Thallus cetraria. Application of Icelandic moss
Instructions for use:
Cetraria Icelandic or Icelandic moss is a perennial lichen belonging to the Parmeliad family.
Description
The plant is a symbiosis of two microorganisms - algae and fungi. Both microorganisms are so closely related to each other that they represent a single integral organism.
Cetraria moss is outwardly erect bushes with irregularly ribbon-like blades, narrow, leathery-cartilaginous, reaching 0.3-0.5 cm in width, and 10 cm in height, greenish-brown in color, with short dark cilia. The edges of the blades are slightly curved towards the top.
Sometimes apothecia, or fruiting bodies, plate-shaped with a slightly serrated edge, brownish tint develop at the ends of the lobes. In apothecia, bags with spores develop. Spores are colorless, unicellular, epileptic, 8 spores in each bag.
Distribution of the Icelandic cetraria
Cetraria moss is widespread in Australia, America, Asia and Europe. Occurs in Central and Northern Europe, in the forest zone and tundra of Siberia, in the Ukraine - in the Carpathians. In Europe, it grows in the Alps, Pyrenees and Balkans. In the northern part of Russia, it is more common in the European part. Grows in the mountains of the Far East, Sayan, Altai and Caucasus. Typical of barren open spaces and pine forests. It grows in the tundra, in the highlands (up to an altitude of 1500 m above sea level and above), on grassy and rocky areas, in mountain forests, high-mountain glades.
Tsetraria prefers sandy unshaded areas, forming clean thickets. It can be found in heather thickets, where it grows in small groups, and in marshy areas.
Collection and procurement of medicinal raw materials for cetraria
For medicinal purposes, dried cetraria thallus is used. It has a bitter-slimy taste and a faint peculiar smell. The thallus is dried in the shade or in the sun, spreading it in a thin layer on a cloth or paper. The procurement of raw materials is carried out mainly in the summer.
Raw materials are stored in tightly closed jars or paper-lined boxes in a dark, dry, cool place.
Chemical composition
The study of the chemical composition of cetraria began several hundred years ago, and today it is quite well studied.
Thallus consists mainly of carbohydrates, among which there is isolichenin, lichenin, umbilicin, mannitol galactomannate, chitin, sucrose, erythritol, hemicellulose and others.
Thallus of Icelandic moss is capable of accumulating up to 80% of polysaccharides, which dissolve when extracted with hot water, forming a thick mass. When hydrolyzed, lichenin gives glucose.
Cetraria moss contains organic acids, which are called lichen. It is the acids that give the plant a bitter taste and determine its antibiotic and tonic properties.
In addition to acids, the thallus contains proteins, gum, wax, fats, vitamin C, vitamin B12, pentacyclic triterpene Friedelin, naphthoquinone (juglone), minerals and pigments.
An interesting fact - Cetraria moss contains antiscorbutic vitamin C in an easily digestible form, and it remains in a dried plant for three years.
The use of Icelandic cetraria in folk medicine
There is evidence that the plant was used for medicinal purposes in ancient Egypt, two thousand years BC.
In the Middle Ages, the Icelandic cetraria was widely used in folk medicine in the Nordic countries - Sweden, Norway, Iceland. It has been used as a coating agent for bronchitis and colds.
In the form of decoctions and infusions in the Scandinavian countries, the plant was used to stimulate appetite, and also as a tonic, nutritive and emollient.
Icelandic cetraria was widely used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, laryngitis, whooping cough, bronchial asthma, bronchitis and other bronchopulmonary diseases.
Cetraria moss was used for malignant neoplasms, bleeding, and also as a means that can suppress excessive sexual excitability in women.
Outwardly, in the form of lotions, Cetraria was used for ulcers, wounds, burns, abscesses, acne, boils, and microbial eczema.
The use of Icelandic cetraria in official medicine
As a medicinal raw material, the use of Icelandic cetraria began in the 17th century. During the second half of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries, the use of cetraria moss in official medicine was very widespread. This plant has been a traditional remedy for pulmonary tuberculosis, and the thallus has been used in many medicines.
The first pharmaceutical preparation based on lichen acids was created in the 50s of the 20th century in Germany and was called Evozin. It had antimicrobial activity due to the presence of usnic and severnic acids in it. He was prescribed to treat lupus erythematosus and other diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms.
Against pulmonary tuberculosis, German scientists proposed the drug Eosin-2, which, in addition to usnic and severnic acids, contained such lichen acids as caperatic, physodic, atronaric.
From skin diseases and tuberculosis have successfully used a mixture of streptomycin and usnic acid.
In Japan, an antibiotic from cetraria has been developed for the treatment of actinomycosis.
In therapeutic practice, Icelandic cetraria also found application, due to its expectorant and emollient properties, due to the high content of mucous substances in it. It is used for many bronchopulmonary diseases.
In Finland, a patented method of obtaining a remedy for rhinitis, cough and asthma from cetraria, using dandelion, extracts from the herb of yarrow, cinquefoil rhizomes, coltsfoot herb, willow bark, bearberry leaves, and juniper fruits.
In the USSR in 1956, a preparation of sodium usninat based on usnic acid was obtained, which was used as an antimicrobial agent in the treatment of cracks, burns and wounds. Sodium-based usninate was released medicinal product Balsam Binan. 
