Snake knotweed is choleretic or not. Snake knotweed - medicinal uses

In the article we discuss snakeweed. You will learn what a plant looks like, what medicinal properties possesses. We will tell you how pharmacognosy uses drugs based on knotweed. Following our advice, you will learn how to prepare infusions and decoctions for the treatment of gastritis, cholelithiasis and stopping bleeding.

Snake knotweed or large serpentine is a perennial herbaceous species of the Buckwheat family (lat. Polygonaceae). Latin name- Polygonum bistorta. Other names are crayfish, meadow knotweed, snakeroot, adder's grass, turtledove, serpentine, veal tongue.

What does it look like

Appearance of the snake knotweed. The thick short root of the serpentine is dark red in color. The rhizome is slightly flattened and serpentinely curved, with folds that look like crayfish necks.

Snake knotweed has a six-node, erect stem. The shoot height reaches 150 cm.

The upper petiolar leaves are arranged alternately, have an oblong shape, up to 30 cm long. The edge of the leaf is slightly wavy. The lower leaves are wedge-shaped or heart-shaped. The upper surface of the leaf blade is green, the lower surface is bluish.

Small pale pink or white flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences located at the top of the shoot. The length of the spikelets is from 1.5 to 7 cm. Each flower consists of a five-membered perianth, eight stamens, and a pistil with three styles. The plant blooms from late spring to early summer.

The fruit of the snake knotweed is a smooth nut with three shiny sides, 4-4.5 mm long. The plant bears fruit in June - July.

Where does it grow

Snake knotweed prefers temperate climates and moist soil and does not tolerate full shade. The plant is found in the forest-steppe zone, tundra and forest belt. Often forms thickets on peat bogs and floodplain meadows.

Great knotweed is found almost throughout Europe. In Russia it grows in Siberia and the Central region.

For more information about the snake knotweed, watch the following video:

Serpentine rhizomes

Snake knotweed is cultivated as medicinal herb. The rhizome of the plant has medicinal properties. During the collection period, up to 17 tons of plant roots are collected from 1 hectare.

Chemical composition

Snakeweed contains:

• tannins;
• flavonoids;
• calcium oxalate;
• ascorbic acid;
• starch;
• gallic acid;
• catechin;
• ellagic acid;
• coloring matter;
• potassium;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• barium;
• selenium.

Medicinal properties

From the rhizome of the snakeweed in folk medicine They make medicinal infusions, decoctions, and powders. They have an anti-inflammatory and astringent effect. The drugs are used to treat gastrointestinal diseases.

Snakeweed has a general strengthening and hemostatic effect. A decoction of the plant exhibits antibacterial properties, it is used to treat skin diseases, wounds, burns. It has a deodorizing effect and is used as a mouth rinse to prevent gum disease.

How to collect

The rhizome is harvested in early autumn, after the plant has flowered. It is dug up and cleared of soil and shoots. Dry the raw materials under a canopy or in the attic at a temperature not exceeding 60 degrees. Properly dried roots at the break have a red tint. Violation of drying technology makes the raw material brown.

Dry rhizomes are stored in paper bags in a cool, dry place. Raw materials are preserved beneficial properties within 2 years.

How to use

Serpentine rhizomes can be purchased at any pharmacy. Snakeweed root is used for cooking medicinal infusions and decoctions. IN pure form The rhizome is added to salads, soups and drinks.

Infusions of the plant are taken orally to increase protective forces body, restoring the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and as a strong hemostatic agent. The product is effective for cholelithiasis, stomach ulcers and inflammation bladder.

A decoction of snakeweed is used externally to heal wounds and restore skin after burns and insect bites. The product treats skin diseases: eczema, dermatitis, acne.

Snakeweed is often used in folk medicine. Let's look at a few recipes medicines plant based.

Infusion for gastritis

Ingredients:

1. Snakeweed roots - 10 gr.
2. St. John's wort - 10 gr.
3. Peppermint - 10 gr.
4. Water - 450 ml.

How to cook: Combine the dry ingredients, pour the mixture into a thermos, add boiling water and leave for 2 hours. Strain the finished infusion.

