Lakonos berry, also known as phytolhak stone fruit or edible, is an exotic plant found in botanical gardens and in personal plots (sometimes), where it grows in the form of a usual autumn weed. It has many positive properties, contains a large number of vitamins and minerals, but should be used with caution and as directed by a doctor, since it is very toxic.
Plant description
Edible pear or berry - a herbaceous plant with ligneous branches reaching a height of 2 m, fleshy rhizome weighing up to 10 kg and a dense spherical crown. He is unpretentious in leaving, quietly winters under the snow, is able to recover even after the most severe winters. In spring, it rises very quickly, sometimes drowning the growth of nearby plants. The bark of many laconia has a reddish-purple or green color. Berries appear closer to the fall.
Places of growth
Lakonos grows in partial shade along roads and in residential areas in various places. It can be found in Japan, India, Korea, China, Russia (in the Voronezh and Moscow regions, Mordovia), Europe. Sometimes this plant is confused with American phytoluca. The reason is simple: the only difference between them is the inflorescences, in Phytolacca Americana they are drooping. Laconicas can be grown as ornamental plants, but they must be cared for carefully. If you touch their leaves without gloves, you can burn yourself more than nettles.
Laconicas are edible or poisonous?
Many gardeners who wish to grow these unique plants in their personal plots are interested in whether it is possible to eat a plant of berry lakonos, or, rather, its fruits. But there is no simple answer to this question. Some experts say that plant berries, so similar to raspberries, blackberries or mulberries, can be consumed in small quantities, but little by little and only for medicinal purposes. Others insist that they don’t, and give a powerful argument: all parts of the laconic are poisonous. So where is the truth?
In fact, both are right. Lakonosy berry - plants really poisonous, it is proved by scientists. But dangerous properties are most often manifested in those of them that grow in the wild. Cultivated herbs often completely lose their toxicity. Additionally, the toxic substances that they contain are destroyed by heat treatment and fermentation. But this does not mean that they should be consumed in handfuls. To avoid poisoning, eat no more than 2-3 berries per day, and even then with caution. And remember: only the external use of decoctions and infusions created from the described plant does not do any harm.
Health benefits
The healing properties of berry pokeweed are due to its rich composition. In different parts of it contains useful substances such as phytolaccine, starch, saponins, acids, vitamins of groups B and PP, sucrose and essential oils, steroids. Thanks to them, it can have a cleansing, immunostimulating, cleansing, wound healing, bacteriostatic and analgesic effect on the human body. It is also able to improve blood flow, eliminate back pain, hemorrhoid cones and sore throat, itching. Small amounts of drugs are used on its basis, therefore, the therapy is long.
Dosage Forms
The use of berry pokeweed begins with its collection. Everything is used: fruits, stems, leaves and roots, collected with extreme caution. Based on them, knowledgeable people can prepare different drugs:
- Tinctures - created from stems, leaves and 90% alcohol (in a ratio of 1:10), are used in the treatment of pharyngitis, laryngitis and other respiratory diseases. It is often recommended by doctors to get rid of sciatica or lumbago. 5 drops are used 3-4 times in 24 hours.
- Ointments - are created from tincture of laconic and any interior fat (the latter can be replaced by lanolin). They are used in the treatment of various skin diseases, including scaly lichen.
- Oils - are made by mixing the crushed root of the plant and olive oil, used externally to eliminate tumors, growths and other skin defects.
- Decoctions - are created from prepared raw materials and a certain amount of water by cooking. Can be used in the same cases as infusions.
Ointments and oils are safer for medicinal use, since they are applied externally. You can use decoctions and infusions only with the permission of the attending physician, since they can cause various complications.
Harvesting raw materials
It is recommended to dig up berry laconia to create drugs after 3 years, in the middle of autumn. At this time, its roots already have a weight of 10 kg, a height of about 1 meter and a yellowish tint. If still red, it is impossible to apply, as they are toxic. After the collection, preparation should begin. To do this, rhizome should be well washed, crushed and dried at a temperature of 60 degrees in a special dryer, and then put into a paper bag. Store in a ventilated room for no more than 3 years together with leaves, berries and stems prepared in a similar way.
Lakonos in homeopathy and medicine
On an industrial scale, trained people are engaged in the reproduction of berry pokeweed. They hand them over to manufacturers of various drugs, including homeopathic ones. For example, based on this plant, “Fitolyakka” was created, a description of which can be found in any medical reference book. This drug is recommended for use in the treatment of constipation, rheumatism, blepharitis and syphilis. It will also be useful as a sedative to those who have the habit of biting their lips and gritting their teeth at night.
