Diseases, endocrinologists. MRI
Site search

Meadowsweet or meadowsweet: description, beneficial and negative properties. Cooking recipes. Meadowsweet - medicinal properties and contraindications for use

Meadowsweet, or Meadowsweet (lat. Filipéndula) is a genus of perennial herbs of the Rose family (Rosaceae). Contains at least 16 species native to the temperate zone Northern Hemisphere.

Where does meadowsweet grow?

Meadowsweet grows in Central Asia, European part, in the Caucasus and in the Eastern and Western Siberia. Meadowsweet is common in swamps and wet meadows. You can find the plant on the banks of reservoirs, lakes and rivers. Meadowsweet loves thickets: broad-leaved and damp, birch and black alder forests.

Chemical composition of meadowsweet

In the Middle Ages, meadowsweet was used for flavoring alcoholic drinks, which were obtained by fermenting honey and fruit juices.

Want to know what aspirin is made from? Aspirin was created by Felix Hoffman, who obtained salicin from meadowsweet in 1897. It was from meadowsweet that salicylic acid was derived, which reduces painful sensations. Three years later, Aspirin was officially patented.

In the above-ground part of meadowsweet, essential oils have been found that have a pleasant aroma. Top part contains catechins, steroids and beneficial fatty acid. Plant roots are rich in vitamin C, flavonoids and tannins. Phenolic compounds are contained in large quantities.

Description

Meadowsweet, meadowsweet, meadowsweet, Ivan's color - this was the name of meadowsweet in Rus', where strong whips (meadowsweet) were made from it, cooked healing infusions and brewed the most aromatic tea with a honey taste.

In England, this plant was also revered - since the distant 14th century, such eminent herbalists and biologists as John Gerard, Nicholas Culpeper and Philip Miller wrote about it. What makes this perennial special among other, often much more spectacular-looking plants?

Meadowsweet has long been used as natural antiseptic, helping to fight pathological microbes that have entered the body. In case of inflammation, fever, different types Sometimes it was enough to drink a few cups of the amber drink for the painful symptoms to disappear without a trace.

This effect is explained high content natural acetylsalicylic acid, which, by the way, was once synthesized in a suitable medicinal use form specifically from meadowsweet.

Thanks to the tannins contained in the rhizomes, in addition to its antipyretic and analgesic properties, the perennial is also able to stop bleeding, helping the blood to clot faster when damaged vascular system.

The meadowsweet plant exhibits beneficial features and for heart patients: back in 1983 it was proven that the use of aspirin-containing drugs reduces the risk of such a life-threatening disease as myocardial infarction. In addition to acetylsalicylic acid, the roots and leaves of the herb contain quite a lot of ascorbic acid, which is famous for its antioxidant, immunomodulatory and stabilizing effects on the body.

At her expense due to regular use meadowsweet tea can significantly improve adaptation capabilities, eliminate inflammation, improve psycho emotional condition.

As for other nutrients, the following are also found in various parts of meadowsweet:

  • tannins - thanks to them, infusions from the plant are effective for rinsing the mouth with sore throat and other bacterial diseases, diarrhea and stomach ulcers;
  • flavonoids, including catechins - compounds that reduce vascular fragility, relieve swelling and allergic manifestations, supporting normal metabolism and slowing down aging;
  • glycosides - substances similar in composition to hormones, aggressive against pathogenic microorganisms, activating the heart muscle, eliminating stagnant fluid from the body.

Thanks to such a wide range of effects, meadowsweet has honorably entered not only into the arsenal traditional medicine, but also officially included in the list of pharmacopoeial medicinal plants.

Types of meadowsweet

The meadowsweet grass is very diverse; in total, about 100 species are registered in the genus. Here are some types:

Common meadowsweet (common meadowsweet)

It is a spreading bush about 80 cm high. The shoots are covered with feathery, fern-like leaves. At the end of June, loose creamy-white panicles bloom at the tops of the stems, which persist for a month. They consist of flowers with six petals and fluffy stamens.

Varieties:

  • Pleno - shoots 40-50 cm high blooms fragrant double flowers of white color;
  • Grandiflora - a bush 40-60 cm in height in mid-summer is covered with creamy inflorescences with large flowers.

Meadowsweet

It is this species that is most widespread in Russia. It is found along the banks of fresh water bodies and rivers. Loose bushes with creeping rhizomes reach a height of 1.5 m. The shoots are covered with alternate pinnately dissected leaves dark green. The lobes are broadly ovoid or oblong-lanceolate in shape. In June-July, paniculate inflorescences up to 20 cm in diameter bloom. They consist of small cream flowers with a strong aroma. The small calyx is surrounded by five petals and stamens twice as long as the petals.

