Coltsfoot - medicinal properties and contraindications, use in traditional medicine recipes

Chemical composition and healing properties of coltsfoot

The yellow inflorescences of coltsfoot contain tannins, vitamin C, P, and triterpine alcohols, which enhance the effect of the biologically active components of the plant. It is also worth highlighting phytosterols, sitosterols, which strengthen cell membranes, and firadiol, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Components such as arnidol and heptacosane restore immunity, carotenoids and taraxanthins improve the condition of the hair. Stigmasterol is a plant raw material in the production of hormones.

Coltsfoot has long been used in folk medicine. The medicinal properties and contraindications of this plant determine which diseases it can be used to cure.

Additionally, the leaves are rich in the following components:

tussilagin , which thins and removes mucus from the bronchi;
organic acids that improve metabolic processes;
dextrin , covering the inflamed surface with a thin protective film;
inulin , which helps the reproduction of beneficial microflora in the food tract;
flavonoids that strengthen the vascular system.

Based on the components of the chemical composition of coltsfoot, its contraindications and medicinal properties are determined, which are based on auxiliary methods of treatment for the following diseases:

inflammatory lesions of the respiratory organs;
viral diseases caused by colds;
diseases of the bile-producing organs;
damage to the genitourinary system;
infectious diseases of the mouth and tongue;
heart disease, hypertension;
disorders of the vascular system, deep and superficial veins.

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Properties of a medicinal plant

Medicinal properties are inherent in flowers and leaves. Extracts are produced from these raw materials and dried parts of the plant are used. This herb grows in Eastern and Southern Siberia, North America and Central Asia. For its growth, grass chooses areas without turf near water, along roads, and in forest clearings. The leaves contain large amounts of:

carotenoids;
Tussilagins;
sitosterol;
inulin;
flavonoids.

The content of these substances gives the herb healing properties. These include anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic and antipyretic effects. It relieves spasms that form in smooth muscles well. All these properties are used in the treatment of respiratory diseases, which include various types of sore throats and bronchitis, tuberculosis and pneumonia, pharyngitis and asthma.

Coltsfoot

Collections of the drug are recommended for use in the treatment of respiratory diseases, diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, and urinary organs. Atherosclerosis and hypertension, inflammation of the veins, burns, wounds, diathesis and alopecia (hair loss) are treatable.

Preparation and combination with other herbs

Flower baskets without a stem and leaves with a petiole no more than 3 cm are harvested at different times. The plant blooms as soon as the snow melts. Yellow baskets are collected in the morning when the dew has dried. Place the raw materials in a room out of direct sunlight, but well ventilated.

Flowers are laid out on paper in 1 layer. Dry, constantly turning, until the moisture completely disappears. You can store the coltsfoot color for up to two years in a paper bag or dark glass jar.

The leaves of the plant are harvested of medium size without damage to the surface by pests. The prepared raw materials are laid out in a thin layer in the shade. Constant access to clean air is required. Readiness is determined by the fragility of the sheet.

The plant material can be crushed to make it easier to measure portions when preparing medicines. Sometimes the leaves are simply rolled into a tube, especially for preparing compresses and baths. Raw materials are stored for 3 years.

After drying, it is best to chop the coltsfoot to make it more convenient to measure in future use.

Medicinal use of the plant is allowed in mono- and complex formulations. In this case, drugs are combined according to their characteristic properties, emphasizing and improving the therapeutic effect of each other.

The most commonly used:

pharmaceutical camomile;
yarrow;
series;
berries and leaves of raspberries, viburnum, strawberries;
plantain;
pine buds;
calendula flowers;
roots of licorice, burdock, elecampane;
birch buds.

Procurement of medicinal raw materials

Coltsfoot rosettes appear in early spring. Long before this, the creeping roots of the plant throw out straight peduncles formed in the fall, densely covered with purple scales. Soon bright sunny flowers form from them, and only then petiolate leaves of a round shape resembling a heart develop.

