Wasserdost is one of the most popular medicinal plants. It primarily strengthens the immune system and is therefore a helpful companion for all colds. In addition, it supports all detoxification processes in the body through its draining effect.
Occurrence and cultivation of water fens
The common water deast is native to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Other species also grow in North America and East Asia. Its preferred location is moist, on stream banks and ditches as well as on the edges of forests. Wasserdost is a perennial plant and grows herbaceous or shrub-like. The plant reaches a height of between 150 and 300 centimeters.
Their leaves are long-stemmed, tapering to a point, have a rough surface and are sloping upwards. Their appearance is reminiscent of hemp leaves, hence the popular name "water hemp". The flowering period of the water deast begins in July. The flowers grow in a so-called umbel shape and take on a pink color. The flowering period is also the best time to collect.
Effect & application
Naturopathy uses the whole herb, because it mainly contains valuable essential oils. Furthermore, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, triterpenes, flavonoids, polysaccharides, tannins and the benzofuran derivative euparin are components of the water dost herb. The Greek doctors already knew about the healing properties of the water deast plant in ancient times. At that time, seeds and leaves were mixed with wine to make a tincture, which was recommended for liver problems and diarrheal diseases.
But also in the case of fever and after a poisonous snakebite, water feast was traditionally prescribed. Its stimulating and draining function stimulates the bladder and kidneys and was therefore recommended for people with edema. So the excess stored water should be excreted. A bile-stimulating and liver-protecting effect has already been demonstrated for the leaves of the common water dough. Other areas of application were found in external skin diseases such as ulcers, eczema and bruises.
An ointment made from the leaves of the water stew should promote the healing process here. This information can already be found in textbooks from the Middle Ages. Likewise, the recommendation has been handed down to use water cannabis in the event of a loss of manhood, as the plant triggers drug-like mechanisms of action. In folk medicine, constituents of Wasserdost were also used as a weak laxative.
From North America - with the Indian cultures - it is handed down that water dost is used for cold symptoms such as sore throat, cough, runny nose and fever. This indication has remained valid to this day. The herb is recommended as an effective immune stimulant for all unspecific complaints. This use is similar to that of the red coneflower (Echinaceae purpurea). The water stew is more productive, however, since the entire herb can be used. It is also possible to collect it in the wild.
Wasserdost can be used as a tea, liquid extract or tincture. Products made from that herb are only available in pharmacies and can therefore only be purchased in pharmacies. To prepare a tea, a teaspoon of the dried herb is poured over 250 ml of boiling water. After a 10 minute steeping time, the infusion is ready to eat. The recommendation is to drink a cup three times a day.
In order to support the bile and liver after excessive alcohol consumption, two cups of this tea should be drunk after an interval of two hours. Liquid extracts and tinctures contain extracts of the plant dissolved in alcohol. However, they also contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These are liver-toxic and carcinogenic. They also change the DNA. Therefore, an exclusively external application is recommended only for short periods of time. Children and pregnant women as well as breastfeeding women should generally refrain from using it.
Importance for health, treatment & prevention
Nowadays water food is primarily used to increase the body's immune defense. This herb supports the body especially when flu-like infections are beginning. As is customary in naturopathy, the best effect is achieved when you start using it at the first signs of illness. Tests on animals have shown that the proportion of sesquiterpene lactones and polysaccharides have an immune-stimulating effect. Success has been achieved with flu-like infections, bronchitis and blocked airways. It is also recommended to be used for fever and rheumatic diseases.
In homeopathy, too, water stew is processed. The remedy is called Eupatorium perfoliatum and is offered in the 6th potency. It is also used for flu-like and feverish infections. Especially with infections with accompanying symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, dry and painful cough, as well as inflamed paranasal sinuses, which have occurred as a result of cold and damp weather.
But stabilization of the immune system is also necessary in the subsequent, so-called convalescence phase, in order to avoid re-infection soon. The diuretic and generally draining effect of the water stew enables a wide range of uses, from bile and liver detoxification to the treatment of bladder and urethritis as well as diseases of the kidneys. Since excretion does not only take place via the urinary tract, but also via the skin from a holistic perspective, the water dost can also be used to support skin diseases.
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