Woad is a forgotten vegetable dye. Woad dyeing in ancient times and the modern world

Dear Vladimir Nikolaevich, could you tell me how to help in my grief? Three years ago my hair started falling out; every day I find about two dozen hairs on my pillow. Maybe there is some herb that will help me deal with hair loss? Thank you in advance.

A. MALKINA, village. Krasnolesny

In modern folk and scientific European medicine, woad is one of the little-known and, one might say, “unfashionable” medicinal plants. But in the East (in particular, in China) it is very popular both among healers and oriental beauties.

In Asian countries, women have long appreciated healing properties. For example, among Uzbek women, eyebrows are considered beautiful only when they are thick and converge into a solid black line. Therefore, Uzbek girls, starting from infancy, lubricate their eyebrows with woad juice.

In ancient times, woad was cultivated in large quantities for the production of vegetable dye - indigo. The leaves were collected three times over the summer, rolled into balls and sold to dye factories. Oil was obtained from the seeds. At the end of the 19th century, indigo dye began to be produced synthetically. But another property of this natural dye turned out to be indispensable - its ability to strengthen hair. Therefore, woad remains the most popular cosmetic product in Eastern countries to this day.

What raw materials are used for medical and cosmetic purposes?

WITH therapeutic purpose are used woad roots. Harvesting of roots is carried out in the fall. The plant is dug up, the stem is cut, the root is washed well in water, cut into slices and dried.

IN medicinal purposes Fresh woad leaves are also used. They are torn and the juice is squeezed out by hand into a ceramic or glass container (it is important that the leaves do not come into contact with the metal). This, of course, requires some skill, but once you master it, you can quickly squeeze out required amount juice To obtain one serving of juice you will need 3-4 sheets.

Leaves are taken in the middle of the day, without dew. The petiole is torn off. There's little in it coloring matter. Then roll a ball of leaves in your palms by twisting until the juice flows. By pressing on the side of the ball, the juice is squeezed out, which is collected in a small vessel. Usually this is the inverted bottom of the bowl. The juice obtained in this way is applied to the eyebrows and eyelashes using a stick with cotton wool wound at the end, and it is very important to be extremely careful, i.e. try not to get the juice into your eyes. After 15-20 minutes, the juice is washed off. This procedure is usually repeated all summer long, as long as there are fresh leaves.

Leaves can also be harvested for future use. They are dried in the dark in a well-ventilated area, such as attics. And then ground into powder.

Recipes

Product for thick hair

To grow in and out woad powder prepare a strong, thick infusion, which is applied to the head, then wrapped in a linen cloth and kept for 1-2 hours.

Also, steamed woad powder is used to treat nesting baldness. To do this, an hour before applying the paste from the steamed powder, you need to lubricate your head with a tincture of hot red pepper (with caution, it burns strongly), and then apply the steamed paste.

Woad against infection

In clinical laboratories in China, it was found that substances contained in woad roots have a detrimental effect on coli, typhoid bacillus ( typhoid fever) and pathogens of dysentery.

Good results were obtained in the treatment of epidemic diseases, as well as encephalitis and meningitis. And for diseases of the spleen, one of the the best means a mixture of woad root, licorice root and stinging nettle leaves is recognized.

Treatment of mumps (inflammation of the parotid gland)

Take 30-60 g of root (for children from 5 to 12 years old) and 60-120 g (for adults), in both cases take 200-250 ml of water. Prepare the decoction over low heat for 20 minutes, strain and drink warm in one serving.

Treatment of gastrointestinal diseases (typhoid fever, hepatitis)

For children aged 8 to 13 years, prepare a decoction from 30-60 g of roots, for adults - from 60-120 g, also take 200-250 ml of water.

Treatment of epidemic meningitis

For children and adolescents aged 13 to 19 years, take 60-120 g of root, i.e. add 10 g of roots for each year. Place the required amount of roots in a vessel, add 200-250 ml of water, boil over low heat until 100-130 ml of decoction remains. Drink the decoction at one time or divide into 2 equal parts and drink in the morning and evening.