Varieties:

  • Aurea - a bush up to 1.5 m high grows large golden-green leaves;
  • Rosea - blooms beautiful pinkish inflorescences;
  • Aurea variegata – plant up to 50 cm high is covered green leaves with creamy yellow stains and shapeless spots.

Red meadowsweet

The plants live in North America and are spreading bushes up to 2.5 m high. The reddish-brown stems are covered with dissected foliage. In July-August, fluffy corymbose inflorescences with white-pink flowers appear. Light pink five-petaled corollas have pinkish stamens and a crimson eye in the center.

Varieties:

  • Magnifica - a bush up to 1.5 m high blooms dark pink inflorescences;
  • Venusta - the plant is distinguished by the largest inflorescences of bright red color;
  • Pygmy - vegetation up to 30 cm high is covered with compact pink panicles.

Meadowsweet Kamchatka (shelomainik)

Herbaceous shoots up to 3 m high are abundantly covered with large palmate leaves of bright green color. The leaf width reaches 30 cm. In July, slender thickets are decorated with large fragrant inflorescences of a white-cream hue. By August, the pubescent fruits ripen. The species is endemic to Kamchatka. Young shoots and rhizomes are used for food by both animals and local residents.

Useful and medicinal properties of meadowsweet

Leaves, flowers, branch bark, young shoots and roots are used for medicinal purposes.

The meadowsweet plant contains: essential oil heliotropin, tannins, coloring matter - spirein; six-petalled - gaulterin glycoside, tannins, a lot of starch and vitamins. The plant is being studied.

The leaves and flowers contain: yellow coloring matter, essential oil, vanillin, terpene, glycoside, spirein, tannins, ascorbic acid, wax, fat, salicylic acid, methyl salicylic ester, vitamin C, starch, phenolic glycoside.

  • The smell of meadowsweet repels mosquitoes, flies and horse flies.
  • Meadowsweet is added to tea, which gives it a honey aroma and pleasant taste. IN Scandinavian countries meadowsweet is added to wine or beer to give it a better aroma. Young roots or shoots are added to food.
  • Pour 2 teaspoons of root, tuberous thickenings into 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for up to five hours, strain. Take 1 tablespoon before meals.
  • Meadowsweet is used for: disease Bladder, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, heart, skin diseases, gout, epilepsy, uterine bleeding, for heart failure, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, gastritis, intestinal ulcers.
  • It is a disinfectant, diaphoretic, hemostatic agent.
  • Decoctions and infusions of meadowsweet roots are taken for: diarrhea, stomach catarrh, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, gout, gynecological diseases, in the treatment of purulent wounds, ulcers, snake and animal bites. The root cones are edible.
  • Meadowsweet is widely used in folk medicine.
  • This plant has antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effects.
  • Meadowsweet is filming of different nature headaches as well as joint pain and rheumatic pain. It has a powerful antiviral and antibacterial effect against influenza, acute respiratory infections, and herpes.
  • An infusion of the meadowsweet herb with its flowers is used for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, dysentery, heart disease, and for suffocation as an anthelmintic, diuretic and diaphoretic.
  • A rich infusion is used as an antitoxic agent for alcohol poisoning or snakebite. Since meadowsweet has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, a decoction of the herb is used externally as an antiseptic to wash boils, ulcers, wounds, ulcers, and for skin diseases.
  • A decoction of meadowsweet is used as a means to improve hair growth, as well as for cosmetic purposes.
  • Decoctions are used for dysbiosis, diarrhea and fungal diseases of the intestines, and are used as baths for gynecological diseases.

Dangerous and harmful properties of meadowsweet

  • If you have hypertension, take meadowsweet preparations strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
  • Causes constipation, colic, nausea.
  • Meadowsweet contains salicylates, it is recommended to monitor general analysis blood.

Herbal remedies from meadowsweet and recipes

Many herbal remedies can be prepared from meadowsweet: teas, tinctures, baths, decoctions, lotions, compresses, ointments. It is used internally and externally. Moreover, everything is used: leaves, flowers, bark, young shoots and roots.

Homeopathic remedies are made from fresh root. Even regular tea Made from the flowers and leaves of meadowsweet, it heals wonderfully. It is aromatic, sweet and slightly astringent. Meadowsweet also works well as an alcoholic extract, decoction, or tincture. What is usually added to the tincture is not a large number of glycerin to help extract tannins.

