Calendula (marigold) is a medicinal plant that is used in alternative and official medicine, in the cosmetology industry. Decoctions, tinctures, and ointments are prepared based on the plant. Calendula for weight loss is used more often in the form of decoctions; it is used on fasting days of the diet as a source of vitamins and macroelements.
Botanical description and medicinal properties of calendula
The flower is an annual plant. The height of its pubescent bushes, depending on the species, ranges from ten to seventy centimeters. They are characterized by an erect stem with many branches. The leaves are light green in color. In the lower part of the plant they are larger, have an elongated shape and petioles. The upper part is covered with small, sessile, oblong leaves. Flowers of bright yellow or orange color are located at the top of the shoots, their diameter can reach five centimeters. They can be either simple or terry. The calendula fruit is large in size and has a bizarre spiny shape. The seeds look like a hook about one centimeter long.
Calendula has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiseptic, diuretic, choleretic, cleansing and sedative qualities. All beneficial properties are due to the fact that these flowers are rich in carotenoids, hydrocarbons, saponins, bitterness, mucus, resins, phytoncides, flavonoids and many other useful substances. At the same time, calendula contains a sufficient number of macro- and microelements.
Common calendula is a herbaceous plant and belongs to the aster family
Gargling with calendula decoction
Proper and regular gargling is a great way to “soothe” an irritated throat. Below we will give several recipes for decoctions with calendula, and also teach you how to rinse correctly.
This fairly common treatment method has many pitfalls, let’s talk about it in a little more detail.
Treatment with calendula is a contradictory method and requires careful comparison with the characteristics of the body. Speaking of fighting coughs, there are two effective methods: gargling and warm inhalations. Both of these methods will work well as auxiliary drugs and will be especially effective in combination with other treatment measures.
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Collection and storage features of marigolds
The inflorescence of the plant is usually used as a medicinal raw material; the herb usually does not contain beneficial properties, as does the root. They are collected immediately after they bloom. It is recommended to do this in the morning after the dew has dried. Since the plant grows and blooms continuously almost until the first frost, it can be collected every three days and obtain a significant amount of medicinal raw materials.
Flowers with a small piece of peduncle must be carefully cut off. After this, they should be immediately sent to dry. A special dryer is suitable for this, in which the raw materials are dried at a temperature of forty-five degrees. If this is not possible, then the flowers should be laid out under a canopy or in a dry, ventilated place on clean sheets of paper. It is recommended to stir them regularly during drying. The raw material will be ready when it crumbles easily when pressed. Once drying is complete, the flowers are placed in linen or paper bags. Storage should take place in a dry and dark place for no more than two years, after which it will not retain any medicinal properties.
Also read: Exotic rosemary: rules for growing in an apartment and open ground
Calendula for sore throat
Mix flowers, plantain grass and wormwood. The herbs are taken equally, thoroughly chopped and brewed with a glass of boiling water. The mixture is kept on low heat for a quarter of an hour and allowed to cool at room temperature. Rinse the sore throat and take it orally.
Calendula for gargling - two tablespoons of dry inflorescences are heated in a glass of water in a boiling bath for a quarter of an hour, left at room temperature for an hour, drained. Rinse the sore throat with a diluted decoction every three to four hours.
Collection for sore throats and colds - calendula for the throat helps in collecting herbs. To prepare, mix a spoonful of flowers, add two tablespoons of thyme and mint herbs. Add 4 tbsp to the crushed collection. elecampane roots and sage leaves, 3 tbsp each. pine buds and eucalyptus leaf. The collection is quite large, but it is quickly suitable for treating colds and sore throats.
Calendula for inhalation for colds - mix five tablespoons of chamomile and marigold. St. John's wort is added to the collection if there are eucalyptus leaves. A tablespoon is brewed with a liter of boiling water and inhaled daily until recovery.
Gallery: common calendula (25 photos)
Pharmaceutical products with calendula officinalis
In addition to medicinal compositions prepared from calendula with your own hands, today there are medications that are always available in any pharmacy. It can be a tincture, extract, oil, ointment, or tea bags.
Purpose and instructions for use of calendula tincture
Using a tincture of this flower in alcohol, it is recommended to treat:
- Sore throat and diseases of the oral cavity - mix one teaspoon with one hundred milliliters of water and use for rinsing;
- Treat wounds and acne with a cotton swab dipped in undiluted tincture;
- Cervical erosion - combine one teaspoon with a glass of water and use for douching.
Today, there are medications based on calendula, which are always present in any pharmacy.