Treatment of spleen diseases

Take 2 tablespoons of woad and one teaspoon of licorice root, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, strain. Take 2-3 tablespoons three to four times a day. Additionally, at seven o'clock in the evening, put a compress on the left and right hypochondrium from steamed flax seed (this procedure is also useful in treating diabetes mellitus, only in the decoction instead of licorice root you need to take chicory root in the same proportion).

Treatment of chronic and acute bronchitis

Spread 1-2 teaspoons of honey on a mashed woad leaf and apply to the area, cover with cellophane or compress paper and wrap the patient in a woolen scarf. Keep the compress for 3-6 hours (until you break out into sweat). Repeat the procedure for a week.

Reproduction and cultivation of woad

Woad can be successfully cultivated. Then you will have the whole summer at your fingertips useful plant. When choosing a planting site, consider its relationship to light, humidity and soil.

IN middle lane sowing time is determined by how the area has warmed up, which usually happens at the end of April. For more northern areas, the ground is ready by early May. It is best to cultivate the area for planting in the fall. To do this, the bed is dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet, the lumps are broken up with a rake and the fertilizer is immediately scattered. Any manure will be most suitable: cow, sheep, goat or rabbit. The manure is scattered evenly, in a layer of about 10 cm, then the soil is dug up again, thoroughly mixed with the manure. In the spring, the bed is dug up and leveled again.

If the farm only has bird manure, then it is applied 3-5 times less than animal manure, and only in the fall.

Woad seeds are sown in longitudinal grooves to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The seeds are placed no closer than 10 cm from each other, covered and lightly compacted. At first, water very carefully, otherwise the seeds will be washed out. In about a week the shoots will begin to sprout. But at the same time or even earlier, weeds similar to woad emerge, so weed the crops carefully. With its bluish leaves, woad resembles quinoa and differs from it only in shape. Woad produces narrow leaves immediately after germination, while quinoa produces oval leaves with red veins. Weed and loosen the soil quite often, watering it generously each time.

In the first year, woad does not form a flower arrow, like other cruciferous plants, and the leaves grow into a lush bunch. They are the main source of healing juice.

Dear readers! You can ask your questions to V. Ogarkov every Thursday from 16 to 18 hours (Moscow time) by calling 8-800-333-21-10 (calls within Russia are free). Answers to the most popular questions will be published in the newspaper, as well as on the personal website www.av-z.ru/masters/603.

city "Stoletnik" No. 14, 2016

Woad dye - benefits from roots to seeds

Useful properties of woad

This plant is called usma, dye grass, usma, osma, krutik, chenilla, sharnik-grass, farbovnik. The most common name is dye woad. The juice of the leaves of this plant contains a colored pigment; in the old days, it was with the help of woad that woolen threads and finished products made from them were dyed in a rich color. Blue colour. Since there is a kind of ecological boom in the world, many needlewomen and craftsmen today are turning to old recipes and growing woad in their plots.

We can definitely say that you can benefit from this herb, starting from the tips of the roots and ending with the seeds. For example, the roots of the plant are used to treat colds and infectious intestinal diseases.

Juice from the leaves, as described above, is used for dyeing fabric products, as well as in for cosmetic purposes and for the treatment of vision. The usma leaves are rolled in the hands until a ball is formed, from which the juice is gradually squeezed out. It is used to smear eyebrows and eyelashes or apply it to hair to make it long, thick and black.

From woad seeds oil is sometimes made, similar to flaxseed oil, only the yield is much less, so it is often made with seeds various tinctures to strengthen hair follicles and improved vision.
The inflorescences of the plant are picked, dried and an incredibly tasty tea is brewed.

In addition to the above qualities, woad is sown in fields as an intercrop. This plant is akin to sainfoin, sweet clover, alfalfa, and affects the increase in soil fertility.

