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On the meadows and pastures, near the roadsides, along the banks of reservoirs, you can find a single plant with several powerful stems, thick and large leaves. Horse sorrel attracts attention because of the resemblance to garden sorrel. Its green leaves do not have the usual sour taste, they are a little bitter. The medicinal properties of horse sorrel persist throughout the summer, and in late autumn you can use the seeds and the root part. Culture has found extensive use in all spheres of human activity - life, medicine, cosmetology, cooking, veterinary medicine, leather craft, needlework.
Description and habitats of
Horse sorrel is a member of the genus of the oxalaceae of the buckwheat family. The genus is quite numerous, numbering more than 150 species. Culture is spread throughout the European part of Russia, where there is a temperate climate. It is less commonly found in the North, the Caucasus, and the Far East. Among the people, medicinal herb has acquired several names - wild sorrel, equine ox, frog grass, hernia nestling, and horse breeder. All of them are related to how horse sorrel looks like.
Powerful plant can reach a height of 1.5-2 meters, has large leaves of oval-triangular shape, which are concentrated at the base. Perennial grows one by one, preferring the slopes of hills, ravines, river banks, open areas covered with weeds. Thick thickets of sorrel can be seen in places where the sandy soil and high humidity. Culture does not grow in swamps and lowlands.
An important feature that distinguishes the horse from others is the leaves that are pubescent from the underside. Rhizome short and thick, branched not much. The flowers are formed in late May or early June, they are collected in a long and dense inflorescence, like a panicle.
Composition and therapeutic properties of
In horse sorrel many biologically active substances that are beneficial to health are concentrated. Their greatest concentration is reached at the root of the medicinal plant.
All sorrel varieties contain oxalic acid. In humans, it promotes the absorption of calcium, which is necessary for the strength of bones and teeth.
From what horse sorrel helps - the composition and healing properties of the plant:
- anthraquinones - substances with a complex composition, have a pronounced laxative effect;
- glycosides - an extensive organic group of compounds that irritate nerve endings and receptors;
- tannins or tannins - a class of nitrogen-free compounds capable of producing an astringent and enveloping effect;
- coumarins - derivatives of ortho-hydroxycinnamic acid, have antispasmodic and vascular strengthening effect;
- flavonoids - substances of the phenolic group, having bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties;
- leukoanthocyanidins or plant polyphenols - react and create a stable protective film on the surface of the mucous membranes.
The green mass of horse sorrel contains pectin, carotenoids, sucrose, vitamin K and C, organic acids, most of all citric and lactic. They normalize the acid-base balance in the body, improve digestion and bowel function, activate the secretory function, and have antiseptic properties.
How useful horse sorrel root:
- has a laxative effect, facilitates the act of defecation with constipation, anal fissures, colitis, enterocolitis, intestinal atony;
- decoctions and infusions are used as an anthelmintic in children and adults;
- promotes the formation and removal of bile, is used orally for liver failure, cholecystitis, cholangitis;
- as a tonic and to increase appetite in weak and sickly children, to improve the body's defenses in adults;
- relieves pain in inflammation of teeth and gums, cleans and whitens tooth enamel well, eliminates bleeding;
- for the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, used for nausea, severity, heartburn, poisoning, gastritis, peptic ulcer;
- in case of sore throat gargle, it relieves pain and inflammation, eliminates bacterial plaque;
- is used as a hemostatic drug for internal bleeding, pulmonary, uterine, intestinal, gastric, hemorrhoidal.
Horse sorrel is widely used for hemorrhoids. The plant contributes to the dilution of the chair, which in this situation facilitates toilet visits, reduces pain, reduces inflammation.
How to apply horse sorrel
In folk medicine, the use of horse sorrel is based on the correct calculation of the proportions of a medicinal plant, respecting the terms of treatment.
We fight diarrhea
How to make horse sorrel root with diarrhea: boil 1 liter of water for
- ;
- after boiling add 1 scoop of dry chopped root;
- boil the liquid over low heat for 10 minutes;
- remove from heat, let cool;
- strain a slightly warm broth;
- take 3 tablespoons for 1.5 hours before meals in the morning, afternoon and evening.
According to the old recipe, sorrel was cooked in vinegar or wine along with the root. In this form, they were treated with scurvy, anthrax, plague. With the juice of a fresh plant, open areas of the body were treated, in the forest it served as protection against poisonous insects, snakes.
