HORSETAIL and KNOTWEED are the most popular herbs containing natural ingredients used to maintain and improve the health and beauty of the skin. The richness of natural ingredients of these plants has been appreciated for years.
When looking for what is natural and ecological, we use herbs more and more often. Herbal plants are useful plants with medicinal significance, which are used both in pharmacy and in folk medicine, and are used as seasonings for salads, dishes, preserves and tinctures. Herbs are a source of many bioactive substances that have a multidirectional effect on the human body.
In total, we can distinguish several thousand different species of herbs. This group includes the horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and knotweed (Polygonum aviculare). These plants are very valuable and rich in bioactive ingredients that primarily affect the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
HORSETAIL (Equisetum arvense) is a perennial common throughout Europe, reaching up to 40-50 cm in height. Its hollow stems are hard and rough and will creak when stepped on or crushed in the hand. The herb of horsetail contains a lot of bioactive compounds, including silicic acid, flavonoids (equisethrin, isoquertitin, galuteolin, apigenin), saponins, tannins, carotenoids, organic acids (aconitic), phenolic acids, mineral salts (magnesium, potassium and aluminum), vitamin C, however, it is most valued due to its high content of easily digestible silica. Silicon compounds are a very valuable component of many tissues of our body. Ensuring their correct amount in the body is essential for its proper functioning.
KNOTWEED (Polygonum aviculare) it is also called wireworm, sparrow’s tongue or pig’s grass. This herb is common throughout Europe, reaches a length of up to 50 cm, has small, oblong leaves, and its flowers are white-pink or red-green. The herb of knotweed is rich in bioactive compounds, including flavonoids (quercetin, hyperoside, avicularin), coumarins, silica, tannins, mucilages, tannins, polyphenolic acids, sugars (sucrose, fructose), mineral salts and vitamins C and K.
Herb of horsetail and knotweed, thanks to the high content of silicon compounds and the richness of bioactive ingredients, provide comprehensive support for the body and affect:
- Maintaining the proper condition of the skin, hair and nails – thanks to the high content of silica and potassium, it strengthens hair and nails and improves the appearance of the skin. It firms the skin, seals fragile blood vessels, improves elasticity and reduces skin laxity, which effectively prevents premature skin aging and the formation of wrinkles, and prevents acne in teenagers.
- Strengthening the body – organic silica helps build the walls of internal organs, such as the stomach, intestines, lungs and kidneys, which positively affects their functioning and the work of the whole organism.
- Maintaining the proper condition of the bones – available forms of silicon are involved in the metabolism of collagen, supporting bone mineralization. Silicon also concentrates in places of active calcification in bone tissue, enabling the formation of the main component of bone, which is important in the prevention of osteoporosis.
- Increase of water excretion by the kidneys – flavonoids, vitamins and mineral salts have a diuretic effect, increasing the amount of urine excreted and accelerating the flushing of deposits from the urinary tract.
- Stimulation of metabolism – water-soluble silica stimulates the metabolism (removal of unnecessary or toxic metabolic products – excess sodium, chlorine and urea), supporting the process of slimming and maintaining a correct body weight.
- Protection against free radicals – flavonoids such as quercetin and rutin act as antioxidants. They have been shown to delay the conversion of ascorbate to dehydroascorbate and protect against the effects of free radicals.
It is not always possible to provide the body with food in the right proportions of natural compounds of plant origin. In the case of large deficiencies, lack of a balanced diet, excessive stress and fatigue, the digestibility of the ingredients may be impaired. Supplementation of plant preparations – HORSETAIL and KNOTWEED together with LIVE and ACTIVE PROBIOTIC BACTERIA is a multidirectional support for the body. The combination of the beneficial effects of probiotic bacteria with biofunctional postbiotics, as well as bioactive compounds contained in horsetail and knotweed enable mutual support in the beneficial effect.
References:
- Činčura F., Feráková V., Májovský J., Šomšak L., Borsk J. (1990): Pospolite rośliny środkowej Europy. PWRiL Warszawa, 1990.
- http://www.oswiadczenia.eu/O/claim/list.html
- Kiewlicz J., Malinowska P., Szymusiak H. (2013) Aktywność przeciwrodnikowa wybranych wyciągów ziołowych. Probl. Hig. Epidemiol. 94(2): 317-320.
- Majewska K., Olender D., Pawełczyk A., Zaprutko T., Żwawiak J., Zaprutko L. (2010): Aktywne kosmetyki wśród produktów spożywczych. Homines Hominibus 6: 65-96, ISSN 1890-3883.
- Miller E., Malinowska K., Gałęcka E., Mrowicka M., Kędziora J. (2008): Rola flawonoidów jako przeciwutleniaczy w organizmie człowieka. Pol. Merkuriusz Lek. XXIV (144): 556-560.
- Milovanovic V., Radulovic N., Todorovic Z. (2007): Antioxidant, antimicrobial and genotoxicity screening of hydro-alcoholic extracts of five Serbian Equisetum Species. Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 62: 113-119.
- Nagai T., Myoda T., Nagashima T. (2005): Antioxidative activities of water extract and ethanol axtract from field horsetail (tsukushi) Equisetum arvense L. Food Chem. 91: 389-394.
- Nikiel A. (2017): Przegląd surowców roślinnych o działaniu fotouczulającym i fototoksycznym. Kosmetologia Estetyczna 3 (6): 231-238.
- Przygoński K., Zaborowska Z., Wojtowicz E., Dziarska B. (2012): OCENA AKTYWNOŚCI PRZECIWUTLENIAJĄCEJ ZIELA SKRZYPU POLNEGO (Herba equiseti). BROMAT. CHEM. TOKSYKOL. XLV (3): 507-512.
- Sawicka B., Skiba D., Krochmal-Marczak B., Bienia B.: Surowce i praktyki kosmetyczne – badania i dowody naukowe od starożytności do nowoczesności. W: ROŚLINY W NOWOCZESNEJ KOSMETOLOGII/PLANTS IN MODERN COSMETOLOGY, Edition: 1, Chapter: 10, Publisher: Wydawnictwo Akademickie Wyższej Szkoły Społeczno-Przyrodniczej im. Wincentego Pola w Lublinie. Wydawnictwo Akademickie Wyższej Szkoły Społeczno-Przyrodniczej im. Wincentego Pola w Lublinie, Editors: Anna Kiełtyka-Dadsiewicz, 141-150.
- Węglarz Z., Geszprych A., Kosakowska O., Osińska E., Pelc M., Przybył J.L. (2009): Intraspecifi a diversity of Polish wild growing medicinal plants being introduced into cultivation. Pam. Puł., 151(1): 381-392.
14 comments on “HORSETAIL and KNOTWEED in the care of SKIN, HAIR and NAILS”
Comments are closed.