Bergenia or thick-leaved bergenia is one of the most beautiful plants, with the help of which gardeners and simply aesthetes ennoble their personal plots and front gardens. Florists also value this plant, primarily for its extraordinary beauty and excellent preservation.
In addition, bergenia is a good honey plant. But perhaps most of all, the flower is valued for its healing properties, which help cure many ailments. Medicines from the plant are often used in veterinary practice. Otherwise, bergenia is called early flower, saxifrage, Siberian tea.
Botanical description
Bergenia is a perennial herbaceous medicinal plant that can reach a height of seventy centimeters. Bergenia has a creeping, creeping, fleshy, thick, horizontally located, branched dark brown rhizome, leafless, thick, pink-red stem, up to seventy centimeters high.
The plant is endowed with large dark green, basal, shiny, round-heart-shaped or oval leaves, located on long petioles and correct form, soft, white, pinkish or purple five-membered flowers. Bergenia fruits are dry ellipsoidal capsules with two diverging lobes. The seeds are small, oblong, black in color.
The plant begins to bloom at the beginning of the summer period - in June, and the fruits begin to ripen at the end of summer. The plant loves to grow on rocky slopes, in deciduous and coniferous forests, on screes and rocks. Badan is not whimsical plant, shade-tolerant and exceptionally winter-hardy.
How are plant materials prepared?
In alternative medicine, mainly bergenia root and leaves are used. It is recommended to harvest rhizomes at the beginning of the summer. Collection must be done manually. Next, the roots are cleaned of impurities and soil and washed under running water. If the roots are large, they must be cut, preferably lengthwise.
The next stage is drying the raw materials. You can dry the roots on outdoors, under a canopy. IN as a last resort, drying is allowed in a well-ventilated room or in the attic. But the most best option– use of special dryers. It is very important to adhere temperature regime– maximum forty degrees.
Properly dried bergenia root will break easily and have a strong astringent taste. It is recommended to store prepared raw materials in cardboard or paper boxes in a well-ventilated, dry room. Storage duration is four years, no more.
As for harvesting leaves, only three-year-old, blackened ones are suitable for medical purposes. They are collected in the spring after the snow melts, dried in the open air and placed in paper bags for further storage. The shelf life of raw materials is one year.
Chemical composition, pharmacological properties
This herbaceous perennial contains significant amounts of:
- arbutin;
- hydroquinone;
- ellagic and gallic acids;
- carbohydrates;
- vitamins;
- tannins;
- flavonoids;
- catechins;
- minerals;
- essential oils;
- dextrin;
- sugars;
- starch;
- bergenina;
- resinous substances.
Medicines based on bergenia have anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antimicrobial, wound-healing, antitumor, immunomodulatory, adaptogenic, anti-stress, antispasmodic, antipyretic and cardiac stimulating effects.
- moderate decrease in blood pressure;
- strengthening vascular walls
- increased heart rate;
- elimination of bleeding;
- relief and elimination of headaches and migraines;
- treatment of whooping cough, tuberculosis, rheumatism, stomatitis, tonsillitis, dermatoses, gastritis, endemic goiter, hemorrhoids, laryngitis, fever, rheumatoid arthritis, uterine fibroids, erosions, pneumonia.
Bergenia in alternative medicine recipes
Preparation of herbal infusion
Brew three tablespoons of dried leaves and flowers of the plant with three milliliters of boiled water, simmer in a water bath for half an hour, and cool. Take fifteen milliliters of medication four times a day. The product helps to significantly improve immunity.
Periodontal disease, stomatitis: treatment with infusion
Take twenty grams of dried and crushed roots of the plant and brew the raw material with 400 ml of boiled water. Leave for half an hour, filter. Use the product as a mouth rinse. The same infusion can be used for douching for gynecological ailments.
Dysentery: therapy with bergenia
Brew three tablespoons of finely chopped, dried rhizomes with 300 milliliters of boiled water, leave for about two hours. Strain and drink ten grams of the drug four times a day. The treatment course is three weeks.
Preparation of a healing remedy
Pour 30 grams of chopped, dried bergenia roots with water and bring to a boil. Leave the product to simmer over low heat for half an hour. Cool, filter, drink 50 ml of the medicine four times a day as an anti-inflammatory, astringent, blood purifier. The medicine helps treat colitis, enterocolitis, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal ailments, pneumonia, furunculosis, tonsillitis, rheumatism.
