The lungwort is quite common throughout Europe. The plant is widely used in folk medicine and cooking. The healing properties of lungwort ensure its effectiveness in the treatment of various diseases. Raw materials can be collected independently, but certain rules must be followed when preparing and storing them.
What is this plant?
Lungwort is a herbaceous plant. This perennial is a whole genus and has about 15 species. All of them have certain healing properties, but the most effective medicinal lungwort.The lungwort is so named due to its melliferous properties. The plant is also called pulmonaria, pulmonary, pulmonary herb, pulmonary root, honeycomb, meduna, spotted grass, bear grass, underfoot, crackle, ox tongue. Because of the early flowering after snow, sometimes the lungwort is called a snowdrop.
The plant reaches a height of several tens of centimeters, but the width sometimes exceeds this parameter. The lungwort is distinguished by a creeping, branched rhizome and an erect stem. The whole leaves are oval or lanceolate, tapering towards the top. The color of the leaves is spotty, from a distance these spots resemble dew drops.
The flowers have a double perianth, a five-lobed bell-shaped calyx and a funnel-shaped corolla. It can be white, pink, purple, light blue, blue. Flowers on the same plant often have different colors. This is influenced by the acidity of the cell sap and anthocyanins (colored glycosides of plant origin)
The plant is used not only for medicinal purposes, but also in cooking to add the aroma of vermouth to soups and salads.
Composition
The grass of any kind of lungwort contains mucus and tannins. The medicinal form is attractive for its content:- saponins;
- tannins;
- carotene;
- bioflavonoids;
- ascorbic acid;
- alkaloids;
- polyphenols;
- strontium;
- gland;
- nickel;
- manganese;
- silicon;
- iodine;
- titanium;
- copper;
- vanadium;
- potassium.
Useful properties of lungwort, indications for use
The beneficial composition of the plant makes it possible to use it for therapeutic purposes. The lungwort is attractive for the following beneficial properties:- expectorant;
- softening (for mucous membranes);
- antiseptic;
- diuretics;
- wound healing;
- pain relievers;
- anti-inflammatory.
- bleeding hemorrhoids;
- nosebleeds;
- laryngitis;
- anemia;
- diarrhea and cuts in the intestines;
- diathesis;
- pathologies of the thyroid gland;
- liver disease;
- pyelonephritis;
- kidney and bladder stones;
- vitamin deficiency;
- whiter in women;
- uterine bleeding;
- heart palpitations;
- inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract;
- problems with the nervous system;
- poorly healing sores or wounds;
- skin diseases - eczema, lichen, psoriasis, impaired pigmentation.
Lamb is used not only to treat various pathologies, but also to stimulate and strengthen the immune system. Such a plant helps to normalize the acid-base balance, serves as a good prevention of diabetes mellitus, thrombus formation, and cancer.
The use of remedies based on lungwort has a positive effect on sexual function, skin and hair condition, strengthens the heart muscle and the vascular system.
Folk remedies recipes with lungwort
For medicinal purposes, the plant is widely used. For various diseases, the following options are used:With pulmonary diseases
Decoction
At 2 tbsp. l. herbs need a liter of beer and 1 tbsp. l. (May). This mixture must be boiled until the volume is halved.The cooled composition must be filtered and taken in 1 tbsp. l. before eating. 4 doses are shown per day. The product must be washed down with water (a small amount).
Infusion No. 1
The herb of the plant must be thoroughly crushed and filled with 0.3 liters of boiling water. The mixture is infused for 4 hours and filtered.It is necessary to take the remedy in a quarter of a glass three times a day. The addition of a small amount of honey is allowed.
The infusion is taken orally, not only for pulmonary diseases, but also for skin diseases, intestinal pathologies. The tool can also be used externally as a rectal or vaginal douching.
Infusion No. 2
There is another effective recipe for making an infusion for diseases of the respiratory system. You need to fill in 2 tbsp. l. dry herbs with two glasses of boiled water, boil in a water bath for a quarter of an hour and leave after another 45 minutes.The finished product is filtered and drunk warm, half a glass three times a day, half an hour before meals.
The same infusion is effective in the presence of stones in the bladder and uterine bleeding.
