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» Cornflower benefits. Cornflower: medicinal properties. Medicinal properties of cornflower in scientific medicine

Cornflower benefits. Cornflower: medicinal properties. Medicinal properties of cornflower in scientific medicine

Cornflower is a wildflower beloved by many. It pleases us not only with its pure blue color, but also with many beneficial and healing properties. It is brewed to relieve eye fatigue, for boils, cystitis and many other diseases. He is an excellent honey plant that gives us healing and tasty honey.

What does cornflower look like and where does it grow?

Cornflower has long been known among people as the first herald of real summer. In mid-June, and in some areas already at the end of May, it appears in fields sown with rye, meadows and along roads.

Everyone knows what cornflower looks like. This is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, up to 60 centimeters high with a thin stem and lanceolate leaves 1-4 centimeters long. Blue cornflower or field cornflower is a beautiful flower of rich blue color with delicate petals collected in a basket.

It blooms from May, June to September. The seeds ripen at the end of summer.

Cornflower belongs to the Asteraceae family and includes about 734 species, differing from each other in the shape and color of the petals. Southern Europe is considered its homeland, but it grows all over the world: in Europe, Asia, Australia, America.

On our territory, the most common are blue or field cornflower, meadow cornflower, Russian cornflower, mountain cornflower, which grow throughout almost the entire territory, excluding the regions of the far north. Some species of cornflower are listed in the Red Book and are protected by the states of many countries.

Cornflower is considered a weed that infests grain crops. Its most favorite places to grow are along roads, forest edges, and meadows. But my favorite place is the crops of rye, barley, and wheat.

Cornflower beneficial properties

The main components of the chemical composition of cornflower flowers are:

Anthocyanins;

Glycosides;

Flavonoids;

Alkoloids.

In addition, it contains:

Vitamins;

Minerals;

Dyes (protocyanin pigment);

Essential oil;

Coumarins;

Tannins.

The main mineral salts in it are potassium and magnesium salts - two very important minerals for the human body.

The blue cornflower plant is not for a bouquet - once picked, it does not last long in a vase, and the very next day it withers. But it retains nutrients and color very well when dried. Why they love to collect it for bouquets of dried flowers.

Cornflower medicinal properties

The health benefits of cornflower are poorly described, although Aristotle even resorted to treatment using cornflower decoctions. Preparations prepared on its basis have the following properties:

Antipyretics;

Diuretics;

Laxatives;

Tonic;

Stimulating;

Antimicrobial;

Choleretic;

Painkillers.

Cornflower indications for use

In official medicine, blue cornflower flowers are used in collections as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic agent. It is mainly prescribed for renal and cardiac edema, nephritis, cystitis, and urethritis. The choleretic properties of the herb are used to treat the liver and bile ducts.

Its use is much wider in folk medicine, where flower petals, leaves and roots are used for treatment. It has long been used as an effective remedy for the treatment of conjunctivitis, as well as in the form of lotions to relieve eye fatigue.

Preparations from it in the form of decoctions, compresses, infusions are prescribed for:

  • Pain in the heart;
  • Inflammations of various kinds;
  • Disorders of the urinary system;
  • Dropsy;
  • Jaundice;
  • Women's diseases (delayed menstruation);
  • Diarrhea;
  • Headaches;
  • Rheumatism;
  • Diathesis (children);
  • Eczema;
  • Tendon and muscle strain;
  • Inflammation and redness of the eyes, barley;
  • Chronic kidney diseases.

Cornflower is also used as an analgesic, antipyretic, sedative and bactericidal agent, and for weight loss.

Collection and procurement of raw materials

Blue cornflower or field cornflower is used as a medicinal plant in official medicine. In folk medicine, meadow cornflower, which has pink-lilac flowers, is sometimes used.

The plant can only be harvested during the flowering period, which lasts a long period.

To do this, select fully blossomed specimens, remove limp and faded leaves, and pick flower petals from the flower basket.

