Trefoil: therapeutic properties and contraindications

Three-leafed cottonwood is the only species that represents the Wax family. This plant has been popular in folk medicine since ancient times, so it has a lot of folk and unofficial names. The vahta is referred to as the disease herb, the female toadstool, or the feverfew. This plant has many useful properties and a wide range of applications. To use the power of this herb, you need to know its chemical composition and methods of application.

Chemical composition

Three-leaved frankincense is an unusual plant in all senses. This herb contains a huge number of unique active substances, which together affect the body, stimulate the biological processes taking place in it, contribute to the restoration of tissues and organs. Due to the presence of minerals and vitamins, frankincense normalizes metabolic processes, has a beneficial effect on the immune system.

The composition of this plant includes such substances:

• up to 7% of tannins of different types;
• flavonoids of plant type - trifolin, rutin, hyperoside;
• three types of alkaloids;
• triterpenoids: betulinic acid and its derivatives;
• pectins;
• cholines and saponins, inulin;
• bitternesses;
• organic acids;
• Iodine and selenium in high concentration;
• ascorbic acid and B vitamins;
• coumarins;
• plant steroids and sterols.

And, also organic glycosides - sveroside, meliatin and meniatin, loganetin, loganin, dihydrofoliamentin.

All substances that are contained in the frankincense are presented in a bioavailable form, that is, easily and easily absorbed by the body. Some of the active ingredients that are in this plant, complement the action of each other, that is, create a synergistic effect. According to a study of the chemical composition of all parts of the plant, the highest concentration is observed in the leaves.

What it looks like and where it grows

Trefoil is a plant that is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but not evenly. In regions with the greatest number of fresh standing water bodies, the herb is found many times more often. In regions where there are few marshes, lakes, and ponds, the three-leafed barnacle is in short supply. The plant is most common in forest marshes, it can often be found in the thickets of dried up lakes and ponds, and is sometimes found near forest streams.

Trefoil prefers peaty soil with a rich mineral composition and soaks up the maximum of useful substances from the soil. The remaining components are synthesized in different parts of the plant in the process of growth and development under the influence of ultraviolet rays.

The buckwheat three-leaf is a plant that has a perennial cycle of development. To be able to distinguish it from other herbs, you need to know the basic botanical characteristics:

1. The rhizome is long, creeping with multiple filamentous offshoots.
2. The plant itself is 8-10 to 20-25 cm tall.
3. The stems are deciduous, with thick leafless peduncles.
4. Leaves are long-stalked, ternate, with an emarginate edge, bright green in color.
5. Inflorescences are pail-shaped, consisting of small flowers in beige or light pink hues.
6. Fruits are capsules with seeds (up to 10 pieces).

You can observe the flowering of the tricolored frond at the end of spring or during the first month of summer. The fruits fully mature in August. If you must collect the seeds it is best to do so before the rains start to fall.

Gathering and storing

It is important to know the rules of harvesting medicinal raw materials, so you can do it yourself. In fact, the frankincense is a plant that is not available in every pharmacy. Despite the fact that it is considered very valuable, it is still not used en masse. It is important to follow the basic rules of collection:

1. Choose places near a standing water body, swamp, where peaty soils.
2. Make sure there are no toxic, polluting facilities or highways with heavy traffic nearby.
3. Find out whether the radiation background in the place of raw material harvesting is normal.
4. Wait until the blooming phase of the fennel plant is over.
5. Only cut mature leaves, about 3 cm long, along with the petioles.
6. Be careful not to crush them.

It is desirable to collect the leaves carefully, so that they are not wet and dirty, as the raw material is not desirable to wash before drying. But if you had to wash it, it is worth wiping each leaf with a paper towel. Dry the harvested raw material in the shade, spread out on a newspaper or on a cloth in a thin layer. Ready, dry leaves are crushed and packed in cardboard boxes or in jars for storage. The maximum duration of use of raw materials - 2 years.

Therapeutic properties of fennel three-leaf

Three-leaf cottonwood is a valuable natural medicine that will help with a variety of problems. The rich composition of the plant is the main reason for its many useful properties, which can be used in gastroenterology, urology, dermatology and other areas. This is what the three-leaved frond is capable of when used properly:

1. Liquefies bile and dissolves stones in the gallbladder, tones the walls of this organ, improving the excretion of the enzyme.
2. Stimulates appetite, makes the process of digestion more efficient.
3. Eliminates increased gas, helps to cope with constipation, improves intestinal peristalsis.
4. Eliminates inflammation when used topically on the skin and mucous membranes, promotes rapid recovery from infectious intestinal diseases.
5. Helps to cope with purulent wounds, trophic ulcers and furuncles, effective for acne and other types of skin problems.
6. Activates the healing process of stomach and intestinal ulcers, accelerates the regeneration of mucous membranes.
7. It has a pronounced analgesic and antispasmodic effect, helps even with a pronounced pain syndrome.
8. It is effective for migraines due to alkaloids that inhibit functioning of the pain center in the brain.
9. It helps to cope with seizures, is used in epilepsy.

