Burdock - medicinal properties and contraindications

Burdock refers to plants that grow everywhere. Everyone is used to treating it like a weed that is difficult to eradicate, with thorns that cling to clothes, sneakers, hair, animal hair, etc. But not everyone knows about the countless beneficial properties of this plant, thanks to which it has gained its popularity in traditional medicine, and about the possibilities of its use for cosmetic purposes. Therefore, it is worth getting to know burdock better, finding out its beneficial properties and preparations that you can even prepare from it yourself at home (especially since you won’t have to look for raw materials for a long time).

Not every burdock is considered medicinal. In fact, there are several types. Of particular interest to medicine are felt burdock and burdock. In principle, they are not much different from each other, and almost all of its parts are used for medicinal purposes: root, leaves, inflorescences, only solid stems, usually reaching a height of 1 m or more, are not used.

You don’t have to talk much about what burdock looks like, since everyone has seen it more than once. Huge leaves with finely carved edges grow from one center, and on the tops there are inflorescences - burdock, which has a red-pink color, a lot of hooked spines, with which it clings to everything that is horrible, and small wrapping leaves.

The widespread use of burdock in folk medicine is due to its rich chemical composition. Moreover, as mentioned above, useful substances are found in almost all its parts:

  • burdock leaves are rich in arctiopicrin (it is this component that gives bitterness), ascorbic acid, beneficial mucus and tannins;
  • burdock root contains vitamins B, E, D, as well as a whole complex of acids, polysaccharides, inulin, carotene, essential and fatty oils, resins, mineral salts, trace elements (iron, zinc, boron, manganese) and many other useful substances;
  • burdock seeds are known for their high content of essential oils.

You can use different parts of burdock to combat so many diseases of various directions. Burdock-based preparations have the following effects on the human body:

  • diuretic, thanks to which burdock is great for cleansing the whole body of toxins and toxins;
  • choleretic. Burdock is widely used in the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder and kidneys;
  • antibacterial and healing, which allows the use of various parts of the plant and for external use for wounds, burns, acne rashes, psoriasis and other skin diseases;
  • laxative, so extracts of burdock help to cope with hemorrhoids and constipation;
  • anti-inflammatory, which is especially important for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, as well as diseases that occur in the oral cavity;
  • antipyretic for colds and infectious diseases;
  • analgesic, so burdock is also used to treat a complex of joint diseases.

In fact, the list of specific diseases that burdock helps fight is endless. Due to the fact that it can be used both internally and externally, a large number of different preparations are prepared on the basis of this plant: decoctions, infusions, alcohol-based tinctures, teas, creams, ointments, lotions, etc., and are also consumed fresh. form.

In fact, there are very few of them and they are quite commonplace. Burdock should not be used:

  • pregnant and lactating women;
  • with individual intolerance to the components that make up the burdock.

That's all. Therefore, if a particular person does not fit either the first or the second group, then he can use burdock with peace of mind to improve his appearance and treat diseases.

Of all the parts of burdock used in folk medicine, it is its root that is most often used to treat diseases, and the leaves are still more often intended for external use.

Burdock root can only cause harm if it is consumed in excess, so you should always know when to stop even when using traditional medicine. This is especially true for ingestion.

Also, when collecting and harvesting burdock roots on your own, you should pay attention to the places where it grows - you should not collect plants from roadways, as they can be toxic. And before use and processing, freshly harvested burdock must be thoroughly washed.

It is believed that it is freshly squeezed juice from the roots or leaves of burdock that is most effective. To prepare it, it is necessary to soak the previously collected raw materials in cold water for several hours. This operation will help remove bitterness. Then you need to dry the leaves and roots of burdock so that water does not get into the juice.

After the drying stage, the raw materials are crushed in a meat grinder, passing it several times. The resulting slurry is wrapped in a piece of gauze and squeezed. All the secreted juice is poured into sealed dark glass bottles and stored in the refrigerator.

In principle, burdock juice can also be consumed fresh, but the main problem will be that its shelf life in the refrigerator does not exceed three days. And as you know, the parts of burdock collected in May will be considered the most useful for obtaining juice. Therefore, for the constant use of burdock juice in courses, it is often preserved with vodka or honey, added to the raw materials in a 1: 1 ratio and mixed.

