What is Koporye tea? Not many people know the answer to this question. Ivan tea is widely used in the practice of traditional healers. Thanks to the leaves and flowers of the plant, you can improve digestion, increase immunity, reduce blood pressure and regain a cheerful mood. In the scientific community, Ivan tea is called narrow-leaved fireweed, and the drink made from its fermented raw materials is the famous Koporsky tea. Contraindications beneficial features, methods of preparation and preparation - all this is in our article.

Healing flower grows very close

From the end of spring, fireweed shoots begin to appear throughout Russia. The plant has a tall stem, covered with narrow leaves, and a fluffy inflorescence of lilac flowers flaunts on top. The grass has taken a fancy to deforestation, meadows, conflagrations, as well as roadsides. It was from the ivan tea in Russia that raw materials were prepared from ancient times in order to prepare an incredibly tasty and healthy drink. Traditions are returning, and herbal medicine suggests making such an inexpensive but effective Koporye tea.

History of origin

Back in the XII century, Alexander Nevsky took by storm the impregnable fortress of the Teutons, and on the site of the battle a small village of Koporye arose. Local residents noticed the bushes of narrow-leaved fireweed and brought the art of harvesting and preparing the drink to perfection. Merchants from all the surrounding area came here to buy valuable tea, which got its name from the area. Then already aromatic drink overgrown with other names: Russian and treated guests even at the time of the founding of Moscow, which is mentioned in the ancient Russian chronicles. Great Britain bought thousands of tons of Russian tea, although it already possessed impressive tea plantations in South Asia. But there was a rumor that unscrupulous merchants added clay to Koporye tea, so the demand for it fell, and Koporye went into oblivion.

Ivan tea composition

Almost 70 microelements have gathered in narrow-leaved fireweed, among them the maximum amount of manganese, iron, copper, slightly less - calcium, titanium, potassium, boron, molybdenum, boron and nickel.

Also included medicinal plant there are many useful compounds:

• tannins have a hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effect;
• alkaloids stabilize the state of the circulatory and nervous system, act as an anesthetic and participate in metabolism;
• flavonoids are known for their urinary and choleretic properties;
• pectin removes harmful substances out;
• chlorophyll localizes malignant cells, stimulates rapid wound healing;
• vitamin A takes part in the growth of epithelial cells;
• B vitamins are important for activating biochemical reactions, regulate the normalization of the nervous system;
• fireweed contains a huge amount of vitamin C, but it is mostly destroyed when the leaves are boiled with boiling water.

Useful properties of Koporye tea

If you regularly consume a drink made from narrow-leaved fireweed, you can permanently get rid of headaches, migraines, and normalize sleep. Tea will be a salvation for tired people, it will invigorate and give strength. It is worth noting that there is no caffeine in the plant, so the beneficial components of Ivan tea are gentle and gentle. Koporsky tea recommended in the following cases:

1. During the rampant viral infections. Ivan tea strengthens the walls of blood vessels, prevents influenza and ARVI. At elevated body temperature, they not only take the drink inside, but also make compresses from it on the forehead in order to bring the temperature back to normal levels. Hot tea is drunk to thin phlegm with a dry cough.
2. Rinse the mouth with a strong tea solution for stomatitis, bleeding gums and diseases oral cavity... Thanks to tannin, damaged gum tissue regenerates faster. When rinsing, pathogenic bacteria are washed away, so the antibacterial effect is immediately noticeable.
3. It is useful to drink healing tea during lactation. It promotes milk production, strengthens ducts, saturates milk with all useful components. Koporye tea manifests itself as folk remedy from dysbiosis. The baby receives all the healing substances with milk, so gas formation and colic decreases.
4. In case of anxiety-depressive state, it eases the condition of patients, normalizes the nervous system after stress, improves performance in the treatment of mental disorders, and makes life easier for epileptic diseases.
5. It is used to treat inflammation of the respiratory and genitourinary systems due to its unsurpassed anti-inflammatory properties.
6. Tea helps to recover from anemia, because it contains a large amount of minerals and trace elements.

For a quick fall asleep, it is enough to drink a glass of herbal tea in the evening and combine it with a relaxing massage of the temporal region. So, fatigue and irritation are quickly removed, and sleep will bring relaxation and peace. The recipe for making Koporye tea will be told to the reader later.

Time to procure raw materials

Collection time starts in July and lasts until September. The leaves are collected very carefully, it is advisable to choose and not sweep all the plants in a row. After flowering, it no longer makes sense to harvest fireweed, it becomes unsuitable for processing. Collecting starts in the morning on a sunny day to keep the material dry. There are several ways to collect:

• Break off the upper part of the plants together with the leaves and peduncles (this method is chosen when they will not be fermenting).
• Tear off the green leaves, but do not touch the inflorescences (for subsequent fermentation). With this method, plants are selectively plucked, so there are stems with flowers on which the seeds ripen.
• In the first half of May, the upper parts of the stems are cut off, with this collection the tea is the most vitamin.

Attention! For fermentation, only the leaves are harvested, the flowers are harvested and dried separately, adding to the finished tea for aroma.

Home cooking secrets

Making Koporye tea at home is not a complicated process at all. The most important thing in the preparation of medicinal raw materials is to correctly ferment, during this process, insoluble substances are converted into a soluble form, which makes it easy for the body to assimilate all the natural gifts of fireweed. These substances give tea unique taste, but you need to act in stages in order to get the most useful drink from the raw materials.

Withering - the initial stage

To extract liquid from the leaves, they are wilted. Examine and discard damaged leaves. No need to wash, so as not to wash off the substances involved in fermentation. A thin layer of five centimeters is laid out the raw material on a linen cloth indoors, not forgetting to regularly stir up the leaves. The sun's rays should not penetrate the leaves so as not to dry them out. Also, you cannot dry it on the street, you will get a completely different result, and the tea will be of poor quality. Drying takes about 12 hours on average. The readiness of the leaves is checked by squeezing them in half, if they still crunch, then they are not ready for further processing. If you take raw materials into a lump, they should not crumble.

If you don't have time to deal with leaves, you can make the process easier. They take an old dense sheet and distribute a ball of leaves over it, then twist it tightly so that the fabric absorbs excess moisture.