Treatment of rhinitis
Combine bergenia with elecampane and St. John's wort. Grind all ingredients and mix well. Brew 20 g of vegetable mixture with 300 ml of boiling water. Simmer the product for thirty minutes, and then leave the medicine to brew for a couple of hours. Take 50 ml of the medicine twice a day, preferably warm. If desired, you can add sea buckthorn oil to the infusion, just a few drops.
Bergenia in the treatment of fever, endemic goiter
Brew dried, finely chopped leaves, preferably old and blackened ones, in 500 ml of boiled water. Place the product on the stove and simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Drink the medicine as tea four times a day.
Preparation of a hemostatic decoction
Combine bergenia with cinquefoil rhizome, snakeweed, burnet roots, and licorice. Grind all the plants and brew thirty grams of raw material with 400 milliliters of boiled water. Boil the product for thirty minutes. Don't forget to stir the mixture. Strain and drink half a glass of the broth six times a day.
Bergenia in the treatment of duodenitis
Mix crushed bergenia root with calendula, flax seeds, calamus and oak bark. Pour ten grams of raw material with 500 ml of boiling water. Let the product infuse for four hours. Take 50 ml of the medicine five times a day. The treatment course for duodenitis should be fourteen days.
In front gardens or gardens, on flower beds can be found evergreen with large, strong, leathery leaves, producing flower stalks with bright red or purple flowers in spring. This is a thick-leaved bergenia. It is not only unpretentious and decorative, but also has medicinal properties. PoMedicine will tell readers what is contained in bergenia, what its benefits are and how to use it.
Description of the plant
In bergenia, the rhizome is thick (from 3 to 5 cm in diameter), highly branched, and located horizontally relative to the soil surface. Rosettes of thick-skinned evergreen leaves grow upward from this rhizome. PoMedicine will add that in the fall these leaves acquire a brown-red color. The leaf blade can be round, broadly elliptical or heart-shaped. Each leaf is placed on a long succulent petiole. In spring, a thick, tall peduncle (from 30 to 60 cm) appears from the rosette, on which inflorescences with bell-shaped flowers of pink-red color are formed.
Due to its large, rounded leaves reaching a length of 30-40 cm, this plant is popularly called “elephant ears”. In nature, it was noticed that the leaves of the plant break through a layer of stones, so people nicknamed the strong perennial Saxifraga. Residents of Altai call the plant “Altai (or Chigir) tea,” because in the spring they collect its leaves, which have been under the snow throughout the winter. Well, the Latin name for bergenia sounds like bergenia.
If you dig up the rhizome, you will see that it is dark brown on the outside and light pink on the inside, darkening in the air. Most often with medicinal purposes rhizomes and leaves are used.
What is contained in bergenia
The following biologically active compounds were found in bergenia:
- Glycoside arbutin (in the rhizome and roots it can be up to 27%, and in the leaves - up to 32%).
- Tannin (giving tea astringency).
- Tannins – there are four times more of them in bergenia than in oak leaves.
- Glycosides – bergenin, free hydroquinone.
- Organic acids – gallic, ellagic.
- Essential oils, flavonoids.
- Carbohydrates, starch, resins.
- Minerals – manganese, copper, iron.
- Isocoumarins, vitamins (for example, ascorbic acid).
Benefits of bergenia
The following have been identified in bergenia: medicinal properties:- It strengthens the walls of small blood vessels, which is important for those suffering from pathologies of the brain vessels and cardiovascular system.
- Slightly increases heart rate.
- Reduces blood pressure (moderately).
- Suppresses dysentery and E. coli.
- Accelerates the healing processes of wounds and ulcers.
- Stimulates the immune system, aims the body to fight diseases.
- It has a hemostatic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic effect.
Diseases for which bergenia rhizome may be useful:
- , enterocolitis, diarrhea, ;
- female ailments - fibroma, colpitis, heavy bleeding (including after childbirth);
- bacterial and viral infections – laryngitis, whooping cough, influenza conditions;
- pulmonary hemorrhage;
- stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease;
- , neoplasms (including malignant ones);
- acne, furunculosis, seborrheic dermatitis;
- rheumatism, .