Burdock tincture

This product is prepared using an alcohol base. Below are a few recipes for making such tinctures.

Recipe 1. Tincture of burdock inflorescences

Raw materials need to fill 1/3 of the glass jar and fill to the top with vodka. Leave to infuse for 21 days in a dark, cool place, and after this time, filter through gauze and pour into resealable storage bottles. It is recommended to take this tincture 15 minutes before meals in the amount of one teaspoon.

Recipe 2. Burdock root tincture

Dry crushed burdock root should be poured with vodka in a dark glass bottle in a ratio of 1:10, respectively, and the mixture should be infused for 10 days. At this time, you need to shake the bottle at least a couple of times. After the mixture has been infused, it is filtered and squeezed. The tincture is usually taken with honey or an aqueous extract of propolis, taken in equal parts (1 tbsp each), half an hour before meals, previously dissolved in a small amount of boiled water (1/4 cup).

Recipe 3. Burdock tincture with honey

Here, honey will be introduced as a full-fledged ingredient in the tincture. To prepare it, you need to take 10 g of chopped burdock root and the same amount of honey and pour a glass of vodka. Within 10 days it is necessary to infuse the mixture, and then filter. It is usually taken half an hour before meals three to four times a day. Moreover, you first need to dissolve 1 tbsp. the resulting tincture in ¼ cup of boiled water.

Burdock tea

Tea can be prepared from the root, leaves and blossoms of burdock. It is taken orally in a warm form, half a glass twice or thrice a day. To prepare it, 1 tbsp. crushed burdock root pour a glass of hot water. The mixture is heated in a water bath for 30 minutes under a lid, allowed to cool for 10 minutes, filtered through gauze, while squeezing out the roots, and boiled water is added to obtain the initial volume. Thus, the tea becomes ready for drinking.

With oncological diseases

In cancer diseases, the use of tinctures and decoctions of burdock roots and leaves helps to stop the growth and development of cancer cells, slow down the development of malignant tumors, and also increase the body's immunity in order to improve the functioning of protective functions. For these purposes, use inside:

  • a decoction of burdock root (chopped burdock root is poured into 0.5 liters of water and boiled) 20 minutes before a meal, half a cup;
  • infusion (50 g of crushed root pour 0.5 l of boiling water and infuse for 8 ... 12 hours) 100 g before meals;
  • tincture with honey and vodka (according to recipe 3);
  • fresh plant root, chopped on a fine grater, no more than 30 g per day (taken in portions, up to 5 times a day);
  • burdock root juice 1 tbsp. 20 minutes before eating.

However, burdock can also be used externally. For example, in case of breast cancer, it is recommended to collect the leaves of this plant, rinse thoroughly and apply to the mammary glands for a while.

you need to grate the burdock root with butter, take the ingredients in a ratio of 1: 4, respectively, boil for 15 minutes and, finally, strain. One egg yolk is added to the resulting mixture and mixed well.

Recipe 1. For the treatment of infertility and spontaneous abortions

Here it is proposed to make a collection by mixing 1 tbsp. cutter herbs, 5g chopped burdock root, 3g chopped chastefruit, and 3g orchid roots. It is desirable to make a dry mixture immediately in a thermos, you need to mix well and pour two glasses of boiling water. The thermos is closed with a lid and the collection is left to infuse for 12 hours. The course of treatment lasts for a month, after which they take a break for 10 days, and then continue again. To achieve the effect, you will need to take at least three such courses. It is recommended to take the collection up to 4 times a day, 50 ... 100 ml.

Recipe 2. With uterine myoma

Freshly squeezed juice from burdock root should be mixed in equal amounts with sea buckthorn and St. John's wort oils and add honey. Mix the whole mixture well and at the end add mummy in the amount of 0.2 g. Dip a tampon into the resulting mixture and insert it into the vagina all night. Take it out in the morning and throw it away.

Benefits of burdock for women

In addition to the above possible gynecological health problems in women, the constant intake of decoction (tea) from burdock helps to reduce pain during menstruation, as well as regulate its cycle. And with heavy uterine bleeding, you can use the following recipe:

5 g of dry burdock root, powdered, pour two cups of boiling water in a thermos. Leave to insist overnight, and then filter and take daily 4 times 100 ml. Usually one course of treatment lasting a month is enough. If necessary, the course is repeated, but a pause of 10 days is observed between them.