Many other drugs are known, which include cetraria:
- Bronchical plus for children (cough syrup);
- Bronchialtee 400 (tea drink used for colds);
- Isla-Mint Pastillen (cough lozenges);
- Salus Bronchial-Tee (tea for inflammation of the respiratory organs);
Contraindications to the use of Icelandic cetraria
The use of Icelandic cetraria and preparations with its content is contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation, with stomach ulcers, as well as with gastritis with high acidity.
The healing properties of Icelandic moss, recipes, reviews on the use were first described in the folk herbalists of Sweden, Norway, Iceland. Scandinavian peoples used cetraria for colds, indigestion, to strengthen the body after exhaustion. Also, infusions were used to treat the skin for burns, cracks, wounds. In the twentieth century, the antibacterial properties and anti-tuberculosis effect of lichen were discovered. It is included in the pharmacopoeia of many countries, including Russia. It is used to prepare syrup, lozenges, creams and balms for external use.
Features of Icelandic moss
What is Icelandic lichen? How to harvest it correctly and where to collect it? What are the beneficial substances and pharmacological properties of this plant? Does he have any contraindications?
Botanical characteristic
Icelandic cetraria. Botanical illustration from the book "Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen", 1887.
From a botanical point of view, the correct name for this plant is lichen, not moss. In fact, it is a living organism that consists of green algae and mushroom filaments. It is a small bush no more than 15 cm high - forked, with leaf thallus, curved, grooved blades resembling deer antlers. The color of the thallus can be different: olive green, brown, greenish gray, brown, light brown, with white splashes. It depends on weather conditions and area. Thallus are attached to tree trunks, old stumps or the ground with special hairs (rhizoids). Refers to polymorphic species, that is, its color, the size of the blades depends on light and humidity.
Cetraria moss grows slowly and only in an ecologically clean area. Lichen reacts to contaminated soil, water, air. This is a kind of indicator of environmental cleanliness. If the natural ecosystem is disturbed, Icelandic moss does not grow and gradually dies out.
Area
What is the distribution area of \u200b\u200bdeer moss? He loves high-mountain tundra, forest-tundra, peat bogs, swamps, coniferous forests with open sunny areas. It takes root on rocky soil. In addition to the Eurasian continent, it is found in Africa, Australia and North America. Where does it grow in Russia? Most often it can be seen in the forest-tundra zone of Siberia, in the tundra of the Far North, in the Far East, in the highlands of Altai and Sayan. In the European part, lichen can be found in the Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, Kostroma and Bryansk regions (Russian Polesie), in the forests of Karelia.
Blank
Icelandic cetraria forms thickets, often grows with other lichens. Due to the fact that this valuable species is slowly growing and dying out due to unfavorable ecology, a sparing collection is recommended. How to carry it out?
- Time. Best harvested in summer or autumn. It is important that the weather is dry. Wet lichen is extremely difficult to dry. Some healers believe that the plant can be harvested all year round.
- Method. You need to choose dense thickets (layers) of lichen, but you should not remove everything completely. Moss is picked by hand, it breaks off quite easily from the soil or stump, then it is well cleaned of sand and earth. Do not wash before drying!
- Drying. Dry moss needs to be dried quickly in order to preserve useful substances in it as much as possible. Healers advise drying the lichen in the wind and open space. However, excess sunlight negatively affects the healing properties of the plant. In humid weather, it can be dried on verandas and attics.
Raw materials are laid out in linen bags, protected from sunlight and dampness, stored for 2 years.
pharmachologic effect
The healing properties of Icelandic moss:
- antibacterial;
- enveloping;
- expectorant;
- calming;
- emollient;
- choleretic;
- fortifying;
- tonic;
- appetizing;
- wound healing;
- immunostimulating;
- cleansing.
Useful material:
- carbohydrates;
- mineral salts and trace elements;
- mucus (lichenin, isolichenin);
- bitterness;
- fats;
- wax;
- volatiles;
- organic acids.
The nutritional properties of lichen are attributed to its high glucose and galactose content. It is not only a medicine, but also an energetically valuable food that can save you from hunger in the tundra. In addition, the plant is famous for its high content of enzymes, vitamins B and A, iodine. Usninova organic acid it contains a natural antibiotic.
Indications
When is Icelandic moss treatment most effective? For what diseases is it most often prescribed?
- Icelandic cough moss... This is the main use of lichen, recognized not only in folk but also in scientific medicine. Usnic lichen acid prevents the growth of tubercle bacilli, therefore it is the most effective herbal remedy for tuberculosis. It can also be taken for chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthmawhooping cough. Tsetraria softens the obsessive cough, relieves its attacks. In addition, it can suppress staphylococcal, streptococcal activity, helps with a viral and bacterial runny nose.
- For digestive disorders... Icelandic cetraria contains a lot of mucus, which has an enveloping, soothing effect. Therefore, it is useful to drink it with inflammation of the digestive tract, indigestion. An effective remedy for stomach ulcers, infectious diarrhea. Acts like choleretic, improves digestion due to the high content of enzymes and bitterness, increases appetite, stimulates intestinal motility.
- External use of Icelandic lichen... For sore throat (sore throat, pharyngitis, laryngitis) and oral mucosa (stomatitis, gingivitis), rinse procedures are prescribed. Also, decoctions and infusions are used to treat purulent wounds, burns, cracks, cuts, boils, skin rashes with allergies.
- Benefits for men... In folk medicine, lichen is drunk to increase potency. They are also treated with bacterial prostatitis and others bacterial infections urogenital area.
