Cow tongue benefits It is one of the most common species belonging to the genus Rumex and occurs naturally in Europe and in temperate areas of Asia. The species is introduced to New Zealand and parts of North America.
Duck tongue can often be found growing wild in grasslands, in open woodland, along roadsides and river banks. The plant prefers neutral or slightly acid soils.
Duck tongue is often grown as a garden herb or vegetable. It is propagated by seeds (sown directly in the place of cultivation) or by division of roots of already established plants. The first leaves can be harvested approximately eight weeks after planting.
plant description: The Cow tongue It is a perennial herbaceous plant, 30-90 cm tall with highly variable appearance. The stems are reddish, hollow and branched at the top. The leaves are 2-3 times as long as they are wide and arrow-shaped (sagittal).
The small green or reddish flowers form spiral spikes and bloom in early summer. The plants are dioecious, so the male and female flowers sit on separate plants. The fruit is a shiny triangular nut.
The leaves are often eaten by the larvae of various species belonging to the order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), including the blood vein moth (Timandra comae).
Plant parts used: It is mainly the leaves of yellow dock that are used both as food and herbal medicine, but the roots and seeds have also been used.
The leaves can be dried and powdered for later use.
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benefits of cow’s tongue
Active ingredients and substances: Fresh leaves and leaf juice contain oxalic acid and potassium bicarbonate (up to 1%), tartaric acid and vitamin C.
The rhizomes contain a hyperoside, quercetin-3-D-galactoside, anthracene, tannins (up to 25%) and anthraquinones. Anthraquinones (chrysoptanol, fission and emodin anthrones) are responsible for the laxative effect of the plant.
The acidity of the plant is due to both vitamin C and the content of oxalic acid and oxalates (mainly potassium hydrogen oxalate).
Potassium hydrogen oxalate is toxic at high levels and has been the cause of yellow dock poisoning in both humans and animals.
The medicinal effect of yellow dock was already known to the Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist Pedanius Dioscorides in the first century AD, and since then the herb has appeared in numerous herbal medicine publications.
Dock tongue was used in the past for a wide range of ailments and was often the source of folklore and superstition. E.g. It was once believed that if the herb was worn as an amulet around the neck, it could offer protection against goiter.
The herb was thought to speed up menstruation and dissolve kidney and bladder stones. In addition, the herb was considered to be useful for rickets in children, high fever, and for diseases related to the bladder, breasts, liver, stomach, and kidneys.
Externally, the fresh leaves or the decoction made from them were also used as a compress for wounds (especially burns) and for various skin problems such as rashes, inflammations, and pimples. Additionally, the leaves were rubbed on the skin as an herbal treatment for scabies.
However, the main use of the herb was as an herbal remedy for scurvy, due to the high content of vitamin C in the leaves.
Duck tongue was also believed to be able to miraculously heal sores in the mouth and reattach loose teeth.
The often effective use of the herb in that regard was not that it possessed some extraordinary properties, but for its vitamin C content which counteracts scurvy, where one of the symptoms is loosening of the teeth.
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Other possible modern uses
Both the roots and the aerial parts of the yellow dock can be used as herbal medicine, but today it is mainly used in combination with other herbs and in specific herbal formulas.
Dock tongue leaves are considered to have laxative and antipyretic properties, and can also be used to stimulate appetite and quench thirst.
An extract of the leaves (25 g to one to ½ liter of boiling water) is used as a refreshing drink for high fever.
A decoction made from the roots has astringent, aesthetic, slightly laxative, and diuretic properties. It can be useful as a remedy for canker sores, canker sores, boils, infected wounds, eczema, and acne.
The decoction has also been used to treat diarrhea, constipation, and jaundice. Both the root and the seeds have been used to stop minor internal bleeding.
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Cow’s tongue as food
All parts of the duck tongue plant have a sour taste due to oxalic acid, and the herb can replace rhubarb in cooking. The sour taste is greatly reduced when the plant is boiled or dried. cow tongue benefits
Duck tongue leaves can also be eaten fresh. The young green, succulent leaves have little flavor in the spring, but become more sour.
If the herb is intended to be used as an herbal medicine, a licensed herbalist or other qualified health care provider with knowledge of herbal medicine should be contacted prior to use.
Also know Rocket or rugula: Properties, benefits and contraindications
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Contraindications of the tongue of cow plant
Duck tongue contains high amounts of oxalic acid which can bind with calcium in the body to form highly soluble calcium oxalate, which can lead to calcium deficiency in the body.
Oxalates can precipitate in the kidneys to form kidney stones that can damage the kidneys and lead to urolithiasis seizures.
A lethal dose of pure oxalic acid is believed to be between 5 and 13 grams (some sources say 15 to 30 grams). Consuming such amounts can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, kidney damage, seizures, and possibly death due to cardiac arrest.
Still, moderate consumption of yellow dock is considered safe and if the leaves or other parts of the plant are soaked in hot water or lightly boiled, the amount of oxalic acid is greatly reduced. Also, if the leaves are eaten with milk, much of the oxalic acid will be deactivated. cow tongue benefits
People with kidney problems or prone to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, or too much stomach acid should refrain from eating fresh duck tongue, as ingesting the herb can exacerbate these conditions.
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