A very common sight in the garden and lawns are weeds. It is considered a troublesome growth by gardeners, as these weeds consume space, water, and nutrients that other plants require to grow. Having said that, not all weed plants are harmful to the growth of other plants; some are beneficial; for example, sow thistle.
Sow thistle weed(1) is common in Europe and North Africa, but now it is available globally. As it falls under the weed category, it grows almost anywhere. These plants belonging to the daisy family have plenty of medicinal benefits.
This weed appears to be brownish and grows up to a length of 2.5-4 mm, and a width of 1mm. Its nutritional facts include:
There are many sow thistle uses being practiced since ancient times.
You need – Two handfuls of sow thistle, butter, water, a pinch of ground nutmeg, One tsp flour, salt, and pepper for seasoning.
Method- Take some butter and add to a pan. Add the leaves and stir to coat them thoroughly. Add some water and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes and add the flour, nutmeg powder, salt, and pepper. Stir and add more butter and melt it over low heat.
You need- Sow thistle leaves, grinder, or mortar pestle.
Method- Take a few leaves and clean them. Extract its juice by grinding in a mortar pestle or using a blender to blend the leaves. Apply the leaves-pack on inflamed area or around an abscess to treat it.
[Read: Inflammation: Natural Remedies and TreatmentYou need- Two cloves of garlic, 50 gms of the leaves, 100 gms of soaked hazelnuts, 15 gms of parsley, salt, chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil, ten cherry tomatoes.
Method- Take boiling water and add the hazelnuts. Soak for an hour. Strain, rinse and keep aside. Now, soak the leaves clean and discard stalks and remove the leaf blades.
Then, crush the garlic cloves and keep it aside. Take a food processor and add the hazelnuts, sow thistle, parsley, garlic, salt, olive oil, and chili flakes. Mix all the ingredients until they are chopped. Finally, chop the tomatoes and place them with the other mixture in a salad bowl. Serve it with cooked meats.
This weed is a low maintenance plant and survives a very long time. Sow thistle weed can be grown without any problems. Grow it at your home and make the most of its benefits. You must be a little careful as it does take away too much of the soil space. It has the necessary vitamins and makes a great alternative to medications in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
It works best to treat digestive disorders and also eases out problems during menstruation like cramping or premenstrual syndrome, amongst others.