The resulting material is dried only in the shade to preserve all the beneficial substances. Petals that have lost color after drying are not used for treatment, as they have lost their healing properties.

To prepare compresses and lotions, heal wounds and remove warts, use dry seeds, previously dried in the same way.

Usually, after three to four days, the prepared material is completely dry and ready for storage. To do this, it is placed in an airtight glass container and used for two years.

Cornflower roots are also used in folk medicine. They are harvested during the flowering period, along with the rest of the plant. The roots are cleaned and dried in the usual way. Paper bags or cardboard boxes are most often used for storage.

Cornflower application

There are a number of recipes in which blue cornflower is used fresh. For example, a drink made from cornflower, the recipe for which is quite simple.

5-7 grams of cornflower petals (a heaping teaspoon) is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for half an hour.

Tea or a drink with cornflower can be drunk immediately or diluted with boiling water, like tea leaves. This remedy, thanks to the biologically active substances contained in it, will perfectly relieve headaches, fever and swelling, and quench thirst.

Tea prepared in this way perfectly stimulates the appetite if you drink it half an hour before a meal.

Blue cornflower for heart disease

Blue cornflower does an excellent job of restoring the body after heart disease. To do this, prepare an oil extract.

100 grams of herbal mass are crushed, poured with 2 glasses of vegetable oil (preferably olive) and infused in a warm place (preferably in the sun) for 20 days. It is best to use opaque, tightly sealed containers for this. The resulting mixture is filtered and taken 1 teaspoon on an empty stomach every day.

Extraction helps normalize heart pressure, relieve swelling and disinfect the body. The course of treatment is 2 months and can be repeated only after six months.

Collection for hypertension

Take 15 grams of each plant: blue cornflower flowers, chokeberry berries, yarrow, mistletoe leaves, valerian root, hawthorn fruits, horsetail.

Brew one tablespoon of the mixture with 200 ml of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Strain and drink 70 ml after each meal.

To relieve eye fatigue

To relieve eye fatigue, puffiness, and restore eye color, use a collection with cornflower.

Flowers of cornflower, snapdragon, eyebright and elderberry are taken in equal parts, crushed and mixed in a dry container. In a ratio of 1 to 100, the mixture is poured with boiling water and infused in a warm place (preferably in a thermos) for 6 hours.

This infusion is perfect for instillation into the eyes, for lotions that are applied to the eyes for 10-15 minutes, after which the skin should be thoroughly rinsed with warm water.

With constant use, the color of the white of the eye is restored, vision improves, and the mucous membrane of the eye is restored. Treatment is carried out in several stages, each lasting a month with breaks.

An infusion of cornflower, prepared according to this recipe, will quickly relieve eye fatigue.

Cornflower flowers - dry or fresh - are poured with boiling water in a ratio of 1 to 20 (2 tsp per glass) and infused in a warm place for 2 hours, well wrapped. Then strain and use for eye baths.

Collection to stop bleeding

Crushed dry cornflower roots are combined in equal parts with crushed yarrow and horsetail herbs. 10-15 grams of the collection (2 tablespoons) are poured with 100 grams of water (half a glass) and boiled over low heat until the liquid evaporates by half. Take 2 tablespoons every hour until the bleeding stops completely and consolidate the result over the next two days, using the same dose once a day.

Cornflower tincture with vodka

Alcohol tincture of cornflower will cope well with jaundice, genitourinary diseases, and kidney diseases.

To prepare it, you need to infuse the dry petals in vodka (100 grams per liter) for two weeks.

One tablespoon of tincture is taken before meals two to three times a day, washed down with plenty of water.

For constipation

Brew 2 teaspoons of cornflower roots with 200 ml of hot water and leave for 2 hours. Strain and take a tablespoon 3-4 times a day before meals 15-20 minutes.

Cornflower in cosmetology

Cornflower is used to rinse hair and as a lotion for wiping oily skin.

