Medunitsa officinalis - medicine, which is used throughout the world to treat various respiratory conditions, including coughs, colds, and bronchitis. This medicinal plant is also used for the treatment gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease and urinary tract.
Lungwort is one of the first plants that blooms in early spring immediately after snowdrops. Its leaves can be eaten both raw, added to salads, and boiled. But still, the main use of lungwort is as an expectorant and sedative (relieves irritation of the mucous membranes).
Description of lungwort
The name of the genus lungwort comes from the Latin Pulmoa and means "easy". The name of this genus was first given by the German botanist L. Fuchs. It got its name from the similarity of its leaves with human lungs. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that medicinal value of any plant lies precisely in the similarity of this plant with certain human organs.
But in our country this grass is traditionally called lungwort, regardless of the genus. She received this name for the sweet nectar that her flowers secrete. This grass has other names depending on its habitat. So, somewhere it is called "medunka", "medunica". People have always loved this flower with respect for its beautiful appearance. There is also such a name as the primrose of Jerusalem or Jerusalem primrose.
Lungwort medicinal is a low herbaceous plant, about 30 centimeters high and belongs to the genus lungwort of the borage family. It grows wild throughout the world in many temperate countries. We mainly meet Lungwort obscure, Lungwort narrow-leaved and Lungwort soft. In the Kaliningrad region, the lungwort grows.
Lungwort can be found in forests, among bushes, on the slopes of ravines. She loves shady and damp places.
The main difference between the lungwort and this whole genus is the ability to change the color of the flowers, which at the beginning of flowering are light pink or pink and turn blue or purple by the end of flowering. Flowers are often found on the same plant. different colors. This property is due to the presence of anthocyanins.
Lungwort has green heart-shaped leaves and pointed at the end with white or pale green spots. Top part The leaves of all types of lungwort are covered with small villi.
Lungwort is an excellent honey plant and bees and bumblebees love to visit it.
Lungwort grows in gardens and flower beds. Yet she is one of the most beautiful flowers.
The main medicinal part of the lungwort is the leaves. The leaves are odorless, but have a specific bitter taste.
But in traditional medicine For medicinal purposes, the roots and flowers of the plant are used. All types of lungwort can be used in medicinal purposes. But the medicinal lungwort has the best.
Useful properties of lungwort
Lungwort contains saponnins, caffeic acid derivatives, allantoin, flavonoids, such as quercetin, tannins, vitamins C and B, iron, copper, manganese, titanium, nickel, carotene. Lungwort also has a high mucus content, which is useful in the treatment of respiratory problems, bronchitis and asthma.
This herb has long been used as an antitussive. But lungwort also has other properties, such as:
sedatives;
Emollient;
Anti-inflammatory;
Diuretic.
Due to its composition, lungwort can be used to normalize metabolism, strengthen immunity, accelerate wound healing and relieve inflammation.
Lungwort flowers are useful for strengthening immunity, with bleeding and various inflammations. Collect them at the beginning of flowering, while they have not yet blossomed. On the flowers of the grass, you can make an alcohol tincture or brew it like a tea.
Less often, the roots of the plant are used in treatment. Lungwort root preparations can be used internally and externally. Inside they drink as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing agent. Treated with infusion and decoction of the roots of wounds, cuts, ulcers.
Medicinal properties of lungwort
The use of lungwort only as an expectorant for respiratory diseases is not limited.
Lungwort tea is used to treat diarrhea, hemorrhoids, coughs, asthma, flu, colds, bronchitis, hoarseness. Mild diuretic properties make possible application for the treatment of diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract.
A stronger decoction of lungwort can be used for pulmonary bleeding. A compress with a decoction of lungwort helps with increased thyroid gland, swelling with bruises and injuries.
It will also be useful for women. Preparations with lungwort are used for excessive bleeding during menstruation.
Due to the presence of allantoin, which is known for its wound healing properties, lungwort preparations can be applied topically in the form of compresses and lotions to treat skin problems such as eczema, burns, ulcers.
Once upon a time traditional healers used lungwort to treat debilitated children suffering from anemia.
For the treatment of tuberculosis, lungwort preparations were used together with badger fat or goat milk.
Lungwort is one of the earliest plants that can be eaten. In the spring, most people have a deficiency of vitamins. Salads with fresh young leaves (and flowers) are an excellent vitamin remedy.
If you are lucky enough to meet honey from a lungwort, do not hesitate to buy it. Although such honey is very rare. We do not grow lungwort as a honey plant. Therefore, bees collect only nectar from flowers in the forest or in the garden beds.
This honey has good medicinal properties. After all, the bees collect it not only to feed the uterus during the laying of eggs, but also to restore their strength after the winter.
Honey is an excellent remedy for coughs and colds, it is also rich in vitamins. Honey should always be diluted with tea or water. It has a very rich taste and can cause a sore throat, irritating the mucous membranes of the throat and mouth. 
Preparation and storage of lungwort
Medicinal raw materials are harvested during the flowering of lungwort. During this period, you can prepare flowers and grass leaves.
Dry raw materials under a canopy in a well-ventilated area away from sun rays. You can use an electric dryer for fruits and vegetables, setting the temperature no higher than 40 degrees.
Store dried raw materials in paper or cotton bags. Shelf life 2 years.
The use of lungwort officinalis in folk medicine
In folk medicine, lungwort is used in the form of decoctions, infusions, tinctures, teas. Lungwort is also used in powder form.
How to make a tincture with lungwort
Cut freshly picked flowers and leaves and place them in a bottle or jar, filling the container halfway. Pour in vodka to completely cover the grass. Close the lid and put in a dark warm place for 2 weeks. Shake the container daily.
Tincture is taken from 1 to 4 ml 3 times a day, previously diluted in a small amount of water.
When cooking alcohol tincture from the dried lungwort grass, the container is filled by one third. Further, the cooking process is the same as with fresh herbs.