The size of one leaf plate is equal to a human palm. The foliage of this plant can be recognized by its dark green color, smooth cold surface and heavily pubescent soft inner side.

Did you know? Notes on the practical use of coltsfoot are found in essays by the founders of medicine. The flower rosettes of the herb are included in the registers of medicinal raw materials in fifteen countries around the world.

The collection of medicinal raw materials begins in late February - early April, when the coltsfoot blooms. In search of a plant, you need to go to wastelands where the soil is clay. It can also be found near brick factories, on gravelly areas, railway slopes and on the outskirts of highways. Of course, it is better to pick an environmentally friendly product away from large production and a highway polluted by exhaust emissions.

Flower baskets are harvested in the first months of spring, and foliage in early summer. There is no need to rush with the preparation. Wait until the leaves open completely and lose a little of their felt hairiness. It is better to pick petioles with old leaf blades from plants that live in sunny areas. They have a chemical composition richer in medicinal components.

You can dry medicinal raw materials outside, but not in direct sunlight. The ideal option is a well-ventilated attic, where there is always partial shade, dry and warm. If this is not possible, you can use an electric dryer, setting it to 30–34 °C. Some people lay out the collected raw materials on a piece of fabric or cardboard and dry it at room conditions.

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After drying, the rosettes of medicinal herbs are packaged in paper bags and sent for storage in dry and well-ventilated places. The collection does not lose its healing qualities for three years.

Indications for use

Having studied the characteristics of the coltsfoot plant, medicinal properties and contraindications, you can prepare and use medicinal preparations at home. The people's treasury is full of accessible recipes for almost any disease of the human body.

Coltsfoot is used to treat colds

Respiratory diseases and viral infections

Consider recipes for the treatment of cough and respiratory lesions:

It is recommended to take 2-3 grams of leaf powder per day with a large volume of unflavored water.

Taking the medicine increases the body's immune defense, counteracting colds and viral attacks. The course of treatment is 1 week.

For bronchitis with a strong cough, but without an increase in body temperature, you need to make warm compresses on the chest and back area from coltsfoot leaves preserved in alcohol.

Place several fresh or dry leaves of the plant in a bowl with vodka or diluted alcohol and leave for 6-7 hours. Keep the compress until the leaves dry, wrapped in a warm blanket. Repeat the procedure at night for 7 days.

It is not recommended to apply a vodka compress to children.

The expectorant effect occurs when the flower infusion of coltsfoot is consumed every 3-4 hours. Treatment is effective for the first 5 days.

Colds and runny nose go away faster if you drip the juice from the leaves of the plant into your nose twice a day.
Prepare a healing mixture from plants taken in equal parts (linden flowers, raspberries, coltsfoot grass, anise seeds). Brew the composition with boiling water (1 liter), boil for 5 minutes, leave until warm. Drink half a glass of medicine after meals.
During a sore throat, steam inhalation of a decoction of leaves with chamomile flowers has a good effect.

Diseases of the gallbladder and urinary tract

For inflammatory diseases of the liver and biliary tract, it is recommended to take medications with coltsfoot:

Divide a glass of decoction over 2 days, take 60 ml in the morning and evening.
Tea made from the flower heads of the plant brings relief from cholecystitis. The course of treatment is 1 week.

Taking pure juice squeezed from the leaves of the plant helps with acute or chronic cystitis. Dosage regimen: take a sip of liquid 30 minutes after eating. The treatment course is 5-7 days.
For acute cystitis, it is recommended to brew 30 grams of a mixture of flowers and leaves in a liter of boiling water. Boil the mixture over low heat for 10 minutes. Take 100 ml warm every 4 hours. Relief occurs after a day. The course of treatment is 5 days.

Recipes for cystitis can be used by men with inflammation of the prostate.

