Medicinal properties of horsetail, traditional medicine recipes

There are contraindications, consultation with a specialist is required

Probably, many, walking through the expanses of the fields of our vast Motherland, noticed on their way an attention-grabbing plant that looked like a small Christmas tree. And few people thought, or perhaps did not even realize, that the healing properties of horsetail are very important for human health and are applicable both for treatment and for prevention against various kinds of diseases.

Indeed, in truth, horsetail is a plant unique in its benefits, possessing a huge amount of macro- and microelements beneficial to the human body, especially rich in silicon, necessary for full life, in particular for the correct functioning of the metabolic process. But horsetail is not only useful for this; its healing properties are very diverse.

Description

As soon as the spring sun shines, horsetail begins to sprout in the gardens, which is classified by our summer residents as a weed.

Horsetail likes to grow in acidic soil, this is a signal to start alkalizing the soil

The plant, which belongs to the higher spore species, has a height of 10 to 40 cm, its stems end in a spore-bearing pistil in the form of a spikelet, in which seeds - spores - are located. As soon as they are scattered, the stem dies and leaf development begins. They have a tetrahedral shape, a bright green tint, and branch well on the lower parts of the plant. Horsetail branches are directed upward, towards the sun.

The root system of the plant culture goes deep into the ground, almost a meter, this makes it easy to find food and water. Nodules in the form of balls are located on the roots, and substances that provide nutrition to the above-ground part accumulate in them.

This amazingly hardy crop can tolerate both low and high temperatures, light frosts and unbearable heat; it adapts to drought and thrives in rainy summers.

Horsetail likes to grow in sandy, acidic soil. If it once settled in your garden, we can assume that you have problems: firstly, it’s time to alkalize the soil and add ash or slaked lime, and secondly, a harmful weed has settled on your site, which will be quite problematic to get rid of.

There are several types of horsetail, but only one of them can be eaten and used as a medicine. Only a plant with branches pointing upward is healing. It is better not to touch the rest, otherwise the treatment may turn into an exacerbation of the disease. There have been cases when horses in villages died after eating the “wrong” horsetail contained in hay.

People call the plant by different names: field pine, nursery grass, honeydew, water pine, horsetail, morel, Sokhatin grass.

It is difficult to imagine that once upon a time, at the dawn of centuries, these plants looked like giant trees, which occupied a vast territory on Earth with powerful horsetail forests. It is thanks to them and giant ferns that today we have such a mineral as coal. Today we see only short and rather puny green bristles, which complement the fragrant meadow herbs.

The most dangerous is the marsh horsetail, which grows in swamps. It can be distinguished by its thick stem and few branches. Horsetail must not be confused with meadow horsetail; this can have a very negative impact on health.

Meadow and swamp horsetail contain poison, which causes the death of domestic and wild animals

Outside of an exacerbation of an attack, a person is recommended to:

• limit the intake of proteins and refractory fats into the body;
• reduce salt consumption to 5-7 g, including that contained in foods;
• increase the volume of seasonal vegetables, fruits and dairy products;
• exclude from the diet foods that contain purines that are hazardous to health in large quantities: meat extracts, beef innards, small shrimp, sardines and mackerel, legumes;
• reduce the intake of meat, fish, legumes - peas, beans, lentils;
• practice fasting days;
• If you are overweight, give up sugar and baked goods.

For gout, the meat of young animals, which contains a lot of purines, is especially contraindicated.

Chemical composition

Horsetail contains many substances that are used in the pharmaceutical industry. Among them are:

• alkaloids;
• saponin equisetonin;
• flavonoids;
• aconitic, oxalic and malic acids;
• fatty and essential oil;
• silicic acid salts;
• tannins, resins;
• vitamins;
• carotene and others.

Features

Horsetail is a perennial. Height – up to 60 cm. The plant is spore-bearing.

The rhizome is 5-7 m long, creeping, penetrating to a depth of 1 m.

Horsetail has two types of stems: spring and summer. In early spring, spore-bearing brownish succulent shoots up to 15-20 cm in height appear, in the upper part of which there is a spikelet with spores.

The spores are green and spherical. When they mature, these stems die and are replaced by barren summer stems. Summer stems are branched, branches are arranged in groups of 8-16 pieces.