Early honey plant
In spring, few plants bloom that could provide bee colonies weakened over the winter with a sufficient amount of nectar. Woad begins to bloom in mid-May and fades in mid-June. The honey-bearing qualities of usma were discovered at one time by F.I. Prokopovich, who decided to experiment with sowing on an apiary plot. The grass is also beneficial due to its frost resistance and good cooling properties. One hundred square meters of land requires 50 to 60 grams of seeds. The honey productivity of woad depends on the climate of the region in which it grows. In particular unfavorable conditions gives within 30 kg of product per hectare. In favorable conditions, it is possible to collect honey up to 110 kg. It is very good to take the hives in the summer to migrate closer to the woad crops. Bees will be very eager to collect nectar and pollen. Woad is a biennial plant. In the first year, only broccoli-like leaves emerge, but inflorescences appear in the second year.

Animal food
Woad has a high protein content, high fodder productivity and is a fairly resilient plant, adaptable to harsh growing conditions. Such qualities allow the grass to be used as feed for livestock. During the flowering period, the plant is mowed for dry food. Woad is harvested for silage when the fruits, which are a pod with seeds, have already appeared. When cutting for the first time, it is necessary to leave the stem 5 cm long from the ground.
General information woad plants

Family - cabbage.
Department – angiosperms.
Is medicinal plant. Especially popular in Chinese medicine.
It grows almost all over the world, as it easily adapts to any weather and climatic conditions.
The height of the stem is 1 meter.
Flowers are small, yellow color, two 2-3 rosettes per stem.
Reproduction - by seeds.

There are several species of wild usma, which reproduces with the help of strong steppe winds.
Thus, it becomes obvious that woad is used in many areas of life. A detailed study of sowing, increasing yields and harvesting this plant suggests that the food supply will be significantly improved in the future.

Woad (popularly known as Dyer's woad, prussic grass, krutik, usma, etc.) - biennial herbaceous plant family Cruciferous. Grows on dry slopes and hills, in steppes, sometimes in forests in Europe and Asia, as well as North America and other countries where it was introduced and took root. It is a valuable honey plant, as it blooms relatively early compared to many other honey plants. Sometimes it infests cultivated plantings.

Some gardeners grow woad as a background plant in flower beds. Woad is widely used in folk medicine and natural cosmetology; it is approved for use as a biological active additive. It is obtained from the seeds of woad fatty oil, reminiscent of flaxseed in composition. This plant is also used to dye wool blue.

Description and preparation

Woad has a rutabaga-shaped root that goes deep into the ground, an erect stem with stiff hairs, reaching up to 1 meter in height, bluish-green leaves - lanceolate basal and arrow-shaped sessile stem. In May-June the plant blooms in small yellow flowers, collected in a rare paniculate or corymbose inflorescence. In the second year of the plant's life, in June-July, woad fruits ripen - small black pods with one seed.
Leaves, roots, and sometimes flowers and seeds of woad are used as medicinal raw materials in folk medicine. Leaf harvesting is carried out from May to September: the leaves are cut and dried on fresh air in the shade or in a well-ventilated area.

The roots are harvested in the fall - in October-November: they are dug up, the stem is cut off, the root is washed, cut into slices and dried in a well-ventilated area or an electric dryer. The dried root is ground into powder. The flowers are harvested during the flowering of woad. Dried roots and leaves are stored for two years, flowers - for one year.

Chemical composition and properties

Woad contains: flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, nitrogen-containing compounds, vitamins and dyes. The roots are also rich in thioglycosides. Woad seeds contain fatty oil. Thanks to its composition, the plant has antiviral, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antibiotic and antiseptic effects. Currently being researched antitumor properties plants.
In folk medicine, woad is used for:

upper respiratory tract infections;
flu;
abscess in the throat and lungs;
salivary gland infections;
chicken pox;

herpes;
measles;
meningitis;
encephalitis;
mumps;
enteritis;
intestinal disorders;
dysentery;
typhus;
hepatitis;
diseases of the spleen;
dermatitis, herpes zoster, furunculosis, wounds, ulcers.

Recipes

Infusion:

50 g leaves or flowers of woad;
200 ml boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the plant material, boil in a water bath for 15 minutes, then remove from the bath and let it brew for 45 minutes. Strain. Drink 1/3 glass three times a day after or during meals.
Tea:

100 g of woad flowers;
200 g boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the flowers, cover the container with the mixture and let it brew for 20 minutes. Drink the same as the infusion three times a day.

