The beneficial properties of linden have long been known. This unique plant is used in both official and traditional medicine. The tree is useful for all parts: flowers, bark, leaves, twigs. Each part has a special composition that determines the use of the plant.
Most often, in folk medicine, lime color is used. Decoctions and infusions are made with it, helping with inflammation, cramps, pain and more.
Plant description
Linden flowers are umbrella-shaped, consisting of ten or more flowers on elongated pedicels, which at the bottom fuse with a vein of a bract. The flowers themselves are of the correct form, with a diameter of up to a centimeter. The color of the flowers is whitish yellow, with a faint, pleasant aroma.
The bract is leafy, with a dense network of veins, up to seven centimeters long and up to two centimeters wide.
Tree features
Our ancestors knew about the beneficial properties of linden. They harvested the flowers of the plant and used to treat a variety of ailments.
The plant is able to destroy bacteria in the body, excrete urine, increase perspiration, and excrete sputum. Features of the application depend on which ailment will be treated. For example, if the plant will be used to treat coughs, colds, then it is taken orally. Rheumatism is treated with poultices. The infusion of linden helps to cope with pathologies of the urinary system, headache. Broths fight fever, relieve gastrointestinal spasms, treat colds.
Harvesting raw materials
To preserve the beneficial properties of linden, it is necessary to properly harvest raw materials. This is done in dry weather. Those parts of the plant are collected in which about half of the flowers have blossomed, and the rest are buds. Gather flowers with a pre-flowering leaf.
Workpieces are dried in a ventilated area. So that the plant does not break, the color is laid out in a thin layer. Mixing raw materials is not worth it.
When dried, the aroma of the flowers almost completely disappears. Stop drying when the peduncles become very brittle, dry.
Harvested raw materials are stored in a dry room. The shelf life of the color is two years.
Linden composition
The beneficial properties of linden are determined by its composition. Each part of the plant contains a certain amount of a variety of substances.
In the flowers are present:
- Essential oils containing farnesol.
- Polysaccharides, mucus.
- Flavonoids, saponides.
- Carotenoids.
- Vitamin C.
The leaves of the plant contain a lot of protein, there are carotenoids and ascorbic acid.
After flowering, the fruits ripen. They are rich in fatty oils.
pharmachologic effect
The beneficial properties of linden flowers help fight a variety of ailments. This plant has the following effect:
- diaphoretic, antipyretic;
- anti-inflammatory;
- accelerates regeneration processes;
- antiseptic;
- antispasmodic;
- lower blood pressure;
- increase diuresis;
- increase the secretion of gastric juice and bile;
- sedative.
What pathologies heals
Useful properties of linden color help to cope with the flu, colds, bronchitis. Good results are shown by the use of inhalations with linden in children with infectious ailments. The plant is also used as a hot infusion as an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory agent.
The use of color helps to cope with neuralgia, cystitis. Decoctions are made to gargle with bacterial infections. And these are far from all the beneficial properties of the plant.
ethnoscience
Useful properties and contraindications of linden determine to whom and under what ailments the plant can be used, and to whom it is forbidden.
In folk medicine, there are many recipes for preparing a medicine from a plant: infusions, decoctions, bath products, preparations for external and internal use.
Linden infusion has several cooking options. For the treatment of colds, tuberculosis, coughs of various etiologies, for catarrh of the bronchi, as well as for the elimination of headaches, the following infusion is used: a tablespoon of flowers is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and infused for half an hour. Before use, the product is filtered. The prepared composition is enough only for one reception, and you need to drink the infusion at least three times a day. It is best to prepare a fresh remedy before each appointment. You can use the infusion to gargle.
To relieve colic, cramping and pain in the intestinal zone, it is recommended to make a bath with the addition of linden. To prepare the composition, eight tablespoons of raw material are taken, poured with a liter of water and put on low heat for five minutes. Then the broth is allowed to infuse for half an hour. The finished product is filtered and added to the bath, which is taken no more than twenty minutes.
The linden helps with food poisoning. To do this, you need coal from wood, which is taken on a teaspoon three times a day. Coals also help to cope with prostatitis. For treatment, the coals are ground and brewed as coffee. The duration of therapy is a week.
