Lungwort conditions. The beneficial properties of lungwort are largely due to its component composition, which includes multiple useful elements. Preparation and storage of lungwort

In the article we will talk about the beneficial properties of lungwort. You will learn how to use medicinal herb and what diseases it treats.

Let's consider in what form it is better to take medicinal lungwort and what herbs to combine with it.

General information about lungwort

There are several types of plants found in nature:

• Lungwort officinalis. The most popular lungwort. Found only in the wild. Grows in the Kaliningrad region in forests. Can be found in Europe.
• Sugar lungwort. Grows throughout Russia. Habitat: forests and forest edges. Loves sun and moisture.
• Soft. Grows in Asia. Very picky about the composition of the soil. The differences are in the fleshy leaves and weak rhizome.
• Dark. It got its name due to the color of the leaves. They have a burgundy tint, shimmer, and “burn” in the sun. Can often be found on personal plots. Used for decorative purposes.

Lungwort bushes are impossible to miss. They reach a height of up to 70-80 cm. The plant is quite unusual. In early March it begins to bloom with bright pink flowers. It is noteworthy that after a month they change color to blue. Already at the end of April you can observe the appearance of fruits.

The main task of lungwort is the prevention and treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Lungwort leaves exactly resemble human lungs.

IN medicinal purposes All parts of the plant are used except the roots. It is better to harvest raw materials during the flowering period of the lungwort. It is tied into bundles and hung in a well-ventilated area to dry. It is important that no moisture gets in, otherwise the grass will become covered with mold and moss.

After the lungwort has dried, it is ground into powder in a mortar. For storage use a fabric or paper bag. Glass containers allow light to pass through, so it is better to avoid them.

Chemical composition and properties

The plant has unique composition, which is why it is so valued by herbalists and healers. Main components and healing properties the following:

• Anthocyanins. They normalize the functioning of the heart muscle, thicken the blood, and stop bleeding. Indispensable for the female body: relieve inflammation in the uterus, promote cell regeneration, slow down aging.
• Flavonoids. Normalize arterial pressure, have a positive effect on the nervous system, calming.
• Allantoin. This component is often used in for cosmetic purposes. It softens the skin, strengthens nails and hair, and promotes collagen production.

• Saponins. The substances perfectly dilute and remove mucus, relieve inflammation and spasms. Indispensable in the treatment of bronchitis and asthma.
• Silicic acid. Removes toxins and waste, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Vitamin C. The main effect is to strengthen the immune system.
• Carotene. Prevents the appearance of malignant tumors.
• Tannins. Constricts blood vessels.
• Rutin. Normalizes intracranial pressure, helps support the body after heart attacks and strokes.
• Polyphenols. Eliminate inflammation, have a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa.

The list can be supplemented with mineral components and a vitamin complex.

Application of lungwort

The described unique composition of the plant suggests that it is able to cope with a number of diseases and ailments:

1. Respiratory system. Among them are bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma. Lungwort helps relieve symptoms of tuberculosis and laryngitis.
2. Bleeding (both external and internal).
3. Diseases of the stomach and intestines. Lungwort is allowed to be taken for ulcers and acute form gastritis.
4. Bladder. If there is sand and small stones in the body, the grass will help remove them.
5. Skin diseases. Among them: all types of lichen, rubella, furunculosis, psoriasis. Apply medicinal herb It comes in the form of compresses.
6. Prevention of heart attacks and strokes.
7. Women's diseases. Thrush, PMS, hormonal disbalance, inflammation of the ovaries.

How to take lungwort

Alcohol tincture

Ingredients:

1. Lungwort flowers – 300 g.
2. Vodka – 1 liter.

How to cook: Pour vodka into a jar and add flowers. Let it brew for at least three weeks. Stir the mixture periodically. After this, strain and squeeze out the herb.

How to use: Take 15 g several times a day. Be sure to wash it down big amount water.

Result: This decoction perfectly relieves inflammation and eliminates bleeding (including uterine bleeding).

If there are contraindications to the use of alcohol, brew tea from lungwort flowers. Use the same proportions. Use the decoction 3 times a day. The total quantity is no more than 150 ml.

