Mallow Lohnaya.

Malva Lokhnaya: properties and application in medicine and cosmetology

Forest mallow (Malva sylvestris) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the malvaceae family, common in the European part of Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. It grows in gardens, in weedy places, along fences, on slopes and roadsides, as well as among bushes. Forest mallow can reach a height of one meter, and has a tap root that provides it with a strong anchorage in the soil.

The stem of the mallow is erect and slightly branched, hairy. The leaves are petiolate, deeply serrate-five-lobed, rounded and serrated along the edge. Between July and September, mallow blooms with white or pink flowers that grow from the axils of the leaves. The mallow fruits are dry and disintegrate into kidney-shaped achenes.

In medicine and cosmetology, mallow flowers and leaves, and sometimes roots, are used. The flowers are collected in the budding stage, when they acquire a pink color. The roots are dug up in the fall. The raw materials are dried outdoors in the shade or in a warm room. Flowers and leaves are stored in a closed glass container, and roots in a wooden container for no more than 2 years.

Raw mallow contains ascorbic acid, carotene, tannins and coloring substances (malvin), sugar and a lot of mucilage. Mallow preparations have anti-inflammatory, enveloping and expectorant effects, and also regulate the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

An infusion of flowers is used for inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, especially with hoarseness and debilitating cough without sputum production. Along with taking it orally, it is also gargled 5-8 times a day. For inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the infusion is sweetened. Mallow is also effective for renal colic and inflammation of the pancreas.

Externally, mallow is used in the form of poultices and ointments for skin irritation, burns and hemorrhoids. If you have a disease of the spleen, take hot baths at night from the herbs of mallow, Chernobyl, green oats and chamomile flowers. For one procedure, the raw materials are taken in equal quantities (150 g each), pour 5 liters of water and boil for 20 minutes.

D