Lungwort tincture on beer with honey
Pour two tablespoons of lungwort grass with 1 liter of natural beer. Add a tablespoon of natural honey to the saucepan. Put on the stove and boil over low heat until the mixture is reduced to half of the original volume. Strain.
Take this syrup in a tablespoon before meals 3 times a day.
Tincture on beer with honey can be taken for lung diseases, such as laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, with pneumonia not accompanied by complications.
If, during the treatment of tincture of lungwort, some inexplicable side effects stop drinking it. Do not take tincture during pregnancy and lactation.
How to prepare an infusion of lungwort
Pour one tablespoon of grass with a glass of boiling water and leave for 1.5-2 hours. Take a glass a day, divided into several doses.
Infusion of lungwort treat bronchitis, including chronic, drink it with hoarseness. Such a decoction is also used in the treatment of hemorrhoids, inflammatory diseases kidneys and urinary tract.
In gynecology, the infusion can be used to restore the microflora of the vagina. It will help relieve itching and irritation.
Decoction can be processed for a long time non-healing wounds and other skin lesions such as Like ulcers, wounds, boils.
After consultation with a doctor, infusion can be used to treat tuberculosis in children.
How to prepare a decoction of lungwort
The decoction is prepared in the same way as the infusion. After the grass has been poured with boiling water, you need to put it on the stove and boil for several minutes over low heat. Take a decoction of 100 ml 4 to 5 times a day.
A decoction of lungwort is used in the treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract, colds, gargle, diseases gastrointestinal tract as an anti-inflammatory, astringent, enveloping, expectorant.
A decoction prepared in a more concentrated form is used for douching with whites, various skin lesions are treated.
During the flowering of the lungwort, you can squeeze the juice out of it. Juice is taken 1 teaspoon 3 times a day with honey.
To preserve juice harvested in summer, vodka is used in the ratio of 1 part vodka to 1 part juice. Store in a closed container (preferably in a dark glass bottle) in the refrigerator.
Lungwort juice is an excellent remedy for many diseases. It can be drunk during the course of treatment of a number of oncological diseases, leukemia. Juice is especially useful for the treatment of anemia, as it contains elements that improve blood composition and help restore blood cells. 
The presence of iodine makes juice excellent remedy in diseases thyroid gland. Everyone knows the simple folk way use of iodine tincture as prophylactic. Lungwort juice can be used in the same way as iodine.
Lungwort juice has hemostatic properties.
When using juice preserved with vodka when taken orally, it must first be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 part juice to 10 parts water.
In powder form, lungwort is taken 1 teaspoon with milk.
How to make lungwort tea
To make tea, pour 1 tablespoon of herbs into 150 ml of boiling water and insist for 10-15 minutes. Strain after insisting. Lungwort tea is bitter in taste. Therefore, you need to add honey to it and acidify it. lemon juice. Drink tea with lungwort 3 times a day.
Lungwort contraindications
Unfortunately, the lungwort has not received much attention from scientists. Its effectiveness and safety cannot be fully confirmed or refuted with scientific point vision. The only thing that can be said in its favor is that this herb has been used by people as a medicine for many centuries.
Side effects may include stomach upset, prolonged bleeding and skin inflammation.
Do not take lungwort during pregnancy and breastfeeding. And the reason is that there is no scientific evidence about its effect on the body during this period of a woman's life. Before use, be sure to consult with your doctor about the advisability of treatment with lungwort.
You can not be treated with lungwort preparations for glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis.
Individual intolerance to this herb can also serve as a contraindication.
But in general, honeysuckle safe remedy that people have been using for hundreds of years.
Traditional medicine recipes with lungwort
For treatment, both lungwort herb alone and in collections are used. Below are recipes for the use of lungwort for the treatment of various diseases. Before use, consult with your doctor.
For the treatment of the upper respiratory tract
Breast collection with lungwort. Take 2 tablespoons of linden, calendula, tricolor violet, coltsfoot, pine buds, wild rosemary and elderberry flowers. Mix all herbs and chop.
For brewing, take 3 tablespoons of the collection and pour 3 cups of boiling water in a thermos. Leave for 8 hours. Drink an infusion of 100 ml several times a day.
This collection is taken for bronchitis with asthmatic complications.
Brew 2 tablespoons of lungwort grass with half a liter of boiling water and leave for 4 hours. Strain and drink 150-160 ml before meals 3 times a day. 
For the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, hemorrhoids
Collection 1. In equal proportions, the herb of chamomile, lungwort, yarrow, veronica, nettle, white willow leaves, lingonberry leaf. Pour two tablespoons of the collection in a thermos with 500 ml of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Strain and drink half a glass 3 times a day in a warm form.
Additionally, at night, put candles with apilac.
This collection can be taken with uterine fibroids. How additional procedure- douching and tampons with celandine infusion.
Collection 2. Take in equal proportions the herb of wormwood, sage, plantain, lungwort, centaury. Pour a tablespoon of collection into a glass hot water. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and boil in a water bath for 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Top up to the original volume and drink 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
Pour 10 grams of dry lungwort grass with 100 grams of boiling water. Leave for 2 hours and strain. Take 100 ml 2-3 times a day for diarrhea, hemorrhoids and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
In case of intestinal diseases, lungwort can be brewed with flax seeds, mixed in equal proportions.
Collection for bowel disease. 40 grams of lungwort, 100 grams of wild rose, 1 tablespoon of flax seed and 1 tablespoon of comfrey.
Pour a collection of 1 liter of water in a thermos and insist overnight. Strain and drink in small portions throughout the day.
For diseases of the joints
Collection. 4 parts of knotweed, 2 parts of marshmallow and bedstraw, 1 part of lungwort, veronica and hawthorn. Mix herbs. Take 3 teaspoons of the collection and pour 2 cups of hot water. Insist for half an hour and drink 100 grams after meals.
