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Horsetail

Properties and uses of horsetail


The Botanical characteristics of the horsetail

Quite often in the woods or in a Park, in the meadows, in moist places you can find field horsetail, which resembles its appearance bright green "Christmas trees". Horsetail – the plant is undemanding and so is growing everywhere, and gardeners can't fight this weed, as it has long and branched roots.

Varieties of horsetail are quite a few, for example, in Latin America, this plant reaches 12 meters in height; in Europe it is less than half a meter.

Rumor has it that the name of this plant derives from the fact that it is very similar to a ponytail. However, the "tail"is only in several European languages, that the poles he konski ogon.

In the period of its activity the horsetail twice changes his form. For example, in the spring this plant has a succulent subramose whitish-pink or brown shoots with large buds. After may, it gives off spores, the stems die off and begin to grow these"Christmas trees" with thin leaves like needles. In this period it is necessary to collect and buds, and green stems.


The properties of horsetail

After researching the edible parts of plants – namely, spikelets-pistils, young stems pinkish-purple color revealed that they contain approximately 8% nitrogen, 2 % fat, 14 % carbohydrates and 100 mg of ascorbic acid. Decoction of horsetail remains 37 mg of vitamin C. For treatment use only sterile little "tree" – vegetative shoots that appear in early summer. Collecting herbs begin in June and continue until August. Horsetail contains flavonoids, which are one of the most powerful antioxidants in nature, and also bitter substances, silicic, oxalic and malic acids, alkaloids, about 5 mg of carotene. For medicinal purposes the herb is used in decoction or infusion of it squeeze out the juice, prepare the powders. This plant has diuretic, hemostatic anti-inflammatory action.


Collection and drying of horsetail

For workpieces in the summer, cut off all aerial part of the plant. This is best done in June-August. Cut the grass with a sickle, knife or scythe mowing at 5 cm from the surface of the earth. Dried material in a well-ventilated area in the attic, under a canopy, spreading a layer of 5-7 cm, or in special kilns at a temperature of 40-50 °C. If the weather is dry, can be dried and on the streetjust be sure in the shadows. The raw material is usable for 4 years. The color of the grass after drying becomes grayish-green. The smell of the grass has little, taste a little sour. Mostly harvested raw materials in Belarus and Ukraine, Stavropol Krai and Krasnodar Krai, Perm, Pskov, Lipetsk, Voronezh regions of Russia.

Species of horsetail found a lot, some of them even poisonous. Horsetail has secondary branching branches, they are horizontal, sometimes curved down.

The horsetail meadow branch, horizontal, unbranched, triangular.

Horsetail swamp branch is unbranched, mostly pentagonal, irregular shape, running obliquely upward. The base of the segments of the branches painted black, the teeth of the branches at the edges – in black - brown color. This type of plant are poisonous.

The horsetail river cane grows to a height of 1 meter, he's fat, empty inside. Branches simple or none at all.

Use of horsetail

In folk medicine, often resorting to using horsetail. Most healing is the horsetail collected in the summer, namely, "Christmas trees". Horsetail can be used both in fresh and dry form. As a rule, horsetail prescribed as a antiseptic, healing, styptic, binders. In addition, he is an excellent diuretic, helps dissolve and eliminate stones from the kidneys and bladder, reduces edema, reduces proteinuria, improves metabolism. Fresh horsetail can be rubbed or chewed and used to treat wounds, ulcers and burns, in the form of compresses on the sore joints. As a diuretic and to reduce swelling can help fresh juice of the horsetail.

It is often used infusions to make them take fresh grass (30– 40g), dried (15-20 g) pour boiling water of 200 ml and insist 2-3 hours. Infusion drink 1-2 tablespoons before meals for the treatment of edema, kidney stones, diseases of the kidneys, liver, bladder, female diseases, hypertension, atherosclerosis. You can wash the wound with this decoction for ulcers and eczema, make lotions with it when it boils, and when the sick joints, rheumatism and gout to make compresses and apply them on the sore spots.

With nosebleeds infusion can be instilled in the nose, and with angina, and a variety of inflammation – gargle.

The infusion is prepared in boiled water at room temperature, welluse as a rinsing and compresses externally. In the manufacture of this infusion the ratio of raw materials the same, only to insist to be not less than a day. Also, the grass to take baths that will help to quickly get rid of minor scratches or wounds and is very effective in skin diseases.

Especially used decoctions of horsetail as a folk medicine. To prepare the broth the ratio of water and grass all the same as for the preparation of infusions, only the composition is subjected to boiling for 20-30 minutes on low heat or in a water bath. Usually, the broth is considered a stronger medicine, so it is recommended to take a tablespoon before eating. The broth, similar to the infusion is used to treat wounds or skin diseases.

Horsetail is prepared ointment, which is used as a tool for external use. Prepare ointment in the following way: the herbal mass is evaporated at low heat to extract, and then mix with vaseline or fat.

Because horsetail contains silicon, the plant is often used for commercial purposes. It is used for cleaning dishes, and dried shoots are used for polishing of wood and soft rocks. But that's not all: a decoction of horsetail, you can paint the fabric in a yellowish-gray color.

Studies have shown that 20% tincture of the herb horsetail able to reduce the level of blood sugar in diabetes. Useful properties are also marked and from the fresh juice of the horsetail: it enhances leukocytosis, and in combination with juice mother and stepmother get rid of hoarseness and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract.


Cooking horsetail

Preparation of infusion: 1-2 tablespoons of herbs pour two cups of boiling water (daily dose for ingestion).

Infusion for external use is prepared as follows: 4-5 tablespoons of herbs pour two cups of boiling water.

If the grass is purchased in the pharmacy in the form of briquettes, or 1 1/2 cloves briquette pour a glass of cold water, boil 3 minutes, cool, strain and drink inside of 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day. If the grass in the granules, one tablespoon, pour a glass of hot water and boil with the lid closed on low heat 3 min., then strain. Use the decoction should be one tablespoon 3-4 times a day.


Contraindications to the use of horsetail

You can not use horsetail in acute inflammation of the kidneys. If after eating you feel uncomfortable (a slight poisoning), the dose is cut in half and notify the doctor who ordered the drug, those feelings or ailments, which were after taking the drug.