Nature is rich in beautiful useful plants that delight the eye with their appearance and flowering, and also have important healing properties. They are used not only in traditional medicine, but also in modern cosmetology and pharmacology.
Japanese Sophora also belongs to such valuable fauna representatives - the tree is beautiful and unusual, somewhat reminiscent of the acacia familiar to our area.
Despite the fact that Korea and China are considered the birthplace of the plant, for several centuries it has been growing safely in our homeland, for example, in the Caucasus and Crimea.
What are the medicinal properties and contraindications of Japanese sophora? How is it used in medicine? What is the instructions for using sophora? And is it possible to prepare medicinal drugs based on it yourself? You will find answers to these questions in this article.
But first, let's briefly find out what the Japanese Sophora plant is, what its appearance and composition is.
Beautiful representative of the plant world
The Sophora plant is a species of the Legume family, which includes numerous trees and shrubs.
If we talk about trees, then often they reach a height of fifteen to twenty five meters and have an extensive spreading crown. In November, Sophora leaves, distinguished by a rich green color in summer, fall off, and the tree appears before the frost in all its glory: a gracefully curved trunk, intricately spreading branches, cold-resistant, plentiful fruits.
It is noteworthy that the Sofor plant bears fruit once every two years. The process of the appearance of these fruits is interesting and unusual.
In July and August, original fragrant panicles thirty-five centimeters long in yellowish, pinkish, or even purple colors appear on the tree. After a while, from these blossoms, fleshy fruits of a cylindrical shape from three to eight centimeters in size are formed, in which the seeds are located.
Habitat
The tree is an unpretentious and hardy plant; it can freely develop on stony and sandy soils, sunlit meadows and valleys. However, he does not like large frosts and strong drafts.
On our territory, the following species of Sophora plant grow:
- Japanese
- ordinary (or foxtail);
- yellowing (or yellowish);
- thick-fruited.
Get to know each of these varieties better.
Sophora vulgaris
This is a herbaceous plant with a thin straight stem, about ten to twelve centimeters high. On the stems, crowned with a white inflorescence in the form of a brush, oval-shaped leaves are located.
The main useful substance that is part of this type of sophora is the alkaloid pachycarpin, which increases the tone in muscle tissue and enhances uterine muscle contractions.
Foxtail sophora is also used for diseases such as eczema, diphtheria, rheumatism, diseases of the heart muscle and blood vessels.
Sophora is yellowish
Sophora yellowing - also a herbaceous plant more than half a meter high, contains such therapeutic elements as alkaloids, flavonoids, organic acids and fatty oils.
It is used to treat neurosis, tuberculosis, ascariasis, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, eczema, and stomach ailments. It can also be used as an antipyretic, analgesic and sleeping pill.
Sophora fat
A herbaceous plant, the height of which varies within thirty to sixty centimeters. Sophora stems are thin and branched, and spike-shaped inflorescences have a bright cream color.
It is used in the treatment of all the diseases mentioned above.
Sophora Japanese
A tree ten to fifteen meters high with a dark gray bark, covered with deep cracks and gaps. Fragrant flowers of Sophora (up to one centimeter in diameter) are collected in huge inflorescences.
Most often in folk medicine they use the buds and fruits of this plant, which are considered very caustic and poisonous. Therefore, to collect and store, and even more so use sophora should be strictly according to the instructions and prescription of a doctor.
What is remarkable about the composition of this plant? Let's find out.
Healing substances and elements
The following are important and useful components of Sophora, as well as their scope:
- Flavonoids (rutin). It alleviates allergic manifestations, reduces swelling, increases the secretion of bile, lowers blood pressure, slows the heartbeat, improves adrenal function and prevents the occurrence of a heart attack and stroke.
- Pachycarpinum. It stops hypertensive crises and spasms of the heart vessels, slows down nerve impulses, increases uterine contraction and improves muscle activity.
- Fixed oils. They remove inflammation, restore damaged tissues and cells, regulate metabolism, and promote the speedy healing of wounds.
- Ash. Slows down blood coagulation, eliminates inflammation, dissolves blood clots, heals wounds.
- Organic acids. They remove toxic and slag masses, promote bowel movement, calm the nerves, and cleanse blood vessels.
