Coltsfoot - beneficial properties, use in folk medicine, contraindications. Use in oriental medicine

- (Tussilago), a genus of perennial grasses of the family. Asteraceae with unities, the species M. and M. vulgare, or camouflage grass (T. farfara). Found in Eurasia to East. Siberia and the Himalayas, in the North. Africa and North America (adventive), on wet soils and on... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Coltsfoot- Coltsfoot. MOTHER AND STEPMOTHER, a type of perennial herbs (family Asteraceae). Found in the temperate zone of Eurasia, North Africa, and North America. Grows in open, unshaded places. Yellow flowers appear before the leaves, the upper... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

COLTSFOOT Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

COLTSFOOT- MOTHER AND STEPMOTHER, mother and stepmothers, and MOTHER STEPMOTHER, mother of the stepmother, many. no, female (bot.). A perennial herb with bright yellow flowers and large leaves, one side of which is fluffy, seeming warm when touched by the hand, face (mother!), the other... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

coltsfoot- And; and. 1. Herbaceous plant of the family. Asteraceae, with yellow flowers and large leaves, pubescent below and smooth and cool to the touch above (used in medicine). Mother and stepmother leaves. 2. A decoction of the leaves or roots of this plant... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Coltsfoot- Mother and Stepmother: Mother and Stepmother feature film by the Lenfilm studio, 1964). Mother and stepmother is a monotypic genus of herbaceous plants of the Asteraceae family ... Wikipedia

coltsfoot- noun, number of synonyms: 14 butterbur (5) water burdock (2) twoleaf (7) ... Synonym dictionary

Coltsfoot- perennial herbaceous plant. Collection period May June. The juice from the leaves is used in making drinks. Dictionary of culinary terms. 2012… Culinary dictionary

COLTSFOOT- MOTHER AND STEPMOTHER, mother and stepmothers, wives. Perennial herbaceous plant of the family. Asteraceae with leaves that are smooth and cold on top and soft and pubescent below. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

coltsfoot- mother and stepmother, mother and stepmothers... Spelling dictionary-reference book

Books

Coltsfoot, chamomile for all diseases,. The healing power of plants has been known to people since ancient times. Recently, interest in natural medicines has increased significantly. Chamomile and coltsfoot also... Buy for 200 rubles
Coltsfoot. From a hundred diseases, Yuri Konstantinov. In folk medicine, coltsfoot is used as an expectorant, diaphoretic, emollient, antipyretic, and enveloping agent. A decoction or infusion of leaves and flowers is drunk for coughs, bronchitis,…

In the treatment of various diseases within the framework of official medicine and in the recipes of traditional healers, flower baskets and coltsfoot leaves are used, from which decoctions and infusions are prepared. Leaves and inflorescences of coltsfoot are included in thoracic and diaphoretic herbal infusions. Fresh juice of the leaves is prescribed for both internal and external use. An extract from the leaves with syrup is used during rehabilitation therapy. Externally, coltsfoot is used in the form of lotions (a paste is prepared from fresh leaves), compresses, and rinses.

Medicinal properties

The leaves and flowers of coltsfoot contain triterpene saponins (faradiol), flavonoids (rutin, hyperoside), bitter glycoside tusilagin, mucus, tannins, traces of volatile oils that act antibacterial and anticonvulsant, carotenoids (taraxanthin dye), silicon, malic acid and gallic acids, mineral salts, polysaccharides (inulin, dextrin). The flowers contain phytosterols. The leaves also contain sitosterol and the trace element zinc.

What is coltsfoot used for? Mainly as an expectorant, emollient, anti-inflammatory, mild diaphoretic, choleretic and weak antispasmodic. In scientific medicine, an infusion of coltsfoot leaves is prescribed for laryngitis, tracheitis, chronic bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, bronchial asthma, and bronchiectasis.

Coltsfoot has proven itself as an effective disinfectant for abscess and gangrene of the lungs. In folk medicine, in addition, an infusion of leaves is recommended for fever, catarrh of the stomach, intestines and bladder, inflammatory process in the kidneys, dropsy, general physical exhaustion; to increase appetite and improve digestion processes in chronic enterocolitis.

Raw coltsfoot juice is considered an effective diaphoretic and choleretic agent. Externally, an infusion of leaves is used for gargling for sore throats, for douching for general diseases of the vagina, while enhancing the therapeutic effect by ingesting the infusion of coltsfoot in a tablespoon up to 6 times a day.

Application in official medicine

In the assortment of pharmaceutical products you can find coltsfoot leaves and dry raw materials in packages of different weights.

Use in folk medicine

For inflamed mucous membranes tea from coltsfoot is useful for the upper respiratory tract: a tablespoon of flowers is brewed in a glass of boiling water and allowed to brew for a quarter of an hour. Drink 100 ml warm twice a day.
As an expectorant and enveloping agent for inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract, a decoction is recommended for children and elderly patients: a tablespoon of coltsfoot leaves is poured into 200 ml of water and boiled over low heat. Let it brew for 10 minutes. Take half a glass three times a day (for adults this decoction should be given with the addition of other herbs).
When coughing prepare an infusion from a tablespoon of a mixture (take equal parts of all herbs) of coltsfoot leaves, black elderberry flowers, tall and linden mullein, wheatgrass and comfrey rhizomes, brewed in a glass of boiling water. Keep the infusion for at least 8 hours and take 50 g four times a day.
For liver diseases, rashes, spots on the body a tablespoon of a mixture of coltsfoot flowers, rue herb and knotweed (taken in proportions 5:3:10) is steamed in 200 ml of boiling water and allowed to brew for 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 glasses of infusion per day.
For pulmonary tuberculosis, freshly squeezed juice from coltsfoot leaves is drunk for a long time, 4 tablespoons per day.