For the treatment of urinary tract and kidneys
Collection. Take one part of each herb: lungwort, plantain, sage, centaury and wormwood. Pour a tablespoon of crushed collection with 1 glass of water and add a tablespoon of honey. Boil over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool until room temperature and strain. I drink a decoction of a tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
Collection 2. Take in equal proportions lungwort grass, lingonberry leaf and black currant. Pour the collection in a thermos 500 ml of boiling water and leave for half an hour. You can insist in a jar or saucepan, wrapping it with a towel. Take 45 times 2 tablespoons before meals.
For non-healing wounds
Mash fresh lungwort leaves to extract the juice. Apply the resulting slurry to the affected area of \u200b\u200bthe skin or wound.
Vitamin salad with lungwort
For salad, take lungwort leaves, egg and green onions. Dress the salad with sour cream, butter or mayonnaise.
Also, the salad can be made with leaf lettuce, radish or radish.
In addition, leaves, and flowers, can be added to okroshka or cold soup, to cook green soup.
Watch this video and you will definitely recognize this beautiful lungwort flower
Thank you
At the beginning of spring, the forests are decorated with flowering lungwort– excellent early honey plant, beautiful and medicinal plant which has long been used to treat lung diseases. About it amazing plant and we will talk in this article, dwelling in detail on its healing properties, benefits and applications.
Description of the plant lungwort
Lungwort (or pulmonaria) is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant belonging to the borage family (Boraginaceae). Close "relatives" of the lungwort are forget-me-nots, brunners, umbilicals, and also borage.The scientific name of the genus Lungwort - Pulmonaria - is based on the Latin word "pulmon", which means "lung" in translation (this explains the popular names of the plant, including "lung" and "lung grass"). This name was given to the lungwort for the reason that the oval leaves of the plant in their shape resemble such an organ as the lungs.
At one time, Paracelsus developed the doctrine of signatures, the beginning of which was laid by Galen and Dioscorides. According to this doctrine, there is a relationship between living and inanimate nature, which is manifested by external similarity and is marked with special signs. So, nature itself shows appearance plants, for the treatment of which organ it can be used.
The Russian name of the genus "lungwort", used in the scientific literature, is due to the fact that representatives of the genus have honey-bearing properties, because the flowers of this plant contain a large number of nectar, not to mention the fact that lungwort is one of the earliest honey plants.
Interesting fact! Due to early flowering, lungwort, like some other plants, is called "snowdrop" in some regions of Russia.
What does a lungwort look like?
Medunka (this is another popular name for the plant) has a straight, but at the same time branched stem, which reaches a height of 30 - 80 cm. A fairly long grass root is distinguished by the presence of small tubers.The stem is covered with leaves, the upper ones are lanceolate-wedge-shaped, and the lower ones are oblong. I must say that the finely pointed leaves of the plant have a slight pubescence.
Lungwort flowers are collected in original paired small-flowered curls located on the tops of the stems, and the corolla of the flower most often has a funnel shape.
Lungwort can "boast" of two types of flowers, which differ not only in their structure, but also in shade. But everything is in order. And let's start with the structure of the flowers: for example, some flowers have, firstly, long columns of pistils that protrude from the corolla, and secondly, short stamens hidden in the depths of the corolla. Other flowers, on the contrary, are distinguished by short columns of pistils and long stamens. This kind the peculiarity of flowers makes it possible to prevent self-pollination, thereby making cross-pollination the most effective.
Let's move on to the colors of flowers collected in inflorescences.
According to legend, blue flowers lungworts are Adam's flowers, and pink ones are Eve's. Thus, the lungwort acts as a plant, symbolizing the unity of opposites.
But such a "neighborhood" has a more rational (scientific) explanation. The fact is that the lungwort contains plant pigments (or anthocyanins), which are responsible for the color of the petals. Due to the presence of anthocyanins in the plant, the flowers change their color in accordance with the acidity of the cell sap. So, in young flowers of a plant, the cell sap is acidic, as a result of which anthocyanins have a pink color. In the course of aging of flowers, the acidity of their juice decreases significantly, and therefore anthocyanins gradually turn blue.
The fruit of the lungwort is a crescent-shaped one-seeded bean.
Where does the lungwort grow?
All types of lungwort are found in the wild in the temperate zone of Eurasia, with the most extensive area occupied by soft lungwort, common from Western Europe and up to Asia Minor. Lungwort also grows in Eastern Siberia.Lungworts growing on the territory of broad-leaved and coniferous-broad-leaved forests prefer partial shade or shaded and cool areas. But this plant does not favor heat.
Lungwort is considered a relatively moisture-loving and cold-resistant plant, preferring sandy or loamy, alkaline or slightly acidic and loose soils that contain humus.
Interesting fact! It is in the shade that the beautiful pattern on the leaves of the lungwort is especially bright, while the flowers acquire a truly saturated color.
Types of herb lungwort
Modern pharmacology practically does not use lungwort, while traditional medicine, on the contrary, actively uses this plant, which contains a lot of substances, vitamins, macro- and microelements that are most useful for the human body.In total, the genus Medunitsa, according to various sources, has from 12 to 70 species, which are practically not preserved in their pure form due to the high pollination of the plant. For this reason, to this day, there is no clear structure in the systematics of this genus.
For medicinal purposes, three types of lungwort are used (medicinal, obscure, softest), which, in their own way, healing properties and composition are almost identical, and therefore are equally used in traditional medicine (all the recipes in this article can be prepared from one of the three listed types of lungwort). So, we will give a description of each of the indicated types, after which we will proceed to consider their properties and applications.
Lungwort obscure
This type of lungwort, which is also called the dark lungwort, is rightfully considered the most common in Eastern Europe. Lungwort obscure is a perennial with a fairly thick brown rhizome. Absolutely the entire plant is covered with stiff, standing and glandular hairs.
The ribbed and slightly bent stem of the dark lungwort rarely exceeds 30 cm in height. This plant blooms immediately after the snow melts, lifting its stems above the ground. As the flowering progresses, the stems of the plant increase, reaching a size of about 20 - 30 cm.
Green stem leaves, without spots, medium-sized and oblong.
