Does Icelandic moss help with cystitis? Icelandic moss - medicinal properties, recipes, reviews. Several types of cough medicines have been created on its basis.

Update: October 2018

Iceland moss, the second name of which is Icelandic cetraria, is a ground lichen from the Parmeliaceae family, which is not related to mosses (a symbiosis of algae and fungus). Found in Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. Grows well in pine forests, heaths, swamps, tundras and forest-tundras of Siberia, Alai, Karelia and the Caucasus. Found on the bark of tree stumps or directly on the soil, it prefers unshaded areas where it can form entire thickets.

A special feature is that it grows only in unpolluted air. If there is insufficient moisture supply, the lichen dries out and enters a state of suspended animation, in which it can remain for up to several years in a row. With sufficient moisture supply, it takes on its previous appearance in just a few hours. Lichen instantly reacts to a polluted environment and acts as a natural indicator of the ecological cleanliness of the area. If an imbalance occurs in the natural ecosystem, the lichen gradually dies out.

The medicinal properties and contraindications of Icelandic moss have long been known to people, which allows the plant to be used both in medicine and in cooking. It has a bitter taste - Eskimos add it as a spice to fish dishes, beer, baked goods. It contains mucus, so the broth, after cooling, has a consistency similar to jelly. Animals also feed on lichen.

The literature describes that in 1918 in Moscow, when there was a food shortage, pharmacies had a supply of dry lichen, which they began to use for baking bread. The raw materials were soaked in a soda solution, then dried and ground to a powdery state, mixed with rye flour 1:1 and baked bread.

Morphological description

The thallus of the lichen has the appearance of a derinka with a loose structure up to 10-15 cm high and consists of flat, grooved-folded blades. The underside has a lighter color down to white, covered with white spots and gaps through which air enters.

The lobes are narrow and flat, with dark short cilia and raised edges. Depending on the incidence of light, the outer surface of the blades has a brown or greenish color. Attaches to soil or bark using rhizoids.

The fruiting bodies are formed on the terminal parts of the expanded lobes and have a saucer-shaped flattened shape 1.5 cm in diameter, colored brown.

Collection and preparation

The thallus is harvested in the summer in dry weather, which is torn from the substrate and cleaned of dirt (cannot be washed). Dry either in the sun or in a ventilated area. Store in linen bags for 2 years.

Chemical composition

The thallus contains:

  • carbohydrates (isolichenin, glucose, lichenin, galactose, sucrose);
  • proteins;
  • bitterness;
  • fats;
  • gum;
  • vitamins B and A;
  • starch;
  • odorous volatile substances;
  • enzymes;
  • minerals: iodine, sodium, nickel, titanium, chromium, boron, copper, manganese, molybdenum;
  • iridoid cetrarine;
  • lichen acids (protolichesterolic, fumarprotocentral, lichesteric, usnic);
  • mucus (up to 70%).

Use of Icelandic moss for medicinal purposes

The use of Icelandic moss for health benefits was first described in folk treatises of Norway, Sweden, and Iceland: the Scandinavians used lichen for colds, to strengthen the body, processed healing infusions skin with cracks, burns, wounds. Only in the twentieth century were the antibacterial properties and the possibility of using it to treat tuberculosis patients studied. Today it is included in the pharmacopoeia of a number of countries, including Russia.

Treatment with Icelandic moss is effective for a number of diseases, since it has expectorant, antiseptic, antibacterial, tonic, enveloping, antimicrobial, laxative, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and choleretic effects. It is considered a powerful natural antibiotic.

