The beneficial properties of yarrow have been known since ancient times. It was used by our ancestors not only to treat various ailments, but also in agriculture to control pests.
Yarrow is a herbaceous plant no more than 80 cm high with a characteristic smell. The grass blooms with small flowers collected in baskets. They can be white or rose red.
Features of the plant
The beneficial properties of yarrow have been known since ancient Greece. According to legend, this plant was used by Achilles to treat wounds. And Dioscorides used the herb to stop bleeding, calling it "wound herb".
Useful properties of yarrow are very extensive. This perennial plant from the Asteraceae family is most often used to treat bleeding. Our chronicles contain information about howthe grandson of D. Donskoy was cured of nosebleeds with the juice of this herb.
Leaves on a plant, of course, are not a thousand, but there can be several tens of thousands of flowers on one bush. You can meet the plant in meadows, fields, in vegetable gardens: throughout Russia, except for desert and semi-desert zones, Siberia and the Far East. For medical purposes, the entire vegetative part is used.
Description of grass
Yarrow blooms from early summer to autumn. After that, the fruits ripen. One plant produces up to 30 thousand seeds. The herb is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Yarrow can be attributed to parasites, as it is able to displace other crops from the occupied area.
Yarrow is a perennial up to 80 cm high with a strong aroma. It has a thick rhizome, with numerous roots and underground shoots. Stem erect, slightly drooping, glabrous, simple or slightly branched.
The leaves of the plant are gray-green with a dissection. Basal leaves are long-petioled, stems are sessile. The inflorescences are small, numerous egg-shaped baskets are collected in corymbs at the top of the stem and its branches. The outermost flowers are single row, reed type. Medium - tubular, bisexual. The calyx is missing, which can be seen in the photo of the yarrow. Useful properties of this plant help to get rid of almost all ailments. It is unique and can be used not only for treatment, but also as a means to strengthen the immune system.
Pharmacological properties
Useful properties of yarrowdetermined by its composition. The plant has diverse pharmacological properties, as it contains a variety of active compounds.
Essential oils and flavonoid substances have an antispasmodic effect on the smooth muscles of the intestines, bile ducts and urinary tract. The plant is able to increase bile secretion, expand the ducts, increase diuresis, and also relieve pain caused by intestinal spasm. All medicines prepared from the plant have a bitter taste. Because of this, taste buds are irritated and gastric juice secretion is increased. Also, the plant is able to reduce flatulence.
The grass contains tannins, such as chamazulene, which help fight inflammation, and also have a bactericidal and wound-healing effect. The uniqueness of the plant lies in its anti-allergic properties.
Scientists conducted various experiments on animals, studying the effects of infusions and decoctions on the body. As a result of the experiments, it was possible to establish that in 10% of the animals half an hour after taking the decoction, a decrease in heart rate was observed. The herb contains substances that can lower blood pressure.
Infusion helps increase blood clotting. When using preparations from the plant, the action of fibrin is activated without the formation of blood clots. Although the plant has long been used as a hemostatic drug, scientists have proven that for a pronounced hemocoagulative effectlong-term use of the plant is necessary. However, taking yarrow in the blood increases the number of platelets and shortens the period of blood clotting.
Knowing the beneficial properties and contraindications of yarrow, you can consult a doctor and decide whether to use it. This plant:
- has an antispasmodic effect;
- increases blood clotting;
- increases heparin tolerance;
- has a hemostatic effect;
- has anti-burn property;
- helps in the treatment of pathologies of the cardiovascular system, including hypertension.
For women, the beneficial properties of yarrow allow it to be used as a menstrual stimulant.
The plant is used as an anesthetic. It helps to relieve cough, removes phlegm, and is used as a sedative. Fresh leaves relieve toothache, help to cope with migraine attacks.
How the plant is used
Knowledge about the beneficial properties and contraindications of yarrow helps to decide how to use it. Each part of the plant is used to treat certain pathologies. First of all, flowers have medicinal properties. The herb also contains active ingredients, only to a lesser extent.
The aerial part is widely used for making infusions that are taken orally. These remedies help to cope with peptic ulcer of the stomach and intestines. Also folk remedieshelp get rid of colitis, chronic and acute dysentery, is taken for urological ailments, manifested by impurities of blood in the urine. Yarrow is used in gynecology, useful properties help to cope with uterine bleeding on the background of fibroids. Also, the plant is able to eliminate nosebleeds and hemoptysis in tuberculosis.
Juices and decoctions of herbs are most often used externally. These remedies help to cope with nosebleeds, cuts, abrasions and scratches. If a woman suffers from bleeding during cervical erosion, tampons are moistened with decoction or plant juice. With inflammation of the hemorrhoids and their bleeding, napkins with yarrow are used.
Useful properties and contraindications of yarrow allow you to find out exactly in which cases it is possible and in which it is impossible to use the plant. So, with eczema, scabies and lichen, a decoction is made and added to the bath. And with anemia and to prevent the formation of stones in the kidneys and gallbladder, freshly squeezed juice is used. It also helps with bleeding, improves metabolism, fights liver diseases. Juice with honey is used as a general tonic.