The flowers of Lungwort obscure, collected in an inflorescence-curl, are concentrated at the end of the stem.
The dry fruits of this type of lungwort disintegrate in the process of ripening into four one-seeded nuts, and after the seeds ripen, absolutely the entire flowering shoot dies off together with the leaves, and the plant develops the so-called basal rosettes.
Mostly the flowers of the lungwort are of an unclear lilac color, although there are specimens with purple or white flowers.
Lungwort officinalis
Lungwort medicinal mainly grows in the forests of Central and Eastern Europe, in the British Isles. In Russia, this plant can be found in the Kaliningrad region. This perennial rhizomatous plant reaches a height of up to 30 cm, and has erect and hairy stems.
The leaves of the lungwort officinalis are covered with light spots, their length does not exceed 15 cm. The light spots on the foliage of the plant are a strongly loosened tissue, dotted with stomata. All lungwort leaves are rough and pubescent.
Flowers-bells, located at the ends of the stem, have a double perianth.
The fruit of the plant ripening in July is a nut with fairly fleshy appendages (the nuts have points at the ends).
The rhizome of this type of lungwort is very developed and quite thick.
Lungwort soft (softest)
This type of lungwort is common from Western Europe to Asia Minor, it is not rare in Eastern Siberia. The softest lungwort prefers light, moderately dry places and rich minerals soil. The roots of the softest lungwort have a powerful rhizome Brown and many adventitious roots.
The height of this plant varies between 10 - 50 cm, from other types of lungwort this species characterized by the presence of soft velvety and slightly sticky pubescence.
The stem, branched at the inflorescence, is erect and glandular in places.
The leaves of the soft lungwort gradually taper towards the petiole. It should be noted that upper side leaves glandular in places, while the lower one is velvety-pubescent and lighter. The leaves of the plant remain green until autumn.
The bisexual flowers of the plant, collected in fairly dense curls, have correct form and grow on glandular pedicels directly in the axils of the leaves.
The fruit of the lungwort is a dark brown nut.
Collection and storage
IN medicinal purposes both the aerial part of the lungwort and the roots of the plant are used.The aerial part is harvested during budding and flowering: for example, flowering shoots (possibly with leaves) are cut off near the soil itself, after which they are folded in small bunches and hung in a ventilated room to dry. You can also dry the raw materials in the sun or using dryers (the temperature should not exceed 40 degrees). It is important to dry the raw material quickly, which will help prevent its blackening.
The roots are collected and dried enough long time autumn.
After drying, it is advisable to grind all parts of the plant (grind) and grind into powder.
Dried raw materials are stored in dense fabric or paper bags.
flowering lungwort
The lungwort blooms in the second - fourth year of life, while on a brightened area the plant blooms earlier than in the shade (later the lungwort will bloom annually, fruiting and giving self-sowing).As mentioned above, the lungwort is one of those plants that appear in the forests with the advent of spring: for example, there is still snow in the damp hollows, while the bees actively collect pollen from the lungwort, gaining strength after a long winter.
Composition and properties of lungwort
AnthocyaninsAction:
- reduce the fragility of both capillaries and blood vessels;
- normalize the functions of the central nervous system;
- slow down the aging process;
- regulate metabolism;
- remove the inflammatory process;
- strengthen the heart muscle;
- eliminate bleeding of various origins;
- reduce the risk of developing cancer, as well as diabetes.
Action:
- prevent sclerotic lesions of capillaries;
- remove free radicals;
- normalize blood pressure;
- regulate heart rate;
- strengthen the vascular walls;
- have a calming effect on the nervous system;
- stimulate the functions of the adrenal cortex.
Action:
- regenerates and softens the skin;
- narrows enlarged pores;
- smoothes and moisturizes the skin;
- stimulates metabolic processes directly in tissues;
- helps retain moisture in top layer epidermis;
- actively renews cells;
- nourishes and moisturizes the hair roots, as well as the scalp.
Saponins
Action:
- contribute to increased secretion of bronchial glands;
- liquefy mucus;
- accelerate the synthesis of corticosteroids;
- excite the cough center;
- regulate water and salt exchanges;
- activate the activity of hormones;
- eliminate inflammation.
Action:
- relieve inflammation;
- promote sputum discharge;
- enhance the effect of certain drugs.
Action:
- beneficial effect on connective tissue, regenerating it;
- promotes wound healing;
- softens and eliminates inflammatory processes localized in the mucous membrane of the stomach, intestines, and also the oral cavity;
- removes toxins.
Action: - regulates oxidative and reduction processes of cellular respiration directly;
- strengthens capillaries;
- promotes the growth and development of bone tissue;
- strengthens the immune system;
- stimulates the production of adrenal hormones;
- normalizes the functions of the central nervous system, as well as endocrine glands;
- normalizes the process of hematopoiesis.
Carotene
Action:
- prevents the formation of tumors;
- regulates protein synthesis;
- normalizes metabolic processes;
- removes toxins and free radicals;
- prevents premature aging processes;
- strengthens the immune system;
- normalizes oxidative and reduction processes.
The main task of tannins is to form a biological film that protects body tissues from adverse chemical, bacterial and mechanical influences. Also, these substances significantly reduce capillary permeability and constrict blood vessels.
Rutin
Action:
- helps to reduce the fragility and permeability of capillaries;
- dissolves atherosclerotic plaques, thereby preventing the development of stroke and heart attack;
- accelerates the process of blood clotting;
- lowers arterial and intraocular pressure;
- significantly slows down the heart rate;
- promotes bile formation;
- stimulates the work of the adrenal cortex;
- eliminates puffiness;
- relieves allergies.
Action:
- relieve inflammation;
- eliminate gum disease;
- improve blood circulation;
- reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases;
- remove radionuclides from the body;
- accelerate the healing process;
- maintains skin elasticity;
- help strengthen blood vessels;
- accelerate the process of recovery of patients with oncological diseases.