For coughs, as an expectorant, they recommend an infusion: 2 tablespoons of a mixture of coltsfoot leaves, great plantain and licorice root (in a ratio of 3:2:2) pour 400 ml of boiling water, let it brew. Take 0.5 cups three times a day.
For tonsillitis useful composition: coltsfoot, raspberry and sage leaves, calendula flowers (equal parts of all herbs), chop and mix. Steam a tablespoon of this mixture in 200 ml of boiling water, let it brew for half an hour, strain and drink 100 ml of infusion three times a day.
For whooping cough and bronchiectasis take coltsfoot leaves and pine buds in equal parts. Grind the ingredients and mix well. Pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a glass of cold water and let it brew for 2 hours. After boiling for 5 minutes, strain and drink 1/3 glass daily, observing equal intervals between doses.
For a cold Syrup is recommended. To prepare it you will need: 2 cups of coltsfoot flowers, lemon juice (from 2 lemons), 1.5 liters of water, 1.5 kg of sugar. Clean the inflorescences from the receptacle, rinse thoroughly, and pour boiling water over them. Insist for a day. Afterwards, strain the infusion, pour in the juice of 2 lemons, add granulated sugar and cook until it thickens. Pour the warm syrup into jars and store in a cool, dark place. For colds, add to tea and milk.
As diuretic An infusion helps: prepare a mixture of coltsfoot leaves, raspberries and oregano herb (in a ratio of 2:2:1). Pour a tablespoon of this mixture into a thermos with 200 ml of boiling water and leave overnight. Strain the infusion. Drink hot before bed.
With duodenitis It is recommended to take coltsfoot with honey. Brew a tablespoon of dry coltsfoot leaf in 200 ml of boiling water. Let cool slightly, strain, add a tablespoon of honey. Take up to three times a day, a tablespoon.
For bladder diseases mix dry coltsfoot leaves, bearberry and lingonberry (take equal parts of each herb). Brew and drink like regular tea.
Cough remedy: 28 g each of coltsfoot, fennel, speedwell leaves and 14 g of orris root. Mix the herbs, steam 3 tablespoons of the mixture in 4 cups of boiling water, let it brew for 2 hours, strain and take a tablespoon every two hours. You can add a little honey.
Remedy for sore throat and hoarseness: 42 g coltsfoot leaves, 56 g marshmallow root, 28 g licorice root, 14 g orris root. Mix all the ingredients, steam 3 tablespoons of the herbal mixture in 4 cups of boiling water, let it brew for a quarter of an hour, then strain and bring to a boil again. Sweeten with honey and drink 2 cups daily.

Lotions with fresh juice (or crushed coltsfoot leaves) treat purulent wounds, ulcers, and abscesses.
For hair loss and dandruff, accompanied by itching of the scalp, a strong decoction of coltsfoot and nettle leaves is recommended for washing (4 tablespoons of each herb per liter of water).
For erysipelas, the affected areas are sprinkled with powder from coltsfoot leaves.
For douching, prepare a decoction of coltsfoot leaves at the rate of 50 g of raw material per liter of water. Boil the broth for 5 minutes, strain, cool to the desired temperature.
For headaches, fresh coltsfoot leaves are applied with the smooth side to the forehead and temples.
For rhinitis, the juice of fresh leaves is dropped into the nose.
Inhalation with coltsfoot and chamomile helps with colds. Pour 0.5 liters of boiling water over a teaspoon of coltsfoot leaves and 2 teaspoons of chamomile flowers, boil for a couple of minutes, let cool to the desired temperature. Breathe over the herbal steam for about 10 minutes.
When mastitis begins, compresses from coltsfoot leaves soaked in hot milk are recommended.
For bronchial asthma in children, it is recommended to pour 40 dry coltsfoot leaves into 0.5 liters of vodka. Leave the raw materials overnight. On the first evening, place a sheet soaked in vodka on the child’s back. The next day, apply the sheet to your chest. So alternate treatment for more than a month.
For thrombophlebitis, brew 3 tablespoons of crushed coltsfoot herb in 200 ml of boiling water, let it brew for half an hour, then strain. Use the infusion for compresses.
Bath with coltsfoot
Pour 200 g of coltsfoot flowers and leaves into 3 liters of boiling water, boil the broth for a quarter of an hour, let it brew, strain and add to a full bath.

Use in oriental medicine

In Chinese medicine, coltsfoot flowers ( quan dong hua) are used to treat wet cough accompanied by copious sputum production; to activate lung activity.

In scientific research

Nicholas Culpeper in his herbalist (The Complete Herbal, 1653) indicated that “...the fresh leaves, juice or syrup of coltsfoot are suitable for the treatment of hot dry cough, wheezing and dyspnea.” Also, according to the notes of a British healer, remedies from coltsfoot help with fever, erysipelas, burns and blisters.

The pharmacological and phytochemical aspects of the study are the goal of the scientific work of a group of Chinese scientists (Li K.Y., Tsang T.J. et al.).

The article by Karomatov I.J., Ibatov Kh.B., Amonov M. is devoted to the medicinal potential of coltsfoot.

The composition of water-soluble polysaccharides contained in coltsfoot leaves and their significance in antiallergenic therapy was studied in the work of Korzh A.P., Guryev A.M., Belousov M.V. and etc.

In cooking

Coltsfoot flowers are edible. They are added to salads and infused with honey. Dried flowers are added to dough for pancakes or pancakes, and to baked goods. Young leaves of coltsfoot are added to soups, salads, stews, after boiling them to remove bitterness. Dried and fresh leaves are used in herbal tea.

Carrot salad with coltsfoot leaves

For the salad you will need: 50 g fresh carrots, 30 g coltsfoot leaves, 30 ml kefir, salt to taste. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, rinse the coltsfoot leaves thoroughly under running water, chop, mix with carrots, season with kefir or yogurt without additives and add salt.

