A herbaceous plant belonging to the large Dioscoreaceae family, in many countries it is called wild yam, although it is better known as Dioscorea Caucasica. Thanks to the unique beneficial properties of the root of this vine, the plant is popularly called the “root of youth.”
Preparations made from dioscorea roots help fight atherosclerosis, headaches, hypertension, and tinnitus. This species is found most often in the Caucasus, in the western regions of Transcaucasia. Unfortunately, natural reserves of this plant are limited. In the old days, use it in medicinal purposes Only a select few could, which is why Dioscorea Caucasica was more often called the “Kremlin grass.”
Nowadays developed modern methods cultivation of Dioscorea, so today everyone can appreciate it medicinal properties.
Dioscorea Caucasica, a description of which can be found in many reference books for herbalists, is a perennial vine. It has been growing for forty years. IN natural conditions prefers oak-hornbeam, oak forests, slopes, clearings, and dense thickets of bushes. The plant feels great on clay, stony, neutral soils. Dioscorea reproduces by seeds and vegetatively.
The liana has a thick, powerful and very long rhizome, which is located horizontally. On the outside it is painted brownish-brown. Along its entire length it is covered with numerous rather rigid branch roots. Over time, the plant goes deeper into the soil by almost two meters.
The stems are climbing, up to four meters long. have lower leaves, and the upper ones are opposite or alternate. The leaves are located on petioles. They have plate lengths ranging from 6 to 15 cm, at the apex they are pointed, with slightly notched edges, and arcuate veins are clearly visible. On the underside they are slightly pubescent.
Starts in May and ends in July. The flowers are rather inconspicuous in appearance, small (no more than 4 mm in diameter), having 6 petals. They are unisexual, yellow-green in color. Staminate flowers are arranged in bunches of three in axillary racemes.
Interestingly, the name Dioscorea comes from the name of a naturalist, pharmacologist and military doctor Ancient Greece- Pedania of Dioscorides. He was the first to describe a wonderful liana in his writings.
Between July and September the fruits ripen on the plant. These are triangular boxes about 3 cm in size, with membranous wings. The seeds also have wing-shaped flat outgrowths, which provide them with high volatility.
The medicinal properties of Caucasian Dioscorea are due to its chemical composition. The roots of the plant contain almost 10% steroidal saponins. The most significant of them are protodioscin, protogracillin and dioscin. These are active compounds that are able to bind cholesterol and quickly remove it from the body, destroying complex complexes of lipids and proteins that form on the walls of blood vessels and subsequently form atherosclerotic plaques.
In addition to saponins, Dioscorea Caucasica contains trace elements (selenium and chromium), starch, fat-like substances.
Preparations based on Dioscorea are most effective for older people. They gently lower blood pressure, have an anti-sclerotic effect, dilate blood vessels, activate coronary circulation, and reduce blood clotting. The use of Dioscorea Caucasica is indicated for the following diseases:
The use of drugs based on this plant, according to patients, improves well-being, memory, mood, sleep quality, normalizes cardiac activity, tinnitus and debilitating headaches disappear. They can be taken as preventatives against strokes and heart attacks, to improve the condition after suffering these serious illnesses.
The root of Dioscorea Caucasica has many medicinal properties:
The plant is successfully used by herbalists to restore vision in many eye diseases, including cataracts, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and keratitis. Dioscorea Caucasica has also found application in the treatment of skin diseases. Indications for use: eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, neurodermatitis. In these cases, decoctions and infusions based on the roots and rhizomes of the plant are taken orally. In addition, the plant powder is used to treat frostbite and furunculosis.
Dioscorea Caucasica contains diosgenin, which is a precursor of steroid hormones - progesterone, cortisol and is distinguished by estrogenic activity. For women, the plant is used for certain types of hormonal disorders: premenstrual syndrome, severe manifestations of clinical symptoms of menopause.
Disponin tablets are made from Dioscorea - a novogalenic preparation containing about 30% steroidal water-soluble saponins. The drug is recommended for use in complex therapy of general atherosclerosis combined with hypertension and cardiosclerosis.
