Knotweed medicinal properties and how to use it. Herbal medicine knotweed. In the treatment of infertility

Knotweed is a cosmopolitan plant. It grows everywhere except in the Arctic regions and the South Pole.

Leather dyes are made from its stems and roots; it is good as poultry feed, but what is most in demand is its valuable pharmacological properties.

In this article we will tell you (and show in the photo what the plant looks like) about the beneficial and medicinal properties of the knotweed herb, contraindications for use for men, women and children, as well as when to collect knotweed and how to properly use it for medicinal purposes.

How to choose and prepare yourself

Knotweed (knotweed) - herbaceous annual height from 10 to 80 centimeters. It is called grass-ant, sparrowgrass, hernia grass, pigweed, Bashkir cabbage, but most often knotweed - in honor of the Slavic symbol of fertility.

Herbal infusions can be purchased at any pharmacy. When choosing a product, pay attention to the quality of packaging, manufacturer, and place of collection. The most popular herbs are those collected in the foothills of the Caucasus.

The plant is included in various pharmaceutical mixtures and dietary supplements; in health food stores you can find cereal porridges with hernia, and special tea mixtures. You can also buy dried knotweed there in various packaging.

Before purchasing, you should look at the product certificate, but it is better to use the services of a large pharmacy chain.

You can prepare medicinal herbs for future use yourself. You can harvest it throughout the summer, but you should remember: when you collect knotweed for medicinal purposes, you cannot harvest it in pasture areas, near roads, or in cities.

It is advisable to cut the grass to a length of no more than 40 centimeters.

The prepared grass must be cleaned of impurities and placed in a dryer. The temperature in the dryer should be maintained within 50-60 degrees and do not forget to periodically turn the raw materials. It will be considered dry when the stems become brittle.

Without a dryer, you can dry the grass in the attic, in the shade outdoors, in a well-ventilated area.

Raw materials can be stored in paper or fabric bags, cardboard boxes, glass jars at room temperature and humidity not higher than 70%.

At pharmacy preparations, the expiration date is indicated on the packaging. You can use your own blanks store for up to two years, in sealed jars - up to three.

Herbalist Efimenko N.Yu. will tell you about the beneficial properties and uses of knotweed:

Composition and nutritional value

Research has revealed the presence in the plant of:

Knotweed - a storehouse of vegetable protein. 100 grams of raw materials contain:

• 27 g fiber;
• 9 g ash;
• 2.5 g sugars;
• 44 g of extractives;
• 17 g protein.

The calorie content and glycemic index of the product are not indicated in open sources.

Benefits of the plant for the body

Fresh and dried leaves and stems of the plant are widely used in medical practice. Knotweed has the following healing properties:

• has a hemostatic effect;
• increases urination;
• increases immunity, blood clotting;
• heals ulcers and wounds;
• dissolves kidney and liver stones;
• helps with diarrhea;
• reduces blood pressure;
• has antimicrobial, disinfectant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, tonic, tonic and astringent effects.

Decoctions and infusions are used in the treatment of diseases of the urinary tract in chronic stages, intestines, ulcers. They play an important role in the complex treatment of uterine bleeding, tuberculosis and malaria.

Fresh leaves used as an external remedy for skin diseases, for the treatment of ulcers, wounds, acne, bruises.

The plant extract (avicularin), produced in powder and tablets, is used as a hemostatic agent during the postpartum period in women and has a diuretic effect.

Fresh herb essence is used for homeopathic treatment. Knotweed is part of Zdrenko's medicine, which is prescribed for bladder diseases.

What are the benefits of grass?

For treatment, various mixtures of knotweed with other medicinal plants or in its pure form are used. With its help you can get rid of many diseases.

For adult men and women

Knotweed will help with many female diseases, its medicinal properties actively used in gynecology.

Its decoction helps with infertility. Take it before meals four times a day. Dose - 2 tbsp. l.

And it is prepared from 10 g of grass and 100 ml of water. The mixture is heated in a water bath for at least half an hour and left to infuse.

Decoctions from the plant are effective for painful periods and heavy menstrual bleeding.

Collections, which include our grass-ant, used to treat impotence. The following recipe is recommended:

A tablespoon of the mixture is poured into 400 ml of boiling water, left to cool, filter, and taken 50 ml four times a day. The course lasts at least two weeks.

Since knotweed is not the main active ingredient in this collection, unlike, for example, lemongrass, then there is no need to talk about its direct effect on potency.

For nursing and pregnant women

Knotweed should not be consumed during pregnancy. It can increase the tone of the uterus and cause miscarriage.

Tea made from knotweed will be beneficial, it can support the weakened body of a nursing woman, replenish it with tannins and vitamin C, but you should not abuse tea drinking.

For children

Hot decoctions and teas from knotweed will help children with colds. They will have a general strengthening and tonic effect.

For diarrhea You can support your child with a decoction of equal parts of knotweed, thorn fruit, and marshmallow root. Half a tablespoon of the mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water, left for half an hour, and given to the child half a glass before breakfast, dinner and lunch.

