Medicinal properties of chokeberry for the health of people of different ages

Chokeberry or chokeberry is a one and a half meter shrub with beautiful leaves. Initially, it was grown as a plant for decoration, but the medicinal properties of the chokeberry caused its use for medicinal purposes. She has delicious sweet-sour, slightly tart berries. So, rowan blanks serve as both a dessert and a medicine.

The medicinal properties of chokeberry

The beneficial properties of chokeberry are due to its rich biochemical composition, which includes many components that are important for the life of the human body. The dark purple color of the fruit indicates that they are oversaturated with anthocyanins, a natural pigment that is also a powerful antioxidant. And the tart taste is due to the presence of tannins. These are tannins that bind carcinogens and prevent the development of tumor neoplasms.

In addition, the chokeberry contains:

• vitamins: C, A, B, E, K, PP;
• beta carotene;
• minerals;
• pectins;
• natural sugars (glucose, fructose).

Chokeberry fruits actively accumulate iodine, pulling it out of the soil. Its amount depends on the place where the culture grows. The more iodized the berries are, the healthier they are.

Despite the increased sweetness, chokeberry fruits are low-calorie - no more than 50 Kcal per 100 grams.

Due to the finely balanced composition available, the healing properties of chokeberry are quite diverse:

• stabilizes blood cholesterol, therefore, is useful in atherosclerosis;
• cleans from toxins, toxins and pathogenic microorganisms;
• has a slight diuretic effect;
• has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system (strengthens the walls of the capillaries, making them more elastic);
• normalizes the digestive tract;
• stimulates the secretion of bile;
• restores normal blood pressure, which is important for hypertension;
• strengthens the immune system;
• helps with thyroid problems;
• has a mild laxative and diuretic effect;
• improves blood clotting;
• calms the nervous system;
• normalizes liver function.

Due to the small amount of sugars, chokeberry indicated for use in diabetes mellitus. It is also prescribed for gastritis with low acidity, various allergies, skin, endocrine and vascular ailments. Blackberry is used as an antispasmodic, as well as a means to stop bleeding and dilate blood vessels.

The systematic use of black chokeberry berries can improve appetite.

During pregnancy

The benefits of chokeberry are great for women carrying a baby. With its help, you can reduce toxicosis, which usually occurs at the beginning. This is due to the hepatoprotective action of the berries. And in the later stages, pregnant women often suffer from edema. So, chokeberry juice will help get rid of this problem. Because it has a diuretic effect.

In addition, the medicinal properties of black chokeberry allow you to cope with a number of pathologies that can develop during pregnancy:

• pressure surges;
• diabetes;
• detachment of the placenta;
• hematomas inside the uterus.

Before starting treatment with chokeberry, it is imperative to consult a doctor in order to exclude possible contraindications. It is also undesirable to eat berries if the pregnant woman suffers from constant heartburn and constipation.

With diabetes mellitus

The inclusion of chokeberry in the everyday diet is indicated for diabetics. Tea made from dried berries is especially useful.

Recommended ways to eat chokeberry fruit:

1. Eat up to 200 g of fresh mountain ash per day (in small portions).
2. Drink a fortifying broth. In 500 ml of water add 5 tbsp. l. dried berries, boiled for about 5 minutes. and cool. This volume must be drunk per day.
3. Grind dog-rose fruit and chokeberry (40-50 g each). Brew in a thermos with boiling water (400 ml) for 3 hours and then drink before each meal.

With anemia

Before starting to treat anemia (anemia), it is imperative to determine its type. The fact is that in some cases the chokeberry turns out to be useless.

When anemia has formed due to a large loss of blood, then in addition to medical therapy, an infusion of chokeberry is taken.

The medicinal properties of chokeberry and the benefits for children

The beneficial properties of black mountain ash are important not only for adults, but also for children. Berries are allowed to be included in their diet from 2 years old. Since the sour-tart taste of fruits is not always pleasant to babies, it is recommended to combine them with different fruits and berries (for example, prepare compotes, juices and jelly).

The medicinal properties of chokeberry will save if the child has diarrhea. The action is based on the gentle inhibition of peristalsis and the supply of dietary fibers to the intestinal tract, which absorb and remove toxic products. As a result, the stool soon recovers. Also, the powerful antioxidant properties of chokeberry can be used for viral lesions - children are often exposed to them. In such situations, drinks from aronia with honey or mashed potatoes from fresh berries are added to the general therapy with medicines.

Collecting and harvesting berries for the winter

You can pick black fruits from late August until the first autumn frosts. The main thing is to start harvesting when the mountain ash is already fully ripe, but not yet crumbled. Its readiness can be determined by pressing - the berries should be soft. It is better to pick the foliage at the beginning of the summer season, and the bark in late autumn, when the leaves fall.

In order to keep the fruits as long as possible, it is recommended to pick them in clear dry weather. They are removed in clusters. But even if all the rules are followed, the fruits are not kept fresh for a long time. Therefore, they should be dried or frozen.

It is important not to overexpose chokeberry in the oven while drying. The fact that it is overdried is evidenced by the appearance of a reddish-brown tint.

Drying technology:

1. The berries are plucked from the bunches, washed under running water and laid out on paper towels to dry.
2. Line the parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle the berries in an even layer.
3. They are placed in an oven heated to 45 ° C and the fruits are left for half an hour. Then raise the temperature to 60 ° C and keep them there until tender.

Ready berries are poured into plastic containers and sealed hermetically. You can hang the bunches in a well-ventilated area and dry naturally.

If you plan to freeze, then first act as in the previous case: wash the berry and allow excess moisture to drain. Then they scatter it into bags and place it in the freezer. The fruits may not be frozen, but stored fresh where the temperature is constantly kept at 1 ° C. In this regard, the cellar is ideal. In it, the fruits can safely lie until spring.

