It is a woody flowering plant of the family Adox. Latin name of the genus Viburnum- according to one version, they are associated with the verb "viere", meaning "knit", "weave". Thus, the origin of the word is due to one of the direct uses of the viburnum: baskets were knitted from the young branches of the bush.
The first mention of the medicinal use of viburnum and recipes for folk remedies based on it are found in herbalists of the 16th century. The bark of the plant was used as a sedative and anti-inflammatory agent for convulsions, hysterical seizures, sleep disorders, colds and suffocation. A decoction of the root was used for scrofula in children.
Composition and calories
What is used and in what form
In recipes of folk and official medicine, viburnum bark, flowers and fruits are used. Flowers and bark are used in infusions and decoctions, both for internal and external use. Fruits are most often consumed fresh, in a grated state, with the addition of honey or sugar. Viburnum fruit juice is boiled with sugar, syrups and jelly are prepared. Fresh viburnum juice is used externally for the treatment of skin diseases. Kalina is a part of vitamin teas.
Medicinal properties of viburnum
The bark of common viburnum contains the bitter glycoside viburnin and an enzyme that provokes its decomposition, cyclic alcohol viburnitol, tannins and resinous substances, coumarin derivatives (scopoletin, esculetin), organic acids (valeric, formic, capric, linoleic, palmitic).
The fruits of viburnum vulgaris contain cyclic alcohol viburnitol, invert sugar, viburnin bitterness, ascorbic, acetic and isovaleric acids, pectins.
Flavonoids comperol-3-glycoside and kaempferol-3,7-diglucoside were found in viburnum flowers. Viburnum roots contain sterols, astragalin, peonozide, essential oil, amyrin derivatives. Viburnum seeds contain up to 21% fatty oils.
Herbal preparations of viburnum bark have hemostatic and weak diuretic properties, have an astringent and sedative effect, increase the tone of the muscles of the uterus, and increase the duration of the action of sleeping pills. As a hemostatic agent, medicines based on viburnum bark are used for uterine bleeding (and menopausal bleeding), for algomenorrhea, subinvolution of the uterus in the postpartum period, for bleeding against the background of inflammatory diseases of the female reproductive system, and also for hemorrhoidal bleeding. Viburnum bark is used in the prevention of miscarriages. Viburnum fruits (mashed with honey or sugar, in the form of syrup) are prescribed for nervous excitement, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and vasospasm.
Fruits of viburnum boiled with honey are used for coughing, hoarseness, shortness of breath, liver diseases, jaundice and diarrhea. Viburnum juice with honey is used in folk medicine in the treatment of breast cancer, for the prevention of gastric cancer in gastritis with low acidity. It is believed that the systematic use of viburnum fruits favorably affects the condition of patients suffering from malignant tumors of the digestive system. An infusion of viburnum fruits is drunk for boils, carbuncles, eczema, skin rashes of various etymologies, as a vitamin, tonic and mild laxative. In dermatology and cosmetology, fresh viburnum fruit juice helps with acne and age spots. An infusion of flowers is used in folk medicine for coughs, colds, sclerosis, pulmonary tuberculosis and stomach diseases. Gargle with a flower infusion and wash the wounds.
In traditional medicine
An extract of viburnum fruit on a water-alcohol basis can be found in pharmacies: this drug is called Kalifen. It belongs to biologically active additives and is used together with food as a source of substances - proanthocyanidins. The product is available in liquid form, in vials.
In pharmacies, you can buy crushed viburnum bark in packages.
In the pharmaceutical perspective, there is also the production of gelatin capsules with viburnum oil.
In folk medicine
- With painful menstruation, menopausal uterine bleeding, and also to prevent miscarriage, they drink it as a decoction: pour a tablespoon of crushed viburnum bark into 200 ml of water, boil for 10 minutes, then cool. Take up to three times a day for a teaspoon.
- As a mild expectorant, sedative and hypotensive agent, a decoction of viburnum fruits is used: pour half a tablespoon of viburnum berries into 200 ml of water, boil, cool. Drink a tablespoon three times a day.
- With a cold cough, fever, take a teaspoon of viburnum flowers for 200 ml of boiling water, let it brew for 10 minutes. Take up to 2 glasses per day.
