Wild Lettuce ( Lactuca Virosa) is a common plant that will grow almost anywhere where it gets lots of sunlight and little competition from other plants. They are very similar in look and medicinal effects to Wild Lettuce, Lactuca virosa.

Common Names: Wild Lettuce, Opium Lettuce, Prickly Wild Lettuce

Scientific Name: Lactuca serriola

Season Start: Apr

Season End: Sep

Wild Lettuce features brilliant green leaves that emerge from a green stalk with purple spots now and then. When touching, the plant secretes lactucarium, a milky white material. When dried, this substance looks like opium and a pain reliever derived from the unripe seedpods of the opium poppy. From ancient times until the nineteenth century, opium was widely used as a pain reliever and sedative. Iran, Austria, France, Germany, and Scotland are among the wild Lettuce countries (Lactuca virosa). This herb grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in height and thrives in sunny places like riverbanks and roadside.

History of Wild Opium Lettuce

In folk medicine, lettuce opium has been used for everything from improving circulation to curing swelling genitals. It is used in cough mixes in Europe as a substitute for opium. 1977, Lewis A tincture has been used in homeopathy to treat laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma, cough, and urinary tract infections. Schauenberg was born in 1977. The juice of the stem covering produces thrice, a therapeutic substance whose use and efficacy are hotly debated. Grieve was released in 1971. Lettuce preparations have long been utilized in Chinese medicine. The seeds are used as a galactagogue, and the dried juice has been advised as a topical wound antiseptic (to increase the flow of milk in nursing mothers) since the previous time. Wild Lettuce is used as medicine. Millions of years back to ancient Egypt and depictions of it were seen in hieroglyphics. The plant is not addictive and does not cause the side effects of opiates, such as an upset stomach.

Wild Lettuce can treat several illnesses:

· Coughs

· Urinary tract infections

· Colic

· Menstrual pain

· Rheumatism\Aching joints

· Anxiety

· ADHD and hyperactivity in children

· Flatulence

· Insomnia\Sleep problems

· Edema

· Anti-convulsant

· Kidney disorders

Extraction of wild Lettuce

 Extracts are very simple to produce, but you must be careful not to overheat the plant. The active ingredients are heat-sensitive. Whenever the mixture is boiled down or starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, the wild salad’s active components are destroyed.

Steps for the extraction-

Step1- Gathering of leaves.

Step2- Putting into a blender.

Step3- Blending for just a few seconds. You don’t need to blend up the leaves thoroughly.

Step4- Pouring the ground leaves into a pot.

Step5- Adding just enough water to cover it.

Step6- Putting the pot on a stove at low heat.

Step7- Do not let the mixture boil.

Step8- Heating it for 30 minutes, stirring often.

Step9- The water should turn a very dark green color.

Step10- Straining the leaves through a fine mesh.

Step11- Collecting the liquid.

Step12- Putting the liquid into a clean pot.

Step13- Heating the leaves for the extract at low heat again.

Step14- Stirring the extract frequently. Make sure the mixture will not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Step15- Now, The water will get evaporate, leaving behind a concentrate of wild lettuce extract.

So, your wild Lettuce extract is ready.

Applications and drawbacks of wild Lettuce

Wild lettuce extract has specific applications: it used for whooping cough, cough, asthma, urinary tract problems, trouble in sleeping (insomnia), restlessness, muscular or joint pains, excitability in children, painful menstrual periods, excessive sex drive in women (nymphomania), poor circulation, swollen genitals in men (priapism), and as an opium substitute in cough preparations.

Wild lettuce extract also has disadvantages for most people in small amounts. It is not scientifically proven, but Wild Lettuce is Likely unsafe when eaten in large amounts or when the wild Lettuce has been harvested too early. This can cause sweating, fast heartbeat, pupil dilation, dizziness, ringing sound in the ears, blurred vision, sedation, breathing difficulty, and death. In addition, applying wild Lettuce directly to the skin can irritate.

Interactions from wild Lettuce

Try not to take this combination-

• Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with Wild Lettuce

Wild Lettuce might cause insomnia and drowsiness. Medications that result in loss of sleep are called sedatives. Administring wild Lettuce along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Some sedative medications such as clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.

• What should be the dose?

The appropriate dose of wild Lettuce depends on several factors such as the age, health, and several other conditions of the user. Unfortunately, there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for wild Lettuce, so keep in mind that natural products are not always safe, and dosages can be significant. Make sure to follow relevant directions on product labels, consult your pharmacist or physician, or other healthcare professionals before using.

Active Ingredients

· Sesquiterpene lactones – Lactucin, lactucopicrin

· Lactucarium

· Lactucerols

· Lactucerin

· Lactucic acid

· Flavonoids

· N-methyl-B-phenethylamine

· Coumarins

· Beta-carotene

· Vitamins A and C

· Calcium

· Magnesium

Let’s start with the fundamentals. What are wild Lettuce’s purported medical properties?

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) is most typically used as a pain reliever, but it’s also said to help with various ailments. It’s said to help with respiratory issues, including whooping cough and asthma. The calming properties of wild Lettuce have been used to treat everything from generalized anxiety and hyperactivity to nymphomania. It’s also used as a wound disinfectant and to treat skin diseases topically. According to various sources, it was said to have been utilized by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.

Lettuce tincture with wild ingredients

While Lactucarium is not soluble in water, it is soluble in alcohol. Therefore, a wild lettuce tincture is a fantastic method to use this herb. Assuming the tincture’s creator followed the tedious harvesting procedure and then preserved the harvested wild lettuce sap in high-proof alcohol.

Wild lettuce establishment

It’s time to put wild Lettuce to the test. I’ve never used opioids or other pain relievers stronger than over-the-counter ibuprofen. So I used the conventional method to pick two plants and distill their sap into one ounce of 80 proof vodka. The flavor was better than I had anticipated. Not great, but not as horrible as I had imagined.