Woodlice - beneficial properties, application. An ordinary weed is not so simple! Medicinal properties of woodlice herb, traditional medicine recipes Properties of woodlice

Woodlice, or chickweed, has a huge number of medicinal properties. It contains many vitamins, organic acids, lipids and essential oils. It finds its use in a variety of traditional medicine recipes. Treatment with woodlice herbs is practiced to alleviate pain syndromes, lingering coughs, improve bile secretion, combat internal inflammation, increased anxiety and various disorders of the nervous system.

Woodlice in folk medicine is used both freshly picked and dried. It grows in humid places along the banks of reservoirs throughout almost the entire territory of the middle climatic zone. Woodlice collected in May best retains its medicinal properties. To dry, it should be spread out in a thin layer in a place protected from direct sunlight. The juice squeezed out of fresh grass is used as eye drops, and its pulp is used as compresses for healing wounds.

Woodlice in cooking

Woodlice is a real storehouse of vitamins and microelements; to obtain them, you can simply eat a certain amount of this herb in the form of salads and other dishes. To prepare a vitamin salad from wood lice you need to take:

• 100 grams of fresh woodlice;
• 100 grams of beet tops;
• a feather of green onion;
• 2 boiled chicken eggs;
• a couple of sprigs of dill;
• small onion;
• sour cream to taste.

Chop all the ingredients, mix, sprinkle with salt and leave for five minutes. After this, mix again and add sour cream. You can also prepare diet sandwiches. To do this, apply a thin layer of butter, 2 crushed cloves of garlic and finely chopped woodlice on the bran bread, sprinkle with salt on top. Such sandwiches provide most of the daily requirement of vitamins and other nutrients.

Contraindications

The only contraindication of woodlice is its ability to lower blood pressure. That is why its use is not recommended for hypotensive patients. Like any other herb, chickweed can cause allergic reactions, in which case its use should be stopped immediately. People with disorders of the cardiovascular system should use chickweed as a medicinal herb only after obtaining consent from the attending physician.

When collecting it yourself, you need to be very careful not to pick lanceolate chickweed, which looks like a wood lice. It is a close relative of woodlice, but has very poisonous juice.

Infusion against chronic fatigue and insomnia

This recipe is suitable for calming nervous conditions of various origins. It has a healing effect both for PMS and chronic fatigue at work. To prepare the decoction you need:

• 2 tablespoons of dry woodlice;
• 250 ml hot water.

Pour hot water over the herb, put on fire and bring to a boil. Boil the broth for ten minutes, then let it brew for half an hour and filter. Take a quarter glass 3 times a day, before each meal. If premenstrual syndrome is severe, you should start taking this decoction a week before it starts.

Against anemia and weakness

Woodlice has a strong tonic effect, which is complemented by a rich vitamin composition. That is why it is used in the treatment of anemia, anemia and general weakness of the body.

This recipe contains the following ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. l. woodlice.
• 250 ml hot water.

The herb should be poured with boiling water and left for half an hour in a container with a lid. Afterwards, the infusion must be filtered and topped up with boiled water so that the volume of the infusion is exactly one glass. Drink a quarter glass four times a day 20 minutes before meals.

Tincture for radiculitis

For this recipe you need to collect fresh chickweed grass. She needs to tightly fill a three-liter jar, pour half a liter of vodka into it, and top up the rest with freshly boiled water. The jar with the tincture should be placed in a dark place and kept for three weeks, then filtered, carefully squeezing out the herb. The tincture should be taken orally, a third of a glass before meals, 1 time per day. The course of treatment is up to three weeks.

For stomach pain

This tincture is good for pain in the stomach and intestines. To prepare it you should take:

• 1 tbsp. l. woodlice.
• 300 ml very clean water.

The herb is poured with water and left for 14 days in a place inaccessible to light, then strain. Take 20 drops in half a glass of water before meals. The use of this tincture has shown its effectiveness in the treatment of stomach and intestinal colic.

To reduce blood pressure and for coronary artery disease

Woodlice effectively lowers blood pressure, making it an excellent choice for hypertensive patients. It can also alleviate conditions with ischemia. In any case, before taking it, you should consult a cardiologist so as not to harm the heart and not have an undesirable effect on previously prescribed medications. To prepare the infusion you need:

• 5 tbsp. l. woodlice.
• 350 ml hot water.