How to use: Take 100 ml 3 times a day, regardless of meals. The course of treatment is 1 month.

Result: The infusion envelops the walls of the stomach, relieves inflammation and normalizes digestion. The product regulates acidity gastric juice. The infusion is suitable for treatment acute form gastritis.

Decoction for gallstone disease

Ingredients:

1. Roots of the knotweed - 10 gr.
2. Yarrow - 7 gr.
3. Corn silk - 7 gr.
4. Rosehip berries - 10 gr.
5. Dandelion roots - 5 gr.
6. Water - 500 ml.

How to cook: Grind the herbs with a rolling pin, pour boiling water and simmer over low heat under the lid for 30 minutes. Cool the broth, strain and add boiled water so that the liquid volume is 500 ml.

How to use: Take half a glass 3-4 times a day before meals. The product is used for lotions and compresses for skin diseases and burns.

Result: Medicinal decoction eliminates bile stagnation, normalizes work gastrointestinal tract and metabolism.

Tincture for bleeding

Ingredients:

Snake knotweed - 50 gr.

1. Alcohol 70% - 100 ml.

How to cook: Grind the roots of the plant, add alcohol, cover and leave for 2 weeks.

How to use: Take 20-30 drops before meals 2-3 times a day.

Result: The tincture quickly stops bleeding. The drug is used to stop uterine and postoperative bleeding. For external wounds, dry powder from the roots of knotweed is used.

Snake knotweed in cooking

Roots, leaves and young shoots are used to make salads, soups and side dishes. Dry raw materials are brewed as tea. Highlander is combined with herbs such as mint, angelica, wild rosemary.

Large serpentine - honey plant

Snake knotweed is a good honey plant. The grass grows in thickets and during the flowering period forms a carpet of flowers. It's attractive large number bees Up to 40 kg of honey is obtained from 1 hectare. One flower produces up to 0.043 mg of nectar per day. Honey is light or dark amber in color.

Contraindications

Contraindications to the use of products based on snakeweed:

• acute pathologies genitourinary system;
• constipation;
• individual intolerance;
• period of pregnancy and lactation;
• children under 2 years of age.

Classification

The Buckwheat family (lat. Polygonaceae), to which the snake knotweed belongs, unites 55 plant genera. This herb belongs to the order Cloves (lat. Caryophyllales), class Dicotyledons (lat. Dicotyledones), department Flowering (lat. Magnoliophyta).

Varieties

The genus Serpentine (lat. Bistorta) unites about 50 plant species. The most famous of them:

• large coil;
• serpentine viviparous;
• shortened coil;
• elliptical coil;
• Pacific darter;
• serpentine cirrus;
• serpentine swordtail.

Highlander snake infographics

Photo of snakeweed, its beneficial properties and uses
Infographics on knotweed

What to remember

1. Snakeweed is used in folk medicine to stop uterine and postoperative bleeding, to treat gastrointestinal diseases and skin diseases.
2. The roots, leaves and stems of the plant are used in cooking for preparing salads, first courses and drinks.
3. Preparations from snakeweed have a number of contraindications, so before use you should consult a specialist.

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Classmates

Snake knotweed (Polygonum bistorta).

Other names: crayfish, snake root, serpentine.

Description. Perennial herbaceous plant of the Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). It has a woody, serpentine-shaped rhizome with adventitious roots. The rhizome is dark brown on the outside, reddish on the inside. The stem is herbaceous, simple, erect, glabrous, 30-100 cm high.
Leaves are alternate, oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, pointed, entire, heart-shaped at the base. The leaves are dark green above, grayish below. Basal and lower stem leaves on long winged petioles. Stem leaves are sessile, vaginal, few in number.
The flowers are regular, bisexual, small, fragrant, subpistillate, pink or pale pink (less often white), in spike-shaped inflorescences at the top of the stem. 8 stamens, 1 pistil. Blooms in late May - July. Fruit ripening begins in July. The fruit is a triangular dark brown nut.
Snake knotweed is widespread throughout most of the European part of the CIS, also in Siberia. It grows in meadows with rich soil, along river banks, and in forest meadows. The plant reproduces by seeds and vegetatively.