Sauerkraut and coltsfoot salad

Required products: 300 g sauerkraut, 100 g young coltsfoot leaves, 40 ml vegetable oil. Wash the coltsfoot leaves, chop finely, mix with sauerkraut and season with vegetable oil.

Soup with coltsfoot leaves

For the soup you will need: 100 g of fresh coltsfoot leaves, 200 g of potatoes, salt to taste, sour cream for serving. Cut the potatoes into slices, wash the coltsfoot leaves well and chop finely. Boil the potatoes until half cooked, add coltsfoot leaves, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let the soup brew. Add salt to taste and serve with sour cream.

Honey with coltsfoot

It’s easy to prepare this herbal honey: separate the coltsfoot inflorescences from the calyxes, disassemble the inflorescences-baskets. Pour the prepared flower mass into a sterilized glass container and fill it to the top with liquid honey. Infuse honey in a warm place, on a windowsill well lit by sunlight, etc. Keep the honey for 6 weeks. Then strain into a separate container and store in a cool place.

Herbal lollipops with coltsfoot

Ingredients: 15 cups coltsfoot leaves, 5 cups water, 450 g sugar, 2 cups corn syrup, 3 tablespoons butter, a pinch of baking soda, a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Wash the leaves thoroughly, put them in a saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes, then add sugar, corn syrup, butter and simmer over low heat until a drop of syrup thrown into cold water hardens into a dense ball (the so-called sugar syrup sample). Remove from heat, add baking soda, stir and beat with a mixer until it becomes thicker and more viscous. Grease a mold or deep frying pan with vegetable oil and place the candy mass in it to harden. Break the frozen candy layer into pieces. These lollipops help relieve sore throats and coughing attacks and are an excellent natural treat.

Coltsfoot Wine by Monica Wilde

You will need: a 5-liter container filled with coltsfoot inflorescences, 5 liters of water, juice and zest of two oranges and one lemon, wine yeast (bag), yeast nutrition, 1 kg of sugar (for dry wine) or 1.6 kg of sugar (for semi-sweet wine).

Boil water, add sugar, cook over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour orange and lemon zest into the hot syrup and cool to 21 0. Add coltsfoot flowers, citrus juice, wine yeast and fertilizer to the cooled syrup. Stir, cover tightly and leave in a warm place for a week. Stir daily. After a week, strain into a fermentation bottle. Aging the wine in a warm place for 3 months. After this, carefully (without lifting the sediment from the bottom) pour into a bottle and keep for another 2 or 3 months. Then bottle it.

Sorbet from French chef Marc Veyrat (Tussilago Flowers Sorbet Recipe from Marc Veyrat)

To prepare an exquisite recipe, you will need the following ingredients: 30 fresh coltsfoot inflorescences, 125 g of sugar, 400 ml of mineral water, a little lemon juice, half the white of one large egg.

Grind the inflorescences into a crumbling flower mass. Separate the flowers from the sepals. Boil water with sugar, add lemon juice. Pour coltsfoot flowers into boiling syrup and boil for 2 minutes. Strain through a sieve and let the flower syrup cool. Then add the egg white and beat thoroughly. After this, cool the sorbet in the freezer or ice cream maker. If sorbet is prepared in the freezer, it must be periodically removed from the refrigerator and whisked to form the desired structure.

When serving, you can serve the sorbet with fresh coltsfoot flowers and caramel threads.

Use in cosmetology

Soothing herbal cream for dry skin

Ingredients: tablespoon coltsfoot extract, 1 tablespoon lanolin, half a cup of olive or corn oil, 1 tablespoon fresh plantain juice.

Mix lanolin and oil, stirring, gradually add plantain juice. Add coltsfoot extract, bring everything until smooth with a mixer or blender.

Face masks with coltsfoot

Mask for oily skin

Pour boiling water over 2 tablespoons of dried and finely chopped coltsfoot leaves until it becomes a paste. Heat the mixture over low heat and let it cool. This mask has an anti-inflammatory effect and evens out the functioning of the sebaceous glands.

Mask for normal skin

0.5 cups of fresh stems, 0.5 cups of kefir. Wash the leaves, grind until mushy, mix with kefir. Apply the mask to your face. After a quarter of an hour, rinse with warm water.

Mask for dry skin

Pour 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coltsfoot leaves into 200 ml of hot milk, let it brew, mix thoroughly, apply the mask to clean facial skin. After a quarter of an hour, rinse with water.

For problem skin and rashes, the following cosmetic recipe is effective. Steam 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coltsfoot leaves in 200 ml of boiling water and keep in a water bath for at least 5 minutes. Let cool, strain and mix the infusion with 2 tablespoons of vodka. Use this “lotion” to wipe cleansed facial skin twice a day.

Anti-wrinkle mask

Pour 3 tablespoons of crushed coltsfoot leaf into 100 ml of hot water. Let the infusion stand for a quarter of an hour, then strain. Take 2 tablespoons of infusion, combine with 2 tablespoons of sour cream, bring to a homogeneous state, apply to clean facial skin for 20 minutes. Rinse off the mask first with warm water, then with cool water.

Hair rinse with coltsfoot

Coltsfoot is useful for hair. To heal and strengthen them, prepare a decoction: pour burdock and coltsfoot leaves (in a ratio of 1:1) with water and boil in a water bath for 20 minutes. Rinse washed hair with warm broth.

Nail bath

Dissolve a tablespoon of sea salt in a glass of coltsfoot infusion. Keep your nails in this infusion for 10 minutes. Then gently wipe your nails dry and lubricate with nourishing cream.

If your nails are peeling, it is useful to make a mask: mix a teaspoon of any hand cream with a teaspoon of ground red feather and coltsfoot juice. Leave the mask on your nails for 5 minutes, then rinse off.

