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Among the plants that are considered weeds, many have medicinal properties. One of them is white damselfish (Lamium album), which looks like nettle. Preparations are prepared from it and used in official and folk medicine.
What it looks like and where it grows
White lily, or dead nettle, reaches a height of 100 cm, and is a perennial herbaceous plant. Long underground shoots extend from its horizontal creeping rhizomes. The stems are erect, powerful, sometimes branched, tetrahedral in the lower part, pubescent.
The leaves of the alba are drop-shaped with a sharp end and a large number of veins. They are located opposite on the stem. The length of each is no more than 8 cm, width - up to 4 cm.
According to the photo and description, the white cherry blossom 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 lily contains saponins, tannins, essential oils and alkaloids
From June to October, fruits ripen on white yasnotka, which consist of four parts in the form of dark gray nuts with outgrowths.
The plant is widespread throughout the central zone and south of the Russian Federation. White lily grows in river floodplains, on forest edges, in ravines and shady places. It prefers rich soil and can form dense thickets in vacant lots, near residential buildings and on garbage heaps.
Chemical composition
The composition of the flowers and leaves of white damask includes substances that allow it to be used for medicinal purposes:
- vitamins A, C;
- tannins;
- alkaloids;
- saponins;
- essential oil;
- choline;
- mucus;
- macro- and microelements.
Beneficial features
Due to the chemical composition of the plant, white damselfish can have a number of therapeutic effects on the body:
- wound healing;
- anti-inflammatory;
- hemostatic;
- anticonvulsant;
- choleretic;
- astringent;
- analgesic.
White lily 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 damselfish in the fight against many pathologies:
- hemorrhoids;
- flu;
- bronchitis;
- tonsillitis;
- urinary tract infections;
- neuroses;
- depression;
- diarrhea;
- ulcers on the surface of the mucosa;
- stomatitis.
Claryweed thins mucus and has a mild hypnotic effect.
The healing properties of white clasp for women
In folk medicine, white cherry 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 contractions of the uterine muscles during childbirth. Preparations based on white claret are used to accelerate the regeneration of damaged tissues.
The infusion is used as a medicine for discomfort during menstrual periods. It helps to get rid of unpleasant sensations, nagging pain in the lower abdomen.
To improve a woman’s condition, the infusion is prepared according to the following scheme:
- Grind 25 g of fresh leaves and flowers of the white damask into a pulp.
- Add the mixture to hot water brought to a boil (250 ml).
- Leave for an hour.
- Strain.
The resulting liquid is drunk in two doses - morning and evening.
Methods of preparation and use
Leaves of white claret are used fresh for external use. To do this, they are first thoroughly crushed, turning them into a paste, and then applied to inflamed problem areas of the skin, where there are wounds, ulcers and boils. White clasp juice is used to speed up skin recovery 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 lily grows in open ground and in a greenhouse
Tincture
To prepare the tincture, you need to place 10 g of dried flowers of the white claret in a glass container and pour 300 ml of vodka. It is placed in a warm, dark place for 1 week. The composition must be shaken thoroughly every day.After infusion, it is filtered and used three times a day, 30 drops, for nervous disorders, uterine and intestinal bleeding.
An alcohol or vodka tincture made from the roots of the white damselfish helps to cope with headaches or toothaches, insomnia and neuralgia.
Infusion
To prepare an infusion of white claret, you need 3 tbsp. l. dry raw materials, pour 2 cups of boiling water and place in a water bath. After a quarter of an hour, remove from heat, strain and bring the volume of liquid to the original volume using boiled water. The infusion is taken 4-5 times a day, 100 ml.
Decoction
To extract as many useful substances as possible from the herb, you need to prepare a decoction. To do this, pour 30 g of dry medicinal raw material with a liter of cold water, place it on the stove, cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, then leave for another half hour. The broth is filtered through several layers of cloth or a fine sieve, and the remainder is squeezed out.
Porcelain, glass or ceramic dishes are used to prepare medicinal decoctions. They are stored for no more than 2 days in the refrigerator.
Claryweed resembles nettle in appearance, but does not burn the skin when touched
Use in folk medicine
Herbal preparations from white claret must be used according to the recommended doses. Before use, you should consult your doctor to clarify the need to take medications and contraindications for use.
Most often, infusions are taken orally, 50-100 ml four times a day. Externally, the products 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 pulmonary diseases. For older people, tea can be a means to normalize sleep. It is brewed from dry raw materials according to the same recipe as regular black tea.
