Leuzea: useful properties and contraindications

Leuzea is a perennial herb from the Asters family. It is also known by the names raontikum, stemakanta, large head, Chinese ginseng, as well as maral root or maral grass. Deer-deer dig up roots and eat stalks with leaves of a leuzea during rutting or being wounded.

Collection tips, application secrets, interesting facts about the left-hand side, given below, can convince everyone of the unconditional benefits of the Siberian plant.

Chemical composition

All parts of leuzea are rich in useful substances. The roots, stems and leaves contain the following components:

1. Essential oil, which is successfully used for diseases of the respiratory system.
2. Performance enhancing alkaloids help overcome stress.
3. Inulin, helps to absorb and distribute vitamins and minerals in the body, protects and restores the liver.
4. Trace elements, including manganese and iron, which contribute to the production of red blood cells, support the thyroid gland.
5. Organic acids that maintain the body's acid-base balance and aid digestion.
6. Ratibol, a substance that has a stimulating and tonic effect.
7. Flavonoids, which positively affect the cardiovascular system, reduce the level of bad cholesterol and prevent blood clots.
8. Steroid substances (ectidestrone), which stimulate the growth of muscle tissue, strengthen cartilage and bones, increase hemoglobin, burn fats.
9. Sterols, vegetable fats, help reduce "bad" cholesterol in the blood, support the work of the heart.
10. Tannins with anti-inflammatory, hemostatic properties.
11. Carotene, which has a positive effect on eye health, also helps smooth the skin, reduce peeling and microcracks.
12. Ascorbic acid is necessary for the health of the skin, teeth, bones, maintaining immunity, healing wounds and helping many other organs.

The flowers contain phytoecdysone, which in its action is an anabolic, a substance that enhances protein synthesis and helps to build muscle.

How it looks and where it grows

The safflower Leuzea has been known to the people of Siberia and Altai since ancient times, where it is valued for its healing properties. Most often it can be found on the slopes of the mountains at an altitude of about 2000 meters. The active use of its population led to the fact that in natural conditions it was practically gone, and it was listed in the Red Book. Since the middle of the 20th century, leuzea has been grown in various regions of Russia and Europe for the manufacture of industrial volumes of medicines and cosmetics. Many gardeners throughout Russia successfully grow it on personal plots.

The useful properties of leuzea have been known since ancient times not only in the Sayan Mountains, Siberia, in the region of Lake Baikal and in Altai. The Chinese sailors took grass rhizomes to float in order to replenish the supply of vitamins and restore strength. Also in China, leuzea is popular for its ability to speed up metabolism and is used as a means for losing weight. The maral root was also known among the Mongols, its traditional regular use could cause rare endurance and fighting spirit of the soldiers of Genghis Khan. Several species of leuzea grow in North Africa and Australia.

Maral root looks like a thistle and milk thistle. The bush of leuzea can reach a height of two meters.Straight dense stems densely covered with large spiky leaves, crowned with a single flower at the apex. The plant tolerates winter well and can give new shoots for about 20 years.

Collection and storage

The herbs are harvested in late summer or autumn, when the fruits are fully ripe, in dry weather. It should be remembered that not all Leuzea bushes are equally useful: the maximum concentration of valuable substances is present in plants older than three years. Also, do not harvest plants damaged by pests or bad weather conditions. Roots suitable for drying should be brown on the outside and yellow on the cut, the smell should be resinous, and the taste should be sweet.

During the collection, part of the bushes should be left in the ground so that the grass plantings are restored as quickly as possible. The next collection at the same site may be made no earlier than two years later.

When collecting, the plant is dug out with a pitchfork along with the roots, cleaned from the ground, washed. Cleaning from contamination should be carried out quickly, since a long washing can lead to leaching of nutrients. Thick rhizomes before drying can be cut into several parts. The collected plants are dried in natural conditions for 2-3 days, and then brought to the desired state in a special dryer, heated to a temperature of 40-50 degrees Celsius. Ready-to-store roots should break with a crunch. Harvested maral grass is stored in linen bags or paper bags in a room with free access to air. Shelf life of dried leuzea is up to three years.

Growing Leuzea

Maral root is grown in open places with good drainage. In acidic boggy soils, the plant will develop poorly and may die.