For skin diseases in children You can use baths with a decoction of the plant. Teenage acne is treated with knotweed tea. The treatment course is best carried out in spring and autumn, using the product for 2-3 weeks daily.

For tea 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of herbs into 100 ml of water and bring to a boil. The tea is filtered before drinking.

In old age

For exhaustion, dystrophy, as a general tonic for older people it is best to use an infusion of 8 tbsp. spoons of plant.

They are poured with a liter of boiling water and left for about four hours. You should drink half a glass half an hour before meals. Morning, noon and evening.

The drink, which has a diuretic effect, will remove excess uric acid salts from the body.

For special categories

Decoctions and juices of the plant are widely used in sports medicine. for injuries and bruises, cuts and abrasions, as a restorative and strengthening drug.

However Allergy sufferers should use knotweed decoctions with great caution, people with cardiovascular problems.

Potential harm and side effects

For a number of diseases, the use of compositions and decoctions from herbs and ants can create serious health problems:

• You should not use bird's-eye in case of acute manifestations of bladder disease or kidney problems;
• should not be used by people who are constantly taking blood-thinning drugs (aspirin, cardiomagnyl), by people who have had a heart attack, stroke, or by those with a tendency to thrombophlebitis;
• hypotensive patients should remember that grass reduces blood pressure;
• It should be used with caution in case of varicose veins, bronchitis with excess sputum;
• It is strictly forbidden to use drugs with knotweed during pregnancy. This may lead to miscarriage.

When using the herb, some patients may experience allergic reactions, renal colic.

Knotweed is consumed in several forms.

Infusions. One of the options can be prepared by pouring 50 grams of dry plant with two glasses of boiled water at room temperature.

The infusion is kept covered for an hour, filtered, and taken 20 minutes before meals, 1 tbsp. spoon at least three times a day.

The infusion will help with weakness, ulcers, gastritis, uterine bleeding, and increase the acidity of the stomach.

Decoctions. The decoction is prepared from 1 tbsp. spoons of knotweed and 100 ml of boiling water. After pouring boiling water over the herb, heat the infusion over low heat for about 15 minutes.

After straining, drink before meals. Norm - 1 tbsp. spoon. The course should not be continued for more than two weeks.

This decoction can help with liver diseases, pyelonephritis, and bladder problems.

Tinctures. Tinctures are used for cholelithiasis, hepatitis, and liver problems.

A tincture can be prepared from a teaspoon of herbs and 100 ml of alcohol. The mixture is infused in the dark for at least ten days. Take 15 drops, mixed with 1/2 glass of water, before meals.

Compresses and lotions from herbal infusions that help with bruises, juices and crushed pulp of fresh plants. Their external use heals burns, wounds, and abscesses.

Instructions for use

In cooking

Knotweed is widely used as a food plant.. It contains no less protein than poultry meat, no less starch than beans, and twice as much vitamin C as.

Young leaves of the plant can be found in recipes for salads, soups, and purees. The most affordable and simple salad is prepared like this:: and 100 g of young knotweed leaves;

The pie is delicious hot or cold.

For those who want to lose weight

There is often incompetent advice on the Internet about how to lose weight with bird knotweed. Their authors are confident that the plant, having a diuretic effect, will help you become slimmer.

However, the herb that is given to poultry to increase appetite, which contains numerous tannins, is unlikely to serve those wishing to lose weight well.

There are dozens of time-tested recipes for colitis and kidney diseases. Many potions are easy to prepare at home.

1 tbsp. A spoonful of the mixture is stirred in a glass of boiling water, left for about 1 hour, and filtered. Drink in small sips throughout the day.

Collection for diarrhea prepared from one part oak bark and one part knotweed. 1 tbsp. l. The mixture is poured with two glasses of boiling water and left for about half an hour.

Drink 0.5 cups before meals, try to drink no more than three times a day.

In cosmetology

A decoction of the plant is used as a wash for problem skin., for boils, rashes, acne. To strengthen hair roots and get rid of dandruff, special rinses are prepared. Their recipe is simple:

• Grind 25 grams of dry grass in a coffee mill;
• pour 2.5 liters of boiling water;
• soak for 10 minutes in a water bath.

A paste from a fresh plant will help with acne.. It is enough to apply it several times a day to problem areas. She will do a great job of fighting boils.

Before starting treatment you should consult a doctor, undergo an examination.

In contact with

Dear readers, do you know such a herb as knotweed? If not, then I highly recommend paying attention to it. Everyone needs this herb. Why everyone? To begin with, I will briefly say that it removes metal salts, treats arthritis, arthrosis, is good for the kidneys, in gynecology, treats tuberculosis, even helps crush small stones, strengthens blood vessels and solves other health problems. Today I want to tell you about the beneficial and medicinal properties of knotweed, where and how this herb is used and whether everyone can take it.

