Wheatgrass – composition, beneficial properties and contraindications. Creeping wheatgrass - medicinal properties and contraindications Which group does wheatgrass belong to?

In the article we discuss creeping wheatgrass. You will learn the chemical composition of the plant, the medicinal properties of wheatgrass and contraindications to its use. We will tell you how to prepare infusions and decoctions for the treatment of cough, diabetes, oncology, joints and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Creeping wheatgrass is a herbaceous plant of the Cereal family (lat. Gramineae). This weed reduces the yield of neighboring crops by drawing water and minerals from the soil.

Latin name: Elytrigia repens. Other names: dog grass, wheatgrass, ponyry, dandur, root-grass, grass-grass, dog-tooth, ortanets, grass-worm, grass-grass, grass-grass, plover. Look what creeping wheatgrass looks like in the photo. Appearance (photo) of creeping wheatgrass

What does it look like

The rhizome of creeping wheatgrass is long and horizontal with numerous secondary shoots. The root of wheatgrass penetrates to a depth of 5 to 15 cm. The shoots of the plant reach a height of 40 to 150 cm.

The leaves are flat, linear. The length of the leaf plate is from 15 to 40 cm, width - up to 10 mm.

Flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences of 3–8 pieces. The length of the spikelet is from 1 to 2 cm, width - 5-7 mm. The inflorescences grow on the axial stem and form a common spike from 7 to 30 cm long. Wheatgrass blooms from June to July.

The fruits are flat, long seeds. Creeping wheatgrass bears fruit from July to September.

Where does it grow

In the wild, the wheatgrass plant is found in Europe, Asia and North Africa. In Russia it grows almost throughout the entire country.

Creeping wheatgrass prefers fertile, moist soils. The plant is found in mountains and plains. Grows near other cereal crops. Loves wetlands.

Grass and rhizome

Wheatgrass and its rhizome are used as medicinal raw materials.. The beneficial properties of creeping wheatgrass are used to treat oncology, diabetes, diseases of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and musculoskeletal system.

Medicinal raw materials of wheatgrass can be purchased at the pharmacy in the form of dried leaves, stems and roots or in the form of a ready-made tincture and extract of the plant. At home, infusions and decoctions are prepared from dry raw materials.

Chemical composition

Wheatgrass contains:

• glycosides;
• carotene;
• essential oil;
• potassium;
• manganese;
• magnesium;
• zinc;
• iron;
• polysaccharides;
• organic acids;
• vitamin A;
• B vitamins;
• Sahara;
• triticin;
• mucus.

Medicinal properties

The herb and root of wheatgrass have medicinal properties. The medicinal properties and contraindications of wheatgrass lie in the chemical composition of the plant. Organic acids and glycosides strengthen the walls of blood vessels and normalize metabolism, polysaccharides increase immunity.

The plant has diuretic and laxative effects. Products based on it are used to treat constipation, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis.

The healing properties of wheatgrass root are used for bronchitis, pneumonia and ARVI. Decoctions and infusions of the plant have diaphoretic and expectorant effects.

When used externally, wheatgrass-based products are effective for osteochondrosis, rheumatism, gout and skin diseases. The plant has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and regenerating effects.

How to collect

Wheatgrass is harvested throughout the entire growing season. Rhizomes are collected in early spring or late autumn after the plant has completely flowered. The stems with leaves are cut with a sharp knife, the rhizomes are dug up, cleared of soil and washed under running water.

Medicinal raw materials are laid out evenly on a flat surface and dried in the open sun at a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees. Store creeping wheatgrass in paper bags or fabric bags for a year.

How to use

In folk medicine, the medicinal properties of creeping wheatgrass are widely used. Based on medicinal raw materials, you can prepare tea, decoction, tincture and freshly squeezed plant juice at home.

Depending on the disease, these remedies are taken orally or used externally in the form of lotions, compresses and rubbing. To enhance the therapeutic effect, medications and external procedures are combined. Let's look at the most common recipes based on creeping wheatgrass.

Cough infusion

Creeping wheatgrass can be purchased at a pharmacy. Infusion of wheatgrass has an expectorant and diaphoretic effect. The drug is taken 20-30 minutes before meals. If the drink is prepared in advance, you need to warm it up a little before drinking.

Ingredients:

1. Creeping wheatgrass rhizomes - 2 tablespoons.
2. Water - 500 ml.

How to cook: Grind the wheatgrass rhizomes, put them in a thermos and pour boiling water over them. Leave with the lid tightly closed for at least 8 hours. Strain the finished drink.

How to use: Take 150 ml of the drink 3 times a day.

Result: Wheatgrass infusion has anti-inflammatory and diaphoretic effects, effectively eliminates cough and clears the bronchi of mucus.

Decoction for the stomach

For disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, a decoction of creeping wheatgrass is useful. The drink is used to treat gastritis, ulcers, duodenitis and indigestion.

Ingredients:

1. Dry wheatgrass roots - 5 tablespoons.
2. Calendula flowers - 1 teaspoon.
3. Water - 250 ml.

How to cook: Pour water over the roots and flowers of the plants, place in a water bath and simmer under the lid over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove the broth from the heat, leave to steep for 2-3 hours, then strain.

How to use: Take ½ glass 3-4 times a day half an hour before meals.

Result: The drink has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. When taken regularly, it effectively restores the gastric mucosa and normalizes digestion.

Enemas for constipation

Wheatgrass has a laxative and anti-inflammatory effect. Enemas with a decoction of the plant are used for chronic constipation.

Ingredients:

1. Wheatgrass root - 60 tablespoons.
2. Water - 600 ml.

How to cook: Pour water over the medicinal raw material, place it on the stove and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, filter the broth and dilute it with water so that the liquid volume is 600 ml.

How to use: For an enema, use a warm decoction with a temperature of 36-37 degrees. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times a day.

Result: The procedure effectively softens stool. Ingestion of wheatgrass decoction enhances intestinal motility.

Bath for joints

A decoction of creeping wheatgrass is used to prepare medicinal baths for hemorrhoids and joint diseases. The procedure is contraindicated during the acute phase. After the acute process has stopped, baths can be taken daily.

Ingredients:

1. Wheatgrass roots - 60 gr.
2. Water - 2 liters.

How to cook: Cover the wheatgrass roots with water, place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer the liquid under the lid for half an hour. Filter the finished broth through a strainer or gauze and squeeze out the cake.

How to use: Add the resulting decoction to the filled bath. The duration of the procedure is 20−30 minutes. Take warm baths daily.

Result: The procedure eliminates pain, increases motor activity of joints, removes salts and toxins from the body.

Decoction for diabetes

A decoction of wheatgrass is used in folk medicine for the treatment and prevention of diabetes. The drink effectively normalizes metabolism and regulates blood sugar levels.

Ingredients:

1. Wheatgrass - 4 tablespoons.
2. Horsetail - 1 tablespoon.
3. Water - 5 glasses.

How to cook: Pour water over the herb plants, place in a water bath and boil until the volume of liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and strain.

How to use: Take 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day.

Result: The drink increases the body's defenses and normalizes metabolism. In combination with insulin-containing drugs, it regulates blood sugar levels.

