A shepherd's purse is a healing plant that resembles a shepherd's purse. Culture is widely used for medical purposes and is included in the list of medicinal plants. The shepherd's bag has some contraindications to use, therefore, before starting therapy, you should carefully study the enclosed instructions.
Features and medicinal value
Among gardeners, shepherd's purse is considered a weed, as it can grow on any soil. The plant is completely unpretentious and can grow even on roofs of houses and in asphalt cracks. The shepherd's bag blooms with small flowers in the form of balls, which are collected in umbrellas.
The shepherd's bag contains:
inositol;- choline;
- organic acids;
- flavonoids;
- rutin;
- quercetin glycosides;
- potassium;
- macro and microelements.
inositol;The beneficial properties of such a plant are known since ancient times, when it was used as a styptic.
Such a culture has the following effect on the body:
- antifebrile;
- hemostatic;
- astringent;
- blood purifying;
- diuretic;
- wound healing;
- vasodilator.
The plant is widely used in gynecology as a hemostatic agent, as well as in the treatment of pulmonary, renal and intestinal bleeding. To date, shepherd's purse is present in the composition of almost all drugs with hemostatic effect.
Anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties of the plant are especially in demand in the treatment of pathologies of the urinary system and kidneys. Medicines containing a shepherd's bag help cleanse the blood of toxic substances and slags, which significantly improves the patient's well-being in cancer.
The plant is widely used in the treatment of diseases of the digestive system and helps to normalize peristalsis and stools in a short time. In addition, funds with a shepherd's bag are highly effective in the healing of ulcers and erosions, as well as help to quickly stop inflammation of the mucous membranes.
Acceptance of infusions and decoctions based on the plant helps to normalize the work of the heart and vascular system in the elderly, to stabilize the pressure. With the external use of drugs reduces swelling and bleeding wounds on the skin and mucous membranes. In gynecological practice, shepherd's purse is used in case of failures of the menstrual cycle and during menopause, which is accompanied by flushing and bleeding.
How to harvest and use
It is recommended to harvest the plant during its flowering, that is, from April to the very autumn. During this period, you can notice the appearance on the culture of flowers and triangular small pods that resemble hearts.
It is best to harvest a bag with a shepherd in dry weather, away from highways. This is due to the fact that any culture absorbs all harmful substances from the air.
When harvesting raw materials it is necessary to cut off the upper part of the plant with flowers and leaves and put them in a pile or in baskets. It should be remembered that cut plants change color too quickly and can become covered with mold, therefore, immediately after collection, they must be transferred to the place of drying.
The collected raw materials should be spread out on a cloth or paper in a thin layer in a shaded place with good ventilation. The dried plant has a faint odor and has a bitter taste. It is recommended to keep the shepherd's bag in fabric bags or paper boxes in a dry, cool place for no more than 2-3 years.
The use of shepherd's bag in folk medicine
At home, shepherd's bags can be used to make tea, tinctures, decoctions, but provided there are no contraindications to them. It should be remembered that for the preparation of medicines it is necessary to use only fresh or dried plants that are collected in a clean place.
To prepare medicinal tea, you need 2 teaspoons of vegetable raw materials, pour 200 ml of hot water and filter after 10 minutes. This tea is recommended to drink daily several times a day for 1 glass.
To prepare the infusion, you need a tablespoon of herbs, pour a glass of hot water and leave for 1 hour in a thermos. After the tool you need to filter and drink several times a day for 10 ml.
Broth based on healing culture can be prepared according to the following scheme:
- Pour 2 tablespoons of dry plant into a bowl and pour a glass of boiling water over it.
- put the mixture on the fire, boil no more than 1 minute and leave to infuse for half an hour;
- cooked broth and use for compresses and lotions.
On the basis of the plant, you can prepare an alcoholic tincture according to a proven recipe:
- mix the dry plant with 70% alcohol in the proportion of 1:10 and put the mixture for insisting for 2 weeks in a dark place;
- After a while, the infusion needs to be drained and taken 20-30 drops several times a day before meals, pre-mixed with a teaspoon of water.
To make a shepherd's bag, you must chop the fresh plant thoroughly and squeeze the liquid out of it. Such juice is recommended to be diluted with water in the ratio 1: 2 and to drink 3 times a day, 40 drops each.
Shepherd's bag is widely used in cosmetology, because it has a whole set of useful properties. With the help of decoctions and infusions on the basis of such a plant, it is possible to cope with rashes on the face during adolescence, as well as to restore dry, irritated and inflamed skin. To do this, you need to prepare an infusion of dry grass, Bay 3 tablespoons of raw 500 ml of boiling water. The prepared tool must be cooled, poured into ice molds and used daily to wipe the face.
Herb in gynecological practice
Many female diseases are treated with a plant like a shepherd's purse.
In gynecological practice, this culture is used:
- with abundant whites from the genitals;
- with endometriosis;
- in the inflammatory process in the vaginal mucosa;
- with painful periods with heavy bleeding;
- in the premenopausal period;
- with uterine atony.
For the treatment of gynecological pathologies, infusions, decoctions, extracts and plant juice are used. Most often, shepherd's bag is prescribed to women who have too heavy periods. Thanks to her, she is able to reduce the volume of blood secreted, normalize the menstrual cycle and get rid of pain. In addition, the reception of funds based on this drug culture allows you to restore the level of hormones in the female body.
As part of the plant contains many nutrients that normalize the tone of the reproductive organ and the condition of the muscles, as well as narrowing the peripheral vessels. Another useful property of the plant is the ability to compensate for the iron that the female body loses during menstruation.
With abundant white hair, it is recommended not only to ingest the infusion, but also to perform douching.
To make a decoction you need:
mix shepherd's bag, nettles, yarrow and birch leaves;- in a bowl pour a tablespoon of such a mixture and pour it with a liter of water;
- put the resulting mass on a small fire, simmer for 30 minutes, then infuse for an hour;
- strain the prepared preparation and apply it to douching the vagina several times during the day.
mix shepherd's bag, nettles, yarrow and birch leaves;In the treatment of endometriosis, a handful of dry leaves of the plant pour 100 ml of white wine. After 14 days, strain and drink a tablespoon several times during the day.
Despite the fact that the shepherd's bag is strictly forbidden to use during pregnancy, after birth, it can bring many benefits. Drugs based on this component are widely used for various types of bleeding, as the plant helps to activate the blood coagulation system. To use shepherd's purse is often resorted to when uterine bleeding that occurs after childbirth. The plant helps to quickly stop the release of blood, eliminate pain and cope with inflammation.
Contraindications
As part of the shepherd's bag there are no toxic components, so the plant can be added to spring salads. Ripened seeds give a rich shade to vegetable broths, and the plant can successfully compete with mustard and pepper in a set of useful substances. The main contraindication to the use of shepherd's purl is considered individual intolerance.
Take inside the juice, tinctures and teas with the addition of a medicinal plant is not allowed for some pathologies, accompanied by increased blood clotting.
It is necessary to refuse treatment:
- with thrombocytosis;
- with varicose veins;
- during hypercoagulation;
- with hemorrhoids.
An absolute contraindication to therapy by means of a shepherd's purse is pregnancy at any time.
A shepherd's purse is considered a medicinal plant, which has a mass of beneficial properties. However, to achieve a positive effect will be obtained only if the instructions and recommendations of the doctor are followed.
