Sorrel has been known since ancient times - many physicians of the time advised to use it with dysentery, dyspepsia, as well as for bleeding as a strong styptic. In the Middle Ages it was believed that this plant is able to protect them from the plague, and the famous Avicenna advised him to eat with infertility.
Before using sorrel treated tuberculosis patients with rheumatism. Fresh sorrel juice was used as rastirok headache, and a decoction of the roots helped with a cold, cough, irritation of the throat.
Currently sorrel recommended as a sufficiently strong anti-inflammatory agent. It is used for rinsing bleeding gums, angina and other inflammatory diseases of the throat.
Sorrel stimulates the activity of internal organs, especially its use beneficial effect on the liver, improves the formation of bile, intestinal activity. It is used in various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, anemia, hemorrhoids, pain in the lumbar region. Although in scientific medicine sorrel almost never used, it has long been considered an excellent krovoochistitelnym, hemostatic and analgesic.
However sorrel is not recommended to use in large amounts or over long periods. The fact that it contains large amounts of oxalic acid can adversely affect the mineral metabolism in the body to cause disturbances in the kidneys. It is therefore impossible to use sorrel in gout, kidney stones.
Nutritionists believe that the oxalic acid that can accumulate in the body in large quantities is formed only by heat treatment, but because sorrel best eaten fresh. Also not recommended to eat the leaves of perennial plants, useful only oxalic sheet of the first year.