- For women . The folk remedy is not widely used in gynecology, however, with bacterial colpitis, it can be included in complex therapy... Also, the remedy is taken with mastopathy.
- For children . It is useful to drink for bronchitis, whooping cough, to relieve attacks of severe coughing. However, a doctor's consultation is required before use. Also can be used for local treatment - skin treatment for atopic dermatitis, wounds, burns.
- General tonic. Laboratory research showed that usnic acid also has immunostimulating properties. The remedy strengthens the immune system, it is prescribed after operations and serious illnesses to restore the body and fast tissue regeneration.
What are the contraindications for Icelandic moss? These include autoimmune diseases, individual intolerance. Although childhood, pregnancy and lactation are not included in the list of contraindications, mandatory medical advice is required before use. It is also important to remember that usnic acid is a toxic substance. In case of an overdose, a long course, digestive disorders, pain in the liver are possible.
Preparation of home remedies and pharmaceutical preparations
What is the use of Icelandic cetraria at home? What medicines can be bought at the pharmacy? What kind dosage forms can you cook it yourself?
Pharmacy preparations
Decoction
Used internally and externally. Drink for all of the above diseases. For external use, more concentrated decoctions are acceptable.
Preparation
- Take 1 tbsp. l. dry raw materials.
- Pour 2 cups boiling water over.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Strain.
Take warm in the form of 1 tbsp. spoon 3 to 5 times a day. Also, the broth is taken for weight loss.
How to brew Icelandic moss for a cough
- Take 2 tsp. raw materials.
- Fill with a glass of cold water.
- Bring to a boil over low heat.
- Strain.
You can drink 1 glass 2-3 times a day. It is useful to take this tea with honey or prepare it in milk instead of water. Also, when coughing, it is recommended to drink a mixture of herbs in equal parts: Icelandic moss and coltsfoot. It is especially useful to drink in the morning: it relieves coughing attacks, promotes the discharge of stagnant sputum. For whooping cough, it is recommended to prepare tea from cetraria and thyme (1: 1); for stomach ulcers - with flax seeds (1: 1); with impotence - with lemon balm, orchis, toadflax; in case of joint diseases - with melissa, lime, birch, lemon balm in equal proportions.
Infusion
How to prepare Icelandic cough moss without boiling it? For this, the raw materials are poured cold water and only bring to a boil. Infusions are recommended to be taken in case of diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. They are also drunk as a tonic, tonic and sedative.
Infusion recipe
- Take 4 tbsp. l. raw materials.
- Pour in ½ liter of water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Insist 10 minutes.
- Strain.
You can take 1 tbsp. l. 3-5 times a day. When cooled, the infusions and broth turn into a jelly-like mass (jelly).
Tincture
Can be used internally for diarrhea, gastrointestinal diseases, severe attacks cough, to strengthen immunity and normalize appetite. Topically used as an antiseptic for the oral cavity and skin.
Preparation
- Take 50 g of dry crushed raw materials.
- Pour a glass of alcohol 60 or 70%.
- Insist in a dark place for 7 days.
- Strain.
You can take 15 drops, 3 times a day. For children alcohol tincture contraindicated.
Cosmetology
What is the use of Icelandic moss in cosmetology? This remedy is prescribed internally in the form of decoctions or infusions with problem skin faces: acne, acne, boils. Cetraria is prized for its antiseptic, tonic, emollient and antibacterial properties. Water infusions for problem skin can be used as a lotion. The lichen contains a huge supply of vitamins and minerals - vitamins of group B, A, iron, nickel, manganese, zinc, boron, molybdenum, copper. Therefore, it is useful to drink tsetraria decoctions to strengthen hair.
Cetraria (Icelandic moss) is a natural antibiotic and antiseptic. It is most often prescribed for respiratory diseases - bronchitis, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, whooping cough. In addition, the agent helps with inflammation of the digestive tract, quickly recovers strength after a serious illness, and strengthens the immune system.
Cetraria Icelandic or Icelandic moss belongs to the perennial lichen of the Parmelia family.
Description
Icelandic cetraria is a symbiosis of algae and mushrooms. They are a holistic single organism due to the close relationship between these microorganisms.
Perennial foliate lichen, external form - erect bushes with characteristic irregularly ribbon-like blades (less often spread), narrow and flat, leathery-cartilaginous, reaching a height of 10 cm, width - 0.3-0.5 cm, having short dark cilia , color - greenish-brown, there are shades of brown, it all depends on the lighting, at the base there are reddish spots, shiny or matte on the underside, sometimes of the same color or lighter on both sides.
The underside of the plant is covered with abundant white spots (pseudocyphelams) - their shape is different. The edges of the blades are curled slightly upward. Apothecia (fruiting bodies) sometimes sprout at the ends of the blades - they have a brownish tint, plate-shaped with a weakly pronounced jagged edge. Bags with spores develop directly in apothecia. Epileptic spores, unicellular, colorless, each bag contains 8 pieces.
Cetraria Icelandic, like most representatives of the genus Cetraria, is characterized by too slow growth compared to other types of lichens. Quite difficult to create favorable conditions, algae and mushrooms equally satisfying.
Lichens of the genus Cetraria are distinguished by intercalary growth, which makes the Icelandic Cetraria resistant and capable of survival, because almost all parts of the lichen are quite capable of giving development to new individuals.