  • Since ancient times, lichen has been used as an effective antiemetic and cough suppressant. Icelandic moss helps with cough, strong and painful, accompanying severe diseases of the bronchopulmonary system (pneumonia, pleurisy, whooping cough).
  • Usnic acid has a detrimental effect on the tuberculosis bacillus and other bacteria, so lichen helps with diseases of a bacterial nature, including the respiratory system (bacteriostatic effect and blocking oxide phosphorylation reactions in the body of bacteria).
  • Also proven antiviral effect against rhinovirus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus and influenza virus.
  • The anti-inflammatory effect is provided by the carbohydrate lichenin, aqueous extract which stimulates the synthesis of the cytokine IL-10, which eliminates inflammation and its causes.
  • Traditional healers recommend cetraria preparations for general exhaustion of the body, dystrophy, and premature aging due to the action of specific carbohydrates and microelements. Is powerful tonic, which is indispensable at the stage of recovery after serious illnesses, operations, long-term bed rest etc.
  • Prescribed for skin diseases: acne, purulent processes, boils, burns, trophic ulcers.
  • Effective for all gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis, ulcers), functional intestinal disorders, both constipation and diarrhea due to the presence of mucus (enveloping effect), enzymes and bitterness.
  • Prescribed when inflammatory processes on the mucosa oral cavity, pharynx, stomach and intestines.
  • Icelandic moss is indicated for children with whooping cough, bronchitis, when attacks occur severe cough, topically - for treating rashes due to dermatitis and burns.
  • IN folk medicine used to increase potency in men and treat mastopathy in women.
  • Recommended for weight loss.

The medicinal properties and recipes of Icelandic moss allow it to be used for wide range diseases, but it is better to do this after approval by your doctor.

Scientific research on Cetraria Icelandica

Experimental treatment with lichen and preparations made from it was carried out just before the collapse of the USSR at the Institute of Phthisiapulmonology of the then city of Leningrad. Was created strong drug, who, according to the memoirs of Doctor of Medical Sciences M.V. Pavlova, showed good results in the treatment of tuberculosis patients. However, with the collapse of the USSR, research and use of the drug were suspended.

In the 90s, scientists again turned their attention to the once forgotten plant organism: the biochemical mechanisms of action of Icelandic moss were actively studied in scientific laboratories in the USA, Iceland, Austria, and Japan.

Thus, Japanese doctors discovered that lichen mixed with green tea and some pharmacologically active plants is a drug for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This is possible due to the joint action of carbohydrates and lichen acids, which suppress enzymes involved in the metabolism of cancer cells.

A little later, the powerful antioxidant effect of cetraria was discovered, which promotes the restoration of the body and stops it premature aging: plant organism exhibits 10 times greater activity than vitamin E.

Traditional medicine recipes

Medicinal recipes help with strict adherence to the rules for preparing Icelandic moss preparations and the frequency of their use - this should be remembered by all patients.

  • Whooping cough tea. Take ½ teaspoon of moss and thyme, pour 250 ml of boiling water and leave for 5 minutes, strain. Take 250 ml up to 3 times a day.
  • Cough recipe, which can also be used for children. Take 2 tbsp. dry moss and pour 200 ml of cold water, boil in a saucepan and cook over low heat for about 1 hour - the consistency of the broth should resemble jelly. Take 2-3 sips during the day, warm. Since the taste of the product is not the most pleasant, you can add honey to the broth. Store in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.
  • Decoction for stomach ulcers. Mix moss, marshmallow root and flax seed. Take 1.5 tablespoons of this mixture, pour 500 ml of boiling water and put on fire for 7 minutes. Next, strain the broth and cool. Take 70 ml 30 minutes before meals, five times a day.
  • Alcohol tincture for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, poor appetite, suffocating cough. Take 40 grams of moss and add a glass of 60% alcohol, leave to infuse for 7 days. Take 10 or 15 drops every day, 2 times a day.
  • Decoction for the treatment of tuberculosis. Take 4 tablespoons of moss and pour 500 ml of boiled, cooled water, put on low heat for 5 minutes, strain. Take 2 sips 3 times a day. in a cooled state.
  • Decoction for stomach atony. Take 3 tbsp. l. raw materials and mix with 750 ml of water, put on low heat for half an hour. After cooling, you will get a decoction similar to jelly, which should be consumed at once. Take this volume for 3-5 days in a row.
  • Medicine for bronchitis, as well as a cough recipe. Place 1 glass of milk and 1 tbsp in an enamel bowl. dry crushed raw materials. Place on the lowest heat for half an hour and close with a lid. Take 2 sips hot before bed.
  • Extract for the treatment of constipation. Take 1 liter of cold water and pour this volume into 100 grams of dry raw materials. Leave for 24 hours, filter and put on water bath until the volume has evaporated by 2 times. Take half an hour before meals three times a day.
  • Universal decoction, which can be used for all diseases for which lichen is indicated, as well as for treating the skin. 1 tbsp. pour dried raw materials with 2 cups of boiling water and boil in a water bath for 5 minutes, strain. Take 1 tbsp. 3-5 times a day.
  • Collection from chronic runny nose . Take 1 tbsp. spoon of Icelandic moss, Japanese sophora, St. John's wort herb and add 2 tbsp to the mixture. l. sage herbs. Pour all 1 liter. water, boil for 30 minutes, cool until warm state, strain. Before going to bed, you should rinse your nose with a decoction using a bulb or a syringe without a needle.
  • Allergy decoction. Take a handful of dry moss and pour cold water and leave for 2 hours. Then drain the water and add half a liter of boiling water to the raw material, boil for 25 minutes over low heat. Drink 100 ml on an empty stomach.
  • A drug for the treatment and prevention of oncology. Take 2 parts of moss, celandine, knotweed, St. John's wort, add 3 parts of water pepper, plantain and nettle leaves, mix with 100 parts of green tea. Stir and make a decoction of 4 tsp. mixture of plants and 4 glasses hot water, leave for 60 minutes, strain and drink 1 glass 4 times a day, warm.
  • In cosmetology cold decoction of moss is used as a wiping lotion for problem skin with acne and boils, for rinsing with weak and fine hair, with the active appearance of signs of skin aging.