The plot for growing Leuzea should be well lit, the layer of nutrient soil should be at least 30 centimeters.

Propagate the plant by seeds or division. Seeds are harvested in early autumn, dried and stored until spring, since sowing before winter can lead to death in cold weather. A month before sowing, the seeds are washed and kept in the refrigerator at a temperature near zero. This allows you to achieve better germination. Plant seeds should be tight and, if necessary, planted after germination. After sowing in spring, the seeds germinate for three weeks. Seedlings should be planted in the warm season, at the end of May, to a depth of about 3 cm.

Leuzea is not demanding of care and watering, but it is important to remove weeds in time, which can especially harm the plant of the first year. In the middle of summer, you can fertilize with nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizers. Also, a fertilizing mixture of peat and manure has a positive effect on increasing the yield of roots.

Watering should be regular, but not too intense. It is also necessary to periodically loosen the soil and take pest control measures. In one place, grass can grow up to 20 years, gradually expanding in width.

In the first year, the grass does not bloom and does not bear fruit, only a rosette of leaves develops. Starting from the second year, in the middle of summer, flowers and then seeds appear on the left-hand side. If you leave the bushes to collect seeds, you should protect the plant from birds that are attracted by tall stems and fruits on them. After harvesting, the seeds retain their germination for three years. For use in treatment and prophylaxis for one family, a large number of dried roots are usually not required. Therefore, you can keep several large shrubs of leuzea on the site, dig them up, separating a small amount of roots and leaving the main part of the plant.

Levzea is often grown for decorative purposes. Dense thickets of leaves, crowned with bright flowers, adorn both summer cottages and city parks.

The healing properties of Levzea grass

Leaves and flowers are used to make teas; roots and rhizomes are used for infusions, decoctions and tinctures. The indigenous inhabitants of Siberia believe that deer grass helps to rejuvenate a person and cure 14 diseases.In the medicine of the peoples of the East, levzea is included in the treatment of kidneys, fevers, lung diseases and the oral cavity.

The most common use is maral’s root in diseases of the nervous system, a chronic sensation of weakness, decreased performance, and depressive states.

The main active ingredient of the herb is ecdysones, which are powerful stimulants. They have an adaptogenic effect, helping to adapt to increased stress, changing time zones or climate. These same substances contribute to the processes of growth of muscle fibers, the growth of hemoglobin in the blood.

For women

Leuzea has a beneficial effect on women of all ages. It helps to alleviate pain in cycle disorders; it is used as part of complex therapy in the treatment of secondary infertility. Leuzea is also useful for women in the postpartum period. It helps to cope with the manifestations of postpartum depression, restore sexual desire.

Maral root activates the metabolic processes in the body, so it can be used for weight loss. By itself, the use of leuzea will not reduce weight, but in combination with physical activity and a healthy diet will give a tangible positive effect. Women who train intensively to lose weight and gain a better physical shape can use levzuyu to speed up recovery after training and accelerate muscle growth while burning fat.

For men

Leuzea helps to fight with a breakdown, effective in asthenic disorders. If, due to accumulated fatigue, men have problems with potency, maral root helps not only restore working capacity, but also maintain potency. Improving the state of health, including a positive effect on potency, is achieved after taking the tincture for two weeks.

For men who are addicted to alcohol or other stimulants, leuzea is useful because it helps to get out of a depressed state, to reduce the manifestations of withdrawal syndrome. If against the background of alcoholism problems with potency have developed, then after treatment with a maral root there is an improvement in the condition in the genital area.

Potency problems that have arisen in connection with inflammatory, infectious and other problems of internal organs cannot be cured by a leuzea; complex therapy with other drugs is necessary.

For kids

Maral grass has strong stimulating properties, has a tonic effect and intensively affects all body systems. Therefore, it is not recommended for children under 12 years of age.

Leuzea in medicine

The use of maral grass in case of loss of strength, apathy, neurosis, nervous exhaustion, decreased sex drive, overwork and other problems of the nervous system has a positive effect. The result of taking drugs with leuzea lasts for 2-3 months, even if the course of their administration did not exceed 10-14 days. The components contained in the left hand side are used in military and space medicine.

