Five-leaf – Soothing and healing – Monastic Recipes

Description

The five-leaf is a plant that grows to a height of 15-30 centimeters. It has large, broad, dark green leaves with five veins, which are easily distinguished if we break the leaf stalk.

The leaves are edible but somewhat tough, so we mainly collect the young, tender, fresh leaves and remove the stems. Their taste is bitter, similar to spinach. When dried, they make a good tea.

The five-leaf was a well-known and widely used plant since ancient times, recognized for its healing properties. It was traditionally used to treat wounds and bruises. Its medicinal properties are mentioned by Dioscorides, Galen, and other famous physicians.

Properties: ● Against gastritis and colitis. ● For digestive ulcers. ● For dysentery. ● Irritable bowel syndrome. ● Triglycerides. ● Bad cholesterol. ● Constipation. ● Cystitis. ● Diarrhea. ● For bronchial asthma and bronchitis. ● For cough & catarrh. ● Wounds and bruises (for washes).

The five-leaf acts as a mild expectorant while simultaneously soothing inflamed and irritated membranes. It is good for coughs and mild bronchitis.

Its astringency makes it beneficial for diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and cystitis when there is bleeding.

The most common ways of use

INFUSION: Once the water starts boiling, remove it from the heat and add the herb. Let it steep for 10-20 minutes, strain it, and use it. The usual proportions for the infusion are 1-3 teaspoons per cup of water.

DECOCTION: Take the medicinal part of the plant and boil it with water. (Typically, the tougher parts of the plant are boiled: roots, peels, stems, seeds). If finely chopped, they only need to be boiled for 5 minutes; other parts require 5-15 minutes. Use three tablespoons per two cups of water, and consume within 12 hours.

Net weight 30 g