Preparing raw materials for fermentation

Now it is necessary to destroy the structure of the leaves in order for the juice to stand out. If too little of it appears, then the fermentation will be poor, and the tea will show not the best characteristics. You can choose the most suitable preparation method:

• Roll the raw material by hand. They take several leaves and pump them in the palms until the leaves begin to darken from the released juice. You should get sausages up to 1 cm thick and about 10 cm long. After that, the sausages are cut to later turn into small-leaf tea.
• Kneading the leaves. For 20 minutes, the leaves are kneaded in a deep bowl like dough. This is how the structure of the leaves is destroyed, as a result of which the raw material for large-leaf tea comes out.
• Twisting the leaves with a meat grinder, this is how granulated tea is produced.

Leaf fermentation

Before you start making Koporye tea at home, you need to ferment the leaves. The prepared raw materials are placed in a 10 cm layer in a plastic or ceramic container, covered with a damp linen cloth on top and set aside for fermentation in a dark place. Temperatures do not exceed 22-26 degrees Celsius. The mass begins to heat up, which is enough for the fermentation process to begin. If the room is cool, it is better to cover the container with blankets. At the end of the process, the mass will change color from green to brownish and acquire a fruity-floral aroma. The process lasts from 6 to 36 hours, depending on preferences in tea, because some people like a drink with a light floral aroma (3-6 hours), while others like tart tea with almost no odor (20-36 hours).

Drying after fermentation

Cover the baking sheets with parchment paper and lay out the finished mass in 1 centimeter. The oven door is opened slightly and dried at a temperature of 100 degrees for about two hours, then the heat is reduced and finally dried. How to brew Koporye tea? We will talk about this further.

How to drink tea

How to drink Koporye tea? Recommended twice a day, but you can also when you want. Do not throw away the tea leaves, if the tea has just been drunk, it will still come in handy. You can still get five servings from one serving aromatic tea... You just need to top up the tea leaves with boiling water. Each portion retains its healing properties. The tea is delicious even when cooled down, and it is better not to add sugar to it, but to feel the taste of nature itself. For sweetness, tea can be supplemented with dried fruits, honey or halva.

The easiest way to make Koporye tea: for 0.5 liters of boiling water, it is enough to take 2 teaspoons of fireweed. First, pour the kettle into a third, wait a few minutes and add boiling water. To enhance the taste of Koporye tea, you can add a few dried leaves of mint, strawberry or black currant. It is not necessary to wrap up the teapot, and after 10 minutes you can already taste real Koporye tea.

But in addition to all of the above useful properties, Koporye tea also has contraindications. True, there are not so many of them, but they must be taken into account.

Koporsky tea: contraindications

If you drink the drink constantly throughout the month, then interruptions in the work of the gastrointestinal tract may occur. Koporye tea has contraindications for problems with blood clotting (thrombophlebitis or varicose veins). With caution, it is suggested to give a drink to children under 2 years old, but such a statement has no basis, on the contrary, if you take it dosed, then there will be only benefit.

The joy of taste

When you can taste the first serving of Koporye tea, do not try to match its taste with other well-known teas. The drink is unmatched, it is unlike anything, it has its own magical aroma and a range of unique consonances of taste. It's time to give yourself real pleasure and at the same time improve your health with a cup of Koporye tea!

"Russian tea" - this is what the Europeans used to call hot drink from fireweed, in Russia it was called Koporsky tea. And they prepared it from the leaves of our native Ivan-tea.

The first half of the 17th century was marked by the appearance in Russia, first of Chinese, and then of Indian tea. That and the other tea was "affordable" only for rich and noble nobles. It was simply impossible for commoners to buy black tea from China or India. But it is not for nothing that they say that the need for invention is cunning. Poorer people quickly found a good alternative - they began to brew the leaves of Ivan tea, which grew in every meadow. Cheap and cheerful, in other words, free and tasty. In the village of Koporye (hence the second name of tea) near St. Petersburg, the production of this drink was literally "put on stream": Ivan tea was grown, the leaves were collected and dried, they were ground, packed into briquettes and sold in local shops.

Fireweed tea has become popular not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. The British especially loved him. Abroad, Russian tea was bought up in huge quantities, which fundamentally undermined the power of the East India Company (the world leader in the tea market at that time). The “tea kings” did not tolerate a competitor: they vilely “tarnished” the reputation of the Koporsky tea producer, saying that the Russians mix tea leaves with white clay. That is why the price for Russian black tea is so low. I must say that then it was a very serious accusation. Not understanding the details, the Europeans began to reduce the volume of purchases of Russian tea. And after the revolution in 1917, the production of the drink for export ceased altogether.

"Everything new is well forgotten old" - folk wisdom. So the time has come when the demand for Koporsky tea has grown incredibly. Today you can buy herbal tea from the leaves of only one fireweed, but you can also purchase various tea compositions, which contain ivan tea.

For Russians, choosing a drink made from herbs that grow in their native land will be the best option. Why? Because overseas tea contains a lot of caffeine. The depleting effect of caffeine and other alkaloids of tea leaves on the human nervous system was proved by the academician Pavlov. But the effect of drinking tea from fireweed is exactly the opposite.

The chemical composition of Ivan-tea

Vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C.

Macronutrients: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus.

Trace elements: iron, copper, manganese.

Also, Ivan-tea contains tannins, carbohydrates, pectin, bioflavonoids and fiber.

Useful properties and benefits of Ivan tea for the body of men and women

• strengthens the immune system,
• helps with colds,
• knocks down the temperature
• relieves inflammation,
• normalizes blood pressure,
• cancer prevention,
• fights sinusitis,
• relieves feelings of nausea and vomiting,
• treats infectious diseases,
• improves the work of the cardiovascular system,
• eliminates headaches,
• strengthens men's health,
• treat diseases of the oral cavity,
• relieves the condition during menopause,
• prevention of urolithiasis and gallstone diseases,
• helps to quit smoking,
• improves visual acuity,
• improves the activity of the nervous system,
• helps to cope with insomnia,
• restores strength,
• normalizes digestion,
• strengthens the hair roots.

The leaves contain vitamin C, therefore, fireweed recovers well after long-term illnesses, effectively fights intoxication in case of poisoning, has a good wound healing effect and has a beneficial effect on blood composition.