In addition to the medicinal properties of Dioscorea Caucasica, thanks to the beautiful bright green leaves in summer time and golden yellow in autumn, the plant is used in landscape design. Stems of vines decorate gazebos and fences.
Teas, infusions, decoctions, vodka tinctures, and dry powder are prepared from the roots and rhizomes of wild yam. Due to the fact that Dioscorea Caucasica is listed in the Red Book, treatment can be carried out using ready-made medicinal raw materials, which can be purchased in pharmacies.
Ingestion of preparations from the roots of Dioscorea should be only after meals, since they have an irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
To do this, you need to grind the dry roots and rhizomes of the plant to a powder. Three times a day for ten days, take two grams of the resulting powder, eating it natural honey(one teaspoon). This remedy will help fight atherosclerosis, but you need to know that the treatment is long-term - at least 4 months with weekly breaks between courses.
Place one and a half grams of plant root powder in an enamel bowl and pour 200 ml hot water. Leave it on for 20 minutes water bath. After this, the composition is cooled, carefully filtered, and the volume is brought to the original boiled water. Take a spoon (tablespoon) three times a day for a month. After a break of three weeks, treatment should be continued.
The vodka tincture of Caucasian Dioscorea is also quite simple to prepare. Pour crushed plant roots (100 g) into 500 ml of vodka. Infuse them in a cool, dark place for 10 days. Shake the tincture daily. After this, strain the composition and take 25 drops three times a day for heart diseases, half an hour after meals. As a rule, the course of treatment is a month, followed by a week's break. Then, if necessary, treatment can be continued. At least three courses are recommended.
Pour crushed dioscorea root (100 g) with 400 grams of pork fat (unsalted). Place the mixture in a water bath for two hours, stirring it occasionally. After this, the product must be completely cooled at room temperature and stored in the refrigerator. The ointment is rubbed into the sore areas of the legs before going to bed, starting with the toes and moving upward. It is necessary to wrap them in a warm towel.
Pour the crushed roots of the plant into an enamel bowl with 250 ml of hot water and place in a water bath for half an hour. The product is infused for 45 minutes. After this, it is filtered, and its volume is brought to its original volume with boiled water. Take this remedy for heart attack, cardiosclerosis, stroke, tinnitus, headaches, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, one tablespoon (tablespoon) three times a day after meals.
The course of treatment is three weeks, after seven days the course is repeated. Treatment must be continued for four months.
There is another way. For it, pour 10 grams of crushed raw materials with a glass of boiling water and place on low heat for 20 minutes. The decoction is infused for 4 hours. After this, you can strain it. The drug is taken a quarter glass 6 times a day for cystitis, arthritis, gout, vegetative-vascular dystonia, allergies, and increased cholesterol levels.
Traditional healers use this plant to successfully treat diseases caused by hormonal imbalance. Preparations based on Dioscorea stop excess estrogen synthesis, having a beneficial effect on the body of patients suffering from endometroosis. In addition, such drugs help preserve the developing fetus and support the general condition of a woman during pregnancy.
Dioscorea-based products are used to treat osteoporosis, hypogonadism, menstrual irregularities, nagging pain and cramps in the lower abdomen, inflammation fallopian tubes. Dioscorea prevents the development of fibroids in women and reduces the risk of cancerous tumors.
To prepare tea, you need to mix crushed dry raw materials with regular green tea leaves in a 1:2 ratio. This mixture is brewed as tea and drunk a glass once a day, in the morning. The product will help improve memory, prevent the development of atherosclerosis and hypertension.
Dioscorea Caucasica also helps in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. We presented recipes for decoctions and infusions above. Preparations based on Dioscorea are effective in the treatment of gastritis, but only in the early stages, weakened gastrointestinal motility. To do this, in addition to decoctions, you can prepare a drink from the roots of dioscorea, fennel, ginger, lemon balm, chamomile, and mint in equal quantities. The raw materials are poured with boiling water. Take 100 ml of the drink half an hour before meals.