Pour boiling water over the herb and leave for an hour, then filter. Drink half a glass of infusion 20 minutes before each meal.

The benefits of wood lice compresses

Chickweed compresses are used to relieve a variety of skin diseases and eliminate pain symptoms. To make them, you need fresh grass, it is steamed and wrapped in gauze or a scarf. The resulting compress is used to wipe ulcers, irritations, non-healing wounds and other problem areas on the skin. Warm compresses are applied to areas prone to rheumatism and arthritis. The compress also helps relieve pain in cervical osteochondrosis.

Video: Using woodlice in folk medicine

Improved lactation

If there is a shortage of milk, nursing mothers can prepare a simple but effective remedy based on woodlice. For him you should take:

• 5 tsp. freshly squeezed woodlice juice.
• 5 tsp. honey

Mix juice and honey and eat it three times a day 20 minutes before meals. This remedy is very effective, but attention should be paid to the baby’s possible predisposition to allergic reactions to herbal ingredients and honey consumed by his mother.

Conclusion

Woodlice can be found in any garden; gardeners consider it a weed and often get rid of it. However, it contains many healing components and can be used to treat many diseases. In addition to the recipes described above, woodlice juice is good for relieving eye inflammation; to do this, squeeze fresh juice out of it and rinse the diseased organ twice a day.

Compresses significantly alleviate the symptoms of eczema, eliminate skin rashes, and also have an analgesic effect. Regular consumption of woodlice decoction will increase the level of red blood cells in the blood, and also give strength and energy. In addition, it effectively fights enuresis and restores the urinary function of the kidneys. All this makes woodlice a complete and very affordable remedy for use in traditional medicine.

Chickweed grass is a medicinal and edible plant. It is healthy and nutritious, with high levels of vitamins and minerals. The herb is added to salads, baked in a pot, or ground into a pate.

Description of woodlice grass

Woodlice grass grows in gardens and orchards, near residential village houses and along damp forest paths. The plant reaches about half a meter in length, and its leaves are oval in shape. Chickweed begins to bloom in early spring, at which time small white flowers appear.

Alternative names for chickweed include chickweed, heartgrass, chickweed, chickweed, herniagrass, woodlice, and canarygrass.

Chickweed is often overlooked in gardening due to its reputation as a weed. One of the first thoughts when looking at a plant that appears in the garden is that you need to get rid of it immediately. However, the grass does not pose a particular danger to other garden species, since it grows in isolation.

The useful edible part of chickweed should be collected between May and June. The herb can be consumed fresh or dried to make infusions.

Chemical composition

The chemical elements in chickweed can have a medicinal effect on the human body. The beneficial benefits of woodlice appear at their best after preparing healing infusions, as well as after squeezing herbal juice.

Rich composition of woodlice impressive, and some of its beneficial ingredients include:

• Ascorbic acid;
• Beta carotene;
• Calcium;
• Coumarins;
• Genistein;
• Gamma-linolenic acid;
• Flavonoids;
• Hentariaton;
• Magnesium;
• Niacin;
• Oleic acid;
• Potassium;
• Riboflavin;
• Rutin;
• Selenium;
• Triterpenoid saponins;
• Thiamine;
• Zinc.

All components of chickweed are used in folk medicine. They have a sedative, diuretic, carminative, astringent, expectorant, laxative, antipyretic and antiseptic effect.

Beneficial features

Chickweed herb helps with digestion, controls weight, and rids the body of toxic substances. Consumption of chickweed has a positive effect on the metabolic system, reducing body fat index and strengthening muscle mass.

Fresh chickweed herb is also used as an expectorant. The plant normalizes the bronchial tubes and lungs, helps expel mucus and phlegm. This is due to the content of saponin in woodlice, an element that accelerates the process of splitting secretions from membranes.

The plant is useful for inflammation. People suffering from arthritis can use woodlice herb to relieve inflammation in the joints and joints caused by the disease. Infusions of chickweed are used for eye inflammation and conjunctivitis.

Chickweed herb helps in treating physical injuries. Its antiseptic and antifungal properties have a disinfecting effect and accelerate wound healing.