Lungwort juice
To prepare it, you must use the fresh herb of the plant. Juice is squeezed out of it and the same amount of alcohol or vodka is added to it. It is enough to insist the remedy for several hours.The ready-made infusion is taken three times a day, 1 tsp. such a composition is also effective in the treatment of anemia and leukemia.
If the disease is accompanied by a severe cough, then it is effective to use the medicinal collection with lungwort. To do this, you need to make a mixture of equal parts of the grass and roots of this plant, nettle leaves, marshmallow roots and mullein flowers. 1 tbsp. l. collection is steamed with a glass of boiling water and insisted for 20 minutes.
Then the infusion is filtered and taken 0.5 cups three times a day 30 minutes before meals. The product can be sweetened with honey boiled with lemon.
For problems with the gastrointestinal tract
Tea
In case of diarrhea or an inflammatory process in the intestines, tea from lungwort helps. For each meal, you need to prepare a fresh portion. 2 tsp crushed raw materials are poured into 0.5 cups of boiling water and insisted for 15 minutes. You need to drink such a remedy three times a day.Decoction of lungwort and flax seeds
Diarrhea, hemorrhoids, gastritis, ulcers and bowel diseases can be treated with dried lungwort herb and crushed flax seeds. You need to take a handful of such a collection and steam it with a liter of boiling water, leave for 2 hours and strain. Take half a glass three times a day.Medicinal fee for hemorrhoids
With hemorrhoids, a collection of equal parts of lungwort, chamomile, yarrow, white clover, lingonberry and white willow leaves, nettle, veronica helps. It is necessary to insist in a thermos 2 tbsp. l. such a mixture, steamed with half a liter of boiling water, and strain the infusion.They drink it 3 times a day, 0.5 cups in a warm form. Such a remedy is also effective for uterine fibroids.
Fortifying bath for children
You need to take 5 tbsp. l. lungwort, the same three-part series, dioecious nettle and cinquefoil, 3 tbsp each. l. common oregano and birch leaves. Raw materials must be crushed, pour boiling water over and leave for 15 minutes. Then filter and pour into the bath.The procedure should not last more than half an hour. Such a bath also helps well with skin diseases.
For problems with the urinary system
If the kidneys or bladder hurt, then it is effective to mix lungwort with other medicinal plants in equal parts - plantain leaf, herb of bitter wormwood, sage and centaury. For a glass of boiling water, you need to take 1 tbsp. l. such a collection and the same amount of honey. The composition must be boiled for 5 minutes, after cooling, drain. Take the remedy before meals for 1 tbsp. l.With reduced immunity
For viral diseases, a tincture of lungwort is used to strengthen the immune system.To do this, you need to prepare a glass container and fill it with half-chopped fresh plant grass. Fill the rest of the volume with vodka (alcohol). You can use dried grass, then the container needs to be filled with it only by a third, but also fill it with vodka to its full volume. The container with the tincture must be tightly closed and left to stand for 2 weeks, shaking it periodically.
At one time you need 1 tsp. tincture, which is diluted in a small amount of water. You need to take the remedy before meals three times a day.
From a complex of diseases
Liver can be cured gastritis, colitis, pathology of the bladder and kidneys, hemorrhoids, anemia. To do this, put 30 grams of dry plant grass in a thermos, after crushing it, and pour half a liter of boiling water.It is necessary to insist the composition for 2 hours, then filter. Take half a glass 30 minutes before meals three times a day.
For skin problems
For wounds, ulcers or burns, you can make lotions with lungwort. For this, 100 grams of chopped grass is steamed with half a liter of boiling water and insisted for 2 hours.If there are abscesses, suppurations or ulcers, then effectively sprinkle them with powdered grass.
Various remedies based on lungwort and other medicinal herbs should be used strictly according to the prescription. Overdose can cause side effects.
Contraindications, possible side effects
Medunitsa is attractive with a minimal number of contraindications. An absolute ban on the use of such a plant is an individual intolerance. If it is present, various manifestations of allergies are possible - itching, rash, swelling.You should not also use lungwort for children under 3 years old. This restriction applies only to internal reception - baths and lotions are not prohibited.
With caution, it is worth taking funds with lungwort for people with intestinal atony, constipation, increased blood clotting. Such pathologies are not absolute contraindications, but mean that long-term treatment with such a plant can be harmful.
