Lemna - medicinal properties and contraindications

Not all well-known ducklings belong to perennial plants of the Aroid family, possessing a number of healing properties. Lemna lives in water bodies and is remarkable for its frost resistance - it can spend the whole winter under a layer of ice and not die. Once the ice has melted, duckweed will rise to the surface. Being in the water, it usually emits quite a large amount of oxygen, thanks to which the drinking qualities of water are significantly improved.

The miniature leaves of this plant contain a huge amount of protein, which makes it possible to successfully use duckweed not only for medical purposes, but also for culinary salads and first courses. By its nutritional value, duckweed is similar to cereals. In terms of protein content, it is far ahead of potatoes. A protein in it at times more than in corn or rice crops.

Also, duckweed is successfully used to fertilize the soil and the crops growing in it.

Duckweed species

There are the following types of duckweed:

1. Small Its other name is marsh. This type is widely used in medicine.
2. Trehdolnaya. The main fans of this species are aquarists. Duckweed thickets are excellent for spawning - it is very easy for fry to get lost there. A three-legged duck-tree has stunning growth, so it must be constantly thinned out, otherwise it will occupy the entire aquarium in a very short time.
3. Brokeback - This species also has a high reproduction rate. Its stems contain a huge amount of fiber. Basically, this species serves as food for pigs, geese, chickens, fish and waterfowl.
4. Multiroot ordinary. It is believed that this species is the progenitor of all others.
5. Wolfia rootless. It can be found anywhere, even in the Moscow River! This is the smallest species of duckweed.

Medicinal properties

The plant contains valuable vitamins of group B, C and E, minerals, bromine salts,tannins, iodine and amino acids, phosphorus, zinc, iron, therefore its main therapeutic effect is primarily aimed at strengthening bones, as well as the endocrine and nervous systems. Since ancient times, with the help of duckweed, advanced forms of hemorrhoids are treated. Chinese monks still use the duckweed in the treatment of psoriasis. Very often, preparations containing duckweed leaves are prescribed for older people. With the help of duckweed they treat gout, asthma, duckweed used in the treatment of glaucoma, gastritis, rheumatism, etc. The plant is widely used for allergies. Duckweed tinctures can help in case of whooping cough disease, cure sinusitis.

Lemna also:

• has antipyretic effect;
• used as an antibacterial agent;
• used as an excellent choleretic;
• effective anthelmintic;
• has anti-edema effect;
• is an excellent painkiller.

Indications for use:

1. Alcohol tinctures using duckweed help to cope with respiratory diseases, chronic rhinitis, bronchial asthma.
2. It also helps in case of mosquitoes or snake bites, burns.
3. Pharmaceutical preparations containing duckweed are prescribed in cases of pruritus, urticaria, diathesis.
4. The composition of duckweed contains an anticarcinogenic component, thanks to which the medicinal products from this plant are used in the treatment of neoplastic diseases and erysipelas.
5. Lemna is often recommended for use with allergies, as it reduces the effects of certain substances on the body.
6. Duck mixed with honey can, in some cases, cure impotence.
7. Lemna has an excellent knitting property and helps to cope with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In cases of kidney and liver diseases, preparations with a high content of duckweed are also used.
8. Lemna is an excellent diuretic.
9. In cases of malaria, tincture of duckweed leaves is sometimes used for treatment.
10. In cases of skin pigmentation, lemna preparations have a beneficial effect on white spots — their number is significantly reduced.
11. In the case of advanced dystrophy, duckweed is used as an additional source of protein.
12. Also, duckweed helps to improve the immune system, therefore, quite often it is prescribed as prevention of various diseases.

Contraindications

There are no special contraindications to the use of preparations containing duckweed. Is that people prone to nervous disorders and sudden mood swings, should refrain from the use of teas and dietary supplements containing duckweed. Despite the fact that the plant has a sedative property, in case of an overdose it can have the exact opposite effect. In vegetative-vascular dystonia, the use of drugs with duckweed is also not recommended.
Individual intolerance, pregnancy and breastfeeding are also causes of contraindications.

Recipes

1. In rheumatism, poultices are made using duckweed: crushed leaves of the plant are poured into gauze, dipped in boiling water for a few seconds, cooled, and then applied to the right place.
2. In case of allergies: duckweed leaves are ground to a powder. Take medicinal powder should be only 1 tsp. 3-4 times / day.
3. Also, when allergies, as claimed by herbalists, it is possible to take tincture. The recipe is quite simple: 1 tbsp. l duckweed is poured with a mug of vodka, then infused for at least a couple of weeks.It is necessary to plant 10 drops in a glass of warm water, drink 2-3 times a day.
4. For diseases of the upper respiratory tract: 1 teaspoon of powdered grass is brewed with a glass of boiling water, cooled. When the tincture becomes room temperature, it is recommended to rinse the throat.
5. When warts smeared lesions with fresh juice of duckweed to the complete disappearance of lesions.
6. In case of sore throat, it is possible to carry out inhalations using duckweed or to prepare the following composition: 1 tablespoon of dried leaves of duckweed is poured with a glass of boiling water, 10 minutes pining in a water bath. The solution is cooled, filtered. Should be taken 3-4 times a day, half a cup a day before meals (adult) or 1 teaspoon (child after one year).
7. When mosquito bites: Prepare a tincture of dried leaves of the duckweed on vodka (100 ml of vodka per 1 tablespoon of the plant). Then pour into a dish of dark glass and let stand for a week in a dark cool place. Strain and use as needed.
8. With a strong cold: melt the butter in a griddle, cool. Mix with dried leaves of duckweed in a 1: 1 ratio.Use for lubrication of the nasal sinuses, if necessary.
9. In chronic tonsillitis: preparing a tincture of duckweed and alcohol, the ratio is 1: 1. Then 25 drops of infusion diluted with a glass of warm water and taken inside.
10. In case of burns or boils, it is recommended to do the following: a table spoon of duckweed leaves is poured with a glass of alcohol, aged for a week. Next, the resulting solution is added to water in a ratio of 30 drops to a glass of water. Infusion lubricated burns and boils.
11. For bronchitis, you can use the following recipe of traditional medicine: 1 tbsp. dry carefully chopped herbs pour a cup of water. Then just boil a few minutes, then let it brew for a couple of hours. Strain and drink 3 times a day for ½ cup. If you don’t like the taste at all, you can add some honey if you wish.
12. With difficulty urinating: 2 tsp. medicinal herbs take a boil in a mug of boiling water and about half an hour to eat before meals 3 times a day.
13. At the first signs of impotence, it is recommended to prepare the following infusion: mix a small amount of duckweed with honey, in a ratio of one to one.Roll the balls from the finished mixture. Take a few pieces a day. This recipe is recommended for use even as a preventive measure.
14. For hemorrhoids, it is recommended to make an enema with a diluted duckweed infusion once a day: a pinch of dry grass is brewed in a circle of boiling water, cooled, filtered and applied. Enema treatment should be carried out a month.

Blanks

Duckweed is collected at the end of the summer, closer to the fall - by this time it is just in time to gain the necessary amount of nutrients and vitamins. For convenience, when collecting duckweed, use a net with a very fine mesh or gauze. The harvested plant is thoroughly washed, and then dried in a shady place. When the duckle dries, it is laid out in canvas or linen bags and stored for no more than 1 year.

Video: useful properties of duckweed marsh