Use in folk medicine

Traditional physicians use fresh and dried woodlice herbs when preparing healing infusions. Chickweed stems and leaves are ingredients in poultices that restore skin health during eczema. Fresh woodlice grass is also added to pet food, as it helps cleanse the body of hair balls and normalizes the functioning of the digestive tract.

Traditional medicines are prepared from woodlice grass, depending on human diseases:

• The poultice relieves tension and reduces inflammation. To use fresh chickweed herb as a poultice, the plant must be crushed and applied directly to the area of ​​bruises and sore parts of the body;
• Compresses are made from woodlice grass, which are applied to sore joints and muscles to relieve pain;
• Chickweed is extracted into an extracted perfume oil that can then be added to a bath to relieve eczema symptoms;
• The plant is also used as a topical treatment for insect bites and other skin injuries. Chickweed herb helps minimize itching;
• Useful infusions are used to treat various diseases, for example, problems of the gastrointestinal tract such as constipation.
• Herbal teas to strengthen the immune system are prepared in the same way as strong black tea; brewing time varies from ten minutes to half an hour, depending on a person’s taste preferences. Teas are also useful to drink several cups a day during seasonal illnesses such as sore throat or flu.

For eyes

The healthy human eye prefers to remain moist and cool. Discomfort, irritation, redness and dryness can be eliminated with woodlice. For best results, you should rinse your face with warm water before the treatment procedure.

To prepare poultice to eliminate redness, grind the fresh herb, and apply the resulting mass to your closed eyes. When the poultice becomes warm, which will happen in about 15-20 minutes, remove the old mixture and apply a new one. Perform the procedure for several days.

For cooking soothing lotion against dry eyes Prepare one tablespoon of dry chickweed herb, seven tablespoons of Vergina grass and a glass of distilled water. Mix all the ingredients and place them in a clean bottle. Shake before use. Soak a cotton ball with the prepared chickweed lotion and place it on your closed eye. Leave for three minutes. If after the first session you feel that your eyes are sensitive to the lotion, it is better not to carry out the procedure again.

For the prevention of gastrointestinal tract

Woodlice can help you lose weight and lower your body fat mass index. The reason for this is the high content of saponin, as well as the beneficial effect of the plant on the metabolic system and endocrine functions. Herbal infusion of woodlice regulates water balance and eliminates excess fat. As a result, the infusion stimulates both sides of metabolism, construction and cleansing. This happens not only through the liver, but also through the endocrine system.

To prevent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to drink herbal infusion of woodlice thirty minutes before meals. To prepare it, pour 300 ml of vodka over a tablespoon of herb and leave to infuse in some dark place for ten days.

For joints

Tumors and inflamed joints can be treated with an alcoholic infusion of chickweed. Preparing such an infusion is a long process. For the product to be truly effective, it must absorb all the beneficial substances of woodlice. To prepare the medicine, you must use alcohol or vodka.

To prepare infusion for treating joints, grind the collected woodlice grass using a meat grinder or blender. The resulting mass should be poured with a liter of pure vodka or alcohol. Pour the liquid into a glass jar and close it tightly with a lid. Leave it in some dark place for fifteen days, only during this time take out the container every day and shake it. Finally, strain the mixture through cheesecloth. The infusion can be stored in any place where sunlight does not penetrate.
You need to use the decoction to treat joints several times a day. Rub the sore spot, then wrap it with woolen cloth. It is best to carry out such a procedure before bedtime.

For edema

For swelling, chickweed grass is used as an ingredient to create infusions and compresses. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, relieve swelling, strengthen the structure of organs, and also saturate the body with vitamins and minerals.

The advantage of using the plant is that use at home is effective even in severe cases. Often, the use of woodlice-based medications allows one to avoid surgical intervention.

As external means of local action compresses can be used. Fresh woodlice stems must be kneaded in your hands, then placed on the swollen area and wrapped with a bandage.

To prepare infusion for internal consumption, you need to chop fresh woodlice leaves. Then measure out 10 grams of the resulting mass and pour a glass of hot water. The resulting mixture should be steamed for two hours, then filtered and allowed to cool. Take 50 ml of infusion before each meal.