Pour a tablespoon of flowers with 0.5 liters of a mixture of vinegar and water, taken in equal proportions. Leave for half an hour and filter. Rub this mixture twice a day into the hair roots. Before going to bed, rinse your hair with plain water.

This lotion helps restore structure and strengthen hair.

To care for oily skin, prepare a lotion by steeping 50 grams of fresh petals in 0.5 liters of boiling water. Leave for an hour and strain.

Wipe your face with this lotion daily. Store in the refrigerator or freeze the cubes.

Contraindications and side effects

The main feature due to which cornflower is used with great caution is its cyanide content. There is currently no scientifically proven and defined safe dose for taking plant preparations.

Therefore, this flower is considered poisonous and must be used very carefully. It is forbidden for pregnant women, women during lactation and infants to come into contact with flowers in any form, and especially with cornflower juice.

You should take infusions and decoctions with great caution, having first consulted with your doctor, especially if you are taking other medications.

If any side effects occur, you should immediately stop taking medications with cornflower and consult a doctor.

Sensitive people, especially those who are allergic to the aster family such as sunflower, dandelion and others, may experience an allergic reaction.

Since cornflower has anti-inflammatory properties, caution should be exercised when treating with anti-inflammatory drugs simultaneously.

Taking herbal decoctions and infusions can cause a relapse of urolithiasis, especially when taken simultaneously with medications used to treat urolithiasis.

The wildflower cornflower is not just a plant. It pleases the eye, heals and helps people in everyday life. This weed perfectly tints woolen products blue, is used for making vinegars and as a seasoning for porridges, soups, gravies and sauces.

Cornflower honey is considered the healthiest and is highly valued by beekeepers. And in the old days, with the help of this flower, rituals were performed, homes were consecrated and protected from the evil eye. The health benefits of cornflower are almost invaluable - everyone can choose their own decoctions, infusions, lotions, oils and much more.

Find out more about the medicinal properties of this beautiful flower

Blue cornflower is a symbol of purity, friendliness, courtesy, an obligatory element of the Ukrainian maiden wreath and beautiful holiday rituals. There are many legends and myths about the origin of its name, many of which are associated with stories of love and kindness. Since ancient times, the Slavs have valued not only the beauty of this blue flower, but also its healing properties.

Plant composition

Cornflower is a series of herbs from the Asteraceae family., which are distributed throughout Ukraine, Russia and other countries of Eastern and Central Europe, except for the northernmost and southernmost regions. Cornflower has accompanied people since ancient times and has always been considered a weed. This flower grows in fields along with cereals, along roadsides, in open meadows, and blooms from early summer until late autumn. In nature, there are cornflowers of bright blue, red, white, purple, burgundy, and yellow. There are 500 species of this plant in total.

The blue cornflower is considered the national flower of Estonia and is especially revered in Germany.

This flower is familiar to everyone thanks to its amazing blue color of the petals. The erect stem grows up to 80 cm in height. It is covered along its entire length with gray-green woolly leaves. Each flower is located on a separate stem in a single basket. The petals in the inflorescence are arranged in such a way that they resemble a royal crown. Thanks to this quality, cornflower is called a royal flower. Other names are voloshka (Ukrainian), blue flower, patchwork, blade.

Only the marginal blue petals of cornflower are used in medicine. This color of the petals is due to the presence of anthocyanin compounds - cyanines, cytaurines and cyanidins (derivatives of hydrocyanic acid). In addition, the medicinal flowers of the plant contain:

  • flavonoids;
  • glycosides with natural bitter components;
  • carotene;
  • ascorbic acid;
  • coumarin;
  • pelargonin chloride;
  • acids: caffeic, quinic;
  • tanning and resinous components;
  • trace elements: zinc, cobalt, selenium, calcium.

Medicinal cornflower flowers are often combined with other medicinal herbs; it is included in many medicinal pharmaceutical preparations.

