Contents
Among the plants that are considered weeds, many have medicinal properties. One of them is the white lamb (Lamium album), which looks like a nettle. Preparations are prepared from it, used in official and traditional medicine.
How it looks and where it grows
White lamb, or deaf nettle reaches a height of 100 cm, refers to perennial herbaceous plants. Long underground shoots extend from its horizontal creeping rhizomes. Stems are erect, powerful, sometimes branched, tetrahedral in the lower part, pubescent.
The leaves of the white lamb have the shape of a drop with a sharp end, a large number of veins. They are opposite on the stem. The length of each is not more than 8 cm, the width is up to 4 cm.
According to the photo and description, the white lamb has whitish bisexual flowers. They are collected in whorls of 6-14 pieces, located in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are bell-shaped with two-lipped corollas. Flowering begins in May and continues throughout the season, until late autumn.
White lamb contains saponins, tannins, essential oils and alkaloids
From June to October, fruits ripen on white lamb, which consist of four parts in the form of dark gray nuts with outgrowths.
The plant is widely distributed in the middle lane and the south of the Federation. White lamb grows in river floodplains, on the edges, in ravines and shady places. Prefers rich soil and can form dense thickets in wastelands, near residential buildings and on garbage heaps.
Chemical composition
The composition of the flowers and leaves of the white lamb contains substances that allow it to be used for medicinal purposes:
- vitamins A, C;
- tannins;
- alkaloids;
- saponins;
- essential oil;
- choline;
- mucus;
- macro – and microelements.
Useful Properties
Due to the chemical composition of the plant, white lamb can have a number of therapeutic effects on the body:
- wound healing;
- anti-inflammatory;
- hemostatic;
- anticonvulsant;
- choleretic;
- astringent;
- analgesic.
White lamb is used in official medicine as the basis of vitamin dietary supplements or creams for the treatment of skin diseases.
Traditional medicine uses preparations from white cassava in the fight against many pathologies:
- hemorrhoids;
- flu;
- bronchitis;
- tonsillitis;
- urinary tract infections;
- neuroses;
- depressions;
- diarrhea;
- ulcers on the surface of the mucosa;
- stomatitis.
Laminaria thins phlegm and has a mild hypnotic effect
Medicinal properties of white sage for women
In folk medicine, white lamb is used as a female herb. It is used to reduce the intensity of bleeding during menstruation.
In gynecological practice, infusions and decoctions are used to enhance uterine muscle contractions during childbirth. Preparations based on white locust are used to accelerate the regeneration of damaged tissues.
The infusion is used as a medicine for discomfort during critical days. It helps to get rid of unpleasant sensations, pulling pains in the lower abdomen.
To improve the condition of a woman, the infusion is prepared according to the following scheme:
- Grind into gruel 25 g of fresh foliage and flowers of white sage.
- Add the mixture to hot, boiled water (250 ml).
- Insist for an hour.
- Filter.
The resulting liquid is drunk in two doses – in the morning and in the evening.
Methods of preparation and use
Leaves of a white lamb for external use are used fresh. To do this, they are first carefully crushed, turning into gruel, and then applied to inflamed problem areas of the skin, where there are wounds, abscesses and boils. The juice of the white lamb is used to speed up the recovery of the skin after burns or eczema.
A concentrated infusion of the plant is used externally to alleviate the symptoms of hemorrhoids. For this purpose, special baths are made. Rinsing the mouth and throat helps with stomatitis and sore throat.
Most often, three dosage forms are used for treatment – tinctures, infusions and decoctions.
White lamb grows in the open field and in the greenhouse
Tincture
To prepare the tincture, you need to place 10 g of dried flowers of white arborvitae in a glass container and pour 300 ml of vodka. It is placed in a warm dark place for 1 week. Every day, the composition must be thoroughly shaken. After insisting, it is filtered and applied three times a day, 30 drops for nervous disorders, uterine and intestinal bleeding.
To cope with a headache or toothache, insomnia and neuralgia, alcohol or vodka tincture from the roots of the white cassava helps.
Infusion
To prepare an infusion of white yasnitka, you need 3 tbsp. l. dry raw materials pour 2 cups of boiling water and put in a water bath. After a quarter of an hour, remove from heat, strain and bring the volume of liquid to the original volume with boiled water. The infusion is taken 4-5 times a day, 100 ml each.
decoction
In order to extract as many useful substances as possible from the herb of the white lamb, it is necessary to prepare a decoction. To do this, 30 g of dry medicinal raw materials are poured into a liter of cold water, put on a stove, boiled over low heat for 30-40 minutes, after which they insist for about half an hour. The broth is filtered through several layers of cloth or a fine sieve, and the residue is squeezed out.
Porcelain, glass or ceramic dishes are used to prepare medicinal decoctions. Store them no more than 2 days in the refrigerator.
Laminaria is similar in appearance to nettle, but does not burn the skin when touched.
Application in folk medicine
Phytopreparations from white locust must be used according to the recommended doses. Before use, you should consult with your doctor in order to clarify the need for taking medications and contraindications for use.