The stems and branches are hard and rough due to the presence of silicic acid crystals in them.

Horsetail spores in April-May. Reproduces by spores and segments of rhizomes.

Useful properties of horsetail

Horsetail has been known for its healing properties since the time of Avicenna, the famous physician of antiquity, who mentioned it in his medical works as a remedy that effectively stops blood and cleanses the body of toxins and harmful substances.

In the 40s of the last century, the study of horsetail began in medical institutions around the world, after which the medical community proved the unconditional benefits of horsetail for human health.

In scientific works, horsetail looked like a panacea for many diseases of various types.

In fact, it is a strong antioxidant, antiexudative, diuretic and antifungal agent, and has an antispasmodic effect. The importance of the plant in the pharmaceutical industry can hardly be overestimated, since today many drugs are being created that are based on substances from its composition.

Common horsetail has become a real breakthrough in pharmacology and traditional medicine

Healing effect

Doctors use preparations containing horsetail to treat urolithiasis and kidney disease.
The power of its effect surpasses even kidney tea. But it should be remembered that medications based on it cannot be used for nephritis, since some substances are irritants to the kidneys. When diagnosing diseases such as heart and pulmonary failure, edema, horsetail helps to effectively expel excess fluid from the body and thereby alleviate the patient’s condition.

Other properties:

• it has astringent property;
• stops inflammatory processes;
• removes lead and other heavy metals from the body;
• it significantly reduces blood sugar levels;
• in small doses it has a positive effect on the reproduction of collagen and bone tissue;

It is not recommended to use horsetail in large doses.

What is recommended for osteoporosis?

With osteoporosis, bone density decreases and the risk of bone fracture increases. The cause of the disease is insufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D into the body, consumption of alcohol in large quantities, medications of the glucocorticoid group, as well as the postmenopausal period.

Diet therapy for osteoporosis involves the following rules:

• taking calcium, which reduces the progression of the disease (the main source is milk and dairy products);
• consumption of foods with a high content of the microelement magnesium, which also promotes better absorption of calcium by the body (foods such as sesame, almonds, hazelnuts, watermelon, sunflower seeds, oatmeal contain it);
• taking vitamin D (fatty fish, caviar, liver of various origins, milk fats, eggs);
• Postmenopausal women are recommended soy-based products that have an estrogen-like effect;
• It is important to reduce your salt and coffee intake.

In osteoporosis, calcium comes first

Recipes for various diseases

Adenoids

For this disease, a medicinal collection of horsetail should be used. The recipe is as follows: pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a glass of water and boil for several minutes. Cool the product and rinse the nasopharynx with it. Repeat the procedure twice a day for a week.

Atherosclerosis

A healing mix consisting of several medicinal plants will help here. You need to take one part each of horsetail herb, birch leaf, dandelion root, wheatgrass root, soapwort root, yarrow herb, chokeberry fruit, and corn silk. Mix the ingredients and pour a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain and drink 100 ml three times a day after meals.

Vascular atherosclerosis

Arthritis

Pour a large spoonful of horsetail herb into a glass of hot water, wait half an hour and drink the infusion one glass a day.

Bronchiectasis

To treat pulmonary diseases, you will need a medicinal mixture, to which equal amounts of oregano herb, St. John's wort, and cinquefoil rhizome are added. To all of the above you should add knotweed and horsetail grass, but three times more than the rest of the grass. Pour two large spoons of herbal mixture into 400 ml of hot water and leave in a thermos for at least 20 minutes. Take the medicine half a glass a day.

Bronchiectasis

Glomerulonephritis

To collect you need to prepare:

• 4 parts each of St. John's wort and bearberry leaf;
• 3 parts each of horsetail herb, birch buds;
• 2 parts each of knotweed, corn silk, oregano, chamomile flowers.

Take four large spoons of the mixture and pour a liter of not hot water, let it brew for 12 hours, then boil for 5 minutes. Strain and take 200 ml on an empty stomach, gradually drink the rest throughout the day.

Haemorrhoids

For hemorrhoids, you can drink, make a poultice, and add a medicinal herbal mixture to the bath while bathing, consisting of three parts of oak bark, two parts of horsetail, one part of steelhead root, chamomile flowers and tansy. Pour half a liter of boiling water over 60 g of the mixture and leave for at least 4 hours. Drink 50 ml three times a day half an hour before meals.