Collection and preparation of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, the rhizome of snakeweed is used and prepared. Raw materials are harvested immediately after flowering. The dug up rhizomes are cleaned of soil and roots, the aerial part is separated, washed in cool water, dried in a outdoors or in warm rooms with normal ventilation. Can be dried in dryers at 50-60°C. The shelf life of dry raw materials is 6 years.
Composition of the plant. The rhizomes of snakeweed contain tannins (25%), a lot of starch, flavonoids, catechin, protein, gallic acid, ascorbic acid, hydroxymethylenetraquinones, calcium oxalate, ash, dyes, micro- and macroelements.

Knotweed snake use, treatment.
Snakeweed has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, astringent, hemostatic, and soothing properties. Preparations of this plant are used for intestinal disorders, dysentery, bladder diseases, peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, with hemoptysis. Snakeweed is included in stomach teas.
Externally, preparations of snakeweed are used to treat inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth, throat, periodontal disease, stomatitis, gingivitis, to treat eczema, furunculosis. In gynecology, in the form of douching - for the treatment of leucorrhoea.

Dosage forms and doses.
Infusion of rhizomes of snakeweed. 1 tablespoon of dry crushed rhizomes is placed in a thermos, poured with a glass of boiling water, left for 8 hours, filtered. Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 r. per day for acute and chronic diseases Gastrointestinal tract.

A decoction of the rhizomes of snakeweed. 2 tablespoons of dry crushed rhizomes per glass of water, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, remove from heat, and filter after cooling. The volume of the decoction is adjusted boiled water to the original (200 ml). Take 1 tablespoon 3-4 r. per day for acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

Rhizome powder. The rhizomes are ground into powder using a coffee grinder. Take 0.5-1 gram 3 times. per day for diarrhea and dysentery.

For urolithiasis and cholelithiasis prepare a decoction at the rate of 1 tablespoon of chopped rhizomes per 500 ml of water. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes after boiling, remove from heat, strain after 1 hour. Take half a glass 3 rubles. per day. In this case, you must follow a diet (you cannot eat meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, salty food). The broth is stored in the refrigerator.

Decoction for external use prepared at the rate of 2 tablespoons of chopped rhizomes per 1 liter. water. Used in the form of rinses, lotions, washes, douches.

Snakeweed ointment. Prepared from the juice of fresh rhizomes and a fat base (vaseline, butter), taken in a ratio of 1:2. Used to treat eczema and skin rashes. The ointment is stored in the refrigerator.

Serpentine, also known as crayfish and snake knotweed - perennial buckwheat family. The Latin name is polygonum bistorta, which means “twisted twice.” The rhizome of the coil has a double bend and appearance resembles a snake. Due to the structure having transverse folds, the rhizome can resemble crayfish necks. The height of the serpentine stems can range from 50 to 80 centimeters. The stem is straight, without branches, has several smooth, large, wide basal leaves of an oblong shape and several small narrow upper leaves with bells. The edges of the leaves are entire.

Serpentine flowers are small, light pink, formed into a large spike-shaped dense inflorescence at the end of the stem.

The fruits of the serpentine are triangular brown nuts.

The serpentine blooms from early June to early August.

The serpentine loves humidity and lives mainly near bodies of water and in swampy areas. It grows abundantly in the Urals and is found in Altai, Siberia, and the Caucasus.

Chemical properties of the coil

The stems and leaves of the serpentine are rich in tannins, ascorbic, gallic and ellagic acids, amino acids, glucose, catechin, calcium oxalate and trace elements. The roots of the plant are also saturated with tannins - about 20% of the total chemical composition.

Preparing a coil as a medicine

Dried rhizomes of the plant are used as a component of medicines. The coil is collected in early spring or autumn. The roots are thoroughly cleaned from the soil using cool water, cut into pieces approximately 10 cm long and dried on fresh air or in the oven at 50 degrees. A properly dried coil has a pink color when cut and has an astringent taste.

The healing properties of the serpentine

The coil has a very wide range medicinal properties. Official medicine recognizes the ability of the serpentine to help with gastrointestinal disorders, peptic ulcers stomach, inflammation of the bladder, severe menstrual bleeding, in dentistry.