Contraindications and harm of Ivan-Chai

• individual intolerance,
• simultaneous use with sedative medications (a violation of the nervous system may occur),
• use together with antipyretic drugs.

In addition, excessive consumption of the drink leads to intestinal upset.

How to make Ivan tea

The price for Koporsky herbal tea is relatively low, because the raw materials are not brought from abroad. Ivan tea grows almost under our feet! And the method of preparing it also does not require large financial investments. Anyone can collect and dry the leaves of a medicinal plant. Therefore, before you buy herbal tea with fireweed, try drying the leaves of this plant yourself.

Collection of Ivan-Tea

The leaves of the plant are harvested during the flowering period - late June to autumn. Buds and leaves are harvested separately from each other, without mixing with each other.

So, the whole process of making tea includes 5 stages.

Fermentation of Ivan tea at home. Withering

The collected leaves are laid out in the shade on a flat dry surface with a layer of about 5-6 cm. Within one or two days, the leaves must be turned over so that they wither, but do not dry out completely.

Rolling Ivan tea leaves

The leaves should be twisted between the palms into small thin "sausages" until the leaves give juice and change color to a darker one.

Ripening of leaves of Ivan-tea

Or fermentation. To do this, the twisted leaves must be placed in an enamel container and covered with a damp cloth. Layer thickness about 5 cm. Keep for 6 to 12 hours at a temperature of 24-27 ° C. At a higher temperature, willow tea leaves will ripen faster. The indicator of maturity is smell. It should be a vibrant floral fruity.

Drying Ivan-tea

Ripe leaves should be finely chopped and put in or in a dryer on parchment with a layer of 1-1.5 cm. Dry at 40-43 ° C for about 1-1.5 hours. The readiness is checked by touch. When the leaves become brittle, the temperature can be reduced.

Storage of Ivan-tea

For correct storage tight packing is required (for example, a jar with a lid). In a month, the tea will reach the desired marketable condition, and when further storage his taste properties will only get better.

You need to brew Koporsky tea in the same way as ordinary tea. You can fill the tea leaves with boiling water more than once - the healing properties of the tea will not be lost within 3 days!

Enjoy your tea and be healthy!

Video: Russian drink - Ivan tea

Ivan tea (narrow-leaved fireweed) - useful properties, composition, use in medicine. Koporye tea recipe

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What is Ivan tea?

Blooming Sally is a genus of perennial plants of the Cypress family. It grows throughout the temperate climatic zone. Ivan tea broadleaf grows in the arctic, subarctic zones, and parts of the temperate climatic zone.

Prefers sandy soils, rather dry. It is found along forests, in thickets of bushes, in clearings and even scorched lands.

Most often, under the name "ivan-tea" they mean narrow-leaved ivan-tea, or narrow-leaved fireweed.

Ivan tea narrow-leaved (narrow-leaved fireweed)

Description of the plant

Ivan tea narrow-leaved - a perennial herb, reaching a height of 0.5 - 1.5 (up to 2) m.

Possesses a thick creeping rhizome. A lot of buds are formed on the roots, through which the plant reproduces vegetatively.

Stem - straight, round cut, densely covered with leaves.

Leaves are alternate, sessile, simple, linear-lanceolate, pointed, sometimes almost round, from 4 to 12 cm in length and 7 to 20 mm in width. On the front side, the leaves are dark green, shiny, on the back - dark green, reddish or light pink. At the edges, the leaves are glandular-toothed or solid.

The flowers are large, wide open, dark red or pink, sometimes white, with a double perianth. The flowers have four petals, up to 3 cm wide. The flowers form spike-shaped inflorescences located in the upper part of the plant in the form of a conical brush 15-50 cm long. Each flower forms both male and female reproductive cells of the plant. A nectar ring develops around the pistil.

Narrow-leaved Ivan-tea blooms from about mid-July to mid-August.

The fruit is an oblong capsule, slightly curved, covered with hairs. Up to 20 thousand seeds are formed in the capsule. For narrow-leaved willow-leaved tea, in contrast to other species of the genus Ivan-tea, the presence on the seeds of the so-called. tuft (fluff), through which the seeds are able to move in the wind over great distances.

Pollen grains are three-pored, round. In width they reach 4.8 - 8.4 microns. The pollen of Ivan tea is yellow-green in color.

Collection and drying

In folk medicine, leaves, flowers and rhizome of ivan tea are used. Unblown shoots are less commonly used. Raw materials are harvested during the flowering period.

It is recommended to pick flowers when they are just starting to bloom, before they are covered with fluff from seeds. Leaves are placed on a cloth or paper in a thin layer, and dried under a canopy, out of direct sunlight.

Parts of Ivan-tea, prepared in this way, are used for the preparation of decoctions, infusions, tinctures and other preparations of the plant, as well as for cooking culinary dishes... The traditional ivan tea drink, in turn, requires that the leaves undergo a fermentation process according to special rules.

Ivan tea composition

Young leaves and roots of narrow-leaved fireweed contain from 10 to 20% tannin. The leaves contain about 15% mucus. Also, the leaves of the plant are rich in vegetable fiber, which normalizes the work of the intestines, but at the same time it is not broken down in it.

Tannins (tannins)

When taken orally, tannins have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect on the gastrointestinal tract, therefore, products containing tannins are recommended for use in these diseases. Also, tannins exhibit antibacterial and hemostatic properties, help to eliminate or prevent unpleasant symptoms from bee stings. But the most useful property of tannins is the ability to bind and remove toxic metals from the body when poisoned with them.

In Ivan tea, in addition to mucus and tannins, the following components are found:

• Carbohydrates;
• Organic acids;
• Phenolic compounds;
• Pectin;
• Bioflavonoids;
• Traces of alkaloids;
• Micro and macro elements.

Carbohydrates (saccharides)

Functions of carbohydrates in the body:

• Energy function - the body receives about 56% of its energy only through the burning of carbohydrates;
• Plastic function - saccharides serve as a "building block" of nucleic acids, nucleotides, cell walls, various enzymes, complex proteins;
• Storage function - carbohydrate glycogen is able to accumulate in the liver and muscles for subsequent consumption by the body.
• Fiber cleanses the intestines and improves bowel function.

