Hyssop - Medicinal Properties And Uses

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

How to grow hyssop and use it medicinally

Once relatives from Belarus in a letter asked me to buy herbs and hyssop flowers at the pharmacy for their neighbor, who had asthma. I ran through several pharmacies in the area, but I could not find the medicine I ordered.

I found out the hyssop a few days later in a specialized herbal pharmacy. By the way, the price for this medicine was quite significant. I bought and sent by mail to my relatives several packs of hyssop herb grown in Altai.

Hyssop is translated from Arabic as “holy herb”. This plant has many different names among the people - bee grass, blue St. John's wort, hot grass, yuzefka, hisop. And it's all about him - about the hyssop (Hyssopus). They say that there are about 300 species of this plant in the world. But the species Hissopus officinalis L. is commonly called medicinal hyssop.

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It is rather short, reaches 50-60 cm in height and is less poisonous than tall varieties, since it contains less ketone compound of pinocamphone, which in high doses causes convulsions. It has been noticed that blue varieties of hyssop have a higher content of essential oil than pink or white varieties.

I came across to me once in a drugstore "Hyssop syrup" produced by the "Naukograd Koltsovo" company, the price, of course, is also quite high. I learned that the plant in Alushta produces hyssop essential oil, I also saw hyssop essential oil produced in Hungary, the cost of 10 ml (this is 300 drops) - 750 rubles. And I wanted to know in more detail what kind of herb is so mysterious and valuable.

Perennial hyssop dwarf shrub is one of the oldest plants used by humans. As early as the third millennium BC, the priests of Egypt used hyssop for ablution, and the peoples of the Middle East used it to cleanse sacred places.

This is one of the herbs that have been used by Christians, for example, during the Passover meal. In the book “Exodus” in the 12th chapter “Establishment of Passover” the command of Jesus Christ is given: “Let him (the lamb) be eaten this night, baked on fire; let them eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. " And further in chapter 13: "Obey this statute at the appointed time from year to year." Hyssop is irreplaceable in the transition from long fasting to coarse, milky food.

It is now known that the bitterness of hyssop breaks down difficult-to-digest fats such as mutton fat. During early Christianity, hyssop was often used during fasting. According to Philo of Alexandria, during fasting, some ascetics for the faith, prayerfully cleansing the soul from sins and evil thoughts, drank only water, and salt and hyssop were seasoning for bread. The historical connection of the hyssop with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was noted by Maximilian Agnelius:

"The plane tree is high, the hyssop is precious, And the great trees do not reach the sky, But the simple grass touched the mouth of the Savior."

In addition, hyssop was used as a sprinkler in church rituals. A hyssop broom was sprinkled on objects and rooms. In Orthodoxy, hyssop is a symbol of repentance, humility and purification.

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Biology and cultivation of hyssop

In the agricultural rubric, hyssop belongs to the category of perennial vegetables. This is a semi-shrub, which in the wild is found everywhere in Asia Minor and Central Asia, in the Mediterranean, in southern Siberia, in the Altai mountains, in the Crimea, in Ukraine. Hyssop is cultivated in Albania, Hungary, France and Yugoslavia. In Russia, hyssop is not widespread in culture, but occasionally it is grown in vegetable gardens.

The hyssop plant has a branched tetrahedral stem, lignified at the base, with a height of 40 to 80 cm, depending on the variety and growing conditions. Its root is pivotal. Leaves are opposite, whole-edged, slightly curled at the edges, linear-lanceolate, dark green. The flowers sit in the axils of the upper leaves, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences of blue-purple, pink or white. In central Russia, hyssop blooms in July-September. The fruit consists of four oblong triangular brown nuts.

I managed to acquire several varieties of hyssop seeds in order to observe which varieties in my area would take root better. My site is damp, peaty. While the seedlings are sprouting, I made mounds for them higher. These varieties are: Amethyst, Formula, Rime, Medicinal Blue, Pink Honey, and White Honey.

Hyssop is an undemanding culture, but it works best on light fertile soils. In central Russia, seeds are sown or cuttings are planted in open ground. In the Non-Black Earth Region and in the North-West, it is better to sow seeds for seedlings, since they germinate at a temperature of + 18 … + 20 ^o С, preferably in the dark, with constant humidity 10-14 days after sowing.