Tinctures are prepared from the aerial parts of plants and are taken for colds, fever, rheumatic pain, and also for indigestion in a child. You can make a decoction of meadowsweet mixed with other herbs such as angelica or willow to treat arthritis. It is also used externally in the form of compresses for arthritis, joint pain, and to treat neuralgia. Prepare a compress from the diluted tincture and apply to the area of ​​pain.

As an eye wash, meadowsweet brings relief to patients suffering from conjunctivitis and other eye diseases. Here it is recommended to use a chilled and filtered infusion. Herbalists advise using meadowsweet to prepare medicinal foot baths. They can be made from dried or fresh herbs.

Meadowsweet oil: application

Meadowsweet oil is produced by distillation from the flowers of the plant, or less commonly from the root or stem. Cooking at home is not possible. The medicinal properties of the resulting oil are contained in great content salicylic acid. Practical benefits from use in analgesic, antiseptic and antipyretic effects.

The oil, in the preparation of which the root is used, is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; its beneficial properties normalize metabolism and relieve attacks of poisoning. For rheumatism, arthritis, and muscle pain, the oil is used in the form of compresses, using its beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. But there are also contraindications for use: increased blood pressure, blood clotting, constipation.

Meadowsweet for women

Meadowsweet is often used in the treatment of many female diseases.

For example, a recipe for a collection for infertility in women: meadowsweet flowers + linden flowers + red clover flowers, all in equal parts. 3 tbsp. spoons pour 1 liter of boiling water. Leave covered for at least 2 hours. When taking, follow the following schedule: 1 glass 30 minutes before meals in the morning and evening.

Another recipe for a decoction for pain: 20 g. flowers and roots, pour 300 ml of boiling water, leave in a water bath for at least 30 minutes. Strain, cool, and use as a douche up to 3 times a day. If medicinal herb will be doubled, and accordingly the concentration, then such an infusion can be used as an anti-inflammatory or analgesic in the form of a compress for many female diseases.

Tincture of meadowsweet herb

Recipe for tincture of meadowsweet herb: fresh flowers 50 g. + vodka 0.5 l + sugar 20 g. Combine and leave for 12 days.

The tincture is applicable for:

  • female diseases (cervical erosion, postpartum difficulties, endometriosis, thrush, infertility, mastopathy, bleeding);
  • goiter;
  • to remove pain syndrome in muscles or joints;
  • psoriasis;
  • swelling;
  • kidney diseases;
  • hepatitis;
  • leukemia;
  • gastrointestinal diseases
  • cancer;
  • in diabetes, it reduces blood sugar.

The drug is used in 20-30 drops, diluted in ½ tbsp. water, 3 r. a day before meals. Contraindications: it is forbidden to take the tincture when allergic reaction to salicylates. For ulcers with increased acidity The medicine is diluted with hot water.

Ointments

This remedy is rubbed into the area of ​​the affected joints. An ointment is prepared from crushed roots. 20 g of roots should be mixed with Vaseline.

Ointment for burns:

  1. Pour a tablespoon of plant root brought to a powdery state into 5 tbsp. vegetable oil.
  2. Leave the mixture to infuse for 12 hours at room temperature.
  3. Strain and use the ointment as directed.

To treat wounds and burns with meadowsweet, soak the ointment in several layers of gauze, apply to the damaged area and secure with a bandage. Change the bandage 2 times a day.

Foot baths

  1. Place a bunch of fresh meadowsweet in a liter of water. For dried plant, use 3 liters of water.
  2. Boil for 17 minutes. Strain.
  3. Pour into the bath and fill cold water to the desired temperature.
  4. Place your feet for 20 minutes.

To make your skin soft, add a spoonful of honey or ale to the bath.

How to brew tea and decoction?

The meadowsweet plant is often used as ordinary tea, it perfectly relieves swelling, is used for correction metabolic processes. The brewing recipe is simple, but medicinal properties this does not change: 2 tsp. Pour boiling water over any parts of the plant, leave and drink 2 times a day in small sips. When preparing the decoction, it is necessary to infuse it in a water bath for at least 30 minutes, this is when the plant will release all its beneficial properties. But take it ¼ cup 3 times a day no more. You can purchase ready-made tea. Leaves and flowers for it are prepared by fermentation at low temperature with high indoor humidity.

Harvesting meadowsweet for the winter

Meadowsweet grows well on the banks of bodies of water (pond, lake, swamp). If there is no desire to collect it for harvesting in the forest, it is possible to plant meadowsweet on your own plot. Growing is possible in both sun and shade, but the grass requires abundant watering. Planting should be done immediately after the snow melts. This is a perennial bush that requires regular pruning.