When coughing any etiology, linden blossom helps well. To prepare the medicine, two tablespoons of flowers should be poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water, then put in for fifteen minutes. Then the product is filtered through a sieve. The resulting infusion is taken throughout the day in equal parts.
Linden broth helps with gastrointestinal diseases. To prepare the medicine, you need to take a spoonful of seeds and pour them with a glass of water, put on fire. The product is boiled for fifteen minutes. Take the drug three times a day, dividing the glass of the drug into three parts.
A decoction of linden helps to cope with neuralgia, cough, SARS. It is used for rheumatism, gout, and is used as an additive in baths. With a decoction make compresses from mastitis.
To prepare the broth, take two tablespoons of flowers and pour two glasses of boiling water. The remedy is insisted for half an hour. Take one hundred ml 4-5 times.
For compresses, a more concentrated broth is made, for which it is necessary to boil three or four tablespoons of flowers over low heat. The resulting product is filtered, add a teaspoon of soda. This tool moisten gauze, folded in several layers.
Other recipes with a plant
The beneficial properties of linden leaves and flowers are well manifested with other medicinal plants.
For the treatment of rheumatism, it is necessary to take linden and viburnum in equal parts. The raw materials are brewed with boiled water and insisted for two hours. Take the drug in a quarter cup in the morning and evening.
You can use another remedy for rheumatism: linden, raspberries, coltsfoot, oregano taken in equal parts. Then two tablespoons of the mixture are poured with a glass of boiling water. Take a quarter cup composition.
As a disinfectant, anti-inflammatory agent, linden with chamomile is used. To prepare a therapeutic agent, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the raw materials and let it infuse for half an hour. Prepared means rinse throat twice a day.
Knowing all about the beneficial properties and contraindications of linden flowers, you can prepare a remedy for fever. To do this, put two spoons of linden blossom in an enameled dish, pour 0.5 l of water into them and cook in a water bath for twenty minutes. Then the pan is removed from the heat and allowed to cool. A couple of tablespoons of honey are added to the finished product. Take a warm infusion of one hundred milliliters as a diaphoretic, antipyretic.
The benefits of wood for women
The beneficial properties of linden for women have been known for a long time. This plant helps nursing mothers, used to treat obesity. The plant helps in the treatment of mastitis: for this purpose, raw materials are used as lotions.
For nursing mothers, it is recommended to make an infusion of linden leaves. To prepare the product, take ten grams of raw material, which is filled with 1.5 glasses of water. Infusion is allowed to stand for two hours. Take the drug in a glass before meals.
The beneficial properties and contraindications of linden for women should be carefully studied, since the plant is used to treat obesity. The correct intake of the product helps to get rid of five kilograms of excess weight in a couple of months. To prepare a remedy for excess weight, you need to pour forty grams of grass with a glass of boiling water and insist an hour. After this, the composition is filtered. Take a drug of fifty grams three times a day.
You can use another remedy: fifty grams of lime are mixed with 0.5 liters of birch sap and the same amount of rhubarb decoction. The composition is put in a water bath for five minutes. Take the drug one hundred grams before meals 3 times a day.
A composition of four tablespoons of linden, two hundred grams of ginger root, one lemon and a spoonful of green tea helps to fight obesity. All mixed with a liter of water and insist hour. This tool is very aggressive against the stomach, so before use it should be diluted with water, taking 50 ml of the composition and 200 ml of water. The resulting composition can not be taken with gastrointestinal pathology, sore throat, gum disease.
Contraindications
Before starting treatment of pathologies, it is necessary to find out what are the beneficial properties and contraindications of the color of linden. The plant can not be consumed by people suffering from cardiovascular pathologies.
You can not apply the composition to those who suffer from an allergic reaction to flowering. Another contraindication is the presence of renal failure.
Useful linden
Linden tea is an excellent remedy for colds and coughs. It helps to restore immunity, regain strength after illness. The plant is useful not only for adults, but also for older children. Lime blossom is able to improve brain function and increase mood, reduce high blood pressure.
Of great value is linden honey. It helps maintain the body during menopause, for the treatment of gastritis, cystitis, gastric ulcer.
In addition to internal use, linden is used externally. Decoctions and infusions are used as lotions, compresses, added to the bath. These funds have a warming effect, help get rid of excess weight, restore health to the body.