The herb is also used in various gynecological diseases, in urological practice. To date, some of the medicinal properties of this plant have become a subject of research for figures of science, some of them have already received proof, with the rest scientists are working. It is possible that very soon this plant will bring a lot of interesting discoveries in traditional medicine and will be used not only by herbalists.

Trefoil in traditional medicine

There are traditional recipes that have been used in herbal medicine for more than the first century. Ever since the useful properties of this plant became known, herbalists have been searching for different uses that could maximize the therapeutic potential of the frankincense. This has resulted in clear patterns of use and prescriptions for each disease.

Treatment of gums and stomatitis

Due to its disinfecting, regenerating and restorative properties, the three-leafed fennel is able to help with diseases of the oral cavity. This plant quickly copes with bleeding and inflamed gums, it is used for inflamed teeth, if there is severe pain, can alleviate the condition. You can use this herb in these ways.

1. Take 1 tablespoon of alcohol tincture, dissolve in 100 ml of cold boiled water, use to rinse the mouth every 2-3 hours. You will need 3-7 days to achieve results.
2. Boil a glass of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of dried leaves. When the remedy is infused, strain it and rinse your mouth 3-4 times a day.
3. With severe bleeding gums, put on the sore spot a piece of absorbent cotton soaked in vodka tincture, which must first be dissolved in boiled water, in a ratio of 1:1.

If the disease struck in the growing season of the herb, you can take fresh leaves, rinse thoroughly under cold water and squeeze through a garlic peeler. Rub the fresh juice with the pulp into the gum, doing it 2-3 times a day. It is important to wash your hands well with soap and water before this procedure to avoid infection.

If you have a sore throat

If the tonsils are inflamed and the cause of the disease is a bacterial infection, it is necessary to see a doctor. It is dangerous to rely only on folk remedies, because there is a risk of serious complications, for example, sore throat can develop into a chronic disease. But you can use fennel three-leaf as a supplement to the main therapy.

This plant contains a record amount of iodine. It replaces many local remedies containing this element. To use in inflammation of the tonsils three-leaf berries, you need to take a glass of boiling water, steep it 1 tablespoon of grass, keep the infusion under a closed lid for 1 hour. After that, use the resulting medication for gargling. In the initial stage, you can take 1 tablespoon of vodka tincture, dilute 50 ml of purified water and gargle with such a means 5-6 times a day. The inflammatory process will stop in 2 days, and the throat will be healthy.

Wound treatment

The leaves of the frankincense trifoliate help to cope with rotting wounds, they are used as a powerful healing agent for diabetic ulcers that can take years to heal. It is important to use this herb properly. To treat wounds that take a long time to heal, you need to prepare an oil extract from the fresh leaves of the plant. The remedy is effective and can be stored long enough.

To create a cure for wounds, you need to take 250 ml of purified vegetable oil. You can use sunflower or olive oil. You need to heat it to 80 degrees in a saucepan or other stainless steel bowl, it does not degrade the properties of the product. The hot oil pour 3 tablespoons of vegetable raw materials, put in a dark, warm place for a week. After the product is infused, use it twice a day for compresses. The duration of the procedure - at least 30 minutes.

With diarrhea

Three-leaf cottonwood can quickly and effectively cope with diarrhea. It helps not only to stop the disorder, but also eliminates its cause - poisoning or gastrointestinal infections. To quickly cope with diarrhea, you need to act according to these instructions:

• Bring 1 liter of water to a boil;
• Add to the container 3 tablespoons of herbs;
• Boil for 5-6 minutes;
• Turn off, infuse for 30 minutes and strain;
• drink every hour to 50 ml.

This remedy is quite bitter. Sometimes it can provoke episodes of vomiting if used to treat diarrhea caused by food poisoning. Therefore, it is extremely important to drink a lot. You can use pharmacy solutions that restore water-salt balance (such as Regidron), or simply mix water with a small amount of kitchen salt and take 20-30 ml every 10 minutes. If you cannot stop the diarrhea within 2 hours, this is a reason to call an ambulance, as you are severely dehydrated. In such situations, the condition can only be stabilized by intravenous administration of drugs, because they will not be absorbed in the inflamed intestine.