Action:
- promotes an increase in the activity of enzymes;
- contributes to the full physical, mental and mental development;
- regulates functions of cardio-vascular system, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive, bone and muscle systems;
- enhances metabolic processes.
- normalize redox processes;
- normalize the work of the pancreas;
- prevent the formation of cancer cells;
- lower the concentration of cholesterol;
- normalize metabolism;
- synthesize thyroid hormone;
- normalize the work of the central nervous system;
- strengthen the skeleton;
- prevent the formation of kidney stones;
- eliminate swelling;
- stimulate the production of substances and enzymes necessary for normal human life;
- prevent the development of atherosclerosis;
- normalize pressure;
- relieve spasms;
- strengthen immunity;
- contribute to the formation of hemoglobin.
Lungwort properties
- Emollient.
- Astringent.
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Diuretic.
- Hemostatic.
- Wound healing.
- Antiseptic.
- Expectorant.
- Painkiller.
- Enveloping.
- Hemostatic.
The benefits of lungwort
1. Regulates the functioning of the endocrine glands.2. Promotes increased blood formation.
3. Stops bleeding.
4. Relieves inflammation.
5. Accelerates the process of wound healing.
6. Prevents the formation of blood clots.
7. Regulates alkaline-acid balance.
8. Purifies the blood.
9. Relieves pain syndrome.
10. Helps to expel mucus.
11. Normalizes work nervous system.
12. Stimulates the immune system, increasing the body's defenses.
13. Restores the deficiency of potassium and iodine in the body.
14. Activates sexual function.
15. Strengthens hair and promotes their growth.
16. Accelerates the treatment of malignant neoplasms.
Treatment with lungwort
Both above-ground and underground parts of lungwort are used in the treatment of the following list of diseases: - pulmonary tuberculosis;
- bleeding (menstrual, hemorrhoids, gastric, nasal);
- urolithiasis and kidney stones;
- cough;
- kidney inflammation;
- hoarseness;
- laryngitis;
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- bronchial asthma;
- haemorrhoids;
- anemia;
- purulent wounds;
- bloody urine;
- scrofula;
- female diseases of inflammatory origin;
- lichen planus;
- furunculosis;
- collagenoses;
- toothache and headache;
- scrofula;
- jade;
- hemoptysis;
- gastritis;
- radiation injury;
- whites;
- pneumonia;
- fluid accumulation;
- catarrh of the upper respiratory tract.
Flowers
This part of the plant is used for medicinal purposes to strengthen the immune system, eliminate bleeding and inflammation. Lungwort flowers collected in early April can be brewed as tea, or you can make an alcohol tincture.A liter jar is filled with one-third of the flowers of the plant, after which the container is filled to the top with vodka. The remedy is infused for two to three weeks, filtered and taken in 3 tsp. three times a day, diluted in 50 ml of boiled water.
Lungwort leaves
Fresh leaves of lungwort have hemostatic, wound healing, as well as astringent and antiseptic action, therefore, are used to treat wounds and skin diseases. To speed up the healing process of wounds, a slurry prepared from crushed leaves should be applied to the affected area of the skin. From the leaves and stems of the plant, decoctions, infusions and tinctures are prepared, used in folk medicine to treat the diseases listed above.
In addition, the leaves of the lungwort are edible, as a result of which they can be used to make salads and soups enriched with vitamins (by the way, in England, the lungwort was specially grown as a salad plant).
Lungwort Salad
Ingredients:
- fresh young leaves of lungwort - 250 g;
- green onions - 100 g;
- hard boiled egg - 1 pc.
Salad with lungwort and radish
Ingredients:
- fresh lungwort leaves - 200 g;
- radish - 200 g;
- sour cream - 40 g.
So simple yet delicious recipes(lungwort leaves taste like vermouth) will help strengthen the body, give strength and energy, enrich the body with vitamins.
Roots
Decoctions and infusions of tubers and roots of lungwort have a diuretic, anti-inflammatory and wound healing effect, they are indicated as internal and external agents in the treatment of inflammation of the rectum and mucous membranes, with skin lesions. An infusion from the roots of the plant is used for douching the vagina with whites.The use of lungwort
Tincture
Lungwort tincture will help to cope with bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, anemia.30 g of dry lungwort leaves are poured into 500 ml of vodka and infused for 14 days. A filtered agent is taken in 2 tsp. three times a day before meals.
Taking such a tincture will help enhance the antitumor effect by 20 - 60 percent. It also significantly reduces the severity of anemia.
Infusion
An aqueous infusion of lungwort is indicated for prolonged cough, hoarseness, hemorrhoids, childhood tuberculosis, inflammation of the kidneys and urolithiasis. Externally, the infusion is used to restore the vaginal microflora, as well as to treat skin diseases (the infusion will help relieve itching and irritation, not to mention accelerating the "tightening" of long-term non-healing wounds).To prepare the infusion 2 tsp. herbs are poured with 200 ml of boiling water, after which the remedy is infused for about two hours. The infusion is taken three times a day for a tablespoon, up to complete cure sick.
Decoction
Decoctions from lungwort are an excellent emollient, enveloping, astringent and expectorant, used for catarrh of the respiratory tract, colds, coughs, and gastrointestinal diseases.3 tbsp lungwort (its aerial part) pour 400 ml of boiling water, leave for three hours, squeeze out the raw materials. Drink a decoction of 100 ml 4-5 times a day. A more concentrated decoction is recommended to wash wounds, ulcers, boils.
In addition, this decoction can be rinsed sore throat and douche with whites.
- echinacea;
- thyme;
- rose hip;
Lungwort juice
Juice is the most valuable "part" of lungwort. It is used in the treatment oncological diseases, leukemia, thyroid disease, anemia, tuberculosis, inflammatory diseases.The juice contains a large amount of iodine, so it can be used as an analogue of the latter: for example, when applying a few drops of juice from a fresh lungwort, a yellow spot appears on the skin, as when using iodine.
Fresh and canned lungwort juice will help to quickly stop the bleeding from the wound.
