Melissa can be immediately recognized by the strong smell of lemon, it is called - lemon mint. And balm is called bee grass, because its smell is particularly attracts bees - Melissa has long been landed Bortnik to attract wild bees. Melissovy honey is characterized by high taste qualities.

What it is and where it grows Melissa

Melissa - a perennial herb of the family grubotsvetnyh Direct tetrahedral branched pubescent stems height of over a meter. Leaves petiolate, ovate, serrated edge, pubescent. The flowers on short stalks sit in the axils of the upper leaves are collected at 3-10 units, strongly branched rhizome. Corolla whitish or pink with red spots. Fruit - shiny black egg-shaped nuts. It blooms all summer, the fruits ripen in late summer - early autumn.

It grows in weedy places, forest edges, among the thickets of shrubs in the southern regions of the European part of our country in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, Central Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe. Melissa has always grown as a good food for bees, it attracts them to their smell, for which he was named roevnika. Grow balm planting into the soil in the form of seeds (but they do not germinate), seedlings or cuttings using stems. As a medicinal plant used the tops (leaves and flowers) plants.

The chemical composition of lemon balm and its impact on the human body

The leaves of lemon balm contains a large amount of ascorbic acid, carotene (from his body produces vitamin A) essential oil with lemon smell, bitterness, tannins, organic acids (caffeic, oleanovaya, ursolic), a lot of copper. The seeds of lemon balm contains a large amount of fatty oil.

The essential oil of lemon balm has a pleasant lemon flavor and contains a number of substances that actively affect a variety of physiological processes in the body. For essential oil Essential oils and conception: can help the roses?   aerial parts lemon balm processed fresh.

The essential oil of lemon balm has on the human body a calming effect, has anti-microbial properties. The leaves of lemon balm is also used as an antispasmodic (relieves muscle spasm of the blood vessels and internal organs), anticonvulsant, cardiovascular, analgesic, diuretic, diaphoretic, antiemetic, and increases appetite Helps to overcome. Drugs of lemon balm normalize metabolism, strengthen the immune system, slow breathing, lower blood pressure, heart rate slows.

The use of lemon balm in folk medicine

Melissa is taken orally in a number of diseases:

• functional disorders of the nervous system, resulting from stress and neuropsychiatric overload (nervousness, depression, insomnia, migraines, increased sexual excitability, dizziness) - as a sedative;
• for various cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and atherosclerosis - such as cardiovascular, lowering blood pressure and sedative;
• pain in the stomach and intestines, constipation and abdominal distension (flatulence) - as an antispasmodic, sedative and laxative;
• with poor appetite - as a means of stimulating the appetite;
• in diseases of the biliary tract (including cholelithiasis) - both anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic;
• in the menstrual cycle - both regulatory and sedative;
• with an overall loss of strength - as a fortifying agent;
• for colds as a diaphoretic, strengthen the immune system and antimicrobial agent;
• during breast Breastfeeding - a personal choice   breasts to enhance lactation;
• obesity - to normalize metabolism.

Topical lemon balm is used in the form of infusions and decoctions for the treatment of septic wounds, pustular rash, boils, rinse in inflammation of the gums and tooth pain. Extracts of lemon balm are added to the bath to remove the increased excitability and normalize sleep Dreams: how to understand our dreams .

How to prepare medicine from Melissa

Drugs of lemon balm is prepared as follows:

• infusion of leaves and flowers of lemon balm for internal use: tablespoon dried minced raw pour two cups of boiled water, 30 minutes, strain and drink half a cup 4 times a day for half an hour before meals;
• decoction of the leaves and flowers of lemon balm with other plants for the bath: a tablespoon dried minced raw lemon balm, yarrow, sage, oregano, mint Mint and its useful properties: aromatic freshness   peppermint, pine buds, rhizome is placed in an enamel bowl, pour 10 liters of cold water, boil on low heat for 30 minutes, allow to cool, filter and add to bath with warm water; bath time - no more than 15-20 minutes.

Melissa - an excellent herbal remedy that can be in the home medicine cabinet and take on their own.

Galina Romanenko

At the end of May on the green grass lawn appear bright yellow dandelion flowers, which signals to us that summer will soon come. The children gather dandelions, weave of them are beautiful, but short-lived wreaths. And adults are using dandelion more rationally - in salads or as a spring of medicinal raw materials.

