Every spring beautiful and delicate flowers - lilies of the valley bloom. Are they poisonous or not? In fact, lilies of the valley are used not only to decorate flower beds or landscapes, they are actively used in everyday life and traditional medicine. A flower has useful and dangerous properties at the same time, so you need to handle it very carefully.
Description
Lilies of the valley are poisonous flowering plants that are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere of the globe. The family is represented by only one species - May lily of the valley, which is popularly called the culprit or young man. He has an underground and creeping rhizome. The plant has large leaves and fibrous roots.
Between two large sheets of lanceolate form, a brush develops with white bell flowers. On one branch can be from six to twenty delicate flowers. During flowering (May-June), it exudes a strong and pleasant aroma, after which red or orange berries ripen in place of the flowers. Lily of the valley - perennial. In height reaches thirty centimeters.
Features
Why are lily of the valley poisonous? Their leaves, flowers and fruits contain special substances that are too active for the human body. In large doses, they are incredibly dangerous. On the other hand, medicines based on lily of the valley help with epilepsy, heart failure, fluid retention in the body, are effective in glaucoma, hypertension, problems with the endocrine system, abdominal pain, head, nervousness. It is best to use lily of the valley not in its pure form, as suggested by traditional medicine, but in processed.
For frequent pain in the heart, use a folk prescription, but only after consulting a doctor. Separate the bells from the stem of the lily of the valley, lay them evenly in a glass bowl, sprinkle with sugar or pour honey. The composition can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. During an attack of pain, take a few flowers, they will remove the discomfort. Remember that folk remedies should be used only after consultation with your doctor.
Useful properties and composition
Despite the fact that lilies of the valley are poisonous, they are used in the treatment of many diseases.
- The plant contains about twenty glycosides, including steroid, convallatoxin, convalloside and many others. The composition contains flavonoids, polysaccharides, coumarins and other substances.
- Essential oil is extracted from lily of the valley, which has a rich subtle odor. This aroma calms, relieves irritability, fights insomnia.
- Glycosides contained in the plant are used to produce heart preparations. The substances that are in the lily of the valley strengthen the heart muscle, restore lipid and energy metabolism in case of impaired blood circulation.
Tinctures and medicines made from this plant are used to reduce or relieve edema, with functional disorders of the central nervous system, various eye diseases. The use of products that contain this flower is necessary only after consultation with a doctor. Remember that lilies of the valley are poisonous and can do great harm instead of good.
Do flowers contain poison?
Many are interested in whether the lilies of the valley are poisonous. The plant contains a high concentration of active substances in the composition, so it is poisonous. You can not use drugs and drug charges unnecessarily. It is dangerous for health and life to use them uncontrollably for people who suffer from myocarditis, endocarditis, diseases of the cardiovascular system, impaired blood flow. Do not use flowers and berries of plants. This leads to severe poisoning, vomiting, tinnitus, heart palpitations and other unpleasant consequences.
Where grow
Despite the beauty and tenderness of flowers, the sophistication of light green leaves, lilies of the valley are poisonous to humans. These plants grow in temperate climates. They can often be found in coniferous and deciduous forests, in glades illuminated by sunlight. Lilies of the valley also tolerate the shadow. They multiply quickly, thanks to strong rhizomes and branched roots. They grow in Siberia, the Far East, the Crimea, and the Caucasus. They are found in other regions of the country. Flowers are protected, listed in the Red Book.
How to use
The article answers the question of whether the lilies of the valley are poisonous or not. Another thing is how to apply them correctly. In finished form, they are sold in drug collections, medicines, but there is an alternative way to use them. If the lily of the valley grows at home, you can collect the bells during flowering and make tincture out of them.
- Take a glass jar, fill it with flowers, fill it with 90% alcohol to the top. Close with a tight lid and let it brew for two weeks. After this, strain the composition, leave only the liquid without flowers. Take three drops five times a day for cramps, fever, or heart pain.
- If glaucoma is bothering you, try making an infusion yourself. Take a teaspoon of lily of the valley flowers, mix the bells with a tablespoon of chopped nettle leaves (they must be fresh). Add twenty grams of pure water to the mixture and leave to infuse for ten hours. Next, add another five grams of water. In the resulting infusion, it is recommended to moisten the cotton pads and apply to the eyes.
Tinctures from lily of the valley have a beneficial effect on blood. They cleanse it and improve its properties. In small doses, they have a hypotensive effect, reduce heart rate and increase the strength of strokes, relieve headaches and irritability.