What diseases is Ivan tea used for? Ivan - tea (Fireweed) - medicinal properties and contraindications

Hello friends! Absolutely healthy people no, and various chemicals help us cope with the disease. But you shouldn’t forget about natural healers either, so today we’ll talk about the herb Ivan-tea, medicinal properties which has been known since ancient times. Our ancestors knew a lot about such plants and used them in the fight against ailments.

IN folk medicine healing properties Fireweed has been used since the times of Kievan Rus. Then it was brewed and drunk both in the princely palace and in the poorest hut. And already at that time, people noticed that this herb was not simple, it helped against many ailments and diseases, and cured “forty ailments.” What kind of plant is this amazing? What does fireweed tea treat, what does it help with,
what are the indications?

Herb Ivan-tea: what treats and what helps?

From time immemorial, healers taught: heal only with the herb that grows in the area where you were born. Ivan tea is a beneficial herb in this regard.

Our ancestors brewed fireweed or fireweed tea, drank its decoction and even then noticed that this tea had a beneficial effect on the entire body. Nails and hair became stronger, the person became calmer. It was considered a good and safe remedy for insomnia and was even given to infants. Traditional medicine used and applied the healing properties of fireweed tea everywhere.

Our great-grandmothers knew well that a decoction of medicinal herbs, fireweed, helps well with various skin problems: irritation, inflammation, diaper rash. This decoction was added to the water when children were bathed and their hair was rinsed. The medicinal plant Ivan tea improved the condition of nails, and lotions with a decoction helped remove swelling under the eyes.

The medicinal properties of fireweed tea promote rapid healing for various external skin injuries - cuts, minor burns and ulcers. A decoction of the leaves is used to treat acne and boils. To cope with this problem, you just need to apply a bandage moistened with a strong decoction of the leaves of the plant to the damaged area.

Healing properties of fireweed

The medicinal properties of fireweed are widely used in folk medicine in our time. These medicinal herbs cure a lot of things and help a lot. Let's systematize these properties, and then look in more detail.

1. If you suffer from headaches and migraines or suffer from vegetative-vascular dystonia, then fireweed will act as a pain reliever.
2. Yours blood pressure will always remain normal.
3. Fresh, crushed leaves of fireweed, applied to festering wounds, ulcers and bedsores, promote their rapid healing. In winter, leaves harvested in summer can be steamed and applied as compresses to sore joints, muscles and bones.
4. A decoction of the leaves and inflorescences of the plant is used for gargling for colds, flu, bronchitis, sore throat, sore throat and some dental diseases.
5. If you are worried about constipation, then tea from this magical plant will normalize intestinal function and act as a mild laxative. It is enough to drink this tea for two weeks. Then take a break to avoid diarrhea. Then the broth can be taken again.
6. Healing tea from the miracle herb is good for side diseases gastrointestinal tract(gastritis, colitis), as well as for anemia, frequent acute respiratory infections and to increase immunity.
7. At oncological diseases tea can be used as a preventive measure.
8. Just like fireweed, fireweed is a wonderful remedy for cystitis and has an excellent effect on the entire genitourinary system.
9. It is also useful for men to drink a decoction of fireweed tea to prevent diseases such as prostate adenoma and prostatitis.
10. A decoction of fireweed tea will help cope with insomnia and increased excitability. Along with drinking the decoction itself, you can put a bouquet of flowers in the room. And there will be an aromatherapy session all night. Your sleep will be deeper and better quality.
11. The healing properties of fireweed (fireweed) is used as a good anti-inflammatory agent. Being a very strong antioxidant and surpassing citrus fruits in terms of vitamin C content, fireweed tea with its medicinal properties can be used for colds. Preferably at the very beginning of a cold, when there are no visible symptoms yet. Active rinsing and washing of the nasopharynx can prevent the development of the disease.
12. The healing properties of fireweed tea help with various neurological diseases, such as epilepsy.
13. It also helps with various intoxications and alcohol poisoning.
14. Due to its unique healing properties, fireweed tea helps with anemia.
15. Ivan tea is also used for muscle pain. Only in this case, you no longer need flowers, but leaves.
16. Ivan tea is used in folk medicine and during pregnancy. Women who use it regularly note that they become calmer and more confident.
17. Spotted him positive properties and for nursing mothers. Herbal infusions with Ivan tea increased lactation.

Yes, the list is quite voluminous, it says one thing - healing and medicinal properties amazing plant Ivan tea is truly effective and important in the use of this herb in folk medicine. And it would be unreasonable not to take advantage of the amazing green healers gifted by Mother Nature.

As we can see, the indications for the use of fireweed are very wide. There is practically no disease in which it would not have a beneficial effect on human health. It can also be used in the form of tinctures, decoctions and, of course, brewed as tea.

Ivan tea for blood pressure

High will reduce, low will increase. And with long-term use it significantly normalizes it.

Ivan tea for varicose veins

Make a strong decoction and apply to sore spots. To do this, take 3 tablespoons of prepared or purchased in a pharmacy fireweed tea for two glasses. hot water.

Ivan tea for pancreatitis

Since it is a good antioxidant, it normalizes the activity of all glands. It also helps with pancreatitis. You need to brew it like regular tea, drink half a glass several times a day.

Ivan tea for diabetes

It is recommended to take it for this disease as well. You just need to brew it according to a special scheme, making it not as strong as usual.

Ivan tea for oncology

Brew like regular tea, suitable for any type of illness. You should drink a glass of it 2-3 times a day. Since it is a good antioxidant and has an immunomodulatory effect, it can significantly improve the patient’s condition.

Ivan tea for prostatitis

Ivan tea is called a man's herb. It is recommended to take it as a prophylaxis for prostatitis and prostate adenoma. Brew it like regular tea. The medicinal qualities of fireweed have saved not a single man from this disease. But for these purposes it is flowers that are needed. Leaves will not work. In addition, it significantly reduces pain in these diseases.

Recipe No. 1

Mix: 3 tbsp. spoons of fireweed tea, 2 tbsp. nettle root, 2 tbsp. spoons of goldenrod and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of horsetail, hop cones and dried cucumbers. Pour boiling water over it, leave for half an hour, filter and take regularly three times a day, a third of a glass, 3 times a day.

Recipe No. 2

Pour 3 teaspoons of fireweed herb into a glass of boiling water, leave for 5-10 minutes, filter and take half a glass regularly on an empty stomach in the morning and evening.

Recipe No. 3

Mix accordingly: fireweed root and licorice root 10 parts each, Echinacea purpurea root 3 parts each, lemongrass leaves 2 parts. Mix all ingredients. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture into 2 cups of boiling water, simmer for 10 minutes over low heat, leave for half an hour, then filter. The infusion should be taken three times a day before meals.

