Rape: useful properties, recipes and contraindications
Content:
- What does a rape look like?
- Is rape a weed or a medicinal plant?
- Useful properties of rape
- Medicinal properties of rape
- Recipes for infusions and decoctions of rape
- Contraindications to the use of rape
Common Rape is a herb belonging to the Ripe genus, Cabbage family. The herb is widespread, grows everywhere in Europe, is found in Western Siberia, in the European part of Russia, imported to Japan, Africa, Australia and other countries.
In most European countries, this plant is called the herb of St. Barbara.
The plant blooms in spring and in the first month of summer, and bears fruits in mid-June, in July. Fruiting is possible in the second year of the plant's life. Rape reproduces by roots and seeds. Seeds begin to germinate at + 6 ° C. At the same time, only one rape bush is able to distribute up to 10,000 seeds into the environment.
It is interesting that in botany there is even a highly specialized section dealing with the study of the rape. This section is called surepselia.
What does a rape look like?
Rape is a plant that reaches a height of 80 cm. The stem of the grass is usually bare, although sometimes it can be covered with a small downy. The leaves of the plant are lyre-shaped, the top of the leaf is larger than its lateral parts. The lower leaves are petioled, the upper leaves are sessile, whole with serrated edges.
The flowers of the rape are golden yellow, the petals reach 7 mm in length, in the flower itself there are 5 stamens, surrounded by four petals. Flowers are located at the top of the plant.
Rape fruit are oblong pods, round-four-edged, with seeds inside. Seeds are oval, slightly depressed, almost flat. Seed color is grayish, may be brown. The length of one seed is no more than 3 mm, the width is no more than 1 mm.
Is rape a weed or a medicinal plant?
Rape is a weed, but people use it as a medicinal plant.
Useful properties of rape
The useful properties of the rape are very diverse:
- Firstly, this plant is melliferous. Bees collect a lot of pollen and nectar from it, which the grass reproduces during its flowering. From one hectare of solid grass stand, bees bring from 30 to 50 kg of honey. Its aroma is weak, but pleasant, the color is greenish-yellow. It contains a lot of glucose, so it quickly becomes sugar-free.
- Secondly, the rape is used in cooking. Soups, side dishes, mashed potatoes are prepared from the green part of the plant. For salads, young herb leaves are great, which taste somewhat like mustard. However, when including rape leaves in the diet, it should be remembered that the plant can poison the body if consumed in large quantities. The herb is very popular in the cooking of countries such as Canada and the United States.
- Thirdly, some types of plants are used for decorative purposes.
- Fourthly, rape is used in medicine for the treatment of various diseases.
Useful properties of the seeds, root, flowers and leaves of the rape:
- Useful properties of plant seeds. The seeds contain substances (thioglycosides) that can fight bacteria. In addition, the same component of the plant has the ability to increase appetite, as it promotes increased production of gastric juice. Therefore, decoctions and infusions from rape seeds are used to eliminate inflammation and to improve appetite. Also, the seeds contain fatty oils that are used in industry for the manufacture of bakery products. It is useful to eat such bread for disorders in the functioning of the nervous system, with asthenic syndrome.
- Useful properties of rape root. The substances that make up the root of the rape have a diuretic effect and have antiseptic properties. Infusions and decoctions from the root of a plant are used as an aid in infertility, prostatitis, sexual dysfunction, etc.
- Useful properties of colza flowers. Rape flowers can have a positive effect on the immune system of the body, on the urinary and nervous system of a person. You can collect and dry them for the preparation of useful infusions and decoctions from early spring to late autumn.
- Useful properties of rape leaves. In addition to the fact that the leaves of the plant give dishes a spicy, tangy taste, they contain vitamin C and other organic acids, which have a positive effect on the functioning of the body as a whole. The juice squeezed out of the rape has a wound healing and disinfecting effect.
Medicinal properties of rape
The medicinal properties of rape are diuretic, wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effect. For a therapeutic purpose, decoctions and infusions are prepared using various parts of the plant for this.
Rape for men
Rape for men is a particularly valuable plant, as it helps to fight problems such as impotence, prostatitis, impaired sperm production caused by hormonal disruptions.
The problem of erectile dysfunction is familiar to many men. This violation of sexual function can occur for a number of reasons: as a result of malnutrition, due to poor environmental conditions in the area of residence, as a result of frequent stress, etc. Therefore, if a man feels that libido is reduced due to weakness, fatigue, rape should be brewed and drink the drink like tea. It increases vitality, gives strength.