Useful properties of blue cornflower

Anthocyanins in blue cornflower are natural dyes, the purpose of which is to make the flower or plant as bright as possible and attract bees or other insects for pollination. In terms of their therapeutic effect, they are powerful antioxidants. Thanks to antioxidants, the body's immune system successfully fights bacterial infections and inflammation. Anthocyanins are not produced by the body, so their reserves must be replenished from the outside. To do this, their intake together with food or herbal decoctions must be constant and continuous.

The bright blue color of cornflower petals is due to the presence of magnesium and potassium in anthocyanin compounds. These minerals are simply indispensable for stable heart function. The anthocyanin compound centaurine can slow down the onset of orgasm in men and help anyone who suffers from rapid ejaculation. So, thanks to cytaurine, your partner will become a tireless lover.

Bitter glycosides in the plant are complex compounds of plant origin, the therapeutic effect of which is aimed at stabilizing the work of the heart muscle and irritating the intestines. In addition, glycosides have an antimicrobial and mild laxative effect.

It is the presence of acids and flavonoids that determines most of the pharmacological properties of cornflower. Flowers have the following effects:

  • choleretic;
  • diuretic;
  • antispasmodic;
  • antipyretic;
  • bactericidal;
  • sweatshop;
  • painkillers.

A large amount of anthocyanin compounds and other beneficial components are found in all varieties.

Use in folk medicine

In pharmacies, medicinal cornflower is sold in the form of essential oil of inflorescences, dry collection, and alcohol tincture. Ancient manuscripts mention methods of treating skin diseases with crushed flower seeds. But today these recipes are not used.

The medicinal collection of blue cornflower treats:

  • hepatitis;
  • cholecystitis;
  • arrhythmia;
  • high blood pressure;
  • nephritis;
  • cystitis.

Taking the medicinal tincture internally helps:

  • lower the temperature during fevers or colds;
  • get rid of swelling;
  • improve appetite and digestion;
  • relieve spasms from the bronchi during severe coughing or whooping cough;
  • accelerate the formation of red blood cells and get rid of anemia;
  • cleanse the body of toxins;
  • prevent Alzheimer's disease;
  • reduce the risk of diabetes;
  • eliminate inflammatory processes;
  • improve coronary circulation, especially with swelling of the heart muscle;
  • accelerate fat burning and weight loss;
  • remove salts from the body and reduce salt deposits on the joints.

The most pronounced medicinal properties of the flower are manifested when applied externally:

  • lotions with tinctures are used for eczema, furunculosis, open ulcers;
  • tincture of flowers is used to wash the eyes for purulent conjunctivitis, barley and chronic eye fatigue;

  • compresses with tincture are allowed to be used by pregnant women to relieve swelling from the legs;
  • A few drops of cornflower essential oil can be added to the cream for a relaxing massage.

The drugs also have a wide range of medicinal properties.

Contraindications

Blue cornflower is a low-toxic substance, therefore, in order not to cause harm to yourself, in addition to the benefits of taking it, it is necessary to alternate periods of taking it and short breaks.
Infusions should not be taken orally if:

  • pregnancy or breastfeeding;
  • uterine or gastric bleeding;
  • intolerance to components.

The components of the plant can accumulate in organ tissues, so before taking it or combining it with other drugs, you should consult a doctor.

Helpful information

Cornflower color is not used in large quantities. Healers recommend adding a small pinch of petals when preparing a medicinal mixture. This is called “salting” with cornflower.

The infusion is prepared according to the standard recipe

  1. Take 1 teaspoon of dry petals and a glass of boiling water.
  2. Pour the color into a porcelain bowl, add hot water and cover.
  3. Place the cup in a container of water and heat over medium heat for 15 minutes.
  4. Cool for 45 minutes, strain and make up to 200 ml volume with warm water.

Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day as a mild choleretic, diuretic or antimicrobial agent. For a more intense therapeutic result, before starting to use infusions, you should consult with your doctor.

Cosmetic oil

  1. Fill a small dark glass container with fresh petals and pour warm sunflower oil over everything.
  2. Seal tightly with a lid and leave in the refrigerator for 10 days.
  3. Store in the refrigerator for 6 months.
This oil is not recommended for use on the face - it has a pungent odor. But you can cure inflamed acne on the back (lubricate it) and get rid of cracked heels (make compresses).

Application in cosmetology

  • Cornflower decoction and tincture are used to care for oily skin of the face and scalp, as well as to combat dandruff.
  • To get rid of excess fat on the face, you need to wipe the skin with alcohol tincture (dilute with water 1:1).
  • Lotions with cornflower extract smooth the skin, reduce enlarged pores, and eliminate inflammation. The mattifying effect of their use lasts all day.
  • Cornflower extract is included in creams for the care of the skin around the eyes. Creams gently care for eyelids, relieve swelling and swelling.

  • Cotton swabs soaked in cold broth will also help relieve swelling from the skin around the eyes.
  • Essential oil from this flower restores collagen and elasticity of facial skin, removes crow's feet around the eyes. Can also be used for soft makeup removal.
  • An infusion of flowers is rubbed into the scalp or used to rinse hair.
  • Rubbing with the infusion helps improve the condition of dry skin on the hands, neck and décolleté.

Other Applications

  • The petals are used as a dye for champagne (pink).
  • The aroma of cornflower contains notes of mint, cloves and lemon, so in cooking it is used as a seasoning for meat. Perfect for sweet dishes.
  • Honey from cornflower flowers has a greenish tint and a bitter taste, vaguely reminiscent of almonds.

How to collect, dry and store

The most difficult thing in harvesting blue cornflower is to collect and properly dry the petals. The flowers are carefully cut with scissors and then sorted. The marginal petals must be manually removed from each flower to prevent weeds or other impurities from entering the collection. The most important thing is to dry them in such a way that they do not lose their amazing color. Along with the shade, the healing properties of blue cornflower will also disappear.

For proper drying you need:

  • spread the petals in a thin layer on a piece of thick burlap or canvas;
  • dry in a dark place at a temperature of 60 degrees, preferably in an oven or in artificial dryers;
  • While drying, gently stir the petals so that they dry evenly.

Store in a cool place in a paper bag or box for up to 2 years. Dry petals have no odor, but have a bitter and astringent taste. The longer dried flowers are stored, the more they fade and lose their benefits.

You've probably often seen these beautiful bright blue flowers in the fields. Share in the comments if you are familiar with all its medicinal properties.

Nature has endowed cornflower inflorescences with vitamins, mineral salts, microelements and ascorbic acid. Thanks to such a rich composition, people with heart ailments, stomach and liver diseases are considered to be among those who benefit from cornflower.

  • For heart problems

To normalize cardiac activity, prepare a decoction of one teaspoon of dried cornflower inflorescences and the same amount of rowan and hawthorn berries, valerian root, yarrow leaves and horsetail. Pour the raw material with two glasses of hot water and leave for half an hour. The strained broth is taken three times a day, two tablespoons.

  • For problems with the gastrointestinal tract

Due to the fact that cornflower has a choleretic effect, a decoction from the inflorescences of the plant is used to treat diseases of the bladder, gastrointestinal tract and liver. Fifty grams of dried cornflower flowers are poured into a glass of hot water. Then the liquid is poured into a saucepan and brought to a boil, boiled for fifteen minutes over moderate heat. The drink is infused in the room, filtered and taken a tablespoon after meals three times a day.

  • Compresses against bags under the eyes

Cornflower compresses can get rid of bags under the eyes, relieve swelling or reduce inflammation in the delicate skin around the eyes. A cotton pad is soaked in cornflower blue broth and applied to the eyelids. After fifteen minutes, wash your face with cool water. Regular rubbing with cornflower blue broth also helps eliminate pimples and blackheads on the face.