Pour 500 ml of vodka into 50 grams of raw material and infuse the composition for a month, shaking the container daily. Then the infusion is filtered and taken 30 drops diluted in 50 ml of water. Depending on the severity and course of the disease, treatment will last from 4 months to a year.
Dioscorea can be used to treat pneumonia and bronchitis. The roots of the plant are consumed in the form of tea to increase blood circulation in the respiratory organs and the outflow of mucus. Regular consumption of this drink allows patients suffering from bronchial asthma to improve their well-being.
Side effects of drugs based on Dioscorea include:
In this case, it is necessary to reduce the dosage or stop taking medications.
Upon admission medicinal products it is necessary to take into account existing contraindications. Dioscorea Caucasica should not be used to treat:
Despite the fact that the list of contraindications is small, consultation with a specialist before starting treatment is necessary.
It is important to strictly follow the indicated dosages, since exceeding them can cause accelerated contractions of the heart muscle and the appearance of edema.
Judging by the reviews, Dioscorea is a truly valuable medicinal plant that helps fight many serious ailments. For example, hypertensive patients claim that when taking medications based on it, the pressure stabilizes, its sharp jumps are much less common, and tinnitus disappears. Most patients note beneficial influence this vine affects the entire body: amazing lightness and a surge of energy appear.
The medicinal plant is a representative of the genus Dioscorea and has almost a hundred species. The flexible vine has healing properties, which makes it indispensable in the treatment of many diseases. The biologically active elements contained in Dioscorea Caucasica help restore the functioning of the body.
Dioscorea Caucasica is not only a beautiful climbing vine, but also a healing plant The vine root has medicinal value. It is in it that steroid glycosides (saponins) are present 2.5-3 times more than in any other form. Thanks to these elements, cholesterol combines with proteins and enters the blood. Such a connection destroys the protein-lipid complex, which provokes the development of atherosclerosis.
But their biological spectrum of activity is not limited to this. With the help of saponins, hormonal drugs are synthesized in the body. The use of diosgenin has also become widespread in domestic medicine. It is formed as a result of the hydrolysis of saponins. Based on this estrogen, they prepare medications, dietary supplements, female contraceptives and anti-aging cosmetics. He is also an excellent alternative for athletes who do not use doping substances.
After treatment with Dioscorea Caucasica, patients felt significantly better:
In addition to a general improvement in tone, Dioscorea promotes recovery:
When studying the drugs on white mice, an X-ray protective effect was observed, which contributed to an increase in the life expectancy of the animal.
In medical practice, vine root is used to prepare tablets, powders and alcohol tinctures. It is also one of the main components in the production of dietary supplements. As for traditional medicine, decoctions and infusions are prepared from fresh rhizomes or powder.
The most valuable part of the plant is the root. For respiratory diseases, tea from the plant is especially useful. For bronchitis and pneumonia, a hot drink helps:
Also, regular use of warm infusion significantly improves the condition of a patient with bronchial asthma. To prepare tea, a mixture of crushed raw materials (1 tsp without top) and a pinch green tea pour a glass of boiling water. Keep the hot drink for 10-15 minutes and drink only once a day after breakfast, an hour later.
Alcohol tincture will help eliminate allergies and chronic inflammation. It is prepared according to the following scheme: 50 g of dried and finely chopped dry root is poured with half a liter of vodka. The composition is kept in a dark, cool place for 3-4 weeks. After the infusion turns golden-orange, it is filtered and treatment begins. The course lasts about 4 – 12 months. A single dose is 30-60 drops. The alcohol infusion is added to the boiled water, slightly warm water and taken strictly after meals.
The plant also has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Moreover, both vegetative and central system. After completing the treatment course, the patient’s sleep normalizes, blood pressure decreases, and headaches are eliminated.
Special decoctions are prepared to treat the nervous system. Combine 1 glass of water with 1 tsp. ground rhizomes and bring to a boil. Then place the hot mixture in a water bath for 15 minutes. Next, remove the liquid from the heat and strain. Drink herbal decoction for 1 month, 15 ml several times a day.
