In traditional Chinese medicine, lemongrass is second only to ginseng. It also quickly restores vital energy, increases the overall tone of the body. But unlike ginseng, even a novice gardener can grow lemongrass.
About Chinese Schisandra(Shisadrachinensis) in the Celestial Empire legends were made. According to one of them, the miraculous power of its fruits was discovered by accident. It happened like this. A young coal miner, who was burning coal in the taiga, had a seriously ill bride. To save her, he went in search of ginseng. But the trouble happened when the young man found the precious root. He did not have the strength to go home, because he spent six days in the taiga without rest, feeding on roots. Completely exhausted and entangled in the vines, he fell. And suddenly I saw clusters of bright red berries above me. With one last effort, he reached for them and put some berries in his mouth. And then a miracle happened: the body was filled with strength and vigor, the young man returned home safely and saved the bride. Since then, for more than 15 centuries, Chinese medicine has been restoring vitality with the healing fruits of lemongrass.
Europeans learned about lemongrass at the beginning of the 19th century. At about the same time, Russian scientists became interested in him. In 1895, an expert on Far Eastern plants V.L. Komarov published the stories of hunters that, going to the taiga for a long time, they do not take large reserves of food, but restore their strength with dried lemongrass berries. Thanks to them, they can chase sables all day without food and rest, while maintaining good spirits and sharp eyes.
The publication caused a sensation, but subsequent historical events postponed the study of this amazing plant for almost half a century. They remembered him during the Great Patriotic War. In 1942, detailed pharmacological studies of Schisandra were carried out, which confirmed its healing properties. As a result, lemongrass preparations began to flow to hospitals to restore the strength of the wounded soldiers, and the berry tincture began to be given to pilots during night flights to improve visual acuity. Lemongrass was collected in the coniferous-deciduous forests of the Far East. Until now, its thickets can be found in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, the Amur Region, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. And after the war, domestic varieties were bred.
Medicinal properties of lemongrass
In their natural form, lemongrass berries are not consumed, since their taste is sour and astringent. They are dried, used to make compote, juice, fruit drink, syrup, wine, preserves, jam, marmalade.
- Lemongrass jam
- Schisandra chinensis syrup
- Lemongrass juice
- Chinese Schisandra compote
- Raw lemongrass jam
Natural fresh fruit juice is stored in the refrigerator for a long time without losing its beneficial properties. When diluted with water, a very pleasant tonic drink of bright red color with a refreshing taste and lemon aroma is obtained. The juice improves the taste of the tea, just add 1 teaspoon to the cup.
Tea made from branches and leaves has a golden yellow color, a very subtle lemon scent and also has tonic properties. It can be drunk instead of traditional tea. A soft drink made from leaves is very good, it invigorates and refreshes on a hot day.
However, lemongrass is most valuable as a source of biologically active substances. Studies have shown that fruits and green mass contain a special substance - schizandrin. It is a natural stimulant of the human central nervous system. Its effect on our body is akin to ginseng. It promotes energy production, restores strength after mental and physical exertion. It has a particularly positive effect in the event of a breakdown after stress, operations, and illness.The tonic, refreshing, stimulating effect of Schisandra chinensis helps during intense mental work that requires concentration, attention, and wholeness of perception. Moreover, unlike other stimulants, its action is not accompanied by depletion of nerve cells.
The fruit pulp of lemongrass is rich in organic acids with a predominance of citric and malic acids (contains 40 and 30%, respectively). Found in it pectin, tannins and substances of P-vitamin activity. There are also tocopherols, or vitamin E, ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, saponins that remove cholesterol from the body.
The seeds contain, along with schizandrin, up to 34% fatty oil, many minerals. Leaves, bark and shoots are rich in vitamin C, the essential oil that gives them a lemon scent.
Preparations from lemongrass fruits equalize blood pressure, lower blood sugar, dilate peripheral vessels, treat nervous and mental conditions, and increase visual acuity. Tinctures and decoctions are taken to increase potency with impotence in men.
With impotence: 15 g of dried fruits of lemongrass, 20 g of yarrow herb, 30 g each of oregano herb and elecampane roots, 40 g each of St. John's wort or Knotweed. All components are crushed and mixed. Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 teaspoon of the mixture, insist until cooled and filter. Take ¼ glass 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 2 weeks. Efficiency over 60%.
For cooking tinctures crushed berries are poured with 96% alcohol in a ratio of 1: 5 (for example, 100 ml of alcohol per 20 g per year). The bottle (better than dark glass) is tightly closed and insisted for 7-10 days in a dark place at room temperature, shaking occasionally. Then it is filtered off, the residue is squeezed out, another 20 ml of alcohol is added, infused for 10 days, filtered off and added to the first tincture. It is kept for a couple of days and filtered again. The finished tincture should be transparent. Take it before meals, 20-30 drops 2-3 times a day. The course of treatment is 20-25 days.
To obtain decoction, 20 g of berries are poured with 200 ml of water, boiled over low heat for 15-20 minutes, then insisted for 3-4 hours. Take warm 1 tbsp. spoon 2-3 times a day for 3-4 weeks.
When using lemongrass for medicinal purposes, it is necessary to take into account the specificity of the effect of its individual parts on the human body.
So, the treatment of gastritis with low acidity is carried out using natural undiluted juice. On the other hand, acidic gastritis can be cured by taking dry seed powder.
Schisandra seed powder (3 g per day) relieves fatigue during intense physical exertion. It is effective not only for the sick, but also for healthy people, for example, when working on the night shift or overloading with pilots and submariners.
After taking the powder from seeds, after 30-40 minutes, a person begins to rise in strength, his mood improves, his physical and mental capacity for work increases. The feeling of vigor lasts for 6-8 hours. Any addiction or dependence does not occur. For medicinal purposes, the powder is taken within three weeks.
Leaves and stems have a milder effect, since they have less tonic substances than fruits. An infusion of them relieves depression, improves the condition in the treatment of alcoholism.
For cooking infusion fresh or dried leaves, lemongrass stems, collected in summer, are brewed as tea at the rate of 1 teaspoon of crushed raw materials for 1 cup of boiling water.
To old people at a loss of strength oriental medicine recommends taking infusion of lemongrass berries, dodder seeds and mummy... Prepare it as follows. Take 2 teaspoons of a mixture of equal parts of crushed fruits and seeds, pour 1 glass of boiling water. Then add a piece of mummy the size of a match head. Cover the glass with a towel and leave for 30 minutes. Strain and drink 2 times in the morning.After 15 hours, it is better not to take the infusion - there may be insomnia. The course of admission is 20 days, then a break for 20 days and a repetition of treatment.
Although lemongrass is a medicinal plant, before being treated with it, you need to consult your doctor. He has contraindications: Do not take lemongrass drugs with high blood pressure, nervous excitement, cardiac dysfunction, and increased gastric secretion.
Research has shown that lemongrass can help prevent cancerous growths. The domestic drug Likaol, developed on its basis for recuperation, is useful for the elderly. And ointments help to heal long-term non-healing trophic ulcers.
If your hair is falling out, use the experience of Japanese women, who in ancient times rubbed mucus from under the bark of vines into the scalp to restore hair.
Lemongrass not only heals, but also decorates the garden. Its lianas with openwork greenery can be wrapped around an arch, a gazebo, and decorate the wall of a house. Lemongrass is very effective in autumn, when bright red clusters of fruits hang on the vines, which do not fall until frost.
