Butterbur is a herbaceous perennial that has many synonyms among the common people. The plant is better known under the names: burdock, king grass, marsh grass. In some regions the grass is called white hoof.
The plant has numerous medicinal properties that have not gone unnoticed in alternative medicine.
Butterbur-based products are used in the fight against regular headaches, allergies, and alcoholism.
The active elements contained in the herb also have rejuvenating qualities - they smooth out wrinkles, improve the shade, and remove wilting.
Brief description of the plant and its beneficial qualities
Butterbur is a tall (up to one and a half meters) grass with powerful stems of a reddish hue. Large leaves of rich green color are located along the entire length of the shoots.
The flowers are red-purple and appear in mid-spring at the tips of the shoots. After flowering, seed pods filled with small grains are formed. The formation of the fruit coincides with the death of the plant stem - the above-ground part begins to wither.
The grass grows throughout Europe and most of Asia. Usually prefers swampy areas with moist soil. Can be found near rivers, ravines, lakes, and forest clearings.
For medicinal purposes, traditional medicine recommends using the leaves, the powerful rhizome of the plant. Plant raw materials contain saponins, flavonoids, ether, and several vitamin groups.
The herb also differs in its content of organic acids, resinous substances, and alkaloids. The plant has many useful qualities, among which it is easy to highlight:
- antispasmodic;
- diaphoretic;
- anti-inflammatory;
- expectorant;
- pain reliever;
- anthelmintic;
- wound healing.
Despite the numerous advantages of the plant, butterbur is not recognized by official medicine, so you will have to collect medicinal raw materials yourself.
Butterbur: composition
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The composition of butterbur provides its properties. It contains more than 10 organic substances that affect pain and inflammatory processes in the human body. Among them:
- tannins;
- minerals (record concentration of manganese);
- terpene alcohols;
- flavonoids (isoquercetin, astralgin and quercetin);
- polysaccharide inulin;
- organic acids (stearic, palmitic, oleic, etc.);
- vitamin substance choline;
- bitterness;
- carotenoids;
- resin.
Important! Butterbur is considered a potentially dangerous plant because it contains toxic alkaloids. If they overdose, there are side effects on the nervous system, liver and kidneys. Manufacturers of modern dietary supplements strive to minimize their concentration in their products.
Collection, drying, storage
It is recommended to collect butterbur leaves before the seed pods appear - from early spring to mid-summer. Carefully cut the plant material with scissors (secateurs), rinse at home, and dry a little.
Do not dry the whole leaves - chop them a little with your hands or a sharp knife, spread them in a thin layer on baking sheets. Drying is usually carried out in the fresh air, under canopies.
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Dig up roots in early autumn. Be sure to use a shovel - the rhizome is powerful, sends out shoots that firmly hold onto the ground. Clean the roots of the house from the soil, wash, cut into thin slices. Drying is also carried out outside.
For storage use glass, plastic containers, canvas bags. It is advisable to send the plant materials after packaging and store them in a cool room with low humidity.
It is recommended to periodically check the condition of the healing component - sort through it, and repeat drying if necessary.
Butterbur: instructions
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Before using any additive, including butterbur , you must read the instructions. It describes recommendations regarding storage conditions, contraindications and recommended dosage. Without reading the instructions, you may harm your health.
Butterbur: how to take
Taking butterbur is very easy. The most common capsule dosage form. The daily dosage of the plant ranges from 75 mg to 225 mg. You can take no more than 100 mg of herbal extract at one time. Taking capsules does not depend on diet or lifestyle.
Vascular treatment
When treating vascular diseases, it is recommended to use a decoction based on butterbur (use only the roots). The product improves blood flow, helps dilate blood vessels, and reduces blood pressure.
Regular use of a home remedy will also help prevent varicose veins. Step-by-step folk recipe:
- Chop fresh roots (20 g).
- Pour cold water over the plant mixture and leave to steep for 3 hours.
- Drain the liquid and refill with water (250 ml).
- Place the container on the stove and simmer for a quarter of an hour.
- Close the saucepan tightly, wrap it in a scarf, and leave to cool.
Take the product three times a day. Dosage – 30 ml. Treatment is carried out for a month. It is recommended to take a break (half a month) and continue taking it.
Treatment of headaches, migraines
Regular headaches, migraines, dizziness are a reason to seek the help of butterbur. The only warning is to start taking it after a preliminary medical examination.
Serious illnesses that require treatment can cause headaches. The herbal remedy can be used simultaneously with drug therapy. Preparation:
- Place the crushed leaves of the plant (20 grams fresh or 10 grams dry) in a cooking container.
- Pour boiling water (300 ml).
- Place the container in a water bath and simmer for 10 minutes.
- There is no need to strain immediately; you need to wait until it cools completely.
Divide the prepared healing liquid into three parts. Take immediately after breakfast, lunch, dinner. The duration of treatment is two weeks. If this time was not enough to eliminate unpleasant symptoms, immediately go for a second visit to a specialist.
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Butterbur: price
Prices for butterbur may not be affordable for every buyer. The iHerb website offers profitable purchases and maintaining a healthy body. Over the years, millions of customers have checked this online store for the integrity of its products and the quality of its goods. Therefore, people from all over the world trust the products presented on the site.
In the product catalog you can find dietary supplements 1.5-3 times cheaper than other online stores. For example, nattokinase, gotu kola, skullcap and other headache supplements. Choose the right product for yourself!
Allergy treatment
Butterbur infusion is the most effective remedy for treating the body’s tendency to allergic reactions. For people suffering from hypersensitivity to internal or external stimuli, alternative medicine also offers to take advantage of the beneficial qualities of the herb and get rid of the unpleasant problem. Step by step recipe:
- Mix 10 gr. roots, leaves of grass.
