Galega officinalis - benefits and harms. Galega medicinal properties and contraindications

Some plants, which we can pass by every day and not pay any attention to them, have long been used by healers in the treatment of a variety of ailments. Almost every shrub, every tree and every herb can play the role of a real natural healer, and even save a life. In order for such gifts of nature to be useful, you need to have information about the features of their use. Unique medicinal plants include galega herb, the properties and uses of which will be discussed on this “Popular About Health” page, as well as contraindications in a little more detail.

Galega is also known as goat's rue. This plant belongs to the perennial herbaceous crops and is a representative of legumes. It can reach a height of one meter. Galega loves warmth, so she prefers to grow in the Caucasus, southern Russia, Moldova and Ukraine. Most often it can be found on river banks, meadows, mountain steppes, forest edges, etc.

Galega plant - medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of Galega officinalis are explained by its composition. So galega is a source of galegin, which can reduce the amount of glucose in the blood. That is why goat's rue is widely used in treatment diabetes mellitus.

Its stems and leaves contain quite a lot of carbohydrates, carotene, tannin, as well as tannins and bitter substances.

Sometimes this culture is used by nursing mothers to stimulate production. breast milk.

In addition, there is evidence that it has a good diuretic, anthelmintic and diaphoretic effect. It helps to increase intravenous pressure when it decreases, it also inhibits intestinal motor activity.

How exactly does galega treat (practical application)

To prepare a classic galega decoction, you need to use a couple of tablespoons of chopped dried herb. Brew it with half a liter of just boiled water and place it in a water bath. It is best to prepare this medicine in an enamel container, covering it with a lid. After a quarter of an hour, strain ready-made decoction through cheesecloth and dilute with pre-boiled water to the initial volume of half a liter. It is recommended to take seventy milliliters of this remedy immediately before a meal. The dosage may be increased or decreased depending on how you feel.

For patients with diabetes, you can also prepare a mixture of equal parts of galega, bean pods, dandelion roots and nettle leaves. Grind all the ingredients and mix them well together. Brew a tablespoon of the prepared mixture with two hundred milliliters of just boiled water. Cover the container with a lid and leave for half an hour to fully infuse. Strain the finished infusion and drink it one hundred milliliters twice a day shortly before meals.

Experts also advise combining three parts of bean pods, a couple of parts of galega grass, two parts of corn silk, the same amount of hill solyanka, rose hips and birch leaves, as well as one part each of juniper and. Grind and mix all ingredients. Fill a tablespoon of the prepared mixture with three hundred milliliters cool water and leave for an hour. Then bring the mixture to a boil and heat over low heat for a quarter of an hour. Leave for another hour, then strain. Squeeze out the plant material and bring the medicine to the initial volume of three hundred milliliters. Drink three times a day. It is best to take the medicine immediately before a meal.

You can also prepare an infusion of galega to treat diabetes. Pour twenty grams of chopped herbs into a glass of just boiled water and leave for two hours under the lid. Strain the finished medicine and strain the herbal materials. Drink galega infusion one tablespoon three times a day.

For patients with hypotension, as well as nursing mothers, an infusion based on galega seeds can be prepared to increase lactation. Brew a couple of tablespoons of this raw material with half a liter of just boiled water. Leave this product for three to four hours under the lid, then strain. The resulting medicine should be drunk one hundred milliliters three times a day, about half an hour before meals.

To prepare a diuretic, you should prepare ten grams of goat's rue seeds. Brew such raw materials with a glass of just boiled water. Place the container with the mixture on low heat and cook for five minutes after boiling. Remove the medicine from the heat and leave for another two hours to infuse. Strain ready-made product and drink it a tablespoon three times a day.

In some cases, galega is used in the form of freshly squeezed juice. If you dilute it with water 1:5, you can use this rinse. For internal use, fifty drops of freshly squeezed juice are diluted in one hundred milliliters of water. Take three times a day. Healers also advise using galega juice to treat ulcers and wounds.

To whom is galega harmful, what are the plant’s contraindications??

In fact, galega does not have many contraindications. This plant cannot be used during pregnancy and in pediatric practice. It is not used in the treatment of patients with hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders and individual intolerance. Before using goat's rue, it would be a good idea to consult a doctor; self-medication can be harmful to health.

This plant, galega officinalis, in addition to its official name(in Latin it is called Galega officnalis) has such popular names as rutovka, oriental goat's rue, goat grass, goat intestine, rue. Folk names this grass received for its use as a good forage crop, providing good nutrition animals even in dry form.