Skin damage

First aid for sunburn is provided with frozen cubes of coltsfoot juice. You can also use the healing properties of cooled leaves by applying them to the affected area with the glossy side. There are no contraindications for this procedure.

Small open wound surfaces are effectively cured with compresses made from leaf pulp:

grind fresh leaves until smooth;
apply the mixture to sterile gauze in a layer of 1-2 cm;
apply a compress to the wound, leave for 30 minutes;
dry the surface and bandage.

Oncology

For a malignant breast tumor, it is necessary to apply compresses from coltsfoot leaves. First, spread a layer of honey on the glossy side of the raw leaf of the plant, and then apply it to the problem area. Cover the top with flannel cloth and keep the compress for 1 hour.

Dry leaves of the plant are pre-steamed in hot water or steamed. The procedure is carried out every other day, alternating a compress with a bandage of salt water (100 grams of sea salt is dissolved in a liter of unboiled water). The solution can be used several times by moistening a lotion cloth in it.

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Baldness, dandruff

For hair loss and partial baldness, rubbing a strong decoction of coltsfoot or its squeezed juice into the roots of the hair follicles helps. It is recommended to do the procedure daily so that the medicinal properties of the plant are fully manifested. You can improve the condition of your hair by rinsing it with warm broth after washing.

You need to mix equal amounts of fresh leaves of stinging nettle, mint or lemon balm, coltsfoot. Crush the herbs until smooth and squeeze out the plant juice. It is advisable to lubricate the hair roots during each wash.

It is recommended to wash off the composition after 5-10 minutes. The event is carried out once a week until the condition of the hairline improves.

Oral diseases

A decoction of the flowers and leaves of the spring plant has antiseptic and softening properties. This effect is used when rinsing the mouth if inflammatory diseases of the gums, lips, teeth, and tongue are detected.

It is recommended to do the procedures at intervals of 3-4 hours. A good result is achieved with gingivitis, stomatitis, gumboils, and intense toothache. You can add 1 teaspoon of table or sea salt to the decoction or infusion of the herb to disinfect the oral cavity.

If you have a severe toothache, you can try fumigating the sore spot with smoke from the leaves of the plant:

choose a whole dried coltsfoot leaf;
roll it up like a cigar;
set fire to one end, inserting the second into the mouth;
take a puff, not inhaling the smoke into the lungs, but holding it in the mouth;
a weak analgesic effect appears.

Boosting immunity

Drinking teas and decoctions from the whole coltsfoot plant helps restore strength and strengthen the body's defenses against the penetration of pathogens.

Decoctions and teas with coltsfoot help boost immunity

It is recommended to add the following ingredients to a glass of liquid:

dessert spoon of bee honey;
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh root vegetable shavings;
2 buds of cloves and 1-2 peas of allspice;
half a cinnamon stick;
slice of lemon or orange.

Supplements improve human immunity.

Contraindications for use

Each medicinal plant (including coltsfoot with its own medicinal properties) has a number of contraindications:

Internal use of medicinal drugs during pregnancy at any stage is not recommended;
if there is a delay in menstruation, the use of coltsfoot can cause bleeding;
It is forbidden to be treated internally with folk remedies while feeding the baby with breast milk;
long-term use of drugs from the flowers of the plant has a negative effect on the liver, so you should not overestimate the dose and treat for longer than 21 days;
people with liver failure or alcoholics at any stage of the disease are contraindicated to take the medicine internally;
If individual intolerance is noted, you should not treat coltsfoot on your own.

Children under 2 years of age are prohibited from taking coltsfoot, despite its medicinal properties, which is why it is so important to take into account contraindications, and children under 12 years of age should be treated only under the supervision of a pediatrician.

The upper and lower parts of the leaves of the plant are very different in appearance. The white coating on the bottom warms the palm when touched, like maternal warmth. The coolness and shine of the outside is associated with the stepmother's attitude.

The plant has the same dual effect on human health: it can help cure a disease or worsen the condition. Therefore, medications should be used with caution , strictly following time-tested recipes.