The juice of the plant, in order to exclude souring, is alcoholized in a ratio of 1: 1 with vodka.
When taking juice inside, dilute it in a ratio of 1:10 with water.
Instructions for use lungwort (BAA)
Today, lungwort is also sold as a dietary supplement, which is an excellent source of flavonoids and polyphenols.This form of the drug is produced in the form of briquettes of 2.5 and 5 g.
Method of application and dosage
A 5 g briquette (or two briquettes at once, each 2.5 g) is brewed with a glass of boiling water, infused for 15 minutes, filtered, squeezed and taken in half a glass twice a day during meals.
The duration of the course is one month.
Contraindications:
- Individual intolerance.
- Breastfeeding period.
The softest lungwort: use for various diseases - video
Lungwort honey
For beekeepers, lungwort is of great interest for several reasons. Firstly, it blooms in early spring, namely in the month of April, thus being one of the earliest honey plants. Secondly, this plant blooms for about 32 - 35 days, releasing a large amount of nectar: for example, the honey productivity of the lungwort varies between 30 - 75 kg / ha. Thirdly, lungwort flowers are very popular with both bees and bumblebees. Outwardly, as lotions, washings, baths and rinses, an infusion prepared according to the same recipe is used, but 4 tablespoons are used for 500 ml of boiling water. medicinal raw materials.
Infusion for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, hemorrhoids and diarrhea
Pour 100 g of dry grass with 1 liter of boiling water, let the product brew for two hours, after which it should be filtered (the grass is then squeezed out and removed from the infusion). The infusion is taken in half a glass two to three times a day. In order to achieve the maximum result, the lungwort herb is mixed in a 1: 1 ratio with crushed flax seeds oregano hemorrhoids, as well as female diseases and inflammation of the kidneys, the infusion is prepared according to a similar recipe, but it should be stronger. Before use, you should consult with a specialist.Lungwort is low perennial, the healing nature of which has long been known in folk medicine around the world. Already in early spring, charming, honey-smelling pinkish-purple flowers grow from the ground.
Previously, this plant was popularly known as the lungwort and this name was given for a reason, the lungwort was used in the treatment of the respiratory tract. In different periods, this plant develops a different environment, acidic at the beginning of life and slightly alkaline in the middle of the life cycle.
Article content:
Medicinal properties
This versatile medicinal plant has many useful properties:
- Envelops.
- Brings out mucus.
- Participates in hematopoiesis.
- Softens.
- Improves the functioning of the internal glands.
- Has diuretic properties.
- Pain reliever.
- Anti-inflammatory effect.
- Has antiseptic properties.
Nutritional value and calories
Lungwort is also known for its nutritional qualities. It grows almost everywhere and appears as soon as the snow melts, this is one of the most easily accessible sources of calories if you suddenly get lost in the forest. You can also cook from lungwort delicious tea, the flowers of the plant are melliferous.
The grass contains whole line vitamins, so that in the spring it is especially useful as a meal. You can eat it right raw, you can chop a salad or add it to soup.
The British plant lungwort right in their gardens and have long used lungwort leaves in their cooking. Previously, our ancestors did not bypass this miracle plant, they used it for food.
The leaves are endowed with many chemical elements necessary for the functioning of the body. Among them, carotene, ascorbic acid, manganese, rutin, silver.
Is there any harm and contraindications?
The plant has almost no harm and contraindications, with the exception of a few cases. Medicines on lungwort are forbidden to be taken by people who experience difficulties from chronic constipation and intolerance.
Contraindicated similar medicines people with high blood clotting and intestinal atony. You should take drugs based on lungwort after meals.
Methods of application in traditional medicine
- At one tablespoon of a finely chopped plant is poured into 200 ml of water, left for two hours, and then filtered and taken one glass five times a day.
- When coughing grind ten grams of lungwort and pour two cups of water heated to boiling water and filter. Drink half a glass 3 times a day thirty minutes before meals.
- For respiratory diseases two tablespoons of finely chopped grass are poured into a liter of beer, where a spoonful of honey is added, and then everything is thoroughly mixed. The resulting solution is heated and 50% of moisture is evaporated from it, left for half an hour, and then filtered. Two small spoons are taken three times a day before meals, you can drink it down.
- For problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract forty grams of crushed grass is poured with cooled boiled water, then aged for about two hours and filtered. You need to drink one glass 5 times a day.
- With bleeding crushed to a powdery state, the leaves are superimposed on the places of wounds and cuts.
- For gastritis, kidney stones half a liter of boiling water is poured with twenty grams of lungwort and infused for two hours, then filtered. Half a glass is taken three times a day before meals.
- For eczema two st. spoons dried herb brewed with two cups of boiling water, then boiled for ten minutes over low heat and filtered. You need to drink a third of a cup three times a day.
- Lungwort tea It is made from two teaspoons of a crushed plant filled with a quarter liter of boiling water. This tea is infused for ten minutes and filtered.
The next time you see these delicate flowers, do not pass by, admire the beauty and power of this small plant, which has been curing people of many ailments for centuries and will heal as many more if we digress from the hustle and bustle of the civilized world for even a minute and lower our gaze under legs.
In the article we discuss the lungwort officinalis - what does the herb lungwort look like, medicinal properties and contraindications, recipes of traditional medicine. You will learn whether lungwort can be used by pregnant women and children, how to cure endometriosis, get rid of coughs and stop hair loss with it.
Appearance (photo) of lungwort Lungwort medicinal (Pulmonaria officinalis) belongs to the species of perennial plants of the genus Lungwort (Pulmonaria) of the Borage family (Boraginaceae). The closest "relatives" of the plant are brunners, forget-me-nots, umbilicals and borage.
Popular names for medicinal lungwort are lungwort, lung grass, spotted grass, honeydew, lung root, water springs, bear grass, forest spear, podoroshina, poultice herb, ox tongue, schemelina, brother-and-sister, iodine grass, bee grass, snowdrop, smoktunchiki, lungwort.
