Zherukha officinalis– perennial medicinal plant, a member of the Cabbage family. Zherukha has a hollow stem that spreads along the ground, as well as a strong and long root. The leaves of the plant are located opposite each other, the flowers are very small, white(see photo). The plant is found near bodies of water, as it is very moisture-loving. The grass is widespread in the Caucasus, Europe, Central Asia, and Crimea. Grass loves flowing water clean water, but is also found in swamps.
Zherukha is a well-known medicine. The pharmaceutical name of the plant is Nasturtii herba, and its popular folk name is “watercress”. The grass retains its beneficial properties only in fresh. This is one of the few plants that are not harvested for future use. It is better to collect watercress during the flowering period, but if necessary, it can be torn all year round. For those who do not have access to a fresh plant, the pharmaceutical industry offers canned herb juice.
Watercress is grown for medicinal purposes. When the plant reaches 50 cm, it is cut and sent for processing. If you create everything necessary conditions, you can grow watercress yourself. Areas next to which there are bodies of water are best suited for growing grass. The plant must be planted using seedlings, cuttings. Seedlings are grown from grass seeds, which are watered abundantly until sprouts appear. Before planting the plant, the bottom of the groove must be fertilized with humus. The watercress should be planted in prepared places at an angle and filled with water. Plant grass better in autumn: this way she will safely overwinter under water, and in the spring there will be the first harvest.
The beneficial properties of watercress are due to its chemical composition. The herb contains iodine, which is necessary for normal operation thyroid gland. There is also no large number essential oil, which gives it its characteristic taste.
The plant contains a large number of minerals and vitamins. Potassium, iron, phosphorus - contain watercress leaves. In addition, this herb is a source of vitamins B, A, C, K. The presence of iron and many vitamins makes watercress good prophylactic for diseases circulatory system . Grass naturally cleanses human blood.
Infusion of watercress is used for skin problems, as well as for general strengthening and cleansing the body. To do this, pour boiling water over 30 grams of watercress and leave for 3 hours, then filter the infusion and take 200 ml daily.
Watercress has been used in cooking since ancient times due to its mustard flavor. If you look at it, then watercress is a relative of another well-known culinary plant - watercress. Like him, watercress is a very healthy and tasty vegetable. Its leaves are completely edible; they are used to make homemade sauces, green salads, and used as a seasoning. Dressing salads olive oil or heavier dressings, such as mayonnaise. The herb goes well with meat and fish.
Watercress is considered a leaf vegetable, although it does not look like one. The plant was used in ancient Rome, where it was grown as a seasoning. The aroma of watercress is reminiscent of horseradish, and its taste is tart and bitter. When added to dishes, the herb enhances the taste of other products, and as a separate dish it can be used as a healthy drink.
It is also customary to use watercress seeds for food, if necessary, they can replace mustard seeds in many dishes. As an aromatic seasoning, watercress is used in combination with rosemary and mint; this mixture turns out to be moderately spicy, but very aromatic; it is added to many dishes in order to add piquancy to them.
The plant is easily absorbed by the human body. Zherukha is considered dietary product. This is facilitated by the low calorie content of the herb (only 32 kilocalories per 100 grams) and the beneficial properties of the plant. Watercress is added to sandwiches to give them a tangy mustard flavor. Zherukha goes well with ham, cheese and even fish. Sometimes the herb is added to meat and vegetable soups.
According to ancient legends, eating watercress develops psychic abilities.
The watercress is used as feed for cows, goats, and chickens.
The benefits of the herb appear when various diseases. The balanced composition allows the use of pharmaceutical watercress for skin diseases, diseases respiratory tract, problems with gastrointestinal tract. Medicinal watercress treated a severe form of bronchitis, in which the patient separation in progress sputum with pus.
A decoction of watercress is used with anemia, diabetes mellitus, oncology. To prepare a decoction, 20 grams of the plant will be enough, which is poured with boiling water and then filtered. The decoction is also effective for urolithiasis. Drink the decoction several times a day before meals.
For the treatment of gastritis, colitis, periodontal disease Take the juice of a fresh plant diluted in half with water. The medicine is taken three times a day. Concentrated watercress juice is taken one teaspoon once a day to treat jaundice, kidney stones and gallbladder. Given remedy refers to mild laxatives. The juice is also indicated for acute and chronic inflammation kidney
For the treatment of burns and other external use, an ointment is prepared based on watercress and butter. In order to obtain the ointment, you need to thoroughly grind 3 tablespoons of plant juice and 50 grams of butter. The ingredients should mix well. To obtain a homogeneous mass, you can melt the butter a little. Ointment based on watercress juice is used for warts, wen, burns.
Watercress can cause harm to the body if consumed uncontrolled and with a significant increase in dosage. Like any medicinal herb, watercress can provoke side effects, which include irritation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and kidneys. Before using the herb, especially its juice, you should consult your doctor.