An adverse reaction of the body is possible when taking a strong remedy from this plant on an empty stomach. This usually results in nausea.
Taking even natural herbal remedies should be agreed with your doctor. The specialist will determine the possibility of using such raw materials and the duration of treatment, and will give additional recommendations.
Collection and storage
For therapeutic purposes, the aerial part of the lungwort is used. A good time to collect raw materials is the flowering period. You can also start harvesting when the buds have not yet opened.During collection, the entire young shoot is cut off almost to the root. Damaged or withered leaves should be removed immediately.
The collected stems must be tied in small bunches and suspended. The drying area should be shaded. If it is carried out outdoors, then a canopy is required to protect it from rain.
You can also dry lungwort in the oven. Temperatures up to 40 ° C are permissible.
Usually the aboveground part of the plants is harvested, but some recipes require their roots. They should be collected in the fall. Raw materials must be thoroughly washed and dried in a dryer at temperatures up to 40 ° C.
The brittleness of the raw material testifies to the completion of drying. For storage, it is better to grind any parts of the plant, you can even grind them into powder. Most recipes involve the use of raw materials in this form.
To store properly dried raw materials, choose a dry and cool place. Raw materials can be stored in cardboard boxes or glass containers. Every year, a new portion of lungwort should be harvested, since it should not be stored for more than 12 months. The longer the plant is stored, the more it loses its beneficial qualities.
The beneficial properties of lungwort and the rules for collecting it are described in this video:
The lungwort is used in folk medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In most cases, the aerial part of the plant is used, although in some pathologies, the use of roots is effective. The raw materials can be collected by yourself. In this case, it must be properly dried and properly stored.
Recipes
For plant part - Grass
General recipe.
Pour 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs with 1 glass of boiling water, insist, wrapped, 20 minutes, drain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.With uterine bleeding, urolithiasis.
Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs with 2 cups of water, boil in a water bath for 15 minutes, leave for 1 hour, drain. Take 1/2 cup 3-4 times a day, 30 minutes before meals.For gastrointestinal disorders (as a fixative).
Pour 40 grams of chopped herbs with 1 liter of cooled boiled water, leave for 2 hours, drain. Take 1 glass 5 times a day.For colds.
Pour 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs with 1 glass of boiled water at room temperature, leave for 2-3 hours, drain. Take 1/4 cup 4 times a day.With internal bleeding, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, pain in the intestines. Infusion improves the hematopoietic function of the body.
Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs with 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, drain. Drink on? glasses 3-4 times a day, 30 minutes before meals.For coughs, hoarseness, diarrhea, gynecological diseases.
Pour 400 ml of chopped herbs into 10 grams. Insist boiling water in a thermos for 2 hours, drain. Take 100 ml. 4 times a day, 30 minutes before meals.With gastritis, colitis with diarrhea, kidney disease, bladder disease, urolithiasis, hemorrhoidal bleeding, anemia.
Insist 30 grams of chopped grass for 2 hours in 0.5 liters of boiling water in a thermos, strain. Take 100 ml. 3-4 times a day, 30 minutes before meals.With lung diseases.
Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs with 1 liter of beer, add 1 tablespoon of natural honey, mix well. On low heat, evaporate the volume to half, leave for 30 minutes, drain. Take 1-2 teaspoons 3 times daily before meals with water.Tea.
2 teaspoons of chopped herbs, pour 1/4 liter of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes, drain. Take warm, 3 times a day, 1 cup, add honey to taste.Tincture.
Fill a 1/3 glass bottle with chopped grass, fill to the top with vodka. Insist 2 weeks in a dark place, shaking occasionally, drain. Take 1 teaspoon 3 times daily before meals.Lotions. For wounds, ulcers, burns.
Pour 100 grams of chopped herbs with 500 ml. boiling water, leave for 2 hours, drain. Applied as a lotion for wounds, ulcers, burns.Powder. With ulcers, festering wounds, abscesses.
Grind the grass to a powder. Apply to sprinkle ulcers, festering wounds, abscesses.Additional materials
- Gonadotropic regimens for gynecological diseases
18.01.20 Inna
Happy New Year. Let the coming year pass for you and your loved ones in the most favorable way!