Ant-grass, ant-grass... This is how Russian fairy tales and epics speak so affectionately and poetically about one quite ordinary plant, which is probably familiar to each of us from childhood. Knotweed or knotweed grows literally under our feet; the plant is the most ordinary and inconspicuous, but very useful.

This grass can be found near roads and paths, in the courtyards of residential buildings, near the shores of small bodies of water, it grows everywhere and small birds feed on its seeds until frost. You've probably seen flocks of sparrows along the roads, swarming in the short grass in the fall, chirping cheerfully; this grass is knotweed. People don’t call it anything: knotweed, ant grass, bird’s buckwheat, gosling grass, trampling grass, sparrow’s tongues, but they are all one and the same plant called knotweed.

I first met her a long time ago. Back when I lived in the Far East. A friend of mine brewed it in a thermos to treat gynecological diseases. This herb helped her a lot then. Now I myself am finishing a course of treatment with this herb. I take it for prevention - to cleanse the body so that salts do not accumulate, and it very well relieves inflammatory processes in the body, if there is something somewhere, it is good for blood vessels. The course of treatment is usually 3 weeks. Let's see what this grass looks like.

Knotweed grass. Photo

Knotweed (knotweed herb). Useful and healing properties

The beneficial and medicinal properties of knotweed have been known for a very long time; it was used in ancient times as a hemostatic and wound-healing agent. Our wise ancestors squeezed the juice from the grass, soaked the fabric in it and applied it to wounds, ulcers, bruises, thereby avoiding complications and speeding up recovery.

Currently, the properties of this plant have been studied more deeply, which makes it possible to expand the spectrum of its action. This inconspicuous-looking herb contains vitamins C, K, E, mineral salts, carotene, tannins, essential oils, flavonoids, resins, saponins, coumarins, various acids and much more.

Knotweed herb is widely used in official and folk medicine, as well as in homeopathy; preparations based on it have the following properties:

• diuretic
• astringent
• anti-inflammatory
• antipyretic
• disinfectant
• hemostatic
• tonic
• blood purifying
• hypotensive
• strengthens blood vessels

Medicinal herb knotweed (knotweed). Application

The range of uses of knotweed (knotweed) is quite impressive, and the herb is considered low-toxic and has a minimum of contraindications, which makes it possible to take it for a long time for various diseases

1. For diseases kidneys and bladder Long-term use of decoctions and infusions allows you to dissolve and remove sand and stones from the kidneys, reduce swelling, and relieve the inflammatory process in cystitis. If you are prone to stone formation, knotweed is taken as a preventive measure.
2. For inflammatory diseases liver and gallbladder A decoction of knotweed is also used, but in this case you need to consult a doctor and do an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity to make sure there are no large stones in the gall bladder. Knotweed copes with small stones, but in the presence of large stones, any choleretic agents are contraindicated.
3. For diseases vessels For hemorrhoids, knotweed helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improve blood circulation, and normalize blood pressure.
4. At internal and uterine bleeding , for hemorrhoids, knotweed improves blood clotting, thereby speeding up the healing process. But you need to understand that, like all herbs, knotweed is used in complex treatment, especially in severe cases, which include internal bleeding. In this case, you cannot do without consulting a doctor.
5. The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties of knotweed (knotweed) make it possible to use it for colds with fever, as well as with sore throat and inflammation of the gums.
6. Due to its tannins and antimicrobial properties, knotweed is used for treatment of various wounds , cuts, long-term non-healing ulcers.
7. Knotweed is also used in the treatment of gout; it helps remove uric acid salts from the joints, thereby reducing pain and inflammation.
8. Tuberculosis, arthritis, arthrosis, diseases of the stomach and intestines are also included in the list of diseases for which knotweed has a healing effect on the body.

How to take knotweed

Knotweed (knotweed) is taken in the form of infusions, decoctions or as part of complex medicinal preparations. It is best to prepare decoctions and infusions for one day, since after just a day their properties decrease.

Infusion of knotweed (knotweed)

It is very simple to prepare an infusion; you need to take a tablespoon of dry crushed herb per glass of boiling water, leave for 30-40 minutes and take 1/4 cup 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals.

Decoction of knotweed (knotweed)

The decoction turns out to be more concentrated; to prepare it, you need to take two tablespoons of herb per glass of boiling water, put it all in a water bath for 15 - 20 minutes, then cool, strain and add boiled water to a full glass. Take 1-2 tablespoons of decoction before meals.

You can prepare a decoction without a steam bath, simply boil the herb for 3 - 5 minutes over low heat, then remove from heat and strain after 20 minutes.

Knotweed juice

Knotweed juice is squeezed from fresh grass, which is harvested during its flowering. It is recommended to take 1–2 tablespoons of juice two to three times a day before meals for hypertension, convulsions, tuberculosis, intestinal diseases and kidney diseases.

To treat wounds and other skin damage, you can also use the juice, which is used to wash the wounds and apply bandages soaked in the juice. You can do it even simpler: wash the grass, dry it and grind it into a paste, which is applied under a bandage to the damaged areas of the skin.