The use of yarrow in the collection treats gastritis, peptic ulcer, tuberculosis, furunculosis, ulcers and fistulas.
Scientists know everything about the beneficial properties and contraindications of yarrow, so it can be found in a variety of fees: laxatives, mouth-watering, gastric and others.
Features of the workpiece
The aerial part is used for medicinal purposesplants. The grass is harvested during the flowering period, from June to September.
You can't uproot grass. When cutting the tops of the shoots (about 15 cm long) with a sickle, you need to make sure that there are no rough parts on them. Selected stems must have leaves.
Peduncles are cut separately: they should be no more than 2 cm long. The blanks are dried in the open air, but without direct sunlight. Dryer (temperature +40 °C) can be used.
Harvested raw materials are stored for 2 years. It has a pleasant aroma, and all preparations made from the medicine have a bitter taste.
Types of yarrow
There are many varieties of yarrow. Not all of them have useful properties for men and women: some are used as an ornamental crop.
- Yarrow noble. This variety is usually found in the southern part of Russia, in Siberia, on the Balkan Peninsula. The plant grows in meadows, in the steppe, on the slopes of mountains and in coniferous forests. The grass is quite high - up to 80 cm. The stem can be simple or branched. The plant blooms in June. The variety loves warmth, but can easily survive 30-degree frosts.
- Large-headed variety. He is considered unpretentious. It can be found on the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and Kamchatka. The height of the stem reaches 60 cm. Its inflorescences are white and large, the leaves are large and whole. The variety blooms in August.
- Yarrow. The plant blooms in a variety of colors: yellow, white, pink,red. The variety reaches a height of 80 cm. There are decorative subspecies that are not used for medicinal purposes, but are grown in garden plots as decoration.
- Yarrow "ptarmika", or "pearl". This species grows in European countries. It differs from other varieties in the creeping shape of the root. The variety is tall, up to 1 m. The inflorescences have a pearly hue.
- Yarrow long-blooming. Blooms in June. Plant height up to 60 cm. The leaves are small and narrow. Cream or white inflorescences.
- Meadowsweet yarrow. Distributed in the Caucasus and Central Asia. In height, it can grow up to 1.5 m. The leaves are openwork, gray-green. Blooms with yellow corymbs.
- Ageratolistny. Greece is considered the birthplace of the plant. The leaf is narrow, covered with a whitish fluff. Plant height no more than 20 cm. Blooms white. The variety can be found in Siberia.
- Golden. It is grown as an ornamental plant because of its unusual double flowers.
- Umbrella. His homeland is Greece. The height of the grass is about 10 cm. The leaves are whitish, pubescent, the inflorescences are white.
- Serbian. The homeland of the variety is the Balkans. The plant has bluish-gray leaves. The height of the yarrow is about 20 cm. It blooms in single inflorescences resembling chamomile.
There are other varieties of the plant, many of them are found in the wild, and others - only as an ornamental crop in gardens and greenhouses.
Contraindications
Knowing the beneficial properties and contraindications of yarrow for men and women,you can determine whether the plant suits you or not. It is considered potent, so you need to be careful: you definitely need to consult a doctor who will determine the dosage and method of application.
You can not use the grass with individual intolerance to certain substances that make up its composition. Some components are toxic, so in case of an overdose, poisoning is possible. Long-term use of the plant is prohibited, as this helps to increase the light sensitivity of the skin. During treatment, drugs are taken in courses. If they are not followed, dizziness and heartburn may occur. The maximum course length is one month. But it is better to consult a doctor first.
It is forbidden to use the plant during pregnancy, as the substances included in the composition have a stimulating effect on the uterus, which can cause miscarriage and internal bleeding. Also contraindications are the period of lactation and the presence of blood clots. Children under 6 years of age are not prescribed.
People with increased blood clotting and low blood pressure should limit the use of this remedy or remove it from the medicine cabinet altogether.
Folk treatments
Knowing the beneficial properties and uses of yarrow, after consulting a doctor, a person can begin the treatment of ailments. There are many recipes, and only a specialist can decide which one to use: he will determine the dosage, duration of the course and the preparation of the drug.
Folk recipes
An infusion is made from yarrow. For him take 15 gherbs, which is poured into a glass of water. The composition is heated in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then the product is allowed to cool and brew for half an hour. After that, the infusion is filtered. The resulting volume is adjusted with boiled cooled water to 200 ml. The product is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Taken in a glass twice a day before meals. This remedy is used to stop bleeding.
In pharmacies you can buy a liquid extract of yarrow. This remedy is taken 40 drops three times a day.
Juice is extracted from the plant during the active growing season. It is usually harvested from July to August, during the flowering period. According to reviews, the beneficial properties of yarrow in gynecology help with uterine bleeding. Also, the juice is used to treat anemia, with pulmonary and gastric bleeding, as a means to prevent the appearance of stones in the kidneys and liver. For treatment, juice is taken 1-3 teaspoons up to 3 times a day.
To awaken the appetite, the juice is mixed with honey. Porridge is taken 3 teaspoons a day.
