Horse sorrel: medicinal properties and contraindications

What names did not people come up with horse sorrel! It is called horse and frog acid, and hernial ognevka, and horse sorrel, and aveluk, and Armenian grass, and horse farmers. There are a lot of nicknames, some even with a slight neglecting tinge, but meanwhile this plant is a close relative of buckwheat, from which everyone loves porridge, perhaps with a few exceptions. Yes, and in itself horse sorrel is worthy of attention and respect, because it contains many substances useful to humans.

Chemical composition

Horse sorrel is not only a well-known plant, but also well-studied. Scientists, doctors, cosmetologists and traditional healers are aware of its rich chemical composition. First of all, experts say that sorrel is a whole pantry of various useful substances. These are organic acids - oxalic, caffeic, lactic, citric and chrysophane with all its derivatives.

The plant generously shares vitamins C, K, P, flavonoids, pectins, iron, essential oils, coumarins. In addition, 15–16% of the dried plant material’s mass is made up of tannins (or tannins), the use of plant materials in the leather industry is based on their action, and due to the presence of carotene (plant pigment), it is used in the manufacture of dyes for black and yellow fabrics. The presence of various trace elements (magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, manganese, fluorine, calcium, copper) completes the picture of sorrel components.

How it looks and where it grows

This tall plant is noticeably from afar, it is difficult to confuse with any other. Its sturdy stems up to one and a half meters tall branch, forming a whole bush, and can reach a thickness of 2 cm. Its leaves are elongated, but of two types. Some make up a basal rosette, sit on long petioles and have a rounded top. Their length can be up to 25 cm with a width of about 12 cm. Other leaves are located throughout the smooth stem, their petioles are shorter and slightly reddish at the point of attachment to the stem. The leaves themselves are smaller than the basal ones, narrower and with a pointed top, on the underside they are covered with short, hard hairs.

Flowering of the plant begins in late May and lasts throughout June, the flowers are small, green-yellow, outwardly similar to unripe buckwheat. They are collected in a narrow, high dense inflorescence, turn brown with maturation. They ripen small nuts, fruits that can survive the fall without falling, and sag on the stems for almost the entire winter.

In general, the plant is large, powerful, juicy. Surprisingly, the rhizome of such a hero does not differ in special sizes. It is short and not very branched, but thick and has many subordinate roots.

In the European part of the former USSR, it can be found everywhere, except, perhaps, in the regions of the Far North - not only in Russia, but also in neighboring countries. It grows in forests and steppes, prefers to settle where there is abundant life-giving moisture. He loves both the banks of wide rivers and the surroundings of quiet ponds. He does not care about spring spills, but does not tolerate wetlands.

Forest edges and clearings, roadsides and kitchen gardens, fields and ravines - horse sorrel everywhere feels at ease. But still, his favorite element is meadows. It can exist both as a solitary plant, decorating the district with its only person, and a small group of several pieces, and also occupy entirely vast territories - up to several hectares, without giving a chance to other herbs and even shrubs. But if cattle are systematically cultivated or released onto such a territory, the sorrel may not resume growth on it next year and simply degenerate.

Collection and storage

To collect horse sorrel, you need to move away from civilization - in fields, forests, meadows, on the shores of natural reservoirs. It is there that the most useful and safe plants grow, and near roads, in settlements or near them, there is a high probability of gaining a sorrel that has absorbed hazardous substances from automobile exhausts or industrial emissions. You need to pick warm warm weather without rain.

At horse sorrel all parts can be harvested. Leaves and stems are better to collect in early summer - in June, when the plant is just beginning to bloom, and young tender leaves are even suitable for food, because they are not yet bitter. The collected greens are washed under running cold water and dried whole, it is important to arrange for drying not a sunny, but a shaded and well-ventilated place.

A little later - in July - the collection of seeds begins. By that time they were already getting a red color. Seeds must be carefully sorted, select the whole litter and put in storage in glass jars.

