Icelandic moss
Botanical characteristics of Icelandic moss
Icelandic moss (Cetraria islandica) is a lichen that grows on land in mountains, forests and arctic regions. In addition to Iceland, moss grows in Scandinavia, Great Britain, North America, Russia and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Icelandic moss also grows in Antarctica. It has two chemotypes, which are difficult to distinguish, but collectively called the species complex Cetraria islandica. [1]
Tallus sprout of Icelandic moss curls from 1 to 4 cm (2.5 to 10 cm) tall. This thallus has a different color, for example, it is greenish on top, but the lower part of the thallus is light brown in color. Dried tallus is used as an herbal medicine. Icelandic moss is also known as Icelandic lichen, cetraria, fucus, musk, and eryrngolist liver grass.
Content:
- Icelandic moss composition
- Historical uses of Icelandic moss
- Useful properties of Icelandic moss
- Application of Icelandic moss
- Research on the use of Icelandic moss
- Contraindications to the use of Icelandic moss
Icelandic moss composition
Icelandic moss contains 12.3 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of product, which is approximately 87% of the total energy per serving, or 49 kcal.
Icelandic moss composition: [2]
- Fat - 0.16 g
- Proteins - 1.51 g
- Carbohydrates - 12.29 g
- Water - 81.34 g
- Ash - 4.70 g.
Mineral composition in 100 grams:
- Calcium -72.0 mg
- Iron - 8.9 mg
- Magnesium - 144.0 mg
- Phosphorus - 157.0 mg,
- Potassium - 63.0 mg
- Sodium - 67.0 mg
- Zinc - 2.0 mg
- Copper - 0.1 mg
- Manganese - 0.4 mg
- Selenium - 0.7 mcg
Of the fat-soluble vitamins, Icelandic moss contains A, beta-carotene, E, and K. Of the water-soluble vitamins C, B1, B2, B3 (PP), B4, B5, B6 and B9 are present.
Historical uses of Icelandic moss
Since ancient times, people in countries such as Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia have used Icelandic moss for food and medicine. For food, moss was ground into flour and bread was baked; boiling the moss eliminated the bitter taste. When preparing jelly, almonds and chocolate with lemon could be added to the moss. When boiled in milk, it turned out to be a remedy for malnutrition and nausea. Weak children and old people were nursed with Icelandic moss.
The facts of the use of moss in folk medicine have been proven. Lichen was a folk remedy for tuberculosis, diseases of the lungs, chest, kidney and bladder problems. Icelandic moss has also been used to treat non-healing wounds, diarrhea, lactation problems, fever, and gastritis.
In Norway, during the seven-year famine, people ate moss, and during the Second World War in the Soviet Union, molasses was cooked from moss.
Useful properties of Icelandic moss
Icelandic Moss Acids is a mild antimicrobial and soothing agent that soothes irritated or inflamed mucous membranes. Using lichen, they treat inflammation of the mouth and pharynx, as well as colds, fevers, coughs and bronchitis. Icelandic moss contains usnic acid.
Usnic acid is a specific substance that is formed only in lichens. It has antiviral, antibiotic, analgesic, anti-tuberculosis and insecticidal activities.
Moss has a positive effect on human skin, helps with digestive complaints, loss of appetite and gastritis. For example, acne is difficult to remove in any other way, except by using Icelandic moss in the form of tea, taken regularly.
In Europe, Icelandic moss can be found in the form of cough drops. In Russia, moss is sold both in the form of tea or powder, and in the form of tallus.
Based on Icelandic moss, several types of cough medicines have been created:
- Pectolvan Fito - alcoholic extract of cetraria. It has an expectorant, thinning and antispasmodic effect;
- Isla moos - lozenges. They are used for diseases of the throat and upper respiratory tract;
- Herbion is a syrup. Provides antitussive, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effect in respiratory diseases;
- Isla mint - gel lozenges with the addition of peppermint oil. Indicated for sore throat.
Icelandic moss is included in many collections. Fees are used for pain in the chest or stomach. A decoction of moss is used for constipation and diarrhea, since when it is cooked, mucus is formed, which envelops the walls of the stomach. [3] [4]
Application of Icelandic moss
Icelandic moss is a general tonic, so it is used for all recovering people.
Icelandic cough moss. When brewing moss, mucus is formed, from polysaccharides, which envelops the inflamed areas and protects the respiratory tract from irritation. Cetraric acid has antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Usnic acid fights gram-positive bacteria. A decoction of Icelandic moss is used to treat diseases such as whooping cough, asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia. Icelandic moss is no less effective for viral infections, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis and common colds. Icelandic moss syrup fights coughs more effectively. To prepare the syrup, take a tablespoon of finely chopped lichen, steamed with boiling water and infused. You can drink by adding milk, honey or sugar.
Icelandic moss for allergies. We are talking about seasonal allergies - you need to take baths with the addition of Icelandic moss extract, as well as drink a decoction.
Icelandic moss for constipation. To normalize the stool, I take a decoction of Icelandic moss. For its preparation, a glass of finely chopped lichen is poured with two liters of boiled water and kept for a day. Take three times a day in a glass of infusion.