Galega officinalis belongs to the perennials (can grow for 10-15 years) of the legume family and is a beautifully flowering, multi-stemmed, rather powerful plant reaching 1-1.3 meters in height. Galega forms powerful bushes, in which there are from 10 to 18-20 stems; the older the plant, the more stems it forms. The stems are erect, hollow inside, tubular, green, strongly branched. The leaves are imparipinnate, large, petiolate, with stipules, leaf length 20-25 centimeters, consisting of 10-15 pairs of leaflets, shaped like an elongated egg, with a pointed apex. Galega officinalis blooms from the first months of summer until the beginning of autumn. The flowers are large, light purple or slightly bluish in color, with long pedicels, shaped like bells, collected in an erect inflorescence of a raceme, the length of which reaches 20 centimeters.

Galega officinalis has a powerful taproot system. The length of the tap root goes into the ground up to 80-90 centimeters, while it has many horizontal shoots from which new plants are formed. After flowering, it forms fruits, which are an upward standing bean, with 5-8 kidney-shaped, smooth seeds, yellow-green in color, quite hard. The fruits usually ripen by mid-September.

Galega officinalis is a valuable agricultural crop and is grown in many regions of our country, as well as in Moldova, Ukraine, and the Caucasus. In the wild, it can be found in meadows, along rivers, on forest edges, along the shores of lakes, and in bushes. This plant is not used as an ornamental plant, despite its beautiful clusters of flowers. This plant is a generally recognized honey plant, and one of the best in terms of the quantity and quality of nectar produced by its flowers. The flowering period of galega coincides with the flowering of acacia, which helps attract bees and collect honey. So from 1 hectare of this plant up to 200 grams of honey are collected, and very High Quality. After the first flowering, the galega is mowed down and its second harvest of flowers is obtained by August, and, accordingly, honey is collected.

Preparation and storage of Galega officinalis

Almost the entire plant, from roots to seeds, is used as a medicinal raw material. The grass is harvested during the flowering period by carefully cutting off the stems with a knife or sickle. It is better to use flowers and the top of the stem. Immediately you need to select only good, clean green fresh stems of the plant. Cut the plant into small pieces before drying.

Drying must be done with good ventilation, in the shade, under a canopy or in the attic. It is better, of course, to dry it in special drying ovens. It is better to store in cloth bags. The shelf life is no more than a year, then the grass must be replaced with fresher one. The fruits are collected as the bean pods ripen, which are then peeled, the pods are discarded, and the seeds are dried in the shade. Stored in cloth bags. Shelf life is no more than two years. The roots are dug up, cleaned well and washed in water. Before drying, cut into small pieces. Dry either in a drying cabinet or in the shade under a canopy. The shelf life of raw materials is no more than two years. All raw materials are stored in a dark, dry place and only in cloth bags, for better ventilation and to prevent damage to the raw materials.

Use in everyday life

In addition to the fact that galega officinalis is an excellent honey plant, a good forage crop, it is also used as food.

In the Caucasus, local residents use this plant as a seasoning for side dishes; the bean seeds and young leaves are especially popular. They try to include salads using young leaves of Galega officinalis in the diet of young nursing mothers, which helps increase breast milk.

Composition and medicinal properties of Galega officinalis

1. Galega officinalis is widely used in both traditional and folk medicine due to its chemical composition.
2. The herb of this plant contains alkaloids, peganin, vasicinone, etc., nitrogen-containing compounds, carbohydrates, aliphatic alkaloids (such as galegin, 4-hydroxygalegin, etc.), tannins, flavonoids, pipecoline and ascorbic acids, kepferol, quercetin, rutin, carotene, bitter substances, phenolcarboxylic acids and their derivatives in hydrolysis (such as ferulic, p-coumaric, synapic, caffeic, etc.), tannin and galegin.
3. The roots of Galega officinalis are rich in triterpinoids.
4. Marked in colors great content flavonoids.
5. The seeds contain sucrose, saponins, steroids, stachyose, alkaloids and other compounds containing nitrogen, fixed oils and acids such as linoleic, palmitic, linolenic and stearic.
6. This plant has found use as a diuretic, diaphoretic, anthelmintic, and antibacterial agent.
7. In addition, Galega officinalis is used to lower blood sugar levels in diabetes mellitus, with low intravenous pressure, to improve the secretion of breast milk, etc.
8. The extract of this plant increases the amount of glycogen in the liver and has a positive effect on glucose tolerance.
9. Galegin contained in Galega officinalis has a pronounced hypoglycemic effect.
10. The medicinal peganine contained in galega has a tonic effect on the smooth muscles of the intestine.
11. Preparations containing Galega officinalis should be taken only in the indicated doses, the duration of use should also be determined by a doctor, otherwise it can cause a serious increase in blood pressure and intestinal dysfunction.

