What is Coltsfoot?
Coltsfoot is either a useful medicinal plant or invasive weeds depending on the circumstances. It is a small plant in the Aster family, known as Tussilago Farfara . Its common name is derived from his leaves. They resemble Colt's leg, cut with a cross. The use of this herb is controversial because it contains low concentrations of carcinogenic toxins that are expected to accumulate in the liver. The Coltsfoot flower is yellow and composite, reminiscent of a dandelion flower. It is the only flower made on the stem. This flower is produced at the beginning of spring before dandelions usually bloom. It produces seeds and dies back before Coltsfoot leaves are produced. It prefers damp areas such as ditches, fields and stream banks, but will grow along the roads. Stirdains spread rhizomes and seeds. The roots can also survive for a long time when they are deeply buried. Later, when the soil is disrupted, there may suddenly invade Coltsfoot plants in areas where they have not been previously observed.
When this plant is from Europe and Asia, it is now endemic to North and South America. It is believed to have been introduced by settlers for healing purposes. In North America, it usually grows in South Canada and northern and northeast United States. In some areas it is considered invasive weeds and can be very difficult to control in fields and gardens.
The name of the family of this plant, tussilago , comes from Latin for tussis , which means "cough". It's an old folk remedy for coughing. Leaves, flowers and roots are usually harvested and sold separately. Using as tea is one of the ways as the herb is used as a suppressing cough. There are a number of mixtures of these teas in Europe.
The herb is also sometimes smoked to treat asthma. The Coltsfoot extract can also be prepared as a syrup that is recommended for dry cough. Another use is tobacco replacement.
one of the problemThe healing of this herb is that the leaves and flowers contain toxic compounds known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids . These are found in low concentrations in plants, but it is assumed that the liver accumulates over time. It has been found that in high concentrations they cause cancer in rats. Germany has banned the sale of Coltsfoot, but the varieties are now available that do not contain these alkaloids.
Some people feel that health risks are low and the benefits are great enough to guarantee the use of Coltsfoot. But one should not take it for a long time. It is essential that pregnant women do not take a variety of this herb containing alkaloids. There are cases of infants who develop serious liver diseases because their mothers drank Coltsfoot tea during pregnancy.