- For stomach ulcers, colitis, constipation, three times a day, 30 minutes before meals, take a tablespoon of crushed raw berries.
- For colds, bouts of dry debilitating cough, intestinal upset and hoarseness, hoarse voice, they drink a decoction of viburnum berries with honey in a warm form (up to 150 ml per day).
- With hypertension, several viburnum berries, pounded with sugar and begun to "ferment", are taken raw: up to 10 berries per day.
- For boils, carbuncles, eczema, various skin rashes, take an aqueous decoction of viburnum berries.
- With dyspepsia and as a diaphoretic, a decoction of viburnum seeds is used.
- In case of influenza, fresh or frozen fruits of viburnum are rubbed with honey (in proportions of 1: 1), add a small amount of boiled water at room temperature, take half a tablespoon three times a day after meals.
- When coughing, mix the washed fruits of viburnum with honey (1: 2), let it brew for at least 6 hours, and take a tablespoon three times a day.
- In case of bronchial asthma, pour a tablespoon of ripe fruits of viburnum mashed in mashed potatoes with 200 ml of warm boiled water, combine with a tablespoon of honey. Bring to a boil over low heat, then keep on low heat for at least a quarter of an hour, strain, cool and take a tablespoon 3-5 times a day.
- For hypertension, viburnum bark is also used: pour 2 tablespoons of crushed bark into 400 ml of boiling water. Bring to a boil, keep in a water bath for half an hour, strain, cool and drink a tablespoon three times a day.
- In case of coronary heart disease, eat viburnum fruits grated with sugar - up to 3 tablespoons per day, or drink viburnum juice in small portions (100 ml of juice per day).
- In case of tachycardia, grind 5 tablespoons of viburnum fruits in an enamel bowl, gradually pour in 600 ml of boiling water, stirring constantly, let it brew for 4 hours, then strain. Drink 100 ml per day, in 4 doses, before each meal.
- With hemorrhoidal bleeding, a decoction prepared from a tablespoon of crushed viburnum bark and 200 ml of boiling water is drunk in a tablespoon three times a day, or ready-made pharmacy candles are used on viburnum bark extract.
- When coughing, a home remedy is useful, for the preparation of which you will need 400 g of viburnum fruits, 400 g of honey, 220 g of sugar and 250 ml of wine vinegar. Washed and dried fruits grind in a puree and bring to a boil. Strain and add honey, sugar and wine vinegar to the strained broth. Stir, boil the mixture and pour into sterilized bottles. Keep refrigerated.
With angina, an infusion of fruits, flowers and leaves is gargled. Pour a tablespoon of flowers or leaves with 200 ml of boiling water, leave for an hour, then strain. Gargle several times a day.
Juice of viburnum berries remove acne on the face. For acne, mix the juice of fresh viburnum fruits with honey (in equal parts), apply to cleansed face skin, rinse with warm water after a quarter of an hour.
Ripe crushed berries or pulp from cambium bark scraped off from young branches are used for compresses on wounds (including bleeding ones) and on skin areas affected by eczema.
in oriental medicine
In Chinese informal medicine, viburnum fruits and leaves were considered a laxative and emetic.
In scientific research
The medicinal potential of viburnum is a fertile material for research.
The scientific substantiation of the traditional use of Turkish folk medicine viburnum in the treatment of nephrolithiasis is confirmed in the article by M. Ilhan, B. Ergen, I. Suntar and others.
Assessment of agro-morphological, biochemical and bioactive characteristics of viburnum is given in a study by Turkish scientists N. Ersoy, S. Ersisli and M. Gundogdu.
The stress-protective properties of viburnum and the role of the plant in stimulating the metabolic reactions of liver fat metabolism were studied in the work of Sprygin V.G., Kushnerova N.F., Fomenko S.E. and etc.
Dissertation of Ilyasova S.M. is devoted to a comparative analysis of the properties of phytopreparations based on viburnum vulgaris and viburnum pride.
The antioxidant properties of viburnum are the subject of the work of Tsekhina N.N., Khasyanova N.G., Orekhova S.V.
