Cornflower flowers for many have become the usual decoration of spiked grass fields, bouquet compositions or embroideries, but few know about its healing properties. Since ancient times, bright blue flowers have inspired artists and poets, needle and canvas masters, and for herbalists the plant has always remained an invaluable cure for many diseases. He had to have every self-respecting medicine man. What is useful cornflowers, what is special about them, when and to whom they are recommended - we will tell about all this later in the article.
Chemical composition
Blue cornflowers (Centauréa cyánus) are herbaceous annuals or biennials from the Astrov family. They can be found in the fields, gardens, forest edges.
In addition to the cornflowers, the Astrovich family also includes: buzulnik, nivyanik, cineraria, wormwood, orebeckia, lettuce, osteospermum, cynium.
The plant contains large quantities of glycosides (centaurein, anthocyanin, flavone), rutin, quercetin, tsicornin, vitamins C and A, essential oils, tannins, mucus, copper, zinc, selenium, mineral salts, saponins, cyanine, alkaloids, phenols, resins, organic acids. Thanks to glycosides, the plant has a mild toxic effect. 
What is useful
Official and traditional medicine has recognized the medicinal properties of field flowers of cornflowers, besides their use in industry is known. Many manufacturers prefer dry raw materials for the manufacture of tobacco products and blue paint for drawing.
The plant has long been indispensable for diseases of the kidneys, liver, gallbladder and urinary system. Herbalists also recommend decoctions, tinctures and teas from dried inflorescences as a febrifuge, diaphoretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antispasmodic.
Did you know? Scientists have shown that people who inhale the smoke of burned cornflowers begin to feel fear.Extracts and extracts from cornflowers can be found as part of a number of drugs for nephritis, cystitis, rheumatism, urethritis, polyarthritis, diseases of the liver and biliary tract, renal and cardiac edema. Large manufacturers of tea products add blue petals to the collections not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for health.
In folk medicine, there are many recipes using cornflowers to treat eyes, eczema, ulcers, furunculosis, cough, whooping cough, uterine bleeding, diarrhea, gastric mucous membranes and calming the nervous system.The healing effects of these simple weeds are also appreciated by cosmetologists. The plant has a tonic and regenerating effect on the skin. Many beauties confess that this is an indispensable tool to eliminate tired look, bags and puffiness under the eyes.
Preparation of medical raw materials
For therapeutic purposes, only the edge flowers of funnel shape are suitable, which received the scientific name flores centaaeae cyani. When they are prepared, flowering baskets are cut off during flowering, plucking edge flowers-petals from them. 
The collection of raw materials begins from June and lasts until the fall, while the plant blooms. It can be recognized by large inflorescences of blue, violet, purple-violet, and more rarely snow-white.
Important! Store dry billet of cornflowers can be no more than 1 year.After collecting the workpiece spread somewhere in the attic, away from dust and direct sunlight, on a cardboard or fabric flap for drying. Moreover, the procedure must be carried out quickly in a well-ventilated and dark room.
Once in the light, the flowers turn white and lose their healing properties. If there is no suitable place for drying, it is better to use an electrical appliance. In this case, the temperature timer set at 40-50 ° C. The finished raw materials are collected in fabric bags with strings, stored in a dry and dark place.
Did you know? The foliage of wild cornflowers smells like mint, lemon and cloves. Therefore, in some European countries it is used as a spice in the manufacture of canned meat dishes.
Recipes of traditional medicine
Folk healers use broths, lotions, teas, tinctures and even cornflower honey to treat various ailments. Scientific medicine also advises extracts, extracts, essential oils of cornflowers, noting both their beneficial healing properties and contraindications. What and when you need to apply, so as not to harm yourself, let us see below in detail.
With a cold
For the treatment of colds and cough folk healers advise you to prepare a drink of 1 teaspoon of dried cornflowers and 250 grams of boiling water. After 2 hours, when the potion is well infused, it must be drained and three times a day before meals to drink a third of a glass.
Important! Cornflowers are not recommended as feed for livestock, because when ingested in large quantities cause severe poisoning.
With hypertension
For herbal medicine cardiovascular diseases, experienced herbalists prepare special fees, infusions of which are taken orally during the exacerbation period. It is easy to prepare such a medicine: it is enough to gather flowers of cornflowers, horsetail grass and yarrow leaves, white mistletoe leaves, valerian root, fruits of black chokeberry and hawthorn. 
To collect all the ingredients you need to take 15 g. Then pour a tablespoon of raw materials with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for half an hour. When the drink has cooled, take daily 3 times after meals. A single dose should not exceed 70 g of medication.
