In the Real concrete it is an almost forgotten medicinal plant. It was already used in ancient times.
Occurrence & cultivation of real concrete
The habitat of the real betony extends from Europe over the Mediterranean region to the area of the Tienschan. In addition, the Heilziest grows in some places in North Africa. The Real concrete (Betonica officinalis) belongs to the genus of Betonien (Betonica) and comes from the mint family (Lamiaceae). She is also under the name Heilziest, Edible herb, Tooth herb, Flea flower and Pfaffenblume known. The real betony is one of the herbaceous perennial plants. Their height is usually from 30 to 80 centimeters. The almost bare upright plant stem is bluntly square.Its close-fitting hair reaches an average length of 1.5 millimeters. Some pairs of leaves have a cross-opposed arrangement on the stem. The Heilziest has five to ten bracts that resemble foliage leaves. The flowering time of the plant takes place in the months June to September. One of the distinctive properties of real concrete is its beautiful appearance.
The habitat of the real betony extends from Europe over the Mediterranean region to the area of the Tienschan. In addition, the Heilziest grows in some places in North Africa. The medicinal plant prefers to thrive on bog meadows, lean mountain meadows, heather and in mixed deciduous forests that have moist and alkaline soil. A regular alternation of light and shadow is also important. The harvest time takes place in late summer.
Effect & application
The Heilziest has some ingredients that have health-promoting effects. These include bitter substances and tannins such as stachydrin. In addition, the essential oils, choline, turicin and betonicin are represented. The ingredients primarily have anti-inflammatory effects.
Despite its beauty, real betony is no longer used in conventional medicine today. However, it is used all the more by folk medicine. The leaves of the Heilziest, which have a bitter-tart taste, and the flowers, which are noticeable for their pleasant fragrance, are used therapeutically. The root of the plant can also be used medicinally, but it has a scratchy, unpleasant taste.
The tea, which is made from its leaves, is one of the most common forms of administration of real betonia. For this purpose, the user brews 5 grams of the plant leaves with 200 milliliters of hot boiled water. This mixture is left to stand for around 15 minutes. The use of a closed vessel is recommended so that the therapeutically useful substances do not evaporate.
The volatile substances in goat's milk can also be boiled. This is how the substances are bound by their fat. The application of the tea can be done internally as well as externally.
Another form of administration is medicinal zest juice. Freshly mixed with rose oil, it is considered effective against earache. Together with honey juice, on the other hand, a therapeutic effect against jaundice and dropsy is ascribed to it. Medicinal powder can be used to treat lung diseases or weak nerves. This is obtained from the flowers and leaves of the real betonia and administered three times a day in the dose of a knife tip.
Heilziest syrup can be used against cough problems and bronchial asthma to encourage the expectoration of mucus. The syrup is made from 0.5 liters of distilled Heilziest water to which 270 grams of rock sugar are added. Folk medicine also gave a decoction made from concrete mixed with a little wine to treat chest problems.
If the patient suffers from an inflammation of the throat or the oral cavity, the Heilziest tea can also be used for gargling or rinsing. The real concrete can be collected by yourself. The medicinal plant can be found in this country on meadows, bushy hills and sparse forests. Those who prefer to purchase the Heilziest will find numerous offers in the herbal trade.
Importance for health, treatment & prevention
Even in ancient times, doctors valued the healing properties of real betony. Their therapeutic benefits have already been described by ancient authors in herbal books. The Roman doctor Antonius Musa, who was the personal physician of Emperor Augustus, said that betony had 46 different medical uses.
But even in the Middle Ages, the positive effects of real betony were not unmentioned. Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) described numerous magical indications that could not be proven in later times. For example, the concrete worn as an amulet should also work against the dreaded plague.
Folk medicine used real betony against a wide variety of diseases. These included congested lungs, epilepsy, rheumatism, asthma, heartburn, kidney problems, bladder problems and diarrhea. In addition, the Heilziest was used against earache, dropsy, jaundice, weak nerves, constipation, gout, whooping cough and poisoning.
In addition, wounds, varicose veins and abscesses can be externally treated with real betonia. Another area of application was gum problems or inflammation of the throat. To prevent joint sprains, crushed leaves of the plant were applied to the affected areas. Today, homeopathy also relies on the healing power of the healing zest.
She uses it for the therapy of bronchial asthma, headaches, dizziness, pain in the upper abdomen, respiratory catarrh, neuritis, paresis, feelings of weakness and mild mental disorders.
When giving real betony, certain side effects must be observed. An overdose of powder extracted from the root can cause vomiting. Any other side effects could not be adequately reported and therefore not investigated in detail. For this reason, moderate administration of the healing zest is recommended in principle.