{"id":79729,"date":"2022-12-20T15:30:35","date_gmt":"2022-12-20T14:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cfmot.de\/medicinal-plant-of-the-month-december-common-ivy-hedera-helix\/"},"modified":"2022-12-20T15:34:13","modified_gmt":"2022-12-20T14:34:13","slug":"medicinal-plant-of-the-month-december-common-ivy-hedera-helix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cfmot.de\/en\/medicinal-plant-of-the-month-december-common-ivy-hedera-helix\/","title":{"rendered":"Medicinal plant of the month December: Common ivy (Hedera helix)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Common ivy (Hedera helix) is a tried and true plant known for its antispasmodic and expectorant properties. It relieves the symptoms of cough and bronchitis.<\/p>

The Hedera helix belongs to the Araliaceae family. It can be found in almost all European cultivated garden forms.<\/p>

Thanks to its adhesive roots, the evergreen climbing plant grows along trees or walls. Its leaves are three to five lobed, dark green and shiny. There is often a light leaf veining. On blooming sprouts, the leaves grow more diamond-shaped or lanceolate. In autumn, the plant forms greenish-yellow ivy flowers, from which pea-sized, blue-black berries later grow. Like ivy leaves, they are poisonous.<\/p>

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, expectorant<\/h4>

Ivy has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The leaves of the plant are used for medicines. They contain saponins and flavonoids. A special triterpene sapoin, hedera-saponin C (hederacoside C<\/a>), is metabolized in the body to alpha-hederin. This process ensures the antispasmodic and expectorant effect of the plant.<\/p>

Ivy works:<\/strong><\/p>