For the prevention of cardiovascular system

People with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system are recommended to regularly use woodlice during cooking, as well as prepare medicines based on the plant. Fresh herbs are perfect for vegetable salad.

For cooking preventative tea based on woodlice grass you will need a thermos. Pour a large handful of dried herbs inside it and pour a liter of boiling water. Wrap the thermos with a warm blanket or blanket, leave the infusion for several hours, then strain it. Drink a small cup of tea thirty minutes before meals. The course lasts ten days, then a break, and again for ten days.

For skin diseases

A poultice of fresh chickweed herb can relieve itching and soothe irritated skin. The product also works well to cool fresh burns. To treat serious skin defects, chickweed is used as an ingredient in ointments and creams. Chickweed helps get rid of blisters and scratches. It is used to treat rashes caused by poison ivy or poison oak, and also treats boils and abscesses.

For the treatment of wounds and ulcers, special lotions or healing baths grass based. You can prepare a decoction from a dried plant. Pour three liters of boiling water over one glass of herb and let it brew for several hours. If the location of the wound allows, use the cooled infusion as a healing bath. Otherwise, wet pieces of soft cloth and apply them to the problem area for half an hour.

To improve lactation

In cases where a nursing mother needs to artificially increase her milk supply, woodlice herb can have a truly effective effect. This happens if the process of starting the lactation mechanism has been disrupted. After a caesarean section, as well as during postpartum complications, the child is fed with special formulas, so switching his regimen to natural breastfeeding is not always easy.

For cooking lactation-improving infusion from woodlice grass, you need to steam a glass of the crushed plant with one liter of boiling water. The resulting solution must be allowed to brew for several hours. To improve lactation, the decoction is useful for nursing mothers to drink half a glass a day.
This infusion is also used to create a compress for swelling of the chest, and a bath with the addition of one liter of decoction can be a good method for the overall health of the body and strengthening the immune system.

For gynecological diseases

Chickweed-based decoctions help relieve symptoms associated with gynecological diseases. Herbal medicines successfully fight cysts, fibroids and cervical erosion. A herbal decoction with alcohol or herbal tea relieves inflammation that occurs in the pelvic organs. Woodlice infusion is also used to prevent infertility.

For the prevention and treatment of gynecological diseases there is several ways to use woodlice:

• Take a bath with the addition of a decoction of chickweed;
• Regularly brew healing tea based on fresh or dried woodlice herb;
• Prepare vegetable salads with the addition of wood lice herb.

For baths with woodlice infusion, first you need to prepare the solution itself. Steam a glass of finely chopped plant with a liter of boiling water and let it brew for several hours. Now simply add the resulting decoction to the bath you are about to take.

Application in cosmetology

Chickweed herb is used in the making of hair care products, soaps and other bath and body products. Starweed soap helps soothe itchy skin and reduce inflammation.

The most popular cosmetic products with the addition of woodlice herb:

• Face masks;
• Scrubs;
• Toners;
• Shampoos and conditioners;
• Creams;
• Ointments;
• Lotions.

Woodlice herb softens the hair structure, facial skin and helps normalize fluid balance. The plant also replenishes the lack of vitamins and minerals in the hair structure.

The composition of the skin only benefits from the use of chickweed. Cosmetics based on it heal wounds and small scars, help remove splinters, treat burns and insect bites, and restore the health of dry and irritated skin. Below are traditional medicine recipes using wood lice to prevent the health of facial skin and hair.

For cooking face masks made from woodlice grass, you need to grind half a kilo of the plant into a fine pulp. Use a meat grinder or blender for this. Add a tablespoon of natural liquid honey. Before applying the mask, wash your face with warm water and soap. Then apply the mask to the surface of the face and leave for 30 minutes, then rinse with slightly warm water. After the procedure, the face can be lubricated with a soft cream. This is an excellent remedy against acne, blackheads, skin inflammation and irritation.

To prepare hair rinse made from woodlice decoction, you need to pour a large handful of the plant with a liter of boiled water and let the liquid brew for 30 minutes. Wash your hair with herbal infusion. After completing the procedure, there is no need to wash off the remaining broth with shampoo. You should also not dry your hair with a hairdryer; let your hair dry on its own. Carry out similar procedures several times a week. The decoction returns vitality and strength to hair.