- Steam with boiled water (120 ml).
- Place on the stove and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes.
- Remove, cool slightly, strain.
Take throughout the day in small portions. The recommended dosage is only 15-20 ml. Traditional treatment is most effective if you drink the aromatic liquid immediately after eating.
Do not overuse - take herbal tea for only 1-2 weeks, this is enough to reduce the sensitivity of the body and get rid of allergies.
Butterbur: in the pharmacy
butterbur in a pharmacy , like other medicinal herbs. The difficulty lies elsewhere: to obtain maximum results, you need to take supplements with a high content of the extract. Unfortunately, not all manufacturers can boast of such a composition, and counterfeits of well-known brands even hide the real concentration. It is better to trust products from the USA - they are 100% plant extract or a complex of herbs.
To save money and time, it is better to order butterbur in an online store. The link is given below. There is a wide selection of goods, all conditions of storage, transportation and dispatch are met. Convenient ordering and delivery to any city. Residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other megacities are satisfied with convenient online shopping.
Treatment of alcoholism
Butterbur is one of the most effective plants offered by alternative medicine for addiction to alcoholic beverages.
The herb contains a number of elements that reduce the destructive craving for alcohol, cause disgust even for low-alcohol drinks, and restore damaged areas of organs damaged by alcohol. Preparation:
- Grind the herb leaves (you will need about two teaspoons).
- Boil water (260 ml), steam the green mass.
- It is recommended to use a thermos for brewing - close tightly and leave for 1-2 hours.
- Strain the prepared liquid, after cooling, fill a clean bottle, and place in the refrigerator.
Take the infusion three times a day. Dosage – 20 ml. The beneficial qualities persist for two days; on the third day you will have to prepare fresh homemade medicine.
Butterbur: reviews
reviews about the action of butterbur . The medicinal plant has helped many people get rid of headaches, including intense migraines. Moreover, such supplements do not inhibit the functioning of other organs, do not cause drowsiness and do not have a psychotropic effect. It is also a good substitute for anti-allergy medications. Moreover, most synthetic drugs have a short period of action, but butterbur can have a long-term effect.
Cleansing, whitening and rejuvenating butterbur lotion for facial skin
We also appreciated the benefits of butterbur in home cosmetology. The plant contains substances that can whiten the skin, remove pigmentation, and freckles. The product effectively cleanses the dermis, removes blackheads and greasy, unkempt shine.
Another advantage of using lotion is that regular procedures start the rejuvenation process. Wrinkles begin to smooth out, the relief evens out, the dermis tightens, and elasticity returns. Step by step recipe:
- Combine butterbur, chamomile, sage, calendula (take the components in equal parts, about 10 grams each).
- Pour boiled water (280 ml) over the vegetable mixture.
- Place in a steam bath and wait half an hour.
- Strain after the liquid has cooled.
- Pour the lotion into a small container and place in the refrigerator.
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Use herbal lotion to treat the skin. Wipe the dermis twice a day. If there are signs of wilting, make masks - soak a napkin in warm liquid, put it on your face, and leave for a quarter of an hour.
Before the procedure, it is recommended to steam (put a damp hot towel on the dermis for 3 minutes), this will help the active components quickly penetrate the epidermal tissue.
Beneficial features
The beneficial properties of butterbur are due to its chemical composition. Butterbur and its medicinal properties have been known for a very long time. In Austria, scientists discovered the dried rhizome of this plant in the remains of settlements that had been preserved since the glaciation. The first mention of this perennial herb is considered to be the book “On Medicinal Substances,” where Dioscorides, its author, describes the beneficial properties of butterbur. The ancient Greeks and Romans prepared medicinal decoctions from fuca rhizomes, which they used as an expectorant for diseases of the upper respiratory tract. The plant was considered an excellent antiparasitic agent. Fresh leaves were also carefully crushed and applied to wounds, swelling, and sore joints. Butterbur compresses reduce pain and have a beneficial effect on a person’s well-being with gout and rheumatism.
The plant contains vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K. Vitamin A is an important fat-soluble vitamin, it is important for maintaining vision and for bones. This vitamin has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair, and nails. Vitamin A is necessary for the growth of new cells and prevents aging. The average man should consume 900 mcg of this vitamin with food, while 700 mcg will be enough for women. Butterbur contains 0.03 mg of vitamin A. Of course, this is not enough to consider it as a source of this vitamin. It contains much more folic acid, or vitamin B9. Folic acid takes part in the synthesis of nucleic acids, which are a natural “information bank” that contains all the information about the body. It is important for pregnant women to consume foods rich in this vitamin, as it is essential for the development and growth of the fetus. Of the microelements, fuki contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, phosphorus and others.
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Butterbur in Rus' was a well-known remedy for abscesses. This property of the plant is reflected in its name “kamchug grass”, where “kamchug” meant an abscess or rash. In the Middle Ages, information was widespread that butterbur could cure the plague. The plant was immediately nicknamed “plague grass”; butterbur received similar names in some European languages. Of course, butterbur did not cure terminally ill patients, but thanks to its disinfectant compounds it helped to reduce inflamed lymph nodes, or plague buboes.
Hair rinse
At home, it is also recommended to use butterbur to treat hair diseases. The product effectively affects the roots (strengthens, accelerates cell division), the structure of the strands (removes fragility, dryness). At the same time, the active components will reduce the production of sebum, and the hair will become oily for much longer.
For a rinse, mix roots and grass leaves (20 grams each). Brew with boiling water (300 ml), strain after steeping. Add 5 drops of ether, juice squeezed from a lemon wedge.
Rinse your hair after washing your hair. If you have time, perform a light massage of the scalp - patting and stroking help the penetration of beneficial elements into the dermal tissue.