Contraindications

Natural origin, absence of harmful toxins and substances does not guarantee asymptomatic treatment. Even healing herbs have contraindications. If used incorrectly, overdose, or in combination with drugs incompatible with coltsfoot, treatment can cause a negative reaction or cause harm to the body.

Beneficial glycosides contained in medicinal leaves can cause intoxication and severe poisoning in case of overdose.

It is recommended to take herbal decoctions or tinctures for no longer than six weeks in a row; addiction and cumulative effects are possible.

The grass is included in the list of the most dangerous plants due to the content of alkaloids with high hepatotoxicity and carcinogenic activity. These contraindications are considered significant for use only on the recommendation of a doctor.

To avoid misunderstandings, you need to thoroughly study the contraindications.

It is strictly forbidden to use coltsfoot for children under two years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Contraindications are associated with strong effects that are difficult for a weakened or child’s body to withstand.

Risk groups include alcoholics and people with chronic liver disease. For women with a delayed menstrual cycle, taking infusions is strictly prohibited.

Contraindication for use is individual intolerance to the drug.

In case of overdose, side effects occur:

vomit;
nausea;
stomach ache;
intestinal disorder;
temperature increase.

Methods of use at home

In folk medicine, the following coltsfoot preparations are used, taking into account all its medicinal properties and contraindications:

Flower tea : pour 5-6 grams of dry raw material with a full glass of boiling water. Leave for 10-12 minutes. It is recommended to take 100 ml twice a day to separate sputum. The same recipe helps with dry cough and colds.
An aqueous infusion is made from a tablespoon of crushed dry leaves of the plant and a glass of boiling water. The infusion process lasts 40 minutes. The medicine is used 50 ml 4-5 times throughout the day after meals.

A medicinal decoction is prepared by boiling 15 grams of dried coltsfoot leaves in 240-250 ml of water over low heat for 10 minutes. Then the composition is infused for half an hour. The medicine is taken orally, 15 ml before meals. To prepare a strong decoction for external use, double the amount of dry herb.
For applications , you need to grind the fresh leaves of the plant to a mushy state. Apply the composition, laid out on gauze in a layer of 1-2 cm, to the problem area.
Steam inhalation is performed for colds without increasing body temperature. It is recommended to bend over a container with a hot decoction of the plant, cover your head with a terry towel and breathe intensively with your open mouth.

Alcohol infusion of plant flowers

An alcoholic tincture of flowers is used for external treatment of skin diseases. You can infuse flower baskets in vodka:

fill a glass container with flowers;
pour vodka and keep for 2-3 weeks in a dark place;
then you need to strain the liquid.

The affected surface is lubricated with a composition that relieves pain and reduces the inflammatory process.

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Cough syrup for children

Cough syrup for children over 3 years of age is easily made:

Mix 500 grams of fresh plant leaves, granulated sugar and yarrow herb intensively;
pour the mixture into small dark glass containers;
put in a cool place for 1 month;
strain the liquid medicine;
apply 15 ml once a day for any type of cough.

Compress during lactation

A compress of fresh coltsfoot leaves is prepared by soaking the raw material in hot cream until soft.

It is recommended to apply a warm solution to the inflamed, hardened area of the chest, wrapping it with a warm shawl on top.

The procedure has a preventive effect when there is a threat of mastitis.

Foot baths

To prepare a bath, take a glass of crushed dry leaves and flowers, brew the raw material with two liters of boiling water. After infusion (30 minutes), pour the preparation into the bath.

It is recommended to steam your feet when the body is hypothermic to prevent colds. Foot baths work well for fungal infections of the feet.

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An ancient recipe for tuberculosis

A remedy that helps cure inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis is prepared in the following way:

grind fresh leaves in a blender;
Place in glass or ceramic dishes (3 liter capacity) in layers of equal thickness with sugar;
put the filled container in a cool place for 2 months;
mix the resulting homogeneous mass with liquid honey in a ratio of 2:1.