Absolutely all useful parts of the plant can be used for winter preparations, but collection must be done according to certain rules.

Collection

The upper parts begin to be collected before July, throughout the flowering period. At this time, the preparation begins. Carefully cut off the very tops of the shoots. The lower parts of the plant are collected after the cessation of the growing season and the maximum of useful and medicinal substances have accumulated in the rhizomes.

Drying leaves

Drying of horses occurs at early spring or in late autumn. The roots are thoroughly washed and small shoots are removed. Leaves are collected from August to late autumn. All rotten, damaged and dried parts are carefully removed. All parts are crushed and dried on days when the weather is good. The raw materials are spread on the surface and turned as often as once a day. Next they are packaged in glass jars, canvas bags or cardboard boxes and store in a dark room. The shelf life if stored correctly is no more than 5 years.

Meadowsweet, or as it is also called meadowsweet (lat. Filipendula), is a common perennial family Rosaceae.

It is mainly found in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. These rosaceous herbs can reach large sizes. They have feathery leaves, an erect stem and powerful roots. The leaves, collected in paniculate inflorescences, are usually white or pink color. The calyx of meadowsweet consists of five or six petals without a subcup. Meadowsweet usually blooms in early summer. The fruits can be seen by the middle or end of summer in the form of multi-nuts. Basically, these plants are resistant to moisture and cold.

There are more than 15 species of meadowsweet in nature. Here are some of them:

  • meadowsweet (grows in the Khabarovsk Territory, Kamchatka, Primorye);
  • narrow-lobed meadowsweet (found in northern China, the Far East);
  • red meadowsweet (found in North America);
  • Kamchatka meadowsweet (found in Kamchatka, Japan, Kuril Islands);
  • steppe meadowsweet (grows in the Volga region, the Southern Urals, and Siberia);
  • meadowsweet (grows throughout Europe);
  • meadowsweet (widespread in Russia and the Caucasus) It is found in forests, along the banks of streams and in places with high humidity.

However, few people know that meadowsweet is not only a beautiful ornamental plant. Many species of this plant have healing properties. They can treat many diseases.

Medicinal types include:

  • meadowsweet;
  • meadowsweet;
  • Kamchatka meadowsweet;
  • six-petalled meadowsweet.

Medicinal properties of meadowsweet

Next we Let's look at the composition of meadowsweet, its medicinal properties and contraindications. with their own healing properties meadowsweet owes its composition. It contains a large amount of ascorbic acid, salicylic acid, and tannins.

IN medical purposes meadowsweet flowers, roots, and leaves are used. Meadowsweet leaves need to be collected and dried during flowering. The composition of the stems and leaves includes catechins, phenolcarboxylic acids, essential oils and fatty acids. Meadowsweet roots contain phenol glycosides, flavonoids, and chalcones. Each component of meadowsweet has its own healing features. Let's look at each of them.

  • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) improves immunity, eliminates inflammation, improves emotional state, and is also involved in the biosynthesis of corticosteroid hormones.
  • Tannins have hemostatic, antioxidant and astringent properties.
  • Salicylic acid prevents tissue swelling by normalizing capillary permeability. Prevents inflammation by stopping the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, which accelerate the inflammatory process.
  • Catechins prevent the development of cancer by neutralizing free radicals. They slow down the aging process of the body by acting on bacteria that destroy cells.
  • Phenolcarboxylic acids eliminate inflammation, strengthen the kidneys, remove bile.
  • Fatty acid tidies up metabolism and has a good effect on the process of energy formation.
  • Essential oils good for the bronchi, they soften the cough, participate in the secretion of mucus from the bronchi, tidy up the work of cardio-vascular system, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Phenolglycosides have diuretic, sedative, expectorant, disinfectant, laxative, antimicrobial properties.
  • Flavonoids have antiulcer, antispasmodic, antiviral, choleretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral properties.

We can conclude that meadowsweet herbs have a number of useful medicinal properties:

  1. antipyretic;
  2. diaphoretic;
  3. antibacterial;
  4. anti-inflammatory;
  5. choleretic;
  6. diuretic;
  7. antitumor;
  8. pain reliever;
  9. tonic;
  10. anthelmintic;
  11. astringent.

Due to its rich composition, meadowsweet is used in the treatment of many diseases. , such as:

  1. angina;
  2. anemia;
  3. arthritis;
  4. diseases of the nervous system;
  5. insomnia;
  6. infertility;
  7. bronchitis;
  8. inflammation of the kidneys, urinary tract;
  9. inflammation;
  10. haemorrhoids;
  11. herpes;
  12. hepatitis;
  13. hypertension;
  14. festering wounds;
  15. headache;
  16. dysentery;
  17. malignant tumors;
  18. migraine;
  19. dyspnea;
  20. oncological diseases;
  21. pneumonia;
  22. gout;
  23. cold;
  24. psoriasis;
  25. diabetes;
  26. cardiac edema;
  27. thrombophlebitis;
  28. boils;
  29. epilepsy.

