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Many plants surrounding a person are very beneficial for health. Today, this is rarely remembered, but in Rus’ they believed that “there is a herb for every disease.” And one of these healing herbs is burnet.
What is a hemorrhagic
Burnet is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. More than 20 species of burnet are known, most of which grow in North Asia and some regions of Europe. As a rule, it grows in pastures and gardens, although it is not uncommon in mountainous regions. This plant takes root in almost any terrain, grows well even on the poorest soils. Burnet is usually found in temperate regions, but it can tolerate both dry weather and very frosty winters. By the way, burnet is one of the few plants that grow well in cold Finland and in areas near the Arctic Circle. Mature plants grow from 30 to 90 cm in height. The basal rosette consists, as a rule, of 4-6 pairs of oval-shaped serrated leaves. From the middle of the rosette grow thin rounded stems with tiny burgundy flowers collected in club-shaped inflorescences. Burnet blooms from June to September. In early autumn, single seeds appear in place of flowers.
Burnet is common in Europe, Asia, North America and even Africa. And in the northern and northeastern regions of China, in the Urals, in Siberia and Tatarstan, it is cultivated for commercial purposes.
The nutritional value
All parts of burnet contain a lot of glycosides, tannins, ellagitannins and saponins. Glycosides are scientifically proven to help lower cholesterol. Other of these nutrients stimulate the immune system and improve musculoskeletal health. There are in the chemical composition of this plant and anti-cancer agents, in particular tannins and gallic acid, which affect the body as antioxidants.
The stems and leaves also contain small portions of rutin, quercetin and kaempferol, which have powerful anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging properties. Another useful component of burnet is beta-sitosterol. This chemical compound effectively lowers cholesterol levels and slows down the growth of cancerous tumors.
Burnet rhizomes are almost 17 percent composed of tannins, which have astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Advantages of blood clots
The Latin name of this plant Sanguisorba is translated as “absorb blood”. But the benefits of burnet do not end there. No wonder that the pharmacologist of the Chinese Ming Dynasty argued that the value of burnet is equivalent to pearls. The benefits of this plant were known to the ancient Greeks, who used the plant to stop bleeding. And here are some facts about the beneficial properties of burnet, known to modern researchers.
Antioxidant properties
Burnet leaves and stems are an excellent source of flavonoids, including quercetin, gallic acid, kaempferol and rutin, which have antioxidant properties, the ability to neutralize free radicals, thereby preventing cancer.
Beneficial for bleeding
The Latin name of this plant suggests that burnet has properties to stop bleeding. Interestingly, drinking herbal tea from this plant can help stop external bleeding and prevent internal bleeding.
Protection of the gastrointestinal tract
Due to its astringent and anti-inflammatory action, burnet is a good medicine for gastrointestinal disorders, gastritis, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and enteritis.
medicine for rheumatism
It has been scientifically proven that burnet is an effective herbal remedy for the treatment of rheumatism. Infusions of this herb relieve pain and alleviate the general condition of patients with rheumatism.
The information that burnet helps to overcome the plague came to modern researchers from the ancient records of oriental herbalists. Modern laboratory experiments have confirmed the correctness of such treatment: the beneficial substances contained in the juice of this herb actually destroy the virus. In addition, scientific studies have confirmed that burnet extract inhibits the activity of pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, pneumococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Lowers cholesterol
Saponins, tannins, ellagitannins and glycosides work together to effectively reduce cholesterol levels. It must be said that all these substances are contained in sufficient quantities in the greenery of burnet. In addition, the grass juice contains beta-sitosterol, which is also able to improve the blood formula.
Treats skin diseases
Burns of various origins, rashes, eczema, poorly healing wounds respond well to treatment with preparations containing burnet extract. By the way, for burns, it is useful to mix a teaspoon of powdered burnet root with sesame oil. The resulting slurry is applied to the affected areas.
Use in herbal medicine
Rich in tannins, this plant is used by herbalists to treat diarrhea, dysentery, ulcerative colitis, and other gastrointestinal disorders. Preparations from fresh roots are applied to burns. But still, the most famous ability of burnet is to stop bleeding. For this purpose, burnet has been used for many centuries in European and Oriental medicine. Herbalists attribute medicines from this herb to women with heavy menstruation. The decoction and juice of the plant are used to heal wounds, treat eczema and hemorrhoids. Folk healers used burnet for the treatment of tuberculosis. With a decoction of this herb, it is useful to rinse inflamed gums and swollen tonsils, wash eyes affected by conjunctivitis, and it is also good to drink this remedy to remove Giardia from the body.