As for me: my periods came on January 3, they were moderately abundant, but the daub practically continues to this day. I feel a lack of energy, passed the tests - hemoglobin dropped. And you know, I have the impression that I am swelling. Outwardly it is not visible, but there is a feeling inside. I want to sleep all the time. Probably, I have something with hormones again.
But Katya worries me more. She stopped measuring the temperature, but we nevertheless passed the tests. And something is wrong with them. Yulia Evgenievna, please take a look and give recommendations.
Katya has allergies and anemia. What connects them - I think, the intestines (dysbiosis), and heavy periods.
Start giving (if not given) Iodomarin, Aloe syrup with iron, nettle extract (Biolit); probiotic Biovestin or Rekitsen-RD with calendula (options are possible).
1. Collection of herbs.
Roots: naked licorice - 1 tsp; - 3, medicinal lungwort - 1,
The people call medunica medicinal "water key". A beautiful flower that can change its pink color to blue is grown not only for decorative purposes. Nectar is collected from the medicinal bee's lungwort; plant-based products are widely used in folk medicine. They are used in the treatment of respiratory, gastrointestinal and kidney diseases. Vitamin salads are prepared with the herbs of lungwort.
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Description
The name of the plant comes from the Latin word Pulmoa, which means "light".
Breeders have bred a large number of species and varieties of lungwort:
Name Peculiarities Image Unclear (Pulmonaria obsuera) Forest view. It begins to bloom very early, when trees and shrubs are not yet covered with foliage, and ordinary grass has just hatched Soft ((R. Mollissima) It has the largest purple flowers and large beautiful leaves 
Red (R. rubra) Begins flowering earlier than other cultivated species. Her varieties:
- Redstart and Barfield Pink have no leaf spots;
- Bowles has mild specks on the leaf blades;
- David Ward has a beautiful border around the edge of the sheet;
- Barfield Pink is distinguished by colors of various shades of pink and red
Gum-shaped (P. villarsae) The foliage of plants is covered with silvery spots that merge during growth and fill the entire plate. Flowers - purple and red 
Medicinal (P. officinalis) Differs in spotted leaves, but there is also a monochrome variation - imnaculata. Flowers have a variety of colors, can be blue, pink or white 
Narrow-leaved (P. azurea, or P. angustifolia) It has green, spotless leaves and blue or pink flowers. 
Long-leaved (P. longifolia) Has large leaves - from 40 to 60 cm. Varieties:
- Gevennenst has mottled dark green leaves;
- Lewis Palmer - greenish-white blotches on leaf blades;
- Bertram Anderson - silvery inclusions on the leaves;
- Gevennenst - merging spots;
- Majesty - solid light gray leaves with a green border
Sugar (P. saccharata) It has large mottled leaves. It is the most popular species with the largest number of varieties. The most common ones are:
- Mrs. Moon;
- Argentea Group;
- Dora Biekveld;
- Smokey Blue;
- Silverado;
- Pink Dawn;
- Samourai;
- Leopard;
- Golden Haze;
- Silver Shimmer's.
The differences between the varieties consist in the density and localization of silvery spots, which are located in the center, over the entire leaf area, or practically merge. Some varieties have a white, yellow or greenish border around the edge of the leaf blades. Flowers pink or blue
In Russia, the medicinal plant is most widespread in the Kaliningrad region. The flower loves moisture and shade. Grows in forests, ravines, among thickets of bushes.
Botanical Description:
- 1. Medunitsa officinalis is an ornamental plant with a height of 30–35 cm.
- 2. Rhizomes are well developed.
- 3. Leaves are cordate, green in color, odorless, bitter in taste. Their upper part is covered with hairs.
- 4. The flower looks like a bell. The color of the petals is varied. Varies from pink to deep purple. Flowering begins in late spring.
- 5. The fruit - 4 nuts pointed at the ends - is formed in the middle of summer.
The plant propagates using seeds and vegetatively. During the flowering of the lungwort, the person caring for it needs to remove the old leaves.
Medicinal lungwort
Preparation of medicinal raw materials
Lungwort is harvested during its flowering period. It tastes sweet, has a honey aroma. The stems of the plant are cut and tied in small bunches by hanging them out of the sun to dry or using a dryer set at 45 degrees Celsius.
If you dry the grass properly, it will be pale green, odorless. The taste is slimy, herbaceous.
