A lot of talk and write about this plant. For example, periwinkles in antiquity were associated with pagan rituals, in which they spoke of love, vitality, immortality and fidelity. Previously believed that the periwinkle has the ability to protect from evil forces, deadly diseases and snakes. And also in those days people believed that periwinkle could strengthen love, but witches too could use it for their witchcraft and inflict damage with the help of a periwinkle.
And most often we get exactly what we believe, although not all agree with this. A periwinkle is in fact a herbaceous perennial plant, evergreen, although it grows not only in warm countries such as Southern Europe or Asia Minor, but also in Eastern and Central Europe, Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Russia.
Barvinok can be called a shrub, but it is extremely small - reaches a height of 10-40 cm, and shoots can be erect and ascending. Already in May, upright bushes bloom blue flowers and keep the color until the fall.
Periwinkle grows on the slopes of river valleys, on felling areas, forest edges, in deciduous forests and shrub thickets. Plant a periwinkle in the garden, but do not watch where and how it grows, and then it will quickly become wild, move to the kitchen gardens and parks, into the bushes. But recently he began to grow very carefully with the purpose of using for treatment.
At the moment, there are 12 types of vinca, 5 of which can be found in our country. Wild periwinkles can be found in the Moscow region in large numbers. There, Russian aristocrats liked to decorate their gardens with the vincinity more than 100 years ago.
Small Periwinkle
The most valuable is a small periwinkle, it is used both in folk and in official medicine. Less appreciated pink periwinkle, but it also has good medicinal properties. The other three types of vinca of folk healers and doctors are not attracted.
Periwinkle small in large quantities contains alkaloids. These valuable substances are used in medicine, and many of them have toxic properties.
Useful alkaloids are vinkapan, reserpine, vinokamine, devinkan and others, on the basis of which medicines are made, for example, the Hungarian "Cavinton". In addition, this plant contains tannins, steroids, anthocyanins, organic acids, phenolic compounds, sugars, glycosides, mineral salts, vitamins. The composition of the vinca is rich, and the complete list can turn out to be very long.
Periwinkle small and its medicinal properties
Preparations, which include a periwinkle, have astringent, hemostatic, antimicrobial, hypotensive, vasodilating, soothing properties.
Periwinkle and its application in medicine
The above properties make the periwinkle very popular in medicine. Using drugs based on vinca can treat hypertension, diseases that have a neurological nature, as well as circulatory disorders in the brain. These are vegetative neuroses, coordination disorders of movement, polyneuritis, the effects of meningoencephalitis. They are also used for high intracranial pressure, osteochondrosis, ischemia, vascular lesions, atherosclerosis, psychoses, depression, schizophrenia.
With diseases of the nose, ears and throat, which are caused by various inflammations and circulatory disorders, infections and other factors, specialists often prescribe drugs based on periwinkle.
Periwinkle also effectively acts in the treatment of eye diseases, which are associated with impaired blood circulation.
Pink Periwinkle
Also used in official and folk medicine is pink periwinkle (catarratus). This plant is slightly higher than a small periwinkle, it can reach a height of 50 cm, and it blooms in pink, the flowers are large, sometimes with a white corolla.
Pink pea-pink also has alkaloids, and some of them are able to slow the growth of cancer cells, as well as white blood cells, thanks to this property, the pink periwinkle takes part in the creation of drugs against cancer.
In folk medicine, pink periwinkle is used to treat polyps, endometriosis, fibroids. In addition, it can help treat cancer, provided that the patient can not tolerate chemotherapy.
Cataract plays an excellent complementary role in the treatment of many diseases. Ulcer of 12 duodenal ulcer is treated with tincture of this herb on vodka, tincture in combination with vinca rose oil helps in the treatment of trophic ulcers. He also destroys the Pseudomonas aeruginosa, promotes relief in the treatment of hemorrhoids, prostatitis and adenoma.
Since there is a reserpine in the catarratus, in Poland it has long been used for violations of the gastrointestinal tract, anemia, at elevated blood pressure. In India, people use periwinkle as an adjunct in the treatment of diabetes. Also, the infusion of vinca can remove toothache.
It should be remembered that in any form of vinca contains poisonous substances, so it should only be used with strict adherence to the prescription of the doctor, and make sure that there is no overdose, as this can affect the deterioration of the heart. But if you follow all the recommendations when you use vinca, then it strengthens the capillaries, and it affects the work of the heart well.
There is a long-standing legend that tells why the periwinkle is so beautiful and long blossoms. Once upon a time the periwinkle complained to the goddess Flora, who is the patroness of all plants on our planet, that it is invisible, unlike snowdrops or violets. The goddess has mercy on a periwinkle and gave him the opportunity to bloom much longer than all other plants, and the flowers made him bright and large.
The name "periwinkles" is derived from the word "first-born", which means "winner". This name is also endowed by his goddess Flora, since this plant never gives up and grows even where other beautiful flowers can not survive.