- Potassium. It normalizes blood pressure, strengthens the heart muscle, blocks spasms, reduces edema, regulates metabolism and prevents the formation of atherosclerosis.
- Calcium. Helps strengthen teeth, bones and heart vessels, improves immunity, normalizes the activity of the nervous system.
- Magnesium. It removes toxins, strengthens bone tissue, heart and blood vessels, improves digestion, eliminates inflammation.
- Iron. Stimulates the formation of red blood cells, increases hemoglobin, improves the functioning of the thyroid gland.
- Zinc. Reduces allergic reactions, strengthens the immune system, improves skin condition (eliminates inflammation, heals wounds and cracks, prevents aging, promotes cell renewal).
- Iodine. Regulates the processes occurring in the cardiovascular system, genital, digestive and musculoskeletal systems. Favorably affects the growth and development of children in the mental, mental and physical terms.
- Boron. Increases immunity and reproductive ability, normalizes hormonal disruptions, prevents the proliferation of cancer cells.
As you can see, the spectrum of action of the Japanese sophora plant is truly extensive and unique.
Indications for the use of Japanese sophora
This plant has such medicinal properties as immunostimulating, analgesic, sedative, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antihelminthic, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-allergic, diuretic and even anti-cancer.
These important healing qualities are highly appreciated by traditional medicine. Japanese Sophora is used for such complex and serious diseases as tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, stomatitis, abscess, psoriasis, mastitis, hemorrhoids, eczema, atherosclerosis, sepsis, furunculosis, dysentery, sinusitis, burns, ulcers, scarlet fever and many, many others .
However, despite such an impressive list of beneficial properties, the sophora plant has some contraindications.
Contraindications to the use of Sophora
Although in general the components of the Sophora plant are favorably perceived by the human body, they can nevertheless provoke a number of allergic reactions, which manifest themselves in severe burning, as well as in rashes and redness of the skin. Therefore, allergy sufferers should be very careful to use preparations based on Japanese sophora.
Also, the plant is not recommended for people suffering from certain liver diseases, children under three years of age, pregnant and lactating.
Moreover, according to the instructions for the use of Sophora, when using it, it is important to consider some side effects caused by the main components.
First of all, it is:
- bloating;
- diarrhea;
- vomiting
- pain in the abdomen;
- nausea.
Use during pregnancy
Pregnant women are not recommended to use the substances and elements that make up Sophora for treatment, since they can stimulate muscle tone and provoke a miscarriage. On the other hand, it is precisely due to an increase in uterine tone that some components of this plant can be used during childbirth, when contractions are of a mild and fleeting character.
So, we got acquainted with the medicinal properties and contraindications of Japanese sophora. And now let's find out the features of the collection and storage of plants, as well as some healing recipes for Japanese sophora.
The process of collecting medicinal raw materials
When is the best time to start stocking up with a medicinal plant? It all depends on what exactly you want to use. For example, if you need the fruits of Sophora, then it is best to collect them at the end of September, when they will not be fully ripe, light green in color.
If we are talking about flowers, then the collection of this raw material is best done during the flowering period (from July to August).
The collection process is recommended to be done in dry sunny weather, when dew and other moisture finally disappear. Inflorescences can be plucked by hand, the fruits (usually they are in the form of beans) are best carefully cut off with secateurs.
Drying healthy raw materials is important not in direct sunlight, but indoors (in attics or in sheds), observing the regular airing of home dryers and their air temperature (the most optimal indicators are from forty to forty-five degrees heat).
In the drying process, raw materials should be periodically ted and turned over. When they reach the necessary condition, it is recommended to shift them for storage in paper envelopes or cardboard boxes.
The optimal storage period for this raw material is no more than twelve months.
Now let's talk about drugs prepared on the basis of Japanese sophora.
All kinds of tinctures
There are several recipes for tincture of sophora (vodka, alcohol, and even vinegar). Here is some of them:
- Pour one tablespoon of chopped dried flowers with one hundred milliliters of vodka and leave for ten days in a dark place. Strain and take thirty five drops three times a day after meals for a month. Use for diarrhea, high blood pressure, gastritis, ulcers, insomnia, internal bleeding.