Pectin

Pectin action:

• Removes toxins and toxic substances (heavy metals, pesticides, etc.) from the body;
• Normalizes metabolic processes;
• Reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol in the body;
• Normalizes peripheral circulation;
• Improves intestinal peristalsis.

Bioflavonoids

Action of bioflavonoids:

• Reduces the fragility of blood vessels;
• Regulate the permeability of the vascular wall;
• Prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
• They have an antioxidant effect: prevent premature aging, reduce the risk of developing cancer;
• Protect cells from destruction with excessive histamine secretion.

Trace elements

Ivan tea leaves are rich in iron, copper and manganese. They also contain zinc, titanium, molybdenum, boron, etc.

Iron

• Essential for the production of hemoglobin;
• Provides the process of cellular respiration;
• Necessary for the growth process;
• It is a component of many enzymes that provide digestion and energy metabolism;
• Participates in the synthesis of immune cells;
• Participates in the generation and transmission of nerve impulses.

Copper

• Provides maintenance of normal blood composition, prevents anemia;
• Plays an important role in the absorption of iron by the body, as well as in the synthesis of the protein hemoglobin;
• Normalizes the function of the liver, spleen and lymphatic system;
• Helps cope with obesity;
• Reduces the risk of developing hypertension, radiculitis, and cancer.

Manganese

• Plays an important role in the process of growth and development;
• Provides normal bone structure;
• Participates in the synthesis of thyroxine - the main thyroid hormone;
• Provides normal digestion;
• Improves memory and muscle reflexes, reduces irritability;
• Normalizes blood glucose levels;
• It is necessary for the synthesis of interferon in the body.

Macronutrients

Macronutrients such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, etc. are found in the leaves of narrow-leaved fireweed.

Calcium

• It is one of the most important elements of metabolism;
• It is an essential building block of bones, teeth and nails;
• Ensures the normal functioning of muscle tissue and the nervous system;
• Maintains a normal heart rate;
• Prevents the development of hypertension;
• Provides blood clotting.

Magnesium

• Provides blood clotting;
• It is necessary for the normal functioning of the prostate gland, gallbladder and intestines;
• Participates in the synthesis of estrogen;
• Normalizes the contractile function of muscles, including the myocardium (recommended for arrhythmias);
• Plays an important role in the assimilation of ascorbic acid, potassium, calcium, sodium and phosphorus;
• Reduces the negative effects of stress and depression;
• It activates a number of enzymes that provide carbohydrate and energy metabolism.

Potassium

• It is a necessary element for the normal functioning of all organs, incl. hearts;
• Regulates water-salt metabolism in the body;
• Prevents the development of edema;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• prevents the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels;
• eliminates spasms of peripheral vessels;
• By contributing to the saturation of the brain with oxygen, it increases physical and mental performance.

Phosphorus

• Promotes normal growth and rehabilitation of the body;
• Stabilizes energy metabolism;
• Helps relieve joint arthritis pain;
• Strengthens teeth;
• Improves metabolism;
• Regulates acid-base balance;
• Participates in the transmission of nerve impulses;
• Improves the absorption of dextrose.

Vitamins

The leaves of narrow-leaved fireweed are rich in ascorbic acid (the content of vitamin C is about 4 times higher than in lemon). The plant also contains a number of other vitamins, such as A, B 1, B 2, B 3, B 6, B 9.

Vitamin C

• It is a powerful antioxidant: prevents premature aging, reduces the risk of malignant diseases;
• Essential for iron metabolism;
• Improves muscle tone of the vascular wall;
• It is necessary for the formation of bone tissue, as well as red blood cells;
• Regulates the concentration of glucose and cholesterol in the blood;
• Prevents atherosclerosis;
• Breaks down toxic substances in the body;
• It significantly reduces the recovery time in most pathologies.

Vitamin A

• Plays an important role in redox reactions;
• Participates in the processes of protein formation;
• Improves the function of cell membranes;
• Prevents premature aging;
• Improves immunity;
• Activates the formation of collagen: rejuvenates the skin, helps to eliminate wrinkles;
• Essential for vision: provides the synthesis of retinal pigments;
• Has an antioxidant effect, prevents the formation of malignant tumors;
• Inhibits the formation of "bad" cholesterol;
• Normalizes blood glucose concentration;
• Participates in the formation of steroid hormones and male germ cells.

Vitamin B 1

• Reduces the level of the amino acid homocysteine, an excess of which leads to heart attacks and strokes;
• Provides the synthesis of methionine;
• Regulates nitrogen metabolism;
• Normalizes serum cholesterol concentration;
• Removes excess lipids from the liver;
• Normalizes the acidity of the digestive juice;
• Accelerates recovery from bacterial and viral infections;
• Improves the state of intoxication with nicotine;
• Reduces the negative effects of stress.

Vitamin B 2

• Normalizes metabolic processes in the body;
• Participates in the formation of red blood cells;
• Supports immunity, participates in the formation of immunoglobulins;
• Improves visual acuity, relieves eye fatigue;
• Stimulates brain function;
• Increases resistance to stress;
• Normalizes the function of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Improves the absorption of vitamin B 6.

Vitamin B 3 (nicotinic acid)
Action:

• Provides normal tissue growth;
• Optimizes lipid metabolism;
• Reduces the level of bad cholesterol;
• Eliminates headache;
• Reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension;
• Increases joint mobility;
• Helps to form a number of hormones.

Vitamin B 6
Action:

• Provides complete assimilation of proteins and fats;
• Helps to heal a wide range of nervous and skin pathologies;
• Relieves nausea
• Provides the formation of complete nucleic acids that prevent aging;
• Helps with nighttime muscle pain, leg cramps, numbness in the arms, etc.;
• Acts as a natural diuretic.

Vitamin B 9 (folic acid)
Action:

• Regulates the maturation of red blood cells, ensures normal hematopoiesis;
• Plays an important role in the formation of hemoglobin;
• Provides good digestion;
• It has a positive effect on the state of the nervous system and the mood of a person;
• It is necessary in the process of formation of most of the organs of the fetus (therefore, it is necessary during pregnancy).