Cetraria moss is found in America, Australia, Asia and Europe, in some places in Central and Northern Europe, in the Carpathians in Ukraine, the forest zone of Siberia, in the tundra, in principle, throughout the entire northern hemisphere up to the Arctic belt.
Tsetraria loves unshaded sandy areas, often forming clean thickets, but it also grows in the highlands, on rocky and grassy areas, in mountain forests, on peat bogs. It comes across in small groups and in heather thickets, in marshy areas.
Icelandic Cetraria develops exclusively in ecologically clean regions. It is a kind of cleanliness indicator for industrial industrial areas, which can be used in solving environmental issues global scale.
Chemical composition
To date, the chemical composition of cetraria has been studied quite well, since
they began to study it hundreds of years ago. A large number of biologically active substances are synthesized in Icelandic cetraria.
The thallus contains mainly carbohydrates: lichenin, mannitol galactomannate, isolichenin, erythritol, chitin, sucrose, umbilicin, hemicellulose and others. Among the capabilities of Icelandic moss thallus is the accumulation of up to 50 - 80% of polysaccharides, endowed with the ability to dissolve when extracted with hot water, while forming a mass of thick consistency.
Lichenin is a linear polysaccharide, gives glucose when hydrolyzed, does not turn blue from iodine, dissolves in hot water.
Isolichenine has a similar chemical structure, tends to dissolve in cold water, turns blue from iodine.
In the moss of cetraria, organic acids are present, called lichen. It is to them that the Icelandic Cetraria owes its bitter taste, and it is they that determine its tonic and antibiotic properties.
In addition to acids, the thallus contains: gum, proteins, ascorbic acid, fats, wax, pentacyclic triterpene Fridelin, vitamin B12, minerals, pigments and naphthoquinone (juglone). Cetraria moss contains antiscorbutic vitamin C, and in an easily assimilated form, which remains unchanged in the dried plant for 3 years. The discovery of this fact was made by the doctor Granatik, of Russian origin, who had worked for several years in the north of the Far East.
Pharmacological properties
Icelandic cetraria is characterized by biologically active substances that have a softening, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect.
Icelandic moss polysaccharides are endowed with the ability to protect the mucous membrane respiratory tract from the adverse effects of chemical factors.
The majority of microbiological researchers at that time focused only on individual isolated lichen acids and only later discovered a manifestation of pronounced antimicrobial activity individual lichen acids. This is especially true of usnic acid, which has a strong antibiotic activity. Moreover, its sodium salt in the case of a dilution of 1: 2,000,000 significantly suppresses the spread of mycobacterium tuberculosis and gram-positive microorganisms (streptococci, staphylococci).
Usnic acid is about 3 times inferior to streptomycin in its antibacterial activity. The effect of lichen extracts on gram-positive acid-resistant bacteria has been proven. And only a few - for certain gram-negative species.
When studying medicines made from cetraria, pharmacists found that in the case of a decoction, cetraric acid passes into water, while usnic acid does not pass. In small doses, usnic acid is quite capable of killing tuberculosis pathogens and individual gram-positive bacteria.
The active antimicrobial factor of cetraria is fumaro-protocetrariic acid. German scientists consider it a powerful immunomodulator that activates the immune system.
D-protolichesteric acid in the form of salts and in the free state is active on Helicobacter pylori (at 16 - 64 μg / ml). This factor explains
therapeutic efficacy of Icelandic moss in case of treatment peptic ulcer 12 duodenal ulcer and stomach.
Naphthoquinones, contained in small amounts in Icelandic cetraria, exhibit high antifungal and antibacterial activity.
The sedative effect is shown by mucus and acids, as components of moss.
Protolichesteric acid and pentacyclic triterpene Fridelin exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, protolichesteric acid is an inhibitor of arachidonic acid 5-lipoxygenase, as a result of which the synthesis of leukotrienes is suppressed, namely, they are important mediators of inflammation.
Clinical application
The first pharmaceutical product was produced in Germany in the distant 50s. It was made on the basis of lichen acids and was called Evozin. Thanks to usnic and severnic acids, it had pronounced antimicrobial activity. They were treated clinically for lupus erythematosus and diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms.
German scientists for the treatment of tuberculosis created the drug Eosin-2, which included, in addition to usnic and severnic acids, lichen acids: physodic, atronaric, caperatic.
A mixture of streptomycin and usnic acid was used to treat skin diseases and tuberculosis.
For the treatment of actinomycosis, an antibiotic drug from lichens was created in Japan.
Icelandic moss, because of its expectorant and emollient properties, is an excellent remedy for diagnoses and debilitating coughs.
The drug sodium usninat, developed on the basis of usnic acid, is an effective antimicrobial agent in the treatment of burns, wounds, cracks. Presented in the form of oil and alcohol solutions... It should be noted that the bacterial flora present on the surface of the wound decreases rather slowly and disappears, despite the beneficial effect of usnic acid directly on the regeneration process of infected wounds and is observed until the end of complete epithelialization.
The drug Binan showed activity on different strains of hemolytic staphylococcus and Staphylococcus aureus. Stable during storage, had high bacterial activity, but was quite toxic.
Recommended for the treatment of infected wounds (especially large surfaces) as an external agent. But, despite its effectiveness, the Binan drug never found its application in medical practice.
