Wolfstrap: Applications, Treatments, Health Benefits

Wolfstrapp is a plant that has been very useful mainly for mild hyperthyroidism, palpitations and inner restlessness. However, the history for medicinal treatments with the plant is relatively short, as the first evidence of its use for heart pain can be found only in the Middle Ages.

Occurrence and cultivation of wolfstrapp

The Sioux Indians of North America used Virginian wolfstrapp from time immemorial. Wolfstrapp or Lycopus belongs to the labiates family and is a herbaceous plant with long rhizomes. The bracts resemble a leaf blade and become smaller towards the top. The flowers are sessile and are above tiny bracts. The five-petaled flowers have a double perianth, and the sepals are glabrous inside and have four to five sepal teeth. The plant also has five petals, the throat of which is shaggy-haired. Lycopus species are found in parts of western Asia, in Europe, and in the eastern part of North America. In Central Europe, only the shore wolfstrapp and the high wolfstrapp are found. The genus was established in 1753 by Carl von Linné, and there are ten to twenty species in total, including, for example, Lycopus australis or Lycopus americanus. The name Wolfstrapp refers to the leaf shape, which looks like a footprint from a wolf. The generic name Lycopus goes back to the ancient Greek term “lykos” (wolf) or “pous” (foot). In common parlance, however, the plant is also called water buckthorn, shore wolf’s foot or gypsy weed. Wolfbane grows up to one meter high and is a perennial herbaceous perennial found primarily in wet meadows, along stream and river banks, or in damp ditches. In addition, the plant is very suitable for the garden due to its striking leaves. Furthermore, the Virginian wolfstrapp can also be used for the herb garden. European wolfstrapp is somewhat smaller and is mainly found in meadows. For a medicinal preparation, one needs the above-ground herb, which is best cut between July and September. It is then tied into bunches and dried in a shady place. The fruits of wolfstrapp consist of small nuts containing the seed, which can be sown in autumn or spring, respectively.

Effect and application

It is only since the Middle Ages that there is an indication that wolfstrapp is very good for heartache and heart hunt. The Sioux Indians from North America, on the other hand, used Virginian wolfstrapp since ancient times. Thus, they used the fresh herb for tea infusions, which they then used for colds, to stop bleeding, open pulmonary tuberculosis or as a sedative. This knowledge was also used in homeopathy, where wolfstrapp has been used for hyperthyroidism and heart complaints, respectively, since about the middle of the 19th century. European medicine discovered the plant only at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, wolfstrapp is mainly used as a thyroid therapeutic agent and for vegetative nervous disorders such as sweating, palpitations, heart palpitations, sleep disorders, anxiety, irritability or restlessness. In addition, it can also be used to treat pain in the mammary gland or feelings of breast tension, which often occur in women in the second half of the cycle. Wolfstrapp contains resins, glycosides, flavonoids, tannins and lithospermic acid. Due to these ingredients, the plant is a very valuable specific for mild hyperthyroidism. The extracts of wolfstrapp slow down the iodine transport and decrease the secretion of thyroid hormones. In addition, the plant also inhibits the formation of prolactin, which gives it a soothing effect on breast tension or cycle discomfort.

Health significance, treatment and prevention.

In herbal medicine, one uses mainly the European wolfstrapp, while in homeopathy also the Virginian wolfstrapp is used. For the homeopathic medicine, the mother tincture is used as the starting material, which can be obtained from the flowering plant. In homeopathy, the Virginian wolfstrapp was mentioned for the first time in 1855, where the remedy was mainly used for hyperthyroidism as well as for nervous heart diseases. Wolfstrapp has also proved its worth in Graves’ disease as well as in cardiac insufficiency with rapid heartbeat and strong throbbing in the chest.As a standard dose here homeopathy recommends five globules in the potency D6, which should be taken three times a day. In addition, a thyroid tea can also be prepared. To do this, take a teaspoon of the dried plant and pour a cup of hot water over the herb. Then let the mixture brew for about ten minutes and strain it. The tea can be drunk twice a day for a period of several weeks. A balancing effect on the thyroid gland also has a tea mixture of lavender flowers, lemon balm leaves, valerian root, motherwort and wolfbane. One teaspoon of the mixture is poured over hot water, then the tea is left to brew for seven minutes and drunk twice a day. It is important that wolfstrapp should always be used gradually. In addition, abrupt discontinuation of the dose should also be avoided, otherwise the symptoms will intensify. Ready-made preparations should always be taken with professional advice, breastfeeding and pregnant women are generally advised against treatment with Wolfstrapp. In addition, the plant should not be combined with thyroxine preparations. Ready-made preparations are available in the form of drops, which should be taken in the morning or evening. If a thyroid examination with radioiodine is scheduled, it is advisable to discontinue Wolftrapp 14 days before the examination, otherwise the result could be falsified. Wolfstrapp is also contraindicated in cases of thyroid enlargement without dysfunction or in cases of hypothyroidism.