1. Reception of tincture twice a day, 20-30 drops before meals, tones, stimulates the nervous system and brain functions.
2. Decoction and infusions from Leuzea to restore energy and stimulate the brain take twice a day, in the morning. Reception should be limited to 2-3 tablespoons in order to avoid overexcitation and other negative side effects.
3. Teas, tinctures and decoctions of Leuzea perfectly help to maintain immunity during the course of the course from autumn to spring. In summer, their use as a preventive measure is impractical.
4. To overcome the depressed mood and reduce the hangover syndrome, levsee infusion is used in combination with ginseng.
5. Levzea remedies help the elderly support and partially restore cognitive functions.
6. Leuzea helps to heal wounds, accelerates recovery from bruises, and relieves inflammation in the joints.

Do not use grass on open wound surfaces or wounds with purulent inflammatory processes.Compress from fresh leaves or from a decoction of leuzea is used on healed areas of wounds.

In case of bruises and sprains, a compress with tincture of leuzea will help to expand blood vessels, improve blood supply to the damaged area, and relieve inflammation and swelling. Such compresses are used before bedtime, the duration of exposure is 2-3 hours.

The anti-inflammatory effect also works with diseases of the oral cavity. Rinsing the tincture of Leuzea diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1 can help cope with inflammatory processes and reduce bad breath. The procedure should be repeated during the week, 3-4 times a day.

In diseases of the cardiovascular system, including pressure surges, the leuzea improves the state of blood vessels, positively affects the peripheral blood supply system, and removes "bad" cholesterol from blood vessels. 25 drops of tincture diluted with 50 ml of water should be drunk 2 times a day before meals. The last appointment should be no later than 16 hours to avoid overexcitation. The course of taking the drug should be carried out for a month, then take a break for 10 days and repeat one more time.

Maral grass helps lower blood sugar by accelerating the absorption of glucose. A decoction of Leuzea should be used for a month for 3 tablespoons after a meal, twice a day. After a course of treatment, the sugar level stabilizes and decreases.

Like other medicines, leuzea should be taken on the recommendation of a doctor in accordance with the prescribed dosage. Before starting a course of treatment or prevention, you should make sure that you are taking a small dose of the drug that there are no allergic reactions or other side effects.

How to take Levzeu in bodybuilding

Infusions and other products from leuzea have the properties of anabolics, contributing to the growth of muscle mass. Due to this, maral root preparations are often used in strength training. The use of maral’s root helps:

• increase endurance, provide a surge of strength,
• enhance protein synthesis
• improve blood circulation,
• increase concentration,
• improve coordination of movements,
• reduce recovery time after training.

At the same time, leuzea is not included in the list of prohibited substances, it is not addictive and cancellation syndrome. Therefore, athletes often use it before important starts. If you take maral root regularly, the blood vessels expand, reserve capillaries open. This helps to reduce the load on the heart, helps to increase the effectiveness of training, accelerate recovery from stress.

Athletes use maral grass in the form of tinctures or in the form of tablets. Reception is carried out with meals, at the rate of about 15 mg of plant material at a time. The exact dosage should be discussed with the supervisor.

For bodybuilders and other people experiencing intense stress, taking alcohol infusions is preferable to tablets, since the latter can have a toxic effect on the liver. After a course of taking drugs with leuzea for one month or more, side effects may begin to appear, including dizziness, headaches, insomnia, shortness of breath. After this, you should immediately stop taking the drug and take a break of at least 10 days.

Athletes can combine maral grass preparations with other active supplements and medicinal substances. Formulations of active additives with leuzea often include vitamin C, calcium and other trace elements. Remedies from leuzea are not addictive and withdrawal.

Types of healing compounds with levsee

Maral root is presented in all known forms of release.On sale you can find powder, tablets, liquid extract, tinctures, oil, honey. At home, you can prepare infusion, tincture, decoctions and tea.

Infusion

Water infusion is less effective than alcohol tinctures, but it has a smaller list of contraindications and restrictions for use. Levzea can be combined in infusions with other herbs and essential oils, to make simple infusions only from the maral root.

Dried roots (10-15 grams) pour boiling water in a ratio of 1:10, close tightly and leave to cool in a warm place, covered with a dense cloth. It is allowed to use a thermos. After the infusion has cooled to room temperature, it should be stored in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator.