How to use bergenia
You can make decoctions, tinctures, and extracts from the bergenia rhizome.Here's how to prepare the decoction. Take 30 grams of crushed bergenia rhizomes, pour 500 ml of boiling water over this raw material in a saucepan. Keep the saucepan on low heat for about 15 minutes after boiling. Then remove the saucepan from the stove, cover with a lid, and let the extraction of active ingredients continue for at least 30 minutes. After straining, this decoction can be used internally (for diarrhea, enterocolitis, colitis, bleeding - two tablespoons twice or thrice a day before meals) or externally (for dental and skin problems).
If you are concerned about gynecological ailments (endometritis, inflammation of the appendages, erosion, bleeding), then take the decoction twice a day, two tablespoons. Moreover, this decoction is recommended to be mixed with a decoction of other plants that are effective for female diseases, for example, ortilia (hog uterus) or red brush. Bergenia decoction is also suitable for vaginal douching, then it is diluted in a 1:1 ratio (that is, decoction and water are taken equally).
When you have a runny nose, you need to take equal amounts (a teaspoon) of crushed St. John's wort, bergenia rhizome and elecampane root. Pour boiling water (200 ml) over everything and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Cover the container with a lid and leave for about an hour. The resulting strained decoction warm take twice daily.
To rinse for periodontal disease, stomatitis and other problems in the oral cavity, make a decoction in this way. Two tablespoons of raw materials (chopped rhizomes and roots) are poured with 250 ml of boiling water. The composition should be kept on low heat for 20 minutes. This is followed by infusion for 30 minutes. The same decoction can be added to warm water for sitz baths for hemorrhoids. The duration of this procedure is 20 minutes (or a little more).
Bergenia does not eliminate neoplasms, but it “spurs up” the immune system and mobilizes all the body’s forces to fight the disease.
To make wounds and ulcers heal faster, it is recommended to sprinkle them with powder, which is obtained by grinding dried bergenia rhizomes in a coffee grinder.
And now PoMedicine will tell you how Chigir (its other names are Mongolian, Altai) tea is prepared. In spring, you can see dead lower leaves on the plant, which are black and dry. Such leaves do not rot, but also do not fall off for a long time. It is recommended to cut them off for later cooking. healing tea. When these leaves lie under the snow, they undergo a fermentation process, lose their excessive astringency, and acquire aroma. Dry these leaves, then chop them and store them in a closed container. glass jar. Use instead of regular tea leaves. You just need to increase the brewing time. A cup of this tea invigorates, tones, relieves fatigue, and strengthens the body. This tea can be brewed in a small thermos and taken for hypertension, fragile blood vessels, intestinal and stomach diseases. And if you add red root and ginseng to such tea, the resulting drink will have a positive effect on a man’s potency.
And for colds and elevated temperatures, you should place linden flowers, lemon balm herb, chamomile flowers and a piece of ginger root in a thermos along with incense. This remedy will relieve fever and speed up recovery.
Are there any contraindications
You cannot drink decoctions, infusions and teas from bergenia in the following cases:
If you are prone to constipation;
with low blood pressure (severe hypotension);
with a tendency to thrombosis and thickened blood;
at ;
with individual intolerance.
If incense is used without interruption long time, then intestinal motility may be disrupted, resulting in constipation.
If you want to brew Chigir tea, then you should use only wrinkled, black leaves, collected in the spring, when the snow has melted. Fresh green leaf blades contain toxic substances.
If you have a large garden, then you can find a place in it for bergenia, placing it next to shrubs or flowers - tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, heucheras, lungworts, primroses, hostas. Then, after some time (after the bergenia grows), you will be able to use the overwintered leaves and rhizomes for medicinal purposes. In nature, bergenia grows on a large scale in the Altai mountains, the Urals, Eastern and Western Siberia, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, northern Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. Ready-made crushed and packaged raw materials are also available in pharmacies. Especially for: - http://site
Some medicinal plants can be grown on your own plot. And they are so beautiful in appearance that they will decorate even the most sophisticated flower garden. Look at thick-leaved bergenia, the photo of its bright red flowers delights many. And the green leaves, large, round, strong and soft, like elephant ears or cabbage leaves, will delight you all year round - after all, bergenia is also evergreen, although in the fall it changes color to fiery red. These same leaves, which have overwintered under a layer of snow in Altai, are brewed like regular tea. Well, we have heard a lot about the good health of the Altai - so they also consume it both for the heroic strength and for general health.