I suggest watching a video about the beneficial and medicinal properties of knotweed herb.

Knotweed grass. Treatment. Recipes

Traditional medicine uses many recipes with knotweed to treat various diseases; it is taken both separately and in combination with other plants that enhance the healing effect of knotweed. I will give you some of them, perhaps they will be useful to someone.

• For kidney stones mix knotweed herb, bearberry herb and bean leaves in equal parts, pour 15 grams of the collection (this is approximately a full tablespoon) with 1.5 cups of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, filter and drink the resulting infusion in large portions throughout the day
• For cystitis prepare an infusion of a tablespoon of knotweed and a glass of water and take half a glass three times a day for a week
• For inflammation of the gallbladder prepare a decoction of a tablespoon of knotweed herb, keep in a water bath for 30 minutes, strain after 20 minutes and take one tablespoon 3 to 4 times a day
• For hemorrhoids In summer, during flowering, pick fresh grass and immediately squeeze the juice out of it. Take a tablespoon twice a day
• For joint diseases Boil a glass of fresh chopped knotweed herb (knotweed) in a liter of water for 5 minutes, leave for at least an hour. Apply lotions from this decoction to sore joints and add it to foot baths.
• For uterine bleeding three teaspoons of dry herb are poured into a glass of boiling water, left for 40 minutes and taken 3 – 4 times a day, regardless of food
• For anemia prepare an infusion of knotweed herb by brewing a tablespoon of dry raw material with a glass of boiling water. After cooling, strain the infusion and mix with beet juice in equal proportions. Take one spoon 3 times a day before meals for a month
• For tuberculosis lungs, mix a tablespoon of crushed dry knotweed herb and crushed licorice root, pour two tablespoons of this mixture into 1/2 liter of boiling water, simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes, strain after 30 minutes and take 4–5 times a day 1/4 cup each
• For bronchitis, pneumonia prepare a mixture of knotweed grass, coltsfoot leaves, black elderberry flowers, taking a teaspoon of each. Brew a glass of boiling water, leave until it cools and take a tablespoon 3 – 4 times a day
• For stomach diseases with increased acidity of gastric juice, prepare a mixture of knotweed herb, peppermint, plantain, St. John's wort and calamus root. Mix everything in equal parts. Prepare an infusion from a tablespoon of the mixture and a glass of boiling water.

Knotweed. Grass collection, preparation

Knotweed grows everywhere, but, of course, you cannot collect it in the city; you need to look for it away from city roads and railway tracks.

It is also necessary to distinguish it from other types of knotweed, which do not have medicinal properties. This is not difficult to do, look carefully at the photographs; in knotweed, the stem begins to branch from the very ground, the stems are divided into knees, the leaves have an elliptical shape, and small, inconspicuous flowers are located in the axils of the leaves and have a dirty white color with a pink tint.

For medicinal purposes, knotweed is harvested at the beginning of flowering, this usually happens in late June - early July, the aerial part is cut off at the base, leaving the lowest leaves, then dried in any available way, without exposing it to direct sunlight.

It is not recommended to store dried herbs for more than two years; over time, it loses its healing properties. Glass jars, thick paper bags or linen and cotton bags are suitable for storage.

Where to buy knotweed grass? Price

If you don't want to harvest the herb yourself, buy it at the pharmacy. It is sold in almost every pharmacy. It's very inexpensive. I recently bought it here in Yaroslavl for 30 rubles. Packaging 50 grams.

Knotweed grass. Contraindications

As always, when describing the medicinal properties of any plant, I want to warn you this time that knotweed (knotweed) is a potent plant and taking medications based on it has its contraindications.

An absolute contraindication to taking knotweed is pregnancy. They should not be used by people with thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, or anyone prone to the formation of blood clots, since taking knotweed, which increases blood clotting, can lead to an attack of angina and even heart attack and stroke.

Knotweed is not prescribed to those with low blood pressure.

Despite the fact that knotweed can soften and remove stones from the kidneys and gall bladder, people with cholelithiasis and kidney stones can take knotweed with caution and only after consulting a doctor, so as not to aggravate the situation, since the stone can block the bile ducts, which poses a threat to life.

People who have stones in the urinary ducts larger than 6 mm should also not take knotweed.

Here is some information for you today about the beneficial properties of knotweed and its contraindications.

And for the soul today we will listen to an old waltz Autumn dream. Many considered it a native work, written in Russia, but its homeland is in distant, foggy Albion. It was written by pianist and composer Archibald Joyce in 1908. Just such nostalgia... A brass band and an amazing waltz.

I wish you all health, good mood, simple joys of life and all the warmest and kindest.

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Knotweed or knotweed is an annual medicinal herb widely used in folk medicine. The dispute is related to the Buckwheat family.

Interesting! Knotweed or bird knotweed has a lot of other names and names: goose grass (as it is often used as food for geese), grass-ant, bird buckwheat or chough buckwheat, conotope, chicken beetle, woodlice.