Use in cooking

Cooking is one of the most popular uses of chickweed herb. The plant is used as an ingredient in salads, sauces and lasagna. In restaurants, it is sliced ​​and served along with an omelet. Some people say that the weed tastes like spinach, which is often added to various vitamin dishes. Woodlice grass can also be used to make a good salad.

For cooking winter salad, you will need:

• Fresh woodlice grass;
• Boiled egg;
• Green onions;
• Sour cream.

Grind all ingredients in equal parts. Add some salt. Add sour cream and stir. Before serving, you can leave the salad in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes, then its taste will become fresher and richer.

Another simple dish - scrambled eggs with woodlice grass. It is not much more difficult to prepare than regular fried eggs, but it is much healthier.

To prepare scrambled eggs with woodlice grass, you will need:

• 150 grams of woodlice grass;
• 3 chicken eggs;
• 1 onion;
• Greenery;
• Melted butter.

Scald the woodlice grass with boiling water and finely chop. Add vegetable oil to the pan and fry the chopped onions. Then add woodlice grass, greens and ghee. Season with salt and cover with a lid. After a few minutes, pour the mixture over the eggs.

Contraindications and harm

Along with a rich set of useful qualities, chickweed has a list of certain contraindications. This is typical with natural medicines, so don't panic prematurely.

Remember that there is a plant called chickweed. Unlike chickweed, or woodlice, it is poisonous.

While consuming woodlice grass, or chickweed, need to be careful due to the following reasons:

• It should be noted that excessive use of woodlice can lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. As with all herbs, consume it in moderation;
• Woodlice infusions cause an allergic skin reaction. Before using this herb as medicine or food, allergy-sensitive people should try a small amount of the plant;
• Herbal decoctions based on wood lice lower blood pressure, so people with hypotension should not drink them. People with autonomic disorders also need to be extremely careful;
• When giving a plant to children, it is necessary to keep in mind that their body may react to it with intoxication and allergies;
• People with stomach ulcers can use any products with the addition of woodlice herb, except those that are alcohol-based.

And most importantly, remember that woodlice that grows along the road collects toxins, and this is not the best ingredient for healing tea.

woodlouse, canary grass, heart grass, midge - the names given by rural residents to a plant that they constantly encounter in their everyday work to maintain their household plots.

Experts use the officially accepted name of the plant Stellaria media (lat. Stellaria media) of the Clove family (Caryophyllaceae).

The plant prefers a temperate natural environment and grows well in areas with harsh climatic conditions. Distributed in most regions of the Central part of the Russian Federation, it catches the eye in certain regions of Siberia and Primorye.

It begins to actively emerge with the arrival of warm days in early spring, and grows until the first autumn night frosts appear. During the summer growing season, up to four generations of plants appear.

The flowers are white, small, giving the impression of neat stars. Flowering can continue as long as the ambient temperature remains positive, until the first snow falls.

In garden crops, it is considered a weed, which is difficult to combat due to the huge number of ripening seeds. One specimen of chickweed can produce, in favorable conditions, an average of up to 15 thousand tiny seeds. Seeds can remain in the soil, maintaining the ability to germinate, for 5 years. The plant has the ability to reproduce vegetatively, taking root by fragments of shoots, with sufficient soil moisture.

It is considered an important honey plant by beekeepers due to its long flowering time.

Chemical composition:

At the Siberian State Medical University, research work has been completed to establish the key groups of active substances in the aerial part of chickweed, carried out by Y. V. Gorina.

The studies carried out have established the presence in the shoots and leaves of plants of an impressive list of elements that affect the human body:

• Ascorbic acid;
• Triterpene glycosides called saponins;
• Kumarinov;
• Flavonoids;
• Phenolcarboxylic acids;
• Carotenoids;
• Polysaccharides;
• Components that have a tanning effect on protein structures.

Presence of the following metal ions:

• Potassium;
• Calcium;
• Magnesium;
• Gland;
• Zinc.

Active ingredients of the plant.

Ascorbic acid. It is an essential vitamin in everyday nutrition, indispensable for maintaining human health. This substance cannot be synthesized in the human body, but is absorbed only from food.