Icelandic moss for weight loss. The recipe is quite simple, you need to replace one of the meals with the use of Icelandic moss jelly. Jelly recipe - one part of lichen is mixed with three parts of water and cooked for three hours to completely boil the moss. Strain and cool the broth. Kissel can be mixed with berries and added to fish or meat. When boiling jelly, the problem of bitterness of moss remains. In order to rid Icelandic moss from bitterness, it should be soaked for 12 hours in water with soda. For 10 liters of water, take 7 tablespoons of soda.
Icelandic moss tea for whooping cough. Take half a teaspoon each of thyme and Icelandic moss and pour 250 ml of boiling water over them. Leave for 5 minutes and strain. Take such tea 1 cup no more than three times a day.
Tincture of Icelandic moss. To prepare it, you need to take 40 grams of moss and pour them with a glass of 60% alcohol. We leave everything to brew for a week. You need to take this tincture in 10 or 15 drops. The indications for this medicine are diarrhea, loss of appetite, suffocating cough, and gastrointestinal disorders.
A decoction of Icelandic moss for the treatment of tuberculosis. The broth is very easy to prepare. To do this, take 4 tablespoons of Icelandic moss and pour 500 ml of cold boiled water over them. Put the composition on fire for 5 minutes. After straining the broth, it can be taken in a couple of sips 3 times a day cold.
Icelandic moss medicine for bronchitis. To prepare it, you will need enameled dishes, a glass of milk and 1 tablespoon of Icelandic moss (chopped in advance). We put everything in a bowl and put on the fire for half an hour, not forgetting to close the lid. Before going to bed, you need to take this medicine hot.
Decoction of Icelandic moss with stomach atony. To prepare it, you need to take 3 tablespoons of moss, pour 750 ml of water over them and put everything on fire for half an hour. As a result, you get a mass that is similar in consistency to jelly. This gruel should be consumed in one day.
Research on the use of Icelandic moss
- Icelandic moss for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract in children from 4 to 12 years old. The studies were carried out on 3143 children aged 4 to 12 years in order to identify allergic reactions and medicinal properties of Icelandic moss. The observation was carried out by both pediatricians and the parents themselves. Subjects received Isla-Moo (n = 1.848) or Isla-Mint (n = 1.295) for 1-2 weeks; 61% of children received 4-6 lozenges per day. 39% of children recovered completely, 55% showed improvements by the end of the treatment period. The use of Icelandic moss in the treatment of children from 4 to 12 years old gave positive results, there were only isolated cases of allergies and other side effects (nausea, heartburn). Icelandic moss maintains a favorable risk benefit assessment. [five]
- Icelandic moss for soothing inflammation after sinus surgery in adults. A study was conducted on 61 people, conventionally divided into three groups according to the concentration of Icelandic moss given. Patients suffer from dryness and inflammation of the mouth, inflammation of the lymph nodes, hoarseness and sore throat. All subjects underwent sinus surgery, after which Icelandic moss was given orally for 5 days. For a long time, all patients breathed through the mouth. Treatment with Icelandic moss caused a direct reduction in the observed pathological changes and symptoms. No significant differences were found between the three control groups. A dose of 0.48 g per day is considered sufficient. [6]
- Usnic acid in the fight against tuberculosis. Recently, tuberculosis has developed resistance to many drugs. The doctors decided to use natural remedies. The study showed that combined drug therapy with usnic acid in the early stages of the disease gives a better therapeutic effect than non-combination therapy. The synergistic interaction of drugs with usnic acid is achieved only at a certain dosage that is selected by doctors. Otherwise, there can be no talk of efficiency. [7]
Contraindications to the use of Icelandic moss
Icelandic moss is safe when taken in proper doses. Icelandic moss is not regulated by the drug regulatory authority. [eight]
Using Icelandic moss requires medical advice. Application of the powder requires soaking in a silk bag or filtering through charcoal in order to extract the correct acids. Some studies show that improper cooking of Icelandic moss increases its lead concentration. In rare cases, an allergic reaction is possible, with prolonged use, stomach irritation and liver intoxication. No cases of interaction of moss with other drugs have been reported.
Icelandic moss should be taken with caution for stomach ulcers. Since moss irritates the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. But it is worth remembering that usnic acid fights the bacteria Helicobacter pylori that cause stomach ulcers.
Icelandic moss is absolutely safe for all people. An exception is autoimmune diseases.
Links to sources
- Xu M. et all. Authentication of Iceland Moss (Cetraria islandica) by UPLC-QToF-MS chemical profiling and DNA barcoding. 2018 Apr 15; 245: 989-996
- Assessment report on Cetraria islandica (L.) Acharius sl, thallus. 6 May 2014
- Arthuar J. Anderson. Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. 10 aip 2008.
- Assessment report on Cetraria islandica (L.) Acharius sl, thallus. 6 May 2014
- Engelhard Arzneimittel GmbH und Co. KG, Niederdorfelden, Germany. Tolerability of Icelandic moss lozenges in upper respiratory tract diseases - multicentric drug monitoring study with 3,143 children. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2004 Apr; 11 (2): 76-82.
- Kempe C. et all. Icelandic moss lozenges in the prevention or treatment of oral mucosa irritation and dried out throat mucosa. Laryngorhinootologie. 1997 Mar; 76 (3): 186-8.
- Ferraz-Carvalho RS et all. Effects of the encapsulation of usnic acid into liposomes and interactions with antituberculous agents against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis clinical isolates. AbstractSend to Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2016 May; 111 (5): 330-4
- Food And Drug Administration. West's Encyclopedia of American Law COPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc.
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).
