Traditional medicine knows many recipes. They use a wide variety of plants. To properly apply old recipes, you need to know a few nuances. Raw materials for the preparation of medicines must be properly harvested. Sunflower leaves are no exception. What useful properties the plant has will be discussed later.
Features of the plant
Sunflower came to our lands from Peru, Mexico. This is a thermophilic plant. It grows in the southern regions on fertile soils. Sunflower also needs proper hydration. This medicinal plant has long been used in traditional medicine recipes.
Sunflower leaves (photo below) are large, contain many useful components. They have a beneficial effect on a person's well-being, filling the body with essential trace elements.
Sunflower got its name from the bright yellow inflorescences. They are like the sun itself. The plant has a powerful stem, root. Inflorescences turn after the sun. Many residents of our country love to eat sunflower seeds. However, about the benefitsfew know its leaves.
Description of the plant
When considering the use of sunflower leaves, one should understand the characteristics of this plant. Annual varieties grow in our area. They belong to the Aster family.
Sunflower grows up to 4 m high. It has a thick, strong stem. It can grow one or more heads. To be able to hold such a large plant in place, the root is large. It firmly clings to the ground, allowing it to withstand bad weather and wind.
Single inflorescences can reach a diameter of 40 cm or even more. The petals are orange in the middle and yellow at the edges. Seeds have a tetrahedral shape. The culture is grown on an industrial scale almost all over the world. Sunflower oil is obtained from seeds. It is a nutritious product that is rich in various vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
Seeds
Many people know about the benefits of the seeds of the presented plant. However, not everyone is aware of the healing properties of sunflower leaves (the photo is presented below). Many residents of our country love the seeds of this plant. They are rich in vitamins (A, E, D, F), as well as minerals, amino acids. They also contain tannins.
Useful properties of seeds are stored with proper storage up to 2 years. It is important that they remain skinned. The purified product must be consumed immediately. If the buyer chooses shelled seeds, he must understand thatthis product is inferior in useful properties.
The seeds are used to make oil - a very nutritious product. Sunflower oil is part of many folk recipes. It can have a positive effect on various body systems. First of all, it concerns digestion. Also, sunflower oil has a beneficial effect on the vascular system, immunity. It also gives the skin a he althy look.
What else do you need to know about the sunflower?
It should be said that not only sunflower seeds differ in useful properties. During its growth, it manages to accumulate many important elements in literally all parts. Sunflower petals, roots and leaves have healing properties. The medicinal qualities of these parts of the plant will be more pronounced if they are harvested correctly.
Seeds have a higher concentration of nutrients. However, the parts of the plant listed above are also used for various diseases. They contain a large amount of pectin, bitterness, resins, glycosides, and vitamins. One of the important effects that sunflower can have on the body is to interfere with DNA synthesis in cancer cells. Therefore, one of the main areas of application of this culture is the prevention and treatment of oncological ailments.
Depending on the recipe in which sunflower is used, as well as the set of additional components, it can be used to get rid of many other diseases. It is able to provide beneficial effects to almost all systems of the body.influence.
Description of leaves
Description of sunflower leaves indicates a rather large size of this part of the plant. They can reach 15 cm wide and 30 cm long. Sunflower leaves are heart-shaped, elongated in the center, with sharp edges. The color of he althy leaves is dark green, saturated.
If the plant receives less moisture, the edges of the leaves begin to wither, dry out. In this case, their healing qualities are significantly reduced. Also, he althy leaves should not have plaque, defects. If the plant is damaged by one of the diseases, has been attacked by pests, it should not be harvested for medicinal purposes.
To collect high-quality material for the preparation of medicinal mixtures, you need to pay attention to several recommendations. Experts advise plucking medium-sized leaves. Too large or small specimens are not suitable. They are harvested at the end of the flowering process. At this time, the structure of the leaves is tender, soft. It is this plant material that contains many useful components.
How is plant material harvested?
Knowing which sunflower leaves are suitable for medicinal purposes, it is necessary to consider storage recommendations. Young plants are rich in vitamins and nutrients. It is important to keep these components in the prepared material. In this case, a large amount of flavonoids, choline, betaine, and also carotene is determined in the leaves. They contain sterols, tannins, resins and other useful components. ATthe leaves also contain rubber.
The collected leaves must be thoroughly dried. They should be assembled one at a time, carefully inspecting each copy for defects. Leaves damaged by insects or diseases can damage their he althy neighbors. The collected material is laid out in the fresh air, in the shade. The drying area must be well ventilated. When the leaves dry qualitatively, they are collected and put into cloth bags. You can use clean paper (not a newspaper) for these purposes.