Dried plant
Chemical composition and useful properties
The plant contains a large amount of biologically active substances that benefit the human body:
- vitamin C;
- rutin;
- carotene;
- macro- and microelements - iron, copper, potassium, manganese, silicon;
- tannins;
- alkaloids;
- saponins;
- tannins.
The leaves of lungwort, rich in ascorbic acid, are suitable for human consumption.
The plant contains iodine and a large amount of mucus, so decoctions and infusions from it are useful for respiratory diseases, asthma. Means based on lungwort help to improve immunity, help reduce sugar levels.
The medicinal properties of the herb are used in gynecology. Decoctions and tinctures are recommended for use in inflammatory diseases of the genital area in women. They are also useful for men, as they increase potency.
Travelers take advantage of the healing properties of this plant in hiking conditions. In mountain and lowland hikes, injuries often occur, in these cases, crushed leaves of lungwort and its juice are used to treat wounds and scratches.
Use in traditional medicine
Healing products based on a medicinal plant have found their application in traditional medicine:
- 1. Infusion. The remedy is recommended to be taken for angina, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, scrofulous rashes in children. To prepare it, 1-3 tablespoons of crushed lungwort raw materials must be poured with a glass of boiling water. Remove container in a dark place for 2 hours. Take 2-3 tablespoons 5-6 times a day. The infusion can also be used externally - for washing wounds at home.
- 2. Tincture. It is used in diabetes mellitus . To prepare the product, you need to fill a liter jar with chopped dried grass and pour the raw material with vodka. Insist for two weeks. Take 1 teaspoon diluted in 50 ml of boiled water 4-5 times a day before meals.
- 3. Condensed broth to strengthen immunity . Mix 2 tablespoons of dried lungwort, 1 liter of beer, 15 g of mountain honey. Boil the mixture in a water bath until its volume is halved, then strain. Take before meals, 4-5 times a day.
- 4. Infusion of herbal collection. The tool is used in the treatment of pneumonia. To prepare it, you need to mix in equal parts dried plants: lungwort, plantain, anise, oregano, mint and dandelion. Brew with boiling water. Insist. Take 100-150 ml 3 times a day.
- 5. Infusion for the treatment of toothache. Pour boiling water over 45 g of dried plant parts. Remove in a dark place for 2 hours. Rinse the throat and mouth with the ready-made infusion.
In the pharmacy, dried herb of medicinal lungwort is dispensed without a doctor's prescription.
Medicinal lungwort- has useful properties in the treatment of lung diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The medicinal properties of the herb medicinal plant have found application in recipes for the treatment of traditional medicine.
Latin name: Pulmonaria officinalis.
English names: lungwort, common lungwort, or Our Lady’s milk drops.
Popular name: water springs, spotted grass, pulmonary root, pulmonary grass, pulmonary grass, unclear lungwort, smoktunas.
Family: Borage - Boraginaceae.
Parts used: grass, roots.
Medicinal lungwort
Botanical Description: lungwort is a perennial plant belonging to the borage family. The erect and branched stem has short hairs. The lungwort does not grow higher than 30 cm. The rhizome of the plant is very developed and thick. The leaves at the top of the stem are sessile, while the lower leaves are on short petioles and have whitish spots. All leaves of the plant are rough and have fluff. The flowers of the plant are bells, which are located at the ends of the branches. The flowering period is a wonderful sight, because, in addition to the beautiful crimson flowers, you can also see purple or blue bells. The fruit of the plant is 4 nuts, which are pointed at the ends.
Habitat: Lungwort grows in the forests of Eastern and Central Europe (throughout Ukraine), in swampy areas and in the meadows of the British Isles. Grows among shrubs, mixed forests, groves, ravines, shady hills.
Collection and procurement: As a medicinal raw material for pharmacies, the herb of lungwort is collected in early spring during flowering, so flowering shoots (possibly together with leaves) are cut off at the very soil, after which they are folded in small bunches and hung in a ventilated room for drying. You can also dry raw materials in the sun or using dryers (the temperature should not exceed 40 degrees). It is important to dry the raw material quickly to help prevent blackening.
The roots of the lungwort are harvested in late autumn and dried for quite a long time. After drying, it is advisable to grind (grind) all parts of the plant and grind into powder. Dried raw materials are stored in dense fabric or paper bags.
