Content
- 1 Why is wolfberry called that?
- 2 Description of the plant Wolfberry
- 3 Composition of leaves and fruits
- 4 The benefits and harms of wolf berries
- 5 The use of wolf bast in folk medicine
- 6 Contraindications for use
- 7 What happens if you eat wolfberry (red, black)
- 8 What is similar to wolfberry
- 9 How to get rid of wolfberry
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Reviews on the use of wolf bast in folk medicine
Photos of wolfberry must be carefully studied before collecting raw materials for medicinal purposes. The plant can be beneficial to the body, but requires very careful use.
Why is wolfberry called that?
Wolfberry is not directly related to wolves in any way - animals do not eat it. The name is symbolic. It is due to the fact that in the old days the wolf was considered an evil animal associated with death and danger.The fruits of the plant are quite harmless in appearance, but can cause poisoning and even death. That’s why the berries are called “wolf berries.”
Description of the plant Wolfberry
Common wolfberry, wolfberry or wolf's bast (Daphne mezereum) is a plant of the Wolfweed family, which is a low-branched deciduous shrub. It has a strong thin trunk and a shallow root system. Young shoots of the plant are pressed and pubescent, old shoots are covered with wrinkled gray-yellow bark.
Wolfberry grows up to 1.5 m above the ground
The leaves of the wolfberry are dark green, narrow, ciliated at the edges, dark green glossy at the top and bluish on the back. Located at the ends of stems on short petioles. Like other parts of the plant, they contain poisonous, burning juice.
What color is the wolfberry
Wolfberry bears oval, juicy drupes. The color of wolf bast berries is usually red. The fruits are small in size, similar to cherry pits; inside there are round, shiny, dark brown seeds. Black berries are produced by plants similar to or related to wolf's bast, but belonging to other groups.
The fruits of the crop ripen in late July and August. In 1 kg of berries there are about 4,000 drupes and more than 30,000 seeds. On the shoots, the fruits are located in small clusters of 3-7 pieces.
What does wolfberry taste like?
The small fruits of the wolfberry have a sharp and bitter taste. They have no nutritional value because they pose a great danger to humans.
Wolfberry blossom
Photos of the wolfberry bush show that in April or early May the crop blooms with bisexual pink or white fragrant flowers.The buds usually sit in bunches of 2-5 pieces on bare shoots in the axils of last year's leaves. The flower tube reaches 8 cm in length, the corolla is four-petaled, with eight stamens. Buds usually appear on the shoots even before the leaves of the wolfberry bloom or simultaneously with them. Insects - bees, sometimes butterflies and riders - are responsible for pollinating the plant.
Where and how wolf bast grows in Russia
Wolfberry is widespread throughout Russia. It can be found in the European part of the country, in the North Caucasus, Western Siberia and the Arctic regions. The culture usually settles in the undergrowth of mixed and dark coniferous forests and in the subalpine zone. Prefers shaded areas, but also grows well in light sunlight.
Composition of leaves and fruits
The medicinal properties of wolfberry are due to its chemical composition. The plant contains:
- fixed oils;
- wax and gum;
- mineral salts;
- substance coccognin;
- Daphnine;
- meserein;
- coumarins and diterpenoids;
- bitterness.
In microscopic dosages, wolfberry can have a positive effect on the body. In excess quantities, the plant causes serious damage to health.
The benefits and harms of wolf berries
The consequences of taking wolfberry can be both beneficial and negative. If you follow the recipe recommendations, the plant:
- normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and relieves insomnia;
- fights bacterial and inflammatory processes;
- slows down the development of cancer tumors;
- has an analgesic effect;
- helps get rid of constipation;
- reduces the frequency of seizures in epilepsy;
- improves the condition of dysentery;
- cleanses the skin of abscesses and ulcers;
- soothes toothache;
- strengthens blood vessels and prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
- helps get rid of worms;
- improves appetite;
- removes excess fluids from the body and relieves swelling;
- relieves the symptoms of arthritis and radiculitis, neuralgia.