When considered to be quite promising for local application crushed thallus cetraria, made in the form of tablets. After the operation on the nasal cavity on the 1-5th days, the patients were applied with the application of tablets made from moss. In patients, when using 10 tablets (0.48 g) per day, drying of the mucous membrane, traces of plaque on it, symptoms of inflammation of the oral mucosa, tongue and lymph nodes, hoarseness and pain... With this treatment side effects was not observed.
A decoction of lichen is often used as a soothing, enveloping and wound-healing agent. With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it demonstrates a pronounced curative action, including for digestive disorders, diarrhea, gastric ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer. An alcoholic extract of cetraria relieves pain in patients with a diagnosis of gastric ulcer, directly related to food intake, which was established during clinical research... A similar effect is explained by the enveloping property of the drug. Before preparing the broth, the thallus of cetraria should be soaked in cold water to get rid of the bitterness. Then pour 2 teaspoons of chopped thallus with 2 glasses of cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, strain and drink the whole broth during the day.
The bitterness present in the Icelandic moss broth normalizes digestion and stimulates the appetite. Therefore in rehabilitation period, after serious illness, a decoction of cetraria is used as a general tonic. True, in gastroenterology the bitterness of Icelandic moss was not widely used due to problems with the raw material base.
Previously, there was an opinion about the nutritional properties of the cetraria broth, since the carbohydrates contained in it (isolichenan, lichenan) are easily absorbed by the body, but further research did not confirm this assumption.
Contraindications for use
Icelandic cetraria is contraindicated for:
- gastritis with high acidity;
- stomach ulcer;
- pregnancy;
- lactation period.
Collection and procurement of medicinal raw materials
For medicinal purposes, a dried thallus of cetraria is necessary, with a weak peculiar smell and a bitter-slimy taste. Raw materials are procured, as a rule, in the summer or autumn. When harvesting, the thallus of cetraria is torn from the substrate, cleaned of impurities, then dried in the sun or in the shade, laying it out in a thin layer on paper or fabric.
For long-term storage, use boxes with paper lining or tightly closed cans, which are placed in a dark, cool and dry place. The dry thallus of cetraria, soaked in water, should acquire a slimy consistency, and the broth itself should turn into jelly after cooling.
Medicines
As a syrup with Icelandic moss, vitamin C and chamomile and vitamin C.
In 5 ml (equivalent to 6.5 g) syrup: ascorbic acid, liquid extract chamomile flowers, liquid extract of Cetraria Icelandic.
It is indicated for colds and flu, for bronchitis - acute and chronic, for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract with cough, the dosage is three times a day for 1 tbsp. spoon, before meals.
The syrup is packaged in 100 ml vials.
Bronchialtee 400 - Tea Granulate
100 g contains: 7 g of sage leaves, 10 g of thyme herb, 5 g of marshmallow, linden flowers and Icelandic moss, 5.4 g of thick aqueous extracts with 10 g of fennel fruits.
Indicated for acute and chronic bronchitis, colds, it is recommended two to three times a day, one cup of tea.
Isla-Mint Pastillen - Cough Lozenges
As part of 100 mg or 160 mg aqueous extract Icelandic moss.
Indicated for dry mucous membranes, hoarseness, irritating cough, for maintenance therapy of bronchial asthma, bronchial catarrh, recommended - repeatedly a day for 1-2 lozenges, while slowly dissolving.
Salus Bronchial-Tee - Tea
In 100 g of tea: 11 g of Icelandic moss, 15 g of fennel fruits, 12 g of linden flowers and knotweed herb, 4 g each of mullein flowers, deaf nettle and marigold, 6 g of primrose flowers, 13 g of thyme herb, 19 g of raspberry leaves.
It is indicated for the relief of cough in case of inflammation of the respiratory system and catarrh, for thinning mucus. Recommended a day - 4-5 times one glass of hot tea.
Toxicology
Daily administration of 0.1-1.0 sodium usninate did not harmful influence on the human body. But in the case of a daily dose of 3 g, pain occurred in the liver area,
stopping with decreasing dose.
Lichen plants are perceived by many as a weed crop. Others are simply indifferent to them, considering moss an indispensable attribute of cold regions. But there are also those who know about the healing properties of representatives of the botanical class of lichens, among which the cetraria or Icelandic moss is especially valued. It is worth talking about her wonderful qualities in detail.
Morphological description
Icelandic moss is a lichen plant native to the European continent as well as Australia and Africa. Like all lichens, cetraria chooses tree stumps, rocky surfaces, or soil for the substrate. It can be found in pine forests, tundra, mountainous terrain, but cetraria also grows in swampy areas. A favorite place for her are sandstones and peat bogs, grassy slopes or well-lit mountain ranges. Wherein cetraria grows only in conditions of high ecological purity.
Icelandic lichen is a perennial plant that has a gripping shape. Its leaves appear as flat, narrow ribbons twisting in different parts. The color and shape of moss depends on the conditions in which it grows and ranges from brown to green to even whitish-beige.
Cetraria reproduces vegetatively, asexually and sexually and grows extremely slowly, which distinguishes it from other representatives of lichen.
For medicinal purposes, the thallus of the plant is used, harvested mainly in the fall. The cleaned Icelandic moss is dried either industrially or naturally (in the air). Dried lichen preserves healing properties within 24 months if stored in a cool dry place.
Chemical composition
You can understand why lichen has healing properties by carefully studying it chemical composition... It has been established that the plant tissues contain elements exhibiting biological activity. Most often, water preparations are prepared from it, since this method of processing Icelandic moss promotes the active transition of glucose, carbohydrates and nutrients into the liquid.