Root decoction:

50 g crushed woad root;
250 ml boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the woad root and boil in a water bath for half an hour. Then let cool slightly (10 minutes) without removing from the bath and strain. Drink a third of a glass 3-4 times a day. The decoction can also be used externally in the form of washes and lotions for skin diseases.
Decoction for epidemic meningitis:

60 g crushed woad root;
200 ml water.

Pour water over the roots, bring to a boil and simmer until half the liquid has evaporated. Strain. Drink at one time or divide into two doses - morning and evening.
Infusion to improve vision:

1 tsp woad seeds;
1/3 tbsp. boiling water

Pour boiling water over the seeds, cover the container with the infusion with something warm and let it brew until it cools. Strain the infusion. Place 1-2 drops in each eye 2-3 times a day. Also, to improve vision, juice from fresh leaves woad is applied to the eyelids 2-4 times a day.

In cosmetology, juice and powder from woad leaves are used to color eyelashes and eyebrows. In addition to the coloring effect, this plant has a healing effect: it relieves inflammation and stimulates hair growth. To get the result Fresh Juice woad leaves are rubbed into the eyebrows and eyelashes for 15 minutes. Also this method It is also used to strengthen hair.

Contraindications

Woad dye is contraindicated:

children;
pregnant and lactating women.

Woad should be taken with caution when:

diabetes;
hemorrhagic disorders;
undergoing anticoagulant therapy.

Woad has virtually no contraindications, but before using it for medicinal purposes, it is still recommended to consult with your doctor.

Woad (other names: dye grass, krutik, chenille, blue grass, farbovnik, sharnik grass, blue woad) is a biennial plant of the Brassica family. The stem is straight, 1–1.2 m high. The basal leaves are oblong-lanceolate, hairy. Middle and upper (stem) - with a narrowly arrow-shaped base. The flowers are yellow. Flowering in May - June.

The fruit is a wedge-shaped, single-membered pod, winged along the edge with a blunt-rounded or slightly notched apex, glabrous. The seeds are yellowish, one per pod.

Plant distribution. Woad is common in southern countries and also grows well in mid-latitudes. Grows in the Caucasus, Western and Central Asia, in many European countries, in North Africa. In Russia it grows in the North Caucasus, Dagestan, Eastern Siberia, and the European part.

Part used: plant roots, seeds and juice.

Woad roots contain indican, sinegrin, indoxyl-5 (ketogluconic acid).

Properties of woad.

Woad preparations have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, laxative, and emetic properties.

Application of dyeing woad.

Woad preparations are used:

In the treatment of oncological diseases (cancer).

- in the treatment of spleen diseases.

- treatment of infectious diseases (for example, measles). A decoction of woad roots has a detrimental effect on Escherichia coli and typhoid bacilli, the causative agent of dysentery.

- in the treatment of various inflammatory and colds.

- in the treatment of epidemic meningitis, encephalitis, acute hepatitis, mumps. - for inflammation of the throat, tumors, boils, wounds, ulcers, ringworm,

- How cosmetic product. They use fresh woad juice, which is obtained from slightly dried leaves. They paint eyebrows, eyelashes, eyelids. This natural dye relieves infections of the eyelids and eyes, stimulates hair growth and eyelash thickness.

Indigo dye is obtained from the leaves of woad.

From the seeds of woad, a fatty oil is obtained, which in its composition is close to flaxseed.

To improve vision: pour 1 teaspoon of seeds into 1/3 cup of boiling water, leave, covered, until cool. Place 1-2 drops into eyes 2-3 times a day.

Decoction of woad: 60 g of pre-crushed root, pour 250 ml of boiling water. Leave in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, cool and strain. Take 3-4 times a day, 1/3 cup.

Infusion of dyeing watch: 50 g of plant leaves are poured with 200 ml of boiling water, left in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, cooled and filtered. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day, immediately after meals or during meals.

Contraindications for the use of woad preparations.

