Butterbur: medicinal properties and contraindications

Butterbur is a popular medicinal plant that can be found on almost every shore of a reservoir located in the Northern Hemisphere. This genus is most common in the Mediterranean countries, in the European part of Russia, in the Far East, in Siberia and North America. Butterbur possesses healing properties and can be used as part of the complex therapy of diseases of the digestive system, respiratory organs, skin and the reproductive sphere. To start using this plant, you need to know how and with what diagnoses it can be useful, how to properly prepare the funds, dose and take them.

Chemical composition

The composition of butterbur is not fully understood. But to date, scientists have already been able to conclude that this plant has therapeutic efficacy.

Through chemical analysis, scientists were able to find out that the plant contains the following groups of active substances:

• tetracyclic and pentacyclic saponins;
• flavonoids (isocvercitin, astralgin and quercetin);
• tannins of various types;
• esters and essential oils;
• organic acids of 12 types;
• B vitamins (except B1 and B12);
• isopetasin and neopetasin;
• choline;
• petazole;
• carotenoids;
• mineral compounds;
• manganese in record concentration.

The only obstacle to the mass use of butterbur in the pharmaceutical industry is the presence of toxic substances, which are present in high concentrations in plant leaves. They negatively affect the nervous system, overload the liver and kidneys.

One of the Swiss pharmaceutical companies was able to find a way to effectively purify the extracts from toxic alkaloids. After this discovery, grass began to be massively used as one of the components of herbal preparations for the treatment of laryngitis, bronchial asthma, hypertension, acute respiratory infections, migraines and many infectious diseases. But the presence of nutrients is not canceled by the presence of toxic alkaloids. The plant is recognized on the territory of the Russian Federation and is included in the register of medicines.

How it looks and where it grows

Butterbur is a genus of herbaceous plants with a one-year or many-year development cycle. Belongs to the Astrov family. The range of this grass is Europe, Asia, as well as part of North America and Africa. The most common type used for medicinal purposes is the butterbur, or hybrid. It has the following botanical characteristics:

1. The maximum height of the plant is 50–70 cm.
2. The rhizome is fleshy, with scales and multiple cord-shaped processes.
3. Large leaves are round or heart-shaped with thick veins forming a basal rosette.
4. Narrow and long sessile burgundy leaves that completely cover the stems.
5. Spiky or paniculate inflorescences, consisting of multiple purple or red flowers.
6. Fruits - small achenes, cylindrical capsules.

Depending on the growing conditions, butterbur, or hybrid, may have slightly different botanical characteristics.

Kinds

The botanical characteristics of each species sometimes differ dramatically. Like all representatives of the Astrov family, butterbur has typical characteristics that betray its belonging to this group of plants. The following types of butterbur are most common in the Russian Federation:

• glacial;
• rocky;
• fragrant;
• Hybrid
• smooth.

Some historical documents preserved information that many centuries ago, the peoples of the Arctic and Siberia used the plant for culinary purposes. The butterbur butterbur is very common in Japan and China, where it serves as an ingredient in many dishes of traditional cuisine.

Collection and storage

Raw materials must be harvested in ecologically clean areas where there are no highways, cattle burial grounds, toxic waste burial sites, business facilities and industrial enterprises. Here are the basic collection rules:

• cut the leaves from early July to late August, dry in the shade;
• dig out rhizomes at the end of September;
• inflorescences are rarely harvested, you need to cut them during the flowering period.

Drying the roots is advised in the oven, at a temperature of 50 degrees for 4-6 hours. Inflorescences and leaves are best dried in the open air, spread on paper or on oilcloth. And when the raw material is ready for storage, you can pack it in jars or boxes and store it in a room with low humidity, away from sources of extraneous odors.