Traditional healers recommend taking the medicine one tablespoon 3-4 times a day before meals. The course of treatment lasts until the prepared composition is completely finished.

For bronchitis

In folk medicine, decoctions and infusions are used for treatment, which have anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, expectorant, and bactericidal effects. It is beneficial for inflammation of the bronchi or trachea, when a painful dry cough appears.

Kamchuzha grass is used in the treatment of tuberculosis and serious diseases - emphysema, silicosis. To treat bronchitis, you need to prepare a decoction with milk according to the following recipe: 1 tablespoon of crushed leaves, 500 ml of milk, half a teaspoon of pork fat.

The ingredients are thoroughly mixed, then put on fire and boiled in a closed pan for about 10 minutes. Then the broth is filtered and taken orally.

For the treatment of bronchial asthma, an infusion is prepared in the following proportions: 1 cup of dried leaves and 1 cup of boiling water. Take the strained infusion in a quarter glass 4 times a day.

Preparations with coltsfoot: Breast fees No. 1 and No. 2

The peculiarity of chest collections is that they are ideally selected plants with similar characteristics, which together help the body cope with colds and remove mucus and phlegm from the respiratory organs.

It is not recommended to drink medicinal teas simultaneously with antitussive medications, so as not to provoke stagnation of sputum.

Breast collection No. 1 contains coltsfoot leaves, oregano herb and marshmallow rhizome. When prescribing tea, the medicinal properties and contraindications of each component are taken into account as much as possible. Composition No. 2 additionally added plantain leaves and licorice roots.

Collections are produced in the form of filtered bags with a single dose of medicinal tea, which must be brewed with 200 ml of boiling water and infused for 15-20 minutes. As an expectorant, drink 100 ml of tea 3-4 times a day. In this case, the course of treatment should not exceed 14 days.

Use in alternative medicine

In alternative medicine, decoctions and tinctures prepared from coltsfoot are usually used during the treatment of cough as a pathogenic expectorant. Translated from Latin, coltsfoot means a plant that drives away coughs. Therefore, it is mainly used during the treatment of cough and diseases of the respiratory system. Coltsfoot is able to dilute mucus accumulated in the lungs and facilitate its removal from the body. In order to enhance the healing properties of decoctions of this plant, which are used to treat coughs, you can also add a plant such as thyme to them.
Infusions prepared from the leaves of this herb are actively used in folk medicine as a strong expectorant. To prepare such an infusion, you need to brew coltsfoot leaves by pouring one spoon of this herb with 250 milliliters of boiling water. The resulting infusion must be left to stand for 20 minutes, and then strained thoroughly using gauze or a fine sieve. It is recommended to take this tincture no more than 4 times every 24 hours.
In addition, during the treatment of cough or hoarseness, decoctions prepared from coltsfoot are actively used in folk medicine. To successfully prepare such a decoction, you need to take well-crushed leaves of the plant and boil them, using a so-called water bath during the boiling procedure, for no more than 5 minutes. Then the broth needs to be given time so that it can brew. Then you need to strain it properly and add a small amount of boiled water to it. You need to consume this decoction one tablespoon per day in a comprehensive manner, alternating two-hour breaks between doses.

Attention! To improve the removal of accumulated phlegm from the body, it is recommended to additionally use complex chest massages along with the use of decoctions and tinctures.

Also, for more effective treatment of cough or diseases of the respiratory system, you can combine the use of medicinal drugs and tinctures prepared from coltsfoot.

For more effective separation of phlegm (in the event of bronchitis) from the body, decoctions made from coltsfoot should be used. To prepare such a decoction, you need to thoroughly mix in one container, for example in a saucepan, one spoon of coltsfoot inflorescence, anise, linden and raspberries.