Tincture

Tincture is considered the most effective and potent remedy due to the fact that herbal extracts dissolved in alcohol are absorbed faster and better absorbed. In addition, tincture has a longer shelf life compared to infusion and other types of funds.

The maral root in the composition of tinctures is recommended to be taken in all cases when treatment with its components is necessary, except when alcohol is contraindicated (for alcoholism, pregnant and lactating women, people who control machines and complex mechanisms, children, etc.).

Tincture Recipes:

1. A simple recipe: 100 grams of dried roots are ground and poured into 0.5 l of vodka. Tincture should be kept in a darkened cool place for three weeks.
2. Two parts of maral’s root rhizomes are added to one part of elecampane root, one part of radiola, two parts of nettle leaves and one part of corn fibers. The mixture is placed in a glass container of such volume that the herbal collection fills its third. The remaining volume is filled with 70% alcohol. It takes about three weeks to prepare the tincture. Then it is filtered and stored in a cool dark place.
3. As a means for general strengthening of the body, maintaining immunity and a tonic effect, tincture of Leuzea is often mixed with tincture of Eleutherococcus (in equal parts).

Decoction

A decoction of maral root is used before meals to improve appetite, with headaches to reduce their intensity, with fatigue and depression. It is prepared from roots and rhizomes, at the rate of 10 grams of plant material per 200 ml of water. It should be consumed before meals, no more than two weeks in a row.

Depending on the needs of the body, a decoction can be prepared from a complex of herbs:

1. A mixture of leuzea with nettles will strengthen immunity, support the cardiovascular system.
2. The combination of Leuzea with ginseng will help give vitality and strength, energize.
3. St. John's wort, added to a decoction of maral grass, will enhance the effect of stimulating the production of sex hormones, help in the treatment of prostatitis, and reduce cramping.

The use of broth is allowed when driving, but pregnant women, children and people with diseases of the cardiovascular, nervous or digestive systems in the acute stage are not recommended to drink it.

Tea

Brewing tea from Leuzea is similar to making tinctures, but is faster. You can use boiled water roots after 2-3 hours. The use of such tea helps to restore strength with fatigue, increase efficiency, give the body strength. To achieve a stable effect, tea should be drunk in two courses of 5 days with a break of 10 days. It is important to remember that this drink tones and can cause insomnia if consumed in the afternoon.

Maral grass roots can be combined with other ingredients. For example, to strengthen immunity, you can add sea buckthorn or wild rose, eliminate headaches - lavender, add flavor and normalize digestion - currant leaves, fruits or leaves of apple trees, lingonberries.

Levzea can be found in other food products. For example, its extract is present in the composition of the Baikal and Sayan lemonades, giving them a tonic effect. Leuzea is also part of some wines and balms.

Leuzea butter: properties and applications

Maral grass oil has a pale yellow color and a light fruity aroma. It goes well with other oils: frankincense, anise, thyme.In its composition there are psychostimulants, phosphorus and other substances that support and strengthen the health of the body.

Inhalation of vapors of leuzea essential oil supports the health of the nervous system: improves concentration, helps to increase mood, helps to recover after exertion. Application:

1. Adding to the bath to relax and relieve stress; oil is not recommended to be added to water in its pure form. Previously, it should be diluted in vegetable oil, milk or honey. After the bath you need to take a shower to wash off the remnants of the active substances from the skin.
2. Use in aroma lamps to stimulate the brain, eliminate neurosis, improve memory, restore sleep.
3. Adding massage oil to relieve tension, reduce headache and other pains (when massaging a site with pain). Other massage ingredients are avocado and lavender oil.
4. Inhalation with the addition of chamomile, leuzea and thyme helps relieve inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.
5. When intoxicated, a drop of Leuzea oil is added to salted tomato juice or kefir to relieve symptoms of acute poisoning. The same mixture can also be used for hangover.
6. In combination with 50 grams of honey per 5 drops of oil, levzuy can be consumed before meals to strengthen the cardiovascular and digestive systems of the body.
7. Application to the skin with dermatitis or neurodermatitis in the form of a compress (5-7 drops of levzea oil per 10 ml of olive or other vegetable fat). You can also wrap the affected areas with a cloth moistened with water with the addition of oil (100 ml of water per 1 drop).
8. Application to the skin after insect bites to eliminate itching and burning, relieve swelling.