With cystitis and inflammatory processes in the kidneys
At the first symptoms of inflammation of the ureters, diseases of the kidneys, bladder and urethra, phytotherapists recommend an infusion from the herbal collection of bearberry leaves, juniper leaves, and cornflower field flowers. Take 15 g of all the ingredients and pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture with a glass of boiling water. After 20 minutes, strain the potion and drink it. Recommended dose: 1 tablespoon three times a day.
Did you know? Cornflower seeds crawling. This is due to the white hairs of the fine tuft, which is present on each grain.Cornflowers are also effective in combination with elderberry root, bearberry leaves, birch buds (raw materials are taken in 15 g each). In the collection add 5 g of horsetail, 10 g of gryzhnik and corn silk. Medical decoction is prepared in a ratio of 1 liter of cold water to 4 tablespoons of herbal mixture. Liquid-filled raw materials are defended the whole night, and in the morning they are boiled for 5 minutes. The prepared liquid is divided into 5 parts, drink in the form of heat throughout the day.
When urolithiasis, five times a day drinking herbal decoction helps; for the preparation of this, you will need 15 g of blue cornflower flowers and a string, 10 g of walnut leaves, nettle leaves, calendula flowers, horsetail leaves and veronica, 25 g of tricolor violet. 120 g of the collection is poured with a liter of ordinary water, and after 8 hours, brought to a boil and kept on the fire for no more than 5 minutes.Did you know? Ancient Egyptian priests, before picking a cornflower flower, always uttered a spell. It mentioned the name of the patient and the expected result from the treatment.
Liver problems
Hepatic colic, the formation of stones in the liver and gall bladder, inflammatory processes in these organs, traditional medicine treats using alcohol tincture of cornflowers, which is equally effective for both men and women.
For the prevention and treatment of liver diseases are used: sucker silver, black currant, milk thistle, apples, pumpkin, viburnum, hibiscus, bathing suit, aloe.
For its preparation, you will need 1 tablespoon of potion to pour a half cups of vodka, to insist in a dark kitchen cabinet. You can use the drug after 10 days. For a single dose is enough 30 drops. Folk healers advise three daily intake for 20 minutes before meals. The course of treatment must be coordinated with your doctor. 
As an alternative, you can prepare a herbal medicine: 20 g of cornflowers, 30 g of clover, 40 g of flowers of calendula, 10 g of dandelion roots and nettle. For the preparation of infusion is more than enough 1 tablespoon of the collection. It is poured with a liter of boiling water and immediately add 5 pieces of refined sugar, give an hour to settle. Then filter and drink 200 g before meals. The resulting drink is divided into 4-5 receptions.
Did you know? Many attribute magical power to field cornflowers. They say that if you carry a flower, you will surely meet your love. Also, the plant is a mandatory attribute of white magicians. With it, they remove damage, drive away evil spirits and protect the biofield from demons.
For eye lotions
There is an opinion that cornflowers can restore health to the eyes. This confirms the numerous recipe of the national drug for conjunctivitis, lacrimation, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyeball.
Healing Potion can be prepared in different ways. Some healers advise you to brew a tablespoon of dry raw material with a glass of boiling water, and after an hour, when it is drawn, strain and make eyewash. Repeat the procedure should be up to 8 times a day. Some healers advise to enhance the effect by drinking 50 g of the prepared drug 3 times before taking a meal. Others recommend making eyewashes tincture of 30 g of cornflowers and 1.5 liters of boiling water. 
When conjunctivitis, the herbal collection of wild rose flowers, medicinal chamomile, elderberry leaves, plantain leaves and a double dose of cornflower flowers is taken as one part. For medication you need 3 tablespoons of the mixture and a glass of boiling water. When the infusion has cooled, it is carefully filtered, passing through a ball of gauze and cotton, instilled 2-3 drops in the patient's eyes. The procedure is performed once a day.
Important! The bitter taste and the unnatural greenish-amber color of cornflower honey is considered the norm. Delicacy is determined by the pronounced aroma of almonds.
To remove warts
In case of various skin diseases, including warts, a herbal collection of 15 g of a succession and flowers of wild blue cornflower, 10 g of nettle leaves, horsetail, walnut, veronica, calendula flowers and 20 g of violet are used.
In the jar pour 4 full tablespoons of the mixture and pour 1.5 liters of cold water. Leave to insist on the night, put on the fire in the morning and boil for no more than 7 minutes. The tool is taken orally 200 g for half an hour before meals. Recommended by 5 receptions for 1.5 months. 