Brewing Ivan tea correctly

You can learn how to properly brew fireweed tea from this video, where the famous herbalist Vasily Lyakhov gives his recommendations.

Ivan tea contraindications

There are practically no significant contraindications to the use of fireweed, but there are still several points that are worth paying attention to.

• Individual intolerance to plant components
• If you are taking medications with a sedative effect, since the plant also has calming properties
• Fireweed has mild laxative properties, so you should not abuse it. It is not recommended to drink it in large quantities for more than two weeks in a row - diarrhea may begin
• It should not be used with antipyretic drugs. Ivan tea itself is a natural antipyretic, and together they can be too strong

In any case, if you are taking medications, then consult your doctor to see whether you can drink an infusion of fireweed tea and whether there are any contraindications.

It is impossible to describe all the medicinal and healing properties of fireweed (fireweed) and methods of its use in one article. This wonderful grass grows next to us - just go out into the field, and here it is - take it, collect it! Why not get to know her better, and she will thank you for this by giving you a lot of health!

I wish you nice meeting you with our truly Russian tea! Health to you!

Until next time. Sincerely. Elena Shaninia.

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This is a herbaceous perennial plant of the Willowweed (Onager) family. In the language of botany, the herb is called " chamerion», « fireweed”, and popularly received many names: Koporye tea, weeping grass, skrypnik, downy grass, willow grass, Mother of God grass, hoof grass, fire grass. The name “Ivan tea” is associated with the role of the plant in the history of trade, in the era when “ Russian tea", made from fireweed grass, was one of the most exported products from Russia to the countries of Albion and Europe. Traditional and Popular Russian name"Ivan" with light hand foreign dealers and suppliers was firmly entrenched in the name of the then popular drink, which became famous on the world market.

Types of fireweed

Science knows 8 types of fireweed. The most common ones are:

1. 1 Ivan-tea (fireweed) narrow-leaved– has extensive medical use; productive honey plant and plant cultivated for decorative purposes; Fireweed grass is used to make the famous Koporye tea. Grows in temperate climatic zone, in Siberia, in the coniferous forests of the European part of Russia;
2. 2 Broadleaf fireweed– endemic to the North, found in the Arctic and subarctic parts of the Northern Hemisphere. One of the national symbols of Greenland;
3. 3 Ivan-tea Colchis (Caucasian)– a creeping subshrub, the habitat of which is the Alps, subalpine region, mountain slopes of the Caucasus;
4. 4 Ivan-tea Dodoneya- grows in temperate and subarctic regions of North America, Asia and Europe.

Fireweed is a herb with a height of 0.5 to 1.5 m. The stems are straight, round, densely dotted with leaves. The rhizome is creeping and large. The leaf arrangement is alternate, the leaves are lanceolate, sessile, shiny, dark green on top and bluish on the reverse, underside. The flowers are collected in elongated brushes and come in different shades: from pale pink and fuchsia to rich purple and red. There is also fireweed with white flowers. The fruits are elongated capsules. Flowering period is summer months. Willow-herb grows in well-lit forest areas with dry and sandy soil, along crops and railway embankments, on forest edges, on cleared and scorched soils, and in dried-out swamps.

Conditions for growing fireweed

Ivan tea cannot be called a demanding plant in terms of cultivation and care. But the most suitable for it will be loamy, sandy loam and sandy soils and open, maximally illuminated sunlight terrain. The plant produces seeds in huge quantities, the area of ​​which is spread by the wind is very extensive. The optimal way to plant fireweed during cultivation is propagation by dividing the creeping rhizome.

Harvesting fireweed grass begins at the flowering stage. Cut off the tops of the stems with flowers and leaves or just the leaves. Dry the herb in a room with sufficient ventilation, spreading it in a thin layer on a cloth or paper based. The drying process should not be long, since changes in temperature conditions deteriorate the quality of raw materials that are not collected in special paper bags in time and herbal tea partially loses his healing properties.

Power circuit

Fireweed is often used to enrich the composition of green food in the diet of domestic animals.

Useful properties of fireweed tea

Chemical composition and presence of nutrients

What exactly is used and in what form

An infusion or decoction based on the leaves and herbs of fireweed is prescribed for both internal and external use - in the form of rinses and lotions. The infusion is also used for medicinal rinses, compresses, and when treating wounds. A decoction of fireweed flowers is also used both internally and externally.

Medicinal properties of fireweed

According to the chemical composition, willow tea leaves contain: carbohydrates, mucus, pectin, triterpenoids, oleanolic, ursolic, hydroxyursolic and hydroxyleanic acids; caffeic, coumaric, eladic and phenylcarboxylic acids; flavonoids: sexangularetin, kaempferol, quercetin, myricitin; rhamnoside glucoside and quercetin arabinoside; kaempferol rhamnoside; tannins, alkaloids, ascorbic acid and carotene. The components of fireweed leaves also include mineral salts: iron, copper, manganese, nickel, titanium, molybdenum and boron. Fireweed flowers contain anthocyanins, roots contain proteins, phosphorus, calcium and cobalt salts. The seeds contain fatty oils. The composition of fireweed roots includes organic acids, polysaccharides, and starch.

A significant amount of tannins and mucous substances explains the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of willow tea. The plant is used for catarrh of the stomach with increased acidity, for lung diseases; for rinsing with sore throat, inflamed gums; for otitis media, inflammation of the middle and external ear canal; for nosebleeds and sinusitis. A water decoction is used to treat eczema, burns, and skin rashes. Ivan tea is effective for migraines, insomnia and oligomenorrhea.

The substance hanerol, contained in fireweed inflorescences, actively affects tumors and, having low toxicity, suppresses their growth.

The use of fireweed in official medicine

Among the pharmaceutical products that contain fireweed, there are herbal raw materials produced under the name “ Angustifolia fireweed herb" The herbal raw materials of Ivan tea are crushed and prescribed to provide a calming, antispasmodic, antipyretic, and anticonvulsant effect. Contraindications to the use of fireweed herb are pregnancy and intolerance to the components of the plant and a possible allergic reaction associated with this.