IN medicinal purposes They eat the roots, flowers and herbs of meadowsweet.

The roots can be used in treatment nervous disorders, respiratory tract. They have sedative, anticonvulsant properties and also stop bleeding. Meadowsweet roots remove helminths. Meadowsweet herbs are used in the form of tea, they relieve fatigue and normalize sleep. They are good for treating runny nose. When treating burns, wounds, and eczema, grass powder is used. Meadowsweet flowers have diaphoretic, diuretic, and astringent properties. They are good for diarrhea, bleeding, pain in the intestines, stomach and chest.

Recipes for using meadowsweet

To use meadowsweet for medicinal purposes, decoctions, infusions, ointments, and tea are made.

Infusions

Meadowsweet infusion is very useful for patients with diabetes. It lowers blood sugar levels. Infusions are used in the treatment of rheumatism, hemorrhoids, choking, insomnia, hernia, thrush, infertility, bleeding, psoriasis, anemia, diarrhea, mastopathy, gastrointestinal diseases, etc.

  1. You can prepare an infusion from meadowsweet rhizomes.. For this, 1 tsp. rhizomes need to be poured 250 ml. boiled water, but it should be cold. It should infuse for eight hours. Take small sips throughout the day.
  2. To prepare an infusion of meadowsweet, you need 1 tbsp. Pour 1.5 liters of boiling water over the herbs and sprouts and leave to steep overnight. This infusion is used 4 times a day, 50-60 ml. before meals.
  3. Infusion of Kamchatka meadowsweet 1 tbsp. dry crushed herb must be poured with one glass of boiled water and left to infuse for 2 hours. Use 4 times a day, 50 ml.

Decoctions

  1. Decoction of meadowsweet roots used for malignant tumors, nervous diseases, epilepsy, hypertension. Decoctions of meadowsweet herb are also good for washing your hair; it accelerates hair growth. It is also used in the form of douches. For this purpose 25g. meadowsweet is poured with 1 liter of water.
  2. To prepare the decoction, you need to pour 5 g of meadowsweet rhizomes with a glass of boiled water and cook for another 15 minutes. Then you need to cool and strain. This decoction can be washed purulent wounds, snake bites, and also douche.
  3. Decoction of meadowsweet can be prepared like this: 1 tbsp. Add crushed dry leaves to one glass of water and boil for another four minutes. Leave for 2 hours and strain. Use warm decoction half a glass three times a day.
  4. For toothaches, boiled meadowsweet leaves can be applied to the tooth, as they have analgesic properties.

Tincture

The tincture is used to treat wounds, ulcers, and skin diseases. It is also used for hormonal imbalance, goiter, and other women's diseases.

  1. Tincture for compresses: dried grass must be filled with vodka (1:5, respectively). Leave for 5 days.
  2. Mix 50 g of meadowsweet flowers, 1 liter. vodka, 20 g sugar. Leave for 12 days. Drink the tincture three times a day, 30 drops. It is useful for stomach diseases.

Tea

  1. Brew tea from meadowsweet flowers: 1 tsp per 1 glass of boiled water. Leave for 5 minutes. This tea strengthens the immune system and is also used as a diuretic.

Ointment

Meadowsweet ointment is used for rheumatism and various skin diseases. The ointment can be prepared from the herb, as well as from the rhizomes of the plant.

  1. To prepare the ointment, you need to grind 20 g of rhizomes until you get a powder. Then mix the powder with 90 g. butter(either petroleum jelly or lanolin). Apply ointment 3-4 times a day.

Contraindications

Along with a huge number of medicinal properties, meadowsweet also has contraindications. This plant is considered low-toxic, but is classified as a poisonous plant.

  • It should not be used by pregnant women or children under 12 years of age.
  • Meadowsweet should also be avoided by people with conditions such as: constipation, low blood pressure, thrombocytopathy, poor clotting blood.

Due to the contraindications of meadowsweet, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will prescribe correct schemes use and dose of the plant.

Hello dear reader!

On a hot July day, wandering into some swampy ravine, you are suddenly immersed in a thick, slightly bitter honey aroma. Meadowsweet blooms.