Both autumn and spring are suitable for collecting the root - at a time when the green part of the plant has either not yet appeared, or is already dying. It is more convenient, of course, in the fall, when the aboveground part of the sorrel still stands, and there is no danger, instead of the desired rhizome, to dig out some other, unknown, but very similar.

The rhizome is thoroughly cleaned of dirt, washed with running water and put on a sunny area to make it sag. It is crushed by cutting thick roots in half lengthwise, and then dried to the end on the veranda under a canopy. If the weather is damp and the air is humid, it is possible to dry in the oven with a small flame and with the door ajar. You can store, like leaves, in glass containers, wicker baskets with a lid or cardboard boxes.

The aerial part lies without quality loss in this form for a year, the root can be stored longer - up to three years.

If the decision is made not to dry the sorrel, but to freeze it (this option is also possible), it must first be cut and then stored in the freezer. The thawed product cannot be cut. And do not be afraid of the consistency of the thawed sorrel, useful substances in it are still preserved.

How to distinguish horseradish from horse sorrel

An inexperienced person can confuse horseradish with horse sorrel, although they differ. Horseradish grows out of the ground with a huge rosette and can reach a length of 80–100 cm on fertile soil. The color of young leaves of horseradish is light green, later they darken and acquire a more saturated color. They are quite wide, rounded at the top, and look slightly wrinkled, as if not ironed. Having bitten through a leaf, you can feel a slight burning sensation, which horse sorrel does not have.

Horseradish blooms rarely and not every summer resident. Some have cultivated this plant for years and are unaware that it can bloom. His flowers are small, white, collected in loose, loose brushes - against a dense narrow brush of green color at the sorrel. There are also a few small leaves on the horseradish peduncle.

The flowering periods of horse sorrel and horseradish vary: if the first one enters this phase of life in late May - early June, then horseradish - a month later, when the sorrel has already blossomed, and the seeds ripen with might and main. And the roots of these two plants are different: the horseradish is almost white, the sorrel is much darker, almost chocolate in color.

The healing properties of horse sorrel

Ever since the time of the Persian doctor Avicenna, the abilities of horse sorrel have been known to put the sick on their feet. It is recognized by both official medicine and folk medicine.Herbal preparations or medicines that include this herb are sold at any pharmacy. First of all, doctors prescribe them for pulmonological problems and in dermatology. So, sinusitis is treated with pills, and simple and plantar warts, genital warts, and also fight seborrheic keratosis are removed with solutions.

Medicine has long learned to put into action absolutely every part of sorrel, but still the most effective is the use of the root - because of the maximum concentration of nutrients.

1. Diseases of horse sorrel lend themselves to diseases of the digestive system, liver, skin, respiratory organs, in particular bronchitis.
2. With atherosclerosis, sorrel reduces the amount of cholesterol, fights deposits in blood vessels, dissolving atherosclerotic plaques. It has the ability to alleviate the condition of hypertension, relieves headaches.
3. The astringent effect of sorrel, obtained due to the tannins included in its composition, is widespread in the treatment of diarrhea, colitis and enterocolitis. The plant is also used as a choleretic.
4. The hemostatic effect of sorrel is also known, therefore it is prescribed for intestinal, pulmonary, gastric and uterine bleeding, as well as for hemorrhoids.
5. It also finds use as a bactericidal and immunostimulating agent, it is used by dentists, dermatologists, gynecologists. Eczema, scabies, wounds, boils - horse sorrel successfully copes with all these problems, treats a sore throat with angina. As a bactericidal agent, sorrel is safely used for dysentery.
6. Healers have long been prescribed it to weakened and emaciated patients to increase appetite.