Other uses

Dried and burnt to an ash-like state, coltsfoot leaves are used as a substitute for regular kitchen salt if it needs to be excluded from the diet due to a certain diet, etc.

Toothache subsides by smoking special cigars made from powdered coltsfoot leaves. The smoke of such a cigar needs to be held in your mouth.

The coltsfoot plant is one of the common, widely known and popular plants; its appearance is familiar to almost everyone. Many owners of summer cottages fight it like a malicious weed, not realizing that they are destroying a useful medicinal plant. We invite you to get acquainted with its medical properties, contraindications for use, and also learn some interesting facts.

Description

The coltsfoot plant is a perennial member of the Asteraceae family, a relative of the beautiful garden flower, the aster. Indeed, if you look closely, the sunny yellow small flower of the plant is very similar to the beautiful red, pink or white head of an aster. The features of the coltsfoot as a representative of the flora are as follows:

Long creeping rhizome.
There are two types of shoots. Flowering plants are formed in early spring, their height is no more than 30 cm, at the end of each there is a head - a flower. After flowering, these shoots immediately die off.
Vegetative - the second type of shoot; leaves are located on them. They form some time after flowering has completed.
The sheets are very unusual, soft and pleasant to the touch on the inside, smooth and cold on the outside. The parties are referred to as “mother” and “stepmother” respectively.
The leaf shape is rounded, the ends have characteristic serrations, the size depends on the age. Mature leaves often reach 20 cm in diameter. Color - rich green.
The flower is a basket of bright yellow color, reaches a diameter of 2.5 cm. It is because of their flowers that the coltsfoot plant and the dandelion are very similar, but the second has a larger diameter.
The fruit is an achene.

It is among the amazingly prolific ones; in a season, just one bush can produce almost 20 thousand seeds, which themselves have good germination.

Name

Let's look at why the plant was called coltsfoot. There are several sad legends that explain this strange name.

In ancient times, a man left his family for another woman, leaving a wife and daughter with beautiful golden hair. But the new wife, tormented by jealousy, decided to destroy the child, lured the girl to a cliff and threw her down. The mother, feeling that her child was in danger, ran to the ominous place, but was too late - there was no way to save the girl. In desperation, she rushed at the killer, and both of them fell down without releasing their deadly embrace. The next morning, a huge number of unusual plants appeared near the cliff; one half of the leaf symbolized mother's love, the other - the stepmother's jealousy. And the sunny yellow flowers gave rise to associations with the blond hair of the dead girl.

Another legend explaining the origin of the name of the plant coltsfoot is as follows. One woman had a daughter, in which she was also an unloved stepdaughter. Fate took her own child away from her, so the unfortunate mother spent many hours in the cemetery, stroking the soil on the grave. So the plant grew, one half of its leaves was warm, like a mother’s love for her own daughter, the second was cold, like a woman’s indifference to her stepdaughter.

Spreading

Let us continue the description of the coltsfoot plant by indicating the places where it can be found. There are many of them, especially sun-drenched meadows, ravines, and river banks. The plant is also found on forest edges, summer cottages, fields, meadows, preferring moist clay soils without turf. This natural healer grows in Western Europe, Siberia, Asia, and is also found on the African and North American continents.

Peculiarities

The medicinal plant coltsfoot is interesting because in the spring (mid-March - early April) flowers appear first, and then leaves. For this feature in Great Britain the flower is called “son before father.” The plant has a powerful root that extends a meter into the ground and develops at a very high speed, so it can become a real disaster for fields and vegetable gardens, crowding out cultivated plants. Sometimes coltsfoot is called the first harbinger of spring, because modest yellow flowers begin to decorate the ground, barely free of snow.

It grows in families, so the meadow is almost always dotted with yellow baskets: if one flower has already faded, then the second is just beginning to bloom. After this, like a dandelion, the plant disperses seeds located on fluffy fibers.

Leaves and inflorescences are used as medicinal raw materials; it is recommended to collect the latter in July, without waiting for them to grow large and harden. The resulting raw material should be dried in the fresh air, avoiding exposure to direct sunlight, turning over periodically.

Medicinal properties

The use of the plant for medicinal purposes began in Ancient Greece and Rome. Since ancient times, it has been known that the gift of nature helps to cope with the symptoms of bronchitis and alleviate the course of bronchial asthma. Hippocrates and Avicenna used it in their work.

In Latin, the coltsfoot plant is called Tussilago farfara L., which means “healing cough.” The name very accurately characterizes the specifics of the perennial; its flowers really allow you to quickly get rid of throat diseases, including coughs, both dry and wet. But that's not all. The plant has such an extensive list of medicinal properties that it is used not only in folk medicine, but also in completely traditional medicine. There are several main effects:

Disinfectant action.
Expectorant effect.
Due to the tannins contained in the leaves, the plant prevents the growth of pathogenic microorganisms.
Essential oils have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart.
The plant is used for pathologies of internal organs: kidneys, bladder, intestines, stomach.
The leaves of the plant are applied to wounds and burns for their speedy healing.
The medicinal flower will also help with increased fatigue, drowsiness, and overwork.

Sometimes coltsfoot is used as part of complex therapy to treat a wide range of diseases of the throat, oral cavity, and purulent infections. However, it is important to remember that by consuming a large amount of the drug, it is impossible to speed up getting rid of the disease, but it is very easy to harm yourself. Therefore, you should strictly follow the dosage and, if any controversial issues arise, consult a medical specialist.

Contraindications

The medicinal plant coltsfoot has several contraindications, which should be taken into account by everyone who decides to improve their health and well-being with its help. Who should not eat flowers and leaves?

Pregnant women and young mothers during lactation.
Children under 3 years old.
For liver pathologies (hepatitis, cirrhosis).
For persistent menstrual irregularities.
Cases of individual intolerance.