Juice for oncology

Creeping wheatgrass juice effectively cleanses the body of waste and toxins and has a detrimental effect on pathogenic cells and neoplasms. The drink is prepared from fresh leaves and stems of the plant.

Ingredients:

1. Fresh wheatgrass leaves - 300 gr.
2. Water - 50 ml.

How to cook: Rinse the leaves of the plant under running water, sort them and remove damaged blades of grass. Place the greens in a blender and blend at maximum speed until the consistency of mush. Transfer the mixture to multi-layer gauze and squeeze out the juice. Add water and stir.

How to use: Take 2 tablespoons of the drink 3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 3 weeks.

Result: When taken systematically, the drink stops the development and spread of cancer cells and reduces the size of the tumor.

Contraindications

Contraindications for use of creeping wheatgrass:

• individual intolerance;
• children under 2 years of age;
• pregnancy period.

Before using products based on wheatgrass, you should consult your doctor. The specialist will select the dosage and course of treatment. Excessive consumption of herbal preparations leads to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

Classification

Creeping wheatgrass belongs to the genus Wheatgrass (lat. Elytrigia), the family Poaceae (lat. Gramineae). The plant belongs to the order Poaceae or Poaceae (lat. Poales), class Monocots (lat. Liliopsida), department Flowering or Angiosperms (lat. Magnoliophyta or Angiospermae).

Varieties

The genus Wheatgrass includes 14 plant species:

• elytrigia acuta;
• elytrigia elongata;
• elytrigia meotica;
• elytrigia repens;
• elytrigia tesquicola;
• elytrigia arenosa;
• elytrigia intermedia;
• elytrigia obtusiflora;
• elytrigia campestris;
• elytrigia juncea;
• elytrigia sosnovskyi;
• elytrigia corsica;
• elytrigia meotica;
• elytrigia mucronata;
• elytrigia stipifolia.

For more information about wheatgrass, watch the video:

Creeping wheatgrass infographics

Photo of creeping wheatgrass, its beneficial properties and application:
Infographics on creeping wheatgrass

What to remember

1. The medicinal properties of wheatgrass are used to treat oncology, diabetes, diseases of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and musculoskeletal system.
2. Plant-based products have anti-inflammatory, expectorant, diaphoretic, and diuretic effects.
3. Despite the minimal list of contraindications, wheatgrass-based preparations should be used strictly according to the instructions, without exceeding the dosage. Excessive consumption leads to symptoms of poisoning and intestinal upset.

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Today we will look in detail at the grass of creeping wheatgrass, medicinal properties and contraindications, what recipes are recommended by herbalists in folk medicine for various diseases, what food additives contain wheatgrass, how to prepare an infusion, decoction, tea, juice from wheatgrass, how to collect and store raw materials, you will find out what it looks like grass, having become acquainted with photos of the plant in different phases of development.

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A malicious pest - that’s what creeping wheatgrass was called in my childhood, a herb for universal cleansing of the body and renewal of joints - that’s how I know this unofficial medicinal plant now.

I will say one thing - I was not too lazy to take the juicer out of the pantry and passed a bunch of young stems with tender leaves through it for juice. There wasn't much of it there, but I liked it - it's not for nothing that all my animals gorge themselves on its young shoots (the shoots grew at the mowing site).

And I was motivated to the feat of squeezing the juice by a woman’s review of this plant, that thanks to 30 ml of wheatgrass juice a day, she got rid of deep wrinkles on her face, gray hair and joint pain. The wrinkles are actually smoothing out... and I have no joint pain.

Therefore, I decided that I needed to get to know it - wheatgrass - better and find out its benefits and harms, find out why it is so useful, what its chemical composition is, how wheatgrass root and leaves are used in folk medicine, the main recipes from them, and where else they are used plant.

When, as a child, I didn’t want to collect wheatgrass roots from a freshly dug bed and spoke badly about it, my grandmother told me a legend about this plant.

How wheatgrass saved the human race. Legend

There were once difficult times on Earth - dark forces were advancing that wanted to destroy the human race with hunger, cold and fire. All the men went to fight the orcs. Women, old people and children remained in the villages. They did not have enough strength to cultivate and plant arable land. But even those crops that women and children sowed with difficulty were destroyed by scoundrels, sending hurricanes, hail and droughts.

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And then the gods decided to help people - they scattered over the ground a plant called fire of the fields - Agropyron repens (the old name of wheatgrass), where agros - “field” and pyrum - “fire”. The fiery seeds, growing, released strong roots that pierced the soil like arrows, displacing all vegetation, and to this day no force can eradicate this plant. The orcs did not succeed either.

Wheatgrass helped people survive - they ate it, dried the roots, crushed and prepared jelly and soups, squeezed juice from green leaves and saved scrofulous babies (infected with Staphylococcus aureus), supported weakened old people with juice or decoction and put the beaten and wounded on their feet , since wheatgrass treated any ailment. Women ground the dried root into flour and baked bread, flatbreads, and pancakes from it. It’s not for nothing that it has other names - zhitets, zhitnyak, ryzhanets, orzhanets.

So, thanks to its vitality, this plant has more than once saved people from hunger and disease. Remember this when you are angry at the ineradicable roots of wheatgrass that has taken a fancy to your garden or summer cottage.

Over time, the old name of creeping wheatgrass Agropyron repens was changed to a new one - Elytrigia repens, but this did not make its beneficial properties disappear.

Brief description and biological features, photo

Creeping wheatgrass is a monocotyledonous grass with a long creeping rhizome and shoots. The foliage is flat, wide. The flowers are collected in a thick and large spike. The grass blooms in May and June. The fruit is a grain.

You can see what the whole plant and its individual parts look like in the photo below.

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What the plant looks like during and after flowering, as well as how the leaves are attached, their location on the stem is shown in this photo:

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The photo below shows the stems and white rhizomes of a freshly dug plant, a dense bush that stems and leaves form in meadows in nature, as well as a diagram of the structure of wheatgrass: spike and rhizome.

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The following image is a view of a wheatgrass spikelet at various stages of ripening and its fruit - a grain.

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The photo shows the depth of the rhizome and the width of its branching.

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The plant is popularly called root-grass, grass-root, worm-grass, dog-grass, plover. Below is a partial list of popular names for the plant.

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Distributed everywhere, prefers loose, moist, well-fertilized soils. Grows in floodplains, fallow fields, and sparse birch forests. It grows up to 120 cm in height, the rhizome spreads up to several meters in length.

The biological feature of wheatgrass is that its high rate of reproduction and growth requires a lot of moisture. It has good competition for living space. Causes inhibition of growth and density of cultivated plants.

Wheatgrass root releases toxic substances into the soil, which cause the death of beneficial plants. The weed effectively reproduces by seeds and parts of the rhizome, which lie superficially in the soil.

Capable of rapid germination. The shallow location of the roots and the absence of a dormant period for buds and seeds promotes both early spring shoots and shoots throughout the growing season.

Medicinal properties and contraindications, what is included in the composition, application

Let's look at why wheatgrass has medicinal properties and contraindications, and what its healing properties are.