Yasnotka for allergies
In folk medicine, infusions of alba are used to cleanse the blood and treat urticaria, allergies and eczema. They are used both externally and internally. For this, 1 tbsp. l. dried flowers of the plant are poured into a thermos and poured a glass of boiling water. After infusion for 1/3 hour, it is taken orally 1/2 cup 4 times a day and applications are made to the affected areas of the skin.
Juice for hysteria
Freshly squeezed milkweed juice helps to cope with hysteria. To prepare it, the leaves, flowers and stems of the plant are washed, scalded with boiling water, minced with a meat grinder, squeezed through a thick cloth and boiled for 5 minutes. Take 3 tbsp juice. l. along with a small amount of honey three times a day.
Powder
For the treatment of uterine fibroids and other female diseases, powder prepared from the dry corollas of the alba is used. It is taken in small doses (at the tip of a knife) 1 to 3 times a day.
Nettle herb improves appetite and is useful for dyspepsia
Poultices
To treat ulcers, traditional medicine recommends using a poultice of white damselfish. For this purpose, the raw materials are crushed, filled with water and put on fire for 2 minutes. Next, the herbal mixture is wrapped in clean natural fabric, applied to the affected area, covered with cling film and wrapped in warm material.
For hemorrhoids
A decoction of white claspberry helps if it is used in the early stages of the disease; in later stages it is used as an adjuvant to the main treatment.
To prepare the product, pour 15 g of dried flowers into a glass of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. After straining, the broth is drunk in several doses, using 20 ml every 2 hours.
For bronchitis
White clasp contains mucus and saponins, which help in the treatment of bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory tract pathologies. An infusion is prepared from a mixture of dried flowers and leaves (1 tbsp) and a glass of boiling water. The rate of use is 100 ml twice a day between meals.
For diathesis in children
To combat childhood diathesis, an infusion of alba is often used, which is prepared in the same way as for the treatment of bronchitis.
For children under 2 years of age, the recommended dose 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 affected areas with it. In this case, the dose of dry substance for preparing the dosage form is doubled.
Use in cooking
Young leaves of white damask are used in nutrition, since their content of vitamins is high, and it tastes like spinach.
In cooking, the herb is used for spring salads, to which it gives a sweetish taste. To prepare the dish, the leaves of the alba are washed, chopped and mixed with dill, onions and other herbs. Season it with sour cream, salt it and add a chopped egg.
The herb is used in baking dough, sauces, side dishes and soups. To prepare the puree, young shoots and leaves are treated with boiling water and stewed in a frying pan along with carrots, onions, vegetable oil and spices.
Raw materials are used both fresh and dry. By adding white claspberry 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 most beneficial qualities of the plant.
Culinary experts advise preparing a vitamin drink by mixing equal quantities of white jasmine, St. John's wort, fireweed, and thyme and pouring boiling water over it. After 15 min. the infusion is filtered, a tablespoon of honey is added and taken as a means to boost immunity. It should be remembered that if you are allergic to bee products, replace honey with sugar.
Contraindications and possible harm
Nettle is not a toxic plant, so problems with its use are rare. But you should remember not only about the medicinal properties of alba, but also about contraindications for use. Thus, excessive doses of decoctions and infusions can lead to increased blood clotting and an increased risk of blood clots.
In patients with unstable blood pressure, treatment with drugs based on white grass is accompanied by a sharp decrease in blood pressure and a deterioration in general well-being.
Rhizomes are dug up in the fall, after the end of the growing season.
The use of nettle preparations for pregnant women is completely prohibited, the use of which can result in miscarriage or premature birth. Problems often arise in patients with one of the following diagnoses:
- thrombosis;
- hypotension;
- varicose veins;
- thrombophlebitis.
Collection and preparation
For medicinal purposes, the young tops of the stems of white damselfish are harvested. Raw materials are selected only from healthy plants without signs of disease or damage by pests. The best time to collect is the flowering period, which lasts from June to October. Shoots pruned in summer grow back in the fall, begin to bloom, and can be harvested again.
The corollas of white clamyria flowers are raw materials in which the concentration of useful substances is maximum, so they are often harvested for the creation of medicinal preparations.
You need to dry the raw materials under a canopy, in the attic, in the absence of direct sunlight and in 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 materials are placed in glass or metal jars with tight-fitting lids.
Conclusion
White lily has long been known for its medicinal properties and is widely used in both 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.
