Periwinkle: medicinal properties and contraindications, the use and benefits of the flower

Periwinkle adapts to any conditions and is very tenacious. Dense shiny leaves do not fall off, and in autumn they remain as green as in spring. Since ancient times, the plant has been credited with magical powers, used as a talisman against evil creatures. People also knew about the medicinal properties of periwinkle, they also paid attention to contraindications in the old days, because they knew that the perennial contains poison.

Chemical composition of the plant

Among all types of herbs from the Kutrov family, only periwinkle has healing power. The use of medicines that are made on the basis of creeping semi-shrubs helps to cope with various diseases and prevent their development.

Leaves, stems and delicate flowers of periwinkle are rich:

• carotene and pectins;
• sugars and tannins;
• flavonoids and mineral s alts.

The plant contains several types of organic acids, contains about 20 types of alkaloids. Vincristine and vinblastine prevent the growth of malignant cells, stop the development of cancer. Devinkan calms the nerves, normalizes blood pressure. Minorin and vinine have a positive effect on the neurochemical processes occurring in the human body.

Useful properties of periwinkle

From an evergreen shrub 25-30 cm high, the girls wove wreaths that were used for divination. In Switzerland and Austria, bouquets from the plant were hung on houses to protect them from the elements and evil spirits. Ukrainian brides decorated their hair with flowers and twigs of periwinkle, showered the newlyweds with petals at the wedding.

Creeping shrub is used in landscape design for arranging flowerbeds, rabatok, and landscaping. The plant is used to make flower arrangements, make bouquets.

Infusions from the creeping grass help to cope with scurvy, because they are rich in vitamins. In alternative medicine, a plant with delicate flowers is used to eliminate impotence, relieve pain. Decoctions from periwinkle minor treat diabetes, malaria, colds, migraines.

Herbaceous perennial has a lot of useful properties:

1. Deal with bacterial infection.
2. Good for the heart muscle.
3. Heals wounds and purulent eczema.
4. Relieves muscle spasms.
5. Stops bleeding.

Periwinkle improves vision and hearing, restores brain functions, eliminates diarrhea, removes poisons from the body. Decoctions from the plant return velvety and elasticity to the skin of the face.

Drugs that are made from tenacious and unpretentious herbs are used in therapy:

• osteochondrosis;
• tachycardia;
• rhinitis;
• bronchitis.

Means from periwinkle are prescribed for people suffering from blood cancer, with Hodgkin's disease, neuritis of the facial nerve. Perennial medicines are used in psychiatry. Otolaryngologists prescribe medicines containing a herb with shiny leaves for hearing impairment, impaired smell, and chronic pharyngolaryngitis.

Periwinkle based traditional medicine

In the pharmaceutical industry, an extract is obtained from the plant, which is used to make tablets and powders.

Vinkamine

The drug is prescribed for patients with brain injury, stroke, suffering from migraine, hypertension, sinus tachycardia. Vincamine, which is produced as a brown powder, has an unpleasant odor, but contributes to:

• memory recovery;
• relaxation of smooth muscles;
• improve blood circulation in the brain.

The drug increases mental performance, normalizes sleep, calms the nerves.

"Vinkamine" is assigned to children with intellectual disabilities.

Winkaton

Pills containing vinca alkaloids are used after a stroke, in the treatment of mental illness. The drug relieves menopause, reduces migraine pain, normalizes intracranial pressure, eliminates vestibular disorders, helps to cope with absent-mindedness.

Devinkan

The drug, the active component of which is vincamine, is prescribed as intramuscular injections or tablets for hypertension, neuroses and tachycardia. The drug calms, reduces vascular tone.

Vincristine

The herbal remedy is produced in powder form and is used to prepare solutions for injections.

Drug inhibits the growth of cancer cells and is used in therapy:

• sarcomas;
• myelomas;
• leukemia;
• neuroblastoma.

"Vincristine" accumulates in the tissues of the digestive organs, is injected into a vein very slowly. The remedy causes many side effects, up to liver damage and coma.

Periwinkle is present in the composition of the well-known drug "Cavinton", which is used to treat mental and nervous disorders, degenerative changes in the retina, secondary glaucoma, brain failure.