Badan. What's in a name?
But let’s return to bergenia or saxifrage, as it is also called. Where does this name come from, you ask? According to one version, bergenia grows through stones, breaking them. According to another version, the name comes from the healing properties of bergenia to break up kidney stones. We like this version better, don't we?
Bergenia is a waste-free plant. We use everything: leaves, rhizomes, seeds, and flowers. Moreover, we collect the leaves when the snow melts, and the other parts during and after flowering (seeds and flowers), at the end of summer - beginning of autumn (rhizome). Like other plants, bergenia needs to be dried. Its medicinal properties will be shown by chemical analysis - and saxifrage contains a lot of things:
- carbohydrates, some vitamins, starch;
- tannin, which gives tea a tart, slightly resinous taste. Bergenia (roots and leaves) can give even oak bark a head start in terms of tannin content - it contains 4 times more of them;
- glycosides: free hydroquinone, arbutin (antiseptic), bergenin;
- And essential oils, cleansing our body;
- ellagic and gallic organic acids, which are responsible for metabolism, sweating, and general well-being;
- minerals: copper, iron, manganese;
- phytoncides, isocoumarin, bergenin, resins. Resins are responsible for healing wounds and cuts. And phytoncides protect against environmental hazards, being a natural antibiotic.
This set of microelements and other components is very useful for our health.
Bergenia and diseases
Bergenia root is most often used for treatment. Its medicinal properties and contraindications are quite wide. Judge for yourself.
The rhizome is used for the following diseases:
- stomatitis, periodontal disease and gingivitis;
- pneumonia and thyroid disease (by the way, one of the best means for the thyroid gland -);
- rheumatism and enterocolitis;
- diarrhea and dysentery;
- headache and toothache;
- tuberculosis and oncology;
- gynecological diseases - erosion, fibroma.
But those who have:
- low pressure;
- constipation;
- the likelihood of blood clots;
- thick blood;
- tachycardia and a number of other diseases.
Important! If, following the example of the Altai people, you want to brew Chigir tea, then you need to use wrinkled leaves collected after the snow has melted. Green fresh leaves contain poison.
Details about the treatment with bergenia
Already knowing what bergenia contains, the medicinal properties and application are not so difficult to compare. You just need to apply it correctly.
Chigir tea
In Siberia it is called Mongolian. Altaians drink it and recommend it to us as a tonic drink. Indeed, thanks to phytoncides and flavonoids, it gives a stimulating kick to metabolism, raises the tone of the body, invigorates and gives strength.
And the minerals contained in the leaves relieve even severe headaches, lower blood pressure, and restore heart rhythm. Tannin and starch have an astringent property and coat the walls of the stomach, making blood vessels and capillaries stronger.
This tea is also useful for men. They say it has a positive effect on potency. And if you also add red root or to tea, then no “Viagra” can compare with the power of this drink.
Respiratory system
As a natural antiseptic, bergenia fights against bacterial infections, other viral and other diseases: whooping cough, acute respiratory infections, influenza, laryngitis, tuberculosis, and high fever.
Gastrointestinal tract
Not everything that goes into our mouth is useful. So we suffer from heartburn, colitis, diarrhea and other disorders. Therefore, we use bergenia root. Its medicinal properties help get rid of vomiting and diarrhea, colitis and dysentery, enterocolitis and gastritis, and restore microflora in the stomach and intestines. Bergenia can also cure such an unpleasant sore, the scourge of computer scientists and drivers, as hemorrhoids. And we were cured and, well, eating right and cleansing the body. Fortunately, we have a lot of useful information.
Dentistry
The tannins of bergenia were also appreciated by dentists. They prescribe rinsing your mouth for inflammation and bleeding: gingivitis, periodontal disease, stomatitis.
Gynecology
The astringent quality of bergenia turned out to be valuable in case of heavy bleeding - the monthly cycle becomes less difficult for women, and young mothers recover faster after childbirth. Uterine fibroids, colpitis, cystitis, post-abortion recovery, erosion - these are other problems in the female part that incense can cope with. You need to take the infusion not only internally, you can also douche with it.
Back and skin
General action
In combination with, or bergenia, it lowers temperature and pressure, relieves spasms. Add crushed ginger to your tea, and you will get an excellent immune-stimulating drink that will relieve stress and lift your spirits.