Almost every plant has a huge list of medicinal properties, but there are always the main ones.

For wheatgrass, the main medicinal property is detoxification of the body, that is, cleansing of all age-related accumulations. As a result, an improvement in all metabolism, especially salt metabolism, and strengthening of the immune system.

This is facilitated by the high silicon content, which is so necessary for the absorption of many microelements and for the normal function of the musculoskeletal system, thyroid gland, intestines, and blood vessels.

Wheatgrass is not officially recognized as a medicinal herb in our country, that is, it is unofficially used in folk medicine, like many other herbs. It grows everywhere except the desert and those areas where there is no vegetation other than moss.

As a medicinal raw material, the plant is recognized in Switzerland and Germany.

It is actively used in folk medicine, and is sometimes used in scientific medicine. Proponents of a healthy diet use it in cooking.

Chemical composition

Rhizomes and green shoots are used for various purposes. The following substances were isolated from them:

• fatty and essential oils with agropyrene
• tricin polysaccharide, fructose, levulose sugar, inulin, inositol (muscle sugar) - up to 8% triticine, 3% each of mannitol and fructose, up to 8% inulin
• malic and ascorbic acid
• slime
• silicic acid
• pectin, valine
• microelements – Ca, Na, Fe

The plant contains sugars and vitamins. This enhances its beneficial properties. Instead of starch, wheatgrass contains triticin - a white powder, which, when its aqueous solution is heated with hydrochloric acid, turns into fruit sugar - fructose. Wheatgrass contains a little essential oil and a lot of mucus - up to 10%.

These substances are present in varying concentrations in the above-ground parts of the grass and in the rhizome.

When the plant blooms, it contains up to 9% protein, 30% fiber, up to 50% extractive nitrogen-free substances and 11% protein.

Silicon compounds improve blood vessels, increasing the elasticity of capillary walls, which makes wheatgrass preparations indispensable for older people - the fragility of capillaries is their scourge.

Also found in the rhizome are tannins that can remove radioactive isotopes from the human body.

To get acquainted with the nutritional value of wheatgrass, I suggest looking at the table of the chemical composition of the above-ground mass of hay from a wheatgrass meadow (it will enlarge when you click).

Root (rhizome) and leaves, their medicinal properties

Wheatgrass home remedies are made primarily from the root. Look at the photo of the rhizome - it is white and quite branched.

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The juice is obtained from the stems and green leaves, preferably before the plant blooms, from young shoots. In the photo there are leaves and stems of wheatgrass:

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The aerial part of the plant is used for gout and rheumatism, which is why it was previously called gout herb. A paste of leaves in the form of a compress can be applied to sore joints, wounds and bedsores.

Due to its rich chemical composition, the medicinal plant has many healing effects and has the following medicinal qualities:

1. diuretic and choleretic
2. painkillers and anti-inflammatory
3. wound healing
4. laxatives, expectorants and diaphoretics
5. enveloping and toning

The plant as a whole, and especially its root, has a positive effect on metabolism, on the state of the circulatory system, takes part in strengthening the vascular wall and has a blood purifying effect. Has little effect on the functioning of the endocrine gland.

Watch a video about why wheatgrass is so useful, especially its underground part:

Contraindications and side effects

Like any herbal preparation, wheatgrass should not be overused. This will lead to complications in the form of depression and weakness. There may be:

1. sharp pain in the kidney area
2. the outflow of urine is impaired
3. diarrhea (diarrhea) occurs
4. inulin can cause allergies
5. reduces blood glucose levels
6. long-term use can lead to a severe decrease in potassium in the blood

You should be careful when combining other medications with wheatgrass. Unpredictable surges in blood pressure, swelling of the throat and an itchy cough are possible - as a manifestation of an allergy caused by inulin.

Long-term use of wheatgrass may lead to hypokalemia (a critical decrease in potassium levels in the blood) due to its diuretic effect. To avoid this, you need to increase your fluid intake when treating with this plant.

Who should not resort to wheatgrass treatment:

• pregnant and lactating women - only because there is no data on the safety of wheatgrass during pregnancy and lactation
• for wheatgrass intolerance
• with low blood pressure
• for exacerbations of gastric ulcers and pancreatitis

Use the product with caution in children under two years of age. Preparations with wheatgrass should be used in the absence of chronic diseases and only after consultation with a doctor.

Folk recipes

Wheatgrass has been used in folk medicine since ancient times. Juice, infusions and decoctions are mainly obtained from wheatgrass. According to reviews from the population, when treated with wheatgrass preparations, a lasting healing effect is achieved.

It is used to treat inflammation of the lymphatic system, digestive tract, and circulatory system. Wheatgrass treats all skin diseases (especially furunculosis, eczema), dropsy, jaundice, rickets, lumbago, arthritis, gout, rheumatism.

Wheatgrass is successfully used for the treatment of infertility, hemorrhoids, and treatment of diseases of the respiratory system (pneumonia, bronchitis). The rhizome of the herb is used to treat hepatitis, diabetes, and diathesis.

The root herb plays an important role in food poisoning and in cleansing the blood of toxins (which leads to a reduction in skin rashes).

Decoctions

Treatment with decoctions is practiced for colitis, cystitis, treatment of cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, diabetes mellitus, gastritis, and colds.

For this purpose, 20-25 grams of root (4 teaspoons) are poured into 200 ml of boiling water and kept on low heat for another ten minutes. Let it brew for 1 hour. Take 25 milliliters before meals.

For furunculosis herbalists recommend drinking 100 milliliters three times a day of a strong decoction of the roots (1 tablespoon of raw material per glass of water). At the same time, take baths twice a week, adding a decoction - 2.5 spoons per bucket of water. The same baths are recommended for the treatment of eczema, diathesis, scrofula, and rickets. Baths are also recommended for the treatment of constipation and hemorrhoids, in a course of 10-12 procedures.

To improve vision You can prepare the following composition: pour 4 tablespoons of dried roots into 5 cups of boiling water, evaporate until the volume is reduced by a quarter, drink 25 milliliters several times a day.

Insect repellent can also be prepared from wheatgrass roots. Take crushed wheatgrass root (2 tablespoons) and pour in 1.5 liters of water. We prepare it like jam: boil and set aside until cooled - repeat the process three times until the broth acquires a light yellow hue. The liquid is ready for washing exposed parts of the body.

Infusions

An infusion of wheatgrass roots is an excellent remedy for coughs, to relieve cold symptoms, and to treat gout and rheumatism. I drink it as a diaphoretic.

To obtain an infusion, pour a full tablespoon of the raw material into two glasses (400 milliliters) of cold water, leave for about 12 hours and drink half a glass several times a day (3-4) after meals.
Wheatgrass infusions are used to make compresses and lotions for diathesis and other skin rashes. Sometimes infusions and decoctions are used for uterine bleeding.

Cleansing wheatgrass tea

As a type of infusion, you can make a cleansing tea. It is written above that the main medicinal property of the plant is detoxification of the body, that is, cleansing of all age-related accumulations. In essence, this is rejuvenation of the body.

At the same time, a person can lose up to 5 kg (with regular use of this drink), since deposits of salts, oxidized cholesterol, and various toxic substances from the blood are removed from the body.