Pharmacy drugs

Issued on the territory of Russia and post-Soviet countries the following drugs with Icelandic moss:

Icelandic moss syrup (Herbion, Pectolvan)

Contains others active ingredients plant origin and is prescribed for an obsessive, dry cough that accompanies bacterial infections lower respiratory tract. It has enveloping, softening and expectorant effects. It is not prescribed for children under 1 year (Gerbion) and 12 years (Pectolvan) and has a number of other contraindications.

Isla-moos lozenges

Prescribed for adults and children over 4 years of age for inflammatory processes upper sections respiratory tract, dry cough, hoarseness and overexertion vocal cords, sore throat. It also helps strengthen local immunity.

Warming cream with Icelandic moss

Contains useful components: honey, bear fat, beeswax, calendula, eucalyptus. Prescribed for bruises, dislocations, colds, coughs, joint pain. Can be applied to wounds and cracks, rubbed on the chest when coughing, rubbed into the spine and joints for pain.

Iceland moss

In pharmacies it is also sold in the form of dry raw materials, and is cheap, being accessible means for many diseases.

  • Crystalline powder of Sodium usinate, sold in 2 forms: alcohol and oil solution and powder. Effective external antimicrobial agent, used for burns, wounds, cracks.
  • Western companies produce a series of cosmetics based on lichen: creams, masks, gels, lotions.

Where to buy Icelandic moss, besides pharmacies? In stores healthy eating Dry raw materials are sold, and herbalists also sell them. But it’s best to prepare it yourself.

Contraindications for use, side effects

Restrictions on use dosage forms a little from lichen. These include:

  • hyperthermia more than 39 C;
  • exacerbation of bronchial asthma;
  • exacerbation of cholecystitis and pancreatitis;
  • ulcerative colitis and gastritis in the acute stage;
  • intestinal hypertonicity;
  • spastic constipation;
  • autoimmune diseases;
  • individual intolerance;
  • children up to 1 year of age (according to some sources, can be used in children up to 12 months);

Childhood, lactation and pregnancy are not contraindications to the use of Icelandic moss, but even traditional healers advise taking them only after approval by a doctor. At long-term treatment digestive disorders and discomfort in the liver area are possible.

In any case, it is impossible to consider lichen and preparations from it as a means for monotherapy. This is especially true for severe, life-threatening conditions - tuberculosis, pneumonia, cancer.

As human experience shows, it is possible for a long time survive using only available means. Even modern man, with a certain amount of skills and abilities, of course, he is capable of this. You just need to know what and how to use it. And gradually this science is being restored. But we won’t tell you now how to build a multi-story log house using just a knife—let those who are familiar with the process first-hand share this information. We’d rather tell you about something simpler and easier to apply in practice. For example, about what there are beneficial properties moss.

Peat moss or sphagnum is a special genus of moss that lives mainly in swamps and wet areas. His distinctive feature is that in the process of evolution, he learned to perfectly store water in himself - for this purpose he even formed special hollow, half-dead cells. In addition, it is the main component of peat - effective kindling, fertilizer and generally an extremely useful substance. Actually, biological features sphagnum and determine the range of its beneficial properties, which are almost the same regardless of the specific type of plant. So.