The plant is completely unpretentious, feels normal even on crushed stone and clay. Distributed almost everywhere in our country. It grows in fields, meadows, pastures, road edges, and on the banks of rivers and lakes. The grass reproduces by seeds. One plant produces about five hundred seeds per year, the germination of which lasts up to five years.

What does knotweed look like?

There are a fairly large number of subspecies of knotweed, but the most common is the “descending” knotweed. It is named so because it seems to descend and spread along the ground.

• Stems thin, the maximum shoot length reaches half a meter.
• Escapes They branch from the stem and in mass the grass forms such a fluffy, pleasant carpet on the ground.
• Leaves small oval green flowers, small, funnel-shaped, white, pink, soft pink or pale green.
• Blooms knotweed from May to mid-June.
• Fruit ripen until autumn.

Composition of knotweed grass

Looking at the chemical composition of knotweed, it becomes clear why this herb is classified as medicinal.

It contains quite a significant amount of ascorbic acid and vitamin A, which has a positive effect on vision and skin condition. The plant also contains oxalic acid, vitamins K and E, flavonoids, essential oils and pectins, which can remove heavy metals from the body. Knotweed is also rich in silicic acid, which can purify the blood, preventing poisons (for example, car exhaust fumes) from remaining in the human body.

Knotweed is not only used by people; it is a very attractive delicacy for livestock.

The benefits of the medicinal herb knotweed

Various decoctions and infusions can be prepared from this medicinal herb. Their action is blood purifying, diuretic, diaphoretic, restorative, expectorant, diuretic.

Decoctions of knotweed or knotweed

They will have a beneficial effect on hemorrhoids and gout as a hemostatic agent. The decoction will help with diseases of the liver, stomach, kidneys and bladder. The decoction can be successfully used to heal wounds and pustular acne.

Recipe for decoction with knotweed: A glass of boiling water and a tablespoon of knotweed herb are combined and boiled for half an hour over low heat. Let it cool and drink 100 ml several times a day. This decoction helps with gallstones, gout, hemorrhoids, and rheumatism.

Recipe for decoction with knotweed and horsetail: Mix knotweed and horsetail in equal parts (you get two parts of the collection), add four parts of cinquefoil and the same amount of centaury. Boil the collection, strain the cooled broth and take throughout the day for pain and heavy bleeding during menstruation.

Infusions of knotweed (knotweed)

Recipe 1: put four tablespoons of knotweed herb in a thermos, pour half a liter of boiling water and leave it all in the thermos for four hours. Half a glass of infusion should be drunk three to four times a day, half an hour before meals. This infusion is especially useful for older people to keep themselves in good shape.

On a note! Infusions of knotweed herb have the same indications for use as decoctions, but they are more effective in the treatment of female diseases, cholelithiasis, colds and female diseases.

Recipe 2: We also take four tablespoons of knotweed herb, pour a glass of boiling water, leave for about two hours, filter. This infusion is very effective in treating colds. You need to drink it three times a day, half a glass.

Medicinal knotweed tea

Tea is used as a healing agent for the treatment of diseases of the upper respiratory tract, lung diseases, accompanied by a strong and frequent cough.

The tea recipe is indecently simple: two tablespoons of knotweed are poured into 250 liters of water, brought to a boil over a fire, filtered after cooling and drunk several cups a day.

Knotweed for colds. Knotweed grass has an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effect, so the tea, the recipe for which is written above, is used as a e remedies for colds and acute respiratory diseases.

Knotweed during pregnancy. For long-term infertility, you need to resort to the help of this medicinal herb. The use of infusions, decoctions and teas from knotweed promotes conception.

Knotweed for the kidneys and bladder. Knotweed is often used to treat kidney diseases; decoctions of this herb have a cleansing effect on the kidneys, eliminating toxins and even stones. The bladder is also cleansed - stones and sand are removed from the bladder when using knotweed products, and infectious problems are also eliminated with the help of the anti-inflammatory effect of the herb.

Knotweed for men. And men's troubles can be corrected with the help of wonderful knotweed. Decoctions, infusions and teas will help restore sexual function to a man.

Knotweed for children. Will help cure dry cough, whooping cough and cramps. For children, it is recommended to prepare a decoction with milk: bring half a liter of milk to a boil, add two tablespoons of knotweed. Give your child half a glass four times a day.

Contraindications for the use of knotweed (knotweed)

Despite the fact that knotweed treats infertility, it is prohibited to use products based on it during pregnancy, since this herb increases the tone of the uterus. It is not recommended to use knotweed for sore throat, bronchitis and throat diseases. Knotweed can lower blood pressure, so it is contraindicated for people with hypotension.

The use of knotweed-based drugs is also contraindicated for people suffering from: thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, inflammation of the kidneys or bladder, increased blood clotting, heart disease, high stomach acidity, stomach ulcers, gastritis.

Collection of knotweed grass

You can collect grass all summer, choosing mainly the tops of stems with leaves, as they are the most useful. It should not be dried in direct sun. Store in paper bags, boxes, canvas bags or glass jars for no more than three years.