Horse sorrel in folk medicine

Among sorcerers, healers and shamans, horse sorrel has always been popular for its beneficial properties and due to the wide availability of medicinal raw materials. It was recommended as a prophylactic for vitamin deficiency, gum disease, offering to chew on a young leaf of a plant. Migraine was treated with juice from freshly picked leaves, rubbing them with whiskey, and even used as an anthelmintic. A paste of sour cream in half with finely chopped sorrel smeared problem skin. Plant juice was recommended even for complex pathologies - such as the early stages of stomach cancer and external manifestations of skin oncology.

Modern folk medicine does not abandon the traditions of the ancient sorcerers and continues to widely use sorrel for these diseases - despite the fact that it must be combined with the treatment prescribed by doctors.

Sorrel juice for skin cancer

It’s easy to get sorrel juice using a regular juicer. Take it every hour, diluting 3-5 drops in water. Formations of cancer on the skin are rubbed with undiluted juice. Healers recommend adding 3-5 drops of juice to yarrow tea for those who suffer from Parkinson's disease.

Sedative

Horse sorrel has a mild sedative effect. With the help of the infusion, you can get rid of pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation, as it relieves cramping. This remedy will help with menopause, putting in order the nervous system and improving sleep. The recipe is simple: pour a tablespoon of sorrel with a glass of boiling water, stand for an hour and divide the composition into three parts, drink a day in the morning, afternoon and evening.

From a hangover syndrome

The ability to reduce the hangover syndrome is based on the high content of vitamin C in horse sorrel. Enough of a glass of infusion: pour a teaspoon of green leaves with 500 ml of boiling water. You can drink in a quarter of an hour. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure after two or three hours.

Cystitis

This problem is very well known to women. Sorrel successfully copes with its solution due to the disinfectant and diuretic properties. Pour 500 ml of boiling water a tablespoon of leaves, insist a few minutes, drink three times a day.

For weight loss

The ability of horse sorrel to improve the digestive system is suitable for those who are trying to lose weight. Use this recipe in a comprehensive weight loss program.Grind an apple with a banana in a blender, pour 2 cups of boiled water and a handful of finely chopped sorrel. Stir to make a smoothie. Pour into a glass, garnish with a leaf of mint and you can drink.

Types of medicinal compounds with horse sorrel

Infusion

1. With diarrhea. A glass of boiling water pour 15 g of crushed dried root and the same amount of seeds, boil for 5 minutes in a water bath with medium boiling, pour into a thermos, where to insist for at least two hours. It will help with diarrhea, as well as an aid in the treatment of liver problems.
2. With angina. Gargle can be infused: 20 g of dry sorrel (it doesn’t matter - root or greens) pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. Apply when the infusion has cooled.
3. With itchy skin. An infusion of 20 g fresh, freshly picked leaves will help relieve itching. Pour them with a glass of water and boil for 10 minutes over low heat. Wrap well and let stand an hour. Apply externally, rubbing itchy places, and inside - drink a teaspoon in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Tincture

To ease the pain of a rheumatic character, an alcohol tincture is prepared. This will require sorrel seeds and ground root. For one part, take 10 parts of vodka, pour dry raw materials with it and insist in a dark place for half a month. After straining, use half an hour before meals. Add 15–25 drops of tincture to a tablespoon and add boiled water to the top of the spoon. Drink three times a day.

Decoction

Typically, decoctions of sorrel folk healers recommend as a means to normalize digestion. After cooking, they can be stored in the refrigerator, but only 2 days, no longer.

