The list of officially registered medicinal plants in our country also includes the mighty burdock, familiar to everyone from childhood. Many medicinal preparations are made on the basis of plant juice obtained by squeezing from the powerful root system. But it’s not just the roots that have medicinal properties. Powerful leaf blades and thick stems are rich in medicinal juice. Leaf juice, when properly processed, makes up one third of the juice squeezed from the entire plant. How to put the medicinal properties of burdock to good use in practice? Let's figure it out.
Composition of burdock leaves: what are the benefits of the medicinal plant?
Burdock has a universal composition, which significantly affects the full functioning of the body. Burdock foliage is not a small source of vitamin C, because up to 1000 mg is found in 500 grams of leaves. 70% of the daily requirement in burdock leaves contains vitamin B. There is also inulin in sufficient quantities, which contributes to the smooth functioning of the intestines. Burdock foliage is a storehouse of useful components, which include iron, zinc and manganese. Burdock foliage can be used in nutrition, especially since the calorie content is minimal - 60 kcal per 100 grams.
Pharmaceutical preparations based on burdock
Pharmacy products also help a lot. They contain many active ingredients, plant extracts and extracts.
Cream-gel “Joint Plus” with burdock
Cream gel "Joint Plus" contains burdock extract, glucosamine and pectin. It is prescribed in the following cases:
- constant increased load on joints;
- joint diseases;
- injuries of the musculoskeletal system (sprains, dislocations).
“Joint Plus” promotes rapid restoration of articular tissues, maintains normal joints, relieves pain, and relieves swelling.
For chronic joint pain that is constantly getting worse, it is recommended to undergo a full examination by a surgeon or rheumatologist.
Where is medicinal burdock used?
Every medicinal plant, recognized throughout the world, is rightfully considered medicinal and helps to cope with many diseases. In the old days, tinctures and decoctions of burdock were used to treat diseases of the lungs and liver, stomach and kidneys, to wash purulent wounds and gargle, to lubricate the skin and hair follicles. Leaf-based tea will be the best detoxification option. Easily fights acne and pimples, helps to significantly improve the skin with eczema and psoriasis. It has a diuretic effect, which makes kidney problems seem less critical. The juice of the plant mixed with honey helped even hopeless patients get back on their feet. We will tell you in more detail about some examples of the treatment and use of medicinal burdock leaves.
The healing properties of burdock for joints
All parts of burdock contain useful substances. Root rich:
- insulin up to 45% and arctiin glycoside;
- proteins and sitosterol;
- tannic components and bitterness;
- stearic and palmitic acid;
- minerals and vitamins;
- alkaloids.
Leaves contain:
- mucus, tanning components;
- vitamin C;
- hyperoside, carotene, rutin;
- ethers.
The rich composition has a positive effect on joints, having healing properties:
- diuretic and diaphoretic;
- anti-inflammatory;
- antibacterial;
- healing;
- immunostimulating.
You can buy burdock tincture from us
How to properly dry burdock leaves?
There is no doubt that dried leaf blades contain a minimal amount of medicinal properties and are not as useful as freshly picked ones, but many still resort to drying, considering this process quite favorable for preparing raw materials for the winter.
Selected and washed leaves can be hung in a warm shed and dried whole. You can chop the leaves with stems and place the mixture on paper or linen. So, stirring occasionally, dry the green mass of the prepared raw material until completely dry.
Rules for the use of burdock
In order for burdock treatment to be as effective as possible, certain rules must be followed. For example, it is recommended to use only young plants. They contain the highest amount of nutrients.
Leaves compress - which side to apply?
To make a compress correctly, the leaves must be carefully washed and then dried in fresh air. Its lower, reverse side is lubricated with vegetable or cosmetic oil. The oil serves as a conductor for easier penetration of beneficial substances into the joint. It can be replaced with another product, the main thing is that the sheet is not dry.
Afterwards, the sheet is applied to the affected area, fixed with compress paper or a sterile bandage and insulated with a warm bandage. The compress is kept on average for a quarter of an hour, the maximum duration is 30 minutes.
Burdock for arthrosis of the knee joint
Knee arthrosis is a disease in which the kneecap joint gradually becomes deformed and loses mobility.
To slow down this process and eliminate pain, you need to do the following:
- on the first day, apply a regular compress of leaves with vegetable oil to the knee;
- on the second day, apply a compress of leaves with natural honey;
- on the third day, use Vishnevsky ointment for a compress.
This three-day course can be repeated twice.