Active ingredients: Lungwort contains vitamin C (about 30%), rutin, carotene, silicic acid (about 5%), half of which is in a soluble form, organic acids, mucus substances, sugar, quercetin, bornezit, kaempferol, potassium, iodine, manganese, silicon, iron.
Medicinal properties and application
In folk medicine, medicinal lungwort has found application as a means of treating diseases of the respiratory tract, stomach ulcers with increased acidity of gastric juice, diseases of the kidneys and bladder, urolithiasis, laryngitis. Medunica is effective for loss of voice as a result of inflammation and overstrain of the vocal cords.
The plant has hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and enveloping properties, reduces expectoration, and has diuretic properties. It has a beneficial effect on blood formation, improves protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
Photo of the plant Medunitsa officinalis Medunitsa medicinal preparations have found wide application for the treatment of inflammation of the prostate gland, urethritis, colitis, dyspepsia in children and debilitating diarrhea in the elderly.
Application in traditional medicine
Herb infusion recipe
- 2 teaspoons of herbs are poured with 200 ml of boiling water, insisted for 2 hours. The infusion is taken 3 times a day for 1 tbsp. spoon, until the patient is completely cured.
Infusion of lungwort herb is a folk remedy for prolonged cough, hoarseness, childhood tuberculosis, inflammation of the kidneys and urolithiasis, hemorrhoids. Outwardly, the infusion is used to restore the vaginal microflora, as well as for the treatment of skin diseases (the infusion will help relieve itching and irritation, not to mention the acceleration of "tightening" of non-healing wounds for a long time).
Herb decoction recipe
- 3 tablespoons of medicinal lungwort herb pour 400 ml of boiling water, leave for three hours, squeeze out the raw materials. Drink 100 ml 4-5 times a day.
A decoction of lungwort is a traditional medicine for the treatment of catarrh of the respiratory tract, colds, coughs, and gastrointestinal diseases.
Herb tincture recipe
- 30 grams of dry herb of medicinal lungwort are poured into 500 ml of vodka and infused for 14 days. A filtered remedy is taken, 2 teaspoons three times a day before meals.
Tincture of lungwort is a folk remedy for the treatment of bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, anemia.
Self-medication is dangerous! Talk to your healthcare professional before home treatment.
Medunitsa medicinal treatment
- Anemia... Pour a tablespoon of the herb with 400 ml of boiling water, wrap it up, leave for 1 hour, strain, top up to the original volume. Drink 70 ml 3-4 times a day.
- Leucorrhoea in women... 1 tbsp Pour 400 ml of boiling water over the herbs, wrap and leave for 1 hour, drain. For douching.
- Herpes... Brew 2 teaspoons of medicinal lungwort herb in a thermos with a glass of boiling water. Insist 45 minutes, drain. Take a glass 2 times a day. The course of treatment is 10-12 days.
- Diarrhea (diarrhea)... Grind 40 g of lungwort herb, pour 1 liter of water, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 30 minutes. Strain. Drink a decoction of a third of a glass a day.
- Lung disease... Pour 2 tablespoons of lungwort herb with 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes, strain, add honey to taste. Drink the infusion during the day in small sips.
Side effects... Drinking lungwort on an empty stomach can cause nausea.
Contraindications... Individual intolerance.
Medunitsa officinalis (lat.Pulmonaria officinalis) is a perennial herb of the genus Medunitsa, family Buranchikovye (Boraginaceae).
The people call the plant pulmonary, water springs, spotted grass, paired grass, medunka, smoktuniks.
The name pulmonary, by the way coinciding with the Latin "pulmonaria" (Pulmonaria) - "lung", is obviously associated with the use of plants of this genus for the treatment of lung diseases.
The name used in scientific and popular science literature - lungwort - coincides with the traditional Russian name of the genus and is associated with the melliferous properties of the representatives of the genus: the flowers of the plant contain a lot of nectar, moreover, this is one of the earliest melliferous plants.
In nature, there are about 15 types of lungwort, the most common are soft lungwort, narrow-leaved lungwort, unclear lungwort, which, to some extent, along with medicinal lungwort, are used for medicinal purposes.
As for the Buranchikov family, it has another medicinal representative described on our website - this is comfrey or larkspur, the second name of which speaks of the properties of healing bones and wounds.