Also, doctors do not recommend extending the course for more than 1.5 months, because after regular use of coltsfoot herb, glycosides accumulate in the body and begin to poison it. The use of the plant together with antipyretic medications is possible only after consultation with a physician.

Possible side effects

When taken correctly and in accordance with the dosage, coltsfoot rarely has a negative effect on a person’s health. However, the following side effects are possible:

Abnormal stool.
Vomiting and nausea.
Abdominal cramps.

Most often they occur when medicinal plants are consumed in unreasonably large doses. In this case, the reception is stopped immediately.

Best Recipes

Let's get acquainted with the most useful recipes from the collection of folk wisdom that will help you use the medicinal properties of the coltsfoot plant with maximum benefit. You can quickly get rid of a cough using this remedy: pour 1 tsp of boiling water into a glass. leaves of the plant, leave for 30 minutes. Drink the resulting drink three times a day, 1 tbsp. l. 10 minutes before meals. After 2-3 days, only memories will remain from the cough.

The following infusion will help bring the acidity of the stomach back to normal: take 20 g of dried flowers per 1 liter of boiling water, and infuse for 60 minutes. Next, the product is filtered using gauze, and 100 ml is taken every 6 hours.

For a suffocating cough, you can use the smoke from the plant. To do this, crushed dry grass and leaves are poured onto a hot frying pan, and the person suffering from cough inhales the resulting smoke. A 2-3 minute procedure will bring relief almost immediately.

Unusual pasta

Coltsfoot is a useful plant that can also be eaten, surprising your household with an unusual dish, the ingredients of which they will never guess. So, for preparation you will need:

Apple.
Butter - 2 tbsp. l.
Coltsfoot flowers - ½ cup.
Sugar - 1 tsp.
Cinnamon - a little bit, on the tip of a knife.

The apple should be baked in the oven, then crushed to a puree, mixed with butter, flowers, sugar, and add cinnamon. The result is a sweet paste that can be spread on bread or eaten as jam.

In conclusion, we invite you to get acquainted with a selection of fascinating facts about this amazing plant:

The coltsfoot is the emblem of pharmacies in Paris.
The root of the plant was previously used for medicinal purposes, but now only the above-ground parts are used.
The duration of flowering is almost 40 days, which is a real record for the first spring flowers.
The coltsfoot plant is a honey plant, and at the same time very useful, it is what helps the hardworking inhabitants of the hive to wake up. The honey productivity of the flower is low, but the problem can be solved due to a large quantity: often bright yellow baskets decorate meadows and fields, providing bees with the opportunity to collect the required amount of nectar.
This representative of the flora is also a natural barometer that allows you to predict the weather.
The plant grows very well in fire pits and uses ash as fertilizer.
In the old days, the flower even had its own day - April 10th. It was believed that potions prepared from raw materials picked on this day had magical properties.

We looked at the appearance features of this amazing inhabitant of meadows and ravines, learned the history of the origin of the coltsfoot plant, and its medicinal properties.

Update: October 2018

Coltsfoot (in the description of the composition of dosage forms you can find the Latin name Tussilago) belongs to a monotypic genus of herbaceous perennial plants from the Asteraceae family.

It blooms with yellow flowers located on low flowering shoots, even before the wide leaves bloom, smooth on one surface and rough on the other. Flowering season is early spring (April).

Flowers and leaves have medicinal properties. A concentrated extract is obtained from plant raw materials, and is also used in dried and fresh form.

It grows in Eurasia, Eastern Siberia, North Africa and North America, in the mountainous areas of Central Asia and Southern Siberia. Favorite places are areas free of turf, near water bodies, in meadows, clearings, and along roads.

Chemical composition of the plant

The active chemical composition determines the medicinal properties of coltsfoot:

Healing properties of mother and stepmother

Indications for use

Raw materials and herbs of coltsfoot, the properties of which have long been studied, are used as auxiliary therapeutic agents in the treatment of the following groups of diseases:

Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system: bronchitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma.
Acute respiratory diseases viral nature, including influenza.
Diseases of the gallbladder, liver and biliary tract, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, stomatitis.
Cardiovascular diseases: coronary artery disease, stage 1-2 hypertension, atherosclerosis, inflammation of the superficial veins of the lower extremities.
Diseases of the skin and its derivatives: burns, boils, purulent wounds, inflammatory rash, erysipelas, diathesis, scrofula, alopecia ().

Treatment with coltsfoot drugs

Tea

For one tsp. dry flowers, take 250 ml of boiling water, pour over the raw materials and cover with a lid, let it brew for 10 minutes. Helps with cough, and also promotes the thinning of sputum and its excretion. Take 100 ml twice a day.

Infusion

Helps restore the body during illness;
Reduces high blood pressure;
Reduces cholesterol formation;
Helps relieve muscle spasm of internal organs during cholecystitis, gastritis;
Used as a mild expectorant;
Helps with sweating of the feet, armpits, face;
Effective for inflammation of the veins, wounds, boils, ulcers, herpes zoster;
Helps cure inflammation in the throat and intestines.

1 tbsp. dry, pre-crushed leaves, brew 250 ml of boiling water, leave for about 40 minutes, strain. Inside: take three tablespoons. before meals four times a day. Externally wipe the affected areas or make compresses with infusion. Gargles are effective in treating the throat, and enemas with infusion are used to treat the intestines.

Decoction

1 tbsp. dry raw materials (leaves) pour 250-300 ml of boiling water and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, cover with a lid and leave for half an hour. Helps with diseases of the respiratory system and ENT pathology, scrofula, and general weakness. Drink one tbsp. before meals three times a day.

Strong decoction

2 tbsp. dry coltsfoot and stinging nettle raw materials are poured with boiling water (300 ml), boiled for about 10 minutes over low heat, filtered and cooled. Effective for oily scalp and hair loss. Rinse your hair with the resulting decoction after washing.

