Since ancient times, people have known about the beneficial properties of senna leaf. This plant is often called the Alexandrian leaf, holly hay, narrow-leaved cassia. Senna belongs to the legume family. This is a wild tropical plant that blooms with light yellow flowers and lanceolate leaves that have medicinal properties. The senna leaf is harvested in Arabia, Asia, India, Russia, some European countries, where the plant is found.
In medicine, only the leaves of the plant are used. They contain many useful organic acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, resins and glycosides, as well as other elements. Anthraglycosides, which are part of the senna leaf, have a laxative effect, which is why decoctions and infusions are recommended as a laxative.
Pharmacological companies now produce a variety of drugs based on senna. The main active ingredient in them are sennosides B and A. In pharmacies you can buy lozenges, tablets, herbal raw materials, granules. All these drugs are aimed at eliminating constipation and normalizing bowel function.
Description of the plant
Senna is a semi-shrub up to a meter high. The lower branches creep along the ground. The plant grows for more than one year. Leaflets are arranged sequentially, on a common petiole without an apical plate. On each leaf there are up to eight pairs of elongated leaflets with entire edges, at the base they are not isosceles.
The plant blooms with yellow flowers, which have five sepals and are collected in simple inflorescences in the bosom in the form of a brush. After the petals fall, the beans ripen. They are flat in shape, have a leathery finish with an olive tint. Semi-shrub blooms from mid-summer. Seeds ripen in early September.
Chemical composition
The plant contains the following components:
- Tanning elements. This substance mainly contains glucoaloe-emodin, glucorein, rhein, chrysophanol.
- Flavonides. Senna contains isorhamnitene and kaempferol.
- Organic acids. The raw materials contain linoleic, hexadecanoic, salicylic, octadecanoic acids.
- Sterols.
- Resins.
- Mucus.
- Alkaloid residues.
Anthracene derivatives are contained in a minimal amount in the wooden part, about five percent in the pericarp and about four percent in the leaves.
Pharmacologicalspecifications
Senna leaf is a unique herbal laxative. The substances included in the composition mechanically irritate the receptors of the mucous membranes of the intestinal tract, due to which there is a reflex increase in intestinal motility. The laxative property of the plant allows you to normalize the natural functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and the natural base helps to mitigate the therapeutic effect without affecting the digestive processes. The instructions for senna leaves say that the drugs are not addictive. Due to the nature of the impact, plant-based preparations are allowed to be used in pediatrics. After taking the drug, the effect occurs after ten hours.
Indications for use
Useful properties and safety of the plant allow it to be used in the following cases:
- For constipation. The instructions for the use of senna leaves say that the plant can be used not only for sluggish peristalsis of the large intestine, but also after childbirth, with atony, after surgery.
- A laxative is prescribed to cleanse the intestines in preparation for x-rays.
- For hemorrhoids, anal fissures.
How to use
Senna casting is used not only as a laxative, but also to cleanse the body in a variety of pathologies that require gentle bowel movements. It can be ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, etc.
For cleansingintestines and eliminate constipation, it is necessary to prepare an infusion by taking one teaspoon of raw materials and steaming with a glass of boiling water. The remedy is infused for a day, periodically stirred. Then the medicine is filtered. An infusion is taken at night.
Senna for weight loss
According to reviews, senna leaves are great for weight loss. Often this raw material is included in the diet. One of the options for such diets is designed for three weeks. It is strictly forbidden to eat after six in the evening. During the day it is recommended to eat prunes, dried apricots, raisins and figs. All these ingredients are taken in one hundred grams and passed through a meat grinder. The resulting slurry is mixed with 100 grams of honey and the same amount of senna leaves, previously steamed with boiling water. The finished composition is placed in a glass container and stored in the refrigerator.
With a diet, nutrition does not change completely, but sweet, fatty, smoked foods are completely excluded from the diet. The diet itself is not strict and is well tolerated. Judging by the reviews, on such a diet it turns out to get rid of several kilograms of excess weight. Those who have tried senna leaves for weight loss claim that they felt lightness in the abdomen, the intestines were cleansed, and overall well-being improved.
Cleansing the body
Using a plant helps cleanse the body. For this purpose, it is necessary to take a decoction of the leaves once a week. To prepare it, you will need a tablespoon of raw materials and a glass of boiling water. The leaves are poured into water and put in a water bath for twenty minutes, after which the product is filtered. A decoction is taken two hours after a meal or at night.
Senna leaves prepared for cleansing help to remove all toxins from the body, remove sand and small stones. Cleaning can be carried out no more than once a month. Take a decoction according to the following scheme: on the first day, one hundred grams of decoction is taken. From the first day, there may be small colic, pain in the abdomen, and there is also a relaxation of the intestines. From the second to the sixth day, the dosage is increased by twenty milliliters, bringing the volume to two hundred grams by the seventh day.
Contraindications, side effects
Senna leaves have contraindications. The remedy should not be taken by those who have intolerance to the components of the herb. Do not use the remedy during pregnancy, during lactation. Also, do not use it for serious pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
With prolonged use of senna, nutritional deficiencies, intestinal dystrophy, and impaired liver function may occur. To avoid trouble, you should consult your doctor before using senna.
Senna in cosmetology
The plant is used not only in medicine to cleanse the intestines, but also in cosmetology. Leaves and flowers are used to make hair and skin care products. Cosmetics based on cassia are recommended for people with dry, aging skin. It is noted that this plant is able to have a rejuvenating effect.
Powder extract perfectly cleanses the skin, preventingaging. Cassia-based cosmetics are also used for oily skin. It helps to remove excess fat, refresh the skin, narrow pores. Also, this substance helps to achieve matte, removing the oily sheen of the skin.
Interesting facts
Senna flowers and leaves are widely used in cooking. This plant is used to prepare various dishes in India, China, Australia. The plant is used as an ingredient in the preparation of curries. It makes dishes delicious and savory. The seasoning itself has a universal purpose and can be used in food with any dish, but it is especially delicious to eat with meat and potato dishes.
Cassia or Senna can be grown at home. This requires bright lighting, but without direct sunlight, the temperature is about twenty degrees. The plant propagates by cuttings and seeds. The latter can be purchased at the country store. Seed propagation is carried out in the spring, and cuttings - in the fall.
A grown plant can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, the Chinese use senna to treat glaucoma, relieve puffiness, nausea, headaches, and more.