Medicine

Most requested beneficial properties of moss. The fact is that it doesn’t matter at all to him what liquid he absorbs - plain water, blood or ichor, absorbing 20 times its own weight. At the same time, unlike traditional dressings, moss retains the ability to transmit oxygen, so that the wound can breathe. This prevents the growth of anaerobic organisms, facilitates drainage and promotes rapid healing. And if you consider that moss is also a powerful antiseptic due to the huge content of phenolic and triterpene substances, then it becomes clear why many doctors still use sphagnum gauze dressings as a dressing material. Yes, they are sometimes processed boric acid, but this is not necessary.

That is, yes, freshly picked moss can (and even should) be applied to open wounds. And unlike traditional dressings, it needs to be changed much less frequently and is much easier to find. Moreover, moss can be used as an insulating material for fractures. That is, everyone knows that in case of a bone injury, a splint must be applied. But not many people remember that it does not need to be applied to a naked body. And moss is great for insulation purposes. It is moist enough to prevent friction, but at the same time, if anything, it will easily absorb various liquids. So remember this beneficial properties of moss, if suddenly some trouble happens to you in the swamp.

Insulation material

Remember, at the beginning of the article we wrote about a log house built with a knife? So, moss comes in handy here too. The point is that it will need to be insulated somehow. Another option is clay, but it will quickly dry out and stop performing its functions. But moss will work great as insulation. Hollow cells, and even tightly packed ones, perfectly prevent heat from escaping from the inside. And if because of the rain outside they somehow get wet, then due to their antibacterial properties they will not become a haven for mold and other fungi. They will just dry out and work normally again.

In this case, moisture, due to the hygroscopic properties that are preserved even in dry moss, will be evenly distributed throughout the entire thickness of the material, which promotes uniform evaporation of liquid and faster drying. And most modern insulation materials also require additional antiseptic impregnation... One minus is that moss, unlike them, burns well. So in the event of a fire, it will most likely worsen the situation.

Kindling

As already specified, moss is the main component of peat, a highly effective kindling. So even just dried it burns quite well. But to implement this beneficial properties of moss There is a small problem - it needs to be dried first. And this needs to be done in advance, which is not very rational when you have reserves of almost fossil peat at hand. But concentrating on preparing truly effective fuel is a completely different matter. And this will be much more effective than cutting down stunted swamp vegetation. And if you consider that peat is also quite effective fertilizer, then it becomes clear that settling near a swamp is not too bad an idea. The main thing is to choose a higher place.

Padding

Dried moss not only burns well, but also retains its shape well due to the elasticity of the cell fibers. So another useful property of moss is the ability to use it as stuffing for... Yes, for anything. Mattress, pillow, blanket - it doesn’t matter. Moss will be an excellent filler, which will also not contain microscopic dust mites- they don’t like it either antiseptic properties this material. And even if they start, you can always throw it out, dry a new one and refill it.

Water filter

Unique beneficial properties of moss, which has not yet begun to be widely used - the ability to effectively filter water from various contaminants and microorganisms. And if the former, including various metals such as zinc, silver, copper and worse, simply accumulate in hollow and dying cells, then the antiseptic properties of this material help against microorganisms. That is, large particles are retained mechanically, by antiseptic substances, metal ions are retained in cells, and clean water goes further.

In practice, it looks like this: take a wide plastic bottle, the bottom of which is cut off, and is evenly filled with layers of moss and crushed charcoal, so that it is dense. Actually, that's all. Coal additionally absorbs some of the toxins and harmful substances, while moss destroys microorganisms. True, there is no 100% guarantee, so it’s better to boil the water later. But from all sorts of chemical pollution this design helps quite well. Well, its main advantage is the simplicity and accessibility of materials.

Icelandic moss in scientific world called Cetraria Icelandica. It can be found on almost all continents (except America). This type of moss grows in swampy areas, tundra, forest-tundra, pine forests, and also in mountainous areas. Prefers to grow on sandy soils. It can also settle on old tree stumps. In some cases, it covers the entire surface of the earth in the form of a carpet.

In fact, it is a bush-shaped lichen. reaches 10–15 cm in height. Depending on the place of growth, its color changes. Bottom part The leaves are white, and the upper leaves are green to dark brown. The more illuminated the area where it grows, the lighter the color.