Vinkapan

The drug relieves spasm in the arteries and muscles, relieves headaches, but does not reduce pressure. The medicine from periwinkle is effective in the treatment of neurocirculatory dystonia, cerebral angiospasm, and does not cause side effects. Vinkapan is prescribed for mental retardation, hearing and motor impairment.

Recipes of traditional medicine

Medicines from the periwinkle have been prepared since the Middle Ages, but much earlier, people used the roots, flowers, and stems of the plant to eliminate:

• toothache;
• insomnia;
• migraines;
• internal bleeding.

Means based on herbs in folk medicine are used to reduce pressure, heal wounds, improve heart function. From a perennial plant, decoctions and tinctures are made that help cure infertility and malaria, bronchitis and tuberculosis, eliminate dizziness and disgusting breath.Periwinkle relaxes the intestines, improves oxygen supply to the brain.

Decoction of leaves

To cure eczema, a purulent ulcer, get rid of a rash, relieve inflammation in the oral cavity, eliminate gingivitis, boil 1 tbsp in a glass of water for a minute. a spoonful of fresh minced periwinkle leaves.

Decoction of dried herbs

In case of infertility, female diseases, polyps in the uterus, with prostatitis, a medicine is prepared in the form of a decoction from a creeping plant with blue or pink flowers. A spoonful of dry periwinkle is boiled in 200 ml of water, insisted for half an hour, drunk three times a day in a sip before meals. Use such a remedy for leukemia, with bleeding, the dose is increased to 1/3 cup at a time.

To improve the condition of the skin, restore its elasticity, it is recommended to wash with decoctions from the aerial part of the plant.

Alcohol tincture

Stems with leaves and flowers are placed in a 0.5-liter jar so as to fill a third of the container, after which vodka is poured. The container is tightly closed and placed for 9 days in a warm and dark place. Twice a day, ¼ cup of the liquid is mixed with 7 drops of strained infusion and consumed or washed with acne and boils.

To increase potency, treat male impotence, put 5-7 g of periwinkle in a glass of water, boil for 5-6 minutes, leave for 24 hours in the dark. Tincture is drunk in the morning and evening, 10 drops for 4 days, after a 2-day break, treatment with the plant is continued again.

Leaf ointment

It often happens that drugs cannot cope with purulent wounds, eczema, ulcers, skin irritation. And people use periwinkle ointment. For its preparation, 9 leaves of the plant are plucked, ground and melted with oil.When the product has cooled, filter through cheesecloth and apply to problem areas of the skin. Periwinkle ointment cures diathesis in children.

How to collect and harvest

Healing grass grows in the deciduous forests of Moldova and Belarus, in the Caucasus, in the steppes of Ukraine, they plant it in dachas, courtyards, alpine hills. A perennial cannot be uprooted, but you need to cut off the leaves and stems with pruners. Plants are harvested in spring and June, when flowers appear.

In order for the periwinkle not to lose its useful properties, the leaves and stems must be properly dried. Raw materials are cleaned of dirt and dust, laid out on gauze and left in a place protected from sunlight. In clear weather, the grass dries up in 7 days.

The periwinkle dries well in the oven or dryer at a temperature not higher than 45-50 degrees. With this method of harvesting, the plant does not lose useful substances, for 2 years it retains:

• glycosides;
• bitter;
• alkaloids.

Dried grass is put in a glass jar, kept in a dry place. Through laboratory studies, it was proved that the periwinkle is able to stop the growth of a tumor, destroy cancer cells, therefore, plant remedies are used in both official and alternative medicine.

Contraindications and side effects of periwinkle

Despite a lot of useful properties and a positive result in the treatment of colds, intestinal disorders, neuroses, bleeding, female and male diseases, not only medicines, but tinctures, decoctions of periwinkle, prepared at home, should be used carefully

Many of the alkaloids found in the stems and leaves of the plant are poisonous.

Internal means of periwinkle should be taken after consulting a doctor.Even a small overdose can cause an increase or slowdown in the heart rate, provoke the development of respiratory failure, lead to loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest. You can not use periwinkle for women who are carrying or breastfeeding a baby. Refuse to use the plant should be people who do not tolerate any of the components that make up the periwinkle, as this is fraught with allergies.

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