Badan in cosmetology
Teenagers and their parents, take note. Bergenia decoction is an excellent natural tonic. Wipe your skin with it every day and unpleasant pimples will disappear. In addition to acne, this tonic will relieve both furunculosis and seborrheic dermatitis, and oily skin It will make your skin matte, smooth, tighten pores, and eliminate excessive sweating.
Oncology
Badan does not treat oncology, as they do, or. But it tones the body, gathers all its strength to fight the disease - and this is a lot. Immunity is very important.
Brewing incense correctly
Have you learned what incense is? beneficial features and you also know its contraindications. Now let's prepare the famous Chigir tea, and at the same time, decoctions with infusions.
Mongolian tea
Withered, completely dry leaves, which you collect in the spring, are suitable for tea.
They need to not only be infused, but boiled, so we throw the washed leaves into a kettle of water and boil, then infuse and drink.
The taste of the tea is astringent and not for everyone. To improve the taste, you can add mint, lemon balm or any other herb you like.
Infusion of the ground part of bergenia
For 1 glass of boiling water, take 2 tablespoons of dry leaves and flowers. Insist for a quarter of an hour in a water bath. We drink a couple of tablespoons up to 4 times a day.
Infusion of roots
Pour 2 tablespoons of chopped roots into a glass of boiling water, leave and strain well. Use the infusion for douching, rinsing and lotions.
For internal use, dilute the resulting volume of infusion with water and drink a tablespoon three times a day for at least 3 weeks.
Root decoction
The decoction is prepared in the same way as the infusion, but the water with the roots is heated in a water bath.
How thick-leaved bergenia grew in our dacha...
Bergenia is not only useful, but also beautiful, planting and caring for it is not difficult - the plant is unpretentious.
To sow bergenia, you need to have patience, because for a couple of years the sprouts develop very slowly and require constant attention. Therefore, seeds should be planted not in open ground, but in boxes.
It is better to propagate bergenia by cuttings, planting and caring for open ground will be much easier. We take a plant with a rosette and a bud, remove almost all the leaves and plant it in the ground in 30 cm increments. Don’t worry if there aren’t enough rosettes. Bergenia grows well and in a couple of years will cover the entire flower garden.
Saxifraga takes root on alpine roller coaster, near artificially created reservoirs. She hardly gets sick and pests are not scary for her. But it likes moderate watering. If you overwatered it, the leaves became covered with brown spots; if you didn’t add enough, the leaves dried out prematurely.
When choosing a place for bergenia, remember that this plant is sedentary and does not like replanting.
4From time immemorial, our wise ancestors used medicinal plants to treat various diseases. In the modern world, not only traditional medicine, but also official science successfully uses herbs, flowers, plant roots, which have a gentle effect on the body without causing severe side effects which often occur during treatment medicines. One of these plants is bergenia, and today, dear readers, we will talk about the medicinal properties of bergenia and contraindications, how to use it for our health.
Many owners of suburban areas are familiar with bergenia as ornamental plant, it is used in landscaping shady areas of the garden. This pretty plant thrives in the shade and brightens up the garden with its wide, fleshy, dark green leaves and purple, bell-shaped flowers on tall stalks.
Among the dozen various types bergenia For medicinal purposes, thick-leaved bergenia is used, common in the mountainous forested regions of Siberia, Altai and Sayan. People often call it Mongolian tea, Saxifraga thick-leaved. Let's see what incense looks like.
Badan. Photo
Bergenia thickleaf. Medicinal properties. Compound
Like most medicinal plants bergenia has a complex chemical composition, of which the most important role is played by tannins, glycosides, phytoncides, glucose, sucrose, ascorbic acid, iron, manganese, copper. Among the many medicinal properties of bergenia important role for the human body the following play a role:
- antibacterial,
- anti-inflammatory,
- astringents,
- diuretics,
- antioxidant,
- hemostatic,
- wound healing,
- strengthening the vascular wall.
These properties of bergenia allow it to be used very widely under the most various diseases. The roots and leaves of bergenia have beneficial properties.
Bergenia root. Medicinal properties and contraindications
The main medicinal raw material is the roots of bergenia; there are many traditional medicine recipes in which the dried and crushed roots of the plant are used in the treatment of diseases. Let's consider in what specific cases they can be used.
