Birch sap - the benefits and harms of a natural drink
In the spring, villagers drink birch sap, its benefits and harms have long been known. Allergy sufferers who fear tree bloom are considered forbidden sap. For everyone else, this is a delicious vitamin gift from nature. Birch sap signals the awakening of nature after hibernation. Strong roots return nutrients to the ground part from the pantry. The larger the tree, the more juice is required to awaken it. Let's borrow some life-giving moisture from nature.
Characteristics of birch sap
Sap flow in spring begins in many trees. Only birch sap is used and collected on an industrial scale.
People understood that the healing liquid can be drunk by deepening the wound and collecting the flowing moisture. Bereznitsa was mined to quench their thirst, to treat children after a monotonous winter meal. After two weeks of regular use of the juice, people felt a surge of energy. Later it turned out that the benefits of birch sap in a multi-composition, and there is no harm from it to anyone.
However, the concept of environmental safety concerns birch sap in the first place. Could there be healing land along highways, industrial sites or in the city? The roots do not choose the soil, they feed on what they have. In a strip of 50 m from a busy road, birch sap will not be beneficial, and the harm from the presence of lead is guaranteed. It turns out that a medicinal product can only be taken in a clean area.
Sap is collected in early spring, before bud break from adult trees, in a section of more than 20 cm.
Taking away the gifts of nature, we weaken wood... The zealous collector will take a little sap from several trees, cover the hollow, drying the tears of the birch.
The undoubted benefits of birch sap in the composition, per liter:
- calorie content - 240 kcal;
- carbohydrates - 58 g;
- fats - 0.0;
- proteins 1.0 g;
- ash - about, 5 mg.
Micro and macronutrients are present in the liquid in a ready-to-digest form. A waste-free dietary product, biochemical composition acts as a therapeutic and prophylactic device of a wide spectrum. There are no absolutely healthy people. What birch sap is useful for is its versatility. It can be drunk as a preventive, vitamin, stimulant. The body itself will find use for the valuable composition.
It is most useful to use fresh, uncanned juice when biochemical processes are active. You can store a healing drink in the refrigerator for 2 days.
How is birch sap treated?
In folk medicine, a three-time intake of a delicious drink for 2-3 weeks is prescribed to cleanse the body:
- with diseases of the heart and hematopoietic system;
- Gastrointestinal tract, including ulcerative diseases;
- arthritis, gout, rheumatism;
- for the treatment of external diseases.
To get rid of rashes and age spots on the face, it is enough to wash with healing liquid in the morning.
Treatment with birch sap is seasonal, it is necessary to seize the moment and be close to the source of strength and health at the right time. You can preserve the healing properties of the composition if you freeze the liquid immediately after collection.All methods, including heat treatment, biologically active substances are removed from circulation. In a canned product, trace elements remain, a beneficial effect from such a product will be, a therapeutic one will not.
Juice can be preserved by evaporation in a water bath at a temperature of 600 C, removing 75% of the water. The remaining syrup is rolled into sterilized jars.
The question is often asked whether it is possible to use birch sap for a nursing mother during pregnancy. The life-giving liquid does not contain allergens, and doctors recommend recharging the body with a biological activator. In addition to saturation with useful substances, the drink is a diuretic, removes fluid from the body, reduces puffiness. During pregnancy, a drink is necessary; when feeding, the mother's body receives protection and nutrition.
Some simple juice recipes:
- anemia - drink 100 g of juice 3 times a day;
- to remove stones from the kidneys, drink juice in a glass 3 times a day;
- bronchitis is cured by drinking juice with honey;
- the drink removes toxins and poisons.
We just need birch sap, its benefits and harms are obvious. But taking care of your own health can destroy the tree.
Kvass from birch sap is prepared in a glass bottle with a handful of raisins and 2 tsp. sugar per liter of drink. Close the bottle tightly and keep it cool. You can use the drink after 2-3 months, or after a few days.
The correct techniques for collecting birch sap
The best juice will come from a birch tree on a hillock. The bark of the tree should be white and black, which means that the tree is mature. Such a tree will yield up to 6 liters of juice per day. If the sap is taken during the entire period, the tree will weaken without receiving nourishment. Multiple trees must be used, sealing the cuts after use. Creating a groove 2 cm deep with moisture extraction through a tube is the most gentle option.
The beneficial properties of birch sap are preserved until it ferments. Therefore, the container must be emptied daily by the collector.
The most gentle selection of healing liquid will be a method based on cutting a branch. At the level of 2 meters above the ground, a thick branch is cut off, a container for collecting juice is arranged. An open wound will drain out of juice that needs to be collected, and the wound will heal within two weeks. The wound medicine will deliver the juice.
For industrial harvesting, felling areas are used. In this case, it is not scary to pre-dry the tree. Currently, there are few juice processing enterprises left, to buy such a product is a success.
You can make kvass or a Health drink from Birch sap:
For 3 liters of birch sap 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, add 1/3 teaspoon of peppermint + 1/3 teaspoon of oregano + 1/3 teaspoon of thyme + 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid and 1/2 teaspoon of St. John's wort , bring to a boil and preserve in prepared dishes (roll up the boiled lid in a sterilized jar with the ready-made drink poured into it).