Due to its healing properties, burdock is also widely used in cosmetology - its extracts are used in numerous masks and creams, as well as in hair care products. Below are a few folk recipes using burdock that will help improve the condition of the skin of the face and hair at home.

  • For face

Recipe 1. Mask for problem skin prone to rashes

You need to boil half a liter of milk, add 6 pieces of medium-sized burdock leaves and cook everything together for a quarter of an hour over medium heat. After removing the mixture from the stove, it is allowed to cool. The leaves themselves are taken out and applied to the face for 15 minutes, then removed, and the face is washed with warm water.

Recipe 2. Homemade nourishing face cream

To prepare it, you need to take 1 tsp. dry lavender and dry burdock root and pour a glass of pure mineral water without gas. The resulting mixture is put on fire and boiled after boiling for 5 minutes. Once the mixture has cooled, it must be filtered. To prepare the base, you will need to melt 1.5 tbsp in a water bath. beeswax and mix 1 tbsp. almond oil. When both components are melted, the previously prepared broth is added to them. The mixture is kept in a water bath until the required thick consistency is obtained, after which the ready-made hot cream is poured into a jar and waited for complete cooling. Then it must be stored in a dark, cool place.

  • For hair

Recipe 1. Ointment to improve hair growth

100 g of crushed burdock root should be poured with 150 ml of olive oil and left to infuse in a warm, dark place for 48 hours. After the specified time, the mixture is taken out and put on a slow fire. Cooking such a mixture after boiling is recommended for 20 minutes, followed by cooling and filtering. The ointment prepared in this way is recommended to be rubbed into the scalp.

Recipe 2. Decoction for hair loss

To prepare it, you need to make a mixture of 200 g of crushed burdock root, 10 g of calendula flowers and 15 g of hop cones. The whole mixture is poured into 1 liter of water and boiled for 15 ... 20 minutes, then let it brew and filter. Washing your head with such a decoction is recommended at least 1 time per week.

It is often used for the treatment and prevention of skin diseases (acne, seborrhea, dandruff), as well as for the healing of minor wounds and sunburn. Burdock oil helps to quickly relieve itchy skin. In cosmetology, burdock oil is used to improve the condition of aging skin and strengthen hair follicles, which helps fight baldness and hair loss.

Burdock oil can be purchased at a pharmacy or you can cook it yourself using one of the two recipes below.

Recipe 1. Burdock oil from fresh roots

The dug-out roots of a burdock (it is desirable to carry out a digging up in the early spring or late autumn) needs to be finely cut. Next, 100 g of crushed raw materials are poured into 200 ml of any vegetable oil (sunflower, rapeseed, olive, etc. are suitable) and left to infuse in a dark, warm place for a day. After this time, the oil is taken out and put on low heat. You need to cook for 20 minutes, while it is recommended to constantly stir the contents of the saucepan, otherwise it may burn. after removing the oil from the fire, it is filtered through gauze and poured into a container for storage. For these purposes, a resealable glass jar or bottle is perfect.

Recipe 2. Burdock oil from dried roots

Here it is proposed to pour 100 g of dry crushed raw materials with 0.5 sunflower oil. This method does not involve boiling and straining. However, the duration of cooking the oil is quite long - it will take three weeks to insist in a dark, warm place.

If you don’t want to collect and harvest burdock yourself, then there is always the possibility of purchasing ready-made preparations in a pharmacy. Of course, prices may vary depending on the region of the country, so only an approximate cost will be given below:

  • dry crushed burdock root without additional additives - a package weighing 50 g costs about 50 ... 70 rubles;
  • burdock leaf juice - 100 ml of the drug costs at least 300 rubles;
  • burdock root juice - the price of 75 ml of the drug reaches 1000 rubles;
  • burdock oil with the addition of various components - 100 ml of the drug can be purchased at a pharmacy for 40 ... .70 rubles.

Prices for various cosmetic products based on the use of burdock extracts, such as shampoos, creams, etc., vary greatly and depend on the country of origin, the producing company and other factors, so they will not be listed here.

In any case, self-collection and harvesting of burdock for medicinal purposes will cost much less than purchasing funds based on it in a pharmacy.

mob_info