The high nutritional value of cetraria is also scientifically explained: the thallus contains approximately 80% polysaccharides. At the same time, the use of the plant noticeably improves peristalsis and the state of the gastrointestinal mucosa, which is explained by the presence of chitin in it, which exhibits the qualities of a sorbent.
The bitter taste of Icelandic moss is the result of the presence of lichen organic acids in its tissues.
In particular, it is usnic acid, a natural antioxidant that has a high antibacterial and antimicrobial effect. It is its presence in the cetraria that makes it possible to use the plant for the treatment of tuberculosis and other diseases caused by the activity of gram-positive bacteria. The plant also contains mucus, proteins, natural wax, gum, triterpenes, vitamins, a number of trace elements and naphthoquinone.
Beneficial features
Collected independently or purchased in a pharmacy, the raw material of Icelandic lichen in crushed form has active healing properties. In pure form, Icelandic moss can be used as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent for the treatment of wounds, burns and bacterial skin lesions. But most often in medicine, aqueous solutions (decoctions, teas, infusions) with cetraria are used. They are indicated for all diseases of the respiratory system, including asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis, and pneumonia.
The plant has a strong mucolytic effect - it quickly liquefies phlegm accumulated in the bronchi and lungs and promotes its discharge. And biologically active substances protect the mucous membrane from the addition of repeated infections and the negative effects of other factors.
Pharmaceuticals and folk remedies from Icelandic moss are widely used in therapy for inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasal and oral cavity: stomatitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, etc. The main form of application is rinsing and inhalation.
The slimy texture of lichen-based decoctions helps to normalize the condition of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract during an exacerbation of chronic diseases.
It has a natural anesthetic effect, so patients with ulcers consume cetraria with food, which eliminates the pain symptom when eating food due to mucosal lesions. The natural bitterness of Icelandic moss activates appetite and normalizes digestive processes. A decoction from the plant strengthens the immune system and gives a preventive effect to prevent disease viral infections.
Also icelandic moss is used to treat and prevent such diseases and dysfunctions, as:
- Mastopathy;
- Conjunctivitis;
- Depressive disorders, neuroses;
- Obesity;
- Disturbances in work endocrine system.
Application in traditional medicine
In alternative medicine, many recipes have been compiled in which the main component is Icelandic moss. At the same time, depending on the type of disease, the preparation technology and its type differ.
There are the following methods of making cetrariafor medicinal purposes:
- Infusion on water - 15 - 20 g of dry lichen is poured with cold water, boiled over a fire and taken cooled and strained. The second method of preparing the infusion resembles the method of brewing tea (a pinch of raw materials per glass of boiling water);
- Slimy broth - two tablespoons of crushed dried plants are poured into a saucepan, cold water is added in a volume of 1 liter. The product is boiled over low heat for an hour and a half, then filtered hot and left to rise under the lid. The finished Icelandic moss broth has a slimy consistency and is stored in the refrigerator for 48 hours;
- Tincture on alcohol - pour three tablespoons of dry moss with a glass of rubbing alcohol, leave in a cool dark place for a week. Take 10-15 drops per spoonful of water or drip the tincture on a sugar cube and hold in your mouth.
Icelandic moss is also used to make compresses, ointments and healing creams. The basis is usually taken vegetable oil or any neutral cream (for children), where lichen is mixed in a pounded form. However, pharmacies sell ready-made cosmetics with cetraria, so this method of application is not very popular.
For coughs and bronchitis
For acute respiratory diseases, accompanied by strong cough, and bronchitis, herbal decoctions can quickly bring relief. Icelandic moss is no exception. So that the bitter taste of the infusion does not become an obstacle to its use, it is better to prepare the product in milk.
First, add 10 g of dried cetraria to an enamel pot. Pour cold milk into it (one glass is enough). Bring to a boil and reduce heat, continuing to cook for another 30 minutes under the lid. Strain the milk and cool. You need to drink a decoction of Icelandic moss at night, before bedtime. When taking mucolytic agents and expectorant drugs in parallel, you should consult with the doctor who prescribed the treatment about the possibility of combining therapeutic agents.
With tuberculosis
When infectious disease the pulmonary system, provoked by mycobacteria, the body is significantly weakened. To restore its protective functions and general tone, a medicinal infusion of Icelandic moss is used. It is prepared in a standard way, but the process of treating the disease largely depends on the method of administration. 20 g of dried crushed Icelandic cetraria is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused under a lid for 1.5 - 2 hours.
After cooling, strain and drink before meals. The dosage for adults is three tablespoons, children are given a much smaller portion (1 teaspoon). The course of treatment lasts 30 days, after which a break is made for 2 weeks. To monitor the condition, visit a pulmonologist regularly and report the symptoms and dynamics of the disease.
With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Disruption of the gastrointestinal tract is accompanied by such serious symptoms as dyspepsia, cramps and pain, loss of appetite, and upset stools. With a diagnosed gastritis or ulcer, the affected mucous membrane of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach or duodenum) is covered with ulceration. Against this background, the digestion process is significantly hampered, since the patient experiences constant pain at each meal and / or in the intervals between them. During such periods, he needs light nutritious food that saturates the body and is quickly digested without stressing the stomach.