In dietetics
Viburnum fruits are used for fasting days (consumed with water, honey or a small amount of sugar). They also use viburnum as part of diets (watermelon-viburnum diet, fasting days on watermelons and viburnum fruits).
In cooking
Viburnum jam
Ethnobotanist Robin Harford's recipe
You will need products: 800 g of viburnum berries (the fruits should be soft, easily squeezed by your fingers), orange puree (you will need the pulp of 2 oranges), 12 small apples mashed to a puree state (it is better to use "paradise apples"), 0.5 l of cold water, sugar.
Mix viburnum fruits, orange and apple puree and water in a saucepan with a thick bottom, and bring to a boil. Boil over low heat, stirring occasionally. Put the boiled mass in a clean tissue bag, placing it in a suspended state over the container and leave it overnight for decanting. Measure the expressed jelly base liquid with a measuring cup and add sugar (at the rate of 0.5 kg of sugar for every 0.5 l of liquid). Stirring evenly, bring to a boil over low heat, and boil for about a quarter of an hour. As soon as the jam begins to thicken, remove from heat, let it brew for 5 minutes, pour into sterilized jars and close.
Spicy viburnum sauce (for meat or fish)
Required ingredients: 1 kg of viburnum fruit, 1 kg of granulated sugar, 5 g of citric acid and red hot pepper (one pod). Rinse the viburnum under running water, let it drain, then simmer in a small amount of water for a couple of minutes and rub through a sieve. Combine the mashed puree with granulated sugar, citric acid and finely chopped, seeded pepper. While stirring, bring the sauce to a homogeneous state. Arrange in sterilized jars and let it brew at room temperature for 48 hours. For long-term storage, close the jars as usual. Store the sauce in a dark and cool place. To eat immediately, store the sauce in the refrigerator, tightly closed.
Belish with viburnum
To prepare such a traditional Tatar pie with viburnum berries for the dough, you will need: 4 cups of flour, 2 cups of curdled milk, 3 eggs, 200 g of butter, 0.75 teaspoon of baking soda, a pinch of salt. Ingredients for the filling: 0.5 kg of viburnum berries, 0.3 kg of sugar, 150 g of malt, 2 tablespoons of ground crackers. Also one egg for greasing the surface of the pie. Knead the dough from flour, curdled milk, beaten eggs, melted butter, soda and salt. Sort viburnum, mix with sugar and malt, and leave to infuse in a closed, well-heated oven. Divide the dough into two unequal parts. Roll out the cake from a larger portion of the dough, put it in a greased form in such a way that the edges of the dough hang from the sides of the form. Put the viburnum filling on the cake, wrap the edges of the dough a little towards the center, forming folds. Roll out pigtails and flagella from a smaller portion of the dough, decorate the pie with them. Put the pie in the form in a warm place to "fit". Then grease with egg mass and bake at medium temperature until golden brown.
Combination with other products
In combination with apples, marmalade is prepared from viburnum fruits (viburnum and apples are taken in equal proportions), as well as marshmallow (viburnum fruits should be taken one third). Viburnum and mountain ash complement each other especially well in taste: viburnum fruits soften the bitterness of mountain ash, and rowan berries, in turn, give the dish or product a pleasant color and a peculiar taste and aroma.
Viburnum drinks
Kissel from viburnum
It will take 150 g of juice from viburnum fruits, 300 g of sugar, 120 g of potato starch and 2 liters of water. Dilute the juice with water, heat to a hot state, add starch, previously diluted in a small amount of cold boiled water, then add sugar, mix everything thoroughly and bring to a boil. So that the surface of the finished jelly is not covered with a tightening film, sprinkle with a small amount of sugar.
Morse from viburnum
Ingredients: a glass of ripe viburnum fruits, half a glass of granulated sugar, 1 liter of water. Sort the fruits (berries), wash, mash and squeeze the juice. Place the container with juice in the refrigerator. Pour viburnum pomace with hot water, bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, then strain, add sugar, cool and combine with the previously squeezed juice. Pour into glasses and serve with a slice of lime or orange.
Drink from oats and viburnum:
You will need a glass of oats, half a glass of viburnum fruits, 0.25 cups of raisins or dried apricots, 3 teaspoons of honey or sugar, 1.5 liters of water.