Blank

Moss collection occurs in the summer. After careful selection, the moss branches are dried naturally under a canopy with fairly good ventilation. All parts of the plant are used as a remedy. It contains a large percentage carbohydrates (up to 80%), mainly lichenin and isolequinin, as well as proteins, fats, waxes, gums and lichen acids.

Icelandic moss stomach treatment

To treat stomach diseases, a decoction with the addition is used.

  1. It is necessary to mix equal amounts of Icelandic moss, flaxseed and dried marshmallow root.
  2. 3 tbsp. l. ready mixture pour 750 g of boiling water and keep on fire for 7 minutes.
  3. Or you can boil it in a water bath for 10 minutes.
  4. The cooled broth is filtered. Take 70 ml of decoction 5 times a day before meals.

This composition is used to treat stomach ulcers.

Stomach atony is treated with a decoction prepared as follows: 3-4 tbsp. l. cetraria add 3 cups of boiling water and boil over low heat for half an hour. The result is a gelatinous mass. It should be taken in small portions per day.

This remedy is also effective.

Treatment of prostatitis

It has been established that cetraria helps treat prostatitis. However, this remedy must be included in a complex with the main treatment.

  1. To do this, you need to prepare a decoction of (2 tablespoons of cetraria per 700 ml of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes).
  2. It is recommended to use 2 tbsp. l. shortly before meals 4 times a day.

Treatment of bronchitis

The ability of cetraria to increase immunity and act as an antimicrobial agent is used for. The preparation of the drug is carried out with preliminary soaking of the lichen in cool water. Wood ash is added to the water. This is done to remove bitterness from the plant.

  1. After 24 hours, the finished moss is poured with boiling water (you need to use 3 times more water than lichen) and boiled for about 2.5 hours over low heat.
  2. The finished decoction in the form of tasteless jelly is filtered and after settling it is ready for use.
  3. Taking this remedy improves immunity and enables the body to cope with bronchitis.

Helps cure inflamed bronchi and another recipe.

  1. Add 1 tbsp to boiling milk (1 glass). a spoonful of crushed moss.
  2. Boil over low heat for 5 minutes in a saucepan covered with a glass lid.
  3. Then strain the broth and consume warm with honey dissolved in it before bedtime.

Treatment of tuberculosis

Even when treating this serious disease, Icelandic moss can have a positive effect.

  1. To do this, carefully cleaned and dried moss (2 tablespoons) is poured with water (500 ml) and brought to a boil.
  2. After this, the composition is filtered and consumed throughout the day.

This is an excellent complementary remedy in the treatment of infiltrative tuberculosis, as well as in consolidating the results of treatment and preventing its relapse.

Treatment of cough in children

Icelandic moss is used to treat children of all ages. Even pregnant women can use this plant for... Decoctions of Icelandic moss are quite bitter, so it is difficult to give them to children.

You can cook for children remedy with cetraria in the following ways:

  1. Mix 2 tablespoons of dry moss, 2 tablespoons of honey and 200 g of kefir in a blender. The resulting mixture tastes quite pleasant and also strengthens the immune system. You can give this to your child throughout the day.
  2. Prepare a decoction of moss in milk (1 spoon of moss and 1 tbsp of milk). Boil for about 5 minutes. The taste of the decoction loses its bitterness and is easier for children to take.
  3. You can use syrup based on Icelandic lichen. Children like the sweet taste of the syrup. It doesn’t require any special tricks on the part of parents to get their child to drink it. To prepare it, take a decoction of cetraria (2 tbsp per 1 tbsp of water) and combine it with 2 tbsp. bee honey and 1 tbsp. l. sugar and heat until dissolved.
  4. After the mixture has cooled, you can give the child 1 tbsp. 3-4 times a day.

Kidney treatment

Inflammatory processes in the kidneys can be stopped by taking a decoction of Icelandic lichen. Dried moss is sold in pharmacies. A decoction is prepared by boiling ground moss (2 tablespoons of lichen per 500 ml of water). Boiling the broth over low heat for 10 minutes is enough. After meals you need to drink 150 g of strained broth.

Asthma treatment

Icelandic moss can help alleviate the condition of bronchial patients. If you systematically take a decoction of this plant, your immune system will be strengthened, your body will be cleansed of toxins, and asthma, which occurs as a result of allergic phenomena, will no longer bother you.