Medicinal properties of butterbur

Butterbur contains more than 30 active substances that affect different spheres of human health. Due to the presence of these components, the plant has pronounced therapeutic effects:

1. Butterbur is used as a powerful natural pain reliever for headaches, migraines.
2. Substances that activate tissue regeneration and have a disinfecting effect are used in the treatment of skin diseases.
3. The entire aerial part of the plant contains active ingredients that are effective in treating cough. They dilute sputum, accelerate its excretion from the body, facilitate breathing and eliminate bronchospasm.
4. Butterbur has a mild sedative and calming effect, therefore it is used for neurosis, to increase stress resistance and fight insomnia.
5. It is a powerful natural anticoagulant. The plant dilutes blood, prevents the formation of blood clots, cleanses blood vessels.
6. Grass has an antipyretic property, reduces body temperature, makes sweat glands work actively, due to which thermoregulation mechanisms are activated.
7. Also, the plant is known for its antispasmodic effect, it is used for abdominal pain of various etiologies.

Butterbur has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive system, regulates the production of enzymes, normalizes metabolism and promotes the breakdown of fats in the body. Due to this, the functioning of the liver is maintained, cholesterol is eliminated, the risk of heart attack and stroke is reduced.

Butterbur in folk medicine

Treatment with butterbur is preferably carried out under the supervision of a physician. At a minimum, you must first consult with a specialist so as not to harm the body. This plant can be used for various diseases and conditions, but you need to know how to properly prepare funds from it, how to dose them.

Against cough

The butterbur's advantage is that it is universal. This plant copes equally well with both dry and productive coughs. In addition to the antitussive effect, it also helps to remove sputum faster, boosts immunity to fight infection and facilitates breathing by relieving cramps.

To cope with a cough, you need to prepare a water decoction from the leaves of the plant according to this recipe:

• take 2 tablespoons of dry collection;
• pour 250 ml of boiling water;
• boil for 15 minutes in a steam bath;
• strain when cool.

Take the resulting liquid 3 times a day for 1 tablespoon, washed down with water.The maximum duration of treatment with butterbur is 2 weeks. If you need to cope with chronic bronchitis or other diseases accompanied by coughing, you need to repeat the course after a month's break or alternate this plant with infusion of coltsfoot.

For headache and migraine

Instead of traditional aspirin at home, it is better to keep a bottle of alcohol butterbur tincture, which can be prepared from 30 g of dry raw materials and 100 ml of alcohol. It is necessary to withstand this tool in a warm, but dark place for 20 days, and then, if necessary, use it as an anesthetic for attacks of headache and migraine. A single dosage - 30 drops, if the pain is too strong, you can drink a full teaspoon, dissolving in a glass of boiled, cold water.

From worms

You can use butterbur at parasitic infections as the main or auxiliary tool. For these purposes, only the rhizome of the plant is used, since it contains substances that affect the nervous system of the worms. There are two ways to use it.

1. Prepare tea from 1 teaspoon of raw materials and 200 ml of water, drink on an empty stomach. Repeat for 7 days.
2. Prepare the powder from the rhizome of the plant, mix it in a ratio of 1: 1 with natural honey, which has already been candied, eat 1 teaspoon of the product in the morning on an empty stomach. The course is 10 days.

After using the medicine, it is advisable to wait 5-7 days and take an analysis to make sure that it worked. The fact is that the active substances of the plant are not effective against all types of worms.

With epilepsy

Due to its ability to relax the nervous system, butterbur is successfully used in the complex treatment of epilepsy. The effectiveness of the plant is clinically proven, so it is often used in dietary supplements, indicated for use by people suffering from frequent attacks.

At home, this herb can also be used to treat epilepsy. There are several popular recipes that have proven effective.

1. Brew a glass of boiling water 1 teaspoon of grass, drink 50 ml 3 times a day for 2 weeks.
2. Boil 2 tablespoons of roots in 1 liter of boiling water, strain and drink 100 ml 2 times a day.
3. Take a glass of crushed roots, pour 1 liter of vodka. Drink 1 tablespoon once a day for a month.