In official pharmaceuticals, wolfberry is not used. But traditional medicine offers a large number of plant-based remedies.
The use of wolf bast in folk medicine
The poisonous plant wolf's bast is used externally and internally. Traditional medicine offers several recipes.
For neuralgia
For neuralgia, as well as for lichen and other skin diseases, you can use homemade ointment based on wolfberry. They do it like this:
- Prepare a tincture from 1 g of dry bark and 100 ml of medical alcohol.
- Mix 20 ml of liquid with 50 g of lanolin and petroleum jelly.
- Bring the product to homogeneity.
- Place in the refrigerator until thickened.
The prepared ointment is applied to problem areas once a day. You need to keep the product for about 15 m, after which the remnants of the drug are washed off with water.
For insomnia
The dangerous plant wolf's bast has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and eliminates sleep problems. You can use a decoction of the roots. The cooking diagram looks like this:
- About 2 g of rhizome is poured into an enamel container.
- Add 100 ml of boiling water to the raw material.
- Boil over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Insist for half an hour.
The strained product should be consumed before bed, just five drops. For convenience, the decoction is diluted with a small amount of water.
For tongue paralysis
The effect of wolfberry on the nervous system is beneficial for paralysis of the tongue muscles. Traditional medicine recommends using the following remedy:
- 1 g of bark is poured into a glass container.
- Pour 100 ml of medical alcohol 70%.
- Close the vessel tightly and leave for a week in a cool place.
- Shake the container from time to time.
After time has passed, the tincture must be filtered and poured into a new vessel. It should be used to rinse the mouth three times a day; the product is first diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2. In total, treatment is continued for a week. Rinse for no longer than 1-2 minutes.
It is strictly forbidden to swallow tincture of wolfberry when used for rinsing.
For epilepsy
The valuable properties of the tincture of the common wolfberry are used in the treatment of epilepsy. Use the drug as follows:
- Pour 2 g of dried roots into a glass container.
- Pour in 100 ml of water.
- Keep the product in a steam bath for half an hour.
- Leave for 15 minutes and filter.
You need to take the drug 5 ml in the evening. It is best to drink the decoction immediately before bed.
For leukemia
Wolf berries cannot be eaten, but the fruits of a dangerous plant can be used to prepare a healing infusion. They do it according to this scheme:
- Place 2 g of berries in a ceramic or glass container.
- Pour in 200 ml of cold distilled water.
- Leave covered for nine hours.
- After the period has passed, filter.
The infusion is consumed 5 ml four times a day on an empty stomach. The product is first diluted in 100 ml of clean water.
For constipation
Common wolfberry has laxative properties. For constipation it is used as follows:
- Pour about 3 g of dry leaves into an enamel container.
- Pour 500 ml of boiling water over the raw material.
- Leave covered for two hours.
- Filter from sediment.
You need to take the drug 15 ml twice a day. If you cannot get rid of constipation within 2-3 days, you should stop treatment and consult a doctor.
For worms
Wolfberry has anthelmintic properties and enhances the effect of medications aimed at getting rid of parasites. Based on the plant, you can prepare the following remedy:
- About 2 g of wolfberry flowers are poured into 200 ml of water.
- Boil for 20 minutes covered.
- Pass through cheesecloth to separate sediment.
- Add clean water to 200 ml.
You need to use the product three times a day after meals, five drops. In total, therapy is continued for five days.
For hemorrhoids
Wolfberry improves hemorrhoids and helps relieve pain. The plant-based product is prepared as follows:
- Pour 200 ml of hot water into 15 g of dry bark.
- Keep covered at room temperature for an hour.
- Filter from sediment.
You need to take 5 ml of the product in the morning and shortly before bedtime.
Drinking an infusion of wolfberry bark is allowed for anal fissures and intestinal colitis
Contraindications for use
To avoid poisoning from wolfberries, you must strictly follow safety rules. In particular, you should avoid using plant materials:
- for individual allergies;
- during pregnancy;
- when breastfeeding;
- for serious diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- with exacerbation of ulcers, gastritis and pancreatitis;
- for acute kidney diseases.