1. With hemorrhoids. Such a decoction should be drunk before meals 4 times a day for a quarter cup. To do this, pour 2 teaspoons of dried sorrel into a mug with 200 ml of water and leave for 2 hours to soften. Then keep the mug on low heat for about 5 minutes and allow to cool. Drink strained.
2. With diseases of the oral cavity. If the gums become inflamed, periodontal disease or stomatitis suffers, you need to rinse your mouth with a decoction prepared according to the following recipe. Grind the sorrel root, put a tablespoon of the mixture in an enameled ladle, pour a glass (250 ml) of boiling water into it, leave it to cool. Then put on fire and boil for 5 minutes. Filter and apply in a warm form.
3. With diathesis in a child. You can prepare a decoction for swimming. Grind 150 g of dry sorrel root and pour into 500 ml of cold water, let stand for half an hour, and then boil for 15 minutes over low heat, let cool and at the same time insist. Strain and pour into the bath. The same method is effective for hemorrhoids.
4. With digestive problems. Pour a tablespoon of crushed dried root into a glass of boiled water, leave for an hour. Then boil in a water bath for 40 minutes and leave to cool. After filtering, you can use it, after diluting it with water a little.
5. With atherosclerosis. Pour a tablespoon of dry crushed raw materials with a glass of boiling water, simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat and wrap for 2 hours. Drink 2 tablespoons in the morning and evening. Use as an aid in atherosclerosis. With signs of cerebrovascular accident, you need to double the intake rate and drink the broth three times a day.

Tea

Sorrel tea is recommended in cases of heartburn, there is a slight discomfort in the liver, or minor malfunctions of the digestive system are observed. Brew like ordinary tea at the rate of a teaspoon of dry sorrel raw materials in a small glass of boiling water (about 200 ml). Insist, cool and only then drink.

Application in cosmetology

Sorrel masks are suitable for any woman - regardless of age and skin type. The active ingredients of the plant will contribute to the inflammatory process on the face, work on lightening age spots and freckles, straighten wrinkles, clean pores on the skin, relieve oily gloss, save from acne and blackheads.Sorrel can solve such a wide range of cosmetic problems thanks to its constituent components, which have a complex effect on the skin.

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is responsible for normal fat content, thiamine (vitamin B1) and organic acids help to maintain youthfulness and have a lifting effect, and flavonoids, stimulating the formation of collagen, allow the skin to be elastic and elastic. Phylloquinone (Vitamin K) and Niacin (Vitamin PP) make the face fresh and bright.

It’s easy to prepare masks at home, you can put into the business all parts of plants - from the root to the inflorescence. The sorrel is washed, poured with boiling water and then finely chopped with a knife. Now you can mash your hands until the juice is separated.

Before applying the oxalic mask to the face, it is necessary to conduct a sensitivity test in order to make sure that the acids contained in the sorrel do not harm the skin. On the wrist or bend of the elbow from the inside, put a little mass prepared for the mask, and wait a bit. If the skin in this place starts to itch, burn and blush, you will have to abandon the idea of ​​making a mask.

To reduce the negative effect of sorrel on the skin, add additional components to the mask and do not hold the product for more than 10 minutes. Rinse with a soothing herbal decoction, and then apply a moisturizer to the face.

Oily skin can be pampered with an oxal mask every other day, normal - no more than twice a week, and dry - no more than once every 10 days. It is best to take such a vitamin course for a month, and then give the skin a rest as much.

You should never try to use any mask or lotion from sorrel if the skin is highly sensitive or at the moment any irritation has appeared on it.

From blackheads

Cut a tablespoon of sorrel leaves, supplement the composition with the same amount of dried calendula or chamomile flowers and pour into 250 ml of boiling water. Boil for another 5 minutes and cool. Using gauze or a small strainer, separate the broth and dilute it with mineral water. Mineral should be as much as a decoction. For 10 minutes, apply the resulting slurry to the face. Rinse with a decoction with mineral water.

For dry skin

Mix a full, with a hill, a tablespoon of good fat sour cream and a teaspoon of sunflower oil with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped young sorrel leaves. The resulting composition is generously put on the face, and after 20 minutes, wash with warm water.

For oily skin

Chop leaves of sorrel to get 50 g of green mass. Add chicken egg protein and 10 ml of lemon juice to it. Stir gently, put the mixture on your face for 10-15 minutes. Dampen a cotton pad with green tea and remove a healing agent. This mask will not only refresh, but also tighten pores on the skin.