Beer decoction

Ingredients:

1. Lungwort leaves and stems – 30 g.
2. Beer – 1 l. It is better to use light, natural varieties.
3. Honey - 15 g.

How to cook: Mix the ingredients. Prepare water bath. Steep the mixture until it reduces by half. It is important that the drink does not boil, otherwise all the beneficial substances will be lost. Mix well, strain.

How to use: Take a tablespoon 4 times a day. Better on an empty stomach. Take the course for 10 days. If there is no improvement, pour 15 g of lungwort with a glass of boiling water. Let it brew and drink 60 g for 5 days in a row.

Result: This decoction will help with chronic and acute bronchitis, initial stage pneumonia, laryngitis.

If any respiratory disease gives complications in the form of acute cough. A special pulmonary collection will help.

Cough tincture

Ingredients:

1. Dry lungwort.
2. Linden.
3. Nettle.
4. Elderberry flowers.

Use all components in equal quantities (1 tablespoon each).

How to cook: Mix the herb and pour a liter of boiling water. It is better to place the tincture in a thermos. Let it brew for 8-12 hours. Strain and squeeze out the pulp.

How to use: Drink the tincture throughout the day after each meal. Single dose – 250 ml.

Result: The tincture is prescribed for bronchitis, it thins sputum well. Also helps people with an asthmatic component.

If you have an allergic reaction to plant pollen, it is better to take the tincture in limited quantities at first.

IN folk medicine lungwort is used when visiting a bathhouse. To do this, infuse 300 g of herb in 3 liters of boiling water in advance. After this, the stones in the steam room are periodically watered. It is important not to take deep breaths.

This procedure will increase immunity, relieve residual effects illness, dry cough. Doctors recommend a similar recipe to smokers whose lungs are damaged by tobacco.

Contraindications

A medicinal plant can harm the body if you are not aware of its contraindications:

• Tendency to constipation. This is especially true for older people.
• Pregnancy. Lungwort can cause miscarriage.
• Children under 3 years old. In some cases, doctors lift the ban and allow lungwort to be taken in the form of teas and decoctions.
• Allergy to the plant.
• Thrombophlebitis.

This plant acts as an addition to the main treatment. Follow the dosage strictly. If you experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, stop taking the herb.

This plant belongs to the borage family and is perennial. It reaches a length of up to 30 cm and has a stiff-haired and erect stem. The leaves of the crop are lanceolate, petiolate, simple and pointed. Lungwort blooms flowers between April and May. Favorable places for growth are forest clearings, clearings, and areas under bushes.

Due to its beautiful and delicate flowers, it is used to decorate the garden. Lungwort is also used in cooking; its leaves are added to salads, soups, or used as a seasoning. In folk medicine, it has long been prescribed to patients with respiratory diseases. It is also known under other names: lungwort, lungwort, spotted or steamy grass, water springs.

There are a lot of plant varieties. We have 5 species: soft, narrow-leaved, red, Filyarsky, and the most famous is lungwort. Since the times of the USSR, the Red Book has included this culture, since it is becoming less and less in nature in some areas. To prevent its disappearance, it is necessary to grow lungwort in flower beds, beds and flower beds.

Culture composition and beneficial properties

Lungwort officinalis is valued for its complex useful substances which it contains. The plant contains:

• microelements;
• carotene;
• routine;
• vitamin C;
• slime;
• macroelements;
• B vitamins.

As a primary or secondary method of getting rid of various ailments Increasingly, Lungwort has the following effects:

Use of the plant in medicine

Lungwort is used to treat the following diseases:

• bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis;
• colds with dry cough;
• gastritis;
• intestinal infections, diarrhea;
• anemia;
• kidney and bladder diseases;
• skin problems (purulent wounds, abscesses);
• diabetes mellitus;
• uterine bleeding;
• nervous ailments.

This culture is also used to increase the body’s protective properties and to activate the human immune system.

Traditional medicine recipes

For medicinal purposes, decoctions, teas, tinctures and juice are made from honeydew. There are many recipes using the plant. The main ones should be noted:

1. For the treatment of diarrhea, cough and hoarse voice. The grass needs to be watered hot water, insist, strain, take 0.5 cups throughout the day.

2. For the treatment of bronchitis. Lungwort is poured with water (boiling water) and infused. After straining, the decoction is consumed no more than 4 times a day.

3. For burns, bedsores and wounds. An infusion is made from herbs and water. Used for washing, compresses and lotions.

4. When urolithiasis And uterine bleeding. The decoction is prepared in a water bath, infused and consumed after straining up to 4 times a day.

