Teasel – uses and health benefits

Card

The cardoon is a medicinal plant that resembles a thistle. Its root is classified as helpful against Lyme disease. Although it bears a resemblance to the thistle, it does not belong to it, but forms its own genus of plants. However, the name card was definitely derived from the thistle (Carduus).

General overview

The teasel (Dipsacus follunum) comes from the genus of the teasel family (Dipsacoideae). It is part of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). The term dipsacus derives from the Greek word “dipsa”, which translated means ” thirst “.

In addition, the teasel is also known as a cistern plant. This can be attributed to the plant leaves growing together on the underside, creating a pool in which water collects.

occurrence and cultivation

The card has its homeland in Europe. It is believed that the plant comes from the Mediterranean region. Nowadays the teasel settles in central and southern Europe, North Africa, Turkey and the Canary Islands. In Germany, too, it occurs in most federal states.

The teasel is a biennial plant that thrives particularly on stone soil. But it also prefers the banks of water, pastures, fresh earth mounds and flooded areas. The teasel is a herbaceous plant that grows to a maximum of 1.5 meters. One of its characteristics is its prickly stem. It also has short-stalked basal leaves. The stem leaves of the medicinal plant grow in pairs.

Its pointed spines are also typical of the teasel. These can be found throughout the plant. The flowering of the teasel begins in July and lasts until August. The inflorescences of the plant are oval. They reach a length between 5 and 8 centimeters. The flower is blue in colour. In addition, the teasel forms membranous, one-seeded nuts as fruits . The teasel is best collected in spring and autumn.

application and effect

The teasel contains ingredients such as saponins , irdoids and the glycoside scabioside. It also has glucosides, caffeic acid compounds and organic acids. The plant is not necessarily considered a classic medicinal herb. However, it has a positive effect on the infectious disease Lyme disease. The positive effect is probably due to changes in the body environment. The Borrelia, which cause the disease, is made more difficult to settle in the human body, which ultimately makes it useless for them. The harmful germs therefore leave the organism again through the skin .

Treatment against Lyme disease is often done with tea or a tincture. This is an adjunctive therapy, but it can also be used mainly when the antibiotics that are normally administered do not have the desired effect. The teasel root can be used both internally and externally. For internal administration, 10 to 50 drops are usually administered two or three times a day. External use is done by washing or bathing. Creams and compresses can also be used. The card tincture can even be applied directly to the skin .

The user can also make the card tincture himself. For this purpose, the fresh roots are thoroughly cleaned and crushed. The next step is to fill the plant components into a screw-top jar that is filled with double grain. The preparation then steeps in the sealed jar for four to six weeks. The mixture can be strained with a coffee filter. Finally, the user puts the tincture in a dark bottle. When stored in a cool place, the card can last up to one year.

What does Karde help against?

importance to health

Already in ancient times, the wild teasel was recommended by the Greek physician Pedanios Dioskurides. The plant was used against fistulas and warts. For this purpose, Dioscurides boiled the root in wine. The root was considered diuretic and helpful against jaundice. In the Middle Ages, too, the teasel was used to treat various ailments. These included skin diseases, headaches, digestive problems, rheumatism, stomach ailments, gout , water retention in the body, gallbladder problems, nail diseases, boils and freckles.

The blood-cleansing, sweat-inducing and antibacterial effects of the card were particularly appreciated . In addition, the card has a strengthening effect on the human immune system. Another positive property of the plant is its tissue-strengthening effect. It is also suitable for treating cellulite. At the same time, the teasel relieves pain and stimulates the appetite.

It also counteracts inflammation. Nowadays, the effect of the teasel on Lyme disease is of particular interest for medicine, because the disease can be treated with it without chemical additives. A possible side effect of teasel is pronounced itching , which is part of the healing process and soon disappears.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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