The root of the vine also has a healing effect on the stomach and intestines. The root is effective and very useful in the early stages of gastritis. To enhance motility of the entire alimentary tract old recipe It is recommended to prepare liquid rice porridge with chopped root and eat it for breakfast for 2 weeks.
To reduce bloating, mix the crushed root with grated ginger. Take both components in equal proportions. Add a pinch of fennel, chamomile, lemon balm and mint to the ground mass. 1 tbsp. Pour boiling water (200 ml) over the prepared mixture and drink daily after meals.
The root of Dioscorea Caucasica is especially necessary for older people. For its ability to effectively cleanse vascular walls of cholesterol deposits, the vine from the Caucasus is called the “root of youth.” After taking a medicine based on the root, the patient’s main symptoms of atherosclerosis, manifested by tinnitus and headache, disappear. There is also an improvement in the condition after heart attack, stroke, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis.
Experts recommend treatment for Dioscorea in cases of adrenal gland dysfunction. Such dysfunction can cause attacks of tachycardia and angina. A therapeutic effect occurs due to increased blood supply and dilation of blood vessels, which allows increasing the supply of the required amount of oxygen and nutrients to the endocrine glands.
To improve the health of the cardiovascular system, an infusion of alcohol is prepared according to the recipe indicated in the paragraph “Respiratory organs”. Also used for healing is powder from dry root, crushed in a coffee grinder. 1/3 tsp. Take the resulting powder three times a day. It is recommended to do this after a meal, washed down with rosehip decoction (50 ml) in warm. The duration of the treatment course is about a month with a break of 3-4 weeks. A similar pattern is repeated 3 to 5 times throughout the year. Usually, after the 3rd course, the patient experiences a noticeable improvement in well-being.
Traditional healers also call Dioscorea Caucasica a “female herb.” Thanks to its medicinal properties, diseases caused by hormonal imbalance are eliminated. Dioscorea root stops excessive estrogen synthesis, which is very important for patients with endometriosis. Preparations prepared from the root of the plant have a positive effect on the course of pregnancy and the safety of the fetus.
With age, the production of hormones in the female body decreases, and against this background, diseases accompanying this period very often develop: hypogonadism and osteoporosis. Therapy with drugs containing dioscorea root can increase the production of about 20 types of sex hormones by the endocrine glands. This aspect of treatment is especially important for those entering menopause.
The natural hormonal regulator is rich in valuable chemical elements that affect the prescription structures of the female organs. Without causing pathologies in the endocrine balance, the herb has a therapeutic effect not only on the hormonal system, but also improves the functioning of all female organs:
For medicinal purposes, alcohol tinctures or ready-made pharmaceutical preparations are used.
By improving blood circulation throughout the body, Dioscorea Caucasica in combination with red clover perfectly increases male potency. To prepare the tincture, you need to cut 50 g of dry dioscorea root and pour it into a three-liter jar. Next, fill the glass container to the top with dry red clover heads. Pour vodka over the entire mixture, cover with a lid and leave for 30-35 days. Periodically, the contents of the container are mixed, and vodka is added as needed. After the specified period, the tincture is filtered and infused for another 7 days. Take the infusion 1 tsp. three times a day for 1-2 months.
Interesting fact: Possessing estrogenic activity, Dioscorea Caucasica does not contain hormones. And this in some cases helps to avoid treatment hormonal drugs.
Herbal decoctions and teas in combination with liana will help with urinary disorders Stagnation of fluid in the body is often caused by bad work urinary system. At first, the deterioration of kidney and bladder functions goes away without visible signs. But as the pathology develops, sand and stones gradually form in these organs, which ultimately leads to inflammation.
A gentle method of eliminating congestion in the body with the help of a vine helps to avoid such troubles. In such cases, medicine recommends diuretic drugs, which are not always beneficial for humans. You can get a diuretic effect without using such tablets.
Liana tea has a special diuretic effect in combination with other medicinal plants:
Take 1 tbsp of each component. and mix well. 1 tbsp. pour a glass of boiling water over the resulting mixture and simmer in a water bath for 15 minutes. Take as tea after meals. You can also add 1 tsp to a hot drink to improve the taste. honey.