To prepare a decoction of moss for the treatment of asthma, simply add purchased or harvested moss with hot water and boil for several minutes (600 ml of water brought to a boil and 3 tablespoons of lichen). Distribute the entire resulting decoction into 3 servings throughout the day.

Pay attention! It is better to cook the broth in an enamel pan.

Contraindications

It is believed that there are no contraindications for use. It can be taken by both children and adults, as well as women during pregnancy. To make bread more nutritious, some peoples added Icelandic moss, ground into flour, to it. There is a possibility of personal intolerance to this plant.

Lichens are small bushes of flat lobes with raised edges. Their color depends on the conditions environment. It can be greenish, brown and even gray, sometimes taking on a pink tint. It is moss, that is, a favorite delicacy of reindeer.

Despite its Scandinavian name, Icelandic moss grows even in Africa. You can also find it in Russia. It prefers tundra and forest-tundra, where it often forms real thickets; found in pine forests, mainly Siberian, and on mountain slopes. His “favorite” soil is peaty and sandy. Sometimes grows on trees and stumps. It is popularly called thorn moss, lobed moss or dry bob moss.

The history of the use of cetraria to combat diseases and improve well-being goes back to the Middle Ages. The first written mentions of the use of Icelandic moss as a medicine date back to this time. But it probably began to be used to combat illnesses much earlier.

To understand why cetraria is so useful, need to look into it chemical composition:

  1. High content carbohydrates, mainly polysaccharides (80%), provides large nutritional properties lichen.
  2. Chitin has a beneficial effect on the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also a natural sorbent that removes harmful compounds – toxins – from the body.
  3. Lichen acids increase the tone of the body, helping it cope with chronic fatigue and activating life potential. These substances also have an antibacterial effect, fighting pathogenic microorganisms. Lichen acids give products made from cetriria a bitter taste.
  4. Most valuable chemical compound, which are part of Icelandic moss, is usnic acid, which kills most microbes. She is even active against Koch's wand.
  5. Fumaroprotocetraric acid – natural antiseptic, also gently correcting the work immune system person. And fumaric acid treats psoriasis.
  6. D-protolichoesteric acid suppresses the activity of dangerous Helicobacter bacteria, which cause chronic diseases of the digestive system, including stomach ulcers, and therefore is used to treat gastroenterological ailments.

How to grind cetraria (video)

Icelandic moss: medicinal properties and contraindications

Due to its composition and environmental friendliness, Icelandic moss has the following beneficial properties:

  • antibacterial – suppresses the activity of pathogenic microorganisms, including staphylococci and streptococci.
  • choleretic.
  • enveloping.
  • anti-inflammatory.
  • wound healing.
  • laxative.

At the same time, lichen has no contraindications, except for individual intolerance to the substances included in its composition. Therefore, when using drugs based on it for the first time, you need to start with low dose and observe the body's reaction.

Use of Icelandic moss in medicine

So what diseases does cetraria treat? Their list is very extensive. This:

  1. Skin diseases: dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema. Icelandic moss is used both internally and externally in the form of compresses.
  2. Respiratory: bronchial asthma, respiratory diseases, tuberculosis. Thanks to usnic acid, bacterial flora is destroyed.
  3. Gastrointestinal tract: problems with intestines, stomach, gallbladder.
  4. Skin damage: great benefit for wounds and burns. Icelandic moss accelerates regeneration and kills possible infectious agents.
  5. Endocrine diseases, for example, hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus.
  6. Autoimmune: lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis.

About the possibility of using cetraria during pregnancy

Pregnancy is not a contraindication for taking drugs based on cetraria. There are no aggressive substances in lichen, so health expectant mother and the child will not be harmed. The exception is individual intolerance to the drug. But need to remember that treatment of any diseases during pregnancy should be carried out under the vigilant supervision of a gynecologist.

Recipes based on Icelandic moss

Application various drugs based on Icelandic moss will help in the fight against many chronic diseases. Prepare medicine at home is quite simple. Starch, combining with water, forms a jelly-like mass, similar to jelly.