Use of fireweed in folk medicine

• For stomach ulcers, colitis and gastritis, use a decoction of fireweed tea: 15 g of herbal raw materials per glass of boiling water. Drink a tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
• For prostatitis, brew a tablespoon of chopped dry fireweed herb in a glass of boiling water. Let it brew, strain and take two tablespoons three times a day before meals.
• For inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, steam 3 tablespoons of chopped herbs in 200 ml of boiling water. Prepare the decoction in a water bath for a quarter of an hour, let it brew, cool, and strain. Prescribe two tablespoons three times a day before meals.
• For prostate adenoma, a decoction of 1.5 tablespoons of dried fireweed leaves and flowers per 200 ml of boiling water is recommended. Take 1 glass in the morning and at night.
• For headaches, pour 3 tablespoons of dry herbal raw materials into a glass of boiling water. Cook in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Drink 2 tablespoons three times a day.
• With the syndrome chronic fatigue Pour 2 tablespoons of fireweed herb into 400 ml of boiling water and bring to a boil over low heat. Take a third of a glass three times a day before meals.
• To improve intestinal function, pour 2 tablespoons of crushed fireweed roots into 400 ml of boiling water. Let it brew for 3 hours. Take 3 tablespoons of decoction on an empty stomach in the morning.

• For anemia, steam a tablespoon of fireweed herb in 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for 2 hours. Take a tablespoon three times a day.
• In combination with anti-cancer therapy, the following collection is recommended: fireweed flowers, St. John's wort herb with flowers, plantain leaves, white acacia flowers (in proportions 2:2:2:1). Brew a teaspoon of the mixture with 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain and take a glass a day.
• For insomnia, pour a tablespoon of crushed fireweed roots with a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, strain. Drink a tablespoon three times a day before meals.
• For hypertension, the famous fireweed honey is recommended, which normalizes blood pressure and is also useful for insomnia.
• For sinusitis, brew two tablespoons of fireweed herb in 0.5 liters of boiling water, bring to a boil and leave for half an hour. Drink a third of a glass three times a day half an hour before meals.
• For pneumonia, brew 15 g of fireweed herb in 1 glass of boiling water and leave for 60 minutes. Drink a third of a glass three times a day 20 minutes before meals.
• For migraines, take herbal raw fireweed and clover in 1:1 proportions. Pour 200 ml of boiling water over a tablespoon of the mixture, let it brew for half an hour, strain. Take as regular tea, up to two glasses per day.
• In case of violations menstrual cycle They recommend tea: a tablespoon of herbs and flowers of fireweed and linden flowers is brewed in a glass of boiling water. Take the strained infusion one cup three times a day.
• For adnexitis, pour 200 ml of boiling water over a tablespoon of a mixture of dry fireweed leaves and fern, and cook for 10 minutes in a water bath. Drink a quarter glass three times a day before meals.
• For menopausal neurosis, tea made from leaves of fireweed and blackberries is useful. A teaspoon of chopped dry fireweed and blackberry leaves is brewed in 200 ml of boiling water, infused and drunk a cup three times a day.

• For bedsores, steam 2 tablespoons of chopped fireweed leaves in a glass of boiling water. Cook the broth over low heat for a quarter of an hour. Let it brew, strain. Use as a liquid for washing bedsores.
• For conjunctivitis, steam a tablespoon of crushed leaves and flowers in 200 ml of boiling water. Cook the decoction over low heat for a quarter of an hour. Let it brew. In the strained and cooled broth, moisten a cotton swab and wipe your eyes.
• For psoriasis, neurodermatitis, eczema, prepare a bath: 0.5 kg of dry fireweed herb and oregano are steamed in a bucket of boiling water. Leave for about an hour, the strained infusion is added to a full bath. Take a bath for a quarter of an hour.
• To prepare a decoction for lotions, rinses, compresses, take 2-3 tablespoons of herbal raw materials per 0.5 liter of water.

Use of fireweed in oriental medicine

Doctors in Tibet recommend Ivan tea for insomnia, headache attacks and attribute to it the properties of a means of suppressing activity cancer cells.

Ivan tea in scientific research

The study of angustifolia fireweed remains relevant for scientists, since the medical potential of this plant has not been fully revealed.

Fireweed is a highly productive honey plant. The honey made from it has a greenish tint, and after crystallization is complete it turns white.

Fireweed flowers are the official emblem of the Canadian state of Yukon.

Fireweed is called a colonizing plant, since this bright and beautiful herb is one of the first to sprout in fires, lands mutilated by human intervention. There is a saying: “The earth does not like fires and immediately calls its children for help. Ivan-chai comes running first.”

Initially, fireweed gained fame as a substitute for traditional Ceylon tea. To prepare the so-called “ Koporye tea“The fireweed leaves were dried, lightly ground, then fermented in tightly closed boxes and finally dried. The leaves treated in this way were brewed as usual. tea drink.

The poetic legend about " fire grass» folded the American Indians. A girl, whose lover was wounded and captured by an enemy tribe, tried to save her beloved. She set fire to the grass around the enemy’s camp, and, taking advantage of the confusion during the fire, carried the groom on her shoulders into the nearby forest. The fugitives were tracked down, and when there was no hope of salvation, a miracle happened - the ground burst into flames where the Indian woman’s moccasins touched it. The flames prevented the pursuers from capturing the young people. And in those places where the saving fire arose, grass grew with amazingly beautiful flowers.

Dangerous properties of fireweed and contraindications

With prolonged and continuous use of willow tea, disruptions in the functioning of the digestive tract are possible. Age restrictions The use of fireweed-based products applies to children under the age of six years. Ivan tea during pregnancy and lactation excludes self-medication and its use should be agreed with a doctor. There may be cases of individual intolerance. For those suffering from thrombophlebitis and thrombosis, it is better to refrain from treatment with fireweed.

Jan-18-2017

What is fireweed

What is fireweed beneficial properties and contraindications, what medicinal properties this plant has, all this is of great interest to those who lead a healthy lifestyle, monitor their health, and are interested in traditional methods treatment, including with the help of medicinal herbs and spices. So we will try to answer these questions in the following article.

Fireweed (lat. Epilóbium) is a genus of herbs or subshrubs of the fireweed family (Onagraceae). Previously, plants of the genus Ivan-tea (lat. Chamaenerion) were also included in the fireweed genus.

Fireweed is a tall herb with long leaves and large dark pink flowers found on all continents in temperate climates. Fireweed prefers well-lit places: flat banks of rivers and streams, meadows, burnt areas and clearings.

The English name for fireweed, or fireweed, means “weed of fires.” On lands devastated by fire, this plant appears first, preparing the conditions for the colonization of other plants in the future.

Fireweed flowers consist of four sepals pink color, four free petals, eight stamens and a bent pistil. All flowers are collected in a pointed brush, they open from six to seven in the morning. At the base of its pink petals it is easy to detect drops of nectar, which the winged workers collect - up to a thousand kilograms from one hectare - then turn it into fragrant light honey. The leaves are lanceolate, alternate, very similar to willow leaves. The seeds are small with white hairs. A hectare of fireweed sows up to four billion such seeds; they have excellent germination capacity and germination energy.