  • Decoction for varicose veins

To the question of what cornflower helps with, it is difficult to give a single reasonable answer. The blue flower has a completely positive effect on the functioning of the body, improves sleep and brings the nervous system into a calm state.
For varicose veins, one tablespoon of dried cornflower flowers and fifty grams of fresh ones are diluted in two full glasses of boiling water. The drink is infused for one hour, filtered and cooled, and then a bandage is soaked in the broth and applied to painful places on the legs (calves, feet) for fifteen minutes.

  • Cornflower tea

In cooking, recipes with cornflower are used to make teas. When consumed regularly, hot or warm cornflower blue drink removes excess fluid from the body and improves digestive processes. A teaspoon of plant inflorescences is brewed in a mug of boiling water, infused and drained. The prepared tea is drunk in the morning before meals. This tonic drink in folk medicine is also a proven remedy for weight loss and appetite reduction.

Contraindications

The only exception to those for whom cornflower is contraindicated are pregnant and breastfeeding women. As for everyone else, do not forget to take breaks between regular doses of medicinal cornflower decoctions.

Cornflower is a beautiful and delicate flower that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is a plant up to eighty centimeters high with gray-green leaves and blue flowers. You can meet it on the roadsides, in fields and meadows. It is also called voloshka, blue flower, cyanosis.

Healing properties of cornflower

Cornflower flowers have healing properties. Their healing qualities have been known among the people for several centuries. It is used as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antipyretic agent. With the help of cornflower flowers, tuberculosis, colds and viral diseases are treated. Its healing properties are recognized by official medicine; plant components are used in many preparations:

  • antispasmodics;
  • general strengthening;
  • eye drops.

People prepare decoctions, tinctures, and powders from cornflower flowers, which are taken for a huge number of diseases. Lotions are used to treat many eye diseases - conjunctivitis, blepharitis, eye fatigue. The infusion is drunk for severe coughing, whooping cough, for the treatment of inflammatory processes in the kidneys, for disorders of the genitourinary system, gastrointestinal tract, for uterine bleeding, to reduce pain symptoms, for heart rhythm disturbances, for nervous disorders and other diseases. Such extensive use is quite extensive, because blue cornflower contains anthocyanins - which have an antioxidant effect, tannins, alkaloids, organic compounds, resins, bitterness, vitamins A, C, mineral salts and other effective but not yet fully studied components. The plant also contains glycosides, toxic and poisonous substances, so it belongs to the category of mildly poisonous. But despite this, it is highly effective in combating many ailments.

Cornflower in folk medicine


Recipe 1.

Making a tincture of cornflower flowers is quite simple. It is necessary to stock up on raw materials when the plant is flowering, dry them and use them as needed, or you can also buy the herb at the pharmacy, it is always freely available there. You can brew the decoction according to the recipe using a water bath. You need to take one large spoon of flowers, pour 250 milliliters of boiling water over them, and simmer for fifteen minutes in a water bath. Then the medicine must be infused for forty-five minutes and strained. Since a certain amount of water will evaporate while on fire, the infusion is diluted with boiled water, bringing it to the same volume - 250 milliliters. Be sure to drink on an empty stomach, one spoon three times a day. The finished decoction must be used within 48 hours, so you should not prepare large volumes; it is more effective to use fresh. It is used as a good choleretic and diuretic. If you need to stop inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system, then it is better to drink a decoction of flowers and stems with leaves. To prepare, take two teaspoons of the collection and brew it in 250 milliliters of liquid heated to one hundred degrees. The infusion is kept for an hour, and only then do I drink two spoons before each meal.

Preparations from blue cornflower are indicated for severe toxicosis in pregnant women (although the use should be very careful, in strictly prescribed dosages and with the permission of the treating doctor). Many herbalists recommend an infusion to improve lactation in nursing women. You can drink the decoction for food and other poisoning.

