Motherwort, Calories, benefits and harms, Useful properties

Motherwort is a plant of the Lamiaceae family.

Also Known As: Heart Herb, Motherwort
hairy, dog nettle.

The plant reaches up to 2 meters in height.

Stems tetrahedral, petiolate, opposite, with long hairs,
gradually decreasing towards the apex, bright green, sometimes
branched.

The root has a pivotal system.

The upper leaves are whole, the lower ones are finger-dissected. The largest
leaves are below, sometimes 15 cm long, closer to the top
plants are gradually decreasing.

The flowers are small. Inflorescences are intermittent, spike-shaped, at the ends
branches and stems, in the axils of the leaves.

Corolla pink-violet, up to 11 mm long. The cups are naked. Four
stamens.

Fruit – four nuts, 3 mm long, are in a lagging calyx.

Distributed in southern Europe. Ubiquitous motherwort
grows like a weed, most often it can be found near roads, on
vegetable gardens, wastelands, littered places, on forest lawns and clearings.

The plant is drought-resistant and not picky about the soil.

In agriculture, it is used as feed for horned
livestock. Grown for grazing by livestock.

When harvesting motherwort, you should not tear off the stems
from the bush. In order for the plant to continue to exist and bear fruit
it is necessary to leave at least 35% of the plant on the bush when collecting.

Collect the tops of the stems up to 40 cm together with flowers
and leaves. The thickness of the collected stem should be no more than 0,5
see

The collected raw materials are dried, stirring from time to time,
and selected. A dry motherwort should have stems – no more than 46
%; moisture no more than 13%; ash – no more than 12%; organic impurity
– no more than 3%.

Raw materials are stored for up to three years. But motherwort seeds, in contrast
from many others, can be stored for almost six years and have 75 – 80%
shoot.

Before sowing, it is necessary to plow the area several times
to a depth of about 30 cm. In spring, just before sowing, harrowing is performed.
Fertilizers are applied to the land about 40 tons per hectare. Sow the seeds of the first
and second class grade. For the winter they sow in dry land, in advance, before
onset of frost.

When sowing, the rows should be parallel, consistency as the main ones,
and butt row spacings, evenly.

After seed germination, the site is treated with special cultivators.
The cultivator passes between the rows and loosens the soil, adding
fertilizer into it.

For weed control, weed harrows are used, they are good
loosen the ground, leveling and combing the field from cut weeds.
As weeds grow and appear, hand weeding are sometimes done.

Harvested at a time when the flowers at the top
in the budding phase, while the remaining 2/3 of the plant
still blooming. Harvesting is done only in the second year of flowering. Exactly
in the second year of life, the plant has adapted to the soil and gives a good
harvest.

The yield of motherwort in the first year of vegetation is 6 kg / ha, and in the next
years increases to 30 centners / ha.

It is a good honey plant.

Useful properties and medicinal properties of motherwort

For medicinal and medicinal purposes, tops with leaves are used, namely
the top to the level where the inflorescences with seeds end.

Motherwort contains: Alkaloids, essential oil, leopuridine, amine,
leonurin, stachydrin, falavonoids, quinqueloside, quercetin, saponins,
tannins, bitter and sugary substances,
rutin, organic acids P-coumaric, malic, tartaric,
ursolic, citric, vanillic acid, as well as flavonoid
glycoside, vitamins
A, E,
C.

In modern medicine, they take infusions of motherwort for impotence
and adenoma.

Is taken orally with neuroses, nervous excitability, cardiosclerosis,
functional disorders, heart defects, nervous disorders
system.

30 g of crushed raw materials are poured into a glass of alcohol (70%). Insist
2 weeks. Strain. Consume 1 teaspoon half an hour before meals,
4 times a day. This infusion is used for neuroses, palpitations,
hypertension in the early stages, mycardiopathy as well as to reduce
shortness of breath.

Infusions and decoctions act as a sedative for the central
nervous system, has astringent, hemostatic, anticonvulsant
diuretic, has antispasmodic properties, increases
force of heart contractions, lowers blood pressure, regulates
menstrual cycle.

Motherwort is a good remedy for headaches, helps
with neuroses, insomnia, heart rhythm interruptions, fright, neuralgia,
paralysis, etc.

Dangerous properties of motherwort and contraindications

Do not take if pregnant.

Contraindicated in depression and hypersensitivity.

Patients with bradycardia, thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, arterial
hypotension before use, be sure to consult a doctor.

Individual intolerance.

Overdose can lead to loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest.

Useful and dangerous properties of other herbs:

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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