In folk medicine, both the above-ground part of fireweed - leaves and flowers, and the underground - rhizome - are used. Collection of leaves and flowers occurs during the flowering period medicinal plant, and the flowers should not be fully open, since there is a high probability that during the drying process they will turn into seeds. Before drying, the leaves are separated from the shoots and laid out under a canopy in a thin layer.

The roots are harvested after flowering (in autumn period). After digging, the rhizome is cleared of soil and washed well under cold water, after which they are dried in the oven at a temperature of 70 ° C.

What are the benefits of fireweed?

If you examine just 100 g of the green mass of a plant, you will find that it contains 16 mg of manganese, 2.3 mg of iron and copper, 1.3 mg of nickel and titanium, 6 mg of boron and 0.44 mg of molybdenum. These metal particles are excellent stimulants in the process of hematopoiesis.

The roots and leaves of angustifolia fireweed contain 10–20% tannins, up to 0.4% ascorbic acid, carotene, sugars, pectins, mucus, and alkaloids. Fireweed seeds contain up to 40–45% fatty oil.

Before budding, the aerial part of the fireweed contains up to 20% protein, phosphorus salts, calcium, cobalt, and up to 15% mucilage.

Fireweed uses all parts of the plant. So, its roots are boiled and eaten like asparagus; they taste like a cross between asparagus and cauliflower, and are quite nutritious due to great content starch. But the roots not only taste good, they are also useful, as they have a mild laxative effect, preventing constipation. For the same purpose, you can drink fireweed infusion.

A large number of different mineral salts contained in this magical herb - magnesium, calcium and potassium - serve to normalize the functioning of almost all organs of the human body. Fireweed contains a large amount of tannins, which allows it to be used for intestinal disorders.

The healing power of this miracle herb affects all parts of its path through the body, including the urinary tract. Therefore, decoction, infusion or alcohol tincture fireweed is successfully used in the treatment inflammatory diseases urinary tract. For example, for chronic cystitis, which is difficult to treat and prone to relapse, it is simply irreplaceable.

Fireweed contains a lot of vitamins, and the amount of vitamin C in its leaves is three times greater than in orange fruits. Are also included in various parts fireweed sugar and carotene, pectin substances and alkaloids. Oil content in seeds is up to 45%.

Fireweed contains:

• flavonoids (quercetin, kaemferol, which has antispasmodic, choleretic and diuretic effects);
• tannins (up to 20% tannins of the pyrogal group, which have astringent, anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effects);
• mucus (up to 15%, which provides emollient and enveloping properties, the ability to relieve inflammation, relieve pain, soothe and relieve cramps);
• a small amount of alkaloids (these substances are poisonous in large doses, but in small doses they have remarkable healing properties, can improve metabolism, blood circulation, the state of the nervous system and are good painkillers);
• chlorophyll (green plant pigment that absorbs light energy, stimulates wound healing, improves metabolism);
• pectin (this substance increases the shelf life of tea).
• The leaves contain vitamins, especially a lot of carotene (provitamin A) and vitamin C (up to 200–388 mg - 3 times more than in oranges).
• The roots are rich in starch (this is a storage carbohydrate of plants), polysaccharides (these carbohydrates are involved in immune reactions), organic acids (participate in biochemical reactions, play an important role in maintaining the acid-base balance).

In addition, a large number of microelements that stimulate hematopoiesis were found in the leaves of willow tea - iron, copper, manganese and other microelements necessary for metabolism - nickel, titanium, molybdenum, boron.

Fireweed contraindications

There are few contraindications for use of fireweed. In the case of using medicines according to exact recipes, only its positive effect on the body is felt. In case of overdose, mild stomach upset sometimes occurs.

Medicinal properties of fireweed

The unique composition determines the variety of healing properties of fireweed. It also has a mild laxative, emollient, enveloping, wound-healing, analgesic, and anticonvulsant effect. In its anti-inflammatory properties, fireweed is superior to all medicinal plants - it has been scientifically proven that it has the highest anti-inflammatory coefficient among plants! And in terms of its tranquilizing effect (sedative, reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, fear) it has no equal at all.

In folk medicine, fireweed has long been considered an antitumor agent. AND scientific research Confirmed the centuries-old experience of herbalists, the high-molecular compound hanerol was isolated from the inflorescences of fireweed, which exhibits antitumor activity, has relatively low toxicity and a wide range of effects on tumors.

Fireweed gives us:

• prevention of malignant and benign neoplasms;
• enhances potency;
• effective for diseases of the genitourinary system (powerful prevention of prostitis);
• scars stomach and duodenal ulcers;
• increasing immunity to respiratory viral infections;
• prevention of caries;
• improves blood composition;
• reduces intoxication of the body;
• relieves food and alcohol poisoning;
• restores strength when exhausted;
• for stones in the liver, kidneys and spleen diseases;
• strengthens hair roots;
• there is 6.5 times more vitamin C in Ivan tea than in lemon;
• eliminates headache;
• normalizes blood pressure.

The beneficial properties of fireweed help a person in the treatment of many diseases, and you can use them not only when taking infusions and decoctions of fireweed internally, but also when used externally. These can be baths from a decoction of the plant, compresses and rinses.

These baths treat eczema, purulent wounds, and ulcers. Crushed fireweed leaves are also applied to inflamed wounds that do not heal for a long time. Fireweed doused with boiling water is applied in the form of compresses to joints and muscles, relieving painful sensations with such a compress.

The components that make up fireweed help normalize sleep for people suffering from insomnia. Experiments conducted by scientists have shown that fireweed has an anticonvulsant effect, and the drug “Hanerol” obtained from the plant is now being tested as a highly active antitumor agent.

Fireweed for men

The beneficial properties of fireweed for men are worth mentioning separately. According to some herbalists, fireweed can fight prostatitis and prostate adenoma no worse than traditional medicines. As the disease progresses, a benign tumor often forms. With drug treatment, they try to prevent its development with the strongest antibiotics and hormonal drugs, the long-term use of which is fraught with consequences.

In such a situation, the best way out would be to use Koporye tea, which significantly alleviates the symptoms of the disease and also inhibits the development of the tumor. With timely treatment, the disease can disappear altogether, thereby avoiding surgical intervention.

