The pilosella ( Hieracium pilosella ) is a plant that belongs to the A steraceae family. With diuretic and antibiotic properties, it is useful in case of urinary infections and cystitis. Let’s find out better.
Properties of the pilosella
The pilosella is mainly a powerful diuretic, which doubles the volume of urine, and therefore in phytotherapy it is used in the treatment of cellulite, swelling of the ankles, edema of the lower limbs, water retention especially if resulting from eating disorders or pharmacological treatments.
Thanks to this draining action it promotes the elimination of toxins, useful in case of hypertension, high azotemia, hyperuricemia and rheumatism. The pilosella, in fact, is also recognized as having the ability to promote the excretion and outflow of bile (it has a choleretic and cholagogue action), which contributes to liver detoxification. The plant is particularly useful in the presence of uric stones and helps to purify the blood from the excesses of a diet rich in animal proteins.
The antiseptic action of the urinary tract is performed by umbelliferone, a hydroxycoumarin with antibiotic properties against microbes and bacteria that cause cystitis, urethritis, urogenital tract infections, even brucellosis (or Maltese fever). Furthermore, by promoting diuresis, it facilitates the elimination of pathogens through the urine. Coumarins, flavonoids and triterpenes promote reparative and protective processes at the level of the bladder mucosa and of the tissues of the urinary tract.
Finally, due to the presence of tannins, it is also used as an anti-haemorrhagic, to promote healing in both internal and external, traumatic or infectious haemorrhages.
How to use
INTERNAL USE
INFUSION: 1 level spoon of aerial parts of pilosella, 1 cup of water
Pour the pilosella into the boiling water and turn off the heat. Cover and leave to infuse for 10 min. Filter the infusion and drink it between meals.
500-750 mg of dry extract in capsules or tablets administered 2 times a day between meals
30-40 drops of Mother Tincture, 2 times a day between meals
Contraindications of pilosella
There may be interactions with synthetic diuretics, as there may be disorders in the hydro-electric exchange and an enhancement of drugs
Description of the plant
Perennial herbaceous plant, entirely covered by glandular hairs, usually whitish, sometimes reddish on the stem, except for the flower. The leaves , united in a basal rosette, have the lower lamina tomentosa and covered with hairs. The flowers are pale yellow. It reproduces by stolons that generate a new rosette, capable of developing a new clone, forming dense carpets in open spaces. It also propagates by seed .
The habitat of the pilosella
It grows spontaneously in the arid, mountainous and sunny places of Europe and North Asia. The pilosella prefers sunny areas; it grows well on sandy and poorly fertile soil types alike.
Background
Its Latin name, hieracium, derives from hierax which means ” sparrow hawk ” and refers to the popular belief according to which the bird of prey sharpens its eyesight by feeding on this plant with velvety leaves.
In popular tradition it is also known as ” mouse ear ” or ” cat’s tongue “, due to the shape of the basal leaves.