Before applying the oil to the skin or by ingestion, the sensitivity of the body to it should be checked, after checking at least 12 hours should pass. Do not use maral grass oil on your skin before going out in the sun, because under direct sunlight it releases toxic substances.

What is honey from levsee good for?

Fresh honey from maral grass is translucent and is colored yellow-white or yellow-green, depending on the presence of impurities, collection and storage conditions. Due to the high sugar content in the composition for 2-3 months, honey from the leuzea crystallizes, but remains quite soft. The taste of such honey is very sweet, the aroma is strong, sugary, with a slight resinous tint.

Regular use of honey from maral grass helps with depression, loss of strength, improves memory, supports immunity and helps to quickly recover from colds and other diseases. Honey made from maral’s root is useful for women who want to rejuvenate their skin and improve their hair condition.

Athletes use this honey to gain muscle mass, because it is quite high-calorie (about 300 kcal per 100 grams) and at the same time contains a large amount of stimulating beneficial substances.

To preserve the useful properties of honey from the leuzea, the storage conditions must be observed: do not supercool, do not overheat, and do not allow long exposure to direct sunlight.

Children under 12 years of age and pregnant women should better refrain from using such honey due to the fact that it contains substances that can cause severe allergies or have an excessive stimulating effect.

Application in cosmetology

Maral grass is often included in creams, serums, lotions and other cosmetics due to the fact that it stimulates metabolism at the cellular level, promotes facial rejuvenation, smoothing cracks and wrinkles.

Alcoholic extract of Leuzea with the addition of essential oils of rose, jasmine, cloves when used in complex regular facial care helps to moisturize, tone the skin and improve color.

A decoction of maral’s root can be placed in ice molds, frozen and wiped with their face. This method of care helps to make the skin elastic, give it a healthy shade.

Leuzea butter restores skin elasticity, restores blood flow and metabolism, gives elasticity and a healthy color. In its pure form, oil from maral grass is not applied to the face in order to avoid burns or allergic reactions. Most often it is mixed in a proportion of 1 drop per 10 ml of vegetable oil or moisturizer. Face mask recipes:

1. For aging skin or after the negative effects of cold or heat, use a mixture of levzea oil (diluted with the base product) with sandalwood and chamomile esters (one drop each).
2. For dry skin, orange, grapefruit, almond oil is added to the base composition (1-2 drops each).

The exposure time of the mask should not exceed 15 minutes. After the procedure, the mixture should be thoroughly washed off and a moisturizer applied.

Levzea oil is most useful for hair that is prone to oily, it helps regulate the metabolism of fats in tissues.

1. 5 drops of leuzea oil mixed with 20 grams of vegetable oil and applied to the roots and hair, cover with a towel or bag and leave on your head for 10-15 minutes. After the head should be thoroughly washed. Adding yolk to the mixture will help give shine and strength to dull, weakened hair.
2. A mixture of maral root oil, anise and frankincense (in equal parts) can be applied to the hair (but not to the scalp) and left overnight.

To give shine to the hair and strengthen its roots, use a decoction of a maral root: put 10-20 grams of roots and rhizomes into a glass of water, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. After the broth, cool, strain and rinse with it previously washed hair. To enhance the effect of strengthening, you can add burdock leaves, hop cones or pharmacy nettles to the decoction. To give more shine to the hair, you can add chamomile flowers to the broth.

Contraindications

Infusions and other compounds with levsee are contraindicated in the following cases:

1. Acute conditions in diseases of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.
2. Excitability of the nervous system, epilepsy, schizophrenia in the acute stage.
3. Acute infectious diseases.
4. Cardiovascular pathologies, including arrhythmia, tachycardia, hypertension.
5. Acute conditions in diseases of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.
6. Acute conditions associated with alcoholism and other types of dependence.

In case of overdose or use against a background of contraindications, an increase in pressure, stomach pain and digestive upset, insomnia, irritability and headache are possible. When these symptoms appear, you should stop taking the drug with a leuzea and seek medical help.

Leuzea photo