Gravilat plant (Avens, pniknits) is in demand in medicine, cooking, cosmetology, etc. Because of its beneficial properties, this plant has been widely used and used by healers and healers not only in our country. In this article we will tell you about the composition and nutritional value of gravilat, about its application in various areas of life and about possible side effects and contraindications.
Description
Avens is a flower that is a genus of the Rosaceae family. The genus includes just over 50 species of plants that are widely distributed on all continents of our planet, except Antarctica. Some species of gravilatus are on the verge of extinction in an unprotected habitat. These species are placed under the protection of relevant authorities in national reserves and botanical gardens.
Did you know? For the first time as a medicinal herb, gravilatus was described in medieval healing books as early as the 16th century, but small references to it were also found in the Hippocratic writings.
Botanical description and characteristics of avence are very similar to other plant species - strawberries and potentilla. On the territory of our country one can find only seven varieties of gravilate, but the most common ones are river gravilat and urban gravilat. Avens River prefers to grow on moisture-rich soils, so it is often found on the swamps or the outskirts of rivers. But Avens city is found on drier soils. It is often observed on the outskirts of roads, in fields, parks, gardens or broad-leaved forests. 
River piknitsa is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches a height of 80-100 cm. The stem of this plant branches weakly, and often branching is observed only in the upper part of the stem. Stems of Avens completely covered with hairs. In the lower part of the stem, the hairs have a rougher structure than in its upper part. In addition, the top hairs more lively and glandular.
Leaves of a gravilat enough smooth, form the three-divided form. In Avens there are two types of leaves: stem and basal. The first type of leaves has a short branch and grows alternately on the stem. But the basal leaves have a long-petiole structure and, accordingly, grow on long petioles. In addition, basal leaves are more massive and have rather dense pubescence. 
The most interesting part of the river gravity is its flowers. They do not have large sizes and bright colors, but their healing properties are known to many traditional healers. Avens petals have a whitish-cream color (sometimes light yellow and others) with bright red or pinkish veins. The heads of the flowers are bell-shaped and are lowered down, which helps the gravity self-pollinate.
The gravel blossoms in mid-May - early June, and after a month or two seeds begin to form on the flower. Characteristic processes with hooks and a reddish tint are the first signs of ripened seeds. By the way, it is not without reason that hook-shaped processes have this form, because thanks to it, seeds can cling to people's clothing or animal hair and be transferred to another habitat. 
City Gravilat has a number of differences from river gravilat. For example, an river cant cannot grow more than 60 cm in height, while the river view of a given plant in some cases can reach a height of more than one meter. In addition, the river picnic has greenish stems, and the city - reddish or brown. Also, there are differences in the flowers of these plants: the urban gravels sepals are not colored red.
Nutritional value and calorie
Avens is a completely dietary plant that is widely used for medicinal purposes because of its low calorie content. However, this plant also has practically no nutritional value. 
Thus, only 1 kcal drops per 100 grams of this product. There are practically no proteins, fats and carbohydrates in Ponicnit, therefore in all authoritative botanical reference books it is indicated that in 100 grams of this plant there is not a single gram of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Thus, by its nutritional value and caloric content, gravilat resembles green tea leaves.
Plant composition
If we compare the chemical composition of river and city gravilat, there will be no tangible difference, therefore both plants are suitable for use in medicine, cosmetology, etc.
In the aboveground part of this plant there are phenol carboxylic acids, tannins (almost one fourth of the total dry weight), flavonoids, various coloring matter and alkaloids. Dyes in large quantities contained in the avalanche river. However both plants contain a lot of vitamins, including provitamin A and vitamin C (vitamin C).
Vitamin C is also found in green onions, elderberries, radishes, white currants, actinidia, tarragon, irghe, aloe, cabbage, raspberries, Jerusalem artichoke.
But in the root system of the picnic contains a large number of complex and simple carbohydrates, which are not in the aboveground part. Such carbohydrates include glucose and starch. In addition, the roots of gravilaton are rich in substances such as essential oils, pectin, organic acids, tannins, glycosides and saponins.
Important! Eugenol is a phenolic substance found in the roots of gravilate, and it is because of this substance that this plant has the smell of cloves. Therefore, in the Middle Ages, Avens was called the "clove root."
Beneficial features
Gravilat grass has a number of medicinal properties, which have been successfully used by traditional healers for many centuries.
Here are some of the beneficial properties of a picnic:
- Hemostatic;
- Tonic (increased body defenses due to the presence of ascorbic acid);
- Pain reliever;
- Wound healing;
- Sweatshops (this property of avence is used in malaria and other diseases whose goal of treatment is to increase perspiration);
- Mild hypnotic and mild sedative.
All of the above properties of this plant have long been used by folk healers. They assign people tinctures, napara, decoctions, etc. Also, gravilat has antibacterial properties, so it is used as an antiseptic when rinsing the mouth and taking baths.Use of gravilat
Because of its beneficial and healing properties, pniknitsa has found its application in many areas of human life.
