Pharmacist – Formulator Phytotherapy expert
#Hieracium pilosella
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Hawkweed
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Who is?
Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella), with her seemingly innocent name, is a phytonutrient superhero, who offers herself to the service of cats and dogs. In fact, we usually use parts of the entire plant, for pets health.
This composite, although of minor size, belongs to the same family as Taraxacum, resembling him and his yellow flower.
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Superpowers
Saint Hildegarda, in the twelfth century, was the first person to discover Hawkweed’s superpowers by recognizing her as heroine and not as a normal citizen so much that concerted her medical use. Made up of inulin, tannins, flavonoids, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, Hawkweed helps by having a gently calming effect. Her main action, is her diuretic effect, in which she is particularly accomplished if she is fresh and is not dried. Hawkweed favors the elimination of uric acid and chlorine through urine, in addition to having antiseptic properties and promoting the reparative processes at the level of the bladder mucosa.
Hawkweed, thanks to her antibiotic action and without pity, kills the bacterium that, in cases of renal failure, urinary stones or tear ducts, irritates dogs and cats. She is even able to treat cystitis and kidney stones, which due to their pyramidal shape, can lacerate a cat’s excretory duct and cause him to lose blood from urine. In these cases, Hawkweed favors healing processes; this is an action where she works both on internal and external bleedings. She is also close to the women’s world being useful in cases of overweight or cellulitis, while the tannins, in addition to allowing the realization of the tasks previously mentioned, give it astringent properties. Hawkweed has a bacteriostatic activity limiting bacterial replication. She also combats colibacillosis, a disease caused by Escherichia coli.
However, thanks to her ineffable skills, she helps the liver increase bile secretion and contraction of the gallbladder (choleretic and cholagogue activities). In popular medicine, the dried leaves of hawkweed, were used to stop nosebleeds, while used in herbal tea, besides for the astringent effect, it was useful for sore throat.
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Where to find her
Hawkweed, furry and jaunty, jumps from one pack to another in order to lend her valuable services: from FORZA10 Renal Active, both for cats and dogs, to the Urinary Active just for cats, as well as in the corresponding foods in the wet version of Actiwet line.
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Feats
Hawkweed, also called piloselle in French, takes her name from the Latin pilosus, or rather “furry”, a description due to her leaves, which are covered by a light down. In France it is also called oreille de souris, or rather mouse ear. Even in this case, the reason for the name is also for her leaves — this time due to their particular shape.