5. For You need to take fresh honeydew leaves, wash them, dry them, lightly mash them and apply them to the affected areas.

To use the culture in medical purposes you can prepare it yourself. Lungwort is collected during the flowering period, after which it is dried in the open air or in a ventilated area. It must be laid out on paper or newspaper in a thin layer. Harvested grass can be stored for a year.

Syn: steam grass, water springs, spotted grass, pulmonary root, forest spear, bear grass, apiary grass, sub-hazel, ox tongue, etc.

Perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plant, in which a rare phenomenon among flowering plants is observed - a change in the color of the corolla during flowering - pink at the beginning to the end of flowering becomes blue. It has long been used as a remedy for pulmonary diseases. It is cultivated as a beautiful ornamental garden and valuable medicinal plant. Excellent early honey plant.

Ask the experts a question

Flower formula

Lungwort flower formula: *H(5)L(5)T(5)P2.

In medicine

Lungwort has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times; it really helped people and was valuable remedy for respiratory diseases. But modern pharmacology practically does not use lungwort. According to the conclusion Civil service health care in Germany healing effect lungwort is not sufficiently substantiated and it (herbal preparations) is included in only some medicines. However, in official medicine 3 types of lungwort, including lungwort officinalis, are used to some extent for treatment pulmonary diseases. Lungwort is used only as a dietary supplement, which is an excellent source of flavonoids and polyphenols.

Contraindications and side effects

There are no contraindications to the preparations of this plant, but they should be used with caution: in case of individual intolerance, during pregnancy and lactation, childhood(up to 3 years), for constipation, increased blood clotting, intestinal atony. In addition, taking lungwort infusion or decoction on an empty stomach can cause nausea.
It is important to know that lungwort preparations are an addition to the main treatment prescribed by the doctor. To avoid side effects caused by overdose, consult a doctor before use.

In cooking

Lungwort is a valuable vitamin crop; it is popular and specially grown in many countries. Western Europe and England as a salad plant. Fresh leaves and the stems of the plant are recommended for weakened patients in early spring, when fresh, vitamin-rich vegetables are not available. A salad of lungwort leaves and stems mixed with gravilat leaves is quite rich in vitamins, which last year’s vegetables are poor in in the spring. In addition, lungwort is prepared for future use - salted and stored in the refrigerator.

In cooking, lungwort is an indispensable ingredient when preparing various dishes. Young shoots (stems and leaves) are added to soups and salads; it has a sweetish taste and a pronounced honey smell, which gives light dishes vermouth aroma.

In other areas

Lungwort is one of those beautiful and valuable plants (like a honey plant) that appear quite early in the forests with the arrival of spring, when there is still snow in the damp hollows; it is popular with bees, who actively collect pollen from it, gaining strength after a long winter. Therefore, in beekeeping the plant is used as a good honey plant, which is where its Russian name comes from. In addition, lungwort is grown for decorative purposes in gardens and parks for its beautiful spotted leaves and flowers, as well as early flowering. Lungwort is best grown in partial shade, in a cool place, with moist and humus-rich soil.

Classification

Lungwort (lat. Pulmonaria officinalis) is a species of the genus Lungwort (lat. Pulmonaria) of the Borage family (lat. Boraginaceae). The genus is predominantly European, comprising about 70 species of early flowering forest herbaceous plants, widespread in Central and partly Eastern Europe.

Botanical description

A perennial herbaceous plant up to 30 cm tall with a thick, well-developed branched rhizome. The stem is erect, covered with hard bristly hairs. The leaves are rough, also pubescent (up to 15 cm long), with light spots, which are highly loosened tissue with a large number of stomata. The basal leaves are heart-shaped or ovate on elongated petioles, the stem leaves are smaller, almost sessile, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Flowering stems are also rough and bristly. The flowers are located at the ends of the stems, collected in inflorescences - a loose curl (according to some sources, the lungwort inflorescence is an umbrella or multi-flowered racemes collected in a shield). The perianth is double actinomorphic. The calyx is narrowly bell-shaped, five-lobed, green or bluish. The corolla has a bell-shaped bend, pink or violet-pink in blooming flowers, 7-10 mm in diameter and a narrow violet-blue tube, in the throat with tufts of hairs. After blooming, the flowers turn blue-violet. There are five stamens. The style is glabrous, with a whole capitate stigma. Ovary superior. The formula of the lungwort flower is *H(5)L(5)T(5)P2. Pollination occurs with the help of insects, the nectar in the flower is protected from all ineffective pollinators by the long tube of the corolla. Lungwort is characterized by heterostyly - an adaptation for cross-pollination. The fruits are black, shiny, fluffy nuts (erems), with a fleshy appendage (aryllus) that attracts spreading ants. Lungwort blooms in the second to fourth year of life in March-April (May), while in bright areas the plant blooms earlier than in the shade; subsequently, lungwort blooms annually, bearing fruit and self-sowing.