How to make a classic cleansing wheatgrass tea?

Recipe: 1 teaspoon of crushed wheatgrass root is poured into 230 ml of boiling water. Cover the teapot with a lid and leave for 15 minutes. After the water extraction period has expired, strain the tea. For taste, you can add a slice of lemon and honey. Drink 3-5 glasses of wheatgrass tea throughout the day (for a month).

Tincture - classic recipe

Traditional tincture is made from fresh blended raw materials - leaves and roots. If you don’t have a blender, you can pass the collected wheatgrass parts through a meat grinder.

Transfer the crushed mixture into a jar and dilute with 40% alcohol (vodka) in a ratio of 1:5. Close the lid. Leave for three weeks, shaking the contents for better extraction. Strain and store in a dark bottle.

Take 20-50 drops three times a day 15 minutes before meals for the following diseases:

• bronchitis
• inflammatory processes in the urinary tract
• for kidney stones
• for the prevention of prostate adenoma

The tincture is stored in the refrigerator for a long time. You can also make compresses from it for pain in the joints, especially in the knee.

Health drink is what the juice is called in Western countries where it is popular. Use on an empty stomach and freshly prepared. There it is not boiled, since then chlorophyll is destroyed, the healing effect of which on the body is difficult to overestimate.

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For colds, rheumatism, gout, arthritis, and cholelithiasis, juice is prepared from the leaves, less often from fresh rhizomes. They are pre-washed well and scrolled. Mix in a ratio of 1/1 with cold water, filter through a cloth, then boil for about three minutes. Can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than two days.

Drink a glass of the resulting juice before meals, three times a day for 3 months. Enemas are used to treat hemorrhoids with juice. The juice is effective with uterine bleeding. It is recommended to drink half a glass of juice 3 times a day during heavy periods.

You can also use a little juice from the juice mixed in a 1:1 ratio with honey. improve vision. This heated mixture is taken for six months, a tablespoon three times a day.

As a side effect of the juice, one can note the improvement of the skin, especially on the face - the skin becomes elastic, deep wrinkles are smoothed out. Has a mild laxative effect.

An interesting effect of fresh plant stems on bad foot odor (due to excessive sweating). Just a week of simple manipulations - and the smell will disappear for a long time thanks to the antimicrobial effect of the herb essential oil. Every evening we weave the stems between our fingers and put on socks. In the morning, wash your feet and change your socks. And so on all week.

Herbal recipes from herbalist Alexander Pechenevsky

The action and recipes for preparing potions from a plant monoculture are described above. A greater effect can be achieved if you use several medicinal plants that enhance each other’s effects. I recommend these recipes for herbal herbal mixtures from Alexander Pechenevsky - for some common diseases.

Collection 1. Help the liver after chemotherapy
It is used not only by cancer patients - after large doses of chemicals, but also by those who have undergone a long course of antibiotics and other chemicals that have a detrimental effect on the liver and the entire body as a whole.

Mix the following 4 herbs in equal proportions:

1. wheatgrass rhizome
2. chamomile flowers
3. hernia herb
4. grass agrimony

Boil two tablespoons of crushed raw materials for 5 minutes in half a liter of water. Leave for an hour, then filter.

Take half a glass of decoction 4-5 times a day (before meals) for a month.

Collection 2. To restore strength in older people
Cleansing and removing toxins, improving liver and gallbladder functions. Wrinkles and bags under the eyes disappear, sleep and appetite improve. There is a general rejuvenation of the body.
To restore strength, it is enough to use it for 5 days.

Composition of the grass mixture (we take the crushed components in the same ratio):

• wheatgrass root
• calamus root
• liquorice root
• nettle herb (leaves)
• St. John's wort herb
• hawthorn fruit
• dog-rose fruit

Mix all gradients thoroughly. The finer they are crushed, the better the extraction will be.

Preparation of the decoction: take 4 tbsp. tablespoons of the mixture per 1 liter of water, cook for five minutes, remove from heat, cover the container with the infusion and leave to infuse for one hour.

We drink 200 ml of decoction with the addition of honey 30 minutes before meals - before each meal (3-5 times a day).

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There is one peculiarity of taking it - on the first day, do not eat food - only drink the decoction. In the next three days, you can eat as usual, but drink not 200 ml of broth, but 100 ml.

The healing drink can be consumed by everyone - in case of loss of strength and chronic fatigue, but is especially recommended for those over 60 in the spring.

Collection 3. For the treatment of organs of the musculoskeletal system
For the treatment of joints and the spine, general baths or foot baths are recommended. For them, prepare a mixture of the following 5 herbs (in equal proportions):

1. wheatgrass root
2. comfrey root
3. burdock root
4. black elderberry flowers
5. birch leaves

For a general bath, place about 200 grams of the mixture in a fabric bag and cook for 15 minutes in 5 liters of water. Leave until completely cooled and pour into a warm (37-39 degrees) bath with plain water. The course of therapeutic baths is 15 days, maximum 20, lasting 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

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Collection 4. For cancer
For cancer patients, in addition to the basic treatment prescribed by the doctor, the following collection of a large number of components is useful:

Data-lazy-type="image" data-src="https://prozdorovechko.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/pak1.jpg" alt="Collection for cancer" width="275" height="397" srcset="" data-srcset="https://i0.wp..jpg?w=275&ssl=1 275w, https://i0.wp..jpg?resize=208%2C300&ssl=1 208w" sizes="(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" data-recalc-dims="1">!}
As in other herbal mixtures, all ingredients are crushed and in the same ratio. Brew and drink like tea - 1 teaspoon of the mixture per 250 grams of boiling water. Leave until cool.
Take 1 time per day before meals for a month.

Collection 5. Diabetic tea
It helps regulate metabolism through insulin-like action and regeneration of endocrine pancreatic β-cells. Can be drunk on a regular basis as tea.

The ratio of components and composition of the collection is shown below:

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Thoroughly grind and mix all the active ingredients, take a teaspoon and brew with a glass of boiling water. Leave until completely cooled. It is better to make the infusion in a thermos overnight.

Possible slightly diuretic effect. Solves the problem of vision impairment in diabetic patients when taken regularly.

Application in traditional medicine

In Russia, before the revolution, the plant was harvested for pharmaceutical purposes. In many countries it is still used in pharmacopoeial preparations.

In official medicine, wheatgrass preparations are sometimes used in the treatment of the biliary and urinary tract as a diuretic. They also use its enveloping properties (it contains a large amount of mucus), hemostatic and laxative effects. And as a regulator of salt metabolism.

Wheatgrass can be found in pharmacies as part of a chest, diuretic, soothing tea. Dried roots of the herb called “Creeping wheatgrass” are also sold separately.

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Dietary supplements containing wheatgrass

Let's look at some dietary supplements using wheatgrass root that exist on the market.

In Europe and the USA, dietary supplements are prepared from the rhizome. In Germany, Switzerland and Poland, medicinal diuretics and bronchodilators using wheatgrass extract are produced.