In folk medicine, the use of decoctions, tinctures and powders of the serpentine plant for the treatment of many ailments is widespread.

Use in folk medicine

• for cholelithiasis, use the following decoction: 2 tbsp. crushed root pour 1 liter warm water and heat in a water bath for 30 minutes. Then let the broth brew for 15 minutes and strain. Dilute clean water up to a liter. Take a tablespoon half an hour before meals. The healing properties are manifested better when following a diet that excludes animal foods, salt and alcohol.
• for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: 2 tsp. boil the coil for 20 minutes, then leave for half an hour. Strain and cool. Take a tablespoon half an hour before meals.
• coil lotions. Serpentine decoction is used for external treatment of ulcers and abscesses. Infuse a tablespoon of serpentine root in 0.5 liters of water.

1. Alcohol tincture of serpentine. Ingredients (alcohol 70% and pieces of serpentine root) in equal proportions place in a vessel for 3 weeks. Strain and take 25 drops before meals 3 times a day. This tincture is a concentrate of tannins.

Contraindications

There are no contraindications to the use of the coil, however, if you are prone to constipation, children younger age Pregnant and lactating women should use this plant with extreme caution.

ABOUT healing properties snakeweed (or turtledove, serpentine, calf's tongue, viper's grass, meadow knotweed), like many other plants belonging to the Buckwheat family, has been known to people since ancient times. The Chinese learned about the miraculous medicinal strength plants back in the eleventh century. There is a story connected with the name snake knotweed. In one village there lived a girl who was too proud and sharp-tongued. Nobody knew anything about her, where she came from, or who she was. The locals didn't like her. She was angry and hurt cripples and sick people. Her name suited her - Highlander.

One day she met a poor woman on the bank of a forest stream and ridiculed her. And she answered her: “You will be punished for your evil tongue.” He said, hit the ground with his cane and disappeared. Over time, the girl also disappeared, and near the stream people noticed the appearance of a thin, elegant, but broken plant in the stem. The flowers of this plant were inconspicuous, tassels shyly lowered to the ground. Anyone who tried to chew a fresh leaf burned their mouth. So the villagers called this plant the mountaineer. That is why the plant has mass folk names, including viper grass and snake root.

Snake knotweed: use in informal medicine, cooking, cosmetology and other areas

IN scientific medicine used: extracts, tinctures, decoctions from the roots of the plant. Remedies from the plant are used to treat diarrhea, inflammatory processes intestines, as well as bleeding. Decoctions based on knotweed are used to treat inflammation oral cavity.

Meadow knotweed is also widely used in cosmetology. Products based on it are used in the fight against oily, dry skin types. skin, dermatitis and burns. A tincture from the roots of the plant is used to eliminate warts And corns, as well as sweating feet.

Young foliage and stems of the serpentine plant are edible. The powder of dried roots is used as an additive in the bakery and alcoholic beverage industries. In addition, plants obtain dye of various colors from the grass: yellow, black, red, used for dyeing wool.

Snake knotweed is an excellent honey-bearing, ornamental and valuable forage plant.

Description of the coil

Snake knotweed is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the genus Knotweed and the Buckwheat family, reaching a height of fifty centimeters or more. The serpentine is endowed with a thick, short, serpentinely curved root, single erect bare stems, alternate petioles, oblong, lanceolate green on top and bright or whitish-gray leaves, small inconspicuous pink flowers collected in cylindrical spike-shaped inflorescences.

The knotweed begins to bloom at the beginning summer period and continues until August. The fruits are triangular shiny brownish smooth nuts that ripen in mid-summer.

You can find the plant in almost every corner globe. Peat and humus soils, damp forests, the outskirts of swamps, meadows, clearings, edges are the places where the plant grows.

How to properly collect and prepare raw materials?

It is recommended to use knotweed roots to make potions. It is recommended to harvest rhizomes at the end of the summer. If for some reason you missed this moment, do not worry, because you will be able to catch up in early August. Only in this case is it important to wait until the above-ground parts of the plant die off. The roots need to be dug up, then cleared of leaves and small roots, washed thoroughly and cut into small pieces.