Prostate adenoma

• For adenoma: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dry crushed garlic leaves, 2-3 teaspoons of fireweed, pour 2 cups of boiling water, leave, wrap, then strain and drink 0.7-1 cup 2 times a day, you can on an empty stomach.
• Prostate adenoma: mix 2 parts of fireweed leaves, 1 part of crushed leaves of hazel (hazel). Take 3 teaspoons of the mixture, pour 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 5 minutes, strain. Drink a glass in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening half an hour before bedtime.
• Prostatitis (chronic). Take crushed fireweed and birch leaves in equal parts: 1 tbsp. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over a spoonful of the mixture, leave for 2 hours, strain. Drink 1/3 cup warm 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals. The infusion can also be taken after prostate surgery.
• For the treatment of chronic prostatitis: mix 1 part fireweed herb, 1 part hawthorn flowers. 1 tbsp. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over a spoonful of the herb mixture, leave for 2 hours, strain. The infusion can also be taken after prostate surgery. Drink 1/3 cup warm 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals.
• The following remedy helps with prostate adenoma: take crushed leaves of fireweed, birch, strawberry, hazel in equal parts: pour 100 g of the mixture into 1 liter of dry red wine, leave in a dark place for 1 month, shaking the contents periodically, strain, squeeze out the rest. Drink 25–30 g 3 times a day 30–40 minutes before meals.
• Tincture of fireweed for adenoma: pour 2-3 teaspoons of fireweed into 2 glasses of hot water, let the medicine brew, then strain and drink 1 glass 2 times a day (in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening, 30 minutes before bedtime).
• Prostate adenoma. 3 teaspoons of fireweed herb, 2 teaspoons of roots and parsley herb, pour 3 cups of boiling water, leave for 25 minutes, strain. Drink 2 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day.
• Prostate adenoma. 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fireweed herb and 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of stachys flowers into 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave, covered, for 8-10 hours, strain. Drink 0.5 cups 3 times a day. It can also be used for sexual impotence.

Fireweed for women

Ivan tea is a valuable medicinal plant, from which it is not only made delicious tea, but also therapeutic agents against many diseases. What benefits can this plant provide to the female body and what female diseases will it help cure or prevent?

Consult your doctor and try these recipes:

• Recipe for treating leucorrhoea in women: 2 tbsp. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over tablespoons of crushed fireweed roots, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 2 hours, strain. Drink 1/3 glass 3 times a day before meals.
• For leucorrhoea in women: pour 2 tbsp. spoons of chopped fireweed root and 2 tbsp. spoons of viburnum berries pour 2 cups of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 2 hours, strain. Drink a third of a glass 3 times a day before meals.
• Leucorrhoea for women: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fireweed roots, 1 teaspoon of anise fruit, chop. Take 2 g of powder daily.
• Leucorrhoea for women: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of chopped fireweed roots and 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of barberry berries with a glass of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 2 hours, strain. Drink 1/3 glass 3 times a day before meals.
• Heavy menstruation: 1 tbsp. spoon of fireweed leaves, 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of yarrow herb into 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink a glass of infusion a day in several doses, or 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day before meals.
• For heavy, debilitating menstruation: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of fireweed leaves into 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink a glass of infusion a day in several doses, or 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day before meals.
• Heavy menstruation: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fireweed leaves and 2 tbsp. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over spoons of dry crushed barberry leaves, leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink 1 tbsp. spoon 3-4 times a day before meals.
• Heavy menstruation: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of a mixture of fireweed leaves and grapes into a glass of boiling water, leave and take 0.5 cups 2 times a day.
• Heavy menstruation: 1 tbsp. pour a spoon of fireweed leaves, 1 teaspoon of cherry stalk powder with a glass of boiling water, keep on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Take 14 glasses 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
• Heavy menstruation: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of a mixture of fireweed herbs and purple bells into a glass of boiling water. This is the oldest remedy for infectious sexual diseases.
• Heavy menstruation and frequent miscarriages: drink tea from fireweed and strawberry leaves constantly. Take 1 teaspoon of a mixture of these herbs, brew a glass of boiling water, infuse, strain and drink as tea.
• To normalize scanty or heavy menstrual bleeding, tea is useful: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of a mixture of dry fireweed leaves and chamomile flowers with a glass of boiling water, leave, wrapped, for 20 minutes, strain. Drink 2 tbsp. spoons 3 times a day.
• For uterine bleeding during menopause, heavy and painful menstruation, you can drink tea daily: mix fireweed leaves and flowering heads of red clover. 1 tbsp. Pour a spoonful of the mixture into a glass of boiling water, leave, strain and drink as tea 3 times a day.
• For menstrual irregularities, tea made from linden and fireweed flowers is useful: 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of a mixture of leaves and flowers of fireweed and linden flowers into a glass of boiling water, leave, strain and drink a cup 3 times a day.
• In the treatment of adnexitis (inflammation of the ovaries): 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of a mixture of dry fern leaves and fireweed leaves with a glass of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes in a water bath and take 14 glasses 3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 2–3 weeks. It is advisable to repeat it after a month.
• During menopause it helps to remove unpleasant symptoms following recipe: half liter jar cover with crushed dry fireweed flowers, pour in 0.5 liters of vodka, close with a lid and leave for 1 month. Shake occasionally. Take 30 drops on a spoon of water 3 times a day.
• During menopause, fill half a liter jar with crushed dry fireweed flowers, half mixed with nasturtium leaves, pour in 0.5 liters of vodka, close the lid and leave for 1 month. Shake occasionally. Take 30 drops on a spoon of water 3 times a day. The tincture relieves headaches, reduces rapid heartbeat, and removes swelling. Relieves irritation.
• Menopausal neurosis is perfectly treated by tea made from fireweed and blackberry leaves. You should take 1 teaspoon of the mixture of these dry leaves, pour a glass of boiling water, leave and drink a cup 3 times a day.

Recipes from the book by Yu. Konstantinov “Yarrow, fireweed. Natural medicines."

Fireweed in diets for weight loss

You can lose weight with the help of fireweed quite easily, without risk to your health. There are several methods for losing weight using this product, and you should choose the option that suits you best.

Fireweed contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Its regular use allows you not only to get rid of extra pounds, but also to normalize metabolism, which cannot always be counted on during weight loss diets.

Fireweed is also useful in that it improves blood composition, metabolism, cleanses the liver and kidneys, and is very useful for young mothers who are forced to gain overweight during pregnancy.

Usually, tea from this plant is used as a means for weight loss. To prepare tea for weight loss, you must follow certain rules:

• tea from dried leaves should be prepared in such a way as to preserve the beneficial properties of the plant as much as possible;
• Fireweed leaves need to be thoroughly washed and dried. Then they are placed in a pan and covered with damp gauze. Here they will be under pressure for 10-12 hours;

Fireweed can be bought at a pharmacy or store, but tea prepared independently will contain much more useful substances for your body.

