Heather's healing properties
In Norway, where heather is considered a national symbol, and at the time of its flowering all the wastelands are painted in all shades of lilac, this plant has long been valued not only for its charm and endurance, but also for its healing properties. One of them was prompted by nature itself, or rather, by the wild inhabitants of the forest.
Norwegian hunters have often noticed that in some areas the heather is badly dented and broken. It turned out that wounded and sick bears tend to the thickets of perennial shrubs, who literally ride in heather, the juice of which stopped the blood, served as a wound healing and disinfectant.
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What are the healing properties of heather, and what ailments can you get rid of with it?
Biochemical composition of heather
In the shoots, leaves and flowers of an inhabitant of stony valleys, scientists have discovered a rich set of various active substances. Heather is rich in tannins and resins, coumarins and organic acids, saponins, flavonoids and minerals.
Small heather leaves contain glycosides and rare alkaloids, phenols and vitamins. The roots and shoots of the shrub contain anthocyanins, which prevent aging, the development of neoplasms and the negative impact of the external environment.
Studies of the composition of heather and the beneficial properties of the plant have fully confirmed the intuitive guesses of healers and healers.
The greatest benefit comes from raw and dried plant raw materials, collected shortly and during flowering, when the maximum amount of active substances accumulates in the branches, leaves and flowers of the shrub.
Today, the apical shoots of heather with foliage and buds are used not only in folk, but also in official medicine. In Russia, heather is recognized as a dietary supplement, and preparations based on it are used in homeopathy.
At the same time, with a mass of medicinal properties, heather has practically no contraindications. The main thing is that when using this plant, one should not forget about the precautions and consult in advance with the attending specialist.
Health Benefits of Heather
Herbal raw materials are used for the manufacture of preparations for calming and diuretic action. The healing properties of heather extend to rheumatic pains, gout, inflammation and infections of various origins. For treatment, you can use heather grown onflower beds plot
Due to the ability to excrete excess salts with urine, to have an antiseptic and soothing effect, decoctions and tea based on heather will be useful for inflammatory diseases in the genitourinary sphere and atherosclerosis, for gastritis and stomach colic, liver diseases and rheumatism.
In European medical practice, the beneficial properties of heather herbal tea are used in the treatment of nervous disorders and insomnia.
In addition, the drink, causing sweating, helps relieve fever, cleanse the body of toxins.
The healing properties of heather are in demand for colds, respiratory diseases and allergic reactions accompanied by a dry annoying cough. Drinking warm from their heated heather twigs will help:
- reduce the intensity of the cough;
- soothe pain;
- activate the regeneration of damaged tissues;
- accelerate the discharge of sputum.
The manifestations of stomatitis, as well as foci of inflammation with angina, are cured by rinsing the mouth with a warm broth of heather. After drinking the drink from the heather shoots inside, the intestinal spasms, accompanied by pain, subside, and due to the astringent property of the drink, diarrhea ceases to annoy.
The beneficial properties of heather are also manifested with the external use of preparations based on plant materials.
Compresses and baths with decoction are indicated for rheumatism, allergic and other dermatitis, arthritis and gout. At the same time, heather can not only soothe skin irritations or have a beneficial effect on the joints, but also disinfect wounds and stimulate their healing process.
Compresses and lotions with heather infusion, traditional medicine recommends:
- with sprains,
- with fractures and dislocations;
- with severe bruises of soft tissues.
In the Scandinavian countries, ointments based on tincture of heather have long been used for frostbite, burns and other skin lesions, including long-term non-healing wounds and abrasions.
The disinfecting, astringent and anti-inflammatory effect of heather decoctions can also be used for cosmetological purposes, for example, when seborrhea of the scalp is accompanied by itching, irritation and hair loss.
An infusion of leaves and flowers will relieve acne inflammation.
For this, the liquid is used as a cleanser. With a decoction of heather, which has useful properties, lotions are made and added to therapeutic masks.
Caution when using the healing properties of heather
It is extremely rare to find plants that would only have a positive effect on the body without side effects. This group includes almost no contraindications, heather, the medicinal properties of which are recognized by doctors in many countries and are still being studied with interest.
And yet, caution when ingesting a decoction or tea with heather is necessary:
- with low acidity;
- during an exacerbation of chronic diseases of internal organs;
- with individual intolerance to plant components.
Excessive addiction to herbal teas and baths can lead to hypnotic effects and cause some lethargy.
The healing properties of heather for children can only be used with the permission of a doctor, after the onset of three years of age.
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