The use of Galega officinalis in folk medicine

In folk medicine, galega is not given the last place. This plant is one of the best in the treatment of diabetes. It is used as an addition to insulin, which can greatly reduce its use. For these purposes, both decoctions and infusions are prepared. An infusion of seeds (pour a third of a teaspoon of ground seeds into a glass of boiling water and leave until it cools) has proven itself to be effective for treating diabetes. Flowers and leaves are an ingredient in diabetic herbal preparations.

Galega officinalis has long been used in folk healing as a good diaphoretic, lactogenic, diuretic, diuretic and anthelmintic agent and as a means of increasing breast milk in nursing women.

Preparation of powder for the treatment of diabetes

To prepare the powder, use only dry leaves of Galega officinalis, which are ground to a powdery state in a mortar or coffee grinder. Take 1/3 teaspoon three to four times a day, washed down warm water in the amount of half a glass.

Preparation of infusion for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

To prepare such an infusion, you need to take two tablespoons of well-chopped galega herb (you can use 10-15 grams of seeds), pour it into a thermos and pour half a liter of boiling water. Leave to brew until morning next day. Strain the infusion before use. You should drink ½ glass 20-25 minutes before meals, preferably 3-4 times a day.

Preparation of an infusion to enhance lactation of breast milk

To prepare, take 20-25 grams of dry herb, chop it well, you can even pound it in a mortar, and pour a glass of boiling water over it. Leave for at least two hours, then strain and drink two tablespoons four times a day.

Diuretic decoction of galega seeds

To prepare such a decoction, take 5 grams of plant seeds, grind them well in a mortar or coffee grinder, pour a glass of boiling water and put on water bath and boil for 10-15 minutes over low heat. Then the broth is allowed to cool, filter and drink a tablespoon three to four times a day, regardless of meals.

Diuretic infusion of Galega officinalis

They prepare it like this: take 10-15 grams of seeds and pour a glass of boiling water. Then put in a water bath for five minutes, remove and leave for two hours in a well-wrapped container. Then filter and take a tablespoon three to four times a day.

Herbal mixture for the treatment of diabetes

To prepare the collection, take 30 grams of galega grass, the same number of bean pods, dandelion root and nettle leaf, in the same quantity. Mix all components well, or better yet, chop. Next, take a tablespoon of this mixture and pour a glass of boiling water, leave in a sealed container for half an hour. Take half a glass of this infusion before meals in the morning and evening.

Fresh galega juice for sore throat

The juice is squeezed from freshly cut grass. For rinsing in ¼ cup warm water add 10-15 grams of juice and gargle with this solution. For internal use make a solution of 100 grams of water and 40-50 drops of juice. Take three times a day. The juice can also be used to wash fresh or festering wounds and ulcers, which promotes their good healing.

Contraindications

• Before use, consultation with a doctor is required.
• Categorically should not be used by pregnant women.
• Do not use preparations containing this plant if intestinal functions are impaired.
• For hypertension and hypotension, this plant should also not be used.

Goat's rue (Galega officinalis).

Other names: galega officinalis, chokabuk.

Description. Perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plant legume family (Fabaceae). It has a taproot, weakly branched root, stems are straight, branched, glabrous or sparsely hairy, up to 100 cm high.
The leaves are alternate, up to 20 cm long, with 4-10 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are light purple or blue (rarely white), moth-type, located in the axils of the leaves, collected in loose, dense racemes up to 25 cm long.
The plant blooms in June - August, and the fruits ripen in August - September. The fruits are beans 2 - 4 cm long. The seeds are kidney-shaped, greenish-yellow, smooth. Galega officinalis grows near swamps, along rivers and streams, in meadows, in thickets of bushes, in damp holes and ditches.
The plant is widespread in the Crimea, the Carpathians, the Caucasus, Moldova and the European part of Russia (Black Sea, Lower Volga regions). Galega reproduces by seeds, also vegetatively. Goat's rue is a honey plant.

Collection and preparation of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, the grass and seeds of goat's rue are used. The grass is harvested during the flowering period, the seeds - as they ripen. Cut off the top part of the plant (30-35 cm). Dry outdoors in the shade, spreading it in a thin layer on cloth or paper. You can dry it in a dryer at a temperature not exceeding 40°C. Store raw materials in a place protected from light. Shelf life up to 2 years.
Composition of the plant. Galega grass contains carbohydrates, saponins, alkaloid galegin, vasicinone, peganin, galuteolin glycoside, tannins, tannin, phenolcarboxylic acids, carotene, vitamins C, bitterness. The seeds contain sucrose, steroids, stachyose, saponins, alkaloids, palmitic, linoleic, stearic, linolenic acids. The flowers contain flavonoids; roots are triterpenoids.