Marigold ointments
Ointments with marigolds are used to treat wounds, bruises, burns, varicose veins, various insect bites, dermatitis and eczema. In addition, they are often used for cosmetic purposes to treat acne, reduce oil content and increase the elasticity of the skin, eliminate pigmentation and wrinkles.
Calendula officinalis flowers
It is also possible to purchase calendula flowers at pharmacies, which are widely used to prepare a wide variety of healing folk remedies. With their help, a large number of diseases are treated.
Contraindications to calendula treatment
Hypotonic patients are prohibited from taking all medications that contain calendula raw materials, since this plant has been proven to help lower blood pressure. Alcohol-containing medications are contraindicated for children. Patients with individual intolerance to the active substances contained in marigold fibers should also refrain from consuming natural preparations.
A natural medicine - calendula tincture for cough is the most affordable ready-made pharmacy remedy. This is a semi-finished product that can be easily diluted with warm water and used for its intended purpose - according to the appropriate recipe. A garden plant popular in practical home medicine, it is very effective.
The healing power of medicinal calendula is contained in elegant flower baskets, which are considered the most useful part of this plant. The bright yellow-orange petals contain a unique complex of biologically active substances with pharmacological powers. The chemical composition of calendula flowers, which relieve coughs, includes the following active ingredients:
- carotenoids (natural plant pigments - precursors of vitamin A);
- flavonoids (physiologically active elements);
- essential oils (volatile substances);
- tannins (natural compounds with astringent properties);
- organic acids.
An effective way to treat inflammation localized on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract is inhalation, which intensively irrigates the throat. To prepare the medicinal composition, you need to use a decoction of marigold flowers, heated to thirty to forty degrees. Small children will be more comfortable “breathing” with cooler aerosol medicinal vapor.
Important! The modern compressor-type nebulizer device is becoming popular in home medical practice, as it is very convenient for inhalation of calendula decoction, safe and has an affordable consumer price.
Inhalations with calendula for coughs are recommended by ENT doctors, since the method of contact administration of the drug is more effective at the initial stage of the disease. For young children, this procedure using an inhaler is more useful than rinsing, which is difficult for a child to perform.
A concentrated product, a biologically active substance with strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties - calendula oil extract. The hood is recommended by medical experts for the treatment of chronic forms of upper respiratory tract diseases, the symptom of which is cough:
A dry cough, which “exhausts” the patient, is weakened and becomes productive when using calendula oil.
A medicinal oil remedy can be prepared at home from prepared raw materials - dry (fermented) marigold petals. The extraction method is a rather complex process, but with careful attention it is possible to extract useful substances from the dry flower mass.
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How to properly brew marigolds for drinking and gargling
To treat throat diseases, use a decoction of calendula flowers. To do this, steam two tablespoons of dried calendula flowers with half a liter of boiling water. Wrap the container with warm material and leave to infuse for one hour. After time, the infusion should be filtered and used for rinsing three times a day. This decoction should be taken internally in accordance with the recommendations. It will also be useful for eye diseases to wash them.
To treat throat diseases, use a decoction of calendula flowers.
Rules of use
Prepare tea with calendula for weight loss based on the ratio: 1 tsp. flowers per 200 ml of boiled water. This drink should be steeped for at least 20 minutes and strained before drinking. Nutritionists recommend drinking tea half an hour before meals, 2 times a day - morning and evening.
The duration of treatment is individual for each person. To achieve the effect, combine the drink with fasting days, then give the body a rest and resume taking it after a couple of weeks.
Traditional recipes with calendula
Traditional medicine uses tincture, oil, decoction and various medicinal mixtures with these flowers. These remedies treat a huge number of diseases.
Also read: Alfalfa: getting to know the plant and its beneficial properties
Healing properties of calendula in gynecology
In gynecology, it is most often used to treat fungal infections in women, cervical erosion, fibroids, thrush, colpitis and others:
- Douching with a decoction of dried flowers. To make it, brew one tablespoon of raw material with one hundred milliliters of boiling water and leave for half an hour. Filter the finished broth and use it for its intended purpose. To enhance the effectiveness of the infusion, you can mix calendula and chamomile in equal parts and add a few drops of vitamin A to the finished composition;
- You can also use a self-prepared alcohol tincture of calendula for douching. For this, the following preparation method is used. Pour one liter of alcohol into one hundred grams of dried flowers and put them in a shaded room for two weeks. After the time has passed, strain the mixture. For douching, dilute one teaspoon in one hundred and fifty milliliters of water.