Wheatgrass root is part of the American dietary supplement Tiro-Vita NutriCare. The drug eliminates the imbalance of hormones in the endocrine system, and also has a positive effect on other internal secretion organs (pituitary gland, adrenal glands, prostate). Its main effect is to eliminate iodine deficiency in the body and cleanse the intestines.

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The rhizome is used in dietary supplements NatureLax (Naturalaks) from NSP. The food supplement enhances the production of digestive juices and the secretion of bile, normalizes the intestinal microflora and restores its motility.

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There is a Ukrainian food supplement for normalizing joint functions Comfort. Prevents destruction and promotes restoration of cartilage tissue.
I was personally convinced of its effectiveness. Mom’s joint pain went away, and the crunching in my knees stopped.

Jpg" alt=" Phytocomplex Comfort - composition" width="500" height="282" srcset="" data-srcset="https://i0.wp..jpg?w=500&ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp..jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" data-recalc-dims="1"> Если состав виден нечетко — кликните на картинку.!}

There are other dietary supplements that contain wheatgrass. I cited those with which I am personally familiar and which are quite effective with long-term use. You can add another Econika dietary supplement - Wheatgrass Extract. It cleanses the blood and removes salts. Its composition and appearance are shown in the photo below:

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Found in pharmacies, online stores, and health food stores.
Let's consider the method of use and dose of this dietary supplement.

1. Internal use.
Prophylactic dose - 0.5 grams per day, therapeutic dose - 1 gram per day.
Preparation of the solution: pour 0.5-1 grams of powder into 200 ml of boiling water and divide into two doses. Drink warm 2 times a day during 30 minutes of meals for ten days. Reapply after a week break. Repeat the course 2-3 times.

2. External use.
The recipe for preparing the decoction described above can be used for compresses on inflamed areas or for gargling, as well as for taking baths for skin diseases (two servings of the solution per bath of warm water is enough).
Dry powder is sprinkled on fresh open wounds and scratches to disinfect and heal.

All nutritional supplements require accumulation in the body and time to start the process when the body itself corrects chronic diseases - the supplement itself simply helps it start this biocorrection.

Use of rhizomes in a healthy diet

The plant is actively used in cooking by supporters of a healthy diet. In times of famine, the resident saved people from hunger. Fresh roots are put into soups and salads are prepared. As a side dish for meat and fish, fresh rhizomes are fried in oil.

Eating zhitets helps lower cholesterol in the bloodstream. Raises hemoglobin and is used in nutritional therapy for the treatment of anemia.

Now I will give examples of wheatgrass dishes and their recipes - for lovers of healthy eating. I especially like the casserole.

I offer two casserole recipes and both are delicious! Ever since I fell in love with a blender, I try so many dishes.

Casserole recipe 1. With wheatgrass and herbs. Wash fresh rhizomes well and boil in salted water. After cooling, you need to grind them with a blender or meat grinder.

Add finely chopped parsley and dill, onion or garlic. Transfer to a baking container and pour over beaten eggs with cream and spices: pepper, turmeric, a pinch of dried ginger. Place in the oven and bake.

Jpg" alt="Casserole from fresh wheatgrass roots" width="500" height="476" srcset="" data-srcset="https://i0.wp..jpg?w=500&ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp..jpg?resize=300%2C286&ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" data-recalc-dims="1">!}
For baking, it is better to take a small but deep vessel.

Casserole recipe 2. With wheatgrass, potatoes and mushrooms. Wash the fresh wheatgrass root, dry it slightly to drain, cut it and fry it in a frying pan in oil. When they change color from white to yellow, add diced carrots, onions and mushrooms.

You can take champignons, or, if possible, a Shiitake mushroom, which will significantly increase the usefulness of the dish (it must be pre-soaked). Mix everything thoroughly and lightly fry along with the wheatgrass roots.

We don’t fry the potatoes, but grate them on a coarse grater and place them on a small, oiled, deep cast iron pot. Place fried vegetables with wheatgrass on top of the potatoes.

Separately, whisk together the milk, egg, and spices and pour into the cauldron, stirring lightly. Sprinkle with herbs and sesame seeds on top. Place in a preheated oven. When the casserole is slightly browned, take it out and sprinkle grated cheese on top. Place in the oven again until golden brown. Serve the casserole with wheatgrass and mushrooms hot.

See the photo below for the ingredients for the casserole.

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Recipe taken from here. True, I slightly changed the process of preparing the dish - I simplified it and checked it.

Salads

Salads are made from both green shoots and roots. They are used fresh and in powder form (root extract).
1. Salad with beets and wheatgrass. If the digestive tract is disrupted, a salad with beets and wheatgrass will help.

• from fresh wheatgrass roots 100 g
• sorrel 50 gr
• beets 100 gr

The salad is salted to taste, your favorite spices are added and seasoned with sour cream. The salad has a slight laxative effect.

2. Salad with Jerusalem artichoke, wheatgrass and honey. Cook and finely chop the wheatgrass roots in an amount of 150-200 grams. Grate two or three Jerusalem artichoke tubers, season with 1 tablespoon of honey.

Mix the ingredients and sprinkle nuts on top, chopping them in advance (walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds). You can sprinkle with vanilla sugar for taste.

Bread and cereals

In winter, dry rhizomes are used, which are ground and added to porridge. Bread and pancakes are baked by adding powder to flour. You can grind the rhizomes yourself, or you can use Econika’s dietary supplement - Wheatgrass Extract (described above). Wheatgrass makes ordinary bread or porridge healthier.

Recipe for hunting wheatgrass bread. Boil the root, pass through a meat grinder or blender, add yeast and milk. You can add a little sugar, but the rhizomes are sweet enough as is. Leave overnight for the fermentation process.

In the morning, knead the dough: add 1 egg to the fermented mixture and mix in the flour, bringing the dough to the required thickness. Divide it into palm-sized pieces and bake in the oven or on the coals of a fire.

Soup

It is prepared like a regular soup, and 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add fresh chopped rhizomes to it along with parsley and dill.

Beverages

Drinks made from ground rhizomes have a good tonic and invigorating effect.

Wheatgrass coffee. To prepare them, dried rhizomes are fried in a preheated oven at a temperature of 150º for 15-20 minutes, then crushed and wheatgrass coffee is obtained.

In Bavaria they make beer using wheatgrass instead of hops. This drink is recommended for people weakened by illness. You can simply drink it as a tonic drink. I am sharing the recipe described by E. Al-Shimari, “Your 6 acres”:

Place 4 kg of chopped rhizomes in a large ceramic container. Moisten the roots with warm water to keep them moist, but drain off excess water.

We are waiting for small sprouts to appear on the roots. Then add 1 kg of crushed juniper berries, 2-2.5 kg of sugar and 70 g of brewer's yeast to the sprouted rhizomes. Pour 4 liters of warm water into the container and mix. The next day add another 7.5 liters of warm water, and on the third day another 9 liters.

The container is not tightly closed so that gases can freely escape during fermentation. On the sixth day, the resulting wort is filtered and poured into bottles or jars. Drink a glass a day as a rejuvenating and cleansing product with a pleasant taste.

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Juice, squeezed from the leaves and rhizomes of the crop, is a good remedy for combating excess weight. Freshly squeezed liquid is diluted in a small amount of water and drunk 0.5 glasses four times a day.

