Medicinal properties and contraindications of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus trees are the indigenous people of Australia, an amazing continent where the plant and animal world is very different from our usual ones. The eucalyptus tree has a symbiote - it is a koala, an animal that lives on these plants and feeds on their foliage. It is these facts that are well known, but very few people know that the leaves of a long-liver have the properties of an antioxidant and an antibacterial agent.

Medical types

Eucalyptus - long-lived evergreen plant family Myrtle, whose height reaches 90 meters or more. Usually, the trunks of plants are flat, but sometimes there are also curved trees. There are numerous gum leaks on eucalyptus trunks. Powerful leaves sometimes grow straight out of the trunk, located edge of the leaf plates relative to the trunk. Due to the peculiar arrangement of the leaf cover relative to the branches, the crown of the giants does not cast a shadow on the ground.

In the wild, eucalyptus trees can be found in the form:

• tree shrubs;

• trees.

The flowers of the giant look a little alike with dandelion, the inflorescences are made up of several flowers.

When the flower fades, a seed box forms and matures in its place.. Ripe seeds are smooth, light brown, not large. The tree grows slowly, the first 10 years the plant only forms flowers, ovaries and fruits (future seed boxes). The path from flowering to the formation of the fruit plant passes over a time period from 3 months to 2 years.

The most common varieties of myrtle for use in pharmacology:

• spherical eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus);

• ash eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cinerea);

• eucalyptus eucalyptus (Eucalyptus viminalis).

It is from these types of myrtle that valuable medicinal constituents are obtained: essential oil, leaflets and bark.

Chemical composition

The green mass of the above types of eucalyptus trees contains cineole. It is from the leaves produce essential oil with a high content of this substance.

Also, the chemical composition of the leaf cover of these plants includes:

• pinene;
• terpenes;
• isovaleric aldehyde;
• bitterness;
• tannins;
• phytoncides;
• resin.

Useful (pharmacological) properties

To this antiseptic the source has no price, the substance acts on the hidden dysenteric bacillus, staphylococcal and streptococcal infections as a broom, literally sweeping them out of a living organism.

This representative myrtle detrimental effect in the initial stage of the mycobacterium tuberculosis or Trichomonasable to destroy the entire urinary system of a person and stops such an infectious attack in the embryo.

Substances that are in the eucalyptus essential oil, banish unwanted symbiontsparasitic on a person (helminths, louses, mites).These properties of the plant are confirmed by practitioners and veterinarians.

In addition to antibacterial and insecticidal properties, essential oil removes:

• headache and toothache;
• joint pain in disorders of the musculoskeletal system;
• incipient fever;
• neuralgia and urological manifestations;
• gynecological inflammation and rheumatic pains;
• burns and influenza;
• violations of the skin and ulcers.

Application

The most valuable raw material derived from eucalyptus plants - essential oil, a substance that is used in almost all areas of modern medicine, in cooking and other industries. For the production of oil are suitable as young, just bloomed, and old, leathery leaves of eucalyptus. From a ton of distilled leaves up to 5 kg of valuable essential oil is obtained, the main component of which is cineoleum (up to 60%).

The resulting oil has good fluidity, has no color (colorless). Substance has a pleasant woody smell, camphor aroma.After several months after manufacture, the oil takes on a yellowish tint.

In modern medicine

Essential oil is included as one of the important components in many medicinal preparations. In order to be able to prepare medicine at home, you need to buy raw materials at the pharmacy: a dry collection of eucalyptus leaves, alcohol tincture or essential oil.

Here are some medicines that are approved by medicine, but are made at home:

1. Eucalyptus tincture for gargling - 10-20 drops of pharmaceutical alcohol tinctures on eucalyptus are added to one glass of water. The resulting solution gargle 3-5 times a day.