In medicine
Official medicine practically does not use this type of plant in its field of activity. But homeopathy (alternative medicine that relies on treating a patient with ineffective drugs, as a result of which the patient must believe in his recovery and heal himself with his positive thoughts and immunity) and traditional medicine have recognized the therapeutic properties of gravilatum and make extensive use of them. 
Gravilat city, as well as river gravilat, found its application in official medical activity only as an antiseptic and had previously had little popularity among doctors. But today, most of the ministers of medicine do not want to use it as a treatment for patients, and find an alternative in officially registered chemical preparations.
Did you know? "Conspiracy grass" - so called gravilat ancient magicians and witches, who used this plant in their rites.
However, in non-traditional medicine, gravilat is used as a remedy in the fight against angina, cystitis, nephritis, asthma and even tuberculosis. Sometimes tincture of this herb is used in some forms of beriberi, dysentery and helminthiasis. But the most common healers prescribe avence for bleeding, especially internal. 
Decoctions from the roots of the plant are well help with depressions and disorders of the mental system. In addition, such decoctions are added to the bath to reduce pain in the muscles and joints.
In cosmetology
In cosmetology, Avens is used to normalize the skin and regulate perspiration. To do this, the decoction of this herb is added to the bath. In addition, the juice from the roots of avence is used to soften and remove hard and outdated corns.
For oily skin, you can make a mask out of a picnic. For this you need for half an hour to insist 1 tsp. herbs in boiled water (volume of 0.5 liters). Next, strain the mixture and add 2 tbsp. starch. Mix everything thoroughly to get an oily consistency. To sustain the resulting mass for 15 minutes, and then evenly apply on the skin of the face for half an hour. 
These masks help to cope with oily and wrinkled skin, and, moreover, you will know for sure that you are using a natural product.
In cooking
In cooking, Avens leaves are widely used, which are used in the preparation of salads, soups, mashed potatoes and other dishes. Condiments and spices are made from the roots of the grass, which add special taste to fish and meat dishes, as well as to soups and salads.
Important! For decorative and landscape design, a gravel variety was developed under the name "Leonardo Wat". This plant has large flowers and a bronze color and is widely used in decorating European parks. It is possible to grow this variety of avence without any problems at home.
In addition, this plant is used in cooking as a dye. For example, when tinting of fruit drinks, lemonades, etc. the drink takes on a bright purple color. Gravilat is widely used in the production of beer and kvass. It is needed to extend the shelf life of beverages. And from the roots of Avens with the addition of orange peel make very tasty vermouth. To add spice and special aroma to the drink, gravilatum root is used in the alcoholic beverage industry.At home
The stems of this plant are excellent feed additives for many pets. And honey ponies allow the bees to harvest rich honey yields in mid-May. In addition, this plant is used as a dye for dyeing woolen and cotton fabrics. A range of colors, which can give Avens, is very wide, ranging from reddish-green and ending with red-brown.
In addition to the gravilat honey properties have: linden, white locust, buckwheat, rape, cherry plum, pear, cherry, apple, maple, mountain ash, heather, snyat, oregano, medunitsya, bruise, thistle, cornflower.
Due to the high content of tannins in the gravity, it is used as tanning leather. Gardeners use this herb as an excellent insecticide that helps in the fight against insect pests. In addition, breeders have developed many beautiful ornamental species of this plant, and they are used with great success in decorative and landscape design.
Harm and contraindications of medicinal herb
Avens has one distinguishing feature: it has the ability to increase blood clotting. This means that it should be used with caution (or not at all) from people who suffer from low blood pressure, thrombosis, constipation and thrombophlebitis.
Did you know? All the expensive beers in Sweden contain the roots of gravel.
You also need to be careful with the dosage of tinctures or decoctions, because this herb contains a large number of tannins, overdose that threatens with long-term constipation.
Preparation of raw materials
As you already know, for medical purposes, use both the roots of this plant, and the stems and leaves. But the ways of harvesting the roots and leaves are different from each other. So, roots need to be collected in late autumn (before the start of frosts), or in early spring, even before the plant blooms. 
After the roots have been dug up, they need to be washed and dried in the sun. Next, the roots must pass the stage of drying in a well-ventilated room at a temperature of 45-50 ° C.
When the roots dry, they will become brittle and will give off a sharp aroma that resembles the smell of cloves. In this state, the roots can be stored for 3 years, if the container in which the raw material is stored is tightly sealed. Otherwise, the smell of the roots may evaporate after a while.
Elevated portions of the picnic begin to harvest in May. It is necessary to cut off the upper part, 15-20 cm long. The cut stems are dried in the sun or in a special dryer at a temperature that does not exceed 40-45 ° С. Also, the plant can be dried in the form of a bouquet, hanging upside down. When the flower stalks begin to break off easily, it means that the drying process is finished, and in this form the raw material can be stored for about one year, but not longer. 
Important! Gravilat must be dried strictly at temperatures of 40-50 ° C, otherwise all complex chemicals, which, among other things, are the basis of the medicinal properties of this herb, can be destroyed.
In any case, harvested roots and stems of gravel may be needed in the treatment of many diseases, which we described above. And you do not have to look for raw materials in pharmacies, since you will have your own, natural and pure product.
