The One berry is an ancient medicinal plant that has a very unusual appearance. Therefore, it was said to have magical powers in the past. The plant was planted in front of the house and was supposed to protect its inhabitants from evil spirits. In the Middle Ages, people believed it would protect them from the plague. The narcotic effect of the medicinal plant was already known to the famous doctor Paracelsus (16th century).
Occurrence & cultivation of the singleberry
It later bears a round, violet-black berry that is about one centimeter in size and tastes slightly sweet. The herbaceous perennial plant that too Fox eye, Devil's eye, Four leaf and Wolfberry called, reaches a height of 20 to 30 centimeters in spring and shoots out of a horizontal rhizome. The oneberry occurs in Europe and in Western Asia. It loves shady and semi-shady locations as well as moist soils rich in nutrients and humus.
They are found preferentially in open floodplains, coniferous, oak and beech forests. In the Alps it occurs up to an altitude of 1900 meters. Since your berry looks deceptively similar to the blueberry, it can sometimes be mixed up.
Effect & application
Usually only the herb that is collected during the flowering period in May / June and then dried is used. It contains pectin, asparagine, saponins - slightly toxic substances with which the plant protects itself against its natural enemies - organic acids, the glycosides paridin and paristyphnin as well as pennogenin. Because of its high content of saponins, the old medicinal herb has a poisonous effect if it is dosed too high: it damages the central nervous system, the kidneys and the red blood cells.
However, in very low concentrations or very diluted, the berry is used in naturopathy and homeopathy against various diseases. Conventional medicine no longer uses them because it considers their application to be too risky. The fresh herb is processed into homeopathic remedies in doses D3 to D6. The patient can use the dried herb internally and externally as herbal tea and tincture. For example, it is dripped onto compresses, which are then used to wrap swelling and inflamed areas of the body.
The antiseptic properties of the ancient medicinal herb cause quick healing of ulcers and inflamed eyes. It is also used as an additive in medicinal baths. The fresh plant trituration is taken 3 times a day in the form of tablets (tea). It contains 0.0025 grams of one berry. Patients who would like to use the medicinal plant, which has been known for a long time, should, however, make sure to only consume the smallest amounts of it and always adhere to the maximum recommended dose, as only then will it have no side effects.
The consumption of a single berry can cause slight symptoms of intoxication: The user vomits, has diarrhea, headaches and dizziness. To prevent this, the best thing to do is to spit out the entire contents of the mouth and then drink a lot of water. In the case of extremely high doses (for example by ingesting several berries), death from respiratory paralysis can occur.
Importance for health, treatment & prevention
If the patient takes the dried and crushed herb of the singleberry as medicinal tea, he can effectively eliminate migraines, nervous heart problems and nerve pain, especially in the head area. In addition, oneberry tea helps against various inflammations and the spasmodic coughing up in bronchitis. The tincture can also be used against these complaints. It too may only be consumed in very diluted form in order to avoid poisoning.
The paridin contained in the herb of the singleberry has a digitalis-like effect, as it strengthens the heart. The glycoside paristyphnin has a strong narcotic effect. Naturopathy values oneberry preparations in low doses because they can be used to relieve eye pain, neuralgia, headache and migraines associated with vomiting of bile.
The main active ingredients are essentially the analgesic and anti-inflammatory glycosides and saponins. In addition, the patient can treat nervous heart problems, angina pectoris (because of the paridine), joint rheumatism, and catarrh of the nose and throat, with herbal preparations. Inflammations in the gastrointestinal tract are cured with the berry as well as milk fever, dizziness, insomnia and the absence of menstruation.
The patient can prepare an ointment from the juice of the fresh singleberry leaves and their seeds, which he applies to ulcers and poorly healing wounds. After a short time, he feels an improvement in his condition. With the tincture obtained from the herb, he removes dangerous arsenic and mercury. However, this medical effect of the berry has not yet been proven by clinical studies.
For homeopathic use, the berry is strongly diluted as cold water and used as an alcohol extract. In potencies D3 to D6 it helps against nerve pain, eye irritation caused by colds, glaucoma, airway inflammation, nervous restlessness, migraines, heart problems and diseases of the respiratory tract. The homeopathic medicine can also be used against all types of inflammation.