2. The same tincture for use in the case of bronchial and pulmonary diseases can be prepared as follows: 1 tbsp. l dry, crushed leaves of eucalyptus poured into a saucepan, there is also poured 250 ml of boiled water.Cover the pot, wrap and leave for one hour to insist. The finished tincture is filtered and gargled 3-4 times a day.

3. In acute respiratory diseases: Pour 10 drops of alcohol tincture into one glass of water, stir thoroughly and wash the nasopharynx three times a day. Closing one nostril, the second nostril must be drawn in the healing solution, after which the nasal sinuses should be cleaned (blow nose).

4. Therapists strongly recommend that laryngitis or pharyngitis (sore throat) use steam inhalation. The basis of inhalation is such a water infusion: to two Art. l crushed eucalyptus leaves add half a liter of water, mix and incubate in a water bath for 20 minutes. Ready broth is removed from the water bath, cooled a little (up to 70-80 degrees Celsius) and breathe in pairs of this hot infusion. To do this, an open container with hot broth is placed on the table, the patient is placed nearby and asked to tilt his head closer to the container with the broth and inhale deeply the steam.In order for the healing vapors to linger and the liquid does not cool so quickly, the patient and the container with broth are covered with a large towel. At one time, the procedure must be at least 15 minutes.

5. The use of eucalyptus oil is justified in advanced cases of disease. diabetes, because its properties lower the sugar content in the patient’s blood and help the body produce insulin. Essential oil has analgesic properties, it is treated with inflamed and strained muscles and joints, used for skin inflammation.

6. When rheumatoid pain and inflammation of bone tissue apply essential oil. Rubbed into the sore spot, after rubbing, wrap it in a warm and soft fabric. Oil removes not only inflammation, but also pain.

7. Broth for gynecological douches:

• decoction is prepared in a water bath, the structure of the future broth includes two tablespoons. l sliced ​​leaves and 250 milliliters of boiling water. Cooking time broth in a water bath - 20 minutes.Ready decoction defended and filtered. After filtering, the liquid will decrease slightly, it needs to be increased to a volume of 250 milliliters by topping up hot boiled water. This broth is taken according to the prescription of a doctor one tablespoon 3 times a day;
• This broth is very good for the treatment of purulent wounds. But for these purposes when cooking broth, you need to increase four times all the ingredients. Cooking time increases to 35 minutes;
• if a decoction of eucalyptus leaves will be used in douching or treatment with tampons in gynecology, then such a liquid mixture is diluted: two tablespoons of ready-made eucalyptus broth is added to 1 liter of clean boiled water. This mixture is daily douche or make tampons soaked in medicinal decoction. Continue douching for ten days.

In folk

In folk medicine, tinctures and eucalyptus oil are also widely used.Here are some recipes:

Recipe number 1. Eucalyptus tincture during treatment low acid gastritis: pour a glass of boiling water with one tablespoon of dried leaves and boil in a water bath for 15 minutes. Remove the mixture from the water bath, cover it warmly. After 1 hour of infusion, open, strain through gauze folded in several layers, and add boiled water instead of evaporated liquid. In the end, you should get again 200 ml of tincture. This medicine is taken one tablespoon 4 times a day for 10 days.

Recipe number 2. Treatment of acne, acne: tincture is made from the leaves of eucalyptus plants. On half a glass of soft boiled water, add one teaspoon of pharmaceutical alcohol solution. This tincture has antiseptic properties and will help cleanse your face for 10-12 days.

A mixture of eucalyptus, fine talc and starch is used to make a powder that repels bloodsucking insects. This powder is rubbed into the skin (in places not covered with clothes).

A separate area of ​​use of eucalyptus leaves is cosmetology.

• Eucalyptus oil will help to clean the face of acne deposits, for this problem areas are smeared with an aromatic substance. This procedure should be carried out several times a day throughout the week, the foci of inflammation will disappear from the skin, it will be cleansed.
• To tone up oily skin, ice cubes are made from eucalyptus leaves decoction and the face is rubbed regularly in the morning. It makes the skin elastic, it returns a healthy color.
• Also, oil is used for the preparation of face masks, since the presence of hyaluronic acid in it prevents skin aging.

