Prescription painkillers are as safe to ingest as glass. They have horrible side effects and are extremely addictive!
But sometimes, due to illness or injury, a person needs a relief of pain. An easy solution for your pain is this natural plant, and you can grow it in your backyard!
Wild Lettuce is a plant that has always been famous for its medicinal properties. It is often referred to as “a poor man’s Opium”. It was used as a substitute for opium in the 1880’s. Unlike opium, Wild Lettuce does not have the tendency to upset the stomach. Dr. Collins stated that twenty-three out of twenty-four cases of dropsy were cured by taking doses of 18 grains to 3 drachms of extract in twenty-four hours. It is used in Germany in this complaint but combined with more active drugs. It is said to be also a mild diaphoretic and diuretic, easing colic, inducing sleep and allaying cough.
Wild Lettuce has proven to be effective in treating whooping cough, asthma, urinary tract infections, insomnia, restlessness, painful periods, and muscle or joint pain. It has benefits for about every part of your body. It is shown to have the same relieving abilities as Ibuprofen. Research has shown the plant is backed up by the paper Medicinal Plant in Polish Publications of the 19th Century, the Institute for the History of Science affirmed, “The action of the substance was weaker than that of opium but free of the side-effects, and medical practice showed that in some cases lactucarium produced better curative effects than opium”.
Lettuce opium has been used as a topical antiseptic, as a folk medicine to ameliorate a variety of conditions, and as a narcotic substitute or enhancer. It is also a mild sedative and hypnotic. The juice of the stem covering yields a medicinal extract known as thrice, the use and efficacy of which is widely disputed. Everyone can benefit from this amazing plant and it can survive harsh weather conditions! Perfect for growing right out back!
Here are some other Health Benefits of This Plant:
- Asthma- This was its initial use. It effectively mitigates the asthma symptoms.
- Anxiety- Its sedative properties are extremely helpful if you have bad anxiety.
- Migraine/ Headache- It reduces the frequency and the severity of headaches.
- Pain and Tension- Its opiate properties soothe pain, reduce tension, and relax the body and mind.
- Sleep and Insomnia- It relaxes the body and helps you fall asleep.
It is also important to note that it does not contain real opiates, so it is legal for use and does not change the result of drug tests.
How to Use it:
- Cut the plant to get to the thick milky sap
- Prepare a tincture by adding the sap into some alcohol. You can also use the flowering tips and fresh leaves instead of the sap.
- Prepare a tea by drying the leaves or you can infuse 1.5 grams of the lettuce sap into the water.
- You can smoke 0.25 grams in a pipe, higher doses could have adverse effects.