Dyeing watch preparations cannot be used for diabetes due to high content in plant carbohydrates, as well as in case of individual intolerance.

Botanical characteristics

Woad dye, translated as Isatis tinctoria, its other names are dye grass, krutik, chenille, usma, farbovnik, sharnik-grass. Belongs to the category of biennial plants. Moreover, in the first year it forms a rosette of rather large leaves, and only in the second year does it grow a stem ending in flowers, the height of which varies from sixty to one hundred and twenty centimeters.

The flowers of the dye grass are yellow in color, their petals are up to five millimeters long. The plant blooms in May or early June. It bears fruit until July. The fruit is an ordinary naked pod, slightly less than a centimeter long. The seeds are slightly yellowish, located one at a time.

Spreading

This plant grows in southern countries, but also does well in mid-latitudes. It can be seen in the Caucasus, Asia, and is found in many European countries, and in North Africa.

In Russia, it is found mainly in the European part; it also grows in Siberia, the North Caucasus and Dagestan.

Part used

This plant uses the root part, juice and seeds. Concerning chemical composition, then we can note the presence of substances such as indican, sinegrin, as well as indoxyl five-ketogluconic acid.

Collection of raw materials and their preparation

In order to prepare the roots, you must wait autumn period, and you can carefully dig them up, after which they are shaken off from adhering soil particles and washed under running water, then they can be dried with a paper towel, since the presence of liquid can provoke rotting.

When the root is dried, it is cut into small plates and placed on a tray in a thin layer, and placed in a ventilated place; the raw material must be constantly turned over so that mold does not appear.

If you want to prepare raw materials better, then use an automated dryer, it supports required temperature, which will help quickly bring the roots to the desired condition.

The optimal temperature for drying is fifty degrees. Seeds appear only in the second year of plant growth. They are used for medicinal purposes in winter time when it is impossible to obtain krutik juice.

Growing a plant

This plant is cold-resistant and easily tolerates frosts in both autumn and spring. Drought and drought resistant. Not demanding on the soil either, but top scores gives when grown on black soil soil. Reproduction occurs by seed.

Use of woad

This plant is not used official medicine, but traditional healers Sharnik - grass is actively used in many pathological conditions that occur in the human body.

The decoction is actively used in China; it is used during influenza epidemics, meningitis, encephalitis, hepatitis and. The juice stimulates hair growth well, has a coloring property, and makes the eyebrows and eyelashes of the fair sex darker and more saturated.

Recipes

You can use this recipe. You need to carefully squeeze the juice from the leaves; this can be done using a meat grinder, or use a regular mortar and pestle, after which the raw material must be placed in a gauze bag and squeezed out.

Once the juice is ready, they are recommended to treat the eyelid area up to four times a day. In two years of such procedures, you can even get rid of glasses. Of course, in this case, it wouldn't hurt to consult a qualified ophthalmologist first.

For the same purpose you can prepare infusion. You will need a teaspoon of seeds, which are recommended to be poured into 70 milliliters of boiling water, then the drug should stand for a while, thirty minutes is enough, after which it is filtered and can be instilled into the eyes twice a day, one drop at a time. Again, consult your ophthalmologist first.

At mumps prepare the following recipe. You will need sixty grams of root, which is filled with water and placed on water bath. After some time, remove the broth from the stove, allow it to cool and filter it through a fine sieve, after which it is recommended to drink it in one go.

ethnoscience recommends preparing the following recipe. You will need sixty grams of pre-crushed woad roots, which are recommended to be placed in a vessel, after which you need to add 200 milliliters of hot water.

Then it is recommended to place the container in a water bath, with the heat at a minimum, and simmer a little until the broth remains in the amount of one hundred milliliters. It should be drunk at one time, or divided into two equal parts, and consumed morning and evening in case of epidemic meningitis.

Conclusion

Before applying the above folk recipes, it is recommended that you consult a qualified physician. If any symptoms appear, the first thing you should always do is seek help from a doctor; it is unnecessary to treat the emerging diseases yourself, as this can aggravate the existing situation.