Year after year we use our vision: working at the computer, watching TV, enjoying beautiful views of nature or reading books. However, such actions gradually cause deformation of the eye lens. Weakening and decreased elasticity of the muscle fibers of the lens causes diseases such as cataracts, farsightedness or myopia. Such pathologies are considered quite serious and require qualified medical care. But in the early stages, these diseases can be successfully treated with traditional medicine recipes.
A medicinal collection with dioscorea root will help eliminate irregularities in the lens. To prepare it you will need:
Grind all components and mix thoroughly. 1 tbsp. Pour a heaping amount of the herbal mixture into a thermos and pour 300 ml of boiling water. After two hours, strain the tea and drink throughout the day. Treatment lasts 21 days.
The root of the vine can also be used as an external remedy. For eczema and frostbite, chop the dry root and apply to the affected area. This is the same remedy, but in combination with ground castor bean seeds, it helps well with furunculosis.
Also, Dioscorea Caucasica helps women get rid of excess weight. It is no secret that most of the adipose tissue is water, which is retained due to the intake of carbohydrates into the body. Only 1 g of carbohydrates stores 4 g of water. To make your weight loss program as effective as possible, nutritionists recommend drinking tea several times a day, including Dioscorea Caucasica, rose hips, linden blossom, ginger and dandelion.
The medicinal properties of Dioscorea Caucasica accumulate only by the age of 25. Therefore, experts advise choosing mature plants with a well-developed root system for collection.
The plant is dug up during the entire growing season, which begins in early April and ends in late autumn. The collected roots are cleared of soil and washed. If there are areas affected by rot on the surface, then they must be removed. The plant, cut into small pieces, is laid out in a dark place and dried. Raw materials are stored for 3 years at a temperature of 0-20˚C.
Despite the great medicinal value of the plant, there are contraindications to its use. It is not recommended to be treated with Dioscorea Caucasus in the following cases:
When taking decoctions and infusions, it is very rare, but intestinal upset or skin itching may occur. In such cases, experts recommend reducing the dose by half for 3-5 days, after which returning to the previous dosage regimen.
Possessing hormone-like properties, the plant allows you to refuse treatment with hormonal drugs that are not always useful. This approach minimizes bad influence medicines for the work of other important organs.
Dioscorea Caucasica is a relict plant cultivated for its medicinal properties. This perennial herbaceous vine contains substances that make preparations from it an effective medicine in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system. They have antimicrobial, antisclerotic, urinary and choleretic, analgesic, hypotensive and sedative effects.
Ask the experts a question
The rhizomes of Caucasian discorrhea are used in the production of new galenic preparations “Diosponin” and “Polysponin”. The first is an anticholesterolemic agent with a pronounced anti-sclerotic property. It can reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood, increase the lecithin/cholesterol ratio and thereby reduce the likelihood of cholesterol deposits in arterial vessels and the formation of cholesterol plaques. Also, "Diosponin" improves heart function, dilates peripheral vessels, and reduces arterial pressure. The drug increases diuresis, acts as a diuretic, increases bile secretion, and reduces blood clotting. The lipid-lowering drug "Polysponin" reduces cholesterol levels by increasing the content of phospholipids in the blood. It lowers the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio and lowers blood pressure. Both drugs are available in tablets.
Dioscorea is used not only in the treatment, but also in the prevention of general, cerebral and coronary atherosclerosis; preparations from it have a beneficial effect on the heart, kidneys and liver, immunity, improve memory and vision. They are effective both during a heart attack or stroke and after them, they can act as a diuretic and help with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, headaches, tinnitus, cataracts, vegetative-vascular dystonia, and hypertension. Extracts and infusions obtained from dioscorea can improve sleep, stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, relieve fatigue and improve mood.
Dioscorea can be purchased both in the form of crushed raw materials or granules, and in the form of an alcohol tincture.