Properties of willow tea

• Antimicrobial;
• Anti-inflammatory;
• Antipyretic;
• Anticonvulsant;
• Enveloping;
• Astringent;
• Sedative (sedative);
• Hypnotic;
• Pain reliever;
• Antioxidant;
• Vaso-strengthening;
• Hemostatic.

The antimicrobial properties of Ivan tea are successfully used in folk medicine for the treatment of various infectious diseases, for example, infections of the gastrointestinal tract.

Ivan tea is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent used for a variety of inflammatory conditions. Among them, it is necessary to highlight male and female inflammatory pathologies of the reproductive system, as well as inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system, digestive tract, and urinary system. Also, narrow-leaved fireweed helps with colds and acute respiratory infections, but only if the intake of plant preparations was started in the first two days after the onset of the first symptoms of the disease. If you start drinking Ivan tea later, then either there will be no effect, or it will be the opposite.

Narrow-leaved fireweed has a pronounced enveloping and astringent effect - therefore, the plant is recommended to be used for pathologies of the digestive tract - gastritis, colitis, peptic ulcer disease.

Like motherwort heart, ivan tea has a mild sedative and hypnotic effect.

The antioxidant property of narrow-leaved fireweed is provided due to the content of plant phenolic compounds in it, which are especially strong antioxidants, as well as vitamins A and C. Thanks to given property Ivan tea is often recommended as a means of prolonging youth.

The vascular strengthening property of narrow-leaved fireweed is due to the content of bioflavonoids in it, which strengthen the walls of capillaries and blood vessels, making them less brittle, more elastic, and also protect them from the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

What does Ivan tea cure?

Ivan tea is used for the following pathologies:

• nausea, vomiting ;
• peptic ulcer;
• decreased visual acuity;
• BPH;
• atherosclerosis;
• diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
• migraine;
• insomnia;
• arterial hypertension;
• neuroses;
• inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system;
• anemia;
• bronchitis, pneumonia;
• ARI, flu;
• menopause, menopause;
• irregular, profuse periods;
• leucorrhoea;
• oncological diseases;
• intoxication, including alcoholic;
• smoking (helps to quit).

Ivan tea: composition, properties, preparation - video

Koporsky tea

History

Narrow-leaved fireweed tea has been known for a long time. In the 12th century, Alexander Nevsky recaptured the fortress from the Teutonic knights, and destroyed it. On the site of the fortress, the village of Koporye arose, the inhabitants of which were most successful in the procurement and sale of tea from narrow-leaved fireweed. Therefore, he later received a second name - Koporye tea. It is also called Ivan-tea, Russian tea. This drink is mentioned in ancient Russian manuscripts, it was popular at the time of the founding of Moscow, it was also loved in Europe.

At the end of the 19th century, Ivan tea began to seriously compete with Indian tea, which was monopolized by the British East India Company. Great Britain, owning huge tea plantations in South Asia, regularly bought thousands of tons of Russian tea, since it was very popular among the inhabitants of the island. Subsequently, under the pretext that the producers of Koporye tea added white clay to it, the import of the product was stopped. Koporye quickly fell into decay.

Useful properties of Ivan tea (Koporsky tea)

Ivan tea, which has an excellent aroma and pleasant taste, is very useful plant with a number of medicinal properties.

Dentists recognize its anti-inflammatory properties as well as its ability to prevent tooth decay. Therapists note that the use of ivan tea increases the body's resistance to respiratory viral infectious diseases, normalizes the function of the liver and kidneys, and increases potency. When using ivan tea, the body begins to cleanse the blood and optimize its composition. Thanks to this, the drink finds application in the treatment of food, alcohol and nicotine intoxication, and accelerates the recovery of patients. Even Tibetan monks use fireweed narrow-leaved for skin treatment, and Chinese medicine men - for certain bleeding. In medical sources, there are references to the ability of fireweed to increase fertility. In Soviet times, ivan tea was used to prepare the anticancer drug Hanerol, which proved to be effective in research.

Withering

Fireweed leaves are distributed on paper or fabric with a layer not higher than 5 cm, for 15-24 hours. The leaves should be stirred from time to time so that the withering occurs evenly and the upper leaves do not dry out.

Twisting

Rubbing between the palms, the leaves of the fireweed are twisted into small spiral sausages, about 5-10 cm long. The twisting is carried out until the leaves darken from the released juice.

Fermentation

Spindle-shaped sausages made of twisted fireweed leaves are placed in an enamel bowl, spreading them in a layer 5 cm high.On top, the leaves are covered with a piece of wet cloth and placed in a warm place (at a temperature of 24-27 degrees) for 6-12 hours. The higher the temperature of the environment, in the tea is placed, the faster the fermentation takes place. Fermentation is considered sufficient if the herbal scent of the leaves changes to a strong floral-fruity aroma.

Important! You should not place the leaves in an environment with too high a temperature, or ferment for longer than the recommended time - while ivan tea, as a rule, acquires an unpleasant odor and loses its positive taste.

Drying

After the end of fermentation, the leaves are cut into small pieces, placed in a sieve or baking sheet, which are pre-overlaid with parchment paper. The crushed tea is evenly distributed over the surface of the paper with a layer of not more than 1.5 cm, and dried at a temperature of 100 degrees for 1 hour. It is recommended to dry Ivan tea in special dryers. Periodically check the readiness of the tea by touch. Well-dried fireweed outwardly is very similar to ordinary black tea, but in terms of the strength and strength of the aroma, it clearly surpasses it. If you squeeze a tea leaf between your fingers, it should break, but not crumble into powder. When all the tea has reached the above-described condition, the drying temperature is reduced, and the craving is significantly increased.

Important! Do not overdo the tea in the dryer. If the fermented fireweed is dried for too long, or at too high a temperature, the tea will "give off" with paper.

Storage

Fermented and dried fireweed, like regular tea from the leaves of the tea bush, should be stored in a hermetically sealed container. The most convenient utensils for storing ready-made Ivan tea at home are glass jar with a nylon cover.

Reviews about Koporye tea

Many people, having once tasted improperly prepared Ivan tea, are disappointed in this drink, considering its taste unpleasant. This happens when a non-professional was engaged in the preparation of raw materials. If a branded conveyor product has been used to brew the beverage, the taste can also be disappointing. In addition, such a product is usually quite expensive.