Meadowsweet. Description

However, most people do not call this tall forest grass meadowsweet, and even meadowsweet. More often called meadowsweet. This name seems to be the most common. In the Vologda region, for some reason, meadowsweet is most often called bagula.

Meadowsweet - perennial herbaceous plant Rosaceae family. Its flowers, with five, sometimes six, petals, are small. But they are collected in large numbers into dense clusters of inflorescences on the tops of the shoots.

Sometimes white, and more often slightly yellowish inflorescences attract many pollinating insects. Bees and heavy bumblebees hum in the thickets of meadowsweet. Meadowsweet is an excellent honey plant.

The meadowsweet prefers damp places to live. Grows in marshy meadows, near swamps and lakes. Forest logs—small damp meadows along the banks of forest streams—are quickly overgrown with meadowsweet.

For this property, meadowsweet was disliked by our northern peasants. After all, not so long ago - just a few decades ago - these logs were perhaps the main source of hay for personal farming.

But which type of “bagula” is hay? The young shoots are still soft and will do just fine. But the old ones become as stiff as wire. And it’s hard to mow, and such food is of little use. Therefore, the meadowsweet was carefully mowed down simply to prevent it from growing.

This is not relevant now. When abandoned (unnecessarily?) fields are overgrown with shrubs across the country, no one will mow the forest fences. And meadowsweet feels very at ease.

Getting through its thickets is not so easy. Thick, coarse grass sometimes as tall as a man is not the best the best place for walks. What if you found yourself in these “wilds” in the morning, when the dew had not yet disappeared? Or on a rainy day?

Elm-leaved meadowsweet was named for its complex pinnately divided leaves, reminiscent of elm leaves. This leaf contains an upper large leaflet of three to five lobes, and two to three pairs of whole leaflets with a serrated edge, sitting in pairs.

Meadowsweet is a perennial plant; it has a long creeping rhizome in the soil.

Meadowsweet blooms in July–August. It was at this time that it was prepared as a medicinal raw material. Inflorescences with separate leaves can have a significant effect healing effect.

Beneficial properties of meadowsweet

The beneficial properties of meadowsweet are determined by its chemical composition. Its flowers and leaves contain salicylic acid, essential oils, and glycosides. There are also a lot of tannins, especially in the rhizome.

Infusions from meadowsweet are used for colds, diseases of the bladder and kidneys, and rheumatism. Meadowsweet is used as an antitoxic agent for poisoning.

To prepare infusions, take dried meadowsweet inflorescences with several upper leaves. They are collected during the flowering period and dried, like most medicinal plants, in the shade under a canopy.

Meadowsweet has a diuretic and antipyretic effect. It has vasodilating properties and can help with bronchitis. The significant tannin content will help stop diarrhea. In this, meadowsweet is similar.

For illnesses genitourinary system the infusion is prepared by pouring 1 teaspoon of dry inflorescences into a glass of cold boiled water. Leave for several hours in a sealed container, then filter and drink a quarter glass 4 times a day before meals.

A stronger infusion will be obtained if you pour two teaspoons of inflorescences into a glass hot water and let it brew for three hours. This infusion is used externally to wash wounds, pustules, and ulcers. A mask made from this infusion will help get rid of acne.

A similar strong infusion (2 teaspoons per glass of hot water), but infused for 20 minutes, helps with various poisonings. Take it orally, two tablespoons several times a day.

You just need to remember that in case of poisoning, the infusion of meadowsweet inflorescences is not used instead of medical care, A together with it as an additional remedy.

Teas from meadowsweet inflorescences have an excellent antipyretic effect for various colds and bronchitis. Pour boiling water over a pinch of dried flowers, infuse them for 5 minutes and drink the tea fresh, still green.

Meadowsweet in herbal teas goes well with others useful plants. They use rosehip fruits and petals, currant leaves, lemon balm, and leaves for this. In these collections, meadowsweet is always taken in smaller quantities (for example, for 1 part of meadowsweet inflorescences, 5 parts of currant leaves). But its healing effect for colds and coughs turns out to be almost the main one!

Just don’t drink meadowsweet tea at night. No one has canceled the diuretic effect of meadowsweet!

It is recommended to sprinkle meadowsweet inflorescences rubbed between fingers on wounds and burns. In this case, the disinfecting properties of the grass are used.

Meadowsweet (or meadowsweet), the medicinal properties of which are actively used in medicine, is a perennial, rather large plant with a high ribbed stem. Its height can reach up to 150 cm. Small cream-white flowers are collected in dense inflorescences at the top of the stem, emitting a honey-bitter aroma. The leaves are quite large, thick and feathery in shape, and the rhizome in the soil is long and creeping. This plant received its name, as can be seen in the photo, due to the similarity of its leaves and the elm tree.

