Larch is the most common coniferous tree in the Pine family. Its habitat is temperate and cold regions of the planet. In Russia, it "inhabited" the vast territories of Siberia, the tree is widely distributed throughout the forest zone of the European part of our country. It grows on the mountainous landscapes of Eurasia, in northern Canada and America, in Alaska. The tree lives for about 400 years. A characteristic feature of this coniferous plant is the presence of soft needles, which the plant dumps during the cold season. Wood is actively used in industry and construction, as well as in medicine, both in folk and traditional.

The healing and beneficial properties of larch

The substances that make up the different parts of this plant are capable of exerting a therapeutic effect on joints, muscles, and skin integuments. The serious regenerative properties of gum tree are known.

Did you know? Larch wood drowns in water, so when logging logs are not rafted along the river. For this reason, most houses in Venice stand on stilts of this tree for many centuries.

As part of the larch parts were discovered:

• essential oil;
• tannins;
• organic acids;
• carotene;
• lignin;
• vitamin C;
• glycosides;
• anthocyanins;
• flavonoids;
• gum.

The raw materials for the manufacture of medicines are needles, resin, young shoots, bark, and kidneys. The range of applications of preparations made on the basis of larch is wide - ointments, plasters, tinctures, extracts, complex formulations based on essential oils, etc., solutions for inhalation. They are used for diseases such as rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, renal pathology, toothache, gangrene, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis, hypermenorrhea, constipation, etc.

• Means made of larch:
• normalize the central nervous system;
• lower the temperature;
• prevent the development of tumors;
• contribute to wound healing;
• strengthen the immune system;
• eliminate pain;
• stopping inflammatory processes;
• strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
• stabilize blood pressure;
• contribute to the normalization of metabolism.

From pressure

On the basis of Siberian larch, the pharmaceutical industry makes a tincture of hypertension, which is sold in the pharmacy chain. At home, you can make a decoction of their needles of this plant, taking which three times a day, about 70-80 ml 30 minutes before a meal, you can stabilize the pressure.

Preparing the tool is simple: 2 tbsp. l 250 ml of water are poured into the raw materials, the mixture is brought to a boil and cooked on low heat for 10 minutes. The duration of use of this drug is until the normalization of blood pressure, but not more than 2 weeks. The course of admission can be repeated once a month in the absence of contraindications. But before treatment, it is better to consult your doctor.

With infertility

In the arsenal of medicine there is a dietary supplement, which includes the bark of Siberian larch, which helps with infertility. The drug complex is aimed at normalizing the menstrual cycle and hormonal health of women. In the pharmacy network, the drug can be found under the name "Siberian larch with papilion and anchorberry."

Recall that dietary supplements are not a medicine, but before using them, you must definitely get expert advice.

Against cough

For the treatment of catarrhal diseases of the respiratory tract among pharmacy preparations from this plant, the most effective is an extract (extract). He proved to be the most effective in the treatment of bronchitis and cough. It can be purchased at any pharmacy, but must be taken strictly according to the instructions and if there is a recommendation from the attending physician.

Did you know? Larch is the second largest timber after oak, for this reason railway sleepers are made from it.

Also, when coughing, you can use a healing broth (the recipe was given above). It should be taken 1/3 cup three times a day 15 minutes before meals.

From pneumonia

For the treatment of pneumonia, gum of this coniferous tree is used. In this case, the strong antimicrobial effect of the plant “works”. In addition, larch gum has a pronounced tonic, antioxidant, immunomodelling effect, which makes the treatment of this severe disease more effective. Larch is an almost natural antibiotic.

For treatment in pharmacies, you can buy drugs made on the basis of larch resin, but you must remember that pneumonia is a serious disease that must be treated under the supervision of doctors. And gum can only be a good adjuvant and it is necessary to obtain the approval of the attending doctor at its reception.

With pneumonia and pleurisy, as well as with tuberculosis, a resin preparation is prepared. To do this, pour gum with warm water (1 cm). Periodically, the composition must be mixed until completely dissolved. Mix tincture with lard in a ratio of 1: 2 and melt the mixture in a water bath. After cooling it to + 60 ° C, add 1 part honey, mix everything well. The composition should be taken by teaspoon three times a day for a period of three months to six months.

The use of larch cones in folk medicine

Despite the fact that the pharmaceutical industry offers us a huge range of medicines, alternative methods of treatment do not lose their relevance. This is not surprising, because the lion's share of manufactured drugs is based on natural components and innovative research in this direction is constantly ongoing. Traditional medicine has successfully used the cones of this coniferous representative for more than a century.

Important! Harvesting shoots, buds, bark and gum is better in the spring. The needles acquire the maximum number of useful properties by mid-August, but they can be harvested throughout the summer.