Both fresh and dried wolfberry are poisonous. When using medications, you must strictly follow the recommendations of proven recipes.
What happens if you eat wolfberry (red, black)
Among all the poisonous parts of the wolf's bast, it is the fruits that pose the greatest danger. They contain toxic compounds - meserein, daphnin and dafnein, xylostein, atropines and oxycoumarins.
Some of the listed substances negatively affect digestion, others are dangerous for the nervous and cardiovascular systems. If you eat 1-2 wolfberries, side effects will appear - vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, the temperature will rise and rashes will form on the skin. Eating 4-5 berries can result in severe poisoning. After 10-15 fetuses, the probability of death becomes high.
The weaker a person’s body, the less lethal dose of wolfberry will be for him. The plant poses a certain danger even with external contact - touching the bark can cause burns and blisters on the skin.
Is it possible to die from wolfberry?
Consumption of wolfberry fruits leads not only to poisoning, but in some cases to death. Berries are especially dangerous for children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems and chronic diseases.
Symptoms of wolfberry poisoning
It is easy to recognize wolf bast poisoning by its characteristic symptoms. Already 20-40 minutes after eating the fruit, the following occurs:
- profuse drooling;
- pain in the stomach and intestines;
- weakness and cramps;
- diarrhea;
- vomiting with blood.
When poisoned by wolf bast, a person feels dryness and burning in the mouth, as well as irritation of the conjunctiva of the eye. In severe situations, malaise is accompanied by dizziness and fainting.
What to do if you eat wolfberry
Signs of wolfberry poisoning cannot be ignored. You must immediately call a doctor or take the injured person to the hospital yourself.
Even if you have eaten only a few poisonous fruits, you still need to consult a specialist. Mild wolf bast poisoning remains very dangerous; it can provoke the development of chronic diseases and disorders in the functioning of internal organs.
First aid for wolfberry poisoning
To reduce the negative consequences of wolfberry poisoning, it is necessary to provide first aid to the victim before the doctor arrives. Namely:
- artificially induce vomiting;
- force a person to drink 2-3 liters of water with the addition of activated carbon, four tablets per 1 liter;
- cleanse the stomach again;
- repeat the washing procedure 2-3 times in a row.
Before the doctor arrives, the victim must be put to bed and covered with a warm blanket. In case of convulsions while consuming wolfberry, it is recommended to give the patient milk or a starch solution.
What is similar to wolfberry
There are berries that look like wolf's bast, and most often they also belong to the category of poisonous plants. Usually confused with culture:
- raven's eye - the plant reaches 50 cm above the ground, bears single black fruits with a bluish bloom;
Crow's eye berries usually appear in August
- common honeysuckle - the shrub grows up to 2.5 m, produces spherical red poisonous fruits;
You can distinguish honeysuckle from wolfberry by the timing of flowering - the plant blooms at the end of May
- belladonna - a very dangerous plant reaches 1.5 m in height, blooms with purple buds throughout the summer, and in July bears large black fruits with blue-violet juice;
Belladonna in microdoses is used in official medicine
- snowberry - white round berries appear on the shoots of the bush in early autumn, causing vomiting when applied.
Snowberry reaches 3 m above ground level
If the fruits of an unknown plant are similar to wolf's bast or related crops, it is better to avoid using them.
How to get rid of wolfberry
Wolfberry on the site can pose a danger to pets and small children. To remove a plant, you must:
- Cut down the bush trunk.
- Uproot the stump along with the underground part.
- Burn the remaining bushes in a remote corner of the site.
If young growth appears in the place of the felled wolfberry tree, you can resort to the chemicals Tornado or Roundup. The plant is cut down again, after which the cut is watered with the solution prepared according to the instructions. Within a couple of days, the remaining roots will dry out and collapse.
Conclusion
Photos of wolfberry and information about the plant deserve careful study. Toxic raw materials can bring benefits to the body, but only if used correctly.
Reviews on the use of wolf bast in folk medicine
