Japanese Sophora is a powerful tree with a crown resembling a pagoda. Despite its appearance, the plant belongs to the legume family and produces typical juicy fruits that stick to the branches even in the winter season. Sophora is native to Southeast Asia. In the XNUMXth century, seedlings were brought to the Crimea, and over time, the trees spread throughout southern Russia. For medicinal purposes, both flowers and fruits of the plant, rich in flavonoids, substances with strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, are used for tincture of Japanese sophora.
The use of sophora in traditional and official medicine
In the Middle Ages, Sophora was considered the “tree of the demon.” According to legend, the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty committed suicide on its branches when rebel troops stormed Beijing during the 1644 revolution. Only a hundred years later, Eastern doctors began to forget about the notoriety of the tree and discovered that its flowers and fruits help stop bleeding and heal wounds. Since the XNUMXth century, Sophora has been cultivated in Japan and Korea and has been widely used in traditional medicine.
The plant is rich in rutin and sophoricoside, which promote blood clotting and inhibit bacterial activity. Sophora tincture helps with problems with the permeability of the vascular walls and with violations in the capillaries. In Chinese folk medicine, sophora is used in the treatment of hypertension, stroke prevention, hemorrhoids and hematuria. In scientific medicine, it is used as a wound healing agent, and a gel based on an extract from a plant has proven effective in the treatment of varicose veins.
Rutin is a strong regenerating agent, so the treatment of wounds with Sophora extract prevents the development of keloid scars and stimulates rapid healing. Plant-based preparations have been successfully used in medical practice for the treatment of:
- postoperative complications of purulent otitis media;
- tonsillitis;
- hemorrhoids;
- skin diseases;
- inflammatory diseases of the nervous tissue.
Experiments have shown that genistein, a component of Sophora leaves, helps with osteoporosis, and an extract from the fruit prevents damage to the kidneys and pancreas in diabetes mellitus. Seed oil is effective against the fungus, and alcohol extracts inhibit the activity of Toxoplasma pathogens that cause cystitis. In recent years, the pharmacology of the plant has been actively studied for its further use in the development of new drugs.
Tincture Recipe
Buds are harvested in June before flowering, fruits – after they have ripened. In the southern regions, medicinal raw materials are used fresh – finely chopped, poured with vodka in a ratio of 1: 1 and removed for 3 weeks in a dark place. After readiness, the product is filtered through gauze, bottled and stored in the refrigerator.
Instructions for use
Sophora tincture on vodka is taken 20 drops 2-3 times a day along with meals. The course of treatment helps:
- strengthen blood vessels;
- normalize blood pressure;
- reduce the intensity of migraine attacks;
- heal ulcers of the stomach and intestines;
- reduce stress and improve sleep;
- increase the body’s resistance to viral diseases.
A tincture of Japanese Sophora with mistletoe is used – the herbal remedy helps well with thrombophlebitis and varicose veins, as well as problems with endocrinology. For the healing of wounds, burns and trophic ulcers, only oil from the fruits of the plant is used, since alcohol acts too aggressively on tissues.
An important advantage of Sophora is safety. Preparations based on it are tolerated without side effects, with the exception of allergies to plant components, however, alcohol tincture is not recommended for use during pregnancy and during breastfeeding.
Attention! Self-medication can be dangerous, consult your doctor.