Contraindications and side effects
Dioscorea Caucasica can irritate the intestinal and gastric mucosa if preparations from the plant are used on an empty stomach. Dioscorea is contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women; it should be taken with caution by hypotensive patients. Among the side effects that drugs from this plant can cause are loss of appetite, intestinal upset, itchy skin, and increased sweating.
Dioscorea Caucasica is widely used in landscape design. Its vines beautifully twine around pergolas, gazebos, and fences, pleasing the eye with lush greenery in the summer, and in the fall captivating the eye with the splendor of golden-yellow foliage.
Dioscorea caucasica belongs to the genus Dioscorea, family Dioscoreaceae. All plants of the same genus are herbaceous vines with thick perennial rhizomes. In total there are more than 600 species in the genus various plants, of which the closest to the Caucasian Dioscorea is the species growing in the Far East - Dioscorea polystachya Turcz.
A perennial herbaceous vine, Dioscorea caucasica, can grow up to 3 meters in height. The plant has a thick and long rhizome, located horizontally, brown-brown, covered throughout with hard roots. Over the years, it can go 1.5-2 meters into the ground. Lower leaves Dioscorea are heart-shaped-oval, whorled, the upper ones are opposite or alternate. The plant blooms in late spring and early summer with small, dioecious, greenish, unisexual flowers collected in simple axillary racemes. Dioscorea flower formula * Ch(5)L(5)T5P(2). The plant bears fruit from late summer to early autumn. The fruit is a three-lobed, triangular capsule. Dioscorea seeds are “equipped” with a flat, thin-membranous wing.
Dioscorea caucasica is an endemic plant. As the name implies, it is found mainly in the Caucasus. Also, natural plantations of the plant can be found in the western part of Transcaucasia - in Abkhazia and the Adler region of the Krasnodar Territory. For a long time, this type of plant could not be cultivated, but by the end of the 21st century, scientists still managed to select for it optimal conditions and now valuable raw materials are grown near Moscow and in the Far East.
Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.
Medicinal raw materials The rhizome is used to prepare preparations from Dioscorea. It is dug out before the sap begins to flow, using picks or shovels. They clear the soil, cut off the stems and damaged parts, then cut them into pieces by hand and dry them in the open air or in ventilated dryers at a temperature of 50°C. The finished raw material is pieces of rhizomes. It should be taken into account that the root of Dioscorea Caucasica reaches an acceptable size and weight for harvesting only in the tenth year of life, at which time it weighs approximately 10-25 g.
The active ingredients in dioscorea rhizomes are saponins. Their content in Dioscorea Caucasian reaches 10%. The main steroidal saponin, dioscin, is broken down during hydrolysis into rhamnose, glucose and diosgenin. Also, Dioscorea roots are rich in starch and fat-like substances. They can concentrate chromium and selenium.
Saponins contained in Dioscorea Caucasica significantly reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, lower blood pressure, dilate peripheral blood vessels and reduce lipid deposits in the arteries and liver. It is these properties of saponins that determine the anti-sclerotic effectiveness of Dioscorea preparations, their ability to improve hemodynamics, thereby stimulating brain and cardiac activity. Saponins also help increase the amplitude of heart contractions, increase diuresis, activate bile secretion, deepen breathing, and have an inhibitory effect on the nervous system.
Decoctions, extracts and infusions of Dioscorea are recommended for diabetes, eye diseases and headaches; they are widely used by dermatologists. They improve general physical condition and are able to combat fatigue, insomnia, and irritability. Doctors prescribe Dioscorea preparations after strokes and heart attacks. Dioscorea tincture tends to enhance the motor function of the stomach.
IN folk medicine Dioscorea is used in the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction, assigning to it the function of cleaning the affected liver. It is used as a general strengthening and immunomodulatory agent, for gout and arthritis, to improve cardiovascular activity, vision, for the treatment and prevention of diseases associated with impaired blood flow, urination and bile secretion. Dioscorea Caucasica is considered useful for epilepsy, since regular use of an alcoholic tincture of the plant reduces the severity of attacks. Dermatologists recommend oral administration of Dioscorea Caucasica for neurodermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, xanthoma and mastocytosis. Decoctions and infusions of dioscorea are famous as an anti-inflammatory agent; they are taken to normalize the functioning of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, the activity of the ovaries and adrenal glands. There is an opinion that Dioscorea preparations can cope with some types of cancer, destroying the affected cells and preventing the formation of new ones.