Its presence in the diet makes it possible to initiate various biological transformations of substances in various organs:

Triterpene saponins. Complex organic substances with many properties of glycosides. Saponin compounds are frequently present in many plants. Particularly notable for the diversity of this class of chemicals are specimens of the Primrose and Carnation families. Plants containing these substances are used to make dosage forms used as:

Coumarins− these are organic substances derived from the aromatic oxide of cinnamic acid. Increases the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation and has:

• The ability to relieve spasms of smooth muscles of the body;
• They expand the lumen of blood vessels, affecting the muscle fibers present in their walls.

Flavonoids– elements of plant metabolism that have the qualitative characteristics of glycosides. Some flavonoids determine the color of the fruits and inflorescences of the plant. They have:

Phenolcarboxylic acids. Organic substances exhibiting acidic properties. In contact with the protein structures of the skin, the cells of the mucous membranes, and the surface proteins of microbial cells, acids create compacted, superficial layers of albuminates, which ensures:

• Stopping the spread of inflammation;
• Astringent effect for dyspeptic disorders;
• Upon contact with microbial cells, their further development is stopped.

Carotenoids refer to organic substances that provide color to plant fruits. The required amounts of these substances enter the body only with food. Carotenoids, after chemical transformations in the body, become precursors of vitamin A. The presence of these substances in human food:

• Increases the body's immune defense;
• The chemical structure of these compounds becomes the basis for the synthesis of pigments necessary for the functioning of the visual organs;
• Eliminates the increase in harmful radicals.

Polysaccharides consist of various carbohydrates. The most common forms of carbohydrates are glucose, fructose, galactose, and xylose. These substances are broken down in cells, providing energy for the vital processes of the body. Their presence:

Tannins. They have the ability to establish strong chemical contacts with the structural components of protein molecules. The main mechanism of their beneficial action is that they interact with the constituent components of proteins and form a dense layer of a modified protein substance on the surface of any organic cells. The presence of specific properties is used:

• In solutions that help with inflammation of the skin;
• For external treatment of wound surfaces to stop bleeding;
• As a bactericidal agent for the treatment of festering wounds.

Potassium. One of the components of blood. Its presence is required to resume the propagation of control impulses in cells. Takes part in the regulation of contractions of the heart muscles, the removal of excess water and sodium salt.

Calcium. Calcium salts impart the necessary rigidity to bone tissue and participate in several stages of the blood clotting process.

Calcium ions are necessary for the body to ensure normal neuromuscular activity.

Magnesium. Magnesium ions are found in many enzymes and are involved in carbohydrate and phosphorus transformations in the body. Magnesium helps reduce the amount of cholesterol present in the body.

Iron. With a deficiency of iron salts, disturbances occur in the absorption of substances containing nitrogen, which affects the body’s ability to regulate fat metabolism, and the consequences of low hemoglobin content in the blood develop.

Zinc needed for the work of enzymes producing the synthesis of ribonucleic acid, a substance with the help of which cell structures encode and reproduce the necessary genetic information.

In the presence of ionized zinc, insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, begins to work. With an insufficient amount of zinc ions, severe complications of the development of the body appear - short stature in adults, infertility, dermatitis.

Indications for use.

A study of the medicinal properties of chickweed herb conducted at the Siberian State Medical University revealed that aqueous extracts of chickweed demonstrate a recorded hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect on the body. The work done confirms the high presence of polysaccharides in the plant, which show anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.
Chickweed is used to treat a large number of diseases:

The use of biting midge herb in alternative medicine.

Aqueous extracts of biting midge herb are used in the following cases:

• Sudden onset of stomach upset;
• In the absence of regular bowel movements associated with bowel function;
• Large amounts of sputum in the lungs;
• Gently removing excess fluid from the body;
• During the treatment of liver inflammation of unknown etiology.

You can add an infusion of the plant to hot bath water to relieve pain during an exacerbation of chronic lumbar osteochondrosis.

Use of the chickweed plant for food purposes.

Woodlice, also known as chickweed, was previously widely used in the preparation of various local dishes. It was an early “green” to support a weakened body after a long winter.

The prepared green parts of the plant were used:

• As an independent dish;
• Supplemented the composition of soups;
• Used as a filling for pies.