Wheatgrass smoothie or personal way of eating wheatgrass

I like to make smoothies from wheatgrass - I’m sharing my personal experience. I use the young above-ground part of the plant - stems and leaves. I collect a small bunch of them while I walk the dogs in the field.

There I also add rosehip petals to the grass (more for the smell and taste), if they have already faded, then I collect purple clover heads. I can pick young leaves of cherries, raspberries, and currants.

At home, I wash everything thoroughly, put it in a blender container and add either a banana - then the smoothie is sweet and very tasty, or cucumber and cilantro, lemon - this is me losing weight... Before turning on the blender, I add 100-150 ml of clean water.

I drink this healing drink in the morning - one glass before meals. This year I'm especially keen on wheatgrass - last year Jerusalem artichoke was my favorite. I will return to it in the fall - it is ripening under the loggia.

Use of the plant for animals

Wheatgrass can cure not only humans, but also animals. Cats and dogs eat wheatgrass leaves; it has a pronounced anthelmintic effect. Animals also use eating grass leaves to mechanically cleanse the stomach, causing vomiting.

In addition to medicinal purposes, the rhizomes of the herb are used as food and vitamin supplements for domestic animals. Used to feed cattle.

Preparation and storage

Most often, rhizomes are used to obtain raw materials, because this part of the plant contains a larger number of useful substances. Harvesting is carried out in early spring or autumn during digging. During these periods, the level of healing substances is maximum.

When preparing raw materials, you should pay attention to the appearance of the grass. Sick plants with plaque need to be discarded. They may be infected with fungus and will harm your health.

The rhizomes are dug up, separated from the leaves and washed. First, they are dried in the sun for a day, then dried, spread out in a thin layer, in the fresh air. You can also dry it in special dryers at a temperature of 70˚, stirring and turning occasionally. The finished raw material is odorless and has a sweetish taste.

The whole raw material mass is placed into glass jars for storage and well sealed. Finished raw materials can be stored for 3 years without loss of beneficial qualities. Do not use after the expiration date to avoid harm to health.

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Summary of the article. Today you learned what plant, like wheatgrass, has medicinal properties and its contraindications, got acquainted with its biological composition, found out how the root and leaves of wheatgrass are used in folk and official medicine, their basic recipes, how to properly collect and store raw materials.

Do you have health problems, but don’t want to take pills? Consult your doctor and try treatment with wheatgrass preparations.

If the article was useful, click the social media buttons and share with your friends: it’s useful for them, but it’s nice for me. Thank you in advance and stay healthy!

One sure sign that a plant is significant to people is its large number of different names. Wheatgrass is known as doggrass, rootgrass, wormgrass, dandur, dogtooth, ortan, duckweed, and grassgrass. And when you read this list, you can’t help but think - it’s just wheatgrass, a weed, where did it get so many different names, what did it do to deserve it? And did he deserve it at all? These are the questions we will look for answers to in this article.

How to recognize wheatgrass and where to find it?

Wheatgrass is characterized by a thin rhizome of considerable length, which has many branches and shoots that quickly divide and grow underground. Creeping wheatgrass has a straight, bare stem reaching a height of 120 centimeters. The leaves of the plant are dark green, 1 centimeter wide and 40 centimeters long.

The flowering time of this inconspicuous plant is from June to July. Inconspicuous small flowers are collected in spikelets that grow up to 15 centimeters in length. And wheatgrass bears fruit in July-September.

In our country, creeping wheatgrass is very common, growing in fields and meadows. It is also found in our gardens, and it is found so often that it is considered a weed, which many gardeners stubbornly struggle with.

Ortanets grows not only here in Russia, but also in Europe - doctors in Switzerland and Germany know about its beneficial properties.

Wheatgrass collection

The most useful part of wheatgrass is the rhizome. It, like, should be collected in mid-autumn or early spring. The rhizomes must be carefully washed, cleaned and dried in a cool, dark, ventilated room. You can use a special dryer or oven (in this case, the rhizomes must be turned over periodically).

Harvested wheatgrass is stored in wooden boxes or bags for up to two to three years. Protect the medicinal collection from various pests.

A little about the composition

The medicinal properties and contraindications of wheatgrass are determined by its composition. The rhizome contains salts of many micro- and macroelements, organic acids, mucous substances, vitamins A and B, essential oils, and is rich in fructose, gum, lactic acid, tannin and a host of other substances useful to humans.

Not only can we appreciate the wonderful properties of wheatgrass, it also serves as food for most herbivores. And some birds also peck wheatgrass seeds.

Use in folk medicine

For treatment, rhizome is usually used, and in more rare cases, wheatgrass is used.

It is worth noting that, although wheatgrass root does not have any particular contraindications, it is better to discuss treatment with your doctor before using any medicine prepared from it.

A decoction and infusion prepared from wheatgrass rhizome stimulates expectoration of sputum and mucus, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the urinary tract and digestive system, stops bleeding, purifies the blood, and reduces pain.

Wheatgrass is used to cure colds, pneumonia, rheumatism, diseases of the liver, biliary tract, heart, kidneys, and digestive tract.

The additional value of dog grass is given by the fact that it can effectively cleanse the body of the negative effects of radiation. The rhizomes and stem of this plant contain sufficient tannin to remove toxins from the body.

A common problem today is osteochondrosis. Wheatgrass can also help you to some extent, removing excess salt. That is why Ortan is indispensable for all kinds of joint diseases.

In addition, creeping wheatgrass has found use in folk medicine due to the fact that a decoction from it has a good effect on all kinds of edema.

Since dog grass is an excellent blood purifier, drinking its juice is recommended for allergies and various rashes. Wheatgrass extract is a component of many medications for skin diseases. For abscesses, acne, and barley, use a decoction of rhizomes, and also take medicinal baths with this decoction.

There is even an opinion that wheatgrass helps cure diabetes.

Medicines made from wheatgrass rhizomes normalize metabolism in people with disorders of this kind. A decoction of rhizomes, prepared in milk or water, can help with pulmonary tuberculosis. Children are treated with a decoction and baths of wheatgrass for eczema and diathesis.

Wheatgrass decoction, according to some reviews, has a beneficial effect on patients with incomplete vision loss.

For frequent constipation, drink the broth, do enemas and take sitz baths in it.

Recipes

Infusion

To obtain an infusion of wheatgrass, you need to pour two tablespoons of dried rhizomes of the plant into 500 ml of hot, just boiled water, and leave to infuse in a thermos or in a saucepan wrapped in a towel for 6 hours.

Decoction

To obtain a healing decoction, 2 tablespoons of dried wheatgrass roots should be boiled in 1 liter of water long enough for half of the liquid to evaporate.

Napar

The steam of the plant's rhizomes is prepared in the same way as the decoction, but it turns out to be more concentrated. It takes 100 g of dried rhizomes, pour 1 liter of water and boil until half of the liquid evaporates from the container.

