Description.
Ivan-tea, or angustifolia, is a perennial herbaceous plant, whose height can reach a meter. This is one of the representatives of the kipreny family. The stem of this plant is erect, and on top the plant is decorated with pinkish-lilac large flowers. Its leaves are narrow, linear-lanceolate, glabrous, regular. Flowering period is in June - September. After fading, a fruit is formed - a bare box.
This medicinal plant is found almost everywhere in our country, but the main thing for him is the increased soil moisture.
In folk medicine inflorescences and leaves of willow-tea are used. They are collected, carefully dried, and then brewed in the form of regular tea. Our ancestors even invented their own special way of fermenting such tea. At first, the leaves were dried, then they were scalded with boiling water, and then they were rubbed off. In this form, the leaves were dried on a stove, re-rubbed and folded into a jug, where such tea could be stored for several years. This method of making tea is known as Capor tea.
In the XIX century, this tea was more popular in Russia than black Indian tea. For a long time Ivan-tea was in a state of forgetting, but the popularity of treatment with folk methods brought him back to many homes.
Ivan tea in medicine: effects on the body.
The plant is rich in vitamin C, tannins, tannin, mucus. Also in its composition can be found alkaloids, sugars and pectins. The plant contains various mineral substances, which makes it irreplaceable in the treatment of many diseases.
Tea made from this unique plant, soothes, helps fight against insomnia. If you drink this magic elixir in the morning, it will give you vigor and strength, which will not leave you until the evening. By the way, it was the invigorating property of the willow-tea that was very appreciated by our ancestors. Also, this tea perfectly fought with headaches.
Ivan-tea folk medicine is recommended for use in the treatment and prevention of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which is possible due to the large amount of tannins and mucus. Our ancestors successfully used this herb to fight gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, colitis.
With anemia this tea became an excellent additional remedy, which made it possible to digest iron better. Of course, one willow-tea anemia can not cure, but as a supportive tool, it is excellent.
The increased content of vitamin C and mineral substances improves immunity, stabilizes the work of all organs and has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes. It was believed that the consumption of such herbal tea can make a person strong and will be the best prevention of various diseases. Scientists, with their inherent skepticism, became interested in the chemical properties of Ivan-tea. It turned out that this plant is rich in antioxidants, which protect a person from the effects of free radicals. With a cold, it is possible to gargle with a cane-tea.
It is noteworthy, but this medicinal plant is applied internally and externally. Herbal decoction can wash out purulent wounds. If a person has skin diseases that are accompanied by lesions of individual skin areas, they can be cured with napkins moistened in decoctions or infusions of ivan tea.
Traditional medicine suggests using this miracle plant even to combat malignant tumors and tumors of various etiologies. Official medicine does not see anything strange in this: the abundance of trace elements stimulates the work of the immune system, which is responsible for combating foreign cells.
Young shoots of this herb were used in cooking as additives in salads, and in dried form added to flour products, which gave them an unusual, pleasant taste.
The recipe for making ivan-tea at home.
Tea is prepared very simply. Take half a tablespoon of dried willow-tea, which is then poured into a glass of boiling water. The broth is infused for about 20 minutes, then filtered. After that, the received drink can be drunk as regular tea. However, to enhance the effectiveness in it is better to add not sugar, and honey.
To treat diseases of the digestive system use a special infusion, which is prepared according to a different recipe. To make this fragrant medicine, you need a tablespoon of dry ivan-tea leaves, which are filled with a glass of boiling water. The broth is infused for about 20 minutes, filtered and taken strictly on a tablespoon 3-4 times a day.
As you can see, the application of the willow-tea again returns to fashion, which means that we gradually return to the roots.