Harvesting woodlice plants.

Collection of plants should be carried out in areas remote from housing and livestock premises. There is no need to collect plants growing near roads. Grass can concentrate contaminants present in the environment.

You can collect the above-ground part of the plant after it blooms, choosing shoots with recently blossomed flowers. All parts of the plant are succulent. Therefore, they should be dried on mesh racks, laid out in a thin layer, under a canopy to protect from direct sunlight, with good natural ventilation. Plants on racks should be turned over frequently, otherwise they may turn black and will be unsuitable for making infusions.

You can use household electric fruit dryers. By setting the temperature in such a device no higher than 40 degrees Celsius.

The readiness of dry raw materials is determined in a simple way. Drying can be completed when the stem and leaves can be broken by simple bending, but they should not crumble. It is safer to keep dried herbs in glass containers with tight lids. Dry grass retains its beneficial properties for 12 months.

Contraindications for use.

During treatment with woodlice herb preparations, no side effects were observed.
It is worth highlighting the condition of the body that may serve as a contraindication to treatment with this plant:

• Individual hypersensitivity to the components present in the plant.

Conclusion.

The plant, undeservedly classified as a garden weed, can actually support the body of a sick person. It has been established that the aqueous infusion of woodlice herb contains substances that restore damaged liver cells, similar to the original drug “Karsil”.

This article details the beneficial qualities of herbs that have different names in different areas. When evaluating them, you should pay attention to a plant that has been widely and for a long time used in the treatment methods offered by traditional medicine.

We just need to take a close look at the natural diversity surrounding us in the area in which we live. Try to understand and comprehend the practical knowledge of our ancestors, who selected and preserved knowledge about successful finds for their descendants.

The main thing is not to go to extremes and not to unconditionally accept the statements of some figures who offer plants that cure everyone from any disease.

Woodlice is an annual plant that has a creeping stem. It absorbs moisture from the air and stores it inside.

What kind of plant is this?

It bears oblong-shaped leaves, the edges of which are framed by cilia. The upper leaves are sessile, and the lower ones are petiolate. The woodlouse plant has white flowers that are collected in inflorescences and resemble small stars. The fruit is an oblong or spherical capsule containing seeds. They can be round or kidney-shaped.

Woodlice can be found in vegetable gardens, gardens, forest edges and river banks, as well as in places where garbage accumulates. What benefits does the woodlice herb provide and is there any harm?

Useful properties of woodlice

The flowering period is quite wide, from early May to September. Healers claim that the plant has medicinal properties, so woodlice is widely used in folk medicine. It is rich in vitamins, tannins, and essential oils. The composition includes iron, copper, magnesium.

“Starweed” has emollient, expectorant properties, has an antiseptic effect, can stop bleeding, stabilizes the nervous system, normalizes blood pressure, has a beneficial effect on the heart and tones the entire body.

In medicine, the entire above-ground part of the plant is used, both fresh and dry. The juice is taken orally and is also used to treat wounds and as eye drops. Greens are rich in vitamins, so they are added to salads, infusions are prepared, lotions and compresses are made. It should be collected in May, when it is juicy and soft. It is necessary to dry in the shade, since direct rays kill useful elements.

For medicinal purposes, it is recommended to use the herb fresh - this way it is more effective and the benefits are greater. Nursing mothers who take infusions of woodlice can increase the amount of milk produced, and the gruel will help with mastitis and ulcers and wounds. If you feel a loss of strength and exhaustion of the body, you need to eat salad and cabbage soup made from this herb.

What else does woodlice herb treat? It improves cardiac activity, lung function, and it also treats the thyroid gland, hemorrhoids, rejuvenates the body, and improves blood composition. Vitamin E helps cleanse the body and remove toxins. It is useful to drink decoctions and infusions from the flowers of this plant for eye diseases, stomach ulcers, gastritis, colic, liver and kidney ailments. Lotions help cope with ulcers, scrofula, rheumatism, radiculitis.

How to cook?

Due to the medicinal properties that the woodlice herb has, it is widely used in medicine. It is effective for many diseases, and also increases hemoglobin and relieves body aches during colds.
For gastrointestinal ailments, you can take this tincture. Pour woodlice (10 mg) with vodka (300 ml). This composition must be placed in a dark place for two weeks. Take 20 drops of tincture per glass of water, take half an hour before a meal.