Description of the plant
The stalk of the lungwort is erect, branched, covered with short hairs, no more than 30-35 centimeters high.
The lungwort has a thick, developed rhizome. The upper leaves are sessile, and below the stem they have a short petiole. The color of the leaves is green with small whitish spots. The leaves have velvety pubescence, the shape is ovoid with a pointed tip. Flowers are located at the top of the stem and are collected in corymbose, multi-flowered, drooping racemes. The flower is shaped like a bell.
At the beginning of flowering, the flowers are pink-crimson, but towards the end they become a bright blue-purple color. Their color depends on anthocyanin, which in young flowers shows a pink color, since the contents of their cells have an acidic reaction, and in aging flowers it is slightly alkaline. It is possible that the change in the color of the corolla is of informational value for pollinating insects, but the adaptive meaning of this phenomenon is not completely clear.
The lungwort blooms in May. After flowering, closer to the middle of summer, a fruit is formed - four nuts pointed at the end.
Due to the interesting property of changing color during the flowering period, Lungwort is widely used in landscape design and is cultivated as an ornamental plant in horticulture. In England, lungwort is specially grown as a salad plant.
Lungwort grows mainly in the forests of Eastern and Central Europe, in the marshy areas or meadows of the British Isles. On the territory of the Russian Federation, it is found not so often and, mainly, in the Kaliningrad region and the Caucasus. Lungwort also grows in certain regions of Belarus and Ukraine.
Procurement and storage of medicinal raw materials
Despite the presence of ornamental crops, wild lungwort is preferred when harvesting. Like the overwhelming majority of medicinal herbs, all parts of the plant are used in everyday life and medicine - flowers, roots, leaves and stems. Flowers, leaves and stems of lungwort are harvested in the spring and summer, and the roots - in the fall.
Drying of lungwort is possible both in suspended bunches, in a well-ventilated and darkened room, and in the unfolded state on conventional dryers for medicinal plants. The roots of lungwort are thoroughly washed before harvesting and only after that they are dried at a temperature of about 40C in drying ovens. The main criterion for the completion of drying is the brittleness of the starting material.
You can store dried grass both in glass containers and in ordinary cardboard boxes. The shelf life of medicinal lungwort is one year.
Biochemical composition, medicinal properties of lungwort
Medicinal raw materials contain tannins and mucous substances, carotene, ascorbic acid, rutin, traces of alkaloids, trace elements of the hematopoietic complex: manganese, iron, copper, iodine, potassium, silicon, etc. Initially, lungwort was used for 
treatment of lung diseases, but now the range of diseases amenable to the influence of the plant has expanded.
The lungwort has astringent, emollient, expectorant, diuretic, hemostatic, wound-healing properties. It relieves inflammation and pain, disinfects.
Due to the presence of a large number of trace elements, lungwort favors the processes of hematopoiesis, activates thiamine (vitamin B1), significantly improves protein, carbohydrate and water metabolism.
At the moment, lungwort can cope with diseases such as:
- Nervous disorders, insomnia, headache, epilepsy;
- Hypertension, rapid heart activity, poor circulation, tracheitis, anemia, vasculitis, anemia;
- Incorrect metabolism, pyelonephritis, gastritis, vitamin deficiency, colitis, urolithiasis and kidney stones;
- Tuberculosis, cough, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, respiratory catarrh, acute respiratory diseases;
- Inflammatory processes, ulcers, suppuration and abscesses, eczema, psoriasis, lichen, boils, abscesses, pigmentation disorders, diathesis;
- Hormonal imbalance, female inflammatory diseases, leucorrhoea, uterine bleeding;
- Bleeding of various kinds, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, diarrhea;
- Gum disease, goiter, laryngitis, hoarseness;
- Allergy, scrofula.
Medicinal lungwort improves the condition of the skin and enhances regeneration, strengthens hair, cleanses the blood, strengthens the immune system, regulates the secretion of glands, strengthens the capillaries and heart muscle. Thanks to her, the formation of tumors and blood clots, the occurrence of diabetes mellitus is prevented. Lungaria regulates acid-base balance and improves sexual function.
The use of lungwort in traditional medicine
Traditional healers use lungwort mainly in the form of a decoction, infusion, as well as lotions and compresses.
