant. How to identify different types of horsetail?
- Lugovoi. A distinctive feature is branches bent to the side.
- Forest. Thin branches, branching a second time.
- Soft marsh. The stem is thin, and the branches are short.
- Swamp. Its teeth are soldered, framed by a white border.
The interaction of horsetail with other drugs
Initially, it should be noted that taking horsetail can provoke an increase in the action of certain medications. That is why you should not start taking this plant without consulting your doctor.
1. Interaction with alcohol. If a person drinks a lot of alcohol, vitamin B1 levels may decrease in his body. The horsetail does the same. In this case, serious vitamin deficiency may occur.
2. Horsetail and nicotine. Field horsetail contains a certain amount of nicotine. So it should not be used if a person uses an anti-nicotine patch or chewing gums to help overcome this bad habit.
3. Field horsetail and digoxin. This plant reduces the level of potassium in the body. That is why people who take a drug such as Digoxin (Lanoxin) to combat cardiac arrhythmia should completely refuse to accept field horsetail.
4. Field horsetail and diuretics. This plant is an excellent diuretic. If used in combination with synthetic diuretics, dehydration or hypokalemia (low potassium content) may occur.