Coin Loosestrife, Or Meadow Tea

Loosestrife, or meadow tea, is a perennial plant that belongs to the primrose family (Primulaceae). It has many popular names, such as leech grass, coin grass, snake root, thousand disease herb and wound grass. Monetary loosestrife is used in folk medicine and has a fairly pronounced healing effect due to the content of tannins, saponins, the enzyme primverase and silicic acid.

The botanical species of loosestrife is a perennial plant with a creeping stem that can reach a length of 10 to 50 cm and often takes root at the nodes. It has a tetrahedral stem, which is usually simple, poorly branched, with opposite short-petioled leaves, round to elliptical in shape, entire. The relatively large flowers, located on stalks, are golden-yellow in color and have glands in the form of dark pink dots. Loosestrife needs moisture, so it grows only in wet meadows, along coastal slopes and ditches filled with water, in thickets of bushes in damp places.

The collection of loosestrife is done with the roots during flowering. The roots are freed from adhering soil and the plants are dried in a ventilated, shaded place. The active ingredients of loosestrife include tannins, saponins, the enzyme primverase and silicic acid.

In scientific medicine, loosestrife is not used, but in folk medicine it is used for rheumatism and gout, for diarrhea and internal bleeding. In addition, its decoction is used as a means for healing wounds, especially those that fester and do not heal for a long time. In tea mixtures, loosestrife is used as a healing plant for coughs. Its active ingredients justify such use, and mallow leaves, for example, will not be harmed by the addition of a drug containing saponin.

My special advice is that mallow tea with loosestrife is a good drink for those suffering from dust lung diseases (pneumoconiosis) or emphysema who, especially in the morning, have difficulty coughing and clearing mucus. Loosestrife tea should be drunk in small sips, as in large doses it can cause nausea and vomiting. It is also not recommended to use loosestrife during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as in children under 12 years of age. In any case, before using loosestrife as a medicinal plant, you should consult your doctor.