Spreading

In the wild, lungwort, like all other species, is found in the temperate zone of Eurasia. On the territory of Russia it is not found so often, mainly in the Kalingrad region, less often grows in Eastern Siberia, as well as in certain areas Belarus and Ukraine. Grows in shady broad-leaved and coniferous-deciduous forests, in bushes and hedges. A relatively moisture-loving and cold-resistant plant that prefers sandy or loamy, alkaline or slightly acidic, as well as loose soils with good humus.

Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

When harvesting for medicinal purposes, preference is given to wild lungwort. All parts of the plant are used - flowers, roots, leaves and stems. The aerial part - flowers, leaves and stems of the lungwort are harvested during budding and flowering, i.e. in spring and summer periods, and the roots - in the fall. Drying of lungwort grass is carried out both in hanging bunches in a well-ventilated and darkened room, and in a spread-out state in conventional dryers. The roots are thoroughly washed and dried in dryers at a temperature of about 40 o C. The criteria for completing drying are the fragility of the raw material. After drying, it is advisable to crush or grind all parts of the plant and grind them into powder. Dried herbs can be stored both in glass containers and in ordinary cardboard boxes for 1 year.

Chemical composition

Lungwort contains tannins (6-10%) with a large amount of polyphenols, the alkaloid pyrrolizidine (2.5-4%), saponins, tannins (6-10%), carotene, flavonoids, allantoin (1%), rutin, mucous substances, a significant amount ascorbic acid, as well as silicic acid and its soluble salts. The plant is rich in microelements, in particular manganese, iron, copper, vanadium, titanium, silver, nickel, strontium and many others beneficial to the body human elements.

Pharmacological properties

Biologically contained in lungwort active substances cause anti-inflammatory, expectorant and softening effects for any respiratory tract infection, so it is often used to treat lung diseases. In addition, lungwort has hemostatic, wound healing, diuretic, enveloping, antiseptic effect, improves immune system, helps to increase the adaptogenic functions of the body, which is often beneficial for nervous disorders. Silicic acid, which is part of lungwort, has a positive effect on connective tissue, and also softens inflammatory processes in the mucous membrane of the stomach, intestines, oral cavity and throat. Lungwort promotes hematopoietic processes, activates thiamine (vitamin B 1), and significantly improves protein, carbohydrate and water metabolism.

Use in folk medicine

Although lungwort is scientific medicine has not found proper application, since ancient times the plant has been widely used in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases. Healers and herbalists in many countries have long used it in the treatment of the respiratory tract (catarrh, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, prolonged cough, hoarseness) as an emollient and expectorant. Since ancient times, herbal decoctions have been used to treat scrofula and “blockages” of the throat; it was also used for consumption (tuberculosis), hence its popular name “pulmonary”. In European countries (Poland, Bulgaria, France, Germany), lungwort was used as an effective hematopoietic and immunostimulating agent, as well as in the treatment of diabetes. Infusions and decoctions of lungwort tubers and roots are used as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, emollient, enveloping, astringent and expectorant, as well as for colds, gastrointestinal diseases, and also to improve the activity of the glands internal secretion. Fresh leaves are used as a wound-healing and hemostatic agent, indicated in the treatment of inflammation of the rectum and mucous and skin lesions, as antiseptic in the treatment of wounds and skin diseases, eliminating bleeding and inflammation. A water infusion of lungwort is recommended for hemorrhoids, childhood tuberculosis, kidney inflammation and urolithiasis. Externally, an infusion of leaves is used to restore vaginal microflora, treatment of skin diseases (relieves itching and irritation, accelerates wound healing). Lungwort preparations are used to treat colitis, urethritis, hemorrhoids, inflammation of the prostate gland, exhaustion of the elderly, dyspepsia in one-year-old children, inflammation female organs, vasculitis, vitiligo. Lungwort juice is the most valuable drug; it is used in the treatment oncological diseases, leukemia, diseases thyroid gland, anemia, tuberculosis, diseases inflammatory in nature, as well as in order to strengthen the immunity of the body as a whole.