- Fill fifty grams of the mixture of fruits and flowers of Sophora with a half-liter bottle of vodka, instruct one month. Take three to four months, one teaspoon three times a day. This tool cleanses blood vessels from organic salt.
- Mix together fresh fruits and alcohol (56%) at the rate of one to one, let it brew for three weeks, then strain and squeeze. Take the finished liquid one teaspoon four times a day to prevent bleeding. Also used as compresses for burns and other skin lesions.
- Twenty grams of flowers insist in a hundred milliliters of alcohol (70%) for seven days. Then take twenty-five to thirty drops three times a day for three weeks. Helps with hypertensive ailments.
- One hundred and fifty grams of fresh, carefully chopped fruit pour vodka (700 ml) and instruct for a week. Use twice a day for one teaspoon for cancer and diabetes.
- Pour a hundred grams of dry dried fruit with a liter of real apple cider vinegar and insist for a month, shaking thoroughly periodically. Take three to four times a day after eating, diluting one teaspoon of tincture in one hundred grams of cold water. The course of treatment is fourteen to twenty days. It helps with atherosclerosis, migraine, diarrhea.
Reviews on the treatment of tincture of sophora
According to reviews, tincture of sophora really has important healing properties.
It can eliminate or alleviate the symptoms of many serious diseases. Moreover, using this medicine in combination with other drugs, as well as strictly following the instructions and recommendations of doctors, you can permanently get rid of such complex and serious ailments as hypertension, ulcers, cardiovascular diseases and even oncology.
Other types of drug blanks
- Infusion . Pour fifteen grams of dried fruit with water (three hundred milliliters), insist for an hour, strain and add water to the required volume of 300 ml. Use as washings, compresses and dressings for skin diseases such as eczema, ulcers and others.
- Decoction . Mix one tablespoon of flowers and fruits, pour a half-liter can of boiling water and cook for five minutes. Let it brew for about an hour, strain and drink one hundred and fifty milligrams three times a day. It has a general strengthening effect, it is also used to normalize blood pressure, stop bleeding, purify blood and relieve inflammation. Rubbing the decoction into the scalp helps strengthen and grow hair.
- Oil . Pour boiling water over dry fruits in a one-to-one ratio, wait an hour and grind the steamed raw material into the gruel. Then add any oil (one to three ratio) and insist on the sun for three weeks. Strain. The oil prepared in this way can be used to instill a nose with a runny nose and sinusitis (three times a day), as well as to heal wounds.
- Powder . Milled dry flowers take half a gram three times a day. They help with all the ailments listed above.
Use in traditional medicine
Based on Japanese sophora, they produce such independent preparations as:
- "Pachicarpinum." Used in the form of tablets for inflammation of the nerve nodes, myopathy and endarteritis, in the form of injections - to stimulate labor and relieve spasms of peripheral vessels.
- Sophora tincture (or Sophora extract) obtained from freshly picked fruits drenched in ethyl alcohol (48%).It is used externally for abscesses, wounds, burns and ulcers. Internally - with other previously mentioned diseases.
- Ascorutin is available in the form of tablets for the preventive and therapeutic purposes of such ailments as viral infections, rheumatism, hypertension, vitamin deficiency, hypovitaminosis and others.
Also, in many cases, doctors can prescribe drugs such as:
- Honey from Sofora. It lowers blood sugar, normalizes blood pressure, strengthens the immune system, lowers cholesterol, improves eyesight, cleanses blood vessels, and improves metabolism. Pleasant in taste and smell, has beneficial vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
- Ointment . It is used to treat skin diseases and atherosclerosis of the extremities, it is used for various thyroid disorders.
- Dietary supplements . Used for diabetes, skin diseases, male sexual insolvency, bleeding, baldness, vein diseases. Increase immunity.
Instead of a conclusion
As you can see, Japanese sophora has many useful and medicinal properties. It is applicable in the treatment of serious disorders of the heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, nervous system, oncology, skin diseases and so on.
However, sophora, like many other herbal or synthetic preparations, has its caveats and side effects that must be taken into account when prescribing treatment. In such cases, the positive effect of using sophora should be several times higher than the harm done to the body.
Of course, it is important to use Japanese Sophora only after consulting with your doctor, strictly observing the dosage and other recommendations.
If all the rules are followed, this healing product will certainly benefit you and your body.