Before planting the seedlings on a permanent place, 1-2 kg of manure humus and 1 tablespoon of fertilizer, for example, "Effect", are added per square meter of any soil. The beds are dug on a shovel bayonet, leveled and slightly trampled. When the seedlings reach a height of 5-6 cm, they are transferred to the beds and seated at a distance of 30 cm from each other, 60-70 cm are left between the rows.

According to traditional medicine, hyssop is cut during the first phase of the moon, at sunrise, after the dew. For the preparation of medicinal raw materials, flowering grass is used. The cut tops of the shoots are collected in small bunches, hung in the shade in a well-ventilated area. The temperature should not exceed +40 ^o C. The dried hyssop is stored in a glass or wooden container, the shelf life of medicinal raw materials is two years.

To obtain essential oil, hyssop is collected and harvested at the time of mass flowering in the second year of life. With a later harvest, the essential oil content is reduced. Hyssop can produce a good harvest for 5-6 years. And for consumption, green shoots are cut several times during the summer.

Healing properties of hyssop

I am writing about this because hyssop treatment can improve the well-being of very, very many people. For four days I brewed tea with hyssop: I poured 0.5 teaspoon of dry grass with one glass of boiling water and wrapped the teapot with a napkin for half an hour. I drank half a glass in the morning and evening after meals.

Already, my state of health has changed radically. Previously, I started any work with great difficulty, and I had less and less strength to finish it. Now I can not leave unfinished work and finish the job without losing a vigorous rhythm, as if someone is urging me on. And I thought that I had an age-related loss of strength. But now I quite clearly feel what should be done and by what time.

The depression goes away. Scientists would put it succinctly: hyssop is a powerful adaptogen. As a fortifying drink, hyssop is especially useful for the elderly, it increases stress resistance, relieves depression, improves communication skills and significantly improves memory.

Hyssop has a versatile effect. It is successfully used in acute and chronic respiratory diseases: angina, flu, tracheitis, pharyngitis, pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchial asthma. The use of hyssop in various forms - fresh herbs, dry herbs, syrup or essential oil - increases the functional activity of the stomach, eliminates atony, gastrointestinal colic, intestinal enzymatic insufficiency, which leads to constipation and gas formation. Hyssop eliminates excessive sweating during menopause in women and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Hyssop essential oil deserves special mention. This is one of the most expensive essential oils. The fact is that it takes from 900 to 1200 g of hyssop herb to obtain 1 ml of essential oil. But its effectiveness is also great. If we describe its action in general terms - it is antitoxic, antiseptic, bactericidal, antipyretic, diuretic, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, anti-allergic, antihelminthic, resorbable hematoma and wound healing. Hyssop is also effective against warts and papillomas.

Hyssop recipes

Infusion: 10 g of hyssop flowers per 100 ml of boiling water and 15-20 g of sugar, take 100 ml per day. Drink for colds, chest pains and bronchitis.

Broth: 3 teaspoons of chopped hyssop herb are boiled in 1.5 cups of water in a water bath for 30 minutes and 3-4 tablespoons of red wine are added. Used for rinsing with stomatitis and diseases.

In domestic scientific medicine, hyssop is used very limitedly, it is practiced mainly in folk medicine. But in Western European medicine, it is used quite widely, especially in homeopathy. In Germany, Austria, France and Bulgaria, hyssop is used as a tonic, but in case of a disease of the nervous system, it is used with caution and in smaller doses. For resorption of subcutaneous hemorrhages of traumatic origin and in case of dislocations, it is used externally in the form of lotions.

However, it should not be overlooked that the hyssop plant is mildly toxic and can cause heart palpitations, drop in blood pressure or seizures. Hyssop should not be taken by those suffering from increased nervous excitement and by pregnant women.

Hyssop is also widely used in winemaking for the preparation of liqueurs and alcoholic balsams. In cooking, mainly dried leaves of the top third of the plant are used. Only tomato and cucumber salads are seasoned with fresh herbs. Hyssop improves the taste of beans and peas. It is added to sausages, vegetable soups, and fried meat. From time immemorial, tea brewed with hyssop with the addition of honey has been popular in Russia.

And here's how you can make tea from hyssop: 2 teaspoons of chopped herbs are poured with 250 ml of cold water, brought to a boil and infused for 5 minutes. After straining, the tea is ready to drink. Dosage: 2 cups a day.

It must be remembered that in cooking, both herbs and dried herbs are used in the smallest quantities due to their astringency and bitter taste.