Useful properties and contraindications of knotweed, use and recipes of traditional medicine

Knotweed is valued for its beneficial properties, versatility and ease of use, but it also has contraindications. The herbaceous plant is used in the preparation of tinctures, decoctions, tonic drinks, with their help they increase immunity and get rid of many ailments and diseases. Despite the natural composition, use is not recommended for some people due to certain contraindications.

What is knotweed?

Knotweed grass is an annual plant that grows in any corner of the city or outside the city. Near the highway, in fields, in residential areas, in summer cottages, courtyards, on the street. The weed culture is famous for its high rates of self-pollination; when it covers new territories, it covers everything with a green carpet.

When the stem is cut, the plant does not die, but resumes growth. In different regions, knotweed grass is called: goose grass, ant grass, and one of the common names is knotweed. In addition to the medicinal properties that are firmly attached to the plant in medicine, it is used in households as bird feed.

Botanical description

The knotweed belongs to the Buckwheat family and most often grows in temperate latitudes. This is a thin-stemmed plant with an average length of up to 70 cm with a characteristic slope towards the soil, very branched, with blue-green leaves. During the flowering period, numerous small white-pink flowers are formed on the stem of knotweed, after which small fruits appear in the form of brown nuts. The frequency of flowering and ripening is observed from April to October.

Chemical composition

The medicinal plant knotweed has an effective chemical composition:

• tannins up to 4.8%;
• flavonoids from 7.3-9.4%;
• essential oils;
• coumarin, anthraquinones;
• sucrose;
• vitamins: retinol, carotene, ascorbic acid;
• minerals: calcium, iron, magnesium.

Benefits of the plant

In folk and official medicine, knotweed herb is actively used in the form of drinks, decoctions, tinctures, and compresses.To treat inflammatory diseases, several courses are taken, the patient gets rid of chronic diseases of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary tract.

Thanks to vitamins, minerals, essential oils, the tissues of internal organs are completely restored and function with renewed vigor. Herbal medicine with knotweed regulates the formation of stones in the urinary tract, helps reduce acid and mineral salts of sodium chlorine. Knotweed is prescribed to restore the body after intoxication, and also for the treatment of dysentery.

Flavonoids in knotweed normalize blood clotting and increase the contractility of smooth muscle organs. The content of herbal preparations helps regulate metabolic processes. Thanks to the tannins in the knotweed herb, the body is disinfected from microbes and inflammation. The astringent effect stops internal bleeding, as well as external bleeding when receiving various injuries.

For adult men and women

Knotweed regulates the functioning of the genitourinary system of both women and men. Drinking a healthy drink eliminates sand and stones from the bladder, after which the affected areas return to normal. The plant's great merit lies in its antiseptic properties, which effectively destroy microbes and toxins. Useful decoctions and infusions support the work and cleanse the kidneys, stomach, and liver.

Many men suffer from a buildup of uric acid in their joints, which often leads to the chronic disease gout.

Carrying out a course of treatment with bird knotweed will help alleviate the symptoms, in some cases even completely cure the disease.

For the female body, an infusion of knotweed is effective for uterine and hemorrhoidal bleeding. Efficiency is noted after abortion, childbirth, and hypermenorrhea.Taking the herbal composition has an anti-inflammatory effect on the ovaries. The avian knotweed restores the body after long-term treatment of female diseases.

Useful components included:

• have hemostatic properties;
• reduce bleeding of wounds;
• promote tissue healing;
• enhance weakened immunity.

Women are recommended to undergo treatment courses for infertility with decoctions of knotweed. To do this, pour 20 g of dry ground grass into a glass and pour in 200 ml of boiled water. Leave for 40 minutes, filter and take 2 tbsp. l. 3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 2 months per year.

For nursing and pregnant women

Women in the gestational period should not use the medicinal plant in any composition or dose. During lactation, use is also excluded. If for some reason a medical specialist recommends treatment with knotweed, then only with the condition of completely refusing to breastfeed the child.

For children

Tannins contained in the herb relieve skin inflammation, rashes, and heal pustules. Baths with a decoction of knotweed in the proportion of 0.5 liters of boiled water per 1 tbsp. l. dried herbs have a beneficial effect on dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, vasculitis, epidermolysis, boils of varying complexity. According to medical research, it has been established that weed grass is not toxic to people of any category, but children under 12 years of age are prohibited from taking herbal liquids.

In old age

Loss of strength, prolonged depression, developing into neurasthenia, worsen the general condition of a person in old age. All this leads to increased blood pressure and headaches.To combat age-related ailments, it is recommended to take knotweed herb as a tonic and sedative; the infusion has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and restores strength. As a result of one dose of knotweed decoction, headaches disappear and blood pressure decreases. Excellent antispasmodic results are also noted for rheumatism. Herbal treatment also does not bypass people with high blood sugar and bowel problems. In such cases, the herbal drink is taken before bed.