Therapeutic baths

To prepare a therapeutic bath, you need to prepare 100 g of dry wheatgrass and burdock roots in advance, place them in a large container, pour 5 liters of boiling water and boil for another 10 minutes. The finished broth should be poured into a bath of water. Such baths, if taken at least once every 7 days, give excellent results for a variety of skin diseases. The duration of the bath should be about half an hour, and the water temperature should be about 37 degrees. For a more noticeable effect, you can combine baths with ingestion of the decoction.

Contraindications

There are no contraindications to the use of creeping wheatgrass as such, but we can give one piece of advice - strictly follow the indicated dosage, take care of your kidneys. Well, of course, before using any medicines, even from herbs, even from such beneficial herbs as wheatgrass, you should consult a doctor.

Genus: Wheatgrass (Elytrigia).
Family: Cereals (Gramineae).
Latin name: Elytrigia repens.
Common names: lifer, wheatgrass, duckweed, cowgrass, plover, dog's tooth, wolf's tooth, fire of the fields, root-grass, dog-grass, worm-grass.

Description.

Creeping wheatgrass is a perennial herbaceous plant, known mainly as a malicious weed, but in addition to the fact that this grass annoys gardeners and gardeners, it, like almost any plant, also has beneficial properties.

The structure of creeping wheatgrass

The rhizome of creeping wheatgrass is horizontal, cylindrical, straw-yellow. It can reach a length of 15 m and penetrate the soil to a depth of an average of 5 to 15 cm, sometimes up to 1 m.

The leaves are most often blue-green or grayish, narrow-linear in shape, flat, rough, alternate. The leaves are 15-40 cm long, 3-10 mm wide at the base and 2-10 mm higher along the stem.

The stem is erect, bare, leafy, hollow inside. Its height varies from 40 to 150 cm, but as a rule, 60-100 cm.

The flowers have green scales and are collected in straight, long, narrow spikes. There are usually 5-10 flowers in a spike, and it is 7-15 cm long. The spikelets are collected into a sparse spike from 10 to 30 cm long. The spikelets and lower flower scales gradually taper towards the apex and turn into an awn.

One plant of creeping wheatgrass can produce up to 10,000 seeds, which remain viable in the soil for about 12 years.

The fruit of wheatgrass is a filmy, elongated, hairy, boat-shaped grain.

It reproduces mainly by rhizomes.

Distribution and habitat

Creeping wheatgrass grows in wastelands, fallow lands, forest clearings, along forest edges, near roads, in meadows, arable lands and vegetable gardens. It is difficult to eradicate due to the fact that the rhizome is long, creeping, knotty, and pieces of its roots do not die when cut and produce new shoots. But outside the soil, wheatgrass rhizomes quickly dry out and die.

Prefers humus-rich, moist, loose sandy and marshy soils.

It occurs frequently in nature. Very common in Russia in the temperate zone. It is also found in the temperate zone of Western Europe and other continents.

Flowering and harvest time

The plant blooms in June - July, its fruits ripen in July - September.

Wheatgrass root has medicinal properties. It is collected in early spring or autumn during soil cultivation (late August - September). Dry the raw materials in dryers at 60-70 °C or in air under a canopy. Since gradually dried material is very easily affected by mold fungi and, naturally, in this case becomes unsuitable for use, it is often mixed. The shelf life of raw materials is 2 or 3 years. The taste of the raw material is sweetish, there is no smell.

Chemical composition

The beneficial properties of creeping wheatgrass are determined by its unique chemical composition.

The root part of wheatgrass and its juice contain many carbohydrates (triticin), mucus and saponins, many mineral salts, especially potassium, silicic acid and iron, vitamins A and , as well as organic acids.

Application and beneficial properties of creeping wheatgrass

Preventive and medicinal properties of the herb

The beneficial properties of wheatgrass are as follows: the plant has diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, mild laxative, tonic, enveloping, anti-inflammatory properties. Regulates disorders of carbohydrate, mineral and lipid metabolism (action of inositol). Helps strengthen the vascular wall.

Indications for use are:

colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, rheumatism, heart disease, liver (hepatitis, cirrhosis), biliary tract, kidney, urethra, cystitis, gastritis, colitis, edema, fever, bladder neurosis, jaundice, partial loss of vision, anemia, rickets, furunculosis, acne.

Contraindications for use

Like all medicinal plants, wheatgrass has contraindications for use.

So, it is better to refrain from using wheatgrass in case of hypotension, acute pancreatitis with diarrhea, or exacerbation of gastric ulcer. In addition to the fact that you need to remember about contraindications, you should avoid overdose of drugs prepared using wheatgrass. In case of overdose, pain in the kidney area may occur.

Traditional medicine recipes. Preparation and use of medicines from creeping wheatgrass

A decoction of wheatgrass root, an infusion of rhizomes, as well as juice from its root, stem and leaves have medicinal properties.

A decoction of wheatgrass rhizomes is prepared as follows: 25 g of dry raw materials are boiled over low heat in 0.25 liters of water for 10 minutes, left for 1 hour, then filtered.
Instructions for using the decoction. Take 3 times a day, 1 tablespoon before meals. The decoction is also used externally (in the form of baths) for eczema, furunculosis and exudative diathesis.

An infusion of wheatgrass rhizomes is prepared as follows: 10 g of dry raw material is infused in 400 ml of chilled boiled water for 12 hours, then filtered. Then you need to pour 200 ml of boiling water over the rhizomes for 1 hour and strain through 3 layers of gauze. Both infusions are mixed.
Instructions for using the infusion. Take half a glass after meals 2-4 times a day.

Wheatgrass juice is squeezed from fresh rhizomes (April - early May, or in the fall), stems and leaves. Before use, the grass and roots are washed in running water, scalded with boiling water and passed through a meat grinder, then diluted with water (1:1), squeezed through a thick cloth and the juice is boiled for 3 minutes. Take 3-4 times a day, 0.5-1 glass 20-30 minutes before meals. Course 3-4 months.

Creeping wheatgrass is a perennial plant that is the most famous representative of the genus Wheatgrass of the Poaceae (or Cereals) family. It is especially well known to people who have summer cottages, gardeners and gardeners as a malicious weed that grows everywhere. Like some other weeds (for example, dandelion, burdock, cowgrass, plantain), creeping wheatgrass has medicinal properties known since the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. The rhizome and less often the leaves of the plant are used as medicinal raw materials. They have diuretic, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, expectorant and laxative effects. You can find creeping wheatgrass in many countries of Asia, North Africa and Europe, with the exception of desert and dark areas. Among other names of the plant are known: absinthium, wolf's tooth, dog grass, rye, wheatgrass, fire of the fields.

Botanical description

Creeping wheatgrass is an unpretentious herbaceous plant that is found in gardens, vegetable gardens, wastelands, meadows, fields, forest clearings and edges, under fences, and near roads. It is easily propagated by rhizomes and seeds. Even from a very small fragment of rhizome that has at least one living bud, a new plant grows.

Interesting: Wheatgrass is a difficult to eradicate weed that poses a big problem for vegetable gardens and agricultural land. Just 10 plants per 1 m2 of land sown with wheat can reduce the yield of this crop by an average of 500 kg per hectare, which is associated with the active absorption of moisture and nutrients from the soil by the weed.

