Steel
Useful properties and application of tincture of steel field
Botanical characteristics of steel
Stalnik is a perennial glandular-pubescent herb with a peculiar smell; it belongs to the legume family. The stem of the plant is straight, slightly branched, at the base - ligneous, reaches a height of 30–80 centimeters. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, mostly trifoliate, sharp-toothed. The flowers are moth, pink or whitish, on short pedicels, forming dense spike-shaped inflorescences at the ends of the shoots. Fruits - beans about 6-7 mm long, with 2-4 spherical seeds.
The period of flowering of the steel is June-August, the ripening of the fruits is July-September. Steel grows singly or in the form of thickets in meadows, along river banks, among bushes. This herb grows in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus and the Crimea, less often found in Central Asia, Altai, the South Urals and Kazakhstan. The plant is light-requiring, prefers moist chernozem or limestone soils.
Useful properties of steel
The healing properties of steel have been known for many centuries. In ancient medical treatises, you can easily find a lot of references to the use of this plant in the treatment of kidney and bladder stones. In the old days, it was also prescribed for headaches, difficulty urinating and for healing many other diseases.
After studying the chemical composition of steel by modern science, the origin of its useful properties becomes clear. It contains a fair amount of tannins, citric acid, essential oil, glycosides of isoflavone nature, starches, resins, tetracyclic triterpine alcohol. It is these, as well as other useful components, that determine the effectiveness of steel in the treatment of various ailments, helping to normalize certain processes inside the body.
The iron helps to reduce pressure, accelerates blood clotting, increases the amplitude of heart contractions. Still preparations from the plant have a hypotensive effect and reduce capillary permeability and fragility. Many experts note the positive effect of this natural preparation on the general well-being of a person. For medicinal purposes, the roots of the plant are used, which are harvested in the fall.
Steel application
Some varieties of this medicinal plant are actively used both in folk medicine and in pharmacology. For example, decoctions and infusions of steel have a significant diuretic, disinfectant and diaphoretic effect. They are often recommended for normalizing metabolism in the body, enhancing the work of the endocrine glands, dissolving stones and eliminating inflammatory diseases in the kidneys and urinary tract.
Traditional healers prescribe tea from steel leaves as a blood-purifying and hemostatic agent for skin rashes and hemorrhoidal bleeding. For medicinal purposes, the roots, flowers and leaves of the plant are mainly used.
Decoction from the roots: One tablespoon of steel rhizomes must be poured with 500 ml of boiling water, hold for ten minutes over low heat, then squeeze and strain. It is recommended to take the product three times a day, half a glass.
Steel root
The roots of the plant are most widely used in medicine. They contain many biologically active substances, such as flavonoids, tannins and resinous substances, citric acid, traces of essential oil, various micro and macro elements. For medicinal purposes, steel roots are best harvested in September-October. After collection, they are washed in cold water, dried in the open air for two days, and then left to dry in a well-ventilated room at 40–45 ° C.
Broths from the roots of steel are able to provide effective help with hemorrhoids. Already in the first week of taking such drugs, hemorrhoidal bleeding stops, stools normalize and constipation disappears. In addition, this remedy will be useful for rheumatism, gout, dropsy.
Tincture of steel
Tincture of steel is used for gout, rheumatism, headache, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, hemorrhoids, urolithiasis. When used regularly, it has a laxative effect. For example, in patients with hemorrhoids, bleeding stops, stools are relieved and the swelling of hemorrhoids decreases.
Tincture of steel can be purchased at the pharmacy with a doctor's prescription. This medicinal product is produced in orange glass bottles in packaging of 100 ml. A tincture is prepared from the roots of steel in 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1: 5. Store it in a cool, dark place. The dosage of the medicine is 40-50 drops 3 times a day for two to three weeks. A persistent healing effect occurs in 8-10 days.
Field steel
This type of steel is especially common in the Caucasus, southern Siberia and the European part of Russia. Its typical representative is a perennial herb with a taproot that has numerous lateral processes. The stems are field red-brown, they reach 80 cm in height.
For a long time, the roots of this medicinal plant have been used in folk medicine in many countries of the world. Due to the presence of various biologically active compounds in them, they are an effective remedy for gout, rheumatism and a number of other ailments. Broths and tinctures of field steel are often prescribed for varicose veins of the lower extremities, proctogenic constipation, rectal fissures, varicose phlebothrombosis, prostatitis, uric acid diathesis.
Barbed steel
Prickly steel is a perennial herb, reaching 60 cm in height. Due to its beneficial properties due to the presence of biologically active substances in its composition, the plant is widely used in folk medicine as a cardiotonic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, laxative, and also for strengthening capillaries. Preparations based on it tend to tone up the intestinal walls and relieve sphincter spasms. The flavonoids contained in this medicinal herb are known for their choleretic and diuretic effects.
Contraindications to the use of steel
It should be remembered that steel preparations are low-toxic, but with constant use they can cause a laxative effect. A number of other contraindications are possible, therefore, before using medicines based on this plant, you should consult your doctor. Also, an allergic reaction cannot be ruled out.
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).