Whitening mask

Chopped sorrel leaves, spinach and parsley in a bowl, taking herbs in equal proportions - about half a tablespoon. Then mix a little kefir into this green mass, two tablespoons are enough. Stir and gently spread on the face (so that the mass does not drain, you have to lie down a bit). Hold for a quarter of an hour, remove residues with cold water.

Cleansing mask

Take a tablespoon of three ingredients: crushed sorrel leaves, yarrow and Hercules flakes. Combine, pour boiled water to a sour cream, mix well again and apply on face. Hold for 15 minutes, rinse with cool water.

Sorrel Ice Cubes

Pour a glass of boiling water with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of chopped sorrel leaves, a tablespoon of coltsfoot. Close tightly with a lid that everything is steamed well. Insist for at least 3 hours. Then strain and pour the broth into molds for ice cubes. Put in the freezer, then use it to wipe the face in the mornings and evenings.

The herbal pulp remaining from the broth can be applied to the face, after 15 minutes, rinse with cool boiled water.

Cognac lotion

Pour 100 g of cognac mixture of crushed sorrel leaves, calendula and chamomile flowers (take 5 pcs.), 4 sheets of plantain. Put in the refrigerator for 10 days, then strain. Put in the refrigerator and wipe his face every day after waking up and before going to bed.

Infusion for hair

The root of horse sorrel in the form of an infusion is good to rinse your hair if itchy scalp. To prepare it, cook 45 g of crushed root in two liters of water for 10-15 minutes, then insist for about an hour - and you can rinse your hair after washing. If you regularly use this tool, the hair follicles will recover, the hair will become healthy and shiny, gain volume.

Can horse sorrel be eaten

Both leaves and stalks of horse sorrel go to food. Its leaves are used for making salads, toppings for pies, various soups and other culinary masterpieces. Horse sorrel is delicious in one dish with cucumbers or tomatoes. Good companions for him are radish, young garlic and green onions. But it is necessary to apply only young, small leaves that are not so bitter. In the Caucasus (mainly in Armenia), pigtails are braided from leaves and dried in the fresh air. As a result, they ferment and darken like tea, bitterness disappears, a spicy taste appears. Such pigtails are called aveluk. They can be bought at the markets; this dish is on the menu of restaurants and cafes. Aveluk is served with cheese and cheese, it goes well with cakes or pita bread, with the addition of matsun sauce. It is also used in soups and sauces.

Three minutes salad

It is called so because it will take exactly as much as 3 minutes to cook it, not longer. Wash 2-3 young leaves of horse sorrel under running water, shake off water, cut leaves finely enough. Cut also 2 hard-boiled eggs. Mix greens and eggs, salt, pepper, add a little bit of granulated sugar. Sour cream is used as a dressing in this salad.

Vitamin Salad

To prepare such a salad, you will need equally cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh young leaves of horse sorrel. To chop, add a small amount of finely chopped sweet radish and chopped green onions. Salt, mix, season with mayonnaise. You can supplement the salad with boiled cold meat, green peas - you get a wholesome hearty dish.

Horse sorrel salmon

700 g of salmon cut into fillets, chopped. Fry a little in vegetable oil and put in a thick-walled pan. Break 5-7 young sorrel leaves in a blender, tear 3 more leaves with your hands. Fry finely chopped onions in a pan, add the torn sorrel and sorrel mass from the blender into it, add 200 ml of cream and 200 g of cream cheese cut into small cubes. Salt, add ground black pepper, simmer for 7-10 minutes. Pour the fish with the resulting sauce, cover the pan with a lid and send to a hot oven for 20 minutes. Cook at 180 degrees. This dish is best served hot.

Sorrel cabbage soup

Put chopped potatoes in the meat broth. While it is boiling, cook the frying: grated carrots with chopped onions, fry in a pan in vegetable oil. When the potatoes are cooked, put the frying pan in the pan, cook for 3 minutes and put the chopped horse sorrel leaves. To do this, take only young leaves! Following the sorrel, send slightly beaten eggs to the pan (three pieces of soup is enough for three liters of soup). Salt, wait for boiling, turn off the heat and cover. Such cabbage soup is good with sour cream.