Applications

A fresh leaf of the plant is ground to a pasty state and applied on sterile gauze to a problem area (calluses, erysipelas, inflammatory lesions on the skin, inflamed veins).

Inhalations

1 tbsp. Brew a mixture of dry leaves and flowers with boiling water in a volume of 200 ml, cover with a towel and breathe over the infusion. Accelerates recovery from bronchopulmonary pathology. Do not inhale at elevated body temperatures.

Fresh Juice

Effective in the treatment of infectious rhinitis. The juice is squeezed out of the fresh leaves of the plant and one or two drops are instilled into each nasal passage 3 times a day. The juice is also used to treat acne by lubricating the affected skin 3 times a day.

Syrup

Recipe 1. Freshly squeezed plant juice is mixed with powdered sugar in a 2:1 ratio. Store in the refrigerator. Helps in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia. Take 1 tbsp. five times a day before meals.
Recipe 2. Fresh leaves are placed in a 1 cm layer on the bottom of a thick-walled metal enamel bowl, and a 1 cm layer of sugar is poured on top. The layers are repeated until the bowl is completely filled. Close with a tight lid and leave for 3 weeks in the cellar or refrigerator. The leaves and sugar should become a homogeneous green mass, which is mixed with honey (2:1 ratio). Used for the treatment of tuberculosis cavities: 1 tbsp. three times a day before meals.

Foot baths

Brew two handfuls of dry coltsfoot raw materials with boiling water in a volume of 2 liters, leave for 5 minutes and take a bath for 20 minutes without straining the raw materials. Contributes to the treatment of ARVI.

Alcohol infusion

The coltsfoot broth is diluted with vodka in a ratio of 4:1. Wipe the skin with the infusion 3-5 times a day. Indicated for the treatment of pustular skin lesions, boils, acne (see).

Powder

Dry leaves of the plant are ground into powder, which is used:

for oral administration, 1 g three times a day, washed down with hot milk. Helps in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system;
externally: sprinkle on inflamed areas 2-3 times a day. Effective in getting rid of diathesis, sweating of the feet, erysipelas, furunculosis.

Leaves compress

Fresh leaves of the plant are poured with hot cream and the raw material is allowed to soften.

Helps to warn at the first signs of it (applied warm to the mammary gland).
Reduces the severity of cough (warm leaves are placed on the chest and covered with a towel).

Contraindications for coltsfoot

Healthy people should not take coltsfoot for more than 4-6 weeks in a row. The medicinal properties of coltsfoot are known to everyone, but few know the contraindications. The plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (toxicity has not been fully studied), therefore it is contraindicated for:

Pregnancy;
Breastfeeding;
Severe liver diseases;
Individual intolerance.

Germany has introduced restrictions on the sale of coltsfoot after one incident of misuse of the plant. A nursing mother drank tea with her mother and stepmother, which led to the baby's death from liver damage.

Side effects

Today, many turn to traditional methods of treatment without first consulting a doctor, examination, establishing an accurate diagnosis and believe that if you take a medicinal plant, then it is safe and has no side effects. It's a delusion. Folk remedies are not subject to modern research; there is no reliable information about the dangers and benefits of mother and stepmother and other medicinal herbs.

Any medicinal plant has a complex composition, and most of them contain microdoses of poisonous, toxic compounds that affect the liver and have carcinogenic properties (see). With an overdose or prolonged use of such drugs, slow poisoning of the body may develop.

Thus, coltsfoot is considered a relatively safe plant, but it can only be consumed in small quantities, for a short course, since the cumulative effect can provoke the growth of malignant formations. In case of overdose or long-term use, the following symptoms and side effects are possible:

nausea, vomiting
stomach ache

Preparation and storage

Leaves and flowers are collected separately.
The leaves are suitable for harvesting in early June. The most valuable are the leaves of medium maturity (young and overripe ones should not be picked). They are dried in the shade, in a ventilated place, spread on paper or fabric in 1 layer.
The flowers, or rather the yellow baskets without a stem, are collected in April-May and dried in the same way as the leaves.
Store dried raw materials in fabric or paper bags in a dark, dry place. The leaves can be used for 3 years, and the flowers for 2 years.

Dietary supplements and herbal remedies with coltsfoot

Dry coltsfoot leaves;
Syrup with coltsfoot and plantain from Evalar, Natur Product, Green Doctor;

The benefits and harms of coltsfoot are directly related to its medicinal properties. The potent substances in the herb can provide significant assistance to the body in many diseases, but its inept or immoderate use can cause harm to health. Having studied the beneficial properties of coltsfoot herb before using it yourself, you should also familiarize yourself with the features of its action and contraindications.

What does coltsfoot look like and where does it grow?

The yellow, bright coltsfoot flowers are among the first to bloom in the spring, often as early as April. On stems covered with brown scales, one inflorescence opens. Small, tubular petals are collected in baskets of small diameter.

After flowering ends, palm-sized leaves appear, with large teeth along the edges. The upper part of the plate is smooth and glossy. The lower one is covered with white fluff, velvety, warm. For this property the grass was named coltsfoot. The Latin name says more about the application; it literally translates as “dispelling cough.”

The perennial prefers clay soils near water bodies, in vacant lots, and can settle in the garden. The beneficial coltsfoot grass is considered a weed and often grows in uncultivated lands.

Chemical composition of coltsfoot

The benefits of coltsfoot for the human body are determined by the complex balance of a large number of components in the composition. Medicinal properties have been found in flowers, seeds, roots and leaves of coltsfoot.