TOP 9 recipes for using burdock leaves in the treatment of various ailments
We offer a unique selection of recipes using burdock leaves to treat various ailments.
- We use the freshly picked leaf as first aid for sprains, headaches and insect bites. Quite often, gardeners and gardeners, relaxed after the winter holiday, begin spring field work with unprecedented pressure, trying to quickly clear the plot and begin sowing vegetables. But, haste can lead to minor injury, in particular muscle strain in the arms or legs. Garden burdock will come to the rescue in such unpleasant moments and in two or three days will allow you to forget about the trouble. If you have sprained a tendon in your arm and your elbow is painfully aching, it is immediately recommended to apply ice to the inflamed area, which will relieve the swelling. Next, make a compress with a green, freshly cut burdock leaf. A freshly picked leaf is applied to the inflamed joint, washed and dried with the back, fleecy side facing the skin. The elbow is first wrapped with a leaf of the plant, and then with a bandage soaked in saline solution. To do this, dilute 1 tablespoon of table salt in a glass of water. A bandage is dipped into the solution. A gauze bandage soaked in salt is wrapped around the joint with a burdock leaf applied. The bandage is secured on top with a plastic bag and the sore spot is wrapped in a warm towel. Leave the compress on for a couple of hours. Burdock will relieve pain, the saline solution will draw out excess fluid and remove swelling at the site of the tendon stretch. A large burdock leaf tied to the head will relieve headaches and serve as protection from sun rays. Burdock leaf will relieve inflammation and swelling on the skin after an insect bite.
- Making juice from burdock. To obtain medicinal, very bitter juice, you need to dig up a two-year-old plant. Free the roots from the soil and lightly clean them. Leaves and stems are cut off from the root system. The whole plant needs to be rinsed well several times in a bowl of water to remove all dirt. If leaf blades, stems or parts of the root system show signs of any damage, they should be separated. To obtain juice, you must use only healthy raw materials. All parts of the plant are thoroughly washed and laid out on a linen rag to dry. Next, the roots, stems and leaves are chopped as much as possible with a knife. The resulting green mass is squeezed in a juicer and thus a valuable medicinal liquid called juice is obtained.
- Burdock balm is a remedy for gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure and problems with blood circulation. To prepare a healing balm, you need to mix freshly squeezed burdock juice and honey in equal proportions. The resulting mixture is stored in the refrigerator and used for any disease. When the healing balm is consumed internally, cysts of internal organs resolve, stomach and duodenal ulcers are scarred, attacks of gastritis and colitis are less likely to bother you, blood pressure is normalized and blood flow improves, hemoglobin rises and cholesterol decreases, the functioning of the digestive system, intestines, liver and kidneys noticeably improves, increases appetite in cancer patients weakened by the disease. Many diseases recede without treatment with chemicals.
- We get oil for hair treatment. The cake formed after pressing is still full of nutritional and medicinal components and is quite suitable for making oil. To do this, the entire crushed mass obtained after squeezing is transferred from the juicer container and compacted into a jar, and grape seed oil is poured on top. For 1 liter of cake, 100 mg of oil is enough. The jar is closed with a plastic lid and placed in a dark and warm place. You can replace grape seed oil with any oil purchased at the pharmacy. After one and a half to two months, the mixture is filtered through several layers of gauze and a nourishing burdock oil is obtained, which will serve as the basis for a mask for treating hair problems.
- Nourishing hair mask.Burdock oil is mixed with a chicken egg and the resulting mixture is rubbed into the scalp. The hair is twisted into a ball and a plastic cap is put on top of the head. Wrap your head in a warm towel. If desired, you can warm the compress with a warm hairdryer - this will improve blood circulation through the vessels of the head. After an hour, the hair is washed with shampoo, rinsed with a decoction of burdock leaves and dried. Prepare the mask twice a week. Such procedures strengthen hair follicles and prevent hair loss. After using a mask of eggs and burdock oil for two months, your hair will become more beautiful and voluminous, and the previously formed bald spot will be overgrown with young fluff.
- We are preparing a decoction of burdock for widespread use. To prepare the decoction, large leaves and stems, sorted and washed well, are crushed with a knife. It should be noted that only large leaves should be used. Young, not yet fully grown, small burdock leaves have a mild bitterness in the juice and are suitable for making vitamin salads, which we will discuss below. To prepare medicines, it is more advisable to use already grown leaves, with a pronounced medicinal bitterness of the juice. The crushed fresh raw materials are placed in a saucepan and filled with 1 glass of water. Boil the broth for 5 minutes and leave covered until it cools completely. It is quite possible to prepare a decoction of dried burdock leaves. To do this, place 1 tablespoon of crushed and dried meal in a deep glass bowl, pour a glass of boiling water and simmer in a water bath under a lid for 20 minutes. Then the broth cools under the lid and is then completely ready for use.
