Since ancient times, coltsfoot grass has been used to treat a variety of ailments. This unique plant was appreciated by the healers of ancient Greece and Rome. They used grass to treat bronchitis, asthma.
Once upon a time, coltsfoot was sold in every pharmacy in Paris. In modern medicine, the plant is used to make syrups and other cough medicines. Also, this plant can be used externally for the treatment of dermatological problems, to improve the condition of the hair.
The plant has other names: near-grass, reed grass, butterbur, whitewashed, double-faced, mother grass, water burdock.
Grass description
Coltsfoot grass is a perennial plant up to twenty centimeters high. It has wide basal leaves resembling a heart, up to fifteen centimeters long and up to ten centimeters wide. The edges of the sheet are serrated. The stems are even, scaly, reddish. The flowers are yellow in the form of baskets, very similar to a dandelion.
The plant blooms in early spring. The root system appears only after flowering ends. In April, the seeds ripen. The plant grows along riverbanks, along roads, at the edges of forests and wherever there are loamy and clay soils.
Plant composition
Coltsfoot grass contains many beneficial substances. It contains sterols (rutin, hyperion, faradiol), as well as tannins, waxes, essential oils. They contain about eight percent of mucus, polysaccharides, flavonoids. Coltsfoot herb is rich in vitamins and minerals.
The plant has a lot of zinc, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It is used for tonsillitis, laryngitis, hoarseness, colds and a variety of viral diseases. Herb tincture is used to treat wounds, dermatological diseases, including burns. The properties of the coltsfoot herb allow it to be used to improve the function of the digestive system, in case of indigestion, and also to stimulate appetite. Based on the grass, preparations are being prepared for fever, edema, and inflammation.
Most often, coltsfoot is used as an expectorant. It stimulates the elimination of sputum from the respiratory system. Because of this feature, the plant is used in the treatment of pneumonia, with bronchitis, colds. In the treatment of pulmonary pathologies, coltsfoot acts as an antispasmodic, which soothes muscles and is controlled by a cough reflex.
Grass contains many amino acids that are good for hair and skin. Included in the composition of cystine, has a positive effect on strengthening the hair and contributes to their growth. The high silicon content has a calming effect on the skin, removes dead skin cells, dandruff, gives hair elasticity and shine.
The healing properties of coltsfoot grass help regulate the functioning of the sebaceous glands, which increases skin elasticity.
The plant has the ability to restore normal metabolism. Nutritionists value this property and sometimes prescribe coltsfoot to those who want to lose weight. In this case, the plant is used for medicinal baths.
What heals
The use of coltsfoot grass is extensive and appropriate for the following pathologies:
- Dental diseases: gingivitis, stomatitis, toothache.
- With pathologies of the respiratory system: in the treatment of cough with bronchitis, pneumonia.
- For the treatment of ENT organs: for all types of sore throat.
- In the treatment of the digestive tract.
- In the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the urinary system, kidneys.
The plant helps well with mastitis, skin ailments, treats malaria, pleurisy, tuberculosis, acute respiratory viral infections. Preparations based on coltsfoot help to cope with fatigue, increase immunity.
Plant properties
The coltsfoot herb has extensive healing properties. It has an antiseptic, enveloping, diaphoretic effect. Scientists have proven that infusions, decoctions and other drugs have anti-inflammatory, expectorant, astringent effects.
Contraindications
Like all medicines, coltsfoot grass and contraindications. In order not to harm yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with them.
You can not use funds with this plant for children under the age of two years, with individual intolerance, during lactation, and pregnant women. Do not use the plant for women who constantly have a delay in menstruation.
In contraindications, it is indicated that this remedy cannot be used while taking dietary supplements, vitamin therapy, antipyretic drugs. To determine exactly whether it is possible to take drugs based on coltsfoot, you should consult a doctor. Only he can accurately determine the dosage and determine if there are contraindications.
Side effect
Even knowing the medicinal properties and contraindications of the grass, the mother of the stepmother, some take this drug thoughtlessly. In this case, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen can be observed. All these symptoms are side effects of the use of the plant. To eliminate them, you must immediately stop taking the drugs and inform your doctor about the effects of the herb.
Application in traditional medicine
In each pharmacy, ready-made raw materials for the preparation of drugs are sold. From it, infusions, decoctions are prepared, used in the form of a powder and not only.
To prepare a decoction, you need to take a teaspoon of leaves and pour a glass of boiling water. The composition is boiled over low heat for fifteen minutes. Take a decoction of grass coltsfoot from cough for inflammatory diseases of the throat, a third of a glass three times a day before meals, two days.