Ivan tea, medicinal properties and contraindications, will tell you about the original Russian drink with its unique history. The article provides recipes for cooking, chemical composition plants, as well as features of administration and contraindications.

Ivan tea description, photo

Ivan tea (Chamerion) is herbaceous perennial plant, it belongs to the Willowweed family. This plant is known by many names, there are more than a dozen of them: Willow grass (due to the fact that the leaves are similar to willow leaves), Fireweed, Red Flower, Wild Flax, Wild Violet, Field Sage, etc., but the most common and familiar name – Ivan tea, Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium).

In the old days, Fireweed was also called Wild Hemp, and it was used as a raw material for making fabric, since its stems provide about 15% fiber, flour was even made from its roots, and cotton wool was produced from the fluff released during flowering, for which the plant was also called Down Jacket .

Ivan tea grows up to 2 meters, average height is 1.5 meters. The stem of the plant is straight, with dense foliage, root system creeping, with additional vegetative buds. The leaves are simple, up to 12 centimeters long, 2 centimeters wide, wedge-shaped, in some cases almost completely round, green on top, dark green, less often pink or reddish below.

Flowers of both sexes, up to 3 centimeters in diameter, are collected at the top in a tassel up to half a meter in length, have pink, red, purple colors, and there are species with white flowers. Flowering usually occurs in mid-July and lasts up to 35 days.

The fruit is presented in the form of a slightly fluffy capsule containing oblong seeds. Fruit ripening occurs in late summer, early autumn.

The plant is light-loving, grows mainly in open areas, in temperate climates, and is found in subarctic latitudes. One of the main conditions for growth is the presence of water bodies - rivers, lakes - near them, since Ivan tea requires high humidity at night. The shrub prefers to grow away from other plants, this is explained by the relative weakness of its seeds, so when choosing places for sowing, this circumstance must be taken into account, otherwise fireweed may not take root.

Origin story

Fireweed has been known in Rus' for a long time; it was used to make fabric, cotton wool, and was also used as a drink called Russian tea or Koporye tea (after the name of the village where the production of this drink first began). Ivan tea began to be brewed back in the 12th century, in monasteries, since Chinese tea was banned there for its stimulating properties. When the raw materials were prepared, traditional fermentation was not used in preparing tea leaves - the leaves were simply dried or dried.

The greatest spread of the drink began in Catherine’s times thanks to the trip of the landowner Savelov to China. Upon returning to Russia, he began producing a substitute for Chinese tea based on fireweed. Due to the cheapness of this plant, the drink from it spread throughout the empire - a pound of Russian tea cost almost a hundred times cheaper than Chinese tea. The production technology was no different from the Chinese - the leaves were scalded with boiling water, then dried using hot stones.

Due to its cheapness, Koporye tea began to be mixed with Chinese tea, producing a falsified product, as a result of which, after complaints from tea traders, in 1839 it was forbidden to consume, collect and grow this plant.
However, in the 19th century, Russian tea again became so popular that it competed with the East India Tea Company and its famous Indian tea. Subsequently, after lawsuits and scandals, supplies stopped completely in 1917.

Chemical composition

The plant has the following chemical composition:

• tannins represented by tannin;
• polysaccharides;
• fiber;
• ascorbic acid;
• carotenes;
• routine;
• protein;
• flavonoids;
• organic acids;
• pectin.

Tannin has an anti-inflammatory effect, it will be extremely useful for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; this substance also binds and removes toxins from the body. Polysaccharides increase activity, fiber is necessary for proper operation intestines, carotene is involved in the synthesis of vitamin A. Ivan tea contains 5 times more ascorbic acid than lemon, and pectin improves metabolism and digestion, and it also removes cholesterol.

Flavonoids represented by quercetin and kaempferol strengthen vascular system. This shrub contains quite a lot of trace elements such as iron, manganese and copper, and small amounts of potassium, calcium and alkaloids were found.

In addition to vitamin C, the medicinal herb also contains B vitamins (B2, B6), vitamin A, folic and nicotinic acids.

Medicinal properties of fireweed

The medicinal properties of angustifolia fireweed have been known for a long time; currently the popularity of this herb is growing, this is not surprising, because with its help it is possible to cure many ailments and increase the body’s immune defense.

Ivan tea has virtually no contraindications for use, so it can be consumed even by pregnant women. The drink made from this herb does not contain caffeine, it will have a mild sedative effect, similar to valerian, which makes it calming. nervous system, helps with stress. The substances contained in the composition, especially vitamin C, B and A, will have a general strengthening effect and increase the protective functions of the body.

You should also pay attention to the ability to bind toxins and remove heavy metals from the body. Having such properties, fireweed is especially recommended for people living in places with poor ecology, residents of megacities with developed industry. Regular use of fireweed tea helps strengthen the cardiovascular system, normalize metabolic processes, and improve immunity.

In folk medicine, it is used as a remedy for the prevention and treatment of the following diseases:

1. Anemia.
2. Gastrointestinal diseases (ulcers, colitis, pancreatitis).
3. Diseases of the genitourinary system in women and men.
4. High blood pressure (hypertension).
5. Acute respiratory diseases.
6. Skin diseases.
7. Neuroses, depression, stress.
8. Menstrual irregularities due to hormonal imbalances.
9. Auxiliary therapy for oncology.

Possessing a large number useful microelements and vitamins, this plant has a healing effect on almost the entire body.

How to brew fireweed tea

To reveal all the beneficial and medicinal properties of this plant, it is necessary to properly prepare the raw materials; this process can be roughly divided into three stages:

• Collection.
• Fermentation
• Drying.

Collection of raw materials

First of all, it is necessary to collect the leaves - collection is done during the flowering period, since at this moment the concentration of useful substances in the leaves is maximum. After this, the raw materials must be washed and dried. Then the leaves are dried - laid out on any surface and left for about a day, stirring occasionally.

Fermentation

The next stage is fermentation. Slightly dried leaves are rolled into small tubes with your palms, placed in a bowl, preferably enameled, covered with a damp cloth, and left to ripen for 12 hours. The temperature should be within 25-28 degrees. A sign that the leaves have gone through the fermentation process is the appearance of a light floral aroma.

Drying

After fermentation, the raw materials are crushed with scissors and dried in an oven at a temperature of 50 degrees, the door should be slightly open. For better drying It is desirable to have ventilation, but if it is not available, an open oven door or drying chamber will suffice.

Properly prepared leaves have a dark tea color, break easily, but do not turn into dust. Next comes the brewing process itself. Fireweed is brewed like regular tea - at the rate of a teaspoon per glass.

Healing properties for men

Angustifolia fireweed is popularly called “men’s herb” for its beneficial properties for men’s health. Decoctions and infusions of this herb are used in the treatment and prevention of such common ailments as:

• prostatitis;
• impotence;
• prostate adenoma.