The main active substances in the herb and their beneficial properties:

essential oils have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties directed against viruses, fungi, and protozoa;
mucus envelops the inner surface of the oropharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, promoting their healing and reducing swelling;
phytosterones help build muscle mass, tone up, strengthen the body’s defenses, are antioxidants, and normalize cholesterol;
glycosides exhibit the property of diluting bronchial secretions, promoting the removal of mucus from the respiratory system, and improving digestion;
organic acids prevent cell wear, accelerate regeneration, treat purulent processes, strengthen the immune system;
tannins disinfect, relieve inflammation, narrow and strengthen blood vessels, reduce bleeding;
flavonoids, carotenes, saponins, sterols, inulin, rutin, vitamin C, and many other valuable compounds.

Important! The whole complex of substances that enhance and complement each other’s healing properties has a beneficial effect. Therefore, the range of uses of simple grass is simply huge.

Why coltsfoot is useful

The actual property of coltsfoot is the treatment of coughs of any origin. Any part of the herb can enhance the production and removal of sputum, which is successfully used for dry coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia, and rhinitis.

The benefits of coltsfoot flowers are determined by the presence of essential oils, tannins, phenolic acids, and phytosterol. The substances destroy many pathogens and accelerate metabolism.

Coltsfoot leaves accumulate more plant mucilages, carotenes, vitamins, and microelements. Their benefits are more noticeable in the treatment of anemia, vitamin deficiency, and asthenia. The enveloping, antiseptic, healing properties of the herb are used externally and to help internal organs with damaged mucous membranes.

What does coltsfoot treat?

An ordinary weed has outstanding qualities, can help in the treatment of several dozen diseases, strengthens a weakened body and even increases muscle performance.

Home remedies from coltsfoot are beneficial but do not cure diseases on their own. Herbal formulations are used as auxiliaries in the main therapy prescribed by the doctor. Unauthorized combination of medicinal substances can be harmful.

Coltsfoot grass is prescribed for the following diseases:

any inflammation of the respiratory tract with cough, swelling of the mucous membranes;
tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema;
dermatitis, erysipelas, varicose veins, trophic ulcers, ulcers, wounds;
stomatitis, periodontal disease, gingivitis, inflammation in the oral cavity;
gastritis, enterocolitis, diseases of the stomach, intestines, hemorrhoids;
inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system.

The general strengthening effect of coltsfoot remedies on the body can be useful for cardiovascular disorders and diseases of the nervous system. The immunostimulating, antihypoxic, antioxidant properties of the herb are used in recovery from illness.

Is coltsfoot beneficial during pregnancy?

The herb appears to be a harmless substitute for pills during pregnancy. But during the period of bearing a child, the medicine turns out to be not entirely harmless. The benefits and harms of coltsfoot herb must be carefully balanced for the mother and the fetus.

During pregnancy, the ability of alkaloids to penetrate the placental barrier is especially dangerous. This may harm the fetus, cause spontaneous abortion, or cause premature labor. During lactation, alkaloids pass into breast milk, so taking the herb orally is prohibited.

The composition of coltsfoot for pregnant women contains not only useful compounds. Alkaloids are harmful to a woman’s body. With prolonged use, they accumulate in the liver, destroying it. Herbal treatment lasting longer than 6 weeks causes harm.

It is acceptable to use coltsfoot during pregnancy to correct skin problems (acne, dermatitis) or hair care.

Mother and stepmother to children

Reviews about coltsfoot grass regarding the benefits and harms for children are quite contradictory. Some parents recommend it from the first days of a child's life. Doctors are more categorical. Due to the strong composition and the presence of poorly studied components, official medicine prohibits treatment before 2 years of age, when treatment will cause more harm.

It is useful to give a decoction or water infusion of the herb to children under 7 years of age for colds, coughs, fever, infectious diseases of the ear, nose and throat: 1 tbsp. l. up to 6 times a day. Only if the main treatment is selected by a pediatrician, a useful remedy from coltsfoot shortens the recovery time and copes with a lingering, unproductive cough.

Important! The useful amount of the product for school-age children is up to 250 ml per day. It is advisable to divide it into several steps.

Recipes with coltsfoot in folk medicine

If you need a softening, healing, enveloping effect, a herbal decoction is useful. When it is more important to preserve essential oils, glycosides, micro- and macroelements and their beneficial properties, it is better to make an infusion.

Coltsfoot decoction for cough and bronchitis

A decoction of coltsfoot herb is effective as an expectorant and emollient for acute and chronic bronchitis, tracheitis, and laryngitis.

Cough recipe:

Crushed or crumbled leaves (1 tbsp) are poured into 0.5 liters of hot water.
Warm up for no longer than 5 minutes.
Leave covered until cool and strain.

Take the medicine in two doses - morning and evening, 250 ml before meals.

A stronger composition will be beneficial for problems in the gastrointestinal tract, to maintain heart function and vascular tone: 2 tbsp. l. herbs pour 1 tbsp. boiling water and boil for up to 15 minutes. The resulting product should be drunk in small portions throughout the day.

For diathesis, a decoction of the herb is prescribed to children over 2 years of age: 1 tsp orally. three times a day; externally - for wiping inflamed areas.

Infusion of coltsfoot

An infusion of coltsfoot is useful for rinsing the mouth, throat, and rinsing the nasal passages. The recipe is very simple: 1 tbsp. l. crushed raw materials are poured with boiling water (250 ml) and left for 20 minutes.

It is useful to take the strained composition 1 tbsp. l. up to 10 times a day for respiratory infections. You can rinse your mouth for dental inflammation or your throat for a cold with an infusion of herbs and flowers many times.

Coltsfoot tincture with vodka

For the alcohol infusion you will need fresh coltsfoot flowers.

Preparation of tincture:

The raw materials are mixed with high-quality vodka as 1:1 or with alcohol as 2:1.
The mixture is poured into a glass container and sealed tightly.
Leave for a week without access to light, otherwise the grass will lose its properties.
Filter off the precipitate and store the alcohol solution in a dark place.

Dermatologists note the benefits of the tincture for acne. By treating your face several times a day, you can reduce the number of rashes in a few days. If it is noticed that alcohol irritates the skin, the product can be diluted with water. The benefit as an antiseptic will decrease slightly, but the harm will be minimal.