Eliminating constipation
How to prepare an infusion of horse sorrel for constipation:
- in a thermos pour 5 tablespoons of dried and chopped root;
- pour the dry mixture with a liter of boiling water;
- liquid should infuse for 3 hours;
- ready infusion is recommended to drain;
- means is used inside one table boat every 2-3 hours.
If strongly dried rhizome of the plant and grind it in a mortar, then will the healing powder that treat diarrhea, output parasites, stop bleeding, reduce pressure, make it easier to cough, reduce inflammationand pain. The medicine is taken in 0.25 grams three times a day.
Fight against skin diseases
Sorrel powder, mixed with sour cream or butter, is used to treat diathesis or dermatitis in children, scabies, purulent and non-healing wounds, abscesses, tumors. With weak gums prone to bleeding, the powder is added to the toothpaste; mouthwash is treated with a decoction of horse sorrel. The medicine based on oxalic powder in combination with animal fat is used against erysipelas, psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, sarcoidosis and others.
A limited amount of time is recommended for treating horse sorrel; a maximum of 1 or 2 days is recommended. With prolonged therapy occurs addictive, the effectiveness of treatment is significantly reduced.
How to brew horse sorrel seeds:
- one tablespoon of seeds is taken for one cup of water;
- liquid is brought to a boil and boiled for 10 minutes over low heat;
- should then be allowed to cool;
- for ease of use, the fluid is passed through cheesecloth.
The finished decoction is applied internally for pain, cramps, heartburn, 1/3 cup 3 times a day. Outside, based on it, make compresses on hematomas, postoperative sutures, sore joints. Liquid can be used for lotions for deep wounds, bedsores, burns or frostbite, trophic ulcers. They rinse her throat with sore throat, used to disinfect the oral cavity after tooth extraction.
Horse sorrel in food
Can I eat horse sorrel? Fresh leaves of the plant have a bitter taste, so eating them a lot is almost impossible. It is useful to add a few large oxalic leaves to any green salad. It is especially tasty in combination with cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, green onions, and young garlic.
For preventive purposes, you can chew fresh foliage of sorrel, but not more than one or two leaves per day.
In Armenia horse sorrel grows high in the mountains. The leaves of the sorrel, together with the cuttings, are braided and dried in fresh air. After drying, they are fermented and darken like tea, acquiring a pleasant spicy taste, all the bitterness disappears. According to the Armenian tradition, this dish is called Aveluk. It is offered in the markets, shops, restaurants or cafes. Eveleuk with bread or pita bread, matsun sauce, cheese, cheeses.
Rules for the collection, preparation and storage of
In the recipes of traditional medicine horse sorrel is used completely, with almost no residue. In summer, the green parts of the plant — leaves, flowers, and stems — are taken to make decoctions and infusions. They can be consumed fresh or dried. In the fall, in the end of August - the beginning of September, seeds are collected, and when the unearthly part dies, the most valuable thing is dug out from the plant - its root.
Before drying, the raw material is well washed and cut into small pieces. Fragments spoiled by mold or rot are removed. Dry sorrel can be outdoors, under the rays of the sun. You can dry the medicinal plant in an electric drier or oven at 60 °.Store the workpiece in a glass container with the lid closed.
Possible harm and contraindications
In high dosages, in violation of the rules and terms of treatment, the medicinal properties of horse sorrel are lost. Contraindications and restrictions apply to women during pregnancy and lactation, people with impaired liver and kidney function, and osteoporosis. In case of serious diseases, the medicinal plant should be used as an auxiliary therapeutic measure, after consulting a doctor. Doses and terms of use should also be previously discussed with a specialist.
In large quantities, horse sorrel is considered poisonous and can be poisoned.
In small quantities oxalic acid is good for health. With long treatment and exceeding the permissible dosages, oxalic acid accumulates in the human body. Interacting with calcium, it forms insoluble compounds that settle in the ducts of the liver, kidneys, gallbladder.
There are many unique plants in nature that help people cope with various diseases. Curative properties, than horse sorrel is useful, allow to apply it inside with diseases of the stomach and intestines, relieve headaches, to strengthen the immune system, from stones and sand. Medicinal plant is used externally - to stop bleeding, with gynecological and skin lesions, cuts, bruises, bruises. The plant helps with colds and allergies, relieves cough, relieves runny nose, is used to disinfect the mouth and throat. It is important not to exceed the dosage and not to use the tool for too long.