Most often, infusions are taken orally 50-100 ml four times a day. Outwardly, the funds are used twice a day in the form of lotions, rinses and baths.
flower tea
Due to its pleasant taste, white jasmine is often used instead of tea. Herbalists believe that it has a beneficial effect on the health of people with anemia, poor appetite and lung diseases. For the elderly, tea can be a sleep aid. It is brewed from dry raw materials according to the same recipe as regular black tea.
Laminaria for allergies
In folk medicine, infusions of white arborvitae are used to purify the blood and treat urticaria, allergies and eczema. They are used both externally and internally. For this, 1 tbsp. l. dry flowers of the plant fall asleep in a thermos and pour a glass of boiling water. After insisting for 1/3 hour, it is taken orally 1/2 cup 4 times a day and applied to the affected areas of the skin.
Juice for hysteria
To cope with hysteria, freshly squeezed juice of white arborvitae helps. To prepare it, the leaves, flowers and stems of the plant are washed, scalded with boiling water, ground with a meat grinder, squeezed through a dense cloth and boiled for 5 minutes. Take juice for 3 tbsp. l. along with a small amount of honey three times a day.
Powder
For the treatment of uterine fibroids and other women’s diseases, a powder prepared from dry corollas of the white lamb is used. It is taken in small doses (at the tip of a knife) 1 to 3 times a day.
Nettle herb deaf improves appetite and is useful for dyspepsia
Poultices
For the treatment of ulcers, traditional medicine advises the use of poultices from white yasnitochka. For this purpose, the raw materials are crushed, poured with water and put on fire for 2 minutes. Next, the herbal mixture is wrapped in a clean natural cloth, applied to the affected area, covered with cling film and wrapped in warm material.
With hemorrhoids
A decoction of white lamb helps if it is used in the early stages of the disease, at a later date it is used as an adjuvant to the main treatment.
To prepare the product, 15 g of dried flowers are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 15 minutes. After straining, the broth is drunk in several doses, using 2 ml each after 20 hours.
With bronchitis
As part of the white lamb there is mucus and saponins that contribute to the treatment of bronchitis, asthma and other pathologies of the respiratory tract. An infusion is prepared from a mixture of dried flowers and leaves (1 tablespoon) and a glass of boiling water. The norm of use is 100 ml twice a day between meals.
With diathesis in children
To combat children’s diathesis, an infusion of white cassava is often used, which is prepared in the same way as for the treatment of bronchitis.
For children under 2 years old, the norm of taking the remedy is 1 tsp. three times a day, from 2 years old the dose is increased to a tablespoon, from five years old – take ¼ cup. The infusion can be used externally – to bathe children or wipe the affected areas with it. In this case, the dose of dry matter for the preparation of the dosage form is doubled.
Cooking application
The young leaves of the white lamb are used in nutrition, because their vitamin content is high, and it tastes like spinach.
In cooking, the grass is used for spring salads, to which it gives a sweetish taste. To prepare the dish, white cassava leaves are washed, chopped and mixed with dill, onions and other herbs. After filling it with sour cream, salt and add a chopped egg.
The herb is used in baking dough, sauces, side dishes and soups. To prepare mashed potatoes, young shoots and leaves are treated with boiling water, stewed in a frying pan along with carrots, onions, vegetable oil and spices.
Raw materials are used both fresh and dry. By adding white ash powder to a meat or fish dish, you can improve its taste and aroma. It is recommended to do this at the end of cooking in order to preserve the maximum useful qualities of the plant.
Culinary experts advise preparing a vitamin drink, for which they mix equal amounts of white lamb, St. John’s wort, willow-herb, thyme and pour boiling water over it. After 15 min. the infusion is filtered, a tablespoon of honey is added and taken as a means to increase immunity. It should be remembered that if you are allergic to bee products, honey is replaced with sugar.
Contraindications and possible harm
Nettle deaf is not a toxic plant, so problems with its use are rare. But one should remember not only the medicinal properties of the white lamb, but also the contraindications for use. So, excessive doses of decoctions and infusions can lead to increased blood clotting and an increased risk of thrombosis.
In patients with unstable blood pressure, treatment with drugs based on the white clover is accompanied by its sharp decrease and deterioration in general well-being.
Rhizomes are dug up in the fall, after the end of the growing season.
It is completely forbidden to use preparations from nettle deaf for pregnant women, the use of which can result in miscarriage or premature birth. Often problems occur in patients with one of the following diagnoses:
- thrombosis;
- hypotension;
- varicose veins;
- thrombophlebitis
Collection and Procurement
For medicinal purposes, the young tops of the stalks of the white lamb are harvested. Raw materials are selected only from healthy plants without signs of disease and damage by pests. The best time to collect is the flowering period, which lasts from June to October. Shoots cut in summer will grow back by autumn, begin to bloom, and they can be harvested again.
The corollas of white cassava flowers are raw materials in which the concentration of useful substances is maximum, therefore, they are often harvested to create medicinal preparations.
It is necessary to dry the raw materials under a canopy, in the attic, in the absence of direct sunlight and the presence of good ventilation in the room. It is possible to use special dryers with a maximum temperature of +35 ⁰С.
The finished raw material is placed in glass or metal jars with tight-fitting lids.
Conclusion
White lamb has long been known for its medicinal properties and is widely used both in official and traditional medicine. With proper preparation of dosage forms and compliance with the dosage, their use has a positive effect on the course of the disease and the general condition of the human body.