Folk recipes

The widespread use of chokeberry in traditional medicine explains where such a variety of effective recipes for the treatment of many diseases came from. Raw materials can be not only berries, but also the rest of the plant: bark, leaves, shoots.

Fortifying tea

You will need the following ingredients:

• dried fruits and foliage - 3-4 tbsp. l .;
• boiled water - 500 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Pour the mixture into a thermos.
2. The water is boiled and cooled to 65-70 ᵒС. Pour it into a thermos with fruits and close.
3. Leave the drink to infuse within an hour.

The finished infusion can be flavored with honey for sweetness.

This is an excellent remedy that is recommended to be taken in the off-season as an immunomodulatory agent. You can drink up to three glasses a day.

Juice

The medicinal properties of chokeberry are fully preserved in the juice. It is used for some health problems: pressure, atherosclerosis and insomnia, diarrhea. To make juice, it is easier to use a juicer or act the old fashioned way - grate the berries and squeeze through cheesecloth.

How to make long-term juice:

1. Squeeze the juice and add granulated sugar and lemon powder to it. They are guided by the following proportions: for 1 liter of liquid - a glass of sugar and 2 g of lemon.
2. The juice is packaged in glass containers and covered with boiled lids. Then they are placed in a pot of boiling water and sterilized for about a quarter of an hour.
3. Close hermetically.

Such blanks are well kept cool all winter.

Before use, the juice is diluted with warm water in equal proportions. Children are given 150 ml of juice, adults - 250 ml twice a day.

Vitamin drink

An immunostimulating and healing drink can be made with the inclusion of other components:

• rose hips;
• raspberries;
• linden blossom;
• currant and cherry leaves.

Cooking algorithm:

1. Measure 4 tbsp. l. dry raw materials and poured into a thermos.
2. Pour 500 ml of boiling water.
3. After 2 hours, the drink is ready to drink. If rose hips were added, you will have to wait about 12 hours.

Drink 2-3 glasses daily, slightly warmed up.

Wellness alcohol tincture

For adults, as a prophylaxis of various diseases and raising vitality, tincture with alcohol can be recommended.

The recipe includes the following ingredients:

• dry blackberry fruits - 500 g;
• vodka - 0.5 l;
• honey - 90 g.

Prepare it as follows:

1. The fruits are poured into a suitable glass container. Add honey.
2. Pour vodka and shake vigorously.
3. Stopped and placed in the dark and cool for 2.5 months. All this time, do not forget to periodically shake the drink.

To restore healthy sleep and appetite, as well as for digestive disorders and as a preventive measure, take 1 tbsp. l. tinctures.

A remedy for atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a serious vascular disease in which cholesterol plaques form on the walls of blood vessels.

To avoid this, it is recommended to regularly drink the following chokeberry decoction:

1. Crush the bark and measure 5-6 tbsp. l. Place it in a saucepan.
2. Add boiling water (500 ml) and put on a small fire.
3. Boil for two hours, wait for cooling and filter.

It is necessary to take a decoction of chokeberry, 25 ml three times a day.

Miraculous liquor

An excellent anti-stress and relaxing remedy is aronia and cherry leaf liqueur.

Required components:

• rowan fruits - 450 g;
• cherry foliage - 90 g;
• granulated sugar - 320 g;
• citric acid - 4 g;
• vodka - 1 liter;
• boiled water - 1.5 liters.

Cooking instructions:

1. Pre-boil the leaves for about 10 minutes.
2. Pour berries into the resulting broth.
3. After a few minutes, add sugar and wait for the grains to completely dissolve.
4. Next, the rest of the ingredients are sent and removed from the stove.
5. The composition is cooled, mixed with vodka and poured into bottles.

This liqueur is successfully stored in the refrigerator for a long time. For medicinal purposes, it is consumed at 50 g shortly before bedtime.

Indications and contraindications

Summarizing all of the above, along with the indications and contraindications for the internal use of chokeberry can be distinguished.

These include:

• low pressure;
• thrombophlebitis;
• poor blood clotting;
• ulcer and gastritis with high acidity;
• phlebeurysm;
• serious heart pathologies;
• individual intolerance to individual components in the composition.

You can not give the berry in any form to children under 2 years old.

It is important to remember that folk remedies cannot act as independent treatment options. They are used in conjunction with drug therapy.

The medicinal properties of chokeberry in cosmetology

The beneficial properties of chokeberry could not go unnoticed in the cosmetic field. All kinds of masks are made on its basis.

The most effective face masks are presented in the table:

For best results, it is advisable to steam the face and scrub it before applying the mask. To prepare a scrub, you need to make mashed potatoes from chokeberry berries using a blender or a meat grinder. The resulting porridge is mixed with fine table salt. Then the mixture is rubbed into the skin with slow movements.

Cooking applications

In addition to many medicinal properties, chokeberry is endowed with a pleasant taste.

Therefore, various dessert dishes are made from it:

• long-term storage preparations (preserves, compotes, juices, jams);
• wines, liqueurs, liqueurs, liqueurs, etc.
• soft drinks (jelly, tea);
• baked goods;
• marshmallow marmalade, candied fruits, mousses;
• vinegar, sauces for meat dishes.

Competently carried out collection and storage of black chokeberry berries allows you to preserve its beneficial properties for a long time. And this is a guarantee of obtaining effective medicines. When using them, the existing contraindications must be taken into account, which avoids negative consequences. Only if this is observed, the black chokeberry will become a significant help in the prevention of many diseases.

The medicinal properties of chokeberry - video