For special categories

People with chronic diseases, as well as people with physiological abnormalities, should not take knotweed drinks without consulting a doctor. The chemical composition in knotweed herb may cause side effects if a person is taking drug therapy.

How is knotweed used in folk medicine?

Back in ancient times, the hemostatic and antimicrobial properties of the knotweed herb were discovered. Avicenna mentions this in his works, and the herbaceous plant is still used in Tibetan and Chinese medicine. Today it is possible to cure diseases such as tuberculosis, whooping cough, cystitis, and impotence.

Treatment of tuberculosis and whooping cough

The content of active antimicrobial substances in bird knotweed helps treat tuberculosis, whooping cough and other diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Take in the form of a decoction in the following order:

• 25 g of dry grass is ground, poured into a container, then 200 ml of boiled water is poured in;
• leave for one hour, then filter through a strainer;
• take 0.5 tbsp. 3 times a day 15 minutes before meals.

How to cure cystitis

Cystitis is a common disease among women.This is due to a certain structure of the genital organs; every fourth woman has encountered such a diagnosis at least once. You can cure and quickly relieve unpleasant symptoms with the following drink:

• bird knotweed in the form of dry grass is crushed into a container in the amount of 20 g;
• pour 1 tbsp. boiled water;
• put on fire for 15 minutes;
• leave for about 1 hour and then filter;
• take 1 tbsp. l. before breakfast, lunch, dinner.

How to cure impotence with knotweed

Impotence is treated with various herbal remedies, including knotweed. To prepare a healthy herbal drink, you will need:

• dry knotweed in the amount of 20 g, which is poured into a glass;
• fill to the top with boiled water;
• take 0.5 tbsp. 3-5 times a day before meals.

How to quickly relieve fatigue

Loss of strength is not a disease, but it refers to ailments that can disable the entire body. To put yourself in a cheerful state, you need to brew herbal tea:

• pour 2 tbsp into a saucepan. l. with a bump;
• pour 350 ml of cold water;
• bring to a boil and insist;
• drink 1 cup 3 times a day.

In cooking

Fresh herbs are used in cooking, they are added to salads, green soups, and the filling for pies is prepared. When preparing dishes, it is important to use a young plant that grows away from highways and densely populated areas. It can be cut in the garden or at a summer cottage; it is cut approximately 40 cm from the top. Young stems are finely chopped with other vegetables and herbs, sautéed in oil and added to main courses of fish or meat. Its taste is barely noticeable, but the composition will bring much more benefits to the body.

To prepare the filling for the pie, collect 300 g of the plant, finely chop it, add warm water and cook until soft. Then pour it into a container, where fried onions and a couple of finely chopped boiled eggs are added. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the chopped green onions. Mix everything and the filling is ready.

For those who want to lose weight

If you take knotweed, sugar returns to normal, metabolism is restored, and natural fat burning occurs. But at the same time, it is necessary to maintain proper nutrition, temporarily eliminating pasta, sweet pastries, potatoes, and rice. You need to prepare a useful elixir as follows:

• take dry ingredients in equal parts: knotweed, corn silk, rose hips;
• put everything in a thermos and pour 2 tbsp. boiled water;
• leave overnight, then drink 65 ml 3 times a day for 10 days;
• after 10 days, rest and do 2 more courses.

The functions of the composition include three directions:

1. Knotweed normalizes metabolic processes.
2. Corn flakes stimulate the removal of waste and toxins.
3. Rosehip is a multivitamin composition to support the body.

In cosmetology

The benefits of knotweed in cosmetology are many-sided; it is used for skin and hair. Compresses, lotions, steam baths cleanse the epidermis and stimulate metabolic processes. With the help of masks, the turgor of the face and neck is tightened. The procedures rejuvenate the skin and make it tone and radiant.

Baths with the addition of decoction regulate the cleansing process through the pores and saturate the inner epidermis with vitamins and minerals. In addition, if you take a bath with this decoction once a week, all inflammation and chafing on the skin will disappear.

The useful knotweed plant restores the scalp, which prevents the appearance of dandruff.

The decoction is prepared for rinsing hair, the structure of which becomes stronger and looks healthy.

Contraindications and harm

For chronic diseases, you should consult your doctor about taking knotweed herb, this also applies if a person is undergoing drug therapy. The herbal drink can be harmful to people suffering from allergies. It is especially dangerous to take decoctions for people with diseases such as thrombophlebitis, gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer. Not suitable for pregnant women and children under 12 years of age.