Folk experience has shown that lungwort grass correct use and preparing medicines from it (decoctions and infusions) works wonders, raising seriously ill people to their feet.

Historical reference

The scientific name of the genus Pulmonaria is based on the Latin word "pulmon", meaning "lung" in translation (this explains the popular names of the plant - "pulmonaria" and "pulmonary grass". This name is given to the lungwort for the reason that its oval leaves are their shape resembles the lungs. This fact easily fits into the doctrine of Paracelsus about signatures, which was started by Galen and Dioscorides, according to which there is a relationship between living and inanimate nature, which is manifested by external similarity and is marked by special signs. Nature itself demonstrates the appearance of plants for treatment which organ it can be used in. Probably, numerous other names assigned to the plant over centuries of use in folk medicine can be associated with it: poultice grass, water springs, spotted grass, lung root, forest spear, bear grass, apiary grass, sub-hazel, ox grass language, etc.

The Russian scientific name of the genus “lungwort” is also due to the fact that representatives of the genus have melliferous properties, because the flowers of this plant contain a large amount of nectar and it is one of the earliest honey plants. According to another legend, blue flowers lungworts are for Adam, and pink ones are for Eve. Thus, it acts as a plant symbolizing the unity of opposites.

Literature

1. Abrikosov Kh. N. et al. Lungwort // Dictionary-reference book of the beekeeper / Comp. Fedosov N. F. M.: Selkhozgiz, 1955, p. 191.

2. Biological encyclopedic Dictionary(edited by M.S. Gilyarov). M. 1986, p.820.

3. Vermeulen, Nico. Useful herbs. Illustrated Encyclopedia: Trans. from English B. N. Golovkina. M.: Labyrinth Press, 2002.P. 225, 241-242. 320 pp.

4. Gubareva I. Yu. et al. Abstract of vascular plants of the Kaliningrad region: Reference manual / Ed. V. P. Dedkova. Kaliningrad: Kaliningrad University. 1999. 107 p.

5. Dobrochaeva D.N. Borage family (Boraginaceae) // Plant life / ed. A.L.Takhtadzhyan.M.: Education, 1981. T. 5. Part 2. Flowering plants, p. 394-398.

6. Animals and plants. Illustrated encyclopedic dictionary. M.: Eksmo, 2007, p. 830-831, 1248.

One of the earliest plants of spring is lungwort, the use of which is far from limited to its excellent honey-bearing qualities. Unlike the close “relative” of the plant – the ornamental lungwort, the medicinal lungwort is widely used in folk medicine. Another name for the plant is pulmonaria, or lung herb, which is why it has long been used to treat respiratory diseases. Also, the beneficial properties of lungwort are known to those suffering from blood diseases and digestive system, and they are contained not only in decoctions and infusions from the plant, but also in the nectar collected by bees.

Lungwort: description, distribution

Like the lungwort, pulmonaria belongs to the genus Lungwort, the Burachnikov family. This perennial 30 cm high or less with an erect pubescent stem and spotted lanceolate-wedge-shaped leaves up to 15 cm long. The root of the plant has many small tubers. Flowers medicinal lungwort connected into double perianths located at the top of the stems. The plant has two types of flowers, differing in structure and shade (blue and pink). The fruit of the lungwort is a nut with fleshy appendages (aryllus).

Lungwort officinalis grows in the same place as Lungwort obscure - throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia. The plant does not like hot climates and settles mainly in semi-shaded areas, in coniferous and deciduous forests.

Chemical composition of lungwort

Useful components that cause medicinal properties plants:

• Anthocyanins
• Bioflavonoids
• Allantoin
• Saponins
• Tannins
• Silicic acid
• Vitamin C"
• Beta carotene
• Resins
• Tannins
• Rutin
• Polyphenols
• Potassium
• Manganese
• Iron
• Silver

Lungwort officinalis: application

The most famous beneficial properties of lungwort are expectorant, antitussive and eliminate inflammation in respiratory tract. For bronchitis and pneumonia, the plant perfectly softens coughs and cures even protracted diseases. Lungwort is used in the treatment of diseases of the urinary system - nephritis, urethritis, as well as for disorders of salt metabolism.