Knotweed or knotweed is considered one of the most useful herbs in folk medicine, but you should never forget about contraindications.

Knotweed (knotweed) is an annual plant, an excellent food for both livestock and poultry, and a medicinal herb for people.

General information about the plant: valuable composition and botanical characteristics

There are several varieties of knotweed in nature, but each has a different botanical characteristic. You can often find a plant that lies tightly to the ground with a thin stem.

In knotweed that grows upward, the stem is much more powerful and reaches more than 40 cm in height. It also has many branches, and the leaves are oblong.

Funnel-shaped flowers of white, greenish or pink-red hue appear in May. The flowering of the plant ends in June and by this time the fruits appear, the ripening of which occurs until late autumn.

Knotweed (knotweed) is considered an unpretentious plant, therefore it grows on both gravelly and fertile soils. The distribution area covers the entire territory of the CIS.

The grass prefers wooded areas, so in Russia it can be found in southwestern Siberia. Knotweed can also be found in vacant lots and along roads.

Chemical composition

Knotweed contains a lot of carotene, vitamins C (that is, ascorbic acid), E and K. Knotweed is also rich in:

• Trace elements: cobalt, silicon, selenium, zinc, nickel and chromium;
• Macroelements: iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium;
• Flavonoids: kaempferol, avicularin, quercetin, hyperin and isormanetin.

As well as phenol carbonic acids such as galic, caffeic, and chlorogenic acids. Silicic acid, essential oil, tannins, resins, coumarins, and various mucus are present in large quantities.

Medicinal properties of the herb, what diseases it treats

At the moment, according to official data, medicine has recognized the following pharmacological properties of knotweed:

1. Together with urine, the herb removes excess sodium and chlorine ions from the body, resulting in an increase in the number of filtration processes. Thus, diuresis increases;
2. Thanks to silicic acid, knotweed prevents the formation of urinary stones;
3. Tannins have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach and intestines. The plant is also known to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties;
4. Exhibits hypotensive effects;
5. Tannins, flavonoids and silicon compounds reduce the permeability of vascular walls, and due to vitamin K, blood clotting is accelerated during bleeding;
6. Knotweed has an enhancing effect on uterine contractions;
7. The entire vitamin complex included in the knotweed does an excellent job of increasing immunity;
8. Promotes rapid treatment, disinfection and healing of wounds.

Knotweed is also included in herbal preparations for the prevention of cancer treatment. In medicine in the Middle Kingdom, knotweed is used as a tonic, antipyretic and anthelmintic.

Some folk medicine books contain information that the herb was used to treat female infertility. As it turned out, knotweed helps to enhance the growth of the dominant follicle, and this has a positive effect on the functioning of the uterus and ovaries.

There is also an opinion that if you take an infusion of the herb before conception, you increase the likelihood of having a boy. The infusion is taken immediately after menstruation, but before use you need to consult a gynecologist.

The fact is that knotweed can provoke polycystic disease and sometimes leads to a decrease in estradiol.

The herb is useful for the following diseases:

• Cystitis and other kidney problems;
• Hypertension;
• During hemorrhoidal and uterine bleeding;
• Intestinal disorders;
• Cholelithiasis;
• To increase body weight;
• For tuberculosis, to increase appetite;
• Skin rashes and diathesis in children;
• To speed up the healing of scratches, wounds and abrasions.

In the summer, you can come up with a light diet menu in just a few minutes. We cut a couple of fruits, put them in a blender - the smoothie for weight loss is ready. You can check out various recipes for this delicious dish.

Contraindications to the use of knotweed

For various diseases and ailments, there is no need to rush to buy expensive pharmaceutical drugs, but it is worth remembering that nature also has many medicinal plants.

But be aware that they have contraindications, so consult your doctor or pharmacist before use.

Hypertensive patients should be careful when using the plant. The herb helps lower blood pressure. Therefore, before treating with knotweed, be sure to consult a doctor.

When planning treatment for the bladder and kidneys, it is necessary to avoid eating onions and garlic to avoid tissue irritation.

Also, the herb should not be used for the following diseases:

1. Due to its good blood clotting effect in thrombophlebitis;
2. To prevent the formation of blood clots, the plant should not be used after a stroke or heart attack;
3. During pregnancy, since the herb promotes uterine contractions;
4. With polycystic ovary syndrome and increased androgen levels;
5. In acute forms of bladder and kidney disease.

How to take knotweed: folk recipes tested by the older generation

Just like clover, alfalfa or china, due to its high nutritional value, the plant is adored by livestock. It is low-toxic, and due to its good regulation of metabolic processes, it is used as a component for the preparation of blood purification drinks. Drinking such teas helps filter the kidneys and remove excess salts from the body.

The herb is used during kidney inflammation. Since knotweed is a preventive remedy, it blocks the formation of urinary stones and sand in the kidneys.

As mentioned earlier, the chemical composition is rich in tannins, which have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, and therefore are effective in the treatment of purulent rashes and wounds.