What does it look like
Lungwort officinalis is a perennial plant with a thick, developed rhizome and an upright stem, on which short hairs grow. Plant height reaches 30-35 cm. Green sessile leaves are located at the top of the stem. The lower leaves have white spots. Both upper and lower leaves are rough to the touch.
The flowers of lungwort resemble bells with velvety pubescence and change their color during flowering. During this period, crimson, blue and purple bells can be observed at the top of the stem at the same time, collected in drooping brushes. At the end of flowering, the flowers turn bright blue-violet.
Lungwort officinalis blooms in April - May. In the middle of summer, fruits ripen - nuts pointed at the ends. Flowers are pollinated by insects, shaking the pollen onto the petals. After pollination, the brightness of the flowers decreases. The long corolla tube protects the plant from inefficient pollinators and prevents them from reaching the nectar. Therefore, the lungwort is mainly pollinated by insects with a long proboscis.
Where does it grow
The distribution area of the lungwort officinalis is Central and Eastern Europe, the British Isles, all of Russia except for Far East and northern regions.
Where does the lungwort grow:
- mixed forests;
- forest edges;
- glades of deciduous forests;
- between bushes.
Flowers, leaves, roots
For medicinal purposes, flowers, leaves and roots of the plant are used. In lungwort, both aboveground and underground parts show medicinal properties.
Chemical composition
Medicinal lungwort contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals that have useful action in folk medicine:
- tannins and saponins;
- tannins and mucous substances;
- ascorbic acid;
- silicic acid;
- wax and rutin;
- flavonoids;
- alkaloids;
- polyphenols;
- iron, copper, manganese, potassium, etc.
Medicinal properties
Due to the diverse chemical composition, the plant exhibits the following pharmacological properties:
- emollient;
- astringent;
- diuretic;
- expectorant;
- wound healing;
- hemostatic;
- antiseptic;
- anti-inflammatory.
Although scientific medicine does not recognize the effectiveness of lungwort officinalis, use in traditional medicine is quite common:
- herbal infusion - for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys, with epilepsy, nervous disorders, nephritis, goiter, hemorrhoids, female inflammatory diseases and bleeding various kinds;
- compresses based on herbal decoction - from ulcers, eczema and scrofula;
- fresh leaves - for healing wounds on the skin;
- plant juice - to strengthen hair and improve skin condition.
Decoctions and lotions of the plant will help to cope with insomnia and headache, heart palpitations and anemia, hypertension and anemia, cure cough, asthma, bronchitis and acute respiratory diseases, strengthen the immune system, prevent the occurrence of diabetes, the formation of blood clots and tumors.
How to collect
Rules for collecting lungwort grass - leaves, flowers and stems:
- Harvest raw materials in spring and summer during budding and flowering.
- Cut off shoots with flowers and leaves near the surface of the earth.
- Remove damaged leaves.
- Tie the grass into small bundles and hang in a well-ventilated area or under a canopy to dry.
- If you have an oven, dry the raw material at 40°C.
- When the grass becomes brittle, remove it.
Harvest the roots in early autumn and be sure to wash before drying. Because in vivo roots take much longer to dry than grass, send them straight to the oven. Make sure that the temperature does not rise above 40 °C.
Grind the dried raw materials in a coffee grinder and arrange in glass jars, cardboard boxes or a cloth bag. Keep no more than 1 year.
How to apply
Lungwort officinalis is used not only in traditional medicine. Thanks to its unusual sweetish taste, soups, salads, pickles and seasonings are prepared from it. Lungwort in landscape design is popular for decorating gardens and parks, as it has decorative spotted leaves and blooms early.
For medicinal purposes, decoctions and infusions of lungwort are prepared from its herb.
During pregnancy
Doctors do not recommend being treated with lungwort during pregnancy and lactation. However, the ban applies only to treatment. When vitamin deficiency begins in pregnant and lactating women in the spring, you can add some leaves of the plant to vitamin salads. Be sure to check with your doctor before doing this.
Infusion for endometriosis
Lungwort officinalis effectively helps in the treatment of endometriosis, especially if it is accompanied by uterine bleeding.
Ingredients:
- Herb lungwort officinalis - 2 tsp
- Water (boiling water) - 1 cup.
How to cook: Pour boiling water over the herb and infuse for 2 hours in a dark room.
How to use: Take an infusion of 1 tbsp. 3 times a day until complete recovery.
Result: Lungwort officinalis gradually restores vaginal microflora, stops bleeding and stops the excessive growth of fibrous and connective tissue. An infusion of honeydew removes inflammation of the female genital organs, has a blood-purifying and tonic effect.
Cough medicine
Medicinal lungwort is used for chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia and any other type of lung disease. If you are tormented coughing, cook breast collection from honeydew, nettle and other herbs.
Ingredients:
- Herb and roots of lungwort officinalis - 1 tsp
- Nettle leaves - 1 tsp
- Marshmallow roots - 1 tsp
- Mullein flowers - 1 tsp
- Water (boiling water) - 2.5 cups.
- Honey - 1 tsp
How to cook: Mix herbs and pour 2 tbsp. mixture in a bowl. Pour boiling water over and leave for 20 minutes. Before use, add honey to the infusion.
How to use: Take infusion ½ cup before meals 3 times a day. The course of treatment lasts 15 days. If necessary, it can be extended.
Result: Lungwort officinalis quickly softens cough and removes phlegm from the respiratory tract. Nettle, marshmallow and mullein enhance the expectorant properties of the decoction and help to cure even a lingering cough.
decoction for hair
Lungwort is used for the health and beauty of hair. Lungwort has a good effect on the condition of nails and hair. Its juice can be added to shampoo or conditioner, and herbal decoction taken orally.
Ingredients:
- Herb lungwort officinalis - 2 tbsp.
- Water (boiling water) - 2 cups.
How to cook: Grind honeydew grass, pour boiling water and put on the stove. Boil on low heat for 15 minutes, cool and strain through several layers of gauze.