If there are no other contraindications, butterbur can be used for long-term treatment for epilepsy. But it is important to periodically undergo preventive checks in order to monitor the effectiveness of the herbal remedy. It is important to understand that plant materials are not able to replace drug therapy.

With insomnia

Butterbur butterbur helps to quickly cope with insomnia. To normalize sleep, it is necessary to use a powder made from the rhizome of the plant. It can be taken in dry form, pre-mixed with honey or raspberry jam. Dosage - 1 teaspoon 1–1.5 hours before bedtime. You can also make tea from the root - 1 teaspoon of raw materials per glass of boiling water. Insist 20 minutes and drink in a warm form, preferably without sugar.

With rheumatism

To treat joint diseases, alcohol tincture of butterbur leaves is used externally and inward. In the stage of stable remission, preventive compresses and rubbing can be done, if exacerbation has begun, drink 1 teaspoon of tincture 2 times a day.

You can prepare tincture at home, for this you need to take 2 tablespoons of leaves, 500 ml of vodka. Soak the medicine in a dark place for up to 20 days, pour through a sieve into a clean bottle and store in the cold, using as needed.

From gout

Butterbur can be used as a therapeutic and symptomatic remedy for gout. The capabilities of this plant have already been evaluated by specialists from traditional medicine, therefore, preparations based on extracts are often prescribed in addition to the main course of therapy.

At home, you can use 2 herbal remedies made from butterbur.

1. Vodka tincture - exclusively for external use (compresses, rubbing).Frequency of use - 2-3 times a day.
2. Water infusion (1 tablespoon per 200 ml of boiling water) - for oral administration of 20 ml 3-4 times a day, not longer than a month.

Two weeks after the start of treatment, it is necessary to undergo a check or to navigate according to your well-being. If there are shifts, it is worth continuing the therapy, periodically taking breaks.

With pancreatitis

In the acute stage, butterbur can be used only with the permission of a doctor. This is often practiced by gastroenterologists, since the plant is able to eliminate the pain syndrome and at the same time cope with the causes of its occurrence.

Butterbur is a powerful anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, regenerative and antispasmodic. It helps to cope with inflammation and is used as an auxiliary component in both acute and chronic pancreatic inflammation. There are 3 schemes for taking infusion from this herb (2 tablespoons per 500 ml of water).

1. Drink 1 tablespoon before each meal (injected on the same day when the doctor allows at least something to eat).
2. Take a course, twice a day, 50 ml, up to 1 month.
3. In remission, use daily tea from the rhizome for a month 2 times a year.

To prevent exacerbations, it is also useful to use dry powder from the leaves. It can be added to soups, side dishes, fish and meat dishes as a safe and healthy seasoning. Fresh greens of butterbur are used instead of foil for cooking fish and meat dishes of the diet menu in the oven.

For chronic fatigue

Today, many European countries are revising the standards for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors found that the causes of this condition are chronic infections, as a result of which toxic components accumulate in the body (waste products of bacteria and viruses). Therefore, in complex therapy, sorbents, antioxidants and tonic agents are used. Butterbur is able to perform the functions of all three of these substances, therefore it is an effective organic remedy for chronic fatigue.

To improve your well-being, and in the long run to completely eliminate the problem, you need to prepare the following remedy:

• 30 g of white clay (food, sold in organic stores);
• 2 tablespoons powdered eleutherococcus;
• 50 g of milled rhizome of butterbur.

Mix the ingredients well, take the resulting powder mixture in the morning, 1 teaspoon 1 hour before a meal. It is important to drink the medicine with plenty of water, and also try to minimize sweets in the diet.

Types of healing compounds

Medicines can be prepared from butterbur at home, using classic recipes that have been tested by time and many generations. You do not need to have any specific skills or special equipment. All that is needed is found in every person at home. And recipes and technologies are described below.

Infusion

To prepare a water infusion, you need to use dry, shredded butterbur leaves. For 1 tablespoon of raw materials, you need to take 600 ml of water. The maximum dosage of such a drug per day is 150 ml, no more. The fact is that there are medical recommendations regarding the maximum permissible dose of toxic alkaloids that enter the body with infusion along with useful substances.