Most herbalists and herbalists agree that in order to make really high-quality willow-herb tea, all manipulations with the fireweed leaf must be done manually.

Therefore, in order to appreciate the tea made from narrow-leaved fireweed, it is extremely important to follow all the rules for collecting, fermenting, drying and storing plant leaves.

Connoisseurs of Koporye tea unanimously say that a properly prepared leaf of narrow-leaved fireweed allows you to prepare a drink that surpasses the best varieties of ordinary tea in its taste. Well, as for the health benefits, ordinary tea made from Chinese camellia leaves cannot be compared with Ivan tea.

Koporye tea recipe: collection, fermentation and drying of Ivan tea - video

Which tea is healthier: Ivan-tea or "Indian" tea

In Russia, the import of Koporye tea from abroad, as well as its sale within the country, were prohibited, although the drink is harmless to health. Gradually, Indian tea began to gain popularity in all strata of society, and Ivan tea was undeservedly forgotten.

The consequences of such a massive enthusiasm for foreign teas are far from always positive. Many nutritionists and doctors are sure that this hobby is guilty of an increase in the number of strokes, myocardial infarctions, and also nervous breakdowns. And all this is due to the fact that tea from the leaves of the tea bush (Chinese camellia) contains a large amount of caffeine. The human body, which in the process of evolution has never encountered so much caffeine entering it, simply cannot assimilate and utilize it completely.

Everyone knows that caffeine increases activity and activates excitation processes in the cerebral cortex, and also increases physical activity. The alkaloids contained in the leaves of Chinese camellia, and, subsequently, in the drink, have an exciting effect on the heart. The contractions of the heart muscle become more frequent and stronger. Subsequently, the person feels a certain burst of energy. However, such an unnatural "warming up" of the body is accompanied by high energy costs. If you regularly consume large amounts of caffeine, nerve cells are depleted, and over time, a person will feel tired, which will last much longer than a short burst of energy after a cup of tea. Therefore, doctors and nutritionists are increasingly agreeing with the opinion that tea made from camellia leaves should not be consumed regularly - this drink will be useful once a week, and for some, even once a month.

Caffeine is contraindicated in many pathologies: insomnia, arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, glaucoma, heart and vascular diseases. Excessive consumption of drinks rich in caffeine causes exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract. Also, the tannins of tea activate the excretion of elements such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus from the body. Thus, tea, like coffee, depletes people who consume it on a daily basis, and in large quantities. However, moderate consumption of tea, especially green tea, has been found to be beneficial.

Ivan tea, in turn, does not contain caffeine. It contains substances that only benefit the body. Therefore, Koporye tea for most people, in comparison with ordinary tea, is a healthier drink.

Ivan tea with prostate adenoma

Adenoma of the prostate is an unpleasant and dangerous disease from which no man is immune. Most herbalists confirm that willow tea helps with prostate adenoma. It is believed that the phytosterols contained in the plant lead to slowing down or stopping prostatic hyperplasia.

Regular intake of ivan tea, as well as an encapsulated preparation of the plant, allows many patients to avoid surgical intervention, since the gland ceases to increase in size. German herbalists claim the following "water extract of ivan tea has been proven to have a powerful anti-inflammatory and healing effect in acute and chronic pathologies of the prostate gland in the first and second stages of adenoma, in cystitis, and can also be used in combination with other drugs after surgery on In case of pathologies of the prostate gland, in addition to narrow-leaved ivan tea, the consumption of pumpkin seeds helps, which accelerates the healing process. "

The substance contained in narrow-leaved fireweed, and provides the main therapeutic effect, is called beta-sitosterol. In the treatment of prostate adenoma, beta-sitosterol plays an important role, since it reduces the likelihood of gland hyperplasia, as well as malignant degeneration of its cells. Also, this substance reduces the concentration of cholesterol in the blood plasma, and normalizes the metabolism. German pharmacists B. Tays and P. Tays have proved that drugs from fireweed narrow-leaved inhibit inflammation in the prostate, which makes it possible to use it in the treatment of adenoma.

When combined with other plants, for example, as part of a collection, the therapeutic effect is complementary and enhanced. Infusions of such fees should be used in courses.

Collection 1

Collection components:

• Narrow-leaved fireweed - 3 tbsp.;
• Stinging nettle root - 2 tablespoons;
• Goldenrod - 2 tbsp;
• Horsetail, hop cones and cumin - 1 pc.

Dry, grind and mix all components. Pour the mixture with 200 ml of boiling water, leave for about 30 minutes, filter. Drink the infusion 3 times a day before meals, 1/3 cup.

Collection 2

Collection components:

• Ivan tea rhizome and licorice root - 10 parts each;
• Echinacea purpurea root - 3 parts;
• Chinese schisandra leaf - 2 parts.

Dry the ingredients, chop and mix. Brew one tablespoon of the mixture with boiling water in a volume of 400 ml, and 10 minutes. cook over low heat. Insist for 30 minutes, then filter through triple gauze. Consume 100 ml orally 3 times a day, before meals.

Collection 3

In dried and chopped form, mix in equal proportions the leaves of narrow-leaved willow-leaved tea, wild strawberry, hazel and birch. Brew four tablespoons of the mixture with 400 ml of boiling water, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, let it brew, filter through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Can be taken orally without restriction. Sugar or sweeteners should not be added.

Infusion for prostate adenoma

3 tsp dry chopped herbs of willow-tea, brew 400 ml of boiling water. Insist for 5-10 minutes, filter. It is better to drink this infusion in the morning, on an empty stomach, or before going to bed, 150-200 ml at a time.

Ivan tea can be brewed as usual - one teaspoon of tea for 200-250 ml of boiling water. This drink eliminates inflammation of the prostate, stops further hyperplasia of the gland, and improves the indications of urological tests. In addition, this drink reduces the risk of malignant neoplasms.

Modern studies of the properties of willow tea allow us to recommend it to all men over 50, since this medicinal herb does not do any harm, while calming the nervous system and normalizing sleep.

Ivan tea in cancer treatment

Since ivan tea contains a number of the most useful vitamins, microelements and organic substances, it can be recommended for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as a fortifying and vitamin remedy.