Common wheatgrass has a long (up to 15 m), creeping, cord-like rhizome, located horizontally underground at a depth of 5–20 cm, depending on the type of soil, with numerous adventitious roots and branches. The tops of its branches bend upward and reach the surface of the soil, forming new individuals. Despite the fact that the rhizome is quite thin, it is distinguished by its high strength and rapid growth. It can penetrate boards up to 3 cm thick and potato tubers. Young wheatgrass roots are white, while old ones are yellow-brown.

The stems of the plant are erect, reaching a height of 20 cm to 1.5 m (on average 60 – 100 cm). They are naked on the outside, without pubescence, and hollow on the inside.
The leaf arrangement is regular. The leaf blade is flat, with parallel veins, narrow-linear in shape, 15–40 cm long and up to 1 cm wide, rough on the upper side. The leaves are colored green or bluish-green, grow vertically from the root, partially covering the stem with their bases and forming a leaf sheath.

Creeping wheatgrass blooms from May to July. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, yellow-green, located on the tops of the stems, collected in 4-10 pieces in spikelets, forming an inflorescence complex spike 10-30 cm long. Each flower has 3 stamens and 1 pistil.

The fruits ripen from August to September and are filmy, hairy grains up to 1 cm long, enclosed in fused floral scales. Each fruit contains one seed.

Chemical composition

The rhizomes and grass of creeping wheatgrass are used for medicinal purposes, which is due to the high content of various beneficial compounds in these parts of the plant. Among them:

• fatty and essential oils;
• silicic and organic acids (lactic, malic);
• mono- and polysaccharides (levulose, fructose, starch, inulin, fiber, pectins);
• gums and mucus;
• glycosides;
• saponins;
• vitamins (carotene, ascorbic acid, inositol);
• proteins and amino acids;
• minerals (K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Na, Ca, Zn).

Medicinal properties

Widespread use in folk medicine is due to the discovery of the following medicinal properties in wheatgrass:

• anti-inflammatory;
• diaphoretic;
• expectorant;
• bile and diuretic;
• antiseptic;
• enveloping;
• hemostatic and wound healing;
• tonic;
• pain reliever;
• laxative.

The diuretic and anti-inflammatory effect of the plant allows it to be successfully used for dropsy, edema of various etiologies, urolithiasis and inflammatory processes of the urinary system (nephritis, cystitis, urethritis). Wheatgrass helps with cholelithiasis, pathologies of the biliary tract and gallbladder, liver diseases (hepatitis, cirrhosis, fatty degeneration) and inflammatory diseases of the digestive system such as gastritis, colitis, enteritis. It increases appetite, restores metabolism, normalizes intestinal function and is effective for constipation.

As a diaphoretic, restorative, nourishing and restorative remedy, wheatgrass is used for anemia, colds, and fever. Thanks to the expectorant effect, its decoctions and infusions relieve coughs and increase sputum discharge during coughs, acute and chronic bronchitis, and tuberculosis.

Wheatgrass root also exhibits medicinal properties in relation to the cardiovascular system, it helps cleanse the blood, reduces cholesterol levels, strengthens blood vessels and increases the elasticity of capillary walls. In this regard, products based on it will be especially useful for older people.
Internally and externally in the form of lotions, compresses and baths, wheatgrass products are used as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory for rheumatism, radiculitis, gout, joint diseases, and osteochondrosis. When applied topically, infusions of the plant's rhizomes are effective in the form of lotions and rubs for skin diseases, boils, eczema, dermatitis, acne, and in the form of sitz baths and enemas for hemorrhoids and inflammatory processes in the rectum.

Interesting: Wheatgrass received the popular name “dog grass” due to the fact that it is very readily eaten by cats and dogs, especially those who are sick or lack vitamins when living in an apartment.

Blank

In the summer, fresh rhizomes can be used to prepare medicines, and during the rest of the year, dried ones can be used.

The rhizomes of creeping wheatgrass are collected in autumn or early spring. They are removed from the ground, shaken off soil residues, cleaned of small roots, stems and foreign impurities, then washed with cool water. The prepared rhizomes are dried, spread out in a thin layer, in the fresh air, in the sun, preferably in windy weather, or in a dryer at a temperature not exceeding 60 °C. During the drying process, the rhizomes are periodically turned over. The degree of readiness of the raw material is determined by bending the rhizomes. They should fold easily at an acute angle, and not bend.

Dried raw materials have a sweetish taste. Store it in fabric bags or wooden boxes in a dark and dry place for no more than 2 years.

Methods of application

In folk medicine, rhizomes and wheatgrass are used in the form of decoctions, infusions and freshly squeezed juice. These products should be consumed before meals. The plant is added to various herbal infusions and teas, which you can prepare yourself or purchase at the pharmacy.

In addition to medicinal use, some people use this plant in cooking. Ground rhizomes are used to make flour for baking bread, cakes, gingerbread or making beer, and cereals for porridges. Chopped fresh or boiled rhizomes are added to salads, soups, casseroles, fish and meat dishes.

Decoction for hemorrhoids, constipation, inflammation of the rectum and sigmoid colon

Chopped rhizome in the amount of 2 tsp. pour a glass of boiling water, boil for 5 - 7 minutes over low heat and leave for an hour. The resulting decoction is used before bedtime in the form of microenemas with a volume of 30–60 ml or consumed orally, after diluting it with boiled water 10 times, 30 ml three times a day.

Remedy for skin diseases

Wheatgrass and burdock rhizomes (100 g each) are placed in a large enamel bowl and 4–5 liters of hot water are poured. Boil for 10 minutes. The broth is cooled, filtered and poured into a filled bath with a water temperature of 36 - 37 ° C. Take this bath for 30 minutes once a week.

In parallel with the baths, a decoction prepared from 1 tbsp is consumed inside. l. rhizomes and 200 ml of water in the manner described above.

Infusion for gout, joint diseases, osteochondrosis

The rhizomes of the plant (2 tbsp.) are crushed, pour ½ liter of boiling water and leave for 10 - 12 hours in a tightly closed container. Strain and take half a glass three times a day. It is better to prepare this infusion in the evening so that it infuses overnight.

Wheatgrass juice for gallstone disease

The grass with pieces of rhizomes is washed in cold running water, cut into pieces, doused with boiling water and ground in a meat grinder. The resulting mass is half diluted with water, squeezed through a thick cloth and boiled for three minutes. Take 15–30 ml three times a day. The resulting product can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

Decoction for diseases of the urinary system

Dried crushed rhizomes (2 tbsp) are poured with 200 ml of water, boiled for 10 minutes, covered with a lid. Leave for 4 hours and filter. Take 15 ml three times a day.

Precautions

The widespread use of the plant in folk medicine is due to its availability, as well as the fact that, along with the valuable medicinal properties of creeping wheatgrass, there are very few contraindications to its use. Products from it should not be used by children under 2 years of age, nursing and pregnant women, people with individual intolerance or allergies to this plant.

Warning: An overdose of creeping wheatgrass may cause pain in the kidney area, diarrhea, and depression. If such symptoms appear, taking medications from it should be stopped immediately.

Medicinal properties, preparation and methods of use of creeping wheatgrass:

All materials on the website are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any product, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!