For bleeding, take 1 part of buckthorn bark, flax seed, chamomile, dried grass, horsetail, and knotweed. A tablespoon of the mixture is mixed with a glass of boiling water and kept covered for 20 minutes.

Drink 1/3 three times throughout the day.

Purulent wounds

Tea for lotions is made as follows: brew a handful of horsetail herb with 200 ml of boiling water, boil over low heat for 5 minutes and do the procedures in the form of lotions.

Cholelithiasis

The collection consists of two spoons of dry horsetail root, which must be poured with two glasses of hot water. Drink the mixture in small sips four times.

Urolithiasis disease

One of the most popular preparations during urolithiasis helps relieve pain and helps remove stones from the body. It is done like this:

1 part horsetail, lingonberry leaf, strawberry leaf, caraway fruit, juniper fruit, licorice root. The collection is infused in hot water for half an hour, then filtered through cheesecloth and taken half a glass four times a day.

Nephritis

An infusion of two spoons of horsetail and a glass of boiling water is prepared in a water bath for about 30 minutes, infused for about 15 minutes, then filtered and drunk once every two days, 100 ml.

Pyelonephritis

Herbs such as horsetail, St. John's wort, violet grass, and motherwort are added to the collection in equal parts. Pour all ingredients into 200 ml of water and cook until tender for 25 minutes, drink in small portions throughout the day.

Psoriasis

Here you will need: celandine - 1 tsp, horsetail - 2 tsp, St. John's wort - 3 tsp, string - 3 tsp, black elderberry - 2 tsp, corn silk - 2 tsp, lingonberry - 2 tsp, calamus root - 3 tsp, elecampane root – 2 tsp.

Take the mixture in the amount of one tablespoon and pour hot water into a thermos in the evening. You can take the medicinal drink in the morning. Dose for psoriasis: 100 ml in the morning and before bed.

Seborrheic dermatitis

Washing the skin with dermatitis is carried out using a special medicinal infusion. It is prepared from a handful of dry grass and two glasses of boiling water. After the herb has infused, the liquid is filtered and procedures are performed.

Prostration

Horsetail tea is drunk several times throughout the day before meals; this remedy cleanses the body well.

Puffiness of the eyelids and eye fatigue

To relieve puffiness in the eyes and face, you can use the tea described above.

Acne

Horsetail and linden flowers must be taken in equal parts and mixed with boiling water. For procedures, use tampons soaked in liquid.

Cystitis

Several preparations are suitable for the treatment of cystitis.

• 1 recipe - during an exacerbation, tea made from dry herbs infused in boiling water will help.
• Recipe 2 – recommended for use in chronic forms of the disease. Here you can use both infusion and compresses. After the herb has been brewed and infused, it is placed in a bag made of canvas or linen and applied to the lower abdomen until the compress has cooled. At the same time, you need to drink a glass of infusion. After such treatment, the pain subsides and the disease gradually goes away.
• Recipe 3 - used for high levels of alkali in the urine and inflammatory processes in the bladder. You need to prepare a mixture of various herbs, taking them in equal parts. We take the leaves of horsetail, birch, bearberry, plantain, the roots of marshmallow, femur, licorice, and juniper fruits. After mixing all the ingredients, take a spoonful of the mixture and fill it with hot water. After prolonged infusion, strain and drink several times a day. Dose at a time – 1/3 cup.

Eczema

For eczema, we prepare an infusion of horsetail, string, rose hips, calendula, oak bark, and blackberry leaves.

It is better to prepare the medicine in a water bath for 10 minutes, then leave it until it cools completely and begin treatment with lotions or wrapping the inflamed areas of the skin.

Horsetails, ferns and mosses - similarities and differences

How to distinguish horsetail from representatives of related species, of which there are a great many on earth? What are the similarities and how are they different?

All these types of earth flora belong to higher spore-forming plants, therefore, they reproduce exclusively by spores. These are perennials that prefer habitats in damp and shady areas. All have found use as folk remedies.