With inflammation of the digestive tract, a decoction is taken in a tablespoon up to five times a day.
Of flowers coltsfoot make water infusion. It is prepared according to the following recipe: 20 grams of flowers are poured with a liter of boiling water and left for an hour. The composition is taken at 100 grams three times a day. This tool is good for coughing and with diseases of the stomach. Also, water infusion helps well in the treatment of inflammatory pathologies of the throat. For children, coltsfoot grass is indicated for laryngitis.
You can prepare alcohol tincture from a plant. For it, you will need to take vodka in equal parts of dry flowers. Raw materials insist a week in a dark place. Thirty drops are taken once a day before meals. This tool helps to strengthen the immune system, and also stimulates the metabolism.
Fresh fruit juice shows good results with vitamin deficiency. For its preparation, young leaves are collected, then they are washed, poured with boiling water and twisted in a meat grinder or chopped with a blender. Squeeze the juice from the pulp and dilute with water in equal parts. Then the product boils for a couple of minutes. Ready juice is taken in a tablespoon three times a day after meals. It helps well with hypovitaminosis, runny nose.
With a suffocating cough, the grass is fried in a pan and the vapors are inhaled.
Treatment of various diseases
Unique properties allow the plant to be used in the treatment of a variety of ailments. Coltsfoot helps with headaches and other diseases.
To cope with a headache, five grams of raw material is taken and poured with two glasses of boiling water, then the composition is placed in a water bath for five minutes. After cooling, the product is filtered. A third of a glass is taken twice a day an hour before meals.
Pathology of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract
You can use the plant for coughing and shortness of breath. To do this, 15 grams of the plant is poured with a glass of boiling water, an hour is infused. After filtering, the drug is taken in a tablespoon every three hours.
To treat throat diseases, two tablespoons of raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for half an hour. Ready tool gargle up to five times a day.
In bronchitis, three parts of coltsfoot flowers, two parts of thyme and one part of plantain are mixed. Then one spoonful of the mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for an hour. You can add honey to the product. Take after meals.
The plant provides good help with whooping cough, bronchiectasis. To combat these ailments, it is necessary to mix in equal parts the leaves of coltsfoot, plantain, pine buds. Then two tablespoons of the mixture are poured with a glass of water and let it brew for a couple of hours. After this, the composition boils for five minutes, cools. The drug is taken in a third of a glass three times a day.
In acute gastritis, four tablespoons of the plant are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for half an hour. The tool is filtered, taken in equal parts during the day.
In gynecology
With colpitis, a tablespoon of raw material is poured with a glass of boiling water. The composition boils for half an hour. Then everything that boils away needs to be supplemented. The resulting product is made by douching in the form of heat once a day.
Dermatology Application
With diathesis, 10 grams of grass is poured with a glass of boiling water and left for half an hour. The drug is taken two tablespoons three times a day.
With skin ailments, ulcers, 20 grams of raw material is taken and poured with a glass of boiling water. The composition is infused for an hour, then filtered. It is taken in a spoon up to six times a day. This composition treats the affected areas of the skin.
To get rid of dandruff, it is necessary to mix nettles, burdock and leaves of coltsfoot in equal parts. Then take a spoonful of the mixture and pour a liter of boiling water. The product boils for six minutes. After it is filtered and used to rinse hair twice a week.
Slimming coltsfoot
Good results are shown by the plant for those who want to lose weight. To do this, take 60 grams of blackberry leaves, 20 grams of birch leaves, the same amount of corn stigmas, 10 grams of senna and coltsfoot, everything is mixed. Two tablespoons of the mixture is poured with half a liter of boiling water and an hour is infused. The composition is taken in half a glass before a morning meal. Every day use a fresh broth.
You can do baths for those who want to lose weight. For this, 200 grams of calendula flowers are taken and mixed with the same number of coltsfoot flowers. The mixture is poured with three liters of water and boiled for fifteen minutes. Then the composition is allowed to infuse for ten minutes, filtered and added to the bath. You can take it no longer than half an hour. After the bath you need to rest for an hour.
To get acquainted with the properties of the plant, it is recommended to watch this video:
There are other recipes for traditional medicine from a variety of ailments in which this medicinal plant is used. Each of them has its own peculiarities of preparation, therefore, before using coltsfoot, you should consult a specialist. It will help determine the dosage of the plant and select the most optimal treatment regimen for the disease.