Infusion of lungwort: It is recommended to take for the treatment of chronic bronchitis, hoarseness caused by excessive overexertion of the vocal cords. The drug also helps with scrofulous eruptions in children, and can also be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of tuberculosis. For 1 glass of boiling water, you will need 2 tablespoons. chopped lungwort herb. Insist for an hour and take 1 - 2 tablespoons. several times a day.
Infusion of the plant (30-40 g per 1 liter of water) is very effective for bowel diseases (diarrhea), especially in combination with 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, 1 tablespoon of crushed comfrey root and 100 g of rose hips. The collection is poured in 1 liter of water in the evening, in the morning the swollen rose hips are rubbed and filtered twice. Take the entire serving by sips throughout the day.
Outwardly, an infusion of the whole plant is used to wash festering wounds, ulcers, boils.
Tincture of lungwort: take a liter jar and fill with fresh grass (pre-grind) half, if the grass 
dried, then by a third, and pour vodka to the full volume. Insist for at least 14 days in a dark place, shaking occasionally. You need to drink the finished tincture in 1 teaspoon, adding it to a small amount of water, 3-4 times a day before meals.
Condensed broth: to prepare the drug, you will need 1 liter of beer, 1 tsp. may honey and 2 tbsp. medicinal raw materials. Keep the mixture in a water bath until the volume of the liquid is halved, then remove from heat and strain. It is necessary to take the drug on an empty stomach (1 hour before meals), up to 4 times a day. The course of treatment can be 10 or more days, depending on the result obtained. The drug is recommended for use in mild cases of pneumonia, as well as for the treatment of bronchitis, laryngitis and tracheitis.
Pulmonary collection
Recommended for the treatment of obstructive bronchitis with an asthmatic component. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons each. calendula and linden flowers, coltsfoot herbs, tricolor violets, marsh rosemary, nettle leaves and marshmallow root, 1 tbsp each. elecampane root, elderberry flowers and pine buds. For 3 cups of boiling water, 3 tablespoons are required. herbal mixture. Insist in a thermos for 8 hours (it is recommended to cook in the evening). The filtered infusion must be drunk during the day, half a glass at a time.
Lungella from hemorrhoids
Collection: chamomile, lungwort, white clover, yarrow, veronica, nettle, white willow leaves, lingonberry leaf - all in equal proportions. For half a liter of boiling water (cook in a thermos), you will need 2 tablespoons. herbal mixture. Insist for half an hour, then strain and take 1/2 cup three times a day (warm up before use).
The drug is prescribed not only in the treatment of hemorrhoids, but also in the case of uterine fibroids. In the treatment of hemorrhoids, suppositories "Apilak" are additionally used (at night), and in the case of fibroids - douching and tamponade with celandine decoction (before bedtime).
Medunitsa in the treatment of joint diseases
To relieve pain and relieve inflammation, it is recommended to take an infusion prepared from 4 parts of knotweed herb, marshmallow flowers and bedstraw herb (2 parts each), lungwort, Veronica and hawthorn flowers (1 part each). For 2 cups boiling water - 3 tsp. herbal mixture. Insist 30 - 40 minutes. Take after meals 100 ml.
Herbal tea for bladder and kidney disease
To prepare the herbal collection, it is necessary to take in equal quantities well-crushed components - lungwort herb, plantain leaf, sage and wormwood herb, centaury grass. Mix everything well, then pour a tablespoon of this collection with a glass of boiling water and add 20-25 grams of honey. Then we put on fire and boil for 5-10 minutes. Cool, strain and drink a tablespoon before meals.
Lungwort vitamin salad
Fresh leaves and stems of the plant are prescribed for weakened patients in the early spring period, when there are no fresh vegetables rich in vitamins. A salad of lungwort for lunch or dinner is prepared as follows: the stems of the plant are collected, washed, chopped, sunflower oil or sour cream is added. The leaves and stems of lungwort in lettuce are often mixed in a 1: 1 ratio with gravilat leaves. This salad contains vitamins, which last year's vegetables are poor in early spring.
Contraindications to the use of lungwort
Medunitsa actually has no contraindications. However, when treating pathological conditions of the body with this medicinal plant, decoctions on an empty stomach should not be used. Since nausea may occur. It is not recommended to use lungwort for intestinal spasms, constipation and atony. Do not forget to consult with your doctor before treatment.
