Creeping wheatgrass is a perennial plant belonging to the grass family. In Latin, the name sounds like Elytrigia repens. Among the people, this plant has many more names: villager, dog grass, ortan, root-grass, dandur, rye, worm-grass.
Geography of distribution
On the territory of the Russian Federation, Ortan grows everywhere. Found in Europe and Asia, North Africa.
The plant prefers wastelands, forest glades, forest edges, blueberries, arable land and vegetable gardens. It grows excellently and quickly in soil rich in humus, in places where there is a lot of moisture, on swampy and loose soils.
Rzhanets has very long and large rhizomes, so it quickly captures vast territories, it is difficult to eradicate. For this reason, the plant is most often treated not as a medicinal herb, but as a weed. There can be more than 240 million wheatgrass buds per hectare.
General Description
Ortan is a herbaceous plant, perennial, andbelongs to the grass family. Grows up to 1 meter in height. Reproduction occurs mainly by rhizomes. The length of the roots can reach terrifying sizes - several kilometers. The rhizomes look like cords, horizontal and creeping. You can find them at a depth of 5 to 15 centimeters.
Flowering occurs in June-July. Fruiting occurs in September. Couch grass seeds can be stored in the ground for 12 years, so summer residents do not like it, since it is quite difficult to get rid of this grass.
On one plant appears from 3 to 8 flowers. Spikelets are drawn out, depending on the height of the plant itself, from 7 to 30 centimeters. The stem of the plant can stretch up to 150 centimeters.
Legendary Grass
There is a legend that couch grass once saved the entire human race. In ancient times, when the dark forces decided to destroy all of humanity, darkness and fire covered the earth, and famine set in. The entire male race went to fight the orcs, and only children and women remained at home. They tried with all their might to plow the fields, cultivate them and grow at least some kind of crop. But the dark forces managed to destroy even what they managed to grow.
At some point, the Higher forces had mercy and scattered the fire of the fields over the whole earth (the old name is worm-grass). As a result, no force, not even the orcs, could destroy the strong arrows of the plant. People managed to survive by eating this plant, which to this day cannot be removed from the ground.
What areas of life use grass?
Despite the fact that many peopleCouch grass is considered a creeping weed, it brings great benefits in various areas of life.
- Agriculture. Wheatgrass is an excellent support for farmers, it is used as pasture for livestock. This grass allows you to quickly increase the mass in animals in spring and autumn. The plant is also suitable for hay, which is consumed by all cattle, rabbits and horses.
- Landscape design. Wheatgrass is an excellent ground stabilizer, so it is often planted in places where the ground is unstable, sands or dunes.
- Healing properties. The plant contains many useful elements for the human body, so medicines are prepared from it.
Chemical composition
Creeping wheatgrass owes its healing properties to its chemical composition. Dandur has been widely studied in many countries. The herb contains:
| Glycosides | Have a sedative and tonic effect |
| Slime | These are complex, water-based compounds that have an enveloping effect, relieve pain and heal wounds |
| Polysaccharides | Have a general strengthening effect |
| Essential oils | Aromatic substances that have a calming and anti-inflammatory effect, promote the fastest healing of wounds |
| Ascorbic acid | Thisin fact, a natural antiseptic that prevents bleeding and has a general strengthening effect on the walls of blood vessels |
| Fatty oil | Has a bactericidal effect, promotes the rapid absorption of vitamins |
| Pectins | Contribute to the process of removing radionuclides and other harmful substances from the body |
| Saponins | Speed up metabolic processes, have a choleretic and expectorant effect |
The creeping wheatgrass plant has a huge amount of mineral s alts in its composition. Their number and list completely depend on the place where the grass grows. Mineral s alts are involved in the process of metabolism in the body and the formation of tissues.
Use in different countries
Official medicine is very "cool" about this plant. However, some countries widely use this herbaceous plant in the manufacture of medicines. For example, in Switzerland, wheatgrass is added to a number of medicines for the treatment of bronchopulmonary diseases and impaired metabolism.
And in Germany, the he alth service in its regulations allows the use of dandur in the treatment of pathologies associated with inflammatory processes of the urogenital tract, with cataracts of the upper respiratory tract.
In our country, the root-grass is used only in the treatment of traditional medicine prescriptions.
Folk usemedicine
For treatment, the rhizome of couch grass is used, very rarely grass. The presence of a huge amount of nutrients and trace elements allows the plant to be used in the treatment of many diseases.
First of all, Ortan is used as an expectorant, for problems with the heart muscle, for cystitis and cholecystitis, jaundice, and high sugar levels. For treatment, steam is made from the rhizome. There is 1 liter of water per 100 grams of raw materials, the mixture is evaporated on fire until the water is half the original volume. Use steam 4-5 times a day for 20-30 milliliters.
This recipe is suitable if you have kidney stones, but you will have to use steam 1 cup 3 times a day.
Creeping couch grass can be used to make a blood purifier. Squeeze out the juice from the grass and drink it for 3-4 months 0.5 cups 3 times a day. Juice is suitable for the treatment of gallstone disease, it should be drunk 100-200 milliliters daily in several doses. By the way, this method of treating gallstone disease came to us from France.