The healing properties of bergenia for blood vessels
Main therapeutic effect the roots of the plant on the vessels is to strengthen the capillary walls. These tiny vessels play a huge role in the body, feeding the cells of all organs with blood, and when their walls become thinner and capillaries burst, we see hematomas, but in fact our organs and systems suffer, not receiving enough oxygen, which enters them with the blood flow. Therefore, it is so important to strengthen not only large, but also small vessels, and bergenia can significantly help with this.
Bergenia root has a slight vasoconstrictor effect, so people suffering from cardiovascular diseases should consult a doctor before using this plant for medicinal purposes.
For the treatment of the respiratory system
IN folk medicine Bergenia roots are used to treat colds and viral diseases. In these cases, the anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties of the plant play a role. An infusion of the roots is used for diseases of the lungs and bronchi, and for any respiratory viral infections. The beneficial properties of bergenia are that it strengthens the body’s defenses, which is very important for a speedy recovery.
For the digestive system
Bergenia roots are widely used in the treatment of the stomach and intestines. The wound-healing, analgesic and hemostatic properties of bergenia play an important role in the treatment of gastritis, stomach ulcers and duodenum. The decoction also eliminates heartburn and bloating.
An aqueous decoction prepared from the roots, containing a large amount of tannins, is used in the treatment of diarrhea and non-infectious colitis. For dysentery and other intestinal infections it is prescribed in complex treatment together with medicines prescribed by a doctor.
For female diseases
In gynecology, a liquid extract from the roots of bergenia is used, which is taken orally during heavy menstruation and topically in the form of douches and baths to treat cervical erosions and inflammatory processes.
For hemorrhoids
Ancient medical books describe the healing properties of bergenia for such an unpleasant disease as hemorrhoids. Local baths prepared on the basis of a liquid extract are very good at relieving pain and stopping bleeding. The water should be warm and comfortable, and you should take baths every day before bed for 20 minutes.
For the oral cavity
What medicinal properties does bergenia have for the oral cavity? The extract is used for rinsing for stomatitis, inflammation of the tongue and gums, fungal infections of the mucous membrane, periodontal disease and sore throat.
How to prepare a decoction of bergenia roots, how to take it
Decoctions are prepared from the dried roots of the plant. To prepare the decoction, pour a tablespoon of crushed roots into a glass of boiling water in an enamel bowl, cover with a lid and place in a large pan of boiling water. Stirring occasionally, keep in a water bath for 25 - 30 minutes. Then the resulting decoction must be cooled for 10 - 15 minutes, strained and squeezed out the remaining roots. Add the volume of the resulting decoction to a glass with boiled water. Take 1-2 tablespoons of the decoction 3 times a day before meals.
Bergenia root extract
In ancient medical books you can find a recipe for preparing a decoction of a stronger concentration; it is called a liquid aqueous extract. To prepare it, pour 3 tablespoons of dried and crushed roots with a glass of boiling water in an enamel bowl and simmer over low heat under the lid, stirring from time to time. It is recommended to cook the roots until about half a glass of liquid remains in the bowl. Immediately strain the broth and squeeze out the roots. It is recommended to take this extract orally 25-30 drops 2-3 times a day. For douching and baths, dilute a tablespoon of extract in a liter of water and use it for diseases of the female genital area and hemorrhoids.
Watch a useful video in which an Altai herbalist talks about the medicinal properties of bergenia and its use
Bergenia leaves. Medicinal properties and contraindications
Bergenia leaves are used much less frequently for medicinal purposes; they have an astringent, antimicrobial and hemostatic effect. Fresh leaves are not used for medicinal raw materials; overwintered lower darkened leaves are needed, which are collected in the spring and dried. Such leaves undergo natural fermentation and concentrate maximum amount biologically active substances.
In folk medicine, a decoction of bergenia leaves is used internally to treat inflammatory diseases of the bladder as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Externally used for douching and baths for gynecological diseases and hemorrhoids, for rinsing the mouth with stomatitis, and for bleeding gums. A decoction of bergenia leaves is also used to treat oily seborrhea and acne, rubbing it into the scalp and making lotions on inflamed facial skin.
A decoction of bergenia leaves. How to cook
Before use, chop the dried leaves, pour a tablespoon of the raw material into a glass of boiling water and hold in a water bath for 15 minutes, cool, strain and drink 1 - 2 tablespoons 3 times a day after meals.