A drink based on rape helps with circulatory disorders. This is possible due to the flavonoids that make up the plant. They help to normalize cholesterol levels, strengthen blood vessels, including the smallest ones. As a result, blood flow to the genitals is normalized, potency is restored.
To cope with infections that can lead to disruptions in the process of spermatogenesis, quercetin, which is part of the rape, helps. This substance works as an antiseptic, damaging microbes.
As for prostatitis, decoctions and infusions of rape can directly affect the cause of this male disease. With the help of herbal medicines, it is possible to strengthen the immune system, help the body in the fight against genital infections, normalize blood circulation, it is easier to endure stress and other psycho-emotional stress.
It is important to understand that it will not be possible to get rid of prostatitis by taking exclusively rape-based products. It will be necessary to simultaneously undergo the treatment prescribed by the doctor, and use the infusions and decoctions as an aid. In addition, prior medical consultation is mandatory.
Rape for kidney disease
Rape for kidney disease is useful in that it has a diuretic and antiseptic effect. It is known that the kidneys are the main filters in the body, which rid a person of toxins and other harmful substances, excreting them in the urine. The flavonoids contained in the rape contribute to the expansion of the renal vessels, enhance urine filtration. Thus, excess fluid is removed from the body, edema subsides. In the event that there is a kidney infection, the body will cope with it faster due to the antiseptic components included in the rape. In turn, ascorbic acid will help strengthen the immune forces.
Recipes for infusions and decoctions of rape
Infusions and decoctions are prepared from all parts of the rape. Before preparing any medicine, the plant should be thoroughly washed and dried.
- Tincture based on colza for the normalization of hormonal levels, for the treatment of mastopathy and fibroids. To prepare the tincture, you need to add two tablespoons of dried plant leaves to a liter of boiling water and leave to boil for another 20 minutes, after reducing the heat to a minimum. Then pour the resulting composition into a hermetically sealed container and leave for 2 hours. The course of treatment with the tincture is 3 months, it should be taken up to 4 times a day, 50 ml at a time.
- Tincture on the basis of rape to get rid of edema, for the treatment of neurotic disorders and epilepsy. In a liter of boiling water, add 4 tablespoons of the dried leaves of the plant and leave to simmer over low heat for half an hour. Then strain the composition, bring to the original volume and stand for eight hours. The course of treatment is 14 days, it is necessary to take the drug 30 minutes before meals in a volume of 50 ml. You need to drink 200 ml of tincture per day.
- A tincture based on colds for relieving pain during urination. In 200 ml of boiling water, you need to add 20 g of the plant (leaves and stems), then turn off the gas and pour the resulting composition into a hermetically sealed container. After two hours, the tincture can be taken in a volume of 50 ml, no more than three times a day after each basic meal.
- A rape-based tea that lowers blood pressure, increases vitality. In 300 ml of boiling water, you need to add 2 tablespoons of dried plant raw materials (you can take not only leaves, but also stems). After a ten-minute boil, the agent must be allowed to stand for another half an hour. Tea can be drunk in a cup, no more than three times a day.
- Rape-based recipe for the treatment of impotence in men. The full course of treatment is 21 days. It is necessary to grind the dried roots of the plant into powder and eat it 0.5 g 2 times a week with a little water. The positive effect can be seen after the first course of therapy.
- Rape juice for the treatment of prostatitis and spermatogenesis disorders. Grind the grass, flowers, seeds, plant stems in a blender or pass through a meat grinder, after which the juice must be squeezed out of the resulting mass. It should be drunk 150 ml per day, dividing this volume into three doses, that is, 50 ml at a time. You need to use the product after eating. The full course of treatment is 14 days.
Contraindications to the use of rape
The contraindications for the rape are as follows:
- Blood clotting disorders.
- Bladder stones, kidney stones. This is due to the fact that, due to the pronounced diuretic effect of rape, stones may begin to move, which will lead to blockage of the ureters.
- Allergy to the components that make up the rape.
- Refuse to take this plant in any form should be during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
In addition, rape, like other members of the cabbage family, contains mustard oils that can provoke enteritis and diarrhea. Most of these oils are found in the seeds of the plant, so you need to use them very carefully. It is known that pets often suffer from poisoning if a large amount of seeds of this weed gets into their food.
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).