Another remedy, produced on the basis of medical laconic, is Tonzipret. It helps to restore voice, the disappearance of hoarseness and a burning sensation, cure of various chronic diseases of the throat. Available in the form of tablets or drops intended for oral administration. It is used 40 minutes before meals for 1 to 3 months or as recommended by a doctor.
Homeopaths recommend the use of angina and pharyngitis tincture of a pacifier for gargling. In this case, for its preparation, it is necessary to mix 1-2 tbsp. tablespoons of dried and crushed leaves with 0.5 tbsp. warm water, let it brew for 1-2 hours. Gargle every 1.5-2.5 hours. The essential oils that make up the plant will kill pathogenic microbes and accelerate recovery.
Also, traditional healers are advised to make compresses with the infusion of the pacifier for hemorrhoids. To do this, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of dry powder from the leaves pour a glass of water, put in a pan on the gas. Keep in a water bath for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool. Soak gauze in the resulting solution and apply to a sore spot. As a result of this action, pain will be significantly reduced, swelling and inflammation will disappear.
Benefits for joints and spine
The shoots and roots of the lacunas in folk medicine are often used to create tinctures designed to treat arthritis, arthrosis and osteochondrosis. Rubbing it can significantly improve blood flow in diseased joints, provide a good influx of nutrients to their tissues, and eliminate unpleasant sensations. To prepare a compress, pour 3 tbsp. tablespoons of dry raw materials with a glass of vodka, withstand the infusion for 2 weeks and strain through a loose material. Soak in the resulting solution a wide bandage, folded in 6 layers, apply to the affected area. Keep 1-2 hours.
For the same purpose, you can prepare special ointments. By their action, they will be no worse than the “Merifit” and “Akovit”, which were produced back in Soviet times. To create, you need to melt 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter, mix with the same amount of laconic infusion, cool and clean in a cool place (you can refrigerate). Store no more than 7 days. Rub 2-3 times in 1 day.
Natural dermatologist
Lakonos therapeutic has found its wide application in the fight against various skin diseases, as it is able to disinfect and soothe it, make it more tender. To create dermatological preparations based on it, mainly leaves and stems are used. The root is not used, since it can cause dryness and burning, and the berries, due to their ability to strongly stain objects and things around them.
With lichen, erysipelas and eczema, ointment prepared according to the following recipe shows good effectiveness: melt 1-2 tbsp. tablespoons of butter, mix well with the same amount of dried and chopped leaves, cool and refrigerate. Apply to a sore spot twice - morning and evening.
With boils, you can apply fresh laconic leaves to the skin. It is recommended to do this every 2 hours, no longer than 20 minutes. With lipomas or wen, you can try to make such a tool: grind fresh leaves into gruel and attach to the place on the skin where a benign tumor appeared. It is recommended to repeat such actions until the wen is opened. Before treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
Reviews of people about the cultivation and consumption
It is worth noting that the reviews about the use of laconic for medicinal purposes are mostly positive. The preparations created on its basis have helped some people get rid of psoriasis that has arisen on nervous soil, others - from severe pain in the lower back, and others - to eliminate defects on the skin that looked very un aesthetically pleasing. But everyone is equally admired by his beauty and unpretentiousness in leaving, the ability to use as a background for any landscape scenery.
Of the shortcomings, people note the toxicity of the laconic. It is recommended not to plant in areas of houses whose owners raise young children. It is also noted that when collecting leaves, roots and other parts of this plant and their further processing into raw materials intended for the preparation of medicines, personal protective equipment must be worn. Otherwise, you can get burned.
Where to look for pokeweed?
Many, having seen a photo of a berry pokeweed and having read about useful properties, express a desire to have it on their personal plot. It is not so easy to get this plant; it is very rare in Russian gardens. However, sometimes it can be seen at an exhibition or in the early spring on the market, the main thing is to know what and where to look. It is worth noting that few sellers know its correct name, some of them call laconia phytolacca, and you should ask this way and that. If the plant could not be found, it can be ordered via the Internet in any store. Delivered usually within 1-2 weeks.
Contraindications
The healing properties of berry pokeweed are actually very great. But do not forget that before using it, you need to consult a doctor, since the plant is still poisonous. For this reason, there are inherent various contraindications to the use of such a plant as berry laconia. These include: allergies to any of its constituent substances, age up to 18 years, pregnancy, lactation. It is also worth remembering the possibility of an overdose. It can cause cramps, dizziness, diarrhea, respiratory arrest, heart problems, and death. Be careful and do not self-medicate!