Traditional medicine knows the positive results of using hair even for diabetes. Regular use helps reduce blood sugar levels.

Recipe 2.

Colds will subside if you drink 30 ml of cornflower every four hours. Prepare the medicine according to the recipe from two spoons of flowers and a glass of boiling water, which are infused in a warm place for at least two hours.

Recipe 3.

A good and effective tincture made from flowers in alcohol. You will need twenty grams of raw materials and 200 milliliters of alcohol or vodka. The components are placed in a glass container and kept for fourteen days with the lid closed. I drink thirty drops diluted in a small amount of water before meals. The daily dose should not exceed one hundred and twenty drops. Used for diseases of the kidneys, liver, bile ducts.

This drug has a beneficial effect on the male reproductive system. Its use increases male strength and prolongs sexual intercourse.

Recipe 4.

Using alcohol tincture you can get rid of toothache. It needs to be diluted in water. Therapeutic proportion is 1:10. It is necessary to rinse the mouth with the solution every thirty minutes until the pain is relieved. This medicine helps well in the treatment of trophic ulcers, eczema, and furunculosis. The elixir is taken orally in twenty drops and used externally for compresses and rubbing.

Recipe 5.

Blue cornflower also has enormous potential in the treatment of skin diseases. You need to prepare a tincture of flowers - 30 grams and 250 milliliters of water. Wounds are washed with it and used as lotions for:

  • diathesis;
  • skin rashes;
  • abscesses;
  • swelling of the eyelids.

Recipe 6.

The same decoction is used to rinse hair when it is falling out; for effective use, it is rubbed into the scalp with massage movements to strengthen and stimulate the hair follicles.

A decoction of 15 grams of herb and 250 milliliters of boiling water, brewed for thirty minutes, helps rid the skin of youthful acne. For medicinal purposes, the skin of the face is wiped with a cotton pad soaked in the solution several times a day.

Powder made from hair is also suitable for external use. It is used to treat edema. It's easy to prepare. Dry leaves are ground in coffee grinders to a powdery state. They sprinkle it on swollen areas and cover them in the form of compresses.

Recipe 7.

Open wounds heal well, and compresses made from fresh flowers soothe pain and relieve inflammation. They are poured with boiling water, left for 5-7 minutes and applied to the affected area of ​​the skin.

Recipe 8.

A bath with a decoction of flowers will help increase vitality and relieve skin itching. A tincture is prepared in advance, which is then added to the bath water. Take 30 grams of flower and 500 ml of water, the decoction is prepared for half an hour in a water bath. Leave for about thirty minutes, filter and add to water. It helps soothe irritated skin due to diathesis and eczema.

Recipe 9.

To treat conjunctivitis, prepare a decoction of flowers - 10 grams and 250 milliliters of water. The medicine must be allowed to brew for three hours, then strain and apply externally to wash the eyes, for lotions and compresses. Before use, a small amount of liquid must be heated to 30 degrees.

Since blue cornflower, although to a small extent, is a poisonous plant, its use should be strictly dosed. It cannot be used for uterine bleeding; use during pregnancy is highly undesirable, but in special cases it is possible with the permission of the doctor. Also, when treating with this drug, be sure to take breaks so that the body can cope with accumulated toxins.

Also called: Periwinkle, Barivets, Forest periwinkle, Varvinka, Grave grass, Cornflower, Zelenka, Cemetery, Cemetery, Noyushka, Ivy, Fallenwort, Povoy, Uvenok, Sinilnik, Khreshchatyk.

A perennial, herbaceous evergreen plant-shrub with a thin horizontal rhizome.

Stems are vegetative, rooting, lying, up to 1.3 m long. Generative stems up to 35 cm high, erect.

The leaves are glabrous, opposite, sometimes with sharp tips, up to 4 cm long, shiny, oblong-elliptical, leathery, gray-green below, green above. The leaves are arranged in 2-3 leaves opposite.