Since ancient times, lungwort was used to treat anemia, because it can stimulate hematopoiesis. Due to the presence of iodine, the herb is useful for those who have thyroid pathologies. The plant perfectly stops bleeding (stomach, intestinal, uterine), heals ulcers and wounds, relieves pain syndrome, normalizes activity nervous system. Lungwort can be used for cosmetic purposes (against hair loss) and even against cancer.

Contraindications to taking lungwort

Despite its beneficial properties, lungwort should not be taken for constipation, increased blood clotting, intestinal atony, during pregnancy, lactation, or under the age of 3 years.

Lungwort officinalis: use in folk medicine

The roots and the entire above-ground part of the plant are suitable for medicinal purposes. The raw material is harvested during the flowering period, after which it is dried hanging in a ventilated room. Afterwards, the raw materials are ground into powder or chopped into pieces and stored in a paper bag.

For lung diseases

If lungwort is used only to decorate a garden or summer cottage, then the beneficial properties of lungwort officinalis can cure the most severe lung diseases - , obstructive bronchitis etc.

Under normal conditions bronchitis, as well as tracheitis, laryngitis, uncomplicated pneumonia you need to use this recipe. Take 2 tablespoons of lungwort, pour in a liter of beer, add a spoonful of honey (regular, but better - from the same plant). Place the mixture over low heat and cook until reduced by half. Then carry out a course of therapy: drink a spoon three times a day on an empty stomach, washed down well with water. You should be treated this way for 10 or more days (until recovery).

For severe lung diseases, prepare the following decoction: brew a spoonful of the herb with a glass of boiling water, heat it over the fire for 10 minutes, let it brew until it cools. Take 6-7 spoons in the first 5 days, after another 5-10 days, 4-5 spoons per day in 3 doses. In parallel with serious illnesses respiratory organs must be treated with conservative methods!

For hemorrhoids

The use of lungwort is widely known as a resolving and hemostatic agent, so the plant copes well with hemorrhoids. It is better to use the following mixture for hemorrhoids: combine 1 part plantain, wormwood and sage, add 2 parts lungwort. Brew a spoonful of the mixture with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 1 hour. Add a teaspoon of honey, strain, drink 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 14 days..

For trophic ulcers

To reduce pain and get rid of it faster, lungwort is also used. Fresh leaves and flowers of the plant are crushed and crushed in hands until a small amount of juice is released. Afterwards, the entire mass is applied to the wound, tied with gauze, and left for 3 hours. Repeat treatment daily until recovery.

For toothache

To decrease toothache, infuse 2 tablespoons of lungwort herb in a glass of boiling water for 20 minutes, strain the product and rinse your teeth with it, keeping the liquid in your mouth longer.

For cystitis, pyelonephritis

Diseases urinary system are well treated with this collection. Combine 2 tablespoons of lungwort, leaves, and 1 spoon of lingonberry leaves. The mixture is brewed at the rate of a spoonful per glass of water, warmed, and left for half an hour. After straining, drink a spoonful five times a day for 10 days.

For tumor gynecological diseases - uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts

The following remedy is especially helpful with uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts. Cooking vodka tincture lungworts: fill a third of the jar with dry plant material, fill it to the top with vodka. After 14 days the product is ready. Drink a teaspoon three times a day, diluting it with water. Course of therapy: 28 days, then a break of 1 month, then the course is repeated.

Mother Nature has gifted humans not only with a cozy world designed for full-fledged life, but also with numerous plant varieties that can help at a time when health leaves much to be desired. One of these magnificent plants is lungwort. The name itself already implies something sweet, honey, aromatic, summer. And it is no coincidence that the honey obtained from the nectar of lungwort flowers is unusually tasty and healing.

The lungwort is beautiful and so different...