The homeland of plants of the genus Dioscorea is India, China and Indochina. The name of the species, genus and family is a tribute to the works of the “father of botany and pharmacognosy”, the ancient physician-naturalist Pedanius Dioscorides. In folk medicine, the medicinal properties of Caucasian Dioscorea have been used for a long time; because of them, it was even called the “root of youth.” Official Russian medicine assessed the plant only in the middle of the 20th century. The famous “Kremlin grass” is Dioscorea. Limited Natural resources made drugs from it available only to the elite. By 1979, Caucasian dioxorrhea was included in the Red Book. A special government program began to apply to it, according to which all the dug up roots of discorea went to the “bins of the homeland.” Dioscorea pills were prescribed only to party leaders, members of their families, officials and astronauts. Now that they have learned to cultivate Caucasian dioscorea, everyone can buy it.
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2. Turova A.D., Sapozhnikova E.N., “Medicinal plants of the USSR and their use,” fourth edition, Moscow, Medicine, 1984 - 256-258 pp.
3. “Medicinal Plants”, edited by N.I. Grinkevich, Moscow, Higher School, 1991 - 104 p.
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Dioscorea Caucasica - herbaceous plant, a representative of the rather numerous genus Dioscorea of the Dioscoreaceae family. In some countries and various medical sources it is found as wild yam. Due to the valuable medicinal properties of the plant’s root, it is popularly called the “root of youth.” Remedies based on dioscorea root help with atherosclerosis, headaches, hypertension, and tinnitus.
Dioscorea Caucasica is a perennial vine with a lifespan of more than 40 years. Under natural conditions, it grows in oak and oak-hornbeam forests, clearings, slopes, and bushes. Neutral, clay and rocky soil suits it. Reproduction is carried out vegetatively and by seeds.
The rhizome is powerful, thick and long, located horizontally, and has a brownish-brown color on the outside. Along its entire length it is covered with numerous hard roots. As the plant grows, it goes into the soil to a depth of 1.5 - 2 m.
The stems are climbing, unbranched, their length can reach 2.5 – 4 m.
The lower leaves are whorled, and the upper leaves are alternate or opposite. The leaves are petiolate, heart-shaped, oval, 6–15 cm long, pointed at the apex, with slightly notched edges, separated by arcuate veins. They have pubescence on the underside.
Interesting: The name of the genus Dioscorea comes from the name of the ancient Greek military doctor, naturalist and pharmacologist Pedanius Dioscorides, who described this plant in his writings.
The flowering period is from May to July. The plant is dioecious. The flowers are small, inconspicuous (only 3–4 mm in diameter) with a simple perianth of 6 petals, unisexual, yellowish-greenish in color. Staminate flowers are located 1–3 in a bunch in axillary racemes, and pistillate flowers are arranged singly in racemes.
The fruits ripen from July to September. They are triangular, three-lobed boxes measuring 2.5–3 cm with three membranous wings. The seeds have flat, wing-shaped projections, which provide them with good volatility.
The rhizomes and roots of Dioscorea Caucasica contain up to 10% of the total amount of steroid saponins, derivatives of diosgenin, the most significant of which are dioscin, protodioscin and protogracillin. These compounds have wide range activity. In particular, they are able to bind to cholesterol and remove it from the body, as well as destroy complex complexes of proteins and lipids that form on the walls of blood vessels and are the basis for the further formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
In addition to saponins, wild yam contains fat-like substances, trace elements chromium and selenium, and starch.
Remedies based on Dioscorea Caucasica are especially effective for older people, as they:
The listed medicinal properties of Caucasian Dioscorea are successfully used in folk medicine for the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, angina pectoris, heart rhythm disorders, and hypertension. With its use, there is an improvement in general well-being, mood, memory, quality of sleep, cardiac activity, and the disappearance of tinnitus and headaches. The plant can be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and to improve the condition after them.
