Galega officinalis: description, use, contraindications, recipes

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

Galega officinalis herb is known to many people suffering from such a formidable disease as diabetes mellitus. For those who have never heard of this plant, we will tell you about its use in traditional medicine, its beneficial properties and contraindications.

Description

Galega officnalis is a perennial shrub from the legume family. This is a beautifully flowering powerful, multi-stemmed plant, about one and a half meters high. A bush can have up to twenty stems. They are upright, tubular, hollow inside, painted green.

Leaves are large, pinnate, petiolate, with stipules. Their length can reach twenty-five centimeters. Castings consist of fifteen pairs of leaves, oval elongated. They are slightly pointed towards the top.

Galega officinalis blooms from early summer to mid-autumn. The flowers are light purple or pale blue, large, with long pedicels, resembling bells in shape. They form erect inflorescences-brushes.up to twenty centimeters long.

The root system of the plant is pivotal, powerful. The length of the root sometimes exceeds eighty centimeters, while having numerous horizontal processes from which new shoots appear.

After flowering, Galega officinalis forms fruits - standing beans with five to eight kidney-shaped, smooth seeds of a yellowish-green color, hard to the touch. Full ripening of fruits occurs in September.

Use

For medicinal purposes, all parts of the plant (leaves, flowers, roots) are used, despite the fact that Galega officinalis (goat's rue) is a poisonous plant. It is important to know and follow the dosage of preparations based on this herb.

Distribution

The Galega officinalis plant is thermophilic, so it can often be found in Ukraine, Moldova and southern regions of Russia. It grows along roadsides, in meadows, forest edges, in mountain steppes, along river banks.

Procurement and storage of raw materials

Plants collected along the roads are unsuitable for the manufacture of medicines. Raw materials are harvested during flowering, carefully cutting the stems with a sharp knife. The most commonly used flowers and the upper part of the stem. Select only fresh green stems from the plant.

Immediately after harvesting, cut them into small pieces. Drying is done in the shade, with good ventilation (under a canopy or in the attic). For storage, bags made of natural fabric or paper are suitable. The storage period should not exceed one year. After thatterm, the herb loses its healing properties.

Fruits are harvested at different times as they ripen. They are peeled, the seeds are dried in the shade. Shelf life - twenty-four months. The roots are well cleaned and washed with running water and cut into small pieces. The roots should be dried in the shade, under a canopy, but it is better in a drying cabinet. Shelf life - no more than two years.

An ancient medicine

Galega officinalis has been used as a healing agent since ancient times. At first, the ability of the plant to increase lactation was noticed. It began to be used by adding it to livestock feed to increase milk yield. The plant received its second name - goat's rue - for the same reason.

After some time, the diuretic, diaphoretic properties of the herb were revealed, which allowed folk healers to widely use it in their practice.

Chemical composition

Today Galega officinalis is already quite well studied. It consists of:

• alkaloids;
• triterpenoids;
• peganine;
• tannins;
• carbs;
• vasicinon;
• pipecolic and ascorbic acids;
• flavonoids;
• routine;
• carotene;
• bitter;
• phenolcarboxylic acids.

The seeds of the plant contain:

• steroids;
• sucrose;
• stachyose;
• alkaloids;
• saponins;
• stearic,palmitic, linoleic acids.

Galega officinalis: application

Traditional medicine does not use this herb, and traditional healers use it quite successfully as an antihelminthic, diaphoretic. Galega gives a good result when used as a means for lactation during breastfeeding. It improves the movement of fluid and, as a result, the production of breast milk.

Galega for diabetes

Undoubtedly, galega cannot completely replace drugs for the treatment of such a serious disease, and it is not worth experimenting with drug treatment.

But as an aid, the herb Galega officinalis in diabetes mellitus is used quite successfully. The plant is effective in the initial stages of type 2 diabetes, when insulin has not yet been used. In diabetes, not only the hypoglycemic effect of galega, that is, the ability to lower blood sugar levels, is useful. It increases the susceptibility of internal tissues to glucose. As a result, sharp jumps in blood sugar are excluded.

Galega officinalis plant helps in another important process in the body of a diabetic. As you know, the liver has a store of glucose - glycogen. If there is not enough energy and there is nowhere to take it from, then hidden reserves come to the rescue. It is these invaluable reserves that galega helps to create in diabetes. In addition, galega officinalis tones smooth muscles. It helps to strengthen blood vesselsand remove bad cholesterol.

Food supplement

To enhance the effect of drug therapy and disease prevention, doctors often recommend the use of biologically active supplements based on galega. They are a source of tannins and flavonoids, which have an anti-sclerotic and vascular-strengthening effect on the body, and are an effective tool that normalizes glucose levels in diabetes.

The composition of these supplements include:

• galega officinalis;
• burdock root;
• nettle;
• dandelion root;
• dried carrots, fructose, rose hips.

Who benefits from these supplements?

The use of dietary supplements with galega is recommended for patients suffering from the following diseases:

• diabetes mellitus 1-2 degree;
• obesity and overweight;
• atherosclerosis;
• varicose veins;
• rheumatic diseases.

Recipes for making preparations from galega. Decoction

Two tablespoons (tablespoons) of dry chopped herbs pour 500 ml of water. Boil the resulting composition in an enamel pan for twenty minutes. Strain through a sieve, add boiled water to a volume of 500 ml. Drink the decoction should be 1/2 cup before meals. After the first application, check the blood for sugar - the dosage may be reduced or increased.

Decoction of herbal tea

You will need 25 grams of galega grass, bean pods, nettle leaves anddandelion root. Pour 250 ml of boiling water over the herb and let it brew for 30 minutes. Take two tablespoons (tablespoons) three times a day.

Diuretic decoction

The seeds of the plant are used (10 grams). They are poured with one glass of water and boiled for five minutes. Take 1/2 cup twice daily.

Using juice

The fresh juice of the plant is used as an antiseptic. They can wash ulcers and wounds, rinse the throat or mouth. To do this, juice is squeezed out of fresh grass, diluted with water by one third.

Contraindications

As you can see, galega officinalis has many useful properties. She also has contraindications. Herbalists warn that the herb has poisonous properties. Therefore, any treatment must begin with a visit to the doctor, who will find out if you can take drugs based on it, prescribe the desired dosage.

Feeding mothers who take galega should be especially careful to improve lactation. An overdose can lead to the ingress of harmful substances into the milk, which will affect the he alth of the baby. The main contraindications for galega include:

• pregnancy;
• hypotension and hypertension;
• individual intolerance.

When treating with galega, it should be borne in mind that it can disrupt the intestinal microflora. Therefore, to restore it, a wellness course after the end of treatment may be necessary.

Use in other areas

Galega has long been recognized as an excellent honey plant. This plant produces the same amount of nectar as sainfoin. From one hectare of galega, bees collect about two hundred kilograms of nectar. In addition to the fact that Galega is a medicinal plant, an excellent honey plant, a valuable fodder crop, it can be used as food. In the Caucasus, this plant is used as a seasoning. Salads with young leaves of the plant are useful for nursing mothers.

Reviews

Galega officinalis is well known to many diabetics. Reviews about her people leave positive. An improvement in general well-being, a decrease in blood sugar are noted. They advise those who have just learned about this plant to be sure to consult their doctor. He will select the appropriate prescription and prescribe the dosage.

Satisfied with the use of goat's rue and young mothers. They note a significant increase in lactation, but at the same time they warn of the strictest observance of the dosage so as not to harm the baby.