Corydalis — the use of medicinal and beneficial properties of the plant

With headache or joint pain, unpleasant sensations in the abdomen or before the impending menstruation, many people habitually reach for a painkiller pill. But our ancestors in such cases managed by natural means. The crested plant has long been known for its anesthetic effect and has been used to treat mild pain.

Description of the corydalis

The plant has many species, each with its own useful properties.

1. Marshall’s tuft is distinguished by irregular flowers, yellow corollas, reach a length of up to 25 mm. Boxes in the form of cylinders are the fruits of the crested. The seeds are shiny and black. It grows most often in Ukraine, very rarely in the Caucasus in shrubs, beams and thickets.
2.  You can also harvest the corydalis Gollar, it differs in white, reddish-purple or pink-purple flowers. You can use all parts of the plant for medicinal purposes, it is rich in corydin, corydalin and alkaloids. Remember that the tuft is a poisonous plant, therefore it must be taken in a small dosage, because it has a narcotic effect, similar to morphine. If you increase the dosage, there may be problems with movement, muscle activity, everything can end in catalepsy. Also, this type is used in neurology and psychiatry for a variety of nervous diseases to increase muscle tone. But it is necessary to consult a doctor beforehand.
3.  You need to be careful about the Siberian corydalis, because it contains a lot of alkaloids – up to 22, it also includes coumarin, tannin and phytoncides. But this type of plant cannot be used for medical purposes, because all parts are poisonous. When this type of grass is harvested, you need to wear masks to protect the respiratory tract. Also, it is impossible to be in a room where the plant is dried. Poisoning with Siberian crested is manifested by such symptoms – the central nervous system is depressed, catalepsy, the activity of the heart is suppressed, blood pressure drops sharply, breathing stops.

A person may lose his eyesight, he has a severe headache, colitis in the heart, dries up in the mouth, salivation increases. If a person accidentally poisoned by this type of plant, confused with another type, it is necessary to rinse the stomach, drink activated charcoal, if you need to do artificial respiration to the patient. Siberian crested is used only as a poison from rodents. That is why it is so important to be able to distinguish the types of crested.

Chemical composition and properties

The tuft is rich in: phytoncides, coumarins, tannins, vitamin C and alkaloids — bulbocapnin, corydin, sanguinarine, etc.

The crest has: anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anesthetic, hemostatic, astringent, antimicrobial, fungicidal, antioxidant, antitumor and sedative effects.

In folk medicine , the corydalis is recommended when:

• headache;
• high pressure;
• diseases of the stomach and intestines;
• internal bleeding;
• menstrual cycle disorders;
• diseases of the female genital sphere;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• nervous disorders;
• paralysis;
• increased muscle tone;
• convulsions;
• Tourette ‘s syndrome;
• Parkinson’s disease;
• insomnia;
• increased excitability;
• muscle pain;
• arthrosis, arthritis;
• bruises, fractures;
• oncology;
• furunculosis, pyoderma, wounds.

Infusion for diseases of joints and nerves:

• 1 tbsp chopped tuber tuber;
• 1 tablespoon of boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the tubers, let it brew until it cools and strain. Take 1 tablespoon three times a day for arthrosis, paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, muscle pain, tremor.

• 2 tsp crushed dry tuber of tufted;
• 1 tablespoon of hot water.

Grind the root of the tuft into dust and stir in hot water. Drink a glass of this suspension twice a day — in the morning and in the evening — for disorders of the nervous system, pyoderma, furunculosis, internal bleeding. When the condition improves, then you need to take the suspension once a day — in the evening.

Decoction:

• 1 tbsp chopped tuber tuber;
• 1 tablespoon of hot water.

Fill the tuft with water, boil over low heat for 5 minutes. Then remove the broth from the heat and let it brew for an hour. Strain. Take 1-2 tablespoons three times a day.

Tincture:

• 20 g of crushed fresh corydalis root;
• 200 ml of alcohol.

Fill the tuft with alcohol and let it brew for 10 days. Strain the resulting tincture. Take 10-20 drops, diluted in half a glass of water, three times a day.