Infusion of dog grass helps to normalize metabolism. To prepare the product, you will need 2 tablespoons of rhizomes, which are poured with 500 milliliters of boiling water. The mixture must be insisted in a thermos for 8 hours. It is necessary to drink the infusion before eating, approximately 20-30 minutes before. If the infusion is used as an expectorant, then it must be warmed up a little before use.
Decoction is used for partial loss of vision. Forof this 30 grams of rhizomes are boiled in 1 liter of water over low heat, that is, it must be cooked like steam, but with a lower concentration of the medicinal plant.
Male infertility and pregnancy
Creeping wheat grass, medicinal properties and contraindications for the use of which we are considering, is also effective in male infertility. This disease occurs in about 50% of all men on the planet. Although there is a strong opinion that if there are no children in the family, then the woman is to blame. Scientists have already established for sure that if a married couple lives together for 6 months without protection, then the probability that the man is to blame for the absence of children is 45%.
The couch grass will help to cope with this problem. It is necessary to brew 2 tablespoons of dry raw materials in 500 milliliters of boiling water. Boil over low heat until 75% of the water has evaporated, strain. Drink the resulting decoction 4 times a day, regardless of when the meal is made.
Another recipe: 1 tablespoon of rhizomes is poured with a glass of boiling water, infused for 30 minutes, filtered. Drink the resulting infusion 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
Despite the huge number of indications for the use of root-grass, during the period of gestation and during lactation, it is better to refuse treatment with wheatgrass.
Used to treat skin conditions
Properties of couch grass creeping allow you to get rid of furunculosis, acne, abscesses and even barley. For this, a decoction is used, whichyou should drink 1 glass 3 times a day. You will have to be treated for a month.
The rhizomes of the plant are used for medicinal baths. They are used when there is chronic constipation. In parallel, it is recommended to use a decoction.
To prepare a therapeutic bath, you need 50 grams of raw materials, which must be filled with water and boiled for 15 minutes. After that, the resulting infusion can be added to the bath or, without diluting with water, make baths in the presence of hemorrhoids. Baths with the rhizome of the plant are suitable for the treatment of rheumatism and polyarthritis.
Decoction can be used to wash purulent wounds and boils.
Healing properties and contraindications of couch grass in the treatment of serious diseases
Oncology. One of the worst diseases today. Dandur can help in healing from this disease. To prepare the product, take 2-2.5 tablespoons of raw materials, pour 400 milliliters of boiling water and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. After that, the mixture must be infused for about 3 hours. Take the remedy before the main meal for 30 minutes. The course of treatment should last 1 month.
Abdominal dropsy. This disease is often the result of another pathology. In 75%, dropsy appears on the background of cirrhosis of the liver, in 10% due to the presence of malignant neoplasms, sometimes due to abnormal heart rhythm. To treat this pathology, the following remedy is prepared: 15 grams of raw materials are boiled in 250 milliliters of water for 10 minutes. It is necessary to cook the product over low heat in a container with a closed lid. After this, the mixtureinsist for 4 hours.
Drink a decoction of 15 ml before each meal, half an hour before.
Radiation sickness. For the treatment of this disease, you can use both fresh and dry raw materials. Two tablespoons of the roots are steamed in a 500 ml thermos for 8 hours. After the tincture is filtered and consumed in equal parts before each meal, approximately 30 minutes before meals.
Tuberculosis. In the presence of such a pathology, 2 tablespoons are poured into 1 glass of milk and boiled over low heat for about 5 minutes. After cooling, use the mixture throughout the day in three doses in equal parts.
General contraindications
Despite the fact that dandur is used in therapy for various diseases and is considered beneficial for the human body, there are contraindications for couch grass.
It is not recommended to use products with this plant in case of exacerbation of gastric ulcer. Ascorbic acid contained in rye can cause additional irritation of the gastric mucosa. A similar situation occurs with an exacerbation of a duodenal ulcer.
You can not eat wheatgrass if pancreatitis has worsened, as the herb helps to activate the production of pancreatic enzymes.
Dandur has a slight laxative effect, so if you are prone to diarrhea, you should not use medicines containing it.
Wheatgrass should not be consumed in case of hypotension and in the presence of large stones in the gallbladder. Naturally,an absolute contraindication is individual intolerance.
Nutritional value and culinary uses
Creeping couch grass is used in the preparation of a number of dishes. In times of famine, this plant often saved human lives. The ground rhizomes of the plant were used as a substitute for flour, from which bread was baked, jelly was cooked. By the way, the word "wheatgrass" comes from the ancient word "pyro", which means bread or rye.
Now, fresh rhizomes of the plant are used to prepare snacks, mixing them with beets and sour cream, spices. The plant goes well with meat. In this case, the rhizomes are lightly fried in butter.
The rhizomes are used to make a coffee surrogate, and to achieve a dark shade in the drink, dry raw materials are lightly roasted.
The use of dandur in cooking is possible due to the presence of a huge amount of sugars and starchy substances in it, which give satiety to dishes from it.