Preparation and beneficial properties of tea

Cetraria tea tones the body and stimulates its defenses given by nature. It has both a general strengthening effect and an antiseptic effect. Therefore, the scope of its use is very wide: colds, disorders of the stomach and intestines, asthma and bronchitis, loss of appetite. Drinking a cup of Icelandic moss tea will also be useful for prevention.

To prepare, you will need to pour 0.5 liters of water with 2 teaspoons of crushed moss, put on low heat and boil for 10 minutes. After this, the container is wrapped in a warm thing to make it easier for the lichen to release into the water. useful substances. After this, the tea can be taken in several small cups throughout the day.

Icelandic moss: collection (video)

Making jelly

Cetraria jelly is a wonderful product that replenishes the body's nutritional strength. Therefore, it is recommended for use by people with insufficient body weight, after stress and serious illnesses.

To prepare the jelly, you need to pour 2 tablespoons of plant material into 2 glasses of water, boil over low heat for 7-10 minutes, then strain and let it brew. This remedy is taken half a glass 4 times a day a quarter of an hour before meals.

How to Use Icelandic Moss to Treat Bronchitis

Icelandic moss is very useful for bronchitis and colds. To do this, pour 2 cups of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of lichen, previously cut into small pieces, and leave to simmer for only 5 minutes. This decoction should be taken half a glass 4 times a day.

Jelly recipe

Jelly made from cetraria should be eaten for at least 1 month. It stimulates digestive processes and improves appetite, removes harmful substances from the body, relieves inflammation and fights pathogenic microflora. Therefore, it is used for most chronic diseases, including respiratory and digestive system, autoimmune diagnoses, ailments of the ENT organs.

To make jelly, you need to infuse 100 g. moss in a liter of water for 3 hours. After this, add a pinch of soda and mix the liquid. Next, take out the cetraria and rinse it under water. It is re-filled with 500 ml of boiling water and boiled for half an hour. Then filter again and wait for the composition to cool. There are no restrictions on the amount of jelly consumed.

Application of Cetraria Icelandica Extract

Cetraria extract will be useful for intestinal ailments: constipation, inflammatory processes, microflora disorders. To prepare this medicine, you need 100 grams. moss, thoroughly crushed, and 1 liter of water. The raw materials are poured and infused for at least a day.

After this time has elapsed, you need to strain the resulting liquid from plant residues and place in a water bath. When half of the original volume remains, the extract is ready. It is taken one tablespoon half an hour before meals. This should be done three times a day.

Collection and storage rules

It is usually harvested in midsummer, but dry ones will also work. autumn days. After the body of the lichen is separated from the soil, the dirt must be washed off and then dried either in the shade or in the light. You can use special dryers, or lay clean paper or cloth under the moss.

Useful properties of cetraria (video)

Harvested raw materials can be stored for 2 years. But for this, you should take care of suitable conditions: the container must be tightly closed with a lid, and the air in the room must be kept dry and cool. If drops of moisture get on the moss, it will absorb it and deteriorate.

You can buy cetraria raw materials or extract in tablets in pharmacies or specialty stores. It's natural and harmless plant Helps combat many medications and combines well with other herbs used in folk medicine. But we must not forget about traditional treatment following the recommendations of doctors. Icelandic moss will be a good assistant in basic therapy.

Icelandic moss is a lower plant. Its body - the thallus - has no vegetative organs and is practically unlike leafy plants.
The name Cetraria Icelandica is of Latin origin, coming from the word cetra, which means the round leather shield of Roman soldiers. The plant received this name due to the shape of the sporulation organs - apothecia.
The species definition indicates that for the first time people learned about healing properties plants from Icelanders.

Plant morphology and physiology

The thallus or thallus of Cetraria has a bushy structure of whitish, greenish or brown, consisting of flat or tubular blades up to ten centimeters in height and up to four centimeters in width. Icelandic moss is covered with red spots in the lower part, and the edges of its blades have cilia. When the thallus is treated with a 10% solution of potassium hydroxide, it turns yellow.

Important! Mosses and lichens do not have roots; they are replaced by outgrowths of skin cells - rhizoids.

Cetraria, like any other lichen, is a product of symbiosis. Icelandic moss combines two organisms with completely opposite properties: a green algae that synthesizes in the process of photosynthesis organic matter, and a fungus that feeds on these substances and supplies the algae with water and dissolved in it mineral salts, which he himself absorbs from external environment. Lichen reproduces by spores, which germinate, intertwine in threads and form a rudimentary thallus. A true lichen is formed from it only after contact with a certain type of algae. Asexual reproduction is also possible using groups of cells containing fungal filaments and algae cells. Cetraria grows mainly on sandy soils in light pine forests, in swamps among mosses. This is the most common lichen and is the main food for reindeer.