In case of fractures, wounds, bruises, lotions to the affected areas are prepared from the decoction of the dried leaf of the Severtsov tuft.

With insomnia, before going to bed, take the powder of the root of the tuft — 0.1 grams before bedtime. The powder is also recommended for menstrual disorders.

Useful properties of the corydalis

Most often, hollow crested is used for medical purposes, it can be found in a clearing in forests, both coniferous and broad-leaved, also in ravines, near roads and lowlands. Tubers are used for medicinal purposes, they need to be harvested immediately after the tuft begins to bear fruit, it is dried in thin slices. Remember that other parts of the plant are very toxic.

Preparations based on the root of the tuft are excellent remedies for pain, they have a positive effect on internal organs, blood vessels, therefore it can be used for intestinal problems, severe convulsions, trembling paralysis and hypertension. This is the best anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and antioxidant, hypnotic, with which you can normalize the level of hormones in a woman.

Decoction and infusion based on tubers from the tuft can be used for problems with the nervous system, which is accompanied by tremors and convulsions, Parkinson’s disease, paralysis, neuralgia, pain in trauma, when the musculoskeletal system, joints are damaged, bruises, joint problems – arthritis and arthrosis.

If you are concerned about insomnia, increased excitability, also with diseases of gynecology, liver diseases, with a disturbed menstrual cycle, you need to use a powder based on the root of the tuft.

What are the contraindications

Corydalis is not an herb that can be simply added to teas or herbal collections. With uncontrolled use, the potent alkaloids of the herb have a narcotic effect similar to the effect of morphine. Therefore, the drugs are prescribed in microdoses and are contraindicated:

• pregnant and lactating women;
• asthmatics, patients with angina pectoris, diabetes mellitus;
• with an exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease, a tendency to diarrhea;
• people suffering from epileptic seizures;
• children under 16 years old.

Herbal preparations are incompatible with many cardiological medications, so you can not take them without a doctor’s appointment. In any case, the expediency of taking and dosage should be agreed with a doctor and an experienced phytotherapist.

How to collect, dry, store raw materials

For medicinal raw materials, tubers, rhizomes and the ground part are harvested during budding, when the concentration of alkaloids in the grass and flowers is maximum. Harvesting rules:

1. The roots and tubers are dug out in September-October, washed, cut into thin slices and dried with constant turning. The dried slices are crushed to flour, poured into a dark sealed container and removed away from children and pets.
2. The ground part is cut off with scissors or a sickle so that the juice does not get on the skin of the hands, on the mucous membrane of the mouth and in the eyes. The grass is slightly crushed and dried in a ventilated room.
3. It is impossible to stay in a room where raw materials are dried for a long time. When turning over, a mask should be worn to protect the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose from small volatile dust particles. Intoxication during harvesting is manifested by headache, nausea, partial loss of vision.
4. Raw materials are stored for a year.

Contraindications and side effects

Treatment with a tuft should be prescribed only by a doctor. After all, in this case, mistakes in the preparation of the remedy and the choice of dosage can be incorrigible. The alkaloids present in the herb have a very strong effect on the human body.

It is strictly forbidden to take the drug and pharmaceutical preparations based on it:

• pregnant;
• women during lactation;
• children under 12 years old;
• people suffering from obesity;
• epileptics;
• asthmatics;
• having angina pectoris;
• people who have a tendency to diarrhea;
• patients with exacerbations of ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract.

Harvesting rules

Often, tubers of hollow corydalis are harvested for medicinal purposes, since they contain the most alkaloids. The collection of raw materials begins after the plant enters the fruiting phase. This period falls on June. The roots are dug out, shaken off the soil, washed and cut into small slices for drying. Then spread the blank on a sheet of cardboard or a cloth flap and leave for a few days. It is necessary to dry the tuft in a well-ventilated room, away from direct sunlight. Many housewives use attics for harvesting medicinal herbs.

In the case of the corydalis, first of all weigh its medicinal properties and side effects, carefully study the contraindications, do not forget to consult a doctor. After all, grass does not forgive mistakes.