Medicinal properties, application, treatment.
Goat's rue officinalis has diuretic, diaphoretic, lactogenic, anthelmintic properties, and also regulates metabolism. In folk medicine, galega is used for diabetes mellitus, to stimulate milk production in nursing mothers, and also as a diuretic and diaphoretic.
For diabetes mellitus, goat's rue is used as a single plant, as well as in a collection with other medicinal plants. It is also taken internally for snake bites. Externally, a decoction of the herb is used to treat eczema and lichen.

Dosage forms and doses.
Infusion of goat's rue herb. 1 teaspoon of dry crushed herb is poured with a glass of boiling water, left for 40 minutes, filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day for diabetes and other indications mentioned above.

A decoction of goat's rue seeds (galega). 1 dessert spoon of seeds per 200 ml of water, after boiling, cook over low heat for 5 minutes, remove from heat, leave for 2 hours, filter. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times. per day as a diuretic.

Decoction of goat's rue herb for external use. 2 teaspoons of dry crushed herb per glass of boiling water, cook over low heat for 5 minutes, remove from heat, filter after 30 minutes. Externally, in the form of lotions, it is used to treat eczema and lichen.
In the treatment of chronic eczema and dermatoses, in addition to external use of the decoction, it is advisable to take an infusion of the following collection internally: 2 parts of dry crushed goat's rue herb; 2 parts of dry crushed leaves of silver birch, 2 parts of dry crushed leaves of blueberry; 3 parts of dry crushed leaves of the three-leaved watch; 3 parts dry crushed corn silk; 3 parts of dry crushed violet trifoliate herb; 3 parts of dry crushed motherwort pentaloba herb; 3 parts of dry crushed yarrow herb.
One and a half tablespoons of this collection are poured into 300 ml of boiling water, left for 30 minutes, filtered, and squeezed. Take half a glass 3 rubles. a day 20 minutes before meals.

Collection used for diabetes mellitus. To prepare the collection, take in equal quantities: dry crushed herb of the goat's rue (galega), dry crushed herb of the common mantle, dry crushed herb of the sage, dry crushed leaf of the medicinal sage. 1 tablespoon of the mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water, left for 40 minutes, filtered. Take a third of a glass 3 times a day.

Warning. Goat's rue officinalis is poisonous plant, so the dosage should be observed. This plant can help increase blood pressure, and also cause disruptions in intestinal function.

The herb galega officinalis is known to many people suffering from such a terrible disease as diabetes. For those who have never heard of this plant, we will tell you about its use in folk medicine, useful properties oh and contraindications.

Description

Galega officnalis is a perennial shrub from the legume family. This is a beautifully flowering, powerful, multi-stemmed plant, about one and a half meters high. The bush can have up to twenty stems. They are erect, tubular, hollow inside, painted green.

The leaves are large, odd-pinnate, petiolate, with stipules. Their length can reach twenty-five centimeters. The castings consist of fifteen pairs of leaves, elongated oval in shape. They are slightly pointed towards the top.

Galega officinalis blooms from early summer to mid-autumn. The flowers are light purple or pale blue, large, with long pedicels, resembling bells in shape. They form erect raceme-like inflorescences up to twenty centimeters long.

The root system of the plant is taprooted and powerful. The length of the root sometimes exceeds eighty centimeters, while having numerous horizontal processes from which new shoots appear.

After flowering, Galega officinalis forms fruits - erect beans with five to eight kidney-shaped, smooth seeds of a yellowish-green color, hard to the touch. Full ripening of the fruit occurs in September.

Usage

All parts of the plant (leaves, flowers, roots) are used for medicinal purposes, despite the fact that galega officinalis (goat's rue) is a poisonous plant. It is important to know and follow the dosage of drugs based on this herb.

Spreading

The plant Galega officinalis is heat-loving, so it can often be found in Ukraine, Moldova and the southern regions of Russia. It grows along roadsides, in meadows, forest edges, in mountain steppes, and along river banks.

Procurement and storage of raw materials

Plants collected along roads are unsuitable for making medicines. Raw materials are harvested during flowering, carefully cutting off the stems with a sharp knife. The most commonly used flowers are top part stem. Select only fresh green stems of the plant.

Immediately after harvesting, cut them into small pieces. Drying is done in the shade, with good ventilation (under a canopy or in the attic). Bags made of natural fabric or paper are suitable for storage. The storage period should not exceed one year. After this period, the grass loses its healing properties.