Sort the oats, rinse, pour cold water, boil and let it brew for at least 3 hours. Then bring to a boil again, add the mashed fruits of viburnum, add chopped raisins or dried apricots, remove from heat and leave for an hour. Strain, serve warm or cold with honey or sugar.
Kalina in cosmetology
Fruits, flowers and leaves of viburnum are used in many cosmetic recipes: in the treatment of problem skin, to get rid of age spots and freckles.
- Viburnum leaves toning face mask: grind the washed viburnum leaves, apply a thin even layer on the skin of the face greased with a greasy cream. After a quarter of an hour, remove the mask with a soft cloth and rinse with warm water.
- Cosmetic viburnum ice(frozen juice of viburnum fruits) is used for facial massage, lightening age spots, removing freckles and eliminating fine wrinkles.
- Viburnum juice whitening mask: mix in equal proportions juice from viburnum fruits and egg white. Apply to previously cleansed face. Wash off after 20-30 minutes with warm water. Also, to whiten the skin, you can combine viburnum juice with honey.
- To remove freckles and lighten over-tanned skin use such a homemade cosmetic product: mix viburnum juice with sour cream (1: 1), apply the mixture on the face. Leave the mask for 15 minutes, remove the residue with a soft cloth and rinse with warm water.
- Tonic lotion from viburnum is prepared as follows: steam a handful of viburnum flowers with 200 ml of boiling water. Let it brew for 2 hours, then strain. Ready infusion to use for rubbing the skin of the face.
- Fresh viburnum juice used to wipe oily skin, to eliminate acne and age spots. After applications with viburnum fruit juice, the skin must be softened with a nourishing cream.
Dangerous properties of viburnum and contraindications
Uncontrolled consumption of fresh viburnum fruits can cause vomiting (also if the berries have retained bitterness that has not been eliminated by the first frosts). Viburnum is contraindicated for gout. With caution, it should be taken by those who suffer from low blood pressure (hypotension).
We have collected the most important points about the benefits and possible harms of viburnum in this illustration and we will be very grateful if you share the picture on social networks with a link to our page:
- 1 Kalina, as one of the most beautiful trees, is rooted in Slavic traditions, folklore, folk arts, leaving a mark in songwriting, embroidery, beliefs and legends. There are a lot of sayings and sayings about viburnum: “Do not be viburnum raspberry”, “And viburnum with kalach does not care for him”, “From raspberries the bast is not great, but the berries are sweet; but you’ll tear a bast from a Kalinnik, but you won’t take berries in your mouth. ”
- 2 In veterinary practice, the bark, fruits and leaves of viburnum are used to treat foot and mouth disease in cattle.
- 3 Viburnum fruits and bark are suitable for the production of natural dyes (red and black-green, respectively). They are used for dyeing wool.
- 4 Viburnum is cultivated in parks both to create hedges and to attract beneficial birds.
- 5 Previously, viburnum was classified as a member of the Honeysuckle family, but after updating the classification in 2003, botanists define viburnum as a member of the Adox family.
Species and varieties
There are at least 166 species belonging to the genus Kalina. The most common ones are:
- 1 Viburnum ordinary– the habitat of the species covers eastern Europe and western Siberia. Medicinal plant. Within the framework of this species, a lot of decorative ("Compactum", "Roseum", "Buldenezh") and fruit varieties ("Pomegranate Bracelet", "Red Coral");
- 2 Viburnum whole-leaved (pride)- predominantly wild species, grows in the central and southern parts of Europe. It is also cultivated as an ornamental shrub with dense, beautiful inflorescences. Known as "black viburnum". From the berries of this species, ink is produced, from the stem part - chibouks;
- 3 Viburnum evergreen (laurel)- an ornamental Mediterranean shrub that has become widespread on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula;
- 4 viburnum bureinskaya- occurs on the territory of the Bureinsky mountain range (Khabarovsk Territory). The plant is a honey plant. The view has a decorative value;
- 5 Kalina Raita- grows on Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, in Korea and Japan. The species is listed in the Red Books of Russia and the Sakhalin Region;
- 6 Fragrant viburnum- common in Japan, Korea, India.
