Kidney Tea.

Kidney tea

An evergreen branched subshrub of the Lamiaceae family, up to 1.5 m high. In cultivation, it is an annual herbaceous plant no more than 70-80 cm high. The leaves are petiolate, oblong-ovate, opposite. The stems are tetrahedral, knotty, purple at the bottom and greenish-purple at the top.

Blooms in July-August. The flowers are lilac, collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence. The fruit consists of 1-4 nuts.

Kidney tea is cultivated in Transcaucasia. Propagated by young leafy shoot tips, cutting 2-3 internodes each. Root in water, soil or a greenhouse.

The soil is prepared from fertile soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 3:1:1. The planting depth must be at least 12 cm. The optimal temperature for plant growth during rooting is 24-28°C.

After cutting from the mother plant, the cuttings are treated with a heteroauxin solution for better rooting.

Rooted plants are planted on ridges with the application of fertilizers. Fertilize with nitrogen and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Acidic soils are limed.

Leaves and shoot tips serve as medicinal raw materials. They are collected several times per season. The raw materials are dried, then dried in a dryer at 60-70°C.

Kidney tea contains the glycoside orthosiphon, alkaloids, essential oil, saponins, flavonoids, etc. It has a diuretic, choleretic and antispasmodic effect.

Used for kidney and urinary tract diseases, cholelithiasis, gout, diabetes.

Prepare an aqueous infusion at the rate of 3 tablespoons of raw materials per glass of boiling water. Take 1/2-1/3 glass 2-3 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals or after meals, depending on the indications. The course of treatment is 4-5 months.