Ferns, mosses and horsetails have significant external differences: stems, shoots: in horsetails they are smooth, while in mosses they have a creeping stem. In fern representatives it is very short and practically invisible. Mosses form peculiar buds, or nodules, that are absent in others. Ferns already have parts that closely resemble leaves. In fact, these are not real leaves, but fancy branches of a plant.

The leaves of horsetails and club mosses are more similar than those of ferns. However, it is difficult to confuse them: the first ones are larger and more like peculiar soft long needles. The leaf of the club moss is smaller; when examined, it resembles scales densely located on the shoot.

In horsetails and mosses, spores are formed at the top of the plant, which has the appearance of a spikelet. The modified leaves of the spore-bearing spikelets are different in these two species. Ferns form them on the back of each leaf.

Horsetail grass is found almost throughout the entire territory of Russia and, despite the name, this plant can be found not only in meadows, but also in spruce, light pine forests, broad-leaved forests, and also among shrubs.

The above-ground part of the horsetail herb is similar to a horse's tail (hence the name), it is harvested as a medicinal raw material in June - August, cutting off the shoots, which are then dried. The medicinal properties of the plant are determined by its chemical composition.

Using horsetail at home

With the help of healing remedies and preparations made with your own hands at home, you can stop the development of many diseases, which include: rheumatism, chronic forms of tuberculosis, hypertension, ailments associated with the visual, hearing, and urinary organs.

Substances and extracts from horsetail are included in the well-known Traskova mixture for the treatment of asthma.

Infusions of horsetail can be used to treat stomatitis, tonsillitis, and make healing baths for eczema, ulcers and wounds, fistulas and seborrhea

Pharmacy drugs

Today, the pharmacological industry widely uses horsetail for the manufacture of various medications with anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, astringent, diuretic, and hemostatic properties.

Phytolysin paste, known in medicine, contains horsetail; it is used for kidney diseases as a medicine for internal use.

Decoctions, infusions, teas, alcohol tinctures and ointments, all of these products are widely used in home pharmacies. To prepare them, you do not need a prescription from a doctor; you can collect the medicinal material yourself and make a natural medicine at home.

You just need to not be lazy, put your grandfather aside and go to the forest, to the field, to those places where the “green medicine” grows. To do this, it is better to choose sunny, windless weather. This way you can simultaneously take a walk that is beneficial for your well-being and stock up on valuable medicinal raw materials.

Cosmetology

In the field of cosmetology, horsetail occupies one of the leading places; with the help of modern developments in this industry, liquid extracts and extracts have been obtained from the plant to help care for facial skin and hair.

It is enough to apply a hair mask once a week to make it look silky and healthy. You can prepare the mask yourself or buy it at the pharmacy.

For those who prefer to make cosmetics with their own hands, we publish the recipe:

Take 4 tbsp. l. spoons of vegetable or olive oil, heat it until hot, add dry horsetail herb (2 tablespoons) into it and leave for several hours.

It is better to use the mask at night, wrapping your head in cellophane and a towel. This mixture can also improve your facial skin if you use it at least twice a week.

What nutrition is indicated for arthrosis?

A comprehensive treatment regimen for osteoarthritis always includes nutritional recommendations. A thoughtfully designed diet allows you to avoid excess weight and provides the body with the necessary supply of vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants are of particular importance for joints, namely vitamins A and E, omega-3 fatty acids. Also, in order for the body to produce chondroitin and glucosamine, a person must receive sufficient amounts of vitamin C and manganese.

TOP 10 products that must be present in the diet for arthrosis:

1. Fresh vegetables.
2. Seasonal fruits.
3. Greenery.
4. Lean fish.
5. Whole grains.
6. Dairy products with low fat content.
7. Various nuts.
8. Low-fat butter.
9. High quality olive oil.
10. Jelly.

With arthrosis, it is important to get enough vitamin C so that chondroitin and glucosamine are produced

Horsetail contraindications

Among the few contraindications there are restrictions for the following risk groups:

• pregnant women and nursing mothers;
• patients with severe forms of kidney disease, such as nephritis and nephrosis;
• persons who have individual intolerance to substances contained in the plant.

Any medicinal plant should be used with caution and you should consult your doctor before use.

Only a specialist has the right to prescribe this or that treatment related to dosages and medications.

Subtleties of therapeutic nutrition for gout

In gout, the metabolism of purine bases is disrupted. The disease is manifested by damage to the joints and internal organs, the cause of which is the deposition of uric acid salts.