Bergenia tea
Tea made from dried bergenia leaves, sometimes called Altai or Mongolian tea, has gained great popularity. It has a specific but pleasant taste and has a tonic effect. They drink it
- with physical and mental fatigue;
- for pulmonary diseases;
- for diseases of the stomach and intestines;
- in case of stool disorder;
- for rheumatism as an anti-inflammatory agent;
- during respiratory viral diseases in order to quickly cope with the disease, strengthening the body's defenses.
Recipe for making bergenia tea
To prepare healthy tea, take a tablespoon of dry crushed raw materials per 1/2 liter of boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes and drink 1/2 cup. It is best to drink it in the morning, as it has a tonic effect and fills you with energy.
To improve the taste of bergenia tea, you can add other herbs and flowers to its dried leaves; mint or fireweed are good options. You can add honey or add a slice of lemon. If desired, brew black tea with the addition of a teaspoon of bergenia leaves, thereby enhancing the tonic effect of the drink.
Instructions for use:
Badan – herbaceous plant from the saxifrage family. Medicinal bergenia is also called bergenia thick-leaved, Mongolian tea, saxifrage thick-leaved.
Chemical composition
The plant contains glycosides, tannins, sugars, vitamin C, phytoncides, iron, copper, manganese.
Beneficial features
The root and leaves of the plant are used in therapy. The following beneficial properties of bergenia are noted:
- Anti-inflammatory;
- Disinfectant;
- Diuretic;
- Healing.
The roots are harvested at the beginning of summer, they are dug up, washed in cold water, dried, laid out on cloth or paper (large bergenia roots can be cut into pieces). A kilogram of fresh roots produces 250 g of dry medicinal raw materials. A properly dried root breaks well, does not bend, and is light yellow or light pink when broken. Dry root can be stored for no more than four years.
Leaves medicinal incense They are used less frequently than the root, but their astringent, hemostatic, and antimicrobial effects are known. Only old leaves that have overwintered under the snow help. They are collected in spring or autumn, washed, dried in a paper bag or box at a temperature of 60 °C. Dried leaves, like the root, can be stored for no more than four years.
Indications for use
The use of bergenia is recommended for high blood pressure, cervical erosion, diarrhea, uterine and other bleeding, fibroids, goiter, tuberculosis, rheumatism of the joints, pneumonia, gastrointestinal diseases, vomiting, nausea, oily seborrhea.
External use of a decoction of medicinal bergenia accelerates the resorption of bruises, the healing of wounds, bruises, and ulcers.
Contraindications
You cannot use medicinal bergenia if you are prone to blood clots, chronic constipation, or increased blood clotting.
Long-term use of bergenia can cause constipation.
Considering that a decoction from the roots of the plant lowers blood pressure, it is necessary to keep its level under control. In some cases, additionally prescribed herbal infusions, increasing blood pressure.
IN large quantities Bergenia should not be taken by those suffering from tachycardia, since products based on it contribute to increased heart rate.
Homemade remedies from bergenia
A decoction from the root of the plant is prepared as follows: take one tablespoon of dry raw material, pour 200 ml hot water, cover and heat over low heat for about 30 minutes. After filtering, squeezing out the roots. The resulting decoction is diluted with boiled water to a volume of 200 ml. Drink one spoon (tablespoon) three times a day. For dysentery, the drug is best taken in combination with antibiotics and sulfonamides.
To rinse the mouth for chronic inflammation, the decoction is prepared in the same way, but two tablespoons of the root are taken to make it more saturated.
To wash hair, a decoction of medicinal incense is diluted 1:10, and the hair is washed twice a week. To cure oily seborrhea, you need to carry out at least 10 procedures.
For colpitis and uterine erosion, do baths and douches with a decoction. Sitz baths are effective for hemorrhoids.
The beneficial properties of bergenia are preserved in the liquid extract of the plant, which is made more concentrated. Take three tablespoons of the root, pour in 200 ml of boiling water, boil until the volume is reduced by half, after which the still hot extract is filtered and squeezed. You need to take it 20-30 drops three times a day for two to three weeks.
Tea is brewed from dried bergenia leaves, which tones, lowers blood pressure, increases heart rate, helps with pulmonary tuberculosis, kidney pathologies, gastrointestinal diseases, rheumatism, and relieves stress.