The flowers are large, solitary, azure, few in number, with a short calyx, on erect long stalks. The corolla is funnel-shaped, blue, five-parted, with a long, narrow, slightly swollen tube in the middle, with a flat, five-lobed, wheel-like pink or blue fold. The stigma is pubescent and thick.

The fruit is an arched, oblong leaf.

This plant grows on sub-sandy and sandy soils, among crops of wheat, rye or flax, and grows like a weed. Often found in fallow fields.

It is located throughout almost the entire territory of the CIS, except for the Far North or some arid regions. It also grows in Belarus, Ukraine, Western Siberia, and the Krasnodar Territory.

Cornflower begins to bloom in mid-spring, in April. Mass flowering occurs in May and continues throughout the summer until mid-autumn. After flowering, two carpels are spread in different directions, from which 2 leaflets are formed without tufts but with seeds. The fruits ripen from the end of June.

Cornflowers are collected at the end of summer, from July to August.

Only the flowers of the plant are involved in the collection, namely the marginal, mature, watering-shaped, bright blue flowers.

First, flower baskets are collected, then the corollas of the blue, outermost flowers are pulled out of the baskets. The presence of internal tubular flowers in the harvested raw materials is strictly prohibited. Faded corollas are also discarded.

You need to dry it in a dark, warm room, laying it out on a linen or paper. There must be sufficient ventilation in the room. When drying, it is necessary to turn the plants over to preserve their natural color. Dried flowers are stored in a closed container and a dry, dark place.

Often used as an ornamental plant. Cornflower loves moisture, but does not tolerate waterlogging and tolerates drought well. Grows in an open place with sufficient sunlight. Grows well in moderately nutritious garden soil.

Centaurea cyanus - Blue cornflower;
Centaurea scabiosa - Rough cornflower;
Centaurea americana - American cornflower;
Centaurea sadleriana - Danube cornflower;
Centaurea dealbata - White cornflower;
Centaurea margaritalba - White-pearl cornflower;
Centaurea jacea - Meadow cornflower;
Centaurea montana - Mountain cornflower;
Centaurea macrocephala - Large-headed cornflower;
Centaurea diffusa Lam. - Spreading cornflower;

Also, some types of cornflower are listed in the Red Book, such as the bog cornflower - Centaurea dubjansky and the Taliev cornflower - Centaurea taliewi.

Useful properties of cornflower

Only cornflower flowers are used to prepare infusions, decoctions and medicines.

The chemical composition includes: glycosides, centaurine, chicorin, dyes, cyanine, pelargonin. In addition, tannins, bitter substances, protein substances, mineral salts and saponins were found.

Cornflower flowers have the following properties: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, choleretic.

Preparation of cornflower tincture: 1 tablespoon of dry, crushed plant is poured with 1 glass of water. Boil for 15 minutes, leave for 30 - 40 minutes, strain. Cool to room temperature. The infusion is stored for up to 2 days.

Take 1 tablespoon orally after meals in a warm form - it is used as a choleretic, mild diuretic and antimicrobial.

Decoctions and infusions of cornflower are used for: inflammatory and chronic kidney diseases, inflammation of the urinary tract, edema, urolithiasis, blepharitis, conjunctivitis, urethritis, cystitis, pyelitis, nephrosis, decreased vision, liver and biliary tract diseases. Helps resolve problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Infusions of cornflower flowers are used for diseases of the bladder, kidneys, colds, as a mild laxative, as well as for malaria or as a disinfectant, anti-inflammatory property.

This plant is also used in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Dangerous properties of cornflower and contraindications

Do not take orally during uterine bleeding or pregnancy.

The plant is slightly toxic and has the property of accumulating hazardous substances in the body. It is necessary to take breaks when using medications or teas or tinctures.

If your body's condition begins to worsen while consuming them, you should immediately consult a doctor.