How to use: Drink a decoction every day for ⅓ cup.
Result: Lungwort improves the structure of curls, enhances the regeneration of the scalp and stops hair loss.
The use of lungwort for children
Medicinal lungwort is forbidden to be used to treat children under 3 years of age. If your child is older, give him an herbal restorative bath. The recipe is designed for a volume of water of 10 liters. Increase the number of tablespoons of collection in proportion to the total volume of water in the baby bath.
Ingredients:
- Herb lungwort officinalis - 5 tbsp.
- Birch leaves - 3 tbsp.
- Origanum ordinary - 3 tbsp.
- Nettle leaves - 5 tbsp.
- Goose Potentilla - 5 tablespoons
- Three-part series - 5 tbsp.
- Water (boiling water) - 2 cups.
How to cook: Grind the ingredients and mix. Pour water into a saucepan, boil and add 2 tbsp. herbal mixture. Bring liquid to a boil, remove from heat and pour into a thermos. Leave for 1 hour, then dilute in a baby bath.
How to use: Bathe your baby in herbal bath no more than 30 minutes.
Result: Collection of lungwort, birch, oregano, nettle, cinquefoil and string strengthens children's immunity and normalizes the activity of the nervous system. Bathing in such a bath will provide the baby with a good mood and sound sleep.
honey from lungwort
Lungwort officinalis is one of the earliest honey plants. That is why it is very popular with many beekeepers. They also appreciate its honey productivity - 30-75 kg / ha and attractiveness for both bees and bumblebees.
Plant honey strengthens the body, helps to cure coughs and colds. However, be careful when using honey from medicinal herb lungwort - the use of the product sometimes causes irritation of the oral mucosa.
Contraindications
The list of main contraindications for taking honeydew includes:
- individual intolerance;
- intestinal atony with constipation;
- increased blood clotting;
- age up to 3 years.
If you drink medicinal lungwort on an empty stomach, nausea may occur.
Classification
Lungwort belongs to the family Boraginaceae, order Borage, class Dicotyledonous, department Flowering. The closest genera to lungwort are Comfrey (Symphytum) and Borage (Borago).
Varieties
There are over 70 types of lungwort. In folk medicine, not only medicinal lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) is used, but also the following types:
- soft lungwort (Pulmonaria mollis);
- obscure or dark lungwort (Pulmonaria obscura).
Also popular types of lungwort:
- narrow-leaved lungwort (Pulmonaria angustifolia);
- mountain lungwort (Pulmonaria montana);
- red lungwort (Pulmonaria rubra);
- sugar lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata).
For more information about lungwort, see the video:
Lungwort infographic
Photo of lungwort, its useful properties and application: 
Infographics on lungwort officinalis
What to remember
- Lungwort officinalis is a popular remedy for coughs, colds, and other lung ailments. She also treats diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gynecological diseases, headache, skin virus and more.
- During pregnancy and lactation, lungwort cannot be treated.
- Children can be given medicinal lungwort only after 3 years.
- To cure endometriosis, drink an infusion from the plant's herb.
- A chest collection of nettle, lungwort, marshmallow and mullein will help with a cough.
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They have medicinal properties. There are some we know about and some we don't. A beautiful honey plant, the lungwort grows in forests, and its leaves resemble the shape of human lungs. Scientifically, it is called pulmonaria. How is the herb lungwort brewed, what are its medicinal properties and contraindications, what is its use? We will discuss the answers to these popular questions in traditional medicine on this page “Popular about health”.
Even our ancestors in ancient times claimed that in nature itself lies a hint for the treatment of which diseases the plant is intended. A vivid example of this is precisely the lungwort, which proved to be effective remedy in the treatment of lung diseases. This was judged by her leaflets.
What types of lungwort are medicinal?
Only 14 plant species grow on the Eurasian continent. They prefer shady edges, deciduous forests, but sometimes they are found under fences near houses. The most valuable in folk medicine are:
Sugar lungwort, which can be found throughout our country;
Medicinal pulmonaria, which grows exclusively in European forests and the Kaliningrad region;
Dark (obscure) lungwort grass, although it is considered more of an ornamental plant, it still occurs in some recipes;
Soft lungwort is a plant from Asian countries and Eastern Siberia.
In addition, to medicinal types include such species as mountain, long-leaved, red lungwort. For treatment, you need to take only the stems and the leaves located on them, and the rhizome is not used. The raw materials are dried, then ground into powder and packaged in portions, so that later they can prepare decoctions, teas and tinctures. However, healers try to store the grass, without first crushing it, but using it as needed.
The medicinal properties of the plant
Rich chemical composition made a lungwort useful plant. It contains organic matter in the form of tannins, bioflavonoids, saponins. In addition, the plant contains ascorbic and silicic acids, beta-carotene. Lungwort is famous high content resins and tannins, it contains iron, potassium, copper and polyphenols.
The medicinal properties of compounds with this plant are manifested in the expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect that lungwort has on human lungs. Tea or infusion helps to reduce pain in bronchitis, alleviate coughing attacks. Decoctions or infusions are taken for kidney problems, bladder to restore .
Healers say that in diseases associated with blood, lungwort is indispensable. It stimulates blood formation, is able to stop bleeding.
The plant is recommended as part of a complex in the treatment of cancer. In general, traditional medicine values the herb for its ability to provide restorative action for immunity. It is able to improve many processes in the body - water-salt, protein, carbohydrate metabolism.
Relatively skin it can be said that they recover faster when proper treatment lungwort, cell regeneration is accelerated, which means that wound healing is faster.
The use of lungwort at home
Summarizing the above, we can distinguish a number of indications and diseases that the lungwort can cope with:
Despite the large number of useful properties of plants, replace traditional treatment alone folk recipes not possible in all cases. Decoctions and infusions can be part of the main therapy and increase its effectiveness, but only after consultation with an experienced herbalist (he will take into account all your complaints).
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