Health Benefits of Silverweed

Silverweed

Silverweed, also known as goosegrass, is a plant used in treating various affections of the body.

Description

Silverweed is a herbaceous plant, with ascending branches and a horizontal stem. Its leaves are silver colored on their back, and its flowers are yellow. The plant prefers wet soils, on river shores, lakes and wet glades.

Properties

The plant is rich in tannins, bitter, flavonic substances, mineral salts, and essential oil. Because of these properties, silverweed has many benefic effects, being astringent, spasmolitic, analgesic, anti-diuretic, cicatrizing and haemostatic.

Treatments

   Silverweed is used both internally and externally in treating various affections of the body. Internally it is used as a tea to calm stomach colics, also adjusts abundant menstruation and relieves pain.

   In case of renal calculosis (kidney stones) and arthritis, a longer tea treatment is recommended using this plant.

   In popular medicine, silverweed is used for treating severe diarrhea, bleeding, uric lithiasis, vaginal leaking, skin ulcerations, and anemia.

   Externally, the plant is used under the form of local washing in cases of leucorrhoea. For treating skin ulcerations and gum inflammations, poultices can be applied, imbued with tea.

Silverweed is used in treating irritated and greasy complexions, under the form of cold cataplasms or pulverizations, having the property of calming the complexion.

Mixtures

Silverweed tea is obtained from the herb's leaves, sometimes also adding the roots. Two teaspoons of leaves are added to half a liter of water. After a quarter of an hour, the liquid is filtered and drunk while warm during the period of a day, in three portions, after the main meals.

Pulverization is done in the following way: the complexion is washed with an infusion obtained out of two teaspoons of crushed plant to which 300 ml of water is added, it is boiled and then the bowl is covered, leaving it to cool down.

Warning

The consumption of silverweed is not recommended in chronicle, renal and hepatic affections. The tea should not be consumed on an empty stomach because it causes irritation of the gastro-intestinal mucous.