Lungwort grows mainly in the European part, but there are separate subspecies that are more typical for the Asian side of the mainland. Yes, in the zones Altai Territory and Siberia you can find the so-called soft lungwort and angustifolia lungwort. Both of these plants are medicinal species. European part famous for the abundance of many medicinal subspecies of lungwort:

1. Lungwort angustifolia - grows mainly in the steppe and southern parts of Russia: in the Urals, Stavropol and Krasnodar regions. And outside our country it can be found in the countries of central and southern Europe.
2. Lungwort soft - so named due to the soft velvety surface of its leaves. It grows mainly in the Eurasian part of Russia (Ural), and can also be found in the Altai Territory and Siberia.
3. Lungwort officinalis - grows in western Russia, mainly in the Kaliningrad region, is found in Crimea and Ukraine, as well as in some countries of Western Europe. Loves soil well enriched with humus.
4. Lungwort dark (vague) - loves dark places. By its nature, it is more reminiscent of a snowdrop, hence some breeders automatically classify it as a primrose. This plant is mostly considered decorative, but there are recipes using it.
5. Sugar lungwort - it is very difficult to find it in our country, since it grows mainly in Mediterranean countries (Italy, France), but, nevertheless, it can be found in the Southwestern part of Russia (Caucasus, Kuban, Crimea).

There are other varieties of lungwort that have medicinal properties, not growing in our country. These include mountain lungwort and red lungwort - the homeland of these species is the Alps (Italy, France, Switzerland, etc.), and in Russia they are cultivated artificially in pharmacy laboratories.

Medicinal properties of the plant

Lungwort has a second name - pulmonaria, which comes from Latin word"pulmas" - light. It owes this title to the structure of its leaves, which are shaped like human lungs. Even the great Muslim luminary Avicenna put forward a theory of the usefulness of plants for humans, comparing the forms of plant components with organs in the human body with similar outlines. And he turned out to be right! Lungwort has proven itself to be an excellent remedy for helping with respiratory problems.

About the benefits of each medicinal plants It’s difficult to say anything without knowing at least at an approximate level its indicators for microelements and vitamins, as well as the presence of specific chemical compounds. As for lungwort, it contains almost the entire periodic table, with varying degrees of error regarding individual elements.

The stems of the plant contain valuable groups of tannins, large reserves of manganese compounds involved in the structure of certain types of amino acids, flavonoids and saponins are also present. Medicinal snowdrop is rich in good doses of ascorbic acid, which makes it an excellent remedy for preventive use - to strengthen the immune system. The corollas of flowers contain tannins, which play a direct role in the healing properties of the plant.

You can give out awards to this simple, modest plant ad infinitum. And, nevertheless, modern herbal medicine has identified several groups of pathologies in which treatment will bring undoubted benefit, and in which cases it can cause harm.

Indications for use:

1. Bronchitis, pneumonia, laryngotracheitis of various etiologies: lungwort has a simultaneous combined effect - anti-inflammatory on the lungs and bronchi, is excellent as an expectorant, as it facilitates the discharge of viscous sputum and has an analgesic effect, relieving coughing attacks.
2. Blood diseases: manganese, which is part of lungwort, has a stimulating effect on general process hematopoiesis. Particularly useful this effect for anemia of various etiologies, as well as for people who have lost a large amount of blood.
3. When decreasing metabolic processes body, for example, in case of violation water-salt balance, lungwort copes well with various types of edema.
4. Included in the complex of medicinal plants for the treatment of oncological processes.
5. Diseases skin(dermatitis of different origins, rashes, fungal infections, psoriasis).
6. For periodontal disease, stomatitis and gingivitis: both oral administration in the form of decoctions and mouth rinse are indicated.
7. For inflammation of the female reproductive system (vaginitis, salpingo-oophoritis, etc.).
8. For illnesses genitourinary system, including urolithiasis (to facilitate the passage of stones).
9. As an excellent wound healing agent.

Using herbal ingredients as medicinal drug, it is worth remembering that the use this tool should be carried out in combination with treatment measures prescribed by the observing specialist. In this case, the recovery process will be better, and complete relief from the disease will occur faster.

Contraindications for use

Speaking about testimony, one cannot help but mention reverse side medals:

1. Individual intolerance, or in other words, an allergic reaction to the components of the plant.
2. Pregnancy and lactation period.
3. Oncological diseases of the blood (leukemia, leukemia, etc.). Despite the fact that lungwort is part of a complex of plants indicated for the treatment of oncological diseases, it has a sharp contraindication in the treatment of blood cancer, since it stimulates hematopoiesis and can contribute to a more accelerated reproduction of altered blood cells.

