2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Thunderbolt / Ononis spinosa L. / is a perennial semi-shrub plant that reaches a height of 60 cm. It has a branched and prickly stem, many-headed rhizome.
The leaves of thunder are thick and trifoliate, the flowers are pinkish red, and in rare cases are white. The thunder blossoms in the months of June-September. Its fruit is a bean with 2-4 seeds.
The healing properties of the thunderbolt have been known since ancient times. Virtually all parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes, but the most valuable are the roots.
Composition of thunder
The roots of thunder contain 0.20% essential oil, sugars, resins, starch, tannins and up to 10% mineral salts.
The biologically active substances in the herb are the isoflavone glycosides ononin, which breaks down into glucose, formononetin and onospin. The sweet taste is due to the glycoside ononide.
Collect thunder
Thunderbolt grows throughout the country, in dry, sandy and grassy places, on river banks. It occurs up to 1500 meters above sea level. There are several types of thunder in Bulgaria. The most common are goat thunder, bent thunder, deceptive thunder. All species are very similar and have similar healing properties.
The roots of the herb are used, which are collected in autumn, after the ripening of the fruits / August-October / or before flowering / April-May /.
They are very easy to remove after rain when pulling only one of the branches. They are cleaned and washed, then dried in the sun.
Properly dried roots should have a gray-brown color on the outside and pale yellow on the inside. They have a specific smell and a bland taste. Store in shady and ventilated rooms.
Benefits of thunder
Thunderbolt has excellent diuretic and anti-inflammatory action. It is used for kidney stones and sand, edema, chronic inflammation of the urinary tract, gout, rheumatism, skin problems and more.
It is proved that the extracts from thunder lower blood pressure and increase the amplitude of heartbeats.
Aqueous and alcoholic extracts reduce the permeability and fragility of capillaries, which gives reason to use them as hemostatic agents for varicose veins, hemorrhoids and others.
Thunderbolt finds very wide application in the fight against obesity. It can be used alone, but is used in many preparations that aim to help the weight loss process. The thunderbolt also helps to reduce cellulite, which is often accompanied by water retention in the body.
The herb is one of those that have the ability to speed up metabolic processes, melting fat cells and reducing appetite.
It is for this reason that thunder is a very good alternative to diets. Thunder tea can be drunk in the so-called. unloading diets.
Folk medicine with thunder
In Bulgarian folk medicine, thunder is also used in the treatment of skin rashes, thorns, infertility, hemorrhoids, gout, difficulty urinating.
1 tbsp. from the roots is boiled with 500 ml of water. After 15 minutes, the infusion is filtered and taken 3-4 times a day.
The infusion is the best form of intake thunder, because in this way the content of essential oil in it is preserved.
Damage from thunder
The thunderbolt should be taken under the supervision of a specialist. No side effects are known, but it is good to follow the daily doses.
Some people who are intolerant to the herb may experience heartburn. In this case, discontinuation is recommended.
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Thunderbolt Helps Us Lose Weight
There are herbs that can help in the process of fighting weight. Of course, these plants are by no means miraculous - you will not be able to lose weight if you rely only on decoctions. You also need to make some physical effort for the herbs to have an effect on your body.