One of the options might be the following folk recipe: Grind a glass of dried lichen in a blender and mix with muesli (take natural flakes without additives). The resulting mixture is poured with low-fat kefir or milk and left for 1.5 - 2 hours. It is better to eat it instead of breakfast or for an afternoon snack. Before use, heat the dish in the microwave for 10 - 20 seconds so as not to eat it cold: a sick stomach does not tolerate temperature "jumps".
With a runny nose
Excessive secretion of muconasal secretion in case of a cold or allergy, which is accompanied by inflammation of the nasal mucosa, gives a person great discomfort. A runny nose that lasts for several days aggravates the course of the disease and becomes a serious problem itself.
To eliminate it, try steam inhalation with a cetraria decoction. Put a pinch of Icelandic moss into a pot of boiling water and wait until it acquires its characteristic color. Cool the liquid a little, otherwise the strong steam will burn the mucous membrane. Tilt your head over the water and cover with a towel. Inhale the steam from the decoction through your nose for 7 to 10 minutes. Do not pour it out: the broth can be used 2 more times - in total, three inhalations are needed a day. Additionally, the mucous membrane can be washed with warm infusion of the plant.
For the thyroid gland
The iodine contained in the living cetraria has a positive effect on the function thyroid gland for diseases caused by a lack of a trace element in the body. To prepare a remedy based on Icelandic moss to improve thyroid function, you will need natural yogurt without additives (250 ml). Add crushed plant (20 g) and a small amount of linden honey to it. Stir in a blender and let it brew for a quarter of an hour.
Cooked yogurt will replace one of your daily snacks or be a healthy alternative to dinner. You can take the remedy every day or every other day. First, ask the endocrinologist you are seeing if he approves of such treatment, taking into account the individual characteristics of your body.
With dysbiosis
Lichen thallus contains a large amount of carbohydrates and is considered an excellent nutrient for the cultivation of beneficial microflora in the large intestine. Dysbacteriosis, provoked by antibiotics or infections (bacterial or viral), responds well to treatment with natural remedies made from cetraria.
With dysbiosis, it is useful to drink an infusion of moss in cold water or kefir, but even better to use lichen-based jelly.
It is prepared simply: 20-30 g of the crushed plant is poured with cold water (200 ml) and brought to a boil. Then the mixture is cooked over low heat with constant stirring for about 10 minutes. After it is cooled, rubbed through a sieve and left in a cool place for a couple of hours. The product should acquire a jelly consistency. It is eaten in small portions before each meal (15 - 25 minutes).
For constipation
Obstipation, accompanied by a slow, difficult or systematic inadequate emptying of the intestines, is not a disease, but a symptom of many diseases. For quick and painless cleansing of the body, an infusion based on Icelandic moss is used. A glass of lichen is crushed with a meat grinder and filled with cold water (2 liters will be needed). The remedy is insisted within 24 hours. After a day, add another liter of water to it and take 200 ml 30 minutes before meals. Usually, the effect occurs within the first day, but the course of treatment is continued for another 2 weeks.
With oncological diseases
The use of cetraria for the treatment of diseases in the presence of malignant neoplasms may be approved as adjunctive therapy. It is known that in some cases lichen-based decoctions and infusions have a protective effect against the side effects of drugs used in chemotherapy.
However, Icelandic moss is not a cure for oncological diseases... It activates the protective functions of the body and provides a comprehensive preventive effect.
To increase immunity and generally strengthen the functions of the main body systems, the following are used recipes:
- A teaspoon of dried cetraria is poured with boiling water (200 ml) and infused for 10 minutes. Drink warm or hot instead of tea for a month (then a week break is needed);
- Stir two tablespoons of lichen in boiling milk and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, then let stand under the lid for another half hour. Drink a few sips before each meal and at night. The course of prevention is 2 weeks with a break of 7 days and the resumption of treatment.
The plant, known as Icelandic moss, is used in 90% of cases for the treatment of oncological diseases as an integral component of herbal crops. Other ingredients are usually bee products, etc.
Slimming
Getting rid of the fat folds at the waist and gaining the shape of your dreams requires physical activity and a healthy eating regimen. A decoction with cetraria will help speed up the process. A pinch of Icelandic moss added to regular tea also helps to increase metabolism, but it is better to drink a ready-made broth. When used, such a drink gives a complex effect, including the activation of intestinal motility and the regulation of natural emptying.
To prepare a remedy, take a tablespoon of crushed dry raw materials and pour 200 ml of boiling water. The present broth is drunk three times a day before each meal. You should not continue using the plant for more than 3 months, otherwise addiction will arise.
Contraindications
Icelandic moss, like any herbal remedy, has limitations associated with its use. Before consuming decoctions or other lichen-based foods, make sure you don't have allergic reactions... To do this, first you should take a small dose of infusion and look at your health. If there is no individual intolerance, gradually increase the amount consumed.
Teas, decoctions and infusions based on Icelandic moss should not be drunk when elevated temperature body. If the thermometer shows a mark of 39 degrees or higher, the use of the product should be abandoned to avoid deterioration.
It is not recommended to use cetraria in case of recurrence of any chronic diseases, including gastrointestinal dysfunction, gastritis and ulcers, cholecystitis. Since a decoction of moss has some fortifying effect, its use for spastic constipation will have a negative effect.
To restrictions on use folk remediesprepared from cetraria include systemic autoimmune diseases. If the treatment with Icelandic moss lasts longer than three months, its effect may be weakened due to the habituation of the body. In some cases, there is marked discomfort in digestive tract, passing after the abolition of the use of cetraria.