Coltsfoot tincture is taken orally: 20 to 30 drops before meals. Alcohol formulations of any herb can cause harm to a sore stomach and are contraindicated in alcoholism.

Tea from coltsfoot

The benefits of coltsfoot tea are invaluable during the cold season. To prevent influenza, with a dry, prolonged cough, chills, brew 1 tbsp. l. flowers 1 tbsp. boiling water Useful herbs are used separately or as part of a collection, no longer than 3 weeks.

Fresh coltsfoot juice

Fresh juice from young leaves has vitamin and healing properties if you collect the grass in June.

Application and beneficial properties:

1 tsp each up to 4 times a day for a course of at least 1 week for vitamin deficiency, loss of strength;
10 drops of juice into each nasal passage, up to 3 times a day for a severe runny nose;
externally - for lichen, burns, ulcers on the skin, boils.

To prepare the product, the washed herb is crushed with a blender or passed through a meat grinder, the mixture is diluted with filtered water (50/50), and the beneficial liquid is squeezed out through cheesecloth.

Applications

Mashed fresh coltsfoot disinfects and heals when applied to damaged areas of the skin. Apply the herbal mass directly to the wound, burn, inflamed veins and cover with a clean cloth.

Leaves compress

The coltsfoot compress is prepared as follows: 5 tbsp. l. leaves with flowers are steamed with 1 tbsp. boiling water After infusing for half an hour, the steamed herb is ground. Gauze is placed on the skin, then the mass is applied evenly and covered with a cloth on top. It is useful to fix such a compress and leave it overnight. The course of treatment for significant damage is about 10 days.

Foot baths with coltsfoot

The antifungal, anti-inflammatory, tonic properties of the herb are beneficial for infections of the skin of the feet, calluses, wounds, and swelling.

Decoction for external use:

Fresh or dried coltsfoot (2 tbsp) is poured with boiling water (2 l).
Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
Filter and cool to a comfortable temperature.

Take foot baths with herbal decoction for 15–20 minutes before bedtime. If the veins of the lower extremities are enlarged or blood vessels become brittle, it is recommended to regularly treat the surface of the legs with the same decoction.

Dried leaf powder

Finely ground herbs are convenient for treating wounds when other types of disinfection are not available. Coltsfoot powder, as a dry concentrate, can also be taken orally.

Comment! When drying and grinding raw materials, medicinal herbs quickly lose their beneficial properties, and sunlight is harmful to harvesting. Powders should be kept in a tightly closed container or prepared as needed.

Coltsfoot syrup

The medicine in the form of syrup is well stored in the cold, does not lose its properties for a long time, and children like it. In June, when the benefits of the herb are most pronounced, coltsfoot is prepared for the whole year.

A simple preparation: the juice from young leaves is mixed with powdered sugar. For 2 parts liquid – 1 part sugar or honey. Useful syrup from medicinal herbs is stored in the refrigerator.

Apply 1 tbsp. l. up to 4 times a day for tuberculosis, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis. Children are given 1 tsp. or tbsp. l. sweet medicine a day. The dose depends on age and pediatrician's recommendations.

Coltsfoot in home cosmetology

The coltsfoot herb, its decoctions and infusions are added to masks with a rejuvenating and lifting effect, to enrich creams, tonics, lotions, and hair products.

For facial skin

Coltsfoot preparations gradually but deeply cleanse pores, eliminate inflammation of small blood vessels, and treat acne. An alcoholic tincture of the herb has the property of whitening age spots and lightening freckles.

Cosmetic ice:

To 50 ml of decoction add 2-3 drops of rosewood essential oil and 10 ml of linseed oil. Enhances the beneficial properties by adding 10 ml of fresh coltsfoot juice. The ingredients are mixed and frozen in special forms.

Massage with ice cubes in the morning quickly relieves swelling and puffiness. Regular use restores the oval of the face, rejuvenates and refreshes the skin. But cryotherapy, instead of benefit, can cause harm in case of rosacea, enlarging spider veins.

Anti-wrinkle mask with seaweed: 50 ml of warm decoction of coltsfoot will require 30 g of crushed kelp. Preparation:

Algae powder is mixed with liquid and left for 15 minutes to completely swell.
Add 10 g of oil to the mixture and mix.
The finished mass is distributed on the face and left for 30–40 minutes.

The mask has the ability to improve microcirculation in blood vessels, restore cells, enhance nutrition and oxygen saturation of the skin.

For hair beauty

An infusion of coltsfoot with nettle will help with severe dandruff and hair loss. Herbs taken 2 tbsp. l. each, pour a liter of boiling water, leave for half an hour, filter. Rinse hair after each wash.

Contraindications and side effects

Coltsfoot is a plant with powerful properties that can be beneficial or harmful. You need to drink it with caution, without increasing the dosage in recipes.

Contraindications to taking the herb:

coltsfoot intolerance;
renal failure, liver dysfunction;
allergic diseases;
pregnancy and lactation;
age up to 2 years.

Between courses there is a break of 4 months. Long-term use without medical supervision does not bring benefit, but harm, disrupting liver function and poisoning the body.

Collection and drying of coltsfoot

The grass accumulates toxins, resins, and heavy metal salts. The harvesting of leaves and flowers should be done away from roads, enterprises, and polluted places. Toxic raw materials harm, not help, health.

Flowers are collected fully open, without stems. The leaves are torn off with a small petiole. The herbs are dried in the air, under cover from sunlight. If stored in tight packaging, away from light and moisture, the beneficial properties of coltsfoot will last for about 2 years.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of coltsfoot have been well studied over centuries of its use. A simple herb can relieve symptoms of illness, improve appearance, and help you lose weight. But only proven recipes can be used without harm to health.