Content
Among the plants that are considered weeds, many have medicinal properties. One of them is white lamb (Lamium album), which looks like a nettle. Preparations are made from it, used in official and traditional medicine.
What it looks like and where it grows
White lamb, or deaf nettle reaches a height of 100 cm, refers to perennial herbaceous plants. Long underground shoots extend from its horizontal creeping rhizomes. Stems are erect, powerful, sometimes branched, tetrahedral in the lower part, pubescent.
Leaves of white lamb are in the form of a drop with a sharp end, a lot of veins. They are opposite on the stem. The length of each is no more than 8 cm, the width is up to 4 cm.
According to the photo and description, white lamb has whitish bisexual flowers. They are collected in whorls of 6-14 pieces, located in the axils of the leaves. Bell-shaped flowers with double-lipped corollas. Flowering begins in May and lasts the entire season, until late autumn.
White lamb contains saponins, tannins, essential oils and alkaloids
From June to October, fruits ripen on a white lamb, which consist of four parts in the form of dark gray nuts with outgrowths.
The plant is widespread in the middle zone and the south of the Russian Federation. White lamb grows in river floodplains, on forest edges, in ravines and shady places. Prefers rich soil and can form dense thickets in wastelands, near residential buildings and on garbage heaps.
Chemical composition
The composition of the flowers and leaves of white lamb contains 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 lamb can have a number of medicinal effects on the body:
- wound healing;
- anti-inflammatory;
- hemostatic;
- anticonvulsant;
- choleretic;
- astringent;
- analgesic.
White lamb is used in official medicine as the basis of vitamin supplements or creams for the treatment of skin diseases.
Traditional medicine uses preparations from white lamb in the fight against many pathologies:
- hemorrhoids;
- flu;
- bronchitis;
- tonsillitis;
- urinary tract infections;
- neuroses;
- depression;
- diarrhea;
- ulcers on the surface of the mucous membrane;
- stomatitis.
Lamb's lamb loosens phlegm and has a mild hypnotic effect.
Medicinal properties of white lamb for women
In folk medicine, white lamb 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 the contractions of the muscles of the uterus during childbirth. Preparations based on white lamb are used to accelerate the regeneration of damaged tissues.
The infusion is used as a medicine for discomfort during critical days. It helps to get rid of discomfort, pulling pains in the lower abdomen.
To improve the condition of a woman, the infusion is prepared according to the following scheme:
- Grind 25 g of fresh foliage and flowers of white lambs into gruel.
- Add the mixture to hot, boiled water (250 ml).
- Insist for an hour.
- They are filtering.
The resulting liquid is drunk in two doses - in the morning and in the evening.
Methods of preparation and use
Leaves of white lamina are used fresh for external use. To do this, they are first thoroughly crushed, turning into gruel, and then applied to the inflamed problem areas of the skin, where there are wounds, abscesses and boils. White lamb's juice is used to accelerate skin recovery after burns or eczema.
The 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 lamb grows in the open field and in the greenhouse
Tincture
To prepare the tincture, it is necessary to place 10 g of dried flowers of white lamina in a glass container and pour 300 ml of vodka. She is placed in a warm, dark place for 1 week. The composition must be shaken thoroughly every day. After insisting, it is filtered and used three times a day, 30 drops for nervous disorders, uterine and intestinal bleeding.
To cope with headaches or toothaches, insomnia and neuralgia, alcohol or vodka tincture from the roots of white lamina helps.
Infusion
To prepare an infusion of white yarn, you need 3 tbsp. l. dry raw materials, pour 2 cups of boiling water and put in a water bath. After a quarter of an hour, remove from heat, strain and bring the volume of liquid to the original with 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 of white lamina, it is necessary to prepare a decoction. For this, 30 g of dry medicinal raw material is poured with a liter of cold water, put on the stove, boiled over low heat for 30-40 minutes, after which it is insisted for about half an hour. Strain the broth through several layers of fabric or a fine sieve, squeeze out the remainder.
For the preparation of medicinal decoctions, porcelain, glass or ceramic dishes are used. Store them for no more than 2 days in the refrigerator.
Lamb's appearance resembles nettle, but does not burn the skin when touched
Application in traditional medicine
Phytopreparations from white lamb should be used according to the recommended doses. Before use, you should consult a doctor in order to clarify the need for taking medications and contraindications for use.
Most often, infusions are taken orally, 50-100 ml, four times a day. Outwardly, the funds are used twice a day in the form of lotions, rinses and baths.