Herbalists also knew about the ability of burnet to reduce body temperature during fevers. Modern herbalists, in addition to hemostatic abilities, take into account the astringent effect of the herb. And cosmetologists and dermatologists use it to eliminate skin problems. It is useful to wipe the insect bite with grass juice.
In the ancient records of Chinese doctors, burnet is described as a remedy for gastrointestinal bleeding, periodontal disease, and also enhances potency.
In Eastern practice, this plant was used against the plague and female diseases. Herbalists also use burnet to treat phlebitis and varicose veins.
Who is useful
This plant has many beneficial properties. In particular, to summarize, teas, decoctions, infusions and other herbal preparations are useful as a hemostatic, analgesic, antipyretic, diuretic. Hemorrhagic is useful for:
- the presence of blood in the urine (hematuria);
- heavy menstruation (monorrhagia);
- postpartum bleeding;
- peptic ulcer of the digestive organs;
- dysentery;
- diarrhea;
- hemorrhoids;
- burns;
- some infectious diseases.
Противопоказания
Since this herb causes vasoconstriction, it is undesirable for people with hypertension or brain spasms. The plant is contraindicated for constipation and during pregnancy.
Daily allowance
Even medicinal plants, if consumed in excessively high doses, can harm the body. If we talk about burnet, then the daily intake of this herb was calculated in ancient China. Oriental doctors believe that 10-15 g of herb per day is enough to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. In what form to take it depends on the situation, but anything more than 15 g can be harmful (of course, we are talking only about taking the herb inside).
Use in cooking
The leaves of a young plant are very pleasant in taste – they resemble cucumbers. Some catch the taste of melon and even nuts in the grass. But the older the plant becomes, the more bitter its greens. Dry weather also contributes to the bitter taste.
Club-shaped inflorescences of burnet are often added by oriental cooks to soups to give them a special taste. In Spain, fresh herb is added to lemonades and wines for a delicate minty flavor. In many European cuisines, young burnet leaves are used in sandwiches, salads, casseroles, and to flavor sauces and vinegars.
The plant goes well with cheese, tomato sauces, eggs, basil and oregano. In some countries, this herb is used in brewing.
How to prepare
In herbal medicine, all parts of the plant are used: leaves, inflorescences, roots. Ground parts are harvested during flowering, when they contain the most nutrients. Rhizomes are usually harvested in autumn. It is best to take the roots of an older plant that is several years old. Depending on the time of collection, soil, variety of burnet, the taste of its root can be sour or bitter. The roots of the burnet are quite strong, so getting them with bare hands will be very problematic. Usually a shovel is used to collect the roots.
Before drying, the rhizomes must be cleaned from the ground, washed in water, and then spread out in a thin layer in the sun for a day or two. Slightly dried roots are dried in the oven, electric dryer or in the attic. Well-dried roots do not bend, but crumble. A properly harvested plant in a dry place can be stored for up to 5 years.
Decoction from the roots
To prepare a decoction of dried burnet roots, you will need 2 tablespoons of raw materials and 500 ml of boiling water. Cook in a water bath for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature, strain, add another glass of boiling water to the liquid. Take a tablespoon 3-4 times a day. Also suitable for gargling and external use.
Such a decoction loses its healing properties after 48 hours.
Fresh root tincture
Grate the washed and peeled root on a fine grater. For 3 tablespoons of prepared raw materials, take 400 ml of vodka (or 70% alcohol). Insist in the dark for 10 days. Take a teaspoon before meals.
How to grow
Burnet has long ceased to be an exclusively wild grass. Increasingly, many seek to grow this plant on their plots. And I must say, for the majority it turns out, since the burnet does not require special care. There are two ways to propagate grass: using the root of an old plant and through seeds. The easiest way is to dig up the root of an adult plant, divide it into several parts and plant it in holes at a distance of about half a meter from each other. This procedure can be done in late autumn or spring.
Growing from seeds is longer. To begin with, seedlings will have to be grown from seeds, which will be planted in the garden in April-May. The distance between plants, as in the case of roots, should also be at least 50 cm. Until the plant gets stronger, it is important to weed it regularly. Another way is to sow the seeds directly in the garden, but in this case, it will take a little longer to wait for the grass harvest.
Burnet is one of the most famous plants in the world. Although many know this herb is not at all medicinal. Due to the original appearance, the burnet is grown as an ornamental plant, in addition, breeders have bred interesting varieties of this herb. Agronomists appreciate it as a natural and environmentally friendly remedy for weed control and soil erosion, and farmers see it as a juicy and healthy livestock feed. In a word, burnet is a multifunctional plant, the benefits of which can hardly be overestimated.