Before everyone fell in love with drinking modern tea, there were, as you know, mixtures of herbs for delicious drinks, and fire had a special place in them. And today, do not forget about it - just a cup of tea with fireweed per day can improve your health so that to solve many issues, you will not need more medicine.
How are the composition and benefits of fireweed interconnected?
Of the kind of fireweed, narrow-leaved fireweed, the same as Ivan-tea, was best known.
This tall (up to 2 m) perennial plant is distributed practically throughout the entire territory of Russia, although, unlike broad-leaved fireweed (Ivan tea), it is more heat-loving.
Both plants have purple flowers, but the first and the highest, they are densely scattered on a straight stem, which turns thickets of narrow-leaved fireweed into one of the most luxurious decorations of Russian fields and forests (including taiga).
Narrow-leaved tea has always been highly valued by folk medicine and modern science almost does not detract from its useful properties, among other things, completely exceptional - the chemical composition of fireweed does not compare with any other plant, not only of our latitudes, but also of the whole world.
The use of willow tea for the benefit is always combined with a vivid pleasure, because the drinks from it have a deep, peculiar taste.
To prepare them, the aerial parts of the plant are collected and dried - mainly narrow long leaves, but also do not neglect inflorescences and young shoots.
Tea can be brewed only from it alone, but the fireweed goes well with other plants (especially thyme and thyme) and even with green and black tea.
Ivan tea can be drunk hot and chilled, with cream, with honey, it is good served with jam, marmalade and a variety of pastries.
And it’s useful to know what fireweed is superior to ordinary tea:
the ability to brew grassy mass repeatedly up to 5 times, for tea this is far from possible with any variety;
maintaining the beneficial properties of the drink for 72 hours, while even green tea becomes harmful after 8-12 hours;
the absence of caffeine and a number of acids, which, being present in tea, provoke dependence on the drink and, with regular use, reduce its effectiveness due to the habit of the body.
In addition, salads and soups with shoots of fireweed are known in Russian (and in antiquity - in the European regional) cuisine.
Of the vitamins contained in the fireweed (many of the groups B, K,), it is especially worth noting ascorbic acid (vitamin C) - a high level of content elevates the fireweed in this sense over lemons, oranges and black currants.
Also, it is impossible to talk about the benefits of fireweed without taking into account other elements of its composition:
phytosterols improve heart function and increase endurance to high physical exertion;
the amino acid tyrosine promotes the production of pleasure hormones and melanin;
the amino acid lysine is involved in the synthesis of collagen, it is necessary for the absorption and accumulation of calcium;
coumarins improve blood circulation and prevent thrombosis;
the substance chanerol isolated from inflorescences has an antitumor property;
flavonoids prevent premature skin aging
amino acid leucine is involved in protein synthesis, protects muscle tissue from injury and damage.
In addition, the plant contains tannins, polysaccharides, carotene, essential oils and pectin compounds.
How is the benefit of fireweed in various cases
The complex of biologically active substances in the composition of fireweed, saturate it with properties to strengthen immunity, improve metabolism and normalize the acid-base balance in the body.
With it, you can quickly restore strength after a serious illness, surgery, suffered poisoning, radiation exposure.
In herbal medicine, Ivan tea is highly regarded for its antiseptic (superior to oak bark), analgesic and antispasmodic properties.
It is used to improve the condition of the digestive tract, since the plant:
as a wound healing and anti-inflammatory effective for the treatment of heartburn, gastritis and gastric ulcer;
strengthens the stomach, eliminating unpleasant sensations when eating large amounts of food;
enhances intestinal motility, simultaneously preventing flatulence.
Through cleansing the gastrointestinal tract and as a diuretic, fireweed frees the body from accumulated toxins, toxins and salts of heavy metals.
Thanks to herbal drinks with it, it is possible:
relieve the condition with cystitis and pyelonephritis;
prevent stagnation of bile;
prevent the formation of kidney stones and bladder.
In acute respiratory infections and influenza, fireweed is used to treat respiratory organs, prevent the development of pneumonia, relieve chills, as an antipyretic and detoxification agent, and in addition, fireweed reduces the harmful effects of antibiotics on the body.
Also, regular consumption of tea with fireweed helps:
reduce the manifestations of allergic reactions of various origins;
increase in hemoglobin level;
normalization of blood pressure;
improving the condition of the oral cavity, including the prevention of caries and periodontal disease;
the disappearance of headaches;
increase efficiency.
It is recommended that pregnant women drink Ivan tea to strengthen the body's natural defenses, to prevent toxicosis and a deficiency of already mentioned vitamin C. When breast-fed, fireweed stimulates milk production, improves its quality and, through it, is useful to the baby as a sleep-improving agent.
What can be said about the benefits of fireweed in the form of honey
Discovering ivan tea, many bees prefer to work only on it, ignoring other plants, resulting in pure cypress honey with a special, very delicate sweet taste with the lightest bitterness and a pronounced floral aroma.
Fresh cypriot honey has a pale yellow color and it is normal to detect a greenish tint in it, and over time, when it stands and thickens like village cream, it starts to sugary, even turns pale - to milky, and already with a pinkish tint.
Cypress honey is inferior to the plant in terms of vitamin C content, but it has a higher concentration of tocopherol (E) and niacin (PP).
It is also distinguished by the increased bioavailability of minerals that are significant for strengthening blood vessels and normal calcium-phosphorus metabolism, which determines bone health.
Poppy honey, for example, with milk, quickly relieves sore throat with ENT diseases, including tonsillitis and tonsillitis.
Regular treats with honey from the color of Ivan-tea helps to improve digestion.
But it is important to consider contraindications to the use of cypriot honey:
diabetes;
hypertension;
obesity (it is rich in carbohydrates);
asthma.
Can a fire bring harm
Being one of the most useful plants on Earth, fireweed also has virtually no contraindications.
Unless, because of its ability to lower blood pressure, hypotonics should be used with caution.
It is also important to take into account the likelihood of individual intolerance to the plant, here, alas, nothing can be done, but this reaction, we emphasize, is extremely rare.
More often, the harm of fireweed can be tried out, overly carried away by its benefits, drinking more than 1 liter of herbal drinks from it per day for more than 2 weeks.
Ideally, although ivan tea, as already mentioned, is not addictive, they still need breaks in treatment to give the body "rest" and strengthen its defenses without any outside support.
The damage from overdose of fireweed is not great, but unpleasant - an upset of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by diarrhea, will require, firstly, the rejection of a beloved medicinal plant, and secondly, a strict diet.