However, this is not the end of the benefits of Ivan tea in the treatment of oncology. There is scientific evidence on the antitumor properties of narrow-leaved fireweed. These properties are provided by the content in the plant of the active substance hanerol, which has antitumor activity. Back in the 1980s, Soviet scientists developed the drug Hanerol, which, according to research results, proved to be an effective antineoplastic agent for certain types of cancer. However, for a number of reasons, the production of the drug was closed.

Ivan tea for excess weight and double chin

Famous folk recipe drinking willow tea with a pinch of salt. They drink it in 150 ml, half an hour before eating. Thanks to this, excess weight will go away, as well as you will get rid of a double chin. It appears as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the salivary glands. Salivary glands are deficient in salt, and they increase saliva production to keep chewing and swallowing from being disturbed. The flow of blood to the glands increases, the vessels begin to secrete lymphoid fluid for the formation of saliva. However, the lymphoid fluid also penetrates beyond the salivary glands, accumulating in the subcutaneous space of the chin and neck. When using salted willow tea, this process stops, and the double chin goes away over time.

Salted willow tea is similar in composition to kelp. Therefore, steamed tea can not be thrown away, but eaten like greens for meat and fish dishes.

Ivan tea honey (fireweed honey)

Ivan tea honey is usually called fireweed honey. Narrow-leaved fireweed has a number of medicinal properties, and it contains a large amount of vitamins, trace elements and nutrients. Of course, the bees do not know about this, but they still diligently collect nectar from its flowers.

This addiction of bees is understandable: Ivan tea is an excellent honey plant. Due to its excellent scent, it attracts bees from great distances. The collected nectar produces a very aromatic, tasty and healthy honey.

Fireweed honey has earned its popularity among amateurs and connoisseurs good varieties honey. However, it has not yet gained massive popularity, possibly due to its specific appearance.

Ivan tea honey is yellowish or slightly greenish, in consistency, like cream. It quickly becomes sugar-free, so clots are formed in it, resembling grains or snowflakes. When honey is candied, it takes on a lighter hue, which puzzles many people. Many people begin to suspect that low-quality honey was sold to them, or it was diluted. sugar syrup... However, only a few connoisseurs of this product know that Ivan tea honey is one of the most widespread in Russia.

As a result, uninformed people, wishing to purchase high-quality, natural honey, often opt for a beautiful but useless fake. Dyes and others have been added to it. nutritional supplements, not always of natural origin, which make it possible to turn honey into a beautiful uniform mass. It is very difficult to get the benefits of such a product, but it can be poisoned, because it is not always possible to find out in advance what substances were added to it to create the ideal color.

In addition to poisoning, allergic reactions can develop to fake honey. But natural honey made from willow tea can rarely cause allergies. As a rule, it helps the human body to get used to various foods in the diet, and also increases its resistance to external factors. Of course, only natural fireweed honey has such an effect, which, if desired, can be easily learned to distinguish from the best fakes.

Properties and application

Ivan tea honey has been used in folk medicine since ancient times. Our ancestors understood that honey has all the beneficial effects that the narrow-leaved fireweed itself has. Therefore, it was used to treat the same pathologies.

Scientists are still only studying the properties of this type of honey. However, today it finds application as a cosmetic product. It is added to scrubs and creams to make skin softer and healthier. In the recipes that have come to us from time immemorial, you can find many interesting ways to use fireweed honey. For example, they were smeared with it in a bath, then removed, after which they washed the body well - this procedure cleanses, nourishes and rejuvenates the skin, eliminating wrinkles. These properties of honey have been noticed by cosmetics manufacturers, and they began to add it to many cosmetics in order to act on the skin in natural ways.

The practice of using ivan tea honey in the treatment of pathologies of the skin and mucous membranes is of great interest (only natural honey is used, without any additives). Many experts did not immediately believe in this, but scientific evidence has shown the effectiveness of such therapy. People use fireweed honey to successfully treat abscesses, boils, acne and other problem areas of the skin. Also, like Ivan tea itself, honey from it has antiseptic properties - it destroys pathogens, cleanses the skin - and the disease recedes.

Of course, fireweed honey is not a panacea for all skin diseases, so you should not count on miraculous healing. If, for example, the origin of a skin rash is associated with some kind of internal disorders or pathological processes, honey will not be effective in its treatment. Therefore, doctors recommend starting to engage in medical treatment only after being examined by a dermatologist. If you take up the treatment of skin disease with honey, without finding out its cause, you can even worsen your condition.

The properties and spectrum of application of Ivan tea honey are still under discussion among nutritionists and other doctors. Among the people, it is used not only for skin problems, but also for pathologies of internal organs. At the same time, the range of recommendations for its use in traditional medicine is so wide that sometimes narrow-leaved fireweed was considered a witchcraft. However, without a doubt, it can be argued that fireweed honey helps with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. For this, 1 tsp. honey is diluted in a cup of warm boiled water and drunk in the morning on an empty stomach. Such a pleasant medicine stabilizes the intestines, destroys pathogenic bacteria and lowers the acidity of gastric juice. In view of this property of willow-tea honey, it is often used as part of the treatment of hyperacid gastritis. Accordingly, it is not recommended to use fireweed honey for gastritis with strongly low acidity.

Also, nutritionists and traditional medicine experts recommend eating 1 tsp. fireweed honey, as it saturates the body with vitamins, and also increases its defenses. However, you should not eat it excessively, because with daily and excessive use, fireweed honey can negatively affect your health, simply because any substance that only crawls in adequate quantities can cause intoxication.

The healing and prophylactic properties of narrow-leaved ivan tea were highly appreciated in cardiology and psychotherapy. Natural fireweed honey improves the condition of the walls of blood vessels and capillaries, normalizes the work of the heart muscle, and has a positive effect on arterial and intracranial pressure. If a person has insomnia, you can eat a teaspoon of honey before bedtime, and wash it down with cool water ( hot water you should not drink honey, as this significantly reduces its useful qualities). Also, this recommendation applies to persons who have any disorders of the nervous system.

Thus, moderate and correct use natural fireweed honey can only strengthen your health, invigorate and fill you with strength. On the other hand, before bed, it can help you relax and enjoy a restful, restorative sleep.

Contraindications

Ivan tea is contraindicated only in case of hypersensitivity to any plant substances.

