Beechruha Officinalis, Or Eodian Cress.

Beechruha Officinalis, Or Eodian Cress

Perennial herbaceous plant of the cabbage family. The stem is erect, hollow, grooved. The leaves are petiolate, notched-crenate, pinnately dissected, opposite, arranged in pairs.

The upper leaf of the stem is somewhat oval. Blooms from May to September. The flowers are white, located at the top of the stem.

The fruit is a slightly swollen pod.

The watercress is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Under natural conditions, it is occasionally found in swamps and springs, on rocky and gravelly soil.

Propagated by seeds and cuttings. It grows well and produces a lot of greenery with plenty of moisture and a water temperature of 1°C. 12°C.

This plant is also used as green fodder for cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. Fresh greens seasoned with mayonnaise or vegetable oil are served as a seasoning for meat and fish dishes, as they have a sharp mustard taste and improve appetite.

The medicinal raw material is herbs.

In culture, it is cut 40-45 days after planting the seedlings, when the plants reach a height of 40-45 cm and the leaves are 25-40 cm. The raw materials are knitted into bundles, placed in baskets, then dried.

The plant is rich in vitamins and microelements and does not contain sugar.

There is much more vitamin C and carotene in watercress than in onion leaves. The grass contains essential oil, iodine, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, phosphorus, sodium and vitamin E, and the seeds contain fatty oil, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. The main advantage of this plant is that the vitamins and microelements in it are balanced.

Zherukha is used as a vitamin, diuretic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, laxative, tonic and metabolism regulating agent.

In folk medicine, watercress is used for vitamin deficiency, anemia, skin rashes, itchy skin, burns, rheumatism, gout, diseases of the gall and bladder, upper respiratory tract, thyroid gland, diabetes and cholelithiasis.

There is information about the positive effect of fresh plant juice on anemia, liver disease, kidney and bladder stones, inflammation of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.

To prepare the juice, the plant is washed well in running water, scalded with boiling water, passed through a meat grinder, the juice is squeezed out through a canvas cloth, diluted with hot water 2 times and boiled for 1-2 minutes. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals. If your gums are bleeding, you can use it to brush your teeth 2-3 times a day.

The juice is consumed for weight loss and to prevent atherosclerosis.

You can make an infusion from fresh herbs. To do this, 40 g of raw material is poured into 1 liter of hot water, boiled for 5 minutes, filtered and cooled.

Take 1 glass 3 times a day before meals.

When treating burns, removing warts and wen, ointment is used. To prepare it, mix 2 tablespoons of juice and 50 g of butter until smooth.