Tincture

Alcohol or vodka tincture is usually prepared from the rhizome of the plant, but for this purpose you can also use inflorescences and leaves. The technology for creating a drug is quite simple:

• you need to take a bottle of dark glass;
• pour 2 tablespoons of crushed dried raw materials to the bottom;
• add 500 ml of vodka (or 250 ml of medical alcohol);
• insist 14-20 days, periodically vigorously shake;
• strain and filter (required, otherwise the shelf life will be short);
• pour into dry clean containers.

A single dose for taking vodka tincture - 1 teaspoon. If the preparation was prepared for alcohol, you need to drink 30 drops 3-4 times a day.

Decoction

If you boil plant material in boiling water, the liquid will contain more active substances, which means that decoctions are more effective in various diseases. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to evaporate most of the components of the plant, otherwise the effect will be opposite - the output will be only useless slurry with a herbal taste.

The broth can be prepared from the roots or from the leaves of the plant. The recipe for a dry aerial part of butterbur:

• 20 g of leaves;
• 1 liter of boiling water.

Boil the raw materials for 20 minutes at low heat, then remove the pan from the stove, allow it to cool without opening the lid, and strain the liquid. You can use the same principle to prepare a decoction of rhizomes. Raw materials must be taken in a ratio of 1:10, that is, 100 g - 1 liter of water. Boil the roots for longer, up to 40 minutes, and then the scheme is the same - cool, strain and store in the refrigerator.

Application in cosmetology

Butterbur also has beneficial properties used in cosmetology. This plant helps to heal the skin, lighten it and cleanse the pores. For hair, grass can serve as a powerful strengthening agent, and it can also stimulate cell regeneration processes in hair follicles, due to which growth is activated. There are several popular recipes for using butterbur to beauty skin and hair.

Facial massage

The product removes black spots and eliminates sore acne and blackheads. It is prepared from the following ingredients:

• 100 ml of olive oil;
• 20 g of crushed leaves.

Strain for 30 minutes at 70 degrees in the oven, cool and strain. Use in the evenings for massage, and rinse off after the procedure.

Hair balm

This is a healing remedy for all problems associated with hair. It produces the following effects:

• strengthens the roots;
• stimulates growth;
• reduces oily scalp;
• eliminates dandruff;
• stops hair loss even at the stage of alopecia.

For cooking, you need to take 20 g of butterbur leaves, 10 g of dioecious nettle and 10 g of a mixture of birch leaves and buds. Pour 2 l of cold water into these components and bring to a boil over low heat. Then immediately turn it off and cover. Use for rinsing hair after washing, you can every day.

Facial Treatment Lotion

You can prepare a real medicine that will help cope with acne, seborrhea, dermatitis. To do this, follow these instructions:

• take 2 tablespoons of leaves;
• boil for 15 minutes in a glass of water (150 ml);
• cool and strain.

To the broth add 50 ml of alcohol tincture of calendula, shake and send in the refrigerator for a day.

Use 2 times a day, wipe clean skin before applying a nourishing cream. For a pronounced result to appear, regularity is important. If wiped every day, after 2 weeks you can observe a noticeable effect.

Contraindications

Butterbur is a hepatotoxic plant, so it should not be used to treat people with liver diseases that are accompanied by impaired functioning of this organ. The use of butterbur in the hypersensitivity reaction is strictly prohibited. If this herb provokes an allergic reaction, the use can only harm the body.

With caution, it is worth using the plant for chronic inflammation in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as for cardiovascular diseases. Butterbur is forbidden to drink during pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

As you can see, butterbur is the most valuable medicine, but only those who correctly dose the drugs and do not violate the requirements regarding the duration of the course can appreciate its benefits. Otherwise, butterbur turns from useful grass into poison for the liver.

Photo of butterbur