Gout can be primary, which is also called idiopathic, and secondary, when the disease is caused by medication. Excessive amounts of uric acid are formed due to the fact that a person consumes a lot of foods that contain purine bases. The second option is that these substances are synthesized in the body in increased quantities. In this case, the kidneys cannot cope with excretion.

Before the advent of drug treatment, diet therapy was perhaps the only effective way to influence the course of the disease. Its main principles are:

• it is necessary to limit the consumption of meat and fish, since they contain a lot of purine bases;
• milk and cereals are introduced into the diet, which contain a minimum amount of these bases;
• the person is advised to drink plenty of fluids;
• If you are overweight, you need to get rid of it.

Other uses

It is commonly believed that the succulent stems and leaves of the plant are used only for medicinal purposes, but this opinion is erroneous. Since the juicy spore-bearing spikelets contain a lot of sugar, horsetail can be eaten.

The stems are consumed raw, used in the preparation of fresh salads, soups, pies, and added to omelettes and casseroles. Some housewives even salt horsetail shoots for future use. In addition to the shoots, the roots of the plant, which are famous for their high starch content, are also used.

In agriculture, this valuable plant crop is grown for livestock feed. Field horsetail is safe for animals; it does not contain toxic substances, unlike the meadow and swamp species. There is an opinion that the plant increases milk production, and in the northern regions it is called “milk feed.”

Still, it poses some danger to horses, so attentive owners try not to give it to their pets. Rural residents who have pets treat their pets for wounds and ulcers with horsetail powder.

Horsetail also found use in everyday life; its tough stems were used when it came to cleaning smoked dishes and polishing wood and stone.

Necessary reserves of natural gifts

How to properly collect plant materials? The month of June should be considered the beginning of procurement activities, and the month of August as the end.

In August, the plant has already shed its spores, but the young shoots are still climbing up and contain the most valuable substances. It is necessary to choose gathering places very carefully. Of course, it is impossible to know all the factors, but avoiding the close proximity of roads, factories, cemeteries and public dump sites is simply necessary in the name of common sense.

You should carefully cut the shoots, choosing shady places that are not overdried by the sun. At home, lay out the stems in one layer and leave to dry. The raw material will have a gray-green tint - and this is normal. The herb does not have a pronounced smell, but the taste will be sour.

Storage of plant products can be carried out for a fairly long period - up to four years, only the place should be dry and inaccessible to direct sunlight.

Not only the stems of horsetail need to be harvested, but also the roots. They can be eaten after heat treatment by frying, stewing, or boiling. The black color of the roots should not frighten the consumer: the raw material contains a large amount of starch (which provides greater nutritional value) and carotene (which is extremely beneficial for the eyes).

Features of the workpiece

Horsetail can be harvested throughout the season, using shoots or stems.
The best time to collect raw materials is mid-summer - July and August. The collected material must be dried in a dry and ventilated place. At humidity not higher than 13%. A shed or attic space is suitable for this purpose.

The finished dry mixture has a faint, barely perceptible, peculiar odor and a sour taste. It is better to store the dry mixture in fabric or paper bags for no more than 4 years.

Medicinal raw materials

Collection item.

Green, fruitless stems collected throughout the summer.

Collection and processing of raw materials.

Green, barren, branchy summer shoots are used for medicinal purposes. The grass is harvested in the summer (June - August), plucking or cutting it with sickles or knives, and when it is thick, it is mowed with scythes without the coarser ground parts. Before drying, impurities of other plants are selected, including non-medicinal horsetail species, which are difficult to distinguish after drying.

Drying.

Dry the grass in attics under an iron roof or sheds with good ventilation, spreading a layer of 5-7 cm on paper or fabric.

Quality of finished raw materials.

The raw material consists of dried grey-green, grooved, jointed stems up to 30 cm long, with twigs. Humidity - no higher than 13%'. The finished raw material must contain: crushed parts of horsetail - no more than 10%; foreign impurities: organic (including other types of horsetails) - no more than 5%, mineral - no more than 0.5%. The smell is weak and peculiar. The taste is sour. Output of dry raw materials. Approximately 20-25%. Shelf life. 4 years.