Fried pies

In 600 g of sifted flour, put 250 g of cottage cheese, rubbed through a sieve, mix well.Beat one egg with 200 ml of kefir separately, add to this tablespoon of granulated sugar, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of soda, quenched with vinegar. With constant stirring, pour into the flour with cottage cheese. Mix well and knead the dough. Let the dough stand for 40-50 minutes, covering it with a towel. Prepare the filling: sprinkle the chopped young leaves of horse sorrel with sugar. Roll out small cakes from the dough, put the filling on them, close the pies, pinching the edges, and fry in oil.

Sorrel Jelly

Collect 200–250 g of horse sorrel leaves. Stew them for 5-7 minutes in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water. Beat the resulting mass with a broom or blender. Pour 2 cups of water, put 100 g of granulated sugar and send to the stove. As soon as it boils, pour cold water into a saucepan in a thin stream, in which a tablespoon of starch is diluted. When it cools down - you can drink.

Mushrooms with horse sorrel

Boil 200 g of dried herbs of horse sorrel for 15 minutes. Drain with a colander and salt the sorrel. Finely chop two small onions and fry them in a skillet in vegetable oil over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Cut 100 g of champignons into small plates, put in a pan with onions, fry all together for another 5 minutes, stirring with a spatula. Add cold sorrel. To cool off well, take out in the cold for a couple of hours. Before serving, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, chop the chopped walnuts and add sour cream.

Is it possible to give horse sorrel to rabbits

Horse sorrel for rabbits - both decorative and meat breeds - is an indispensable treat, from which they get great pleasure. They are attracted by the light sweetish taste that the leaves have. Due to the huge amount of vitamins, primarily C, the grass is also healthy, the animal’s body only becomes healthier and stronger. Animals eating horse sorrel are less stressed, more energetic.

But everything is good in moderation, so you can not give sorrel without restrictions, since its components, when ingested, can cause kidney problems in rabbits. Allergies, heartburn, metabolic disorders are also possible. Therefore, horse sorrel cannot be given to rabbits alone, it is necessary to combine it with wheat grass, dandelion, plantain, yarrow and other herbs. Do not feed this plant to small rabbits, you need to give the kids a little growth.

In winter, it is also useful to prepare hay with horse sorrel for rabbits. When stored properly, in the dark hay shed or in the attic, oxal hay retains nutrients without losing quality for up to three years.

Contraindications

If horse sorrel is often consumed in large quantities, this is fraught with the accumulation of oxalic acid in the body, which leads to the formation of insoluble compounds with calcium. This, firstly, causes a decrease in calcium in the body, and secondly, as a result, salts are deposited, which make up the well-known kidney stones and gall bladder. Therefore, people who are diagnosed with diseases of the urinary system and gastrointestinal tract should not refrain from consuming horse sorrel in its raw form.

For the same reason, fresh horse sorrel is strictly forbidden to children under 3 years old and pregnant women. In pregnant women, serious complications are possible, up to a miscarriage. But this does not mean that pregnant women should completely abandon the use of the plant. You can eat cabbage soup with horse sorrel, but not more than once a week.

There is still no consensus on the use of horse sorrel during breastfeeding; pediatricians are divided in half: some are categorically opposed, others do not see anything wrong with that. In any case, you should not do this until the baby is six months old.The main thing is not to forget the main rule of a nursing mother: introduce a new product for a child gradually, start with small doses, and carefully monitor whether this will adversely affect the behavior and health of the baby.

In addition, even adult healthy people need to remember: to avoid unpleasant reactions from the body systems, you can only eat young soft leaves collected in the spring - until they become coarse and they do not accumulate too much oxalic acid. They need to be consumed only in limited quantities.