Birch buds are a whole storehouse of useful substances. Our ancestors knew this, which every spring went out into the forest, to harvest brooms and birch buds.
Their application in folk medicine is very broad.They contain flavonoids, vitamin C, resins, essential oils. They are useful as a diaphoretic and diuretic, with the help of birch buds you can treat eczema, heal wounds. Extract of them is part of some antitumor drugs. Alternative medicine recommends preparing from the kidneys decoctions or infusions for the treatment of tuberculosis and gastritis. They are good for chronic stomach disorders. Decoctions expel from the body ascaris, pinworm. Lotions or poultices relieve pain with gout and rheumatism.
To preserve all the properties of birch buds, theirit is recommended to collect early in spring, when they have already swelled, but have not yet blossomed. Collect not individual buds, but whole young branches. Having sustained some time in heat, they hang out in a cool dark place. A month later, when they dry up, the buds are cut off and stacked in paper bags.
How to prepare drugs, in whichinclude birch buds? Their use depends on the disease. Here, for example, is a recipe for a magical elixir that can prolong youth. He was known even by ancient healers.
It is necessary to take equal amounts of dried birchkidney, chamomile, immortelle, St. John's wort. Mix them thoroughly, grind them. It is best to do this in a mortar, but you can use a coffee grinder. The resulting powder is poured into a jar of dark glass, close. Every evening, about an hour before bedtime, a tablespoon of powder is poured into a half-liter of water, boiled, insisted for 20 minutes. In a strained broth dissolve a spoonful (you can more) of honey and drink it before going to bed. In the morning, drink the remaining broth before breakfast. Already two weeks after taking the elixir there will be a surge of energy. The sleep will improve, the complexion will improve, the metabolism will be normalized. Healers assure that the daily intake of such an elixir prolongs life.
How else use birch buds?Their use for inhalation also passed the test of time. Mix dry birch and pine buds, add thyme, eucalyptus, sage, pass through a coffee grinder. Then pour boiling water, put on fire for 2 minutes. Having bent over dishes with broth, having covered with a towel with a head (carefully, so as not to burn yourself!) Inhale the steam. Such inhalation will reduce cough, relieve inflammation, help cure a cold.
Decoction can treat heart disease, regulate the liver and kidneys. Decoction of birch leaves is recommended to drink with beriberi, nervous or physical exhaustion.
Prepare it so.Fresh leaves are washed, poured cold, but boiled water for 10 minutes. Then the water is drained, the leaves are poured hot, but not boiling water, leave for 4 hours. After that, the cake is removed, and the resulting dark green beverage is allowed to settle for about 6 hours, after which it is filtered. Drink a glass every day. To improve the color and taste of the drink from birch leaves, it can be filtered through coal. However, the content of vitamin C drops sharply.
Such a decoction can be prepared from dry leaves, butthere will be very few vitamins. With back pain, you can make a gruel, which will include leaves and birch buds. The use of such a slurry for compresses can alleviate the pain.
Fresh birch leaves are ground together with buds,add a few drops of alcohol, obtained with gruel smear spine. Wrap first with compress paper, then with a warm scarf. Hold for half an hour.
Birch buds and leaves, like any other herbal remedies, may have contraindications, cause allergies. Do not use them without the advice of a doctor.