- We treat joints with a decoction of burdock leaves. The cooled decoction will relieve pain from inflammation of the joints of the hands and feet, and will help relieve attacks of gout and rheumatism. It is enough to make a lotion or compress by moistening a linen rag in the broth and wrapping it around your aching knee or elbow. Place polyethylene on a rag and wrap the inflamed joint with a warm towel. Baths with burdock decoction are indicated for the treatment of rheumatism. To do this, you need to prepare up to 5 liters of broth. Fortunately, it is not at all difficult to find burdock thickets and preparing raw materials for the decoction in unlimited quantities will not be a problem. If decoctions can be stored even in the refrigerator for no more than three days, then infusions can be stored for up to two months.
- An infusion of burdock leaves is used as a remedy for arthritis, osteochondrosis and radiculitis. To make the tincture, you need pharmaceutical alcohol or vodka. The alcohol component will help “preserve” the medicinal properties of the plant, and honey, in addition to its personal benefits, will also add a pleasant sweetness to the resulting elixir. Fill a liter jar one third with chopped leaves and stems, you can use either cut or dried leaves, pour in half a liter of vodka and add 100 g of honey. Close the jar and shake well to mix the ingredients. Leave the infusion in a dark place for 3-4 weeks, shaking the container periodically. An infusion of burdock leaves will help with arthritis, osteochondrosis, radiculitis and arthrosis, gout and salt deposition, used as lotions and compresses. Traditional healers recommend the use of alcohol infusion as a preventive measure for cancer.
- Freezing leaves. One of the methods of preserving medicinal properties in the leaf blades of a plant is to freeze it. Low temperatures will preserve the leaves and after defrosting, they will become completely suitable for treatment. You just need to let the leaf thaw and heat it by dipping it in warm water. For freezing, the leaves are washed and completely dried. Next, you can fold the sheet plate into an “envelope” and place it in a plastic bag, or you can roll it into a tube, first laying it out on baking paper. So the plant is frozen and, if necessary, defrosted. Burdock practically does not lose its medicinal properties when frozen for a long time. You should not freeze the crushed mass of burdock. Droplets of juice formed on the slices will turn into ice.
The best recipes for using burdock leaves in cooking
Burdock can be used not only for medicinal purposes, but also for culinary purposes.
Proponents of a raw food diet use burdock leaves raw. It should be noted that the juice in the leaf blades and stems of an adult plant is very bitter and it is quite difficult to chew and swallow a burdock leaf, but it is possible. Old people do this, pick off the leaves and just chew. But you can prepare vitamin-rich salads from young leaves by adding familiar foods.
- Vitamin salad. A salad made from young leaves of burdock, horseradish, sorrel, nettle, dandelion, green onions and garlic will be very useful in the spring. All these greens can be found in the vegetable garden or garden in early spring. In summer, the plants will become saturated with bitterness and will become unsuitable for vitamin dishes. To prepare a nutritious vitamin salad, the greens are washed and doused with boiling water, then chopped, chopped boiled eggs are added, everything is mixed and the salad is seasoned with mayonnaise or sour cream.
- Green borscht. Regular green borscht is prepared with sorrel. But if you have nettle, burdock, dandelion, sorrel, parsley, dill, green onions and garlic, why not cook green borscht using the gifts of nature. The potatoes must be boiled until half cooked, the chopped greens must be fried in butter and placed in a saucepan. Let the borscht boil, add tomato juice. The finished dish is poured into plates and sour cream is added. Such dishes will replenish the body with vitamins, increase weakened immunity, and give energy and vitality after winter. Vitamin salads are indicated for diabetes and urolithiasis, stomach ulcers and gastritis, pancreatitis and cholecystitis, skin diseases, boils, psoriasis and eczema, and are recommended as a prevention of cancer.
In Japan, for example, burdock is generally grown industrially and used in cooking. The stems and leaves are fried, boiled and baked, the roots are dried and ground into flour. Then they bake flatbreads and cutlets. Jam is made from the stems. Using the plant in cooking, the Japanese thereby heal the body.
Burdock leaves have a wide range of effects on the human body due to the many vitamins and minerals in its composition, so feel free to use this remedy for a wide range of applications.