The watercress is a perennial plant; it has a semi-recumbent stem; the plant is also distinguished by a long root and a powerful root system. The leaves are located one opposite the other, they differ in straight and dissected shape. The white flowers are small in size and can be collected in clusters. Zherukha has its own pod fruit with many seeds. The plant blooms beautifully in summer. It grows in Central Asia, Crimea, Europe and the Caucasus. The water beetle feeds on moisture, which is why it can often be found on river banks, swamps, ponds and near standing water.
The watercress grows near bodies of water that have a temperature of 10 to 12 degrees. To plant a watercress, you must first dig a ditch 50 cm deep and be sure to add humus or compost there. Cuttings are planted at the end of summer; the position must be inclined. Then you need to fill the ditch with water so that the tops are visible above the water. Be sure to add water to the ditch. In the fall, the watercress needs to be medicated, this is done using a roller. In winter, it is best to keep the plant in water.
The watercress is grown not only from cuttings, but also from seedlings. In the summer you need to sow seeds in the greenhouse. When they begin to sprout, you need to water them constantly.
The plant must be used fresh; it must be collected when it blooms. Because dried herb loses all its beneficial properties. The watercress is grown specially at pharmaceutical factories; this occurs within 1.5-2 months, when the plant grows to 50 cm, it must be cut, tied into bunches and placed in a special basket so that it can be transported.
In the pharmacy, watercress is available as tincture and juice. The medicinal plant can be used for culinary purposes; it is added to salads as a seasoning. Green grass can be prepared with mayonnaise, butter, this salad can be eaten with meat and fish.
The composition of watercress does not contain sugar, but at the same time it is distinguished by beneficial essential oils and acids - linolenic, linoleic, oleic. The plant can be used in your balanced diet nutrition, it is easily digestible and has a positive effect on the human body.
The plant contains a lot useful substances– iodine, phosphorus, essential oil, iron, calcium. Zherukha officinalis has a diuretic, antiputrefactive, antiscorbutic effect, with its help you can cleanse the blood and get rid of toxins.
Due to the fact that the plant contains many substances, it can be used for a variety of skin diseases. With the help of watercress, you can get rid of a severe form of bronchitis, in which sputum with pus is released.
The medicinal plant can be used for acute and chronic nephritis, scurvy,. To treat wen and burns, you can prepare a special ointment, you need to take the juice from the watercress and butter, mix everything thoroughly. To strengthen your gums, you can use the juice from the watercress; use it to clean the surface of your teeth, 3 times daily.
Preparations based on watercress will help get rid of general weakness and constipation.
The plant can be used in different types depending on the purpose. You can prepare a decoction, infusion, ointment, or fresh juice from watercress.
1. Ointment helps well with burns. To do this you need to take 4 tbsp. watercress juice, 100 grams of butter, mix everything thoroughly. The ointment should be homogeneous; it should be good for lubricating burns.
2. For anemia, oncological diseases, diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, you can take a decoction of watercress, for this you will need 20 grams of watercress herb, pour 0.5 ml boiled water, boil for 5 minutes, then you need to strain and cool the broth. The decoction should be taken before meals, one glass 3 times a day.
3. For skin problems, you can prepare an infusion with watercress. To do this, take up to 30 grams of dry leaves and a liter of boiling water. Infuse it and strain. You need to drink it twice a day, one glass.
4. For jaundice and urolithiasis, you need to take fresh juice from watercress. This remedy is classified as a laxative. You can take the juice only once a day, one teaspoon.
5. For gastritis, duodenitis, periodontal disease, colitis, juice from watercress helps well; it must be diluted with water in equal proportions. IN in this case You need to take it 3 times a day.
6. For nephritis and gynecological diseases, fresh watercress leaves are used, they are placed in cold water, insist, filter and drink for a day.
Remember, when using juice it is very important to follow the dosage. If you drink more juice from watercress, the mucous membrane of the stomach and kidneys may be irritated. Preparations based on watercress are very difficult to find in pharmacies because they are produced in small batches. But remember that you should not self-medicate, this can lead to disastrous results; it is best to first consult with a specialist. The drug is contraindicated for people who suffer allergic reactions and individually cannot tolerate this plant.
So, watercress is useful plant. Used in medicinal purposes flowers, fresh leaves, very rarely root and dried leaves. It is the fresh plant that is rich in vitamin C and carotene, so it is an excellent vitamin remedy that tones and regulates metabolism. Zherukha officinalis is an effective diuretic, anti-inflammatory and wound healing agent. Fresh watercress herb is also used for culinary purposes; it is an excellent addition to salads, sauces and vitamin drinks. In pharmacology you can find canned watercress juice.
Beetle beetle – Nasturtium officinale R. BR. Family Cruciferous – Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Perennial herbaceous plant. The stems are recumbent or erect, 30-90 cm long, often forming dense turf. The leaves are fleshy, juicy, dark green; the lower ones are trifoliate, the upper ones are 5-9-lobed. The flowers are white with pronounced yellow anthers, collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences. Blooms from April to June. Fruits until September.