Viburnum ordinary- a branched bush from 2 to 5 m high with gray bark. The leaf arrangement is opposite, the leaves are large, petiolate. Snow-white flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences. Shiny, juicy, bright red fruits form drooping clusters. The fruits are berry-like oval drupes with a hard stone. Blooms in May-June.
Viburnum grows along water bodies, in meadows, in the undergrowth of mixed and deciduous forests.
Growing features
The plant propagates both by seed and vegetatively (by dividing the bush, cuttings, layering, etc.). Seeds are subjected to long-term stratification and then planted in prepared soil, keeping the distance between rows from 0.3 to 0.4 m. After two years of cultivation, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent plot. The plant tolerates wintering well without shelter. Viburnum grows on any type of soil, with the exception of overly dense clay or rocky soil. Light-loving and moisture-loving plant: needs additional watering during the flowering period, and during active growth in the spring. The most effective way to propagate viburnum is in a greenhouse, using green cuttings, in early summer. In this case, by autumn, a well-developed root system is formed in a young tree.
How to choose
The degree of maturity of viburnum fruits can be judged by the color of the berries: they should be saturated, dark red, pomegranate in color. It is also important to remember that the harvest from the viburnum tree can only be harvested after the fruits have been "grabbed" by the first frosts and bitterness has gone out of them.
When to harvest viburnum?
The bark is harvested in the spring, during the movement of juices (April-May). On cut branches, circular cuts are made with knives at an interval of 0.25 m, they are connected by longitudinal cuts, after which the bark is easily removed. Dry in attics, under a canopy, where there is good ventilation, laying out a thin layer of 3-5 cm, on paper or cloth. Shelf life up to 4 years. Stored in bales up to 50 kg.
The fruits are harvested when they are fully ripe (August-September). Whole bunches are cut with knives or sickles and put loosely in baskets. Dry in ovens or dryers. After threshing and separating on a sieve from twigs and stalks. Dried fruits are stored in bags. Shelf life has not been set.
How to store
Viburnum fruits can be stored dried or dried, ground with sugar, frozen and stored in the freezer like ordinary berries, as well as squeezed juice and prepared or boiled syrup.
How to dry viburnum?
To prepare dried viburnum, you need to: rinse ripe fruits, remove stalks, sort out spoiled berries. To reduce bitterness, the fruits should be blanched for 2-3 minutes. Then let it drain, dry on a paper towel, getting rid of excess moisture, and mix with sugar. For 1 kg of viburnum fruits, take 250 g of granulated sugar and let it brew for a day at room temperature. Drain the resulting juice, add 250 g of sugar to the viburnum mass again and hold until the juice appears. The juice drained for the first and second time is combined and preserved. The remaining viburnum-sugar mass is poured with hot syrup of 50% concentration and allowed to brew for 5 minutes. Then the syrup is separated, filtered through a sieve, and the fruits are laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet, put in the oven, and kept for half an hour at a temperature of 850 C. Then they are laid out in jars.
How to dry viburnum?
To dry the fruits of viburnum, they are thoroughly washed in their ripe form along with the stalks, which are then very carefully removed. The washed fruits are laid out in an even thin layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment and dried at a temperature of 50-600 C with the door open. Slow drying is possible as the fruits are not susceptible to mold due to their high content of antimicrobial substances. Properly dried viburnum fruits are roundish, wrinkled and flattened. Dried viburnum has a barely perceptible aroma and a bitter-sour taste. It is mainly used for making decoctions.
How to preserve viburnum juice?
You will need: 1 kg of viburnum fruits, 200 g of granulated sugar and 200 ml of water. Sort the fruits, wash and squeeze the juice out of them. Pour the pulp with water, boil for 5 minutes, then strain. The broth is combined with squeezed juice, sugar is added, mixed, poured into jars, pasteurized and closed.
When you try to talk about the benefits of viburnum berries, you always don’t know where to start. This small shrub can be used in almost any area. This is official and traditional medicine, cosmetology, cooking. In our article, we will not only try to cover all the possible aspects of the use of this berry, but we will explain why it is an important element of a balanced diet.
Geography and origin
This plant has been known to our country since ancient times. In Russia, it is distributed almost everywhere, although it has its own preferences:
- Wet environment. You can find shrubs not only along small streams, but also in swampy areas.