Flower tea
Due to its pleasant taste, white lamb is often used instead of tea. Herbalists believe that it has a beneficial effect on the health of people with anemia, poor appetite and lung diseases. For older people, tea can be a sleep aid. It is brewed from dry raw materials according to the same recipe as ordinary black tea.
Lamb for allergies
In folk medicine, infusions of white lamina are used to cleanse the blood and treat urticaria, allergies and eczema. They are used both externally and internally. For this, 1 tbsp. l. dry flowers of the plant are poured into a thermos and poured with a glass of boiling water. After insisting for 1/3 hour, it is taken orally 1/2 cup 4 times a day and applied to the affected skin.
Juice for hysteria
To cope with hysteria, freshly squeezed white lamb juice helps. To prepare it, the leaves, flowers and stems of the plant are washed, scalded with boiling water, crushed with a meat grinder, squeezed through a dense cloth and boiled for 5 minutes. Take 3 tbsp juice. l. together with a small amount of honey three times a day.
Powder
For the treatment of uterine fibroids and other female diseases, a powder prepared from dry corollas of white lamb is used. It is taken in small doses (at the tip of a knife) 1 to 3 times a day.
Nettle deaf herb improves appetite and is useful for dyspepsia
Poultices
For the treatment of ulcers, traditional medicine advises the use of poultices from white lamb. For this purpose, the raw materials are crushed, poured with water and put on fire for 2 minutes. Next, the herbal mixture is wrapped in a clean natural cloth, applied to the affected area, covered with cling film and wrapped in warm material.
With hemorrhoids
A decoction of white lamb helps if it is used in the early stages of the disease, at later stages it is used as an adjunct to the main treatment.
To prepare the product, 15 g of dried flowers are poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for 15 minutes. After straining, the broth is drunk in several doses, using 20 ml each after 2 hours.
With bronchitis
In the composition of white lamb contains mucus and saponins, which contribute to the treatment of bronchitis, asthma and other pathologies of the respiratory tract. An infusion is prepared from a mixture of dried flowers and leaves (1 tbsp. L.) And a glass of boiling water. The consumption rate is 100 ml twice a day between meals.
With diathesis in children
To combat childhood diathesis, an infusion of white lamb is often used, which is prepared in the same way as for the treatment of bronchitis.
For children under 2 years of age, the intake rate is 1 tsp. three times a day, from 2 years old the dose is increased to a tablespoon, from five years - принимают glass is taken. The infusion can be used externally - to bathe children or wipe the affected areas with it. In this case, the dose of dry matter for the preparation of the dosage form is doubled.
Cooking applications
Young leaves of white lamellar are used in nutrition, since the content of vitamins in them 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 white lambs are washed, chopped and mixed with dill, onions and other herbs. After filling it with sour cream, salt and add a chopped egg.
The herb is added to baking dough, sauces, side dishes and soups. To prepare mashed potatoes, young shoots and leaves are treated with boiling water, stewed in a pan along with carrots, onions, vegetable oil and spices.
Raw materials are used both fresh and dry. By adding white lamb powder to a meat or fish dish, you can improve its taste and aroma. It is recommended to do this at the end of the boil in order to maintain the plant's healthiest qualities.
Culinary experts advise preparing a vitamin drink, for which they mix equal amounts of white lamb, St. John's wort, ivan tea, thyme and pour boiling water. After 15 minutes. the infusion is filtered, a tablespoon of honey is added and taken as a means to increase immunity. It should be remembered that in case of allergy to bee products, honey is replaced with sugar.
Contraindications and possible harm
Nettle deaf is not a toxic plant, so problems with its use are rare. But one should remember not only about the medicinal properties of white lamb, but also about contraindications for use. So, 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 lamb 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 preparations from nettle deaf for pregnant women, the use of which may result in miscarriage or premature birth, is completely prohibited. Often, problems arise in patients with one of the diagnoses:
- thrombosis;
- hypotension;
- varicose veins;
- thrombophlebitis.
Collection and procurement
For medicinal purposes, the young tops of the stalks of white lamb are harvested. Raw materials are selected only from healthy plants without signs of disease and damage by pests. The best time to harvest is the flowering period, which lasts from June to October. Shoots cut in summer grow back by autumn, begin to bloom, and can be harvested again.
The corolla of white lamb's flowers is a raw material in which the concentration of nutrients is maximum, therefore, they are often harvested to create medicinal preparations.
You need to dry the raw materials under a canopy, in the attic, in the absence of direct sunlight and there is 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 lamb has long been known for its medicinal properties and is widely used by both official and traditional medicine. With the correct 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.