Useful properties
Many people don't know the benefits of sunflower leaves. It is imperative to consider the effect of plant material on the body. The leaves are used in various recipes. Many other components are added to them. This allows you to enhance the healing effect.
The leaves of this medicinal plant are used in combination with other therapies for various diseases of the liver and gallbladder. They have proven their effectiveness in colds, diseases of viral origin.
Many recipes call for making an alcoholic tincture from the leaves. It improves digestion and increases appetite. A decoction of the leaves cleanses the kidneys, eliminates diarrhea, and helps restore the functions of the digestive system. This tool is able to remove s alt from the body. It is an effective remedy for urolithiasis and gout (tea is made from the leaves to treat this pathology).
Featurestreatment
The benefits of sunflower leaves will be high if used correctly. It should be understood that folk recipes cannot replace a full-fledged complex treatment. All the remedies presented below should be prescribed by a doctor as an addition to the main therapy. Only in this case will the plant be useful.
Most often, the recipes below are used as preventive measures. In combination with the drugs prescribed by the doctor, they can speed up the healing process. However, with self-medication, the benefits can be harmful to he alth. Therefore, when choosing a herbal remedy, it is imperative to consult with your doctor.
Also, do not abuse the treatment of folk compositions. The components that are part of the prepared material will accumulate in the body. In order for them to have time to be removed from it, you need to take breaks. If a person feels unwell during treatment, stop taking the drug.
Recipes
Sunflower leaves are used in various recipes. The most popular of them will be discussed below.
If a person suffers from urolithiasis, he can, in addition to the main treatment, use an infusion from the presented plant material. To do this, take 1 cup of dry leaves, pour 3 liters of boiling water. The remedy is infused for three days. Next, you need to drink 1 liter of infusion per day. Treatment in this case lasts no longer than 2 months, and you need to take breaks.
If there is no appetite, eating disorders or high fever,you can make tea. Dry leaves should be mixed with sunflower petals. 1 tablespoon of the mixture is poured with a glass of boiling water. This is an effective remedy, but you need to drink it intermittently. A glass of this tea is drunk half an hour before a meal.
Contraindications
Starting treatment with folk remedies, be sure to consider their properties and contraindications. Sunflower leaves, whose medicinal qualities are undeniably great, can be harmful if used improperly. Do not take infusions, decoctions and tinctures for more than 2 weeks in a row. The break should be a week. During this time, the body will be able to remove the accumulated substances that enter it along with plant materials.
It is recommended to alternate sunflower leaf remedies with other herbal medicines.
Sunflower has some contraindications for use. One of them is an allergic reaction. If, after using the selected remedy, a person notices a deterioration in well-being, a rash on the skin or shortness of breath, you should immediately stop taking the remedy. It is recommended to consult a doctor: he will prescribe antiallergic drugs.
Sunflower leaf medicine reviews
The healing properties of sunflower leaves are beyond doubt. Among the reviews that leave about this plant, there are a huge number of positive statements. It is important to use folk recipes in combination with other drugs. The doctor must control the treatment process.
Some patients whowere treated with a decoction of the leaves for urolithiasis, noted the appearance of a slight burning sensation in the joints. The pressure may also rise slightly. This is a normal reaction of the body - so he gets used to the medicine. People with hypertension should take these remedies very carefully.
If there is some discomfort, you need to reduce the dosage. When the body gets used to an unfamiliar composition, it will be possible to gradually increase the amount of the drug. Burning occurs due to the fact that the remedy washes out s alts from the tissues of the joints.
Doctors' recommendations
If sunflower leaves are used in the treatment of various ailments, it is very important to adhere to certain doctor's recommendations. In this case, the effectiveness of the drug will be high.
In order for the plant to have a positive effect on the body, it is forbidden to drink alcohol during the treatment. You also need to follow a diet. Pickles, smoked and fatty foods are excluded from the diet. It is important to supplement the menu with fresh fruits and vegetables. It should be understood that the drugs that are used in the treatment of, for example, urolithiasis, wash out of the body not only s alts.
It is very important to include foods rich in vitamins and trace elements in the diet. It should be all fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, wholemeal pastries, boiled dietary meat, fish. In this case, recovery will be faster.
Having considered the useful properties of sunflower leaves, you can use it for various medicinal purposes.