You can also try to solve the problem with the help of seeds. To do this, you need to take a small amount of grains and crush them before the formation of powder. Then sprinkle them on the affected skin and tape the top with a plaster. Repeat the treatment you need every day, you should wait for the result after 2 weeks.
Laxative
To prepare a laxative tincture of cornflower flowers, you will need only 2 teaspoons of dry raw materials and 1 cup of boiling water. When the potion is infused for 1.5-2 hours, it needs to be drained and can be taken orally for 30 g before meals. The number of techniques varies depending on the overall state and the expected result.
Important! Cooked tinctures from field cornflower raw materials should be stored exclusively in a dark place, since when the sun gets into it, the potion loses its healing properties. Moreover, as a result of a complex chain, physicochemical reactions become toxic.
Diuretic collection
If there is a need to remove the swelling, which is caused by cardiac dysfunction or kidney failure, prepare a diuretic infusion from the herbal collection: 15 g of bearberry leaves, corn stigmas, birch buds, bean leaves, 10 g of cornflowers and horsetail. 
The mixture is poured boiling water at the rate of 1 liter of liquid to 4 tablespoons, insist day. Then bring to a boil, kept on low heat for 10 minutes. After all filtered and drink in the form of heat 100 g 4 times a day. Receptions means you need to organize an hour after meals.
Application in home cosmetology
What just did not invent beauties of different times and peoples, in order to preserve and emphasize their true beauty. But only the most effective means were passed down from generation to generation, which did not make them wait long for results. The current fans of home beauty procedures among the available and effective call cosmetic means, components of which are the flowers of the usual field cornflower.
Did you know? Cornflower is one of the 20 flowers of the national Ukrainian wreath, symbolizes a combination of youth, beauty, modesty and simplicity.
To strengthen hair
The chemical composition of the plant has a beneficial effect on the hair, therefore, when you use a head of hair tattered with regular dyeing, it is necessary to encourage it with a specially prepared tincture. To do this, you will need to mix 250 g of water and 9% table vinegar, then pour a tablespoon of dry petals with the resulting liquid. 
After half an hour, when the drug is infused, you can begin the improvement of the hair. To this end, the infusion is recommended to rub into the roots twice a day. In the evening, gently rinse your head with plain water without using shampoo. You can wash the braid once a week or to the best of pollution.
For skin
Irreplaceable cornflowers for ladies who suffer from darkened swollen circles under the eyes. If they are not caused by dysfunction of the kidneys, gadgets and washing of a decoction of petals will help. Otherwise, it will be necessary to eliminate the original problem with the above remedies for renal diseases.
Important! Prolonged therapy with cornflower remedies contributes to the accumulation of cyanic compounds in the body, which are known for their toxic effects. Therefore, before starting therapy, it is imperative that you consult with your doctor about the appropriateness of the use and amount of the national drug.To restore the freshness of the skin around the eyes, every evening you need to make lotions from 1 tablespoon of dry petals steamed in a glass of boiling water. When the liquid has cooled, soak a cotton swab in it and place it under the eyelids for 15 minutes.
The same tool is recommended to wipe the face, neck and hands. As a result of regular procedures, get healthy, fresh skin without redness and pimples. Some ladies improve the effect of contrasting compresses. Half of the liquid is placed in the fridge and alternated when processing the epidermis. In such cases, the last should be a cold sponge.From acne
Problem skin will also help blue cornflower. In order to get rid of unpleasant acne, it is enough to wipe problem areas with an infusion of 200 ml of boiling water and 2 teaspoons of dry raw material three times a day. Store the prepared drug in a closed jar away from the light.
Contraindications
Treatment with these delicate flowers, which lately are increasingly found in garden compositions, is not shown to everyone. 
Cornflower poppy is strictly prohibited:
- pregnant women;
- lactating mothers;
- women suffering from uterine bleeding and prolonged painful periods.
Important! In cases of advanced forms of diseases that require long-term treatment, cornflower-blue therapy is interrupted for several weeks. The duration of one course should not exceed 1 month.
Official medicine warns of cases of improper self-diagnosis and therapy, which as a result did not give the expected result, but, on the contrary, worsened the condition of patients. Therefore, before undertaking the preparation of the medicinal remedy described by us, consult with qualified specialists.
Remember that cornflowers only at first glance seem to be a harmless simple weed. In fact, as we have already mentioned, it contains toxic substances that have the ability to accumulate in the body. Do not test your endurance illiterate therapy, the opinion of the doctor should play a key role.