According to popular beliefs, men should not drink Ivan tea in large quantities, as this can lead to a decrease in potency. However, this belief is not scientifically confirmed, therefore, to trust this recommendation or not is an individual matter.

Since the use of fireweed honey leads to a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice, it is not recommended for gastritis with low acidity.

Side effects

With prolonged and excessive use of ivan tea, an intestinal disorder may appear, which goes away on its own when you stop taking fireweed preparations. Before use, you must consult a specialist.

Koporsky tea is also called plakun, squeaky, ivan tea or fireweed. This herb has been known in Russia since ancient times, when it was used to quench thirst and to treat various health problems. What is the use of a drink from this plant? Is it permissible to prepare such tea at home?

Chemical composition and calorie content of Koporye tea

The calorie content of fireweed is 150 kcal per 100 grams.

Tea contains:

• proteins - 4.6 g;
• carbohydrates - 31.68 g
• fats - 1.8 g

Koporye tea contains the following elements:

• copper,
• titanium,
• nickel,
• iron.

The scented herb is also rich in:

• flavonoids;
• tannins;
• carotenoids;
• triterpenoids,

Koporsky tea: useful and medicinal properties

Fireweed is extremely popular for healthy lifestyle adherents, as it has multiple beneficial properties. The composition of the components of willow tea is more gentle than that of black tea or drinks with caffeine.

The benefits of Koporye tea are as follows:

• Lack of components harmful to the body (caffeine, oxalic acid, etc.).
• Positive effect on the circulatory system (strong infusion of the plant normalizes acid-base values, evens out the hemoglobin level).
• Normalizes digestive processes and accelerates metabolism.
• Shows an antiseptic effect, is effective in eliminating infections, inflammation.
• Improves the functionality of the prostate, thereby prolonging activity male body(improves potency). It is for this reason that fireweed is often referred to as a male herb.
• It has mild diuretic properties, normalizes the water-electrolyte balance, simultaneously stabilizing the pressure readings.
• Counts excellent option sedative. Koporye tea has a positive effect on the psychoemotional sphere, relieves migraines, reduces anxiety and normalizes sleep.
• Due to the absence of acids, tea has a choleretic effect.
• It has antiviral and antihistamine effects.
• The wound-healing effect helps to accelerate the "tightening" of skin lesions.
• Eliminates toxins and toxins from the body.
• Contributes to the normalization of the functionality of the endocrine system.
• It prevents aging of the skin, making it more elastic.

By the way. Koporye tea is recognized as an effective anticancer agent. Numerous experiments have shown - narrow-leaved fireweed contains high molecular weight substances that prevent the formation and further development of neoplasms.

Diseases for which ivan tea is used

Fireweed is widely used as a therapy and prevention of such diseases:

• anemia;
• gastritis, ulcers;
• BPH;
• infertility (both male and female);
• hypertension;
• urolithiasis disease;
• respiratory diseases: pharyngitis, bronchitis, etc.
• dermatological pathologies (herpes, inflammatory skin diseases);
• epilepsy;
• problems of the endocrine system of women (PMS, problems with the cycle, menopause).
• vitamin deficiency of groups C and B;
• pathologies of the nervous system: neuroses, depression;
• overwork or the effect of persistent fatigue;
• dental problems: during the period of teething of milk teeth in babies and with inflammation of the gums in the future.

Ivan tea (narrow-leaved fireweed) is a plant that serves as a source of raw materials for the production of traditional Slavic teas, infusions and medicines. Fermented Koporye tea is one of the types of drinks that are made from fireweed. This plant is widespread throughout Russia and has long been used in folk medicine to maintain health and treat a number of diseases.

Copra tea, like any type of drink, has its benefits and harms. For the production of this tea, the upper shoots of the fireweed are collected together with the inflorescences; it is best to harvest the raw materials at the very beginning of the flowering of the plant.

Features of the production of Koporye tea

Unlike willow tea, which is also made from willow-herb, the harvested parts of the plant are not dried, but fermented (wilted). With this processing, the beneficial properties of Koporye tea are maximally preserved.

Fermentation of teas is a process that consists of several stages. The first stage is kneading the leaves, which triggers fermentation reactions due to the flow of juice. The fireweed contains components (enzymes, bioactive substances, lactic acid bacteria, sugar) that start the fermentation process.

In subsequent processing, the raw materials are kept under oppression for a day, fried and dried at room temperature... During preparation, avoid contact with metal objects to reduce oxidative reactions.

Composition and properties of Koporye tea

Fermented fireweed tea has a peculiar bright aroma, when brewed it gives a rich color and a pleasant slightly tart taste. Along with its high taste, Koporye tea is of great benefit to our body. Healing properties this drink is due to its unique biochemical composition:

• young shoots of ivan tea contain up to 20% tannins (tannins), which have a pronounced antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, and also have the ability to remove toxic substances and heavy metals from the body;
• the mucus contained in Koporye tea tends to envelop the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, thereby relieving inflammation, pain and spasms;
• the dietary fiber of ivan tea facilitates the work of the intestines, helps to cleanse it;
• bioflavonoids of leaves and inflorescences of fireweed reduce oxidative processes in the body, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, prevent premature aging of cells;
• pectins normalize metabolism, lower cholesterol levels, remove toxins and improve blood circulation;
• the vitamin composition contains a high level of vitamin C (4-6 times higher than in lemon), and is also rich in B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9), which allows you to replenish the balance of vitamins in the body, especially in winter and spring period;
• minerals of Koporye tea are a whole storehouse of the most important macro- and microelements, it contains iron, nickel, manganese, titanium, copper, phosphorus, molybdenum, boron, potassium, calcium, magnesium.

Koporye tea has a powerful healing effect on almost all systems and organs of our body. It is especially useful for people with digestive problems, metabolic disorders, helps cleanse the body after poisoning and intoxication, has a beneficial effect on the nervous and cardiovascular system, reduces apathy, neuroses, increases vitality.

Contraindications of Koporye tea

The harm of Koporye tea can manifest itself only in cases of individual intolerance, as well as with excessive use. Excessive consumption of ivan tea can cause disruption of the intestines, which disappears with a reduction in the number of cups of this drink drunk.