If necessary, the plant is used to increase the contractility of organ muscles. First of all, this is necessary after an abortion and the postpartum period.

The above-ground part of the herb is most often used to tonify the body during fatigue and after painful weakness. A decoction of knotweed prepared in milk has a calming effect during sudden convulsions.

To prepare the infusion, pour 3 tbsp. spoons of the plant 200 ml of boiling water and place in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. The infusion is cooled for 30-45 minutes, filtered, and boiled water is added so that the volume eventually reaches 200 ml. Take the prepared infusion 3 times a day, 1/3 cup.

To prepare a decoction of knotweed, you need to chop the herb and pour it with water (room temperature) in a ratio of 1:10. After which the composition is placed in a boiling water bath for half an hour.

The cooled mixture is filtered and consumed in a tablespoon 3 times a day. For rheumatism, hemorrhoids and hoarseness, it is permissible to drink 3 cups of decoction per day.

Another recipe for a decoction, the preparation of which, in addition to a tablespoon of knotweed, contains 5 spoons of goose cinquefoil, one spoon of horsetail and three spoons of centaury. 1 tbsp. A spoonful of the herbal mixture is poured with a small amount of boiling water and left to brew for an hour. This decoction is recommended to be taken in small sips for pain during menstruation.

When children had coughs, grandmothers advised preparing a decoction with milk. To do this, two spoons of dry knotweed were boiled in 500 ml of milk for 5 minutes. The resulting healthy drink should be consumed by the child 4 times a day, half a glass.

No less valuable is the juice of knotweed, which is obtained during flowering. It should be taken half an hour before meals, 3 times a day, half a glass. If desired, you can sweeten with honey.

Fresh juice is useful for cramps, hypertension and diseases of the genitourinary system. It is also recommended to use knotweed juice to treat ulcers, bruises and wounds.

Reader reviews

On the advice of her grandmother, after failures associated with conceiving a child, she began to drink an infusion made from the herb knotweed. In the process, I even had to give up tea and coffee. A few months later, after undergoing an examination, I found out that I was pregnant.

Elena, Moscow

A couple of years ago I came to the decision to lose weight and first of all turned to traditional medicine for help. Of all the decoctions, the most favorite was a drink based on knotweed. I believe that thanks to him, I lost a few kilos.

Anastasia, Kaluga

Other uses of knotweed: cooking and cosmetology

A decoction of knotweed helps strengthen hair follicles, thereby helping to cope with their loss and the appearance of dandruff. They also frequently shake their hair to speed up hair growth.

Another area of ​​application for the decoction is the face. To treat acne, you need to soak a cotton swab in it several times a day and wipe your face.

In cooking, delicious and healthy salads are prepared from nutritious herbs. Their value increases in the summer, since the leaves of the plant are rich in microelements, vitamins A and C, as well as the presence of ascorbic acid, which is 2 times more than in lemon and rose hips.

To prepare knotweed salad, you need to wash the leaves of the plant and place them on a plate. Add finely chopped boiled egg, onion feathers, dill to them.

Season with salt and sour cream. To enhance the taste of a healthy salad, you can add diced cucumber.

But in the Caucasus, since ancient times, not only salads and soups were prepared from knotweed, but they were also added to the filling for pies.

The main questions: where to buy grass, its price, as well as how to collect and prepare it yourself

You can buy knotweed at any city pharmacy and online stores specializing in the sale of medicinal herbs. The cost of a package weighing 50 grams. varies from 60 to 80 rubles.

Of course, you can postpone the harvest to a later time, but then the stem of the plant will become rigid, which will significantly complicate the cutting process, and the plant itself will have fewer beneficial properties. Only the top 5-7 centimeters of knotweed are cut off.

Drying should be done in small cardboard boxes or on white paper, and we must not forget about stirring the grass daily.

The storage room must be well ventilated. After 4 days, the knotweed can be crushed by cutting again with scissors and left to dry again.

Bird knotweed (Polygonum aviculare).
Other names of the plant: knotweed, goose grass, trampling grass, bird buckwheat.

Description. An annual herbaceous plant of the Buckwheat family, with erect or recumbent, highly branched stems 15 - 25 cm long, sometimes up to 50 cm (the total length of all branches of a developed plant can reach 80 meters or more) with strongly pronounced nodes. The stems become dense after flowering.
The root of knotweed is slightly branched, taproot. The leaves are alternate, sessile, small, from 0.5 to 3 cm long, broadly elliptic, short-petiolate, grayish-green.
The flowers are collected in bunches, arranged 2 - 5 in the axils of the leaves, very small, pale green, with white or pink edges. Blooms from late April until autumn. Intensive flowering - in July - August. The fruits ripen from June to early October.
The fruit is a matte nut, triangular in shape, black or brown. Propagated by seeds.
Knotweed (knotweed) is not whimsical, grows on any type of soil, therefore it is very widespread on all continents except Antarctica. It is especially abundant in the forest and steppe zones of the central zone of the European part of the CIS and in the south of Western Siberia. It grows along roads, on paths, vacant lots, pastures, near housing, in weedy places, and often forms continuous thickets on compacted soils. It grows back well after repeated mowing. Resistant to trampling.

