Despite the fact that the wood louse is a weed, the beneficial properties of this plant deserve respect. It belongs to the clove family. Its scientific name is "medium stellate". This is a herbaceous annual plant with a branched, creeping stem 10-30 cm long. The leaves of the woodlice are opposite, entire, ovate, pointed. Flowers are small, white, pedunculated. The fruit is a box. It blooms from May to September. This plant is most common in damp places, in forests, along river banks, in vegetable gardens as a weed. Medicinal preparations are harvested from its aerial part. Her grass is stored during the flowering period. To do this, plucked greens are dried and dried, periodically turning over, in the open air or in well-ventilated rooms.
Has wood lice useful properties due to the substances contained in it. It contains a large amount of vitamins E, C and K (rarely found in plants), which regulates blood clotting. In addition, it contains phytoncides and minerals: magnesium, iron, cob alt, copper. There are carotene, flavonoids, ascorbic acid and saponins.
Simply versatileweed grass. Useful properties make it and preparations based on it antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antiscorbutic, moderate diuretic and choleretic agent. In addition, stellate medium has a hypotensive effect. With it, you can fight coronary heart disease, vegetovascular dystonia. Even in ancient times, this plant was used to treat diseases of the kidneys and liver, thyroid gland, hemorrhoids. It is considered a good remedy for the prevention of acne and pimples in young people.
In folk medicine, it is believed that a rather universal remedy is the herb woodlice, treatment with it is performed for neurasthenia, chronic gastritis and pyelonephritis, cirrhosis of the liver, cholecystitis, hepatitis, colitis, cystitis, gout, edema of various origins, menopause, ulcer, eczema, acute vaginitis. It is used for mastopathy and other tumors, applying lotions from it to the chest at night. It is often used in conjunction with other medicinal herbs.
It also helps with eye diseases (clouding of the cornea). For this, its decoction (drops) is used. Healing liquid can also be used to prevent pain and delays during menstruation. A swab soaked in herbal decoction helps in the treatment of cysts and erosion.
Good and eating woodlice. Useful properties and pleasant taste make it possible to use it in a variety of dishes, borscht, salads, seasonings. On its basis, they even prepare a drink (with the addition of horseradish), which is served aschilled cocktail with a slice of lemon. This herb is also used in agriculture. It helps to increase milk yield in cows, with the help of it they dye wool. Woodlouse is considered a good honey plant.
There are several contraindications for using it for medicinal purposes. In particular, it is undesirable to use it at low blood pressure, pregnancy, during lactation. Woodlice collected from calcareous soils can cause allergies.