Masks with essential oils easy do at home. For example, if you need to moisturize and make more aging aging skin, then mix the yolk of a fresh egg, add one teaspoon of eucalyptus oil, one teaspoon of liquid honey and 10 drops of vitamin A and vitamin E to it. The ingredients are mixed. Next, you need to put a nourishing mask on your face (avoiding the delicate skin under the eyes), then wait 20 minutes. Removed mask with cool boiled water.

The use of face masks still takes some time. If you have no time to do this, then 2-3 drops of essential oil are added to a jar with any cream, mixed with a wooden stick and stored in a cool place (refrigerator).

In aromatherapy

Among fans of aromatic therapy, the use of eucalyptus oil in its natural form and in a variety of mixtures with other essential oils (peppermint oil, lavender oil, cedar oil) is very popular.

If essential oil is used in an aromatic lamp, then you need to calculate its consumption according to this scheme: for every 10 square meters of area, use two drops of oil.

If eucalyptus oil is used in the on-skin aromatic medallion, then no more than 1-2 drops should be applied at a time.

The effect of essential oil on the human body is very beneficial in cases of:

• overwork and great emotional and physical stress;
• irritability and mood swings;
• insomnia and headaches.

Cells of the brain are saturated with oxygen, and fatigue gradually disappears, pressure normalizes, and the muscles that work during the day relax.Emotional background improves, mood improves, a person becomes more attentive.

With epidemics of viral diseases in the city bustle, in transport and the subway, the virus spreads quickly and affects more and more new people. You can stop the spread of the epidemic by spraying eucalyptus oil in the room where you work or live. Eucalyptus is a wonderful disinfectant.

If the essential oil is in an uncomfortable bottle for spraying, you can install an aromatic lamp in the room. If you want to reduce the risk of employee flu in the office, and there is no aromatic lamp on hand, take a regular cup of boiling water and drip 2-3 drops of essential oil into it. Homemade aromatic lamp is ready!

Already ill with the flu man will effectively help steam inhalation with essential oil. To make inhalation, without having an inhalation device, you need to add two drops of eucalyptus oil to a glass of boiling water, cover your head above the container and breathe in fragrant steam.

Applying aromatic therapy, every two weeks you need to change the composition of aromatic mixtures to avoid addiction and to maintain the novelty and healing effect.

In cooking

The grated greens of eucalyptus and the juice of this plant (spicy and pungent and spicy) have long and firmly entered the kitchen of Southeast Asia. A lot of dishes are prepared with eucalyptus seasoning: soups, spicy and spicy pickles, fried fish and meat delicacies. Almost all sauces are prepared with this seasoning. Eucalyptus spices are used almost more often than in our country bay leaf or ground black pepper.

There are about seven hundred varieties of eucalyptus plants, and the juice of many of them is used in the preparation of dishes or drinks. With the juice of this plant they prepare an invigorating drink that will invigorate and shake up even the note-whiner and melancholic. The name of this energy is "Australian Cinema".

Harm and contraindications

Eucalyptus has remarkable healing properties, but it cannot be consumed without following the recipe, it is necessary to take into account all contraindications.

Any treatment must be prescribed by a doctor.. He will calculate the daily dose needed to improve the patient's condition.

Should not eat foods with eucalyptus additives:

• allergies that do not tolerate the smell and taste of eucalyptus;
• people suffering from diseases of internal organs;
• with pertussis or epilepsy;
• during the course of chemotherapy;
• small children up to seven years;
• pregnant women and nursing mothers;
• hypotonic and hypertensive.

The use of essential oils diversifies your life with new flavors, strengthens your health and improves your mood. But, like any potent agent, Eucalyptus should be used in moderate doses and wisely.