People have successfully noticed the beneficial properties of this plant. Artificial honey made from them, perfectly helps with asthma, shortness of breath, exhaustion, weakness, gastrointestinal diseases. It needs to be cooked from cones collected in May. A sweet medication is as effective as a general strengthening, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory drug. It has beneficial effects on the restoration of joint mobility, and is useful for arthritis. From the resin (gum) of this plant, therapeutic candles can be formed and used to treat hemorrhoids - they are placed for 10 days, at night.

Young cones of the tree are useful to add to the composition of other useful decoctions. Chewing fresh needles, you can get rid of bad breath.

Recipes and rules for their use

Useful honey from young “fruits” of this coniferous plant can be considered one of the main healing recipes.For its manufacture, cones in the amount of 70 pieces need to be poured 1 liter of water and cook in an enameled bowl for 1 hour, until the raw materials are softened until the fork is pierced unhindered. The warm broth needs to be filtered, add to it 1 kg of sugar and half a teaspoon of citric acid (to thicken honey). Pour the mixture into a non-stick container and boil for 20 minutes. Pour the cooled honey into a jar, close tightly with a lid and store in a dark place. You need to take 1 tbsp. half an hour before meals (washed down with warm water) three times a day.

Did you know? Household items and furniture made from larch wood retain the ability of a tree to clean the air and continue to release volatile products that help people cope with colds.

You can also make healthy marmalade. It is boiled from young shoots up to 20 cm long (for this, shoots collected throughout the summer are suitable, since it was at this time that the larch needles are rich in vitamin C). Harvested raw materials should be poured with water for 2-3 cm, boil for 10 minutes. Strain the broth. Add sugar from the calculation: for every 5 l - 3 kg of sugar, and boil.

Soak agar-agar in parallel (calculate the required amount from the volume of broth with sugar). Add the juice of some berries (the cherry is perfect) to the resulting mass, add agar-agar, boil, cool, pour in molds, and after hardening, cut and dry to the desired consistency in the dryer.

Decoction

A separate niche among larch preparations is decoctions. They have healing properties and a specific, pleasant taste. As a rule, they are prepared from young shoots, cones or needles collected from the end of May to mid-August.

Decoctions based on needles are prepared as follows: 15 g of dry or 20 g of fresh needles per 1 glass of water. The raw material is boiled (preferably in a water bath) for 10-15 minutes, then it is infused for 2-3 hours, filtered and cooled. For internal use, the drink can be diluted with juice of any acidic berries (sea buckthorn, cranberries, cherries, etc.) or lemon juice. Take 1 / 3-1 / 5 cup three times a day before meals. It was mentioned above which diseases can be cured with the help of such decoctions.

A decoction of cones or needles is also used for external use as compresses for hemorrhoids, abscesses, for washing purulent wounds.

The drug can be successfully used for cosmetic purposes. It is no secret that coniferous plant extracts are often part of hair care products. Regular rinsing of hair with such a decoction will help get rid of dandruff and irritation of the scalp, strengthen hair roots.

Tea

You can make healthy tea from the needles and buds of larch. For this, fresh or dried raw materials are poured with boiling water in a thermos for 0.5-1 hours or boiled over low heat for 10 minutes. Grated ginger, honey to taste, lemon juice can be added to the resulting liquid (+ 40 ° C). This healing tea is an excellent drug for the prevention of colds and viral diseases. You can take it daily, 2-3 cups.

Important! For tea, it is best to use fresh needles, bark or cones of larch.

Also, a drink from this coniferous plant is a good tool that slows down the aging process. This is an excellent cure for scurvy. When brewing coniferous tea, you can add mint leaves, raspberries or currants, oregano grass.

Tincture

The simplest tincture is prepared from fresh needles (150 g) and vodka (250 ml): the components are mixed and infused for 2-3 weeks in a dark place. Take 20 drops diluted in 10 ml of water 3 times a day. This medicine helps to get rid of menstrual irregularities, diarrhea, colds, poisoning, neuralgia, etc. Another option is to pour 100 ml of fresh raw materials (cones, bark or needles) into 500 ml of 96% alcohol. Insist in a dark place for 2-3 weeks. Take 20 drops with water.

Gum tincture is used as an effective anthelmintic and for the treatment of prolonged, persistent cough. So, 100 g of resin should be poured into 600 ml of 96% alcohol, insist 20 days in a dark place. Take 10 drops with water (100 ml) 3 times a day.

Contraindications

In order to extract from all these coniferous drugs exclusively benefit, and not harm, each person needs to consult a doctor before treatment.Larch products should not be consumed by people suffering from gastrointestinal ulcers, who have recently suffered a stroke or heart attack, have serious pathologies of the nervous system, allergies, and pregnant women.

The therapeutic properties of larch can hardly be overestimated, a wide range of applications in pharmacology and cosmetology is vivid proof of this. Its prophylactic use is also effective, since any disease is easier to prevent than to cure, in addition, it is a good way to replenish a weakened body with necessary vitamins. Fresh raw materials for the preparation of useful drugs and essential oils can be successfully stored in the freezer and used as necessary.