Next, the raw materials need to be dried. You can lay out the rhizomes in a thin layer on paper and leave them to dry outside in the shade. Make sure that the raw materials are not exposed to sunlight, as this will cause them to deteriorate. Don't forget to turn the roots over from time to time. To speed up the drying process, you can use a dryer. In this case, it is important to adhere temperature regime at forty degrees.

Properly harvested rhizomes are pink in color (at the break) and have no aroma. Dried raw materials must be poured into cloth or paper bags and placed in a dry place. The preparations can be stored and used for two years.

Snake knotweed - beneficial properties and composition

The plant contains a significant amount of valuable and nutrients, which determines its significance and wide application in medicine. The Highlander is rich:

• tannins;
• gallic acid;
• catechins;
• starch;
• ascorbic acid;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• iron;
• dyes;
• provitamin A;
• selenium;
• barium;
• strontium;
• flavonoid glycosides;
• routine;
• quercetin;
• kaempferol;
• caffeic, chlorogenic acids.

Preparations based on the coil have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hemostatic, astringent, deodorizing, wound-healing, sedative, immunostimulating and restorative properties.

Medicines from viper herb help:

• rapid healing of wounds;
• increasing the body's defenses;
• normalization of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• elimination of inflammatory processes;
• treatment of peptic ulcer, urethritis, hemorrhoids, dysentery, enteritis, uterine bleeding, stomatitis, diarrhea, gingivitis, poisoning, rheumatism, anemia, heartburn, colitis, cholelithiasis.

Recipes for effective medications for the treatment of various pathologies

➡ Highlander in the treatment of acute gastritis. Mix equal amounts of knotweed roots with Icelandic moss, St. John's wort herb and mint leaves. Steam two spoons of the mixture in three milliliters of just boiled water. Leave the composition to brew. Drink 100 ml of filtered drink three times a day. The duration of treatment is thirty days.

➡ Infusion for the treatment of chronic duodenitis. Take 10 grams of serpentine and combine with licorice, valerian, calamus, celandine herb, dried herb, hop fruits - the same amount. Brew 30 grams of the mixture with 200 ml of boiled water. The composition should be infused for two hours. It is recommended to drink half a glass of the strained drink at least three times a day. The course of treatment is a month.

➡ A decoction that promotes the treatment of gallstone disease. Combine the roots of the knotweed in equal proportions with wormwood, St. John's wort, yarrow, agrimony, Volodushka, budra, corn silk, dandelion rhizomes, dill fruits, rose hips. Grind the ingredients and mix well. Pour a couple of spoons of the mixture into a saucepan, add water, and boil. Simmer the mixture for half an hour, then filter. You need to drink ½ cup of the product four times a day.

➡ Preparation of ointment for the treatment of lumbago. Mix dried plants in equal quantities: knotweed (roots), mint, pine buds, eucalyptus leaves, celandine. Grind the raw materials to a powdery consistency. Combine 40 grams of raw materials with half a glass of boiled water. Boil the mixture over low heat for about five minutes, then add the melted pork fat And vegetable oil– 70 grams each. Cool and place the product in the refrigerator. Apply the ointment to the affected areas and massage. After this, the place needs to be insulated. Carry out the manipulation four times a day.

➡ Highlander in the fight against impotence. Take ten grams of snakeweed and combine in equal proportions with parsley rhizomes, calendula, celandine, wormwood, St. John's wort, lemongrass, rosehip, barberry, wintergreen, dandelion. Chop finely and brew thirty grams of the mixture in five hundred milliliters of boiled water. Remove the product for half an hour. It is necessary to consume a glass of strained medicine several times a day. The duration of treatment is two weeks.

Contraindications!

It is strictly not recommended to use the coil for medicinal purposes if you have: acute pathologies genitourinary system, constipation, pregnancy and breastfeeding. You should not treat small children with preparations from the plant. An overdose of viper herb products can lead to constipation. If rashes, itching, dizziness, nausea and headaches occur, it is better to refrain from taking medications. Rinse your stomach and seek professional help.