Collection and preparation of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, the herb knotweed (knotweed) is used. It is harvested during the flowering period of the plant, while the stems have not yet had time to harden.
The collection of raw materials is carried out in dry weather. Shoots up to 30 cm long are cut with a knife. It is not recommended to collect raw materials in contaminated places, in areas of livestock grazing, or near dwellings. Dry in attics or in well-ventilated rooms, also in dryers, at a temperature of 40 - 50°C. Can be dried outdoors in the shade, spread out in a thin layer under a canopy.
Knotweed can be harvested in the same place every year. But it is better to leave 20 - 25% of developed plants for seeding the area. Dried raw materials have a faint odor and a tart taste.

Composition of the plant. Polygonum herb contains flavonoids (quercetin, avicularin, isorhamnetin), tannins, coumarins, saponins, vitamin C, silicic acid compounds, pectin, polysaccharide complex, carotene, iron, organic acids.

Medicinal properties, application, treatment.
The herb knotweed (knotweed) is very popular in folk medicine. Preparations from this plant have a variety of pharmacological properties - diuretic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, diaphoretic, antipyretic, wound-healing, blood purifying, tonic, restorative, analgesic.
They also reduce the permeability of vascular walls (the effect of flavonoids, silicon compounds, tannins), and increase blood clotting. increase diuresis, remove excess sodium and chlorine ions in the urine, which helps to increase filtration in the renal glomeruli and reduce reverse resorption in the renal tubules.
Polygonum grass prevents the formation of urinary stones (the action of silicic acid compounds), which are excreted in the urine in significant concentrations. Tannins, which have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties, have a positive effect on the function of the gastrointestinal tract.
In scientific medicine, knotweed herb is used for chronic diseases of the urinary tract, decreased filtration function of the kidneys and the appearance of large amounts of mineral salts (especially oxalic acid salts) in the urine, gastroenteritis, diarrhea of ​​various etiologies, dysentery, liver diseases with functional failure, and retention in the body. toxic substances metabolism. An infusion of knotweed herb is considered effective in the treatment of iron deficiency and secondary anemia associated with juvenile uterine bleeding, as well as bleeding in the postpartum period and after abortion.
In folk medicine, this plant has wider uses: - as an astringent, hypotensive, hemostatic, including for hemorrhoidal and uterine bleeding, as a vitamin remedy. Used for the treatment of polyarthritis associated with impaired salt metabolism, gout, obesity, tuberculosis, dysentery, gastric and duodenal ulcers, diseases of the pancreas, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, malaria, various tumors, bronchitis, pleurisy, cough, fever, acne, furunculosis, dermatitis, nervous exhaustion.
In Tibetan medicine it is used for serous arthritis, bleeding, and septicopyemia. Knotweed is included in preparations for the treatment of stomach diseases, kidney stones, bronchitis, uterine bleeding, cystitis, and whooping cough. This herb is also included in the Zdrenko collection, which is used for malignant tumors.
Externally, a decoction of knotweed in the form of lotions and washes is used for poorly healing wounds, ulcers, burns, bruises, abscesses, boils; in the form of rinses for inflammation of the oral cavity; For dandruff, wash your hair with a decoction. When hemorrhoids or rectum prolapse, steamed herbs are applied.
Knotweed grass is used both independently and as part of a collection with other plants.

Dosage forms and doses.
Infusion of knotweed herb (knotweed): 15 g (3 tablespoons) of dry crushed herbs are poured with a glass (200 ml) of boiling water, left for 45 minutes and filtered. 2 or 3 times a day, 1/3 - 1/2 cup, taken 20 minutes before meals.
Decoction of knotweed herb (knotweed): prepared in a ratio of 1:10. The raw materials are poured with cool water, cooked in a water bath (about 30 minutes), cooled, and filtered. 3 times a day take 1 tbsp. spoon.
Polygonum juice: squeezed from developed plants picked during the flowering of knotweed. Take 100 ml of knotweed juice with a tablespoon of honey 2 or 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Knotweed for infertility. To treat infertility, 3 tablespoons of crushed knotweed herb (dry or fresh) are placed in a thermos and poured with 2 cups of boiling water, left for 4 hours, filtered, and squeezed. Take half a glass 4 rubles. a day 20 minutes before meals.

Infusion for the treatment of chronic cystitis. To prepare the infusion take:
2 parts dry crushed knotweed herb;
2 parts dry crushed wintergreen roundleaf herb;
1 part of dry crushed blue cornflower flowers.
1 tablespoon of this mixture is poured into 200 ml of boiling water, left for 40 minutes, filtered. Take a third of a glass 3 rubles. in a day.

Contraindications. It is contraindicated to take knotweed preparations for acute inflammation of the kidneys and bladder. It is also not recommended for patients suffering from thrombophlebitis.