Bearberry ordinary from the heather family is widespread in the forest zone of the European part of Russia and Siberia. It grows on dry sandy soil in sparse pine forests, in young pine forests, as well as in open "pine forest" places (clearings). Forms thickets-clumps of various sizes Favorable factors for its growth - a low degree of crown closure and an insignificant density of shrub and grass cover.
Botanical portrait
Bearberry ordinary (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) - an ancient medicinal plant. Among the people, it is a bear berry, a bear grape, a wolf berry, etc., but more often it is a bear ear, apparently because its leaf really resembles the ear of a forest owner in miniature /
Bearberry is a perennial shrub that remains green all year round. The stem, which grows no more than 1.5 meters in length, branches out strongly and spreads along the ground. The leaves of the plant are leathery and thick, on the upper part of which veins are visible. Bearberry flowers are whitish-pink in color, similar in shape to jugs.
Its thickets are similar to lingonberry. You can tell them apart by their leaves and berries. In bearberry, the leaf edge is not bent down, like in lingonberries, and the berries are mealy and freshly sweet. Its inflorescence is an apical raceme of several drooping white-pink flowers with a watery corolla. Bearberry blooms in May – June.
Bearberry medicinal raw materials
For medicinal purposes, bearberry leaves are harvested. They are harvested in the spring before flowering or in the fall after the berries ripen and before they fall off. Leaves collected in summer are unsuitable for medicinal purposes. When harvesting leaves, small leafy twigs are cut, tied in bunches and dried in the open air under a canopy or in the attic. Then the leaves are separated from the twigs. Their shelf life is long, up to 5 years.
Medicinal properties of bearberry
As a medicine, bearberry was known back in the Middle Ages, however, as a generally recognized remedy, it became popular later.
Bearberry leaves have a rich chemical composition. The main active ingredient in them is arbutin (up to 8%), which has a strong antiseptic effect. They also contain a lot of tannins.
Bearberry leaves are widely used in the form of decoctions and infusions as a disinfectant, bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and diuretic for inflammatory diseases of the bladder and urinary tract, especially in chronic ones.
Traditional medicine of many peoples believes that all kidney diseases, including urolithiasis, cannot be cured without bearberry. Hence, such an interest in her, therefore, her leaves are part of the numerous collections associated with diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract.
Bearberry contains tannins, due to which the plant has an astringent property. Bearberry has an analgesic effect in rheumatism, wound healing in ulcers and skin diseases. Bearberry tincture is used for diseases of the nervous system, insomnia and alcoholism.
Bearberry recipes
As a diuretic, a collection consisting of 2 hours of bearberry leaves, 1 hour of lingonberry leaves and 1 hour of renal tea herb is used. For its preparation 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 cup of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 30 minutes, strain. Take 0.3 cups 3 times a day.
As a diuretic for kidney diseases, a complex collection is used, consisting of 5 hours of bearberry leaves, 1 hour of cornflower flowers, 1 hour of birch buds, 1 hour of parsley fruit, 1 hour of elecampane root. For the preparation of infusion 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 cup boiling water, insist in a warm place for 20 minutes, strain. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day.
For the same purposes, a collection consisting of 2 hours of bearberry leaves, 4 hours of three-leafed watch grass, 1 hour of cornflower flowers, 1 hour of parsley fruits, 1 hour of birch buds, 1 hour of elecampane root is used.To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, boil over low heat for 10 minutes, leave to drain for 30 minutes. Take 0.5 cups 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
As a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent in folk medicine, a collection consisting of 3 hours of bearberry leaves, 1 hour of cornflower flowers, 1 hour of licorice root is widely used. For the preparation of infusion 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Take 0.25 glasses 4 times daily before meals.
As an anti-inflammatory, diuretic and fortifying agent, for acute and chronic diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, a complex collection is used, consisting of 4 hours of bearberry leaves, 2 hours of calendula flowers, 2 hours of dill seeds, 1 hour of mint leaves, 1 tsp. leaves of Eleutherococcus. For the preparation of infusion 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Take in warm form, 0.5 cups 2-3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals.
For acute and chronic nephritis, many herbalists recommend a collection consisting of 4 hours of bearberry leaves, 4 hours of St. John's wort, 3 hours of horsetail herb, 3 hours of birch buds, 2 hours of corn stigmas. To prepare the infusion, you need 2 tbsp. pour spoons of the collection with 1 glass of water, leave for 10 hours, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 7–8 minutes, drain. Take 1 glass 5 times a day, in the morning on an empty stomach, everything else 1 hour after eating.
For acute and chronic pyelonephritis, use a collection consisting of 2 hours of bearberry leaves, 3 hours of nettle leaves, 2 hours of plantain leaves, 1 hour of hop cones, 1 hour of juniper fruit, 1 hour of birch leaves, 1 hour of leaves black currant. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of collection with 0.5 liters of boiling water, insist, wrapped in a warm place for 40 minutes, drain. Take 0.75 cups 3 times a day, 30 minutes before meals, warm.
In acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the kidneys, a collection consisting of 3 hours of bearberry leaves, 2 hours of adonis herb, 2 hours of birch buds and 1 hour of horsetail herb helps. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 2 hours, strain. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 5-6 times a day.
With cystitis, an effective collection consisting of 4 hours of bearberry leaves, 4 hours of plantain leaves, 4 hours of herbaceous herb, 3 hours of knotweed herb, 3 hours of birch buds. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of water, leave for 12 hours, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, strain. Take 0.5 cups 4 times a day 1 hour after meals.
For the same purposes, a collection consisting of equal parts of bearberry leaves, tricolor violet grass and juniper fruits is taken. To prepare the broth, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the chopped mixture with 1 cup of boiling water, cook over low heat for 4–5 minutes, drain. Take 0.25 glasses 4 times a day.
With the same disease, many herbalists use a collection consisting of equal parts of bearberry leaves, birch leaves, corn stigmas, licorice root and wheatgrass rhizomes. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the crushed mixture with 1 glass of water, leave for 7-8 hours, bring to a boil, strain. Take 0.3 cups 3 times a day.
A collection is also applied, consisting of 2 hours of bearberry leaves, 1 hour of horsetail herb, 1 hour of juniper fruit, 1 hour of beans. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 cup boiling water, leave for 20 minutes, strain. Take 0.5 cups 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 15 days.
In case of chronic disease of the bladder in folk medicine, a collection consisting of equal shares of bearberry leaves, yarrow herb, the whole lingonberry plant and field bindweed herb is used. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of collection with 1 glass of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 2 hours, strain. Apply 1 glass 3 times a day. With an exacerbation of the disease, this fee should not be used.
In case of urolithiasis and gallstone disease, a collection consisting of equal shares of bearberry leaves, bean leaves, corn stigmas and knotweed grass is used.To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of collection with 1 glass of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 2 hours, strain. Take 0.75 cups 4 times a day 1 hour before meals.
With urinary retention due to inflammatory diseases of the urinary organs, a complex collection is used, consisting of 3 hours of bearberry leaves, 3 hours of elderberry root, 3 hours of birch buds, 2 hours of hernia grass, 2 hours of corn silk, 2 hours of cornflower flowers, 1 teaspoon horsetail herb. To prepare the infusion, you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of the mixture with 1 glass of cold water, leave for 10 hours, bring to a boil and cook in a water bath, insist in a warm place for 1 hour, drain. Take 1 glass 4-5 times a day.
Bearberry treatment is contraindicated in pregnancy and acute kidney disease.
"Ural gardener", No. 51, 2019