It is also used after prostate surgery due to its excellent antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. Use in urological practice is due to the plant’s ability to stop the transformation of the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, with the increased formation of which and accumulation in the prostate tissue, adenoma develops.

In the treatment of these diseases, antibiotics and hormonal therapy are often used, which, with long-term use, negatively affects health. Alternative traditional methods treatment – ​​Koporye tea, a natural remedy that does not cause side effects Moreover, it is able to stop the development of tumors, thereby reducing the risks of an unfavorable course of the disease.

The flavonoids that make up Ivan tea improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system and strengthen the walls of blood vessels, so this remedy will be useful for impotence. A simple infusion recipe will help with erectile dysfunction: pour 5 grams of dried leaves and flowers with 250 milliliters of boiling water, cover with a towel and leave for one hour. You should drink the product 3 times a day before meals, 50 milliliters. The course of treatment is one month.

Important! It is imperative to take a break between courses of treatment. Ivan tea should not be drunk for more than 1 month, since the coumarins included in the composition accumulate in the liver and can negatively affect its functioning.

For women

Decoctions and infusions of field sage will help cope with various pathologies women's health. Positive dynamics are observed when:

1. Painful menstruation.
2. Thrush.
3. Infertility due to soldering of the fallopian tubes.
4. Menorrhagia (heavy menstruation).

Relief from painful symptoms during menstruation is achieved due to the analgesic properties of some components of the plant, as well as the high content of vitamin C.

In the fight against thrush or, as it is also called “leucorrhoea,” a decoction will help, which should be drunk three times a day before meals.
Infertility due to the soldering of the fallopian tubes is treated with medication, however, fireweed tea is often used as an auxiliary therapy, since the substances included in the composition strengthen the blood vessels, making them more elastic, which affects the entire body, including the walls of the uterus .

The juice of the plant will help normalize menstruation, which should be drunk four times a day, about one tablespoon, but no more. In order to make the taste more pleasant, you can add honey.

The antibacterial effect will help with fungal infections of the woman’s genital organs by restoring normal microflora.

In addition, fireweed will be useful for nursing mothers - it increases the secretion breast milk. For girls and women who want to normalize their weight, wild flax will be a real godsend - its micro and macroelements help speed up and normalize metabolism, which undoubtedly affects weight loss.

Attention! During pregnancy, consultation with a doctor is required!

Recipes for oncology

The ability of this plant to slow down the growth of cancer cells is achieved due to the presence of a biologically active compound called “hanerol”. This natural substance is not inferior in antitumor activity to medications. The value of this herb in the treatment of cancer lies in the fact that the active substances affect the DNA of cancer cells, which leads to their death without affecting healthy cells.

Prescription against cancer

Pour 500 milliliters of boiling water over a tablespoon of dried inflorescences and leave for 2 hours. After the infusion has cooled, it should be strained and drunk three times a day, 100 milliliters before meals.

An important point in preparing the infusion is that the raw material cannot be boiled, it must be poured hot water(no more than 90 degrees). When boiling, most of the beneficial substances disintegrate and the healing effect is reduced.

During pregnancy

Having high medicinal value and a minimum of contraindications, fireweed is recommended for use during pregnancy. The healing effect on the body of expectant mothers is due to the high concentration of nutrients that will benefit not only the female body, but also the unborn child.

Vitamin C contained in large quantities increases the body's protective functions and prevents the development of many diseases, especially colds. This product will be especially useful in the first 3 months, since taking medications and chemicals is not recommended during this period. Vitamin B, in turn, is necessary for proper development fetus

Minerals such as iodine, manganese, iron, potassium improve metabolic processes, help normalize blood circulation, and enrich the body with oxygen. Pectin binds and removes toxins, tannin normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, it will be especially useful because problems with stool are quite common during pregnancy.

Also a drink from medicinal herb helps cope with the symptoms of toxicosis. Contraindications for use during pregnancy include individual intolerance, but this is rare; do not forget about the dosage: you can drink no more than two cups of the drink per day. The recipe is very simple: you need to take a clean enamel dishes, a couple of teaspoons of dry herbs and two glasses of boiling water. Leave the broth for literally 5-10 minutes, then squeeze it out.

Important! During pregnancy, consult your doctor about individual intolerances.

Healing folk recipes

For headaches

Headaches can occur for various reasons: sleep disturbances, poor nutrition, frequent stress, vascular problems. To eliminate the cause of the pain, of course, you need to consult a specialist, but the symptoms can be alleviated using the following recipe.

It is necessary to mix the same amount of dry mint, fireweed and oregano. The mixture is poured with a quarter liter of boiling water and left under the lid for one hour. After the infusion has cooled, it is filtered and the entire volume is drunk at a time.
The combination of natural analgesics will quickly relieve pain.

To improve memory

Since field sage contains substances that improve and strengthen blood vessels, this remedy will have a beneficial effect on brain activity, especially on memory. For maximum effect a medicinal collection is used, consisting of equal parts:

• fireweed;
• red clover (three parts each);
• two parts of birch leaves;
• parts of St. John's wort.

The herbs are mixed, then one spoon of the mixture must be poured with 250 milliliters of boiling water and left for 30 minutes. You need to drink the product throughout the day, the course of therapy is 3 weeks.

An infusion will help improve memory: pour 2 heaping tablespoons of dried inflorescences with a glass of boiling water and leave in a thermal container for 5 hours. Drink the infusion 3-4 times a day before meals.

Against insomnia

With a mild, sedative effect similar to that of valerian, this plant relieves stress, calms the nerves and helps you fall asleep quickly and deeply. To do this, use the following recipe for alcohol tincture.

For 500 milliliters of vodka, take ten spoons of dry raw materials. Leave the finished mixture for 7-10 days at room temperature. The tincture needs to be shaken periodically - once every couple of days. After infusion, the product is filtered and drunk 30 drops twice a day - at lunch and immediately before bed.

Harm and contraindications

The advantage of this medicinal plant is that it has virtually no contraindications. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that, like any other medicinal herbs, fireweed cannot be consumed for a long time without breaks. The maximum period of use is one month, after which a break of several weeks is necessary. Before use, you should also consult a doctor. Contraindications include:

— we have already written about them on the pages of this site). And there is also Russian, but not Krasnodar, which has already lost its status as “the northernmost in the world”, thanks to our British friends, who collected the first tons of their English tea leaves two years ago. Undeservedly relegated to secondary roles, Ivan tea, which is fireweed, fireweed, and Koporye, plus a good two dozen other names, is truly our national drink. Since time immemorial, fireweed has been a welcome guest on tables “both in palaces and in huts.” Europeans bought fireweed tea by the thousands, the beneficial properties and taste of which were highly valued.