The resulting mixture should be poured with one liter of water and boiled well for no more than 5 minutes. This decoction must be boiled over low heat, after which it needs to be given a little time so that it can infuse properly. Then the resulting decoction should be filtered and consumed 80-100 grams several times every 24 hours.

It should also be noted that the juice made from the coltsfoot leaf is actively used in alternative medicine during the treatment of the common cold.

Many doctors are confident that this juice is quite capable of replacing any nasal drops that are sold in pharmacies. When treating a runny nose, you can use a few drops of the plant's juice, which should be instilled into the nostrils.

If you have a cold or viral disease, you need to drink plenty of fluids. It is known that coltsfoot has a restorative and stimulating effect on the body.

Therefore, when the first signs of ARVI appear, you can drink teas and decoctions made from this herb. Also, when treating colds, you can combine the use of coltsfoot with honey, raspberries or cranberries.

Syrups from Evalar, Natur Product, Green Doctor

The main active ingredients are coltsfoot and yarrow herb, the medicinal properties of which complement each other. The product is considered a dietary supplement, therefore it is used in the complex treatment of colds.

Caution must be exercised if you have high blood sugar, as syrups contain a lot of glucose.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that treating coughs in children under 12 years of age is harmful. Medicines have different effects on the body of an adult and a child, even with the same diagnosis.

Codeine, which is part of the product, suppresses cough syndrome, but does not treat colds. As a result, the child’s hysterical cough stops, but there is a danger of respiratory paralysis. The pediatrician recommends using only proven products in accordance with the prescription of the attending physician and in compliance with the dosage.

How to use it for cough

To get rid of cough, herbal mixtures containing plantain, licorice root, elecampane, bogulnik, and calamus are used. But coltsfoot is considered one of the most effective cough remedies.

The medicinal herb contains enveloping substances that soothe the irritated mucous surface and thin out mucus. If a child suffers from a dry cough in the middle of the night, he should be given a warm decoction of coltsfoot, it will relieve soreness and irritation.

The plant has a bactericidal effect, so the decoction helps get rid of inflammation on the mucous surface of the larynx or trachea.

Often the decoction is recommended to be used as an additional measure in the treatment of diseases. The decoction helps with spasms, severe debilitating cough during asthma attacks or whooping cough.

The healing infusion is prepared in the following proportions: 4 teaspoons of leaves per 1 glass of boiling water. Then leave to infuse for 30 minutes. For treatment, take a strained infusion.

Anti-Cough tablets

The drug has a pronounced expectorant effect. Children under 12 years of age and pregnant women are not recommended to take.

Composition of the drug:

Licorice roots help to expectorate mucus, clearing the lungs and bronchi. Contraindications: hypertension, cardiac and renal pathology.
Ginger root increases the body's resistance to disease. It is undesirable to use in case of surges in blood pressure or acute diseases of internal organs.
Parmelia lichen helps relieve mucus from organs. Contraindications: tendency to constipation and blood clots.
Thyme has anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects. Contraindicated for people with high acidity of gastric juice, high blood pressure, heart and kidney problems.

The medicinal properties of coltsfoot are used in full in the preparation. It is necessary to take into account not only contraindications, but also the fact that “Anti-cough” tablets bring relief only with complex treatment with medications and folk remedies.

Brief characteristics of the plant

Coltsfoot is a perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family.
This is one of the first spring flowers, which is famous for the originality of its flowering. First, a thick stem with a yellow flower is formed, which after some time becomes a white fluffy ball. As soon as the plant fades, the basal leaves collected in a rosette are revealed to the human eye. On one side they are covered with a soft, warm fluff, and on the other side the surface is somewhat different - smooth to the touch and cool. It is because of this characteristic feature of the plant that it is nicknamed "coltsfoot", where the "mother" is the warm and fuzzy side, and the "stepmother" is cool and smooth.

The plant is popularly called: mother grass, cold burdock, two-leafed grass, and camouflage grass. Flowering occurs in early spring.