Herb coltsfoot has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of ailments. This unique plant was appreciated by the healers of Ancient Greece and Rome. They used the herb to treat bronchitis, asthma.
Once upon a time, coltsfoot grass was sold in every pharmacy shop in Paris. In modern medicine, the plant is used to make syrups and other cough medicines. Also, this plant can be used externally to treat dermatological problems, to improve the condition of the hair.
The plant has other names: riverside grass, reptile grass, butterbur, podbel, two-faced, mother grass, water burdock.
Description of grass
Grass coltsfoot is a perennial plant up to twenty centimeters high. She has wide basal leaves resembling a heart, up to fifteen centimeters long and up to ten centimeters wide. The edges of the sheet are serrated. Stems are even, scaly, reddish. The flowers are yellow in the form of baskets, very similar to a dandelion.
The plant blooms in early spring. The root system appearsonly after flowering has ended. Seeds ripen in April. The plant grows along the banks of rivers, along roads, on the edges of forests and wherever loamy and clay soils.
Plant composition
Grass coltsfoot contains many useful substances. It contains sterols (rutin, hyperion, faradiol), as well as tannins, waxes, essential oils. They contain about eight percent of mucus, polysaccharides, flavonoids. Grass coltsfoot is rich in vitamins and trace elements.
The plant is rich in zinc, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It is used for sore throats, laryngitis, hoarseness, colds and a variety of viral diseases. Herb tincture is used to treat wounds, dermatological diseases, including burns. The properties of coltsfoot herb allow it to be used to improve the function of the digestive system, in case of indigestion, and also to stimulate appetite. Based on the herb, remedies for fever, swelling, and inflammation are being prepared.
Most often, coltsfoot is used as an expectorant. It stimulates the excretion of mucus from the respiratory system. Because of this feature, the plant is used in the treatment of pneumonia, bronchitis, and colds. In the treatment of pulmonary pathologies, coltsfoot acts as an antispasmodic that soothes the muscles and controls the cough reflex.
The grass contains many amino acids that are good for hair and skin. Cystine, which is part of the composition, has a positive effect on strengthening hair and promotes their growth. The high content of silicon has a calming effect onskin, removes dead skin cells, dandruff, gives hair elasticity and shine.
The healing properties of coltsfoot herb help to regulate the sebaceous glands, which increases the elasticity of the skin.
The plant has the ability to restore normal metabolism. This property is appreciated by nutritionists and is sometimes prescribed coltsfoot for those who want to lose weight. In this case, the plant is used for medicinal baths.
What heals
The use of coltsfoot herb is extensive and appropriate for the following pathologies:
- Dental diseases: gingivitis, stomatitis, toothache.
- For pathologies of the respiratory system: in the treatment of cough in bronchitis, pneumonia.
- For the treatment of ENT organs: for any type of sore throat.
- In the treatment of the digestive tract.
- In the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the urinary system, kidneys.
The plant helps well with mastitis, skin ailments, treats malaria, pleurisy, tuberculosis, SARS. Preparations prepared on the basis of coltsfoot help to cope with fatigue, increase immunity.
Plant properties
The coltsfoot herb has extensive medicinal properties. It has an antiseptic, enveloping, diaphoretic effect. Scientists have proven that infusions, decoctions and other drugs have anti-inflammatory, expectorant, astringent effects.
Contraindications
Like all medicines, the herb has a coltsfoot and contraindications. To not hurt yourselfyou need to read them.
Do not use products with this plant for children under the age of two years, with individual intolerance, during lactation, pregnant women. Do not use the plant for women who constantly experience a delay in menstruation.
The contraindications indicate that this remedy should not be used while taking dietary supplements, vitamin therapy, antipyretics. To accurately determine whether you can take drugs based on coltsfoot, you should consult a doctor. Only he will be able to accurately determine the dosage and determine if there are contraindications.
Side effect
Even knowing the medicinal properties and contraindications of mother-of-stepmother herbs, some take this remedy thoughtlessly. In this case, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain in the abdomen can be observed. All these symptoms are side effects of using the plant. To eliminate them, you must immediately stop taking the drugs and tell your doctor about the effects of the herb.
Use in traditional medicine
Each pharmacy sells ready-made raw materials for the preparation of drugs. Infusions, decoctions are prepared from it, used in the form of a powder and not only.
To prepare a decoction, you need to take a teaspoon of leaves and pour a glass of boiling water. The composition is cooked on low heat for fifteen minutes. Take a decoction of herbs coltsfoot for coughing with inflammatory diseases of the throat, a third of a glass three times a day before meals, two days.