How to plant calendula (video)
Gastrointestinal diseases
For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, ulcers, etc.), it is recommended to take not only a healing, but also a quite tasty drink with calendula. To prepare it, you need to take fifty grams of dry raw materials, pour three liters of boiling water and cook over low heat for ten minutes. Then let the broth brew for twelve hours, filter and pour two hundred and fifty grams of honey and five hundred milliliters of freshly squeezed viburnum juice into it. Pour the resulting composition into glass containers and store in the refrigerator. Drink one hundred milliliters of the drink three times a day for a month.
You can also use the following herbal teas:
- Mix calendula with chamomile, add valerian, St. John's wort and sage in equal parts. Take fifty grams of the composition, brew with half a liter of boiling water and let stand for an hour. Then filter the broth and consume one hundred and fifty milliliters three times a day for a month;
- Take equal amounts of calendula, horsetail, dill seeds, plantain roots and licorice. Take one hundred grams of the mixture, brew with one liter of boiling water, cook over low heat for ten minutes. Then let the broth brew for about three hours, filter and drink one hundred milliliters three times a day for a month.
For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to take not only a healing, but also quite tasty drink with calendula
Diseases of the cardiovascular system
To maintain a healthy heart, you can use the following recipes:
- Combine one tablespoon of valerian (rhizome) with the same amount of dried calendula flowers. Brew the mixture with two glasses of boiling water and let it brew for about three hours. After this, filter the infusion and consume one hundred milliliters three times a day for half a month. This treatment is recommended every three months;
- Take half a glass of lemon balm, calendula, valerian (rhizome) and hawthorn (berry). Steam them separately with half a liter of boiling water and leave for an hour. Then filter the decoctions, combine and drink half a glass for a month;
- Collect two hundred grams of fresh calendula inflorescences, pour them into a pan with cold water and leave for at least a day. After this, the flowers are squeezed out, poured with half a liter of boiling water and simmered over low heat for fifteen minutes. The prepared broth is cooled and filtered. To it is added half a kilogram of granulated sugar, five cloves and one teaspoon of citric acid. The mixture is cooked for one hour over low heat, cooled, poured into glass jars and stored in a cool place. The composition is taken one tablespoon on an empty stomach.
Various calendula formulations are used to relieve skin problems.
Skin diseases
Various compositions from calendula are used to eliminate skin problems (fungal infections, eczema, furunculosis and others). Before using them, the skin should be cleansed:
- For fungal infections, it is recommended to take a course of lotions. Steam one tablespoon of dried flowers with a glass of boiling water, let stand for about half an hour and filter. Dip a small piece of cotton cloth into the prepared composition and apply to the affected area, cover with film and leave for half an hour;
- To eliminate eczema and other skin problems, it is recommended to treat with ointment with this plant. Take one hundred grams of lard, twist and melt. Add ten grams of dried flowers to hot lard and place in a water bath for one hour. The resulting composition is filtered, poured into containers and stored in the refrigerator. When used, the composition is applied to the infected area, covered with a cloth, which is secured. Compresses should be done at least three times a day for up to three months.
Also read: Burnet officinalis: healing properties and contraindications
Cooking recipes
It is impossible to achieve slimness and weight loss only by using medicinal marigolds. Marigold teas and decoctions are suitable for use during fasting and therapeutic diets.
| Ingredients | Calendula recipe for weight loss |
| 1 tbsp. inflorescences, 100 ml boiling water | Pour the raw material in boiled water, let it brew for 1.5-2 hours. Strain before use. |
| ½ tbsp. marigold and St. John's wort inflorescences, 200 ml boiling water | Brew the flowers in boiled water, wait 1.5-2 hours, strain. |
| 1 tbsp. marigolds, 100 ml boiling water, milk to taste | After preparing the decoction, add an arbitrary amount of low-fat milk. |
| Calendula infusion: 0.5 cups of alcohol (vodka), 2 tbsp. flowers | Place the ingredients in a glass jar and leave for 2 weeks in a dark place. |
Follow the steeping times specified in recipes, otherwise a bitter taste will develop. The shelf life of prepared decoctions is no more than 2 days. It is better to store them in the refrigerator.
Calendula baths promote weight loss, help care for the skin, and have a calming effect. Prepare water at a comfortable temperature and add a decoction of inflorescences prepared according to the recipe: 2 tbsp. raw materials per 1 liter of boiling water.
Rubbing with a decoction of marigolds and coltsfoot removes swelling and helps remove excess fluid from the body.
When losing weight, use calendula juice - squeeze out the inflorescences using a meat grinder. Juice is added to any tea.