Interesting: Thanks to its beautiful bright green leaves in summer and golden yellow leaves in autumn, Dioscorea Caucasica has found application not only in folk medicine, but also in landscape design. Its stems can be used to decorate gazebos, fences, fences.
Dioscorea root also has the following medicinal properties:
The plant is successfully used to restore vision in case of cataracts and other eye diseases (conjunctivitis, keratitis, blepharitis). Decoctions and infusions of the plant are taken orally for certain skin diseases: psoriasis, eczema, neurodermatitis, dermatitis. Externally, powder from the root is used for frostbite and furunculosis.
Dioscorea Caucasica contains the compound diosgenin, which is a precursor of the steroid hormones cortisol and progesterone, and has estrogenic activity. Wild yam for women can be used for some hormonal disorders, premenstrual syndrome and to reduce unwanted clinical symptoms during menopause.
Based on the roots of the plant, a new galenic preparation is made - Disponin tablets, which contain at least 30% water-soluble steroidal saponins. It is prescribed in the complex therapy of cerebral atherosclerosis, general atherosclerosis in combination with hypertension, and cardiosclerosis.
The roots and rhizomes of the plant are harvested as medicinal raw materials. It is believed that plants that are 25 years old are most suitable for medicinal purposes.
Collection can be carried out from the end of April to the end of October. They do it as follows. The rhizomes are dug up, separated from the soil and the remains of the stems, and then cut into pieces, washed cold water and dried, spreading in a thin layer, in air or in dryers at a temperature of no more than 50 ° C.
Dried rhizomes and roots of Dioscorea Caucasica have a bitter, slightly pungent taste and are odorless. At the fracture they are whitish, and the outside surface is light brown. Finished raw materials should be stored for no more than 3 years in a ventilated area in paper bags, boxes or boxes.
Important: Wild yam is a relict plant listed in the Red Book; therefore, only plants grown specifically under artificial conditions are currently used for medicinal purposes.
Vodka tincture, decoctions, teas, infusions, and dry powder are prepared from the roots and rhizomes of Dioscorea Caucasica. Considering that the plant is listed in the Red Book and its independent collection and preparation in special places can be difficult, for the preparation of folk remedies, you can use ready-made medicinal raw materials of Dioscorea, which are sold in pharmacies.
Warning: Dioscorea root preparations should be taken orally after meals, as they have an irritating effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
Dry crushed roots (7.5 tbsp) are poured into 1.5 liters of vodka and left for 10 days in the absence of light. Use 1 tsp. three times a day with warm tea. When all the prepared Caucasian Dioscorea tincture is finished, its use is continued again after a month's break. Treatment consists of 3–4 such courses.
Crushed dry dioscorea raw materials are mixed with green tea leaves in a ratio of approximately 1 to 2. The resulting mixture is brewed like regular tea. Take in the morning once a day.
A powder is made from the dried rhizomes of the plant by grinding them in a coffee grinder or in some other way. Three times a day for 10 days, take 0.2 g of the resulting powder, seizing it with a teaspoon of honey. Treatment is continued for 3–4 months, with one-week breaks between courses.
The crushed raw materials (50 g) are poured into ½ liter of vodka and the resulting composition is infused for one month, shaking regularly. After time, filter and drink the resulting vodka extract of wild yam three times a day, 30-60 drops, diluting them with water. Depending on the severity of the disease, the treatment period can range from 4 months to one year.
When using products from Dioscorea Caucasica, contraindications are also taken into account. These include:
Despite the relatively small list of contraindications, before starting treatment with this plant, it would not be superfluous to consult a doctor.
It is very important to strictly follow the dosages specified in the recipes, since exceeding them is fraught with acceleration of heart contractions and the appearance of edema. Side effects may include loss of appetite, itchy skin, excessive sweating, and intestinal disorders in some people. The appearance of these symptoms requires temporary cessation of treatment or dosage reduction.
Appearance of medicinal raw materials and medicinal properties of Caucasian Dioscorea:
All materials on the website are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any product, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!
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