Botanical description dandelion

From drug to use dandelion - a perennial herb of the family Compositae height of 20-30 cm, basal pinnatisected serrated leaves in a rosette and subramose long root. The flowers are bright yellow in the form of baskets, located on the long luscious floral inside a hollow arrow, fruit - achene with fluff on a long stalk. All parts of the plant contain bitter thick milky juice. Dandelion blooms from late May to August, fruiting in June - September.

Dandelion growing in meadows, fields, orchards, about roads and housing. In France, Austria, Germany, Japan, India and the United States Dandelion cultivated as garden crops.

From drug to use roots that are dug in autumn during the withering of leaves and in spring before flowering, as well as the aerial part, which is collected in the initial period of flowering.

The chemical composition and medicinal properties of dandelion

Dandelion roots contain terpenes, sterols, polysaccharide inulin (up to 40%), choline, bitter substance lactucopicrin, carotenoids (of which the body produces vitamin A), vitamin B, E, ascorbic acid, minerals (potassium, calcium, manganese, iron magnesium, stranded, zinc, cobalt, etc.), rubber (up 3%), asparagine, mucus, resins, waxes, tannins, vegetable protein (5%), fatty oil (composed of glycerides of oleic, melissovoy palmitic , and tseratinovoy linoleic acids), simple carbohydrates (sugars).

Chyle dandelion contains bitter glycosides taraksatsin and taraksatserin, rubber, carotenoids (e.g., lutein), vitamins C, A, B2, E, PP, choline, saponins, resins, salts of manganese, iron, calcium, phosphorus, vegetable protein, making their nutritional products.

Preparations medicines based on dandelion have a restorative effect, reduced metabolism Improves metabolism and losing weight without dieting   (including reducing the number of "bad" cholesterol), stimulate appetite, improve the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, stimulate the secretion of breast milk. Dandelion has choleretic, antispasmodic, laxative, antihelminthic, diuretic, expectorant, sedative, hypnotic, analgesic, antianemic, antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-tumor effect. Negative properties of dandelion is that he absorbs lead and other harmful substances contained in the air (usually they come back from the exhaust gases), so is not recommended for therapeutic purposes raw materials collected at the edge of roads.

The use of dandelion in medicine

The root, grass and dandelion juice is used in the form inside infusions, decoctions and juice:

• in diseases of the stomach and intestines - both improves digestion and appetite stimulating agent;
• for liver and biliary tract - both relieves spasms of smooth muscles and cholagogue;
• constipation and hemorrhoids - as a laxative;
• colds - as an antipyretic, antiviral, antibacterial and expectorant;
• elevated anxiety and sleep disorders Dreams: how to understand our dreams   - As a sedative and hypnotic;
• in atherosclerosis - as a means of normalizing metabolism;
• during breast Breastfeeding - a personal choice   breasted - to stimulate lactation;
• for anemia in the complex therapy;
• like a sedative;
• for tumors in the complex therapy.

Outwardly dandelion juice is used against freckles (whitening effect), and to eliminate warts (antiviral effect).

How to prepare and take drugs from dandelion

Drugs made from the roots of grass and dandelion juice:

• dandelion root tincture: tablespoon dried minced raw material is placed in an enamel bowl, pour a glass of hot boiled water, close lid and heated in a water bath Sauna and health: the benefits and harms of bath procedures   15 minutes, cool 45 minutes at room temperature, strain, wring out, adjusted the amount of the infusion to the original level of boiled water and take in the warmth of a quarter cup three times a day for half an hour before meals to improve appetite and as a choleretic agent;
• decoction of the flowers and herbs dandelion: a tablespoon of crushed dried flowers and herbs dandelion pour two cups of cold water, boil for 10 minutes, insist half an hour, filtered, made up to the initial level and take a quarter cup 3-4 times daily after meals to stimulate lactation ;
• oil from dandelion roots and herbs: 1-2 teaspoons of dried shredded dandelion roots and herbs soaked in 50 ml of vegetable oil for 10 hours, is used topically to remove freckles, age spots and warts.

Dandelion has a universal medicinal properties, allowing to use it in a variety of diseases.

Galina Romanenko