For the gallbladder and liver

The liver and gallbladder are also treated with the help of the three-leaf broom. This plant helps to cope with inflammation in viral hepatitis, cleanses the liver and gallbladder with congestion, fatty disease. For prevention, it can be used as a powerful hepatoprotector. It helps to neutralize the damage from drinking alcohol, smoking, stress, fatty and junk food.

The way of taking it differs depending on the diagnosis:

1. With chronic cholecystitis - 1 teaspoon of vodka tincture 2 times a day for a month.
2. With viral hepatitis - 50 ml of vodka infusion before each meal, treated for 3 weeks.
3. With fatty liver disease - 3 times a day 2 tablespoons of strong decoction made from the leaves and rhizome of the cottonwood.

You can use this plant for rapid recovery after a binge. It promotes urgent regeneration of liver cells, supports its function, and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system in the process of weaning from alcohol dependence.

In inflammation of the intestines.

Colitis and enterocolitis, as well as food toxic infections - these are diseases in which the three-leaved berries are more effective than ever. You can use it as the main component of complex therapy, because it copes better than many drugs. To eliminate intestinal inflammation, the following recipes are used.

1. Boil in a pot with boiling water (2 liters) ½ cup of crushed dried leaves of the plant. Infuse until it cools, strain well and use 500 ml for enemas 2 times a day.
2. Prepare a weak infusion of the plant - 1 teaspoon per 600 ml of water. Keep the medication under a lid for 2-3 hours, strain and drink 150 ml 4 times a day, the next day prepare a fresh medication.
3. Take 20 grams of dry rhizomes, boil in 400 ml of steam bath for 20 minutes, then insist and drink 50 ml every 3-4 hours.

It is important to eat right during treatment. It is necessary to completely exclude fatty and spicy foods, it is strictly forbidden to use in the diet foods that contain acid. Optimal options are light cereals rich in gluten (rice, oats, wheat), mashed potatoes, soups. It is necessary to replenish the loss of minerals, drink water with bicarbonate composition 2-3 times a day.

In tuberculosis.

You can use cottonwood three-leaf and in the treatment of such a serious disease as pulmonary tuberculosis. It is important to understand that this plant is effective precisely for lung diseases. If the Koch's bacillus has affected the bones or lymph nodes, the use of the herb will be ineffective. To harness the power of the plant, you can use these recipes:

1. Brew a mug (250 ml) of boiling water 1 tablespoon of herb and drink 5 times a day for 50 ml, when infused.
2. Pour medical alcohol (200 ml) 4 tablespoons of leaves, leave for 3 weeks and drink 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
3. Pour boiling oil (300 ml) 2 tablespoons of herbs, kept in a closed container for 2 weeks, and then use to rub the chest.

In the treatment of tuberculosis, much depends on a person's diet. In addition to the main treatment, it is important to eat fatty fish as often as possible. It is also necessary to include foods rich in antioxidants in the diet, and walk outdoors more often.

For hemorrhoids

To cure hemorrhoids, you can use an ointment made on the basis of cottonwoods. For preparation, you need to use pork lard in an amount of 200 grams. Melt it in a thick-walled cauldron, melt with 20 grams of dry herbs for 40 minutes in an oven or over low heat, then strain and pour into a jar. Use the ready-made ointment for rubbing in hemorrhoids in the morning and evening, as well as for making therapeutic tampons (soak pieces of absorbent cotton with it and apply to the sore spot).

You can increase the effectiveness of treatment by using an infusion of the plant internally along with the application of ointment. To prepare an infusion for 3 days you need to take 1 liter of water and pour ½ cup of dried leaves, soak for 3 hours. Strain and drink 50 ml 3 times a day.

From varicose veins

Varicose veins - an insidious disease that can even lead to disability, if you do not treat it. This plant helps best in the initial stages, when the meshes of veins on the skin are just beginning to appear. The following four recipes can be used for treatment.

1. Take 5 liters of warm boiled water, 100 grams of fresh leaves, grind them on a meat grinder. Add the resulting pulp with juice to the water. Pour into a narrow bucket and keep your feet in it for 15 minutes every day.
2. Take 50 grams of dry grass, boil 4 liters of boiling water, wait until the solution cools, and use for baths.
3. Take 100 ml of vodka tincture, soak this liquid in bandages and bandage the affected areas of the body, walk this way for at least 2 hours and then rest. Repeat the procedure every day.
4. Boil 1 tablespoon leaves of buckthorn leaves with a glass of boiling water. Take the resulting infusion of 1 teaspoon 4 times a day for 3 weeks.