Possible side effects

Sometimes, when using a particular medication or medicine plant origin Maybe sudden appearance unwanted manifestations, in other words - side effects. Lungwort, unfortunately, is no exception. Which side effects can give its application:

1. The appearance of a belated allergic reaction in the form of hives, itchy skin, pinpoint rashes in a specific area or over a large surface of the skin.
2. Possible manifestations from the gastrointestinal tract: nausea, heaviness in the stomach, sometimes vomiting.

If these symptoms suddenly appear, you must stop taking the medicine Lungwort and seek help from a doctor, as there will be a need to take antihistamines and in the selection of alternative this drug medicine.

Making juice from freshly squeezed herbs
Lungwort juice is one of the the most useful means with massive blood loss, as well as with various anemias.

Preparation and use: we take a certain amount of a recently picked plant (the later it is picked, the more juice there will be), then, using a blender or pressing on a plate, we get a pulp, which we strain using a small metal sieve. The resulting juice is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Take 3-4 teaspoons 1-2 times a day.

Advice: to avoid losing a certain amount of juice, it is not recommended to use fabrics (gauze) to squeeze and strain liquid from the plant, since a large portion of it will be spent on soaking the material.

Decoction of lungwort leaves
Decoctions from plant components have different uses: they can be taken internally (for bronchitis, for the treatment of inflammation of the genitourinary system), rubbed externally over the inflamed surface of the skin (psoriasis, pustular rashes, dermatitis, fungal rashes), as well as rinse the mouth (tooth extraction, stomatitis, gingivitis and periodontal disease).

Preparation and use: every 50 grams of dry herb (or similar 20 grams of fresh) pour boiling water in proportions 1:2 or 1:3 (depending on the doctor’s prescription, since the concentration is different for each condition), then let it brew for 30 minutes. After the allotted time, the product can be used: orally, 50 ml in a single dose (their quantity is determined by the doctor, on average 1 - 2 times a day, but more is possible), for rubbing - an arbitrary amount, depending on the area of ​​​​the affected area, rinsing - the proportion is 2/3 decoction to 1/3 water.

Combined decoctions
Sometimes, to achieve the best therapeutic effect, a decoction of lungwort is combined with others, no less useful herbs. Thus, the components of peppermint, lemon balm, strawberry leaves (external antimicrobial treatment of wounds and burns), licorice, oak bark (for tightening) are often added. deep cuts), birch buds (for the treatment of genitourinary organs).

Preparation and use: in this case, the proportions are selected based on the preparation of a standard decoction, with an increase in the amount of water according to the added components.

Lungwort gruel compresses
After the strained broth, what is often left is the so-called cake - a paste of boiled ingredients. It can also be used for external use in the treatment of diseases such as psoriasis, dermatitis, fungal rashes, etc.

Preparation and use: the strained pulp is laid out on a gauze surface, then its edges are wrapped and the resulting lotion should be applied to the affected area for a while. On average, for 10 – 15 minutes. The procedure can be repeated several times a day. If the cake is infused with vodka, pouring it so that the edges of the mass are completely covered with liquid, then in the future the resulting lotion will additionally have a warming and antiseptic effect. It is good to apply it on collar area for bronchitis, tracheitis and other bronchopulmonary diseases, but it is contraindicated for open wounds(to avoid additional surface burns).

Lungwort tincture
The tincture's indications are similar to other lungwort remedies. Basically, its production involves the preservation of plants for the purpose of further transportation or for use in winter, when fresh plants are not available.

Preparation and use: pour 30 grams of fresh plants (60 grams of dried or decoction) with vodka in a ratio of 1:5, let it brew for 15 - 20 days. The tincture should turn a rich yellow color. A red or brown tint is allowed (depending on the type of lungwort). Next, you need to strain the product and pour it into a more convenient container. The cake can be used for compresses in the future. Take 2 – 3 teaspoons per day.

Advice: the chemical compound of lungwort and alcohol is afraid of light and loses its qualities - it is recommended to store it in a dark place or in cardboard box from another medicine.

Treatment by nature is an integral part in the fight against various types of ailments, but when making a decision, it is necessary to carefully analyze all the pros and cons so that it brings the necessary benefits to the body.

Video: beneficial properties and cultivation of lungwort