Cinquefoil goose, or Kuril tea, is a shrub with rather dense feathery leaves, which are covered with small fluffy hairs, and flowers collected in inflorescences.
On the territory of the former Soviet Union, there are 6 types of Kuril tea, and only two of them are cultivated. This plant grows in the Urals, the Caucasus, the Far East, Siberia, and Central Asia. As a rule, it can be found along river banks, mountain slopes and plain meadows.
Initially, it was an exclusively ornamental plant, gradually its beneficial properties were discovered, thanks to which they began to brew it instead of the usual black and green tea. Potentilla flower petals are white or yellow, sometimes cream, scarlet and orange are found. The height of the shrub can reach one and a half meters, although for some miniature species it can be no more than 20 cm.
Kuril tea blooms from about mid-June to early October, for one shrub on average it is 2 months.
In the Far East and Siberia, Potentilla is used instead of ordinary tea. This herbal tea has a light yellow color and a pleasant meadow flavor. This drink has a very high health value. It is rich in a large amount of vitamins and useful elements, especially high in vitamin C, carotene, coumarins, tannins, mineral salts and essential oils.
Shown Kuril tea for diarrhea, respiratory diseases. This plant has a powerful expectorant, diaphoretic, astringent and hemostatic effect. Tea is very useful for diseases of the heart and liver, at elevated body temperature during colds.
Warm poultices of Kuril tea are effective for skin ulcers, boils and leucorrhoea. Cold compresses have a positive effect on irritated, problematic and oily skin.
Potentilla leaves are used to remove stones in the bladder and kidneys in inoperable cases, with anemia, and with skin lesions. It is also widely used in the treatment of gynecological problems, for example, during menstruation and bleeding, it relieves pain in the abdomen and regulates the amount of blood discharge.
To make Kuril tea, pour a couple of tablespoons of the herb with half a liter of hot water and boil for about 5-7 minutes. Then let the drink cool for half an hour and strain it through several layers of cheesecloth. You need to take Potentilla tea up to 4 times a day with meals, and it is permissible to drink half a cup at a time. For medicinal purposes, Kuril tea should be drunk in courses of 10-15 days.
To preserve the maximum possible amount of vitamins and nutrients, the infusion should be prepared in a water bath, and it is not recommended to simmer it for more than half an hour. In this case, 1 tbsp. herbs are poured with a glass of hot water.
It is not recommended to drink Kuril tea on an empty stomach, because it can irritate the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. It is strictly forbidden to people suffering from liver and kidney failure. With arthritis and kidney stones, the tincture of Potentilla should be subjected to a longer heat treatment. Dry Kuril tea is stored for no more than a year. To do this, the upper leaves of the plant are dried in an oven or oven at a minimum temperature.