For busy people who find it difficult to do such procedures every day, pharmacists produce ointments based on this plant. They can also be used in the treatment, but only after consulting a doctor. It is important to understand that fennel three-leaf is effective only at that stage, when the varicose veins are not joined by a thrombosis. If they have already begun to form blood clots, it is strictly forbidden to use this plant, it can only do harm.

From allergies

Three-leaf cottonwood has a beneficial effect on the health of the skin, so it is used for dermatitis, which has an allergic nature of occurrence. This plant can be used for children over 12 years of age, although in ancient times it was used even for bathing infants with sweating. But modern pediatricians do not recommend doing so because of the too high concentration of iodine and selenium in the leaves.

To defeat allergies, you need to use an infusion of dried leaves of this plant as a basis for compresses. Brew 2 cups of boiling water and 1 tablespoon of dry collection, insist in a closed container (you can take a thermos for this purpose) for 2 hours. The resulting liquid is strained, soak with it a bandage folded in triplicate, and put a compress on the affected allergic skin rash. Repeat daily in the evenings until results are achieved (no more than 14 days). If the rash has affected a large area of the skin or is present all over the body, you need to take a bath with the infusion. Brew a glass of raw material in 3 liters of boiling water and use by adding it to the bathing water.

Types of healing compositions

Prepare medicines from the frankincense can be prepared in a variety of ways, but the most popular forms are considered vodka tincture and aqueous infusion. These recipes for a long time have confirmed their effectiveness, moreover, with their help it is possible to extract the maximum of useful substances from the plant raw material.

Infusion

An aqueous infusion is a universal remedy that can be used for a variety of diseases, from angina to viral hepatitis. To prepare an aqueous infusion, you need to take 300 ml of water and 1 tablespoon of crushed dry herbs.

Steep the dry herb in a clean container with a lid. After that, soak the medicine for 2 hours, and then strain and store in the refrigerator. Drink such an infusion strictly before a meal, 10-15 minutes, because it stimulates the production of digestive enzymes. If you do not eat after taking the medicine, heartburn, stomach pain, abdominal cramps and diarrhea may occur. If you systematically take the tincture of the three-leaf broom improperly, you can earn gastritis and even peptic ulcer disease of the stomach.

Tincture

Alcoholic tincture is also prepared from the leaves of the plant, and you can make it not only from dry raw materials. Often to create an extract, fresh leaves are taken, then the tincture turns out to be most effective for external use. To make a cure, you need to act according to the following instructions:

1. Take 1 cup of crushed leaves.
2. Wash and dry a liter glass jar or bottle of dark glass.
3. Pour in a container of raw materials, fill to the top with vodka and close with a lid.
4. Keep in a place where sunlight does not reach, at least 2 weeks.
5. Strain through absorbent cotton or gauze, cork and store in a cool place no longer than 2 years.

It is extremely rare to use the rhizome of the plant to create an alcoholic tincture. If you need to cope with stagnant bile and cure fatty liver disease, Tibetan medicine uses just the rhizome of the plant. It is insisted on vodka for 2 weeks. Take 20 grams of crushed, dried at 40 degrees for 1 liter of raw materials.

Contraindications for use

Trefoil must be used only after consulting with your doctor, especially if there are chronic diseases. It is strictly forbidden to take remedies made from this plant to those who are allergic to it. With great caution use fennel buckthorn in such diseases:

• Acute pancreatitis with cholecystitis;
• thrombosis;
• Liver dysfunction, cirrhosis in its last stages;
• severe renal and heart failure;
• neuroinfections.

Medics prohibit the use of the medicinal frankincense, as well as many other herbal remedies, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Nevertheless, in folk medicine taki use this herb, but only externally, for example, to treat skin diseases, with allergies. Also the infusion of frankincense is used in inflammation of the breast of a nursing mother, from it make compresses on the breasts 2 times a day. But it is important to consult a doctor, because the plant contains alkaloids, which are extremely toxic for the baby.

The buckwheat is a powerful medicine, created by nature itself. If there are no contraindications, it can be used as part of a complex therapy for gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases, urological infections, stomatitis and other problems. But it is important to remember that exceeding the dosage or violation of the rules of application can be dangerous to health!

Photo of the tricolored cottonwood