For its existence, meadowsweet prefers damp places near lakes, rivers and swamps. It is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. Popularly, this herb is also called whitehead, wet raspberry, honeyberry, and the French dubbed this plant the queen of the meadow.

Chemical composition of Filipendula ulmaria

Currently, the range of uses of meadowsweet is quite wide. The chemical composition includes:

  • salicylic acid;
  • vitamin C;
  • glycosides (ogaulterin, vanillin, phytoncides);
  • tannins;
  • essential oils;
  • phenolic compounds (monotropitin, spierin);
  • flavonoids;
  • fatty acid.

Meadowsweet: medicinal properties and contraindications

Medicinal properties of meadowsweet

The main medicinal properties of this plant include:

  • antipyretic;
  • immunomodulating;
  • astringent;
  • hemostatic;
  • anti-inflammatory;
  • diuretic;
  • hypotensive;
  • antispasmodic;
  • antioxidant;
  • cholesterol-lowering;
  • antitumor and others.

By the way, this plant does not cause allergies, so it is used even for bronchial asthma.

Meadowsweet is used for acute respiratory infections. viral diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and musculoskeletal system, including gout, chronic rheumatic disease hearts.

The plant is widely used for diseases of the urogenital area, ophthalmology and diabetes mellitus and even in oncology. Due to its anticonvulsant properties, it has found its use in neurology in the treatment of epilepsy.

Meadowsweet for blood thinning

The unique composition of meadowsweet puts this plant in first place in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system: hypercholesterolemia, myocardial infarction, stroke, capillary fragility, as well as varicose veins, diabetic trophic ulcers and hypertension.

Components such as salicylates are, in fact, natural acetylsalicylic acid, which is an antiplatelet agent. It prevents platelets from sticking together, preventing blood clots from forming. This reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

It is known that salicylic acid is a powerful irritant to the gastric mucosa. Natural salicylic acid, despite its high content in the plant, does not have an irritating effect on the gastric mucosa. Preparations and decoctions based on meadowsweet can be used even by people with high acidity.

Contraindications to the use of meadowsweet

  • Pregnancy.
  • Age up to 12 years.
  • Decreased arterial pressure(hypotension).
  • Rare cases of individual intolerance.
  • Predisposition to constipation.

Recipes with Filipendula ulmária

Several recipes for using meadowsweet for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

  1. 1 tbsp. l. meadowsweet herb should be poured with a glass of boiling water, leave for at least 2 hours, then strain. It is recommended to take one quarter glass 3-4 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 30 days. Maybe reuse treatment after a mandatory 5-7 day break.
  2. 2 tsp pour the herbs into a copper mug. Precisely in a copper container, because the flavonoid quercetide upon contact with copper turns into even more strong substance Dihydroquercetin. If you don’t have a copper mug, then you need to put a clean piece of copper in the container where you are making the decoction, pour 200 ml of boiling water, put the container on the fire and bring to a boil. After 10 minutes, the decoction is ready for use. Can be taken instead of tea in the morning. Daily use This tea can normalize cholesterol levels in the blood and even get rid of cataracts.

You can read about other herbs that are beneficial for vascular health.

Meadowsweet or meadowsweet is a perennial plant that is a source of substances with high biological activity. Thanks to his unique composition, meadowsweet occupies one of the first places among medicinal plants.

The plant is perennial, herbaceous, from the rose family, has a delicate aroma beautiful flowers. Botanical structure of the plant:

  • The rhizome is woody, quite rigid, and is located slightly buried in the soil. It contains numerous buds, from which flower stalks grow by mid-summer;
  • The stem is erect, covered with smooth red-brown bark.
  • Large, dense alternate, gray-green leaves, lanceolate, lobed or round in shape, have felt pubescence on the reverse side. At the base of the petiole there are large leaf-like structures - stipules. A special feature is the intermittently pinnate structure of large leaves with a central vein, alternating with smaller ones;
  • By mid-summer, the tops of flowering shoots throw out dense panicles of inflorescences from many small white flowers, about 8 mm in diameter; a single corolla does not exceed 1 cm in diameter, consists of 5 petals and long stamens, which give the inflorescence a fluffy appearance.
  • After pollination of the flowers, brown, almost black, naked, sickle-shaped, spirally twisted seeds-nuts ripen. The length of the fruit is 1-2 mm;
  • Flowering time: summer days from July to August. At the end of summer there is a chance of re-blooming.

The aroma of blooming meadowsweet consists of almond, vanilla, and honey aroma.