Decoction of yarrow helps to cope with gastritis and peptic ulcer. To prepare it, you need to pour 1 teaspoon of the product with 1 cup of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes over low heat. Then the product is allowed to infuse for 20 minutes. A decoction of 100 g is taken up to 3 times a day.
Useful properties and contraindications of yarrow in gynecology allow it to be used not only to stop uterine bleeding, but also to treat bleeding erosions, as well as in diseases of the bladder.
Toto get rid of cystitis, a collection of yarrow, bearberry leaves, birch buds and calamus is being prepared in a ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1. Everything is mixed. Then you need to take 2 tablespoons of the mixture and pour it with 0.5 liters of boiling water, put on fire and cook for 5 minutes. The composition should be infused for half an hour. Taken at 100 g up to 3 times a day.
For skin ailments, the following remedy is prepared from yarrow: 2 tablespoons of raw materials are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water and allowed to brew for 1 hour. Take the remedy for half a glass up to 4 times a day. If chamomile is added to this infusion, then it is used to treat wounds, ulcers and burns.
Yarrow is often used to treat gastrointestinal pathologies, as well as to improve appetite. To prepare a useful remedy, you need to brew 1 teaspoon of raw materials with 2 cups of boiling water. The composition is infused for 1 hour, then filtered. It is taken 1 tablespoon before meals. Use this infusion to treat gastritis, inflammation of the duodenum, pain in the epigastrium. With gastritis with low acidity, it is necessary to take a freshly prepared infusion in a glass before meals. If you mix juice with honey and take 1 teaspoon, it will help to cope with kidney diseases, improve appetite and normalize metabolism.
For external use, prepare more concentrated products: usually use 3 tablespoons of raw materials and 1.5 cups of boiling water. Knowing the beneficial properties of yarrow for women in gynecology and other areas of medicine, you can prepare various topical products, such as a decoction. To make it, you need 2 tablespoons of raw materials pour 1a glass of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. The product is allowed to stand for 1 hour, then filtered. Applied only externally, as well as for the treatment of bleeding erosion.
For many centuries, people have known about the beneficial properties and contraindications of yarrow for women and men. This plant is widely used in collections. It can be found in the composition of gastric and anti-hemorrhoid teas, in laxatives and appetizing collections. Together with other herbs, yarrow is used to treat gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and intestines.
Other folk recipes
In case of urological and nephrological ailments accompanied by hematuria, yarrow infusion is used. Most often, the plant is used in conjunction with other means. For example, you can take 40 g of bearberry and yarrow leaves, add 20 g of chamomile and birch buds each. Then 1 tablespoon of the mixture is poured with boiling water in a volume of 0.2 liters and allowed to brew for 1 hour. After straining, the medicine is taken throughout the day in several doses.
According to reviews, the beneficial properties of yarrow help to cope with uterine bleeding. To eliminate it, various herbal preparations are used. For example, you can make the following remedy: take nettle and yarrow leaves in equal parts. Then 1 tablespoon of the mixture is poured with 1 cup of boiling water, insisted for 15 minutes. The remedy is taken as tea in half a glass up to 3 times a day. The same infusion is used for hemoptysis, bronchiectasis and nosebleeds.
The juice of the plant is used as a local remedy for bleeding. They treat abrasions, cuts and scratches. A napkin is impregnated with juice and applied to a sore spot, and turundas with juice are used to stop nosebleeds. For hemorrhoids, the anal area is treated with a napkin dipped in fresh juice.
Enemas with infusions have good results. They are made for hemorrhoids. To prepare the product, take 1 tablespoon of raw materials and pour 1 glass of water. The agent is heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, and then infused for 1 hour. Store the finished medicine for no more than 2 days.
Useful properties of yarrow tea allow you to fight bronchitis. It is taken in a glass twice a day. You can drink fresh juice in a tablespoon up to 4 times a day. To improve the discharge of sputum, an alcohol tincture is prepared from raw materials. To do this, take 2 tablespoons of grass and 1 glass of vodka. The remedy is infused for a week, 40 drops are taken per dose.
For lower back pain (myositis, sciatica), make compresses with infusion, and also take the remedy inside. To prepare a compress, you need to boil 2 tablespoons of herbs in 1 glass of water. For oral administration, 1 tablespoon of raw materials is taken and boiled for 15 minutes in a glass of water. The remedy is taken 1 tablespoon up to 3 times a day.
Good infusion helps with sore throat and diseases of the oral cavity. For rinsing, a remedy is prepared from 40 g of leaves and 0.3 liters of boiling water. Raw materials are brewed in a thermos and infused for 1 hour. The same remedy can be used to wash wounds and ulcers, as lotions forstop bleeding wounds.
From bedwetting, with neurasthenia and hysteria, the following remedy is used: 1 spoon of grass is poured with 1 glass of boiling water. Insist 20 minutes. Take 1 scoop up to 4 times daily.
To decide whether a plant is suitable for treating an ailment, you need to study the beneficial properties and contraindications of yarrow. From the photo you can find out what kind of plant you need. However, in order not to harm yourself, you should not self-medicate - you need to consult with your doctor, as there are many prescriptions for use and only a specialist will prescribe a drug that will help you. Like other medicines, yarrow has contraindications.