The fruits are collected in different time, as it matures. They are peeled and the seeds are dried in the shade. Shelf life - twenty-four months. The roots are well cleaned and washed with running water and cut into small pieces. The roots should be dried in the shade, under a canopy, but it is better within a storage period of no more than two years.

Medicine known since ancient times

Galega officinalis has been used since ancient times as healing agent. Initially, the plant’s ability to increase lactation was noticed. They began to use it by adding it to livestock feed to increase milk yield. The plant received its second name - goat's rue - for the same reason.

After some time, the diuretic and diaphoretic properties of the herb were revealed, which made it possible traditional healers use it widely in your practice.

Chemical composition

Today, galega officinalis has already been quite well studied. It includes:

• alkaloids;
• triterpenoids;
• peganine;
• carbohydrates;
• vasicinone;
• pipecolic and ascorbic acids;
• flavonoids;
• routine;
• carotene;
• bitterness;
• phenolcarboxylic acids.

The seeds of the plant contain:

• steroids;
• sucrose;
• stachyosis;
• alkaloids;
• saponins;
• stearic, palmitic, linoleic acids.

Galega officinalis: application

Traditional medicine does not use this herb, but traditional healers use it quite successfully as an anthelmintic and diaphoretic. Galega gives good result when used as a means for lactation during breastfeeding. It improves fluid movement and, as a result, breast milk production.

Galega for diabetes

Undoubtedly, galega cannot completely replace medications for the treatment of such a serious disease, and it is not worth conducting experiments, refusing drug treatment.

But as aid Galega officinalis herb is used quite successfully for diabetes mellitus. The plant is effective in the initial stages of type 2 diabetes mellitus, when insulin has not yet been used. For diabetes, not only the hypoglycemic effect of galega, that is, the ability to lower blood sugar levels, is useful. It increases the sensitivity of internal tissues to glucose. As a result, sharp jumps blood sugar

The plant galega officinalis helps in another important process in the diabetic body. As you know, the liver contains glucose storage - glycogen. If there is not enough energy and there is nowhere to get it from, then they come to the rescue hidden reserves. It is these invaluable reserves that galega helps create for diabetes. In addition, galega officinalis tones smooth muscles. This helps strengthen blood vessels and remove harmful cholesterol.

Food additive

To enhance the effect drug therapy and disease prevention, doctors often recommend using biologically active additives based on galega. They are a source of tannins and flavonoids, which have an antisclerotic and vascular strengthening effect on the body, and are effective means, which normalizes glucose levels in diabetes mellitus.

These additives include:

• burdock root;
• nettle;
• dandelion root;
• dried carrots, fructose, rose hips.

Who benefits from these supplements?

Recipes for preparing preparations from galega. Decoction

Pour two tablespoons (tablespoons) of dry crushed herbs into 500 ml of water. Boil the resulting composition in an enamel pan for twenty minutes. Strain through a sieve, add boiled water to a volume of 500 ml. The decoction should be consumed 1/2 cup before meals. After the first use, check your blood for sugar - the dosage can be reduced or increased.

Herbal decoction

You will need 25 grams of galega grass, bean pods, nettle leaves and dandelion root. Pour 250 ml of boiling water over the herb and let it brew for 30 minutes. Take two tablespoons (tablespoons) three times a day.

Diuretic decoction

The seeds of the plant are used (10 grams). They are poured with one glass of water and boiled for five minutes. Take 1/2 cup twice a day.

Use of juice

Fresh juice from the plant is used as antiseptic. They can be used to wash ulcers and wounds, rinse the throat or mouth. To do this, squeeze the juice from fresh grass and dilute it with water by one third.

Contraindications

As you can see, galega officinalis has many beneficial properties. It also has contraindications. Herbalists warn that the herb has toxic properties. Therefore, any treatment must begin with a visit to the doctor, who will find out whether you can take drugs based on it and prescribe the required dosage.

Nursing mothers who take Galega should be especially careful to improve lactation. Overdose may lead to harmful substances into milk, which will affect the baby’s health. The main contraindications for galega include:

• pregnancy;
• hypotension and hypertension;
• individual intolerance.

When treating with galega, it should be taken into account that it can disrupt the intestinal microflora. Therefore, to restore it, you may need a wellness course after the end of treatment.

Applications in other areas

Galega has long been recognized as an excellent honey plant. This plant produces the same amount of nectar as sainfoin. From one hectare of galega, bees collect about two hundred kilograms of nectar. Besides the fact that Galega is medicinal plant, an excellent honey plant, a valuable fodder crop, it can be used for food. In the Caucasus, this plant is used as a seasoning. Salads with young leaves of the plant are useful for nursing mothers.