Habitat

Distributed in nature in Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, Siberia, and Mongolia. Preferring wet areas, meadowsweet occupies well-watered places: the banks of rivers, lakes, streams, rivers, grass swamps and moist deciduous forests.

Meadowsweet thickets on fertile, moist soils, difficult to pass through thickets.


The habitat of meadowsweet is fields and meadows

Beneficial features

The medicinal nature of meadowsweet is recognized official medicine in the last century. Useful material the composition of the plant has been well studied and the plant is recognized as unique:

  • The main constituent of the plant is salicylic aldehyde and its derivatives. Essential oil has meadowsweet flowers complex composition, in which aldehydes and aromatic oils and esters are identified. These biologically active organic compounds have the ability to thin the blood, relieve inflammatory processes, destroy viral particles;
  • Stems and leaves are rich in carotene and ascorbic acid, which allows you to use the plant for preparing vitamin salads;
  • The herbaceous part of the flower contains tannins, water-soluble polyphenols, which have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic properties, which are widely used in official medical practice;
  • Meadowsweet roots are rich in flavonoids, food antioxidants. These compounds are able to interact with vitamin C, enhancing its effect in strengthening the immune system;
  • The seeds and roots contain diterpene alkaloids with antispasmodic and local anesthetic properties, presumably their action is aimed at protecting the brain from oxygen starvation.

Each part of the plant represents its own chemical composition certain value and is used to treat many diseases.

Use of meadowsweet in official medicine

The study of a flower is aimed at obtaining medicines. Scientific pharmacological developments are represented by patents for the use of meadowsweet as:

  • Anti-inflammatory agent;
  • Immunostimulant;
  • Antioxidant;
  • Antiseptic drugs;

Extracts of various parts of meadowsweet are widely used in pharmacology, providing positive action on the body in following cases:


  • Colds treated with a decoction of meadowsweet root, having a sweatogenic effect on the body;
  • A decoction of meadowsweet herb helps lower blood pressure;
  • Using a decoction of meadowsweet in medicine relieves pain during complex treatment ulcers;
  • The astringent effect of meadowsweet is used to protect the walls of the stomach, ensuring normal digestion;
  • The antioxidant properties of meadowsweet are used to prevent cancer. This plant has restorative effect on the patient’s body throughout the entire period of illness;
  • The anti-inflammatory and astringent properties of meadowsweet decoctions are used to treat diseases of the epidermis;

All preparations prepared on the basis of meadowsweet are low-toxic. But him natural properties should be considered for people with low blood pressure.

After taking the drug, you should not immediately leave the room to avoid catching a cold. When using meadowsweet to treat any disease, careful monitoring of blood composition should be observed.

Contraindications for use

Like any medical supplies, the use of meadowsweet is limited due to its astringent and blood thinning properties. It cannot be used in the following cases:

  • Presence of chronic constipation;
  • Low blood pressure (hypotension);
  • Blood clotting disorder;

Before you start using meadowsweet products, you should visit your doctor and get the necessary recommendations from him.


Use during pregnancy

Preparations and products from meadowsweet are recognized as low-toxic. The plant is used in the treatment of a wide range of diseases; formulations based on this herb are used to treat infertility. However, pregnancy is a case when the use of the plant is prohibited.

Children under 12 years of age should avoid using meadowsweet.

Meadowsweet in folk medicine

In traditional medicine recipes, all parts of the plant are used: above-ground and underground. Recipes have been used for many centuries and have positive result, despite the simplicity and availability of the compositions. Let's see what this useful plant cures:

  1. Hepatitis treatment

Take dry meadowsweet with a tablespoon and place it in a container filled with 1 cup cold water. Heat the water to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.

The finished broth is kept for two hours. The product should be taken before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

  1. Swelling

For swelling associated with diseases of the cardiovascular system, prepare an infusion of dry inflorescences poured into a glass of boiling water. The product is used an hour later, after preliminary filtering. Should be taken three times a day before meals.

  1. Psoriasis

To prepare the product, use a powdered composition of dry inflorescences. To do this, grind 4 tablespoons of Vaseline or baby cream with powder from meadowsweet inflorescences to a homogeneous consistency. Lubricate the affected areas with the prepared product until complete healing.

Meadowsweet - unique remedy for the treatment of many pathologies of the body. Knowing the properties and characteristics of the plant, you can help yourself as much as possible. When solving health problems, you should not experiment by making your own recipes. They have long been known and tested. The help of specialists will eliminate mistakes.

One more condition: do not destroy medicinal plants in nature. Collect them in the required quantity.