In case of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, the decoction is taken according totablespoon up to five times a day.
The coltsfoot flowers make a water infusion. It is prepared according to the following recipe: 20 grams of flowers are poured with a liter of boiling water and left for an hour. The composition is taken 100 grams three times a day. This remedy is good for coughs and stomach ailments. Also, water infusion helps well in the treatment of inflammatory pathologies of the throat. For children, coltsfoot grass is indicated for laryngitis.
You can prepare an alcohol tincture from the plant. For her, you need to take equal parts of dry flowers and vodka. Raw materials insist a week in a dark place. The composition is taken in thirty drops once a day before meals. This remedy helps to strengthen the immune system and also stimulates metabolism.
Good results with beriberi shows fresh juice. For its preparation, young leaves are collected, then they are washed, doused with boiling water and twisted in a meat grinder or crushed with a blender. Juice is squeezed out of the gruel and diluted with water in equal parts. Then the product is boiled for a couple of minutes. Ready juice is taken in a tablespoon three times a day after meals. It helps well with hypovitaminosis, runny nose.
For a choking cough, the grass is fried in a pan and the vapors are inhaled.
Treatment of various diseases
Unique properties allow the plant to be used in the treatment of a variety of ailments. Coltsfoot is good for headaches and other illnesses.
To cope with a headache, five grams of raw materials are taken and poured with two glasses of boiling water, then the compositionplaced in a water bath for five minutes. After cooling, the product is filtered. Take one-third cup twice a day, one hour before meals.
Pathologies of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract
You can use the plant for coughs and shortness of breath. To do this, 15 grams of the plant is poured with a glass of boiling water, an hour is infused. After straining, the remedy is taken in a tablespoon every three hours.
For the treatment of diseases of the throat, two tablespoons of raw materials are poured into a glass of boiling water and insisted for half an hour. The finished product is gargled up to five times a day.
With bronchitis, three parts of coltsfoot flowers, two parts of thyme and one part of plantain are mixed. Then one spoon of the mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for an hour. Honey can be added to the remedy. Take after meals.
The plant is a good help for whooping cough, bronchiectasis. To combat these ailments, it is necessary to mix in equal parts the leaves of the coltsfoot, plantain, pine buds. Then two tablespoons of the mixture are poured into a glass of water and allowed to brew for a couple of hours. After that, the composition is boiled for five minutes, cooled. The remedy is taken in a third of a glass three times a day.
In acute gastritis, four tablespoons of the plant are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for half an hour. The product is filtered, taken in equal parts throughout the day.
In gynecology
When colpitis, a tablespoon of raw materials is poured into a glass of boiling water. The composition is boiled for half an hour. Then everything that boils away needs to be added. The resulting product is douched in a warm form once a day.
Use in dermatology
With diathesis, 10 grams of grass is poured with a glass of boiling water and left for half an hour. The remedy is taken two spoons three times a day.
For skin ailments, ulcers, 20 grams of raw materials are taken and poured with a glass of boiling water. The composition is infused for an hour, then filtered. It is taken in a spoon up to six times a day. The affected areas of the skin are treated with this composition.
To get rid of dandruff, you need to mix equal parts nettle, burdock and coltsfoot leaves. Then a spoonful of the mixture is taken and poured with a liter of boiling water. The product boils for six minutes. After it is filtered and used to rinse hair twice a week.
Slimming coltsfoot
Good results shows a plant for those who want to lose weight. To do this, take 60 grams of blackberry leaves, 20 grams of birch leaves, the same number of corn stigmas, 10 grams of senna and coltsfoot, everything is mixed. Two tablespoons of the mixture is poured with half a liter of boiling water and infused for an hour. The composition is taken in half a glass before the morning meal. Use a fresh decoction every day.
You can make baths for those who want to lose weight. For this, 200 grams of calendula flowers are taken and mixed with the same amount of coltsfoot flowers. The mixture is poured with three liters of water and boiled for fifteen minutes. Then the composition is allowed to brew for ten minutes, filtered and added to the bath. You can take it no longer than half an hour. After the bath, you need to rest for an hour.
To get acquainted with the propertiesplants, it is recommended to watch this video:
There are other traditional medicine recipes for a variety of ailments in which this medicinal plant is used. Each of them has its own characteristics of preparation of the remedy, therefore, before using coltsfoot, you should consult with a specialist. He will help determine the dosage of the plant and select the most optimal treatment regimen for the disease.