- Coniferous forests. The denser the forest, the more likely it is to see red fruits there.
At the same time, it cannot be said that the plant is whimsical. It is well adapted to the harsh climatic conditions of central Russia. Gourmets recommend starting to harvest "harvest" with the onset of the first frost. The cold drives out all the bitterness and acidity from the berries.
Only fruits are considered edible, but this does not mean that the rest of the shrub has not been used in human life. The bark, roots and leaves of the plant are actively used. All of them are rich in healing properties, and therefore serve as excellent raw materials for the preparation of many medicines.
But do not forget that viburnum berries are not only beneficial, but also harmful to human health, there are a number of contraindications for use. Consider them so as not to accidentally harm yourself in the process of treatment, weight loss or culinary experiments. For the correct inclusion of berries in the diet, consult with a specialist.
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Viburnum berries for the human body: useful properties and contraindications
They are rich in various vitamins, but most of the place is given to groups C and A. Also, this low shrub boasts the presence of tannins and pectins. They are indispensable when it comes to the treatment and restoration of normal functional activity of the gastrointestinal tract.
Phytoncides can also be found in the composition, so the product also has an antimicrobial effect. Decoctions of viburnum are considered an effective folk remedy for colds.
The berry contains a large amount of magnesium, copper, iron. It helps to restore the body after serious physical training, defeat chronic fatigue, and reduce apathy.
The fruits contain valeric and formic acids. Their combination helps in the fight against depression.
Kalina is also a natural energizer and can give odds to many modern products located on supermarket shelves.
What are the benefits of viburnum fruits for the human body and its health, can there be harm
- General strengthening effect. Beneficial effect on the human immune system, especially when taken systematically. Constant small dosages help the body to actively resist diseases of any kind, fight infections and viruses.
- Prophylactic. This is especially true in winter, when the population suffers from colds. A properly made decoction can suppress acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections at the initial stage. Fruits cope well with coughs, with dry and wet.
- Joint restoration. The plant copes well with arthritis and arthrosis. The effect is the same as from most modern ointments, but this method is much more economical. Elderly people of the old school are well acquainted with him.
- Anti-inflammatory agent. An additional therapeutic measure during a sore throat or other diseases of a similar type.
- Febrifuge. A good analogue of paracetamol and even modern powders like Theraflu. We have already mentioned the large amount of vitamin C that our product contains. At the same time, its effect is softer than that of many well-known pharmaceutical tablets. If your child is sick, use an infusion of viburnum with honey.
- Cleansing effect. Freshly squeezed berry juice removes toxins and other harmful substances from the body that have accumulated over a long time. At the preventive stage of rationalization of nutrition, this method is especially effective. Do not forget that the plant is also a diuretic, which can quickly remove excess moisture from the patient's body.
- Tonic effect. It relieves stress, treats neuroses, helps to cope with insomnia and tantrums. Start a wonderful way to calm down and come to peace of mind.
- Treatment of varicose veins. Rubbing from viburnum is not a drug. Therefore, we recommend using them in conjunction with other medications.
- Help the cardiovascular system. Folk recipes using viburnum berries are effective, but they have both useful properties and contraindications. With increased blood clotting, they will negatively affect the patient's body, and can even lead to the appearance of blood clots.
- Rejuvenating effect. It has a beneficial effect on the skin and literally helps to turn back the clock.
The beneficial properties of viburnum for women have been confirmed by numerous medical studies, while there are few contraindications for use. This is an effective way to combat any kind of inflammatory diseases. Soft intervention helps to normalize the course of physiological processes, relieve swelling, pain and discomfort.
Useful and harmful properties of viburnum fruits: contraindications for pressure
We have already said that the fruits are not recommended for increased blood clotting, but there are other restrictions. One of the main ones is considered to be a negative effect on the body with increased pressure. Especially when it comes to the innate effect. But the rule also applies if the pressure has increased as a result of taking other drugs, medication, or simply food. For example, excessive consumption of coffee or taurine. In this case, there is no viburnum: it will aggravate the situation.
And in contrast, if you have low blood pressure, the plant normalizes it. Before accepting and starting any