Barberry

The barberry belongs to a sort of bushes of family of a barberry family. It is widespread in the northern regions of Russia, and also in the Crimea, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and North America. The barberry is most known ordinary (Berberis vulgaris), it is used not only for the decorative purposes. In Ancient Babylon and India it was known of curative properties of this plant – it was used for blood clarification. In Russia also knew about medicinal properties of a barberry, and applied it to a stop of bleedings, at a scurvy and diseases of a liver.

Useful properties of a barberry

All parts of this plant – roots, bark, leaves, fruits are used in traditional medicine. Fruits of a barberry contain a large amount of organic acids (lemon, wine, apple, etc.), also they contain vitamin C, pectin, carotene and mineral salts. Pectins are capable to connect salts of heavy metals, salts and other unhealthy connections thanks to what the barberry possesses the clearing action.

Roots, bark and leaves of a barberry contain special substances – alkaloids (the main of them – berberine), besides at these parts of a plant there are tannins, vitamins E and Page. According to literary data berberine has a promoting effect on uterus muscles, strengthens department of bile and positively influences amplitude of cordial reductions. Besides there are data that berberine helps to fight against tobacco and alcohol addiction.

Use in traditional medicine

Considering useful properties of a barberry, it is quite often used also in official medicine. In drugstores it is possible to buy bark, leaves and roots of a barberry ordinary. The medicines on the basis of this plant used for a stop of gynecologic bleedings are very efficient. As alkaloids from roots and leaves of a barberry possess cholagogue action, their components are a part of drugs for treatment of dyskinesia of biliary tract, hepatitises and other diseases of a liver.

Barberry tincture (pharmaceutical production) is used as demulcent till 25-30 of drops 3 times a day.

Use of a barberry in traditional medicine

Juice from berries of a barberry possesses febrifugal, antimicrobic and styptic action. Besides it promotes blood clarification, removal of toxins from an organism and slows down aging processes. The use of berries in food helps to awaken appetite, to reduce arterial pressure and favorably affects blood circulation of a cardiac muscle. Fruits of a barberry ordinary have soft diuretic effect, help to normalize work of intestines.

From barberry berries cook jam, syrups, tinctures, liqueurs and many other things. At catarrhal diseases it is possible to use the drink made on the basis of barberry fruits. It has febrifugal effect, deletes toxins from an organism and returns appetite.

Tincture from leaves of a barberry ordinary is used as cholagogue means at diskineziya of bilious ways, hepatitises. Also spirit infusion from leaves is applied as haemo static (styptic) cure for uterine bleedings of various genesis.

Useful properties of a barberry allow to use broth of its leaves in therapy of a peptic ulcer for elimination of nausea. For broth preparation 1 tablespoon of the crushed leaves is boiled in 250-300 ml of water within 15 minutes. After broth insist 40 minutes, filter, cool and add boiled water (up to the volume of 250 ml). To accept inside on a tablespoon 3 times a day.

Except tincture, from leaves of this plant it is possible to prepare vitamin tea. For this purpose on 1 glass of boiled water 1 teaspoon of leaves of a barberry undertakes (or fruits), half an hour infuses. Vitamin tea possesses antiinflammatory and antimicrobic action, renders the knitting effect and increases appetite. It is good to use such tea at diseases of gums and teeth.

Tincture of bark and roots of a barberry is used as a hemostatic in gynecology, and also applied at uterus hypotonia in a puerperal period. There is a tincture of pharmaceutical production (20%) which can be appointed for a stop of internal bleedings.

Broth of roots of a barberry ordinary helps at hepatitises of various origin. Broth prepares as follows: half a teaspoon of the crushed roots is boiled in 250 ml of water of 30 minutes, then broth is cooled, filtered and add water up to the initial volume. To accept on a teaspoon 3 times a day. Such broth is also effective at pleurisy and bronchitis.

Means on the basis of a barberry are contraindicated to pregnant women.