It grows on moist soils, in swamps, near springs, less often on rocky and crushed stone soils, and is found on the plain and foothills, near springs.
Medicinal raw materials are roots, leaves, flowers, fruits. Flowers and leaves are collected mainly during flowering, from which juice is obtained, which is stored for future use. After drying healing properties leaves and flowers disappear. The leaves can be collected after flowering, but they have weaker healing properties.
The roots are harvested in the fall before the leaves wither, dried in dryers at a temperature of 40-45°C. However, it is better to make a tincture from the roots immediately after collecting the raw materials. The seeds are collected as they ripen and are also used fresh or in tinctures.
The plant contains saponins, alkaloids, mustard oil, thioglycosides: gluconasturcin, glucobrassicin and other glycosides containing sulfur. Seeds contain fatty oil, it contains acids: oleic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosenoic, palmitic, stearic, etc.; a large set of microelements: K, I, Fe and others in smaller quantities; vitamins, mainly A, C, D and others in small quantities.
The roots are the official raw material in France, Italy, Brazil, Venezuela, and Switzerland.
The roots and fresh juice of the plant are used in homeopathy, for metabolic disorders, reduced function liver, gall bladder and kidneys; with anemia, pyelonephritis; antiscorbutic, for rheumatoid diseases, gout.
IN folk medicine in many countries, decoctions of roots, infusions of fresh plants and juice are widely used for cholelithiasis, diseases bladder, scurvy, ascites, gout, chronic catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, thyroid diseases, diabetes, cancer, colitis, tumors; externally – for lipomas, warts; seeds - as a seasoning for dishes.
To enhance the effect, it is often used together with dandelion and nettle (salad and decoction) - in equal quantities.
— Nasturtium Officinale R. Br, another name Water cress. Belongs to the Cruciferous family - Brassicaeae (Cruciferae). Watercress herb - Nasturtii herba.
Other names: watercress officinalis.
Distinctive features
The watercress is a perennial plant whose shoots are mostly recumbent.
The plant reaches a length of 30-90 cm, forming dense turf.
The stems are ribbed and grooved, hollow.
The leaves are odd-pinnate, fleshy, dark green in color. The upper ones are 5-9-lobed, the lower ones are trifoliate.
White flowers with yellow anthers are collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence.
The plant blooms from April to June.
Habitat
Prefers to grow near clean sources with moderate temperatures, ditches, rivers and streams. Selects moist soils. It can be found near springs, in swamps, sometimes on gravel and rocky soils, in the foothills and plains.
Chemical composition
The plant contains the following active elements: vitamins A, C, D, senfol glycoside, gluconasturtin, bitterness, iodine, arsenic, iron, potassium, phenylethylsenfol.
Medicinal and beneficial properties
Zherukha is used as a medicinal plant in the form of salad and fresh juice. Usually this plant is mixed with nettle and dandelion leaves. The leaves must be fresh. You can also add young birch leaves if the patient has insufficient renal function.
This mixture is used as medicine for metabolic disorders, disorders of the gallbladder and liver.
Also pharmaceutical watercress used to treat gout and rheumatic diseases.
Application
In folk medicine, mashed leaves of the plant with sugar or salad are used. This mixture is used for gout, rheumatism, lung diseases, cough, skin diseases, general weakness, metabolic disorders, constipation, diseases of the intestines, stomach, liver, gall bladder, kidneys and bladder.
You can use decoctions of roots, juice and infusion of fresh plants for ascites, scurvy, chronic catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, diabetes mellitus, colitis, and cancer. Externally prescribed for warts and lipomas. The seeds are an excellent seasoning.
In Switzerland, Italy, France, Venezuela and Brazil, roots are considered an official raw material.
Collection and preparation
The plant's fresh grass is picked in the spring, but the plant can be harvested throughout the year. The herb is not dried, as it is used only in its fresh state. It is possible to prepare juice from a fresh plant. Canned watercress juice is produced by the pharmaceutical industry. It is recommended to pluck the leaves of plants that have not yet bloomed for the spring course.
It is recommended to harvest the roots in the fall, even before the leaves wither. They are dried at a temperature of 40-45°C in dryers. It is best to make a tincture from the roots after collecting the raw materials. The seeds are collected as they ripen. They can be used in tinctures or fresh.
Contraindications
Watercress should not be taken too often, as overuse may cause irritation of the stomach and kidney mucosa. You should only drink water and do not exceed the dose.
Medicinal recipes from watercress
To prepare the decoction, you need to prepare 20 g of flowers and leaves (fresh), pour 250 ml of boiling water over them, leave for half an hour in a water bath (boiling), cool without removing for 10 minutes, then filter.
Three times a day, 2 tbsp. l. taken after meals.
To prepare the tincture, take 70% alcohol and fresh roots. Ratio: 1:5. The mixture is infused for 15 days. Take: 50 ml of water and 30-40 drops for one dose. The dose can be increased, but gradually, up to 40-60 drops.
Fresh juice after meals is taken with 30 ml of water, 30-60 drops 3-4 times a day.