If you have painful and irregular periods, it is useful to take the decoction 10 days before the expected due date. Then they will pass without delay, and there will be no pain. For fibroids or cysts, you need to make a tampon, soak it in the broth and use it at night. Carry out the procedures for five days, and then take a five-day break and repeat the course again until recovery occurs.

Woodlice infusion will have a calming effect if you drink it 4 times a day in a small glass.

It's easy to prepare:

• Pour boiling water over a tablespoon of medicinal herb;
• Cover the container and leave overnight;
• Strain in the morning.

Take 10 ml half an hour before meals. Course – 10 days. To prepare a decoction, grind a glass of herbs and pour boiling water (1 liter). Keep on low heat for 10 minutes, cool and strain. Drink 10 grams three times a day. The decoction invigorates, refreshes, and relieves inflammatory processes.

If you are often bothered by eye diseases, prepare a solution. Pour 7 mg of herb with hot water (a glass) and leave for an hour. When the solution has cooled, it can be instilled into the eyes four times a day, 1-2 drops.

Healing wounds and ulcers, stopping itching, improving digestion, relieving coughs - all these healing effects are provided by woodlice. This inconspicuous weed is known by many names - chickweed, chickweed, heartgrass, satinflower, chickweed.

The plant is included in many recipes for cardiovascular, skin, gynecological and nervous diseases. Decoctions, herbal teas, tinctures, and compositions for water procedures are prepared from it.

The habitat of chickweed is very large - from temperate Russian latitudes to tropical jungles. More than 120 species have been described in botany under the common name Stellaria. There are 50 species growing in Russia, but for treatment it is better to take Bunge's chickweed.

The herbaceous annual is very unpretentious to climate and soil type. It can be found in meadows, fields and along roads, wastelands and deciduous forests.

Woodlice is considered one of the most “evil” weeds. Settling in garden beds, it quickly takes up all the available space. Grass has excellent regeneration, so it is very difficult to remove it from the garden.

The ability to grow quickly is used in landscape design - woodlice is used as a lawn plant. It creates a thick green cover on garden lawns that does not require complex care.

What a woodlice looks like - description, photo

The grass has an unusual stem structure - it curls along the ground, not rising above 10 cm. The length of woodlice lashes can reach 0.5 m. The surface of the stem is covered with fine hairs.

Rounded leaves of bright green color are attached to the petioles, and in the upper tiers - directly to the top of the plant. The edges of the leaves are covered with moist cilia, from which the names “wood louse” and “wood louse” come.

Beginning its growth in the fall, the grass develops under the snow and blooms in mid-spring. White flowers with a cup 2 cm in diameter resemble a star in shape. They are cross-pollinated - pollen from the stamens of one flower is transferred to the pistil of another.

At the end of summer, oval fruit boxes are formed. When ripe, they open and sow small seeds.

The raw materials for medicinal potions are only the leaves and young stems of woodlice. Due to their pleasant taste, these parts of the plant are used in cooking. They are used to make salads, soup dressing, and pie filling.

Important! For treatment, it is better to collect grass from May to August. At this time, the woodlice blooms, and its foliage contains the maximum concentration of useful biocomponents.

Medicinal properties

The beneficial effects of chickweed on human health are determined by the chemical composition of the herb. It contains a wide range of healing substances, including:

• Carotene. This natural pigment blocks free radicals, slowing down aging and cell death.
• Ascorbic acid. Increases resistance to infections, improves iron absorption.
• Vitamin K. Forms skeletal tissues, regulates blood clotting.
• Tocopherol. Responsible for the health of the skin and reproductive system.
• Zinc. Regenerates skin damage, accelerates cell growth.
• Potassium. Normalizes fluid balance in the body.
• Iron. Participates in hematopoiesis and synthesizes proteins.
• Magnesium. Responsible for the functions of muscles, blood vessels, and the nervous system.
• Essential oils. Removes toxins from tissues.
• Phytoncides. Destroy pathogenic microbes.
• Alkaloids. Relieve pain, calm nerves.