Beneficial from root to top

Fireweed grows almost throughout the vast territory of Russia, and is not at all picky about weather conditions. Its above-ground part is harvested from July to September (during the flowering period), the roots - in spring or autumn. Flowers, leaves, stems, roots contain:

• tannins(mainly of the pyrogallic group. They have a hemostatic, astringent and anti-inflammatory effect);
• (kaempferol, . Have antispasmodic, diuretic and choleretic properties);
• (demanded by bone and connective tissue);
• mucous substances(have enveloping properties, relieve pain, inflammation, soothe cramps);
• alkaloids(in small doses they have a stimulating effect on metabolism, blood circulation, and are analgesics);
• (thanks to him, fireweed can be stored for a long time);
• (stimulates metabolism, has a powerful wound-healing effect);
• polysaccharides(irreplaceable participants in immune processes);
• organic acids(maintain normal acid-base balance);
• macro- And microelements(iron, manganese - stimulate the process of hematopoiesis. Nickel, molybdenum, boron - necessary for normal metabolism).

Due to its impressive composition, Ivan tea has very extensive medicinal properties. It has an excellent sedative effect (at the level of valerian) and is used for insomnia, irritability, and various neuroses (that’s why people called it “drowsy”). The astringent ability of fireweed infusions is generally recognized; they are indicated for disorders of the digestive system. Preparing this infusion is very simple:

• 1 tablespoon of dried fireweed herb is poured into a glass of boiling water;
• infused in a warm place;
• After 2 hours, strain.

The resulting infusion is drunk 1 tablespoon 3 or 4 times a day.

Crushed leaves of fireweed are applied to wounds, which thanks to this heal very quickly.

The anti-inflammatory properties of fireweed are successfully used in the complex treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system, such as acute and chronic cystitis. There are facts about the very successful use of medicinal infusions of this plant to get rid of prostatitis.

Ivan tea has an antibacterial effect, due to which it is widely used to treat stomatitis, gingivitis, and sore throat.

In addition, it is recommended to drink fireweed infusions for inflammation of the pancreas: 3 tablespoons of dried leaves are brewed with 0.6 liters of boiling water and left for about 10 minutes. Then filter and take a quarter glass warm before and after each meal.

This wonderful plant also has a beneficial effect on.

Ivan tea has also found application in cooking. Very tasty and healthy salads can be prepared using its young shoots:

• 100 g fireweed shoots;
• 50 g green onions;
• 2 tablespoons;
• ¼ small lemon;
• 20 g sour cream;
• salt and ground black pepper - according to taste.

Leaves with stems are dipped in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, finely chopped, add chopped green onions, mixed with sour cream, into which lemon has previously been squeezed.

Hunters offer their own recipe (all components are taken “by eye”): chop young shoots of fireweed, silverweed and sorrel, salt the resulting green mixture, season with spicy tomato sauce, decorate their creation with slices of cool. It makes a good addition to dishes made from hunting trophies.

And ground dried fireweed roots are added to flour, and products baked from it acquire a very pleasant taste.

Fireweed is an excellent honey plant; its flowers attract many bees. Experts have calculated that up to 1 ton of excellent honey is collected from 1 hectare of fireweed plantation.

Ivan tea does not need to be specially grown...

The name speaks for itself

Up to late XIX centuries, Great Britain itself was one of the main buyers of our fireweed tea. The residents of Rzhev district, as well as the village of Koporye, which is located 100 km from St. Petersburg, were the most successful in its production. This locality and gave another name to the drink - Koporye tea. The recipe for making it, which has not been patented, is something like this:

• they collected young leaves of fireweed and dried them;
• they were poured into tubs and scalded with boiling water;
• transferred to troughs, ground until juice appeared;
• kept from 12 to 24 hours;
• laid out on baking sheets and finally dried in a Russian oven;
• cooled, crushed again and packaged in linen bags.

The result was Russian fermented tea, extremely healthy and very tasty. He was a worthy competitor to his overseas brothers.

To fully appreciate the taste of any drink, you need to know how to prepare it. What can you say about Ivan tea, how to brew it? This very important process consists of the following steps:

1. The kettle must be rinsed with boiling water. Pour 2-3 teaspoons of tea leaves into it, add 0.5 liters of boiling water. Some experts recommend cooling it to 80 degrees. It is better to use purified or spring water.
2. You should first fill the kettle one third of the way, wait about 5 minutes, then add the rest of the water. There is no need to wrap the teapot.
3. Let the drink sit for another 10 minutes, after which you can begin your tea feast.
4. The tea leaves can be poured with boiling water 4-5 times, due to which the taste of fireweed tea will be revealed more and more fully.
5. It is better to drink Koporye tea without sugar. Dried fruits and honey are appropriate.
6. This drink can be safely stored for 2-3 days, and its beneficial properties remain unchanged. It can also be consumed chilled.

Ivan tea is good in all respects; contraindications to its use are individual intolerance, as well as excessive fanaticism (you shouldn’t get too carried away, everything is good in moderation).

A natural question may arise: for what reason did Russia suddenly stop producing such a healthy and popular drink, the cost of which was very low? The answer is painfully familiar: unfair competition and betrayal of national interests in the name of one’s own benefit.

The fact is that at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the British realized that Russian tea was displacing goods supplied by their East India Company from this market segment. Then they started a real persecution of our fireweed, spreading rumors that this product is ground with white clay, which is supposedly very harmful to health. This slander had an effect: purchases of Russian tea fell sharply.

Moreover, on the domestic market, the Koporye drink was stabbed in the back. Under pressure from the then tea oligarchs, who supplied imported tea to the Russian market, at the beginning of the 20th century, changes were made to the “Industrial Legislation”: “The sale of poorly baked bread, meat of unhealthy livestock and livestock, drunken and Koporye teas is prohibited.”

So Russian tea became a banned drink in its own country.

However, in lately There has been a steady increase in interest in this drink. First of all, because its chemical composition has already been studied quite well and its healing properties have been appreciated. Moreover, fireweed tea does not contain caffeine, many scientists are sounding the alarm about its very harmful effects on the human body.

A number of Russian companies have begun to master the production of Koporye tea on an industrial scale, because it grows literally under your feet, does not require care, and the processing technology, including fermentation, is not at all complicated. All that remains is to remind the Russians of their national drink– Ivan tea, because its beneficial properties are truly great. And perhaps in a few years, instead of pu-erh or milk oolong, you will gather over a cup of Koporye tea...