During pregnancy and lactation, it is better to suspend the use of drugs with cetraria in the composition. If you wish to continue your Icelandic moss treatment, consult your doctor about the safety of eating lichen for the fetus. Remember that self-medication can harm not only you, but also the unborn baby.
Plant
Doctor's advice
Name in Latin: Cetrária islándica
Synonyms: icelandic moss, thistle, dry moss, Icelandic lichen Cetraria Icelandic, pulmonary moss, lobe, komashnik, reindeer lichen, hazel grouse, deer moss, lobe Icelandic, prickly
Description
Icelandic cetraria, aka Icelandic moss, is a medicinal plant belonging to the lichen species. Despite its name, cetraria is widespread not only in northern countries, but even grows in Africa and Australia, not to mention European and Asian countries.
Cetraria, like other lichens, can be found both on the ground and on tree stumps. Most often, Icelandic moss grows in coniferous, mainly pine, forests, in the tundra, in swampy areas, as well as in mountain ranges. Usually found on soils with a high sand content, as well as on grassy slopes, on peaty soils, in illuminated places. The peculiarity of the cetraria is that its appearance serves as a kind of signal about the ecological purity of the area - this plant never occurs in conditions of air pollution.
This lichen is perennial plant... By appearance cetraria looks like small bushes, usually they do not grow taller than 15 cm. Flat blades look like narrow ribbons, in some places bent, covered with small cilia. The blade sizes and colors are dependent on environmental factors. Under the influence of light, humidity, temperature, the cetrarium can be brown or have a greenish tint, turning into red at the base, and the underside of the blades becomes beige to white, covered with light spots.
Cetraria can multiply by transferring any part of the plant, but it grows extremely slowly, which is generally uncharacteristic for the lichen species.
Procurement and storage
For medicinal use, the thallus is harvested. Traditionally, the period for collecting Icelandic moss is summer, it is possible to harvest it in autumn, in dry weather. The lichen thallus is detached from the soil, cleaned of dirt and dried. The main difficulty when harvesting, the process of cleaning Icelandic moss from soil and impurities is itself, which is usually done by hand. Drying can be carried out both in the shade and in the sun, and, of course, in industrial dryers. The raw materials for drying are laid out on paper or fabric mats in a thin layer.
Finished raw materials of Icelandic cetraria can keep their beneficial features within two years under the correct storage conditions - in tightly closed containers, in a dry room at a cool air temperature. When stored in boxes, the raw material is shifted with paper to prevent excess moisture from entering, as the moss absorbs it like a sponge.
Raw materials suitable for consumption are distinguished by a peculiar aroma and bitter taste. Getting into the water, the cetraria becomes slimy. The broth after cooking and cooling resembles jelly in consistency.
Usage history
Like other lichens, the history of medicinal use of cetraria goes back more than one hundred years. Written evidence from the Middle Ages that has survived to this day reflects that Icelandic moss was used as a universal medicine for a wide range of diseases. Healers of the Northern European countries advised Tsetraria to patients with colds, inflammation in the respiratory system. Healing moss was a medicine for different types cough and sore throat, it was used to prepare decoctions for whooping cough, tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma.
Among the Scandinavians, cetraria was a favorite remedy for the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments. Infusions of Icelandic moss were used by healers in order to cope with constipation, indigestion, dysentery, and also to increase appetite. Prescribed remedies based on cetraria for bleeding, and it was also believed that Icelandic moss soothes excessive sexual arousal in women. In addition, the traditional use of cetraria in the treatment of tumors, including malignant ones. In general, Icelandic moss was prized for its high nutritional properties and immunity-boosting properties.
Lotions based on medicinal lichen were used as external therapy for various skin diseases, acne, burns and ulcers, abscesses, and purulent boils. Sometimes the moss itself was applied unprocessed to the wounds to speed up their healing.
By the 19th century, cetraria was included in the vast majority of European pharmacopoeias. All doctors recognized its valuable antiseptic effects and it became a popular remedy for consumption.
In the 20th century, research on the medicinal properties of Icelandic moss was carried out in different countries, including in Russia, several scientific papers were published. It has been proven that cetraria has an antibiotic-like effect - it can kill bacteria. Usnic acid, which is secreted from cetraria, is especially valuable in this respect - it acts on tuberculosis bacteria, staphylococcal and streptococcal microorganisms. In the 50s, the creation of the first pharmaceuticals based on these discoveries began. So, in the Soviet Union, sodium usninat was released - a medicine for treating burns, wounds, to prevent the development of infection in a wound and to accelerate skin regeneration.
There is information that dried and milled cetraria in the northern regions was used as an additive in flour and was called “bread moss”. It was believed that the nutrients of cetraria are well absorbed and have a general strengthening effect on the body.
And now there are a number of drugs, which contain cetraria in one form or another, among them lozenges and cough syrups, medicinal teas and others.
Chemical composition
Cetraria is rich in various elements that exhibit biological activity. Nutritional properties are provided by the high carbohydrate content of lichen. The raw materials contain up to 80% of polysaccharides; when preparing water preparations, glucose and other nutrients are released from the cetraria.
For women, a decoction of cetraria helps to establish the proper functioning of the endocrine system, as well as get rid of mastopathy and cope with toxicosis. Cetraria is also used to combat obesity - it normalizes the digestive process and has a mild laxative effect.