Healing properties

Icelandic moss is used by official pharmacology in food additives- Dietary supplements and in the form of herbal mixtures with sage, chamomile, thyme, elderberry, calendula. The medicinal properties of Icelandic moss and its widespread use in folk medicine are explained by its unique composition.

  • Cetraria contains about seventy percent mucous substances consisting of polysaccharides lichenin and isolichenin - lichen starch. They are extracted using hot water and then cooled until a gelatinous mass forms.
  • Lichen acids have pronounced antibacterial properties.
  • The plant also contains bitterness, protein substances, fats, wax, gum, enzymes, pigments, etc.
  • This species is characterized by the accumulation large quantity zinc, tin, cadmium, lead and silicon.

Traditional medicine

Medical significance

In ancient times, mountain peoples ate Icelandic moss in the form of a thick jelly with honey and survived in times of famine with the help of sheep's milk and moss boiled in it. This not only improves digestion, but also cleanses the blood, lymph, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Residents of the Far North fast healing even torn and infected wounds hot poultices from cetraria were used. Icelandic moss served as diapers for children, and Eskimos treated infants with applications of steamed lichen. Cetraria contains mucous substances, due to which it has a pronounced enveloping effect. For diarrhea, intestinal atony, gastritis, stomach ulcers, colitis, chronic constipation, a decoction prepared from twenty grams of moss and a glass is recommended boiled water. Take three tablespoons of this decoction daily.

Important! The decoction, previously washed from bitterness, is a food antidiabetic agent.

Icelandic moss preparations have a therapeutic effect:

  • antimicrobial,
  • anti-inflammatory,
  • laxative,
  • wound healing,
  • choleretic.

A thick mucous decoction is used not only to treat pathologies of the digestive system, but also for pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, whooping cough, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and food allergies.

Attention! Lotions and washing with this decoction are used for treatment purulent wounds, pustular rash, burns, boils, chronic dermatoses, neurodermatitis.

Recipes

  1. The traditional recipe for preparing a decoction of moss is the following: take five hundred milliliters of boiling water or hot milk and one tablespoon of crushed dry lichen, mix, boil in a water bath for five minutes, and then leave for thirty minutes and filter. This is how a decoction is prepared for internal use. For external use, it is prepared exclusively with water.
  2. The extract from moss is obtained in this way: pour one hundred grams of crushed cetraria into a liter of cold water, leave for a day, filter, place in a water bath and evaporate to half the original volume. Take three times a day half an hour before meals. Moss extract is used as a laxative. The duration of treatment is two weeks.
  3. Icelandic moss tea is used for colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia. This remedy has gained recognition among many peoples of Europe, in particular among Yugoslav peasants. They brew it like this: put a teaspoon of lichen in a cup of boiling water, infuse it and drink it like regular tea once a day, preferably before bed.
    The duration of treatment with such tea varies depending on the circumstances and the patient’s well-being in each specific case and ranges from one to three months.
  4. A collection consisting of Icelandic moss, toadflax grass, lemon balm leaf and salep tubers is recommended for impotence. Pour a tablespoon of herb into a glass of boiling water, leave it wrapped up for a couple of hours, strain and drink three glasses daily.
  5. For pneumonia or severe bronchitis, take a decoction prepared according to this recipe: put a spoonful of crushed moss in a glass of milk, cover the container with a non-metallic plate or saucer and simmer over low heat for thirty minutes. Take a hot decoction daily before bed. For pneumonia, take crushed lichen and mix it with pine buds and fragrant violet root. Then pour this mixture with a glass of cold water, leave for two hours, boil for five minutes and take a warm infusion.
  6. Pulmonary tuberculosis is treated with a decoction of cetraria. Brew twenty grams of Icelandic moss with a glass of boiling water, heat over low heat for ten minutes and drink a whole glass six times a day.

Icelandic moss has no contraindications and side effects, so it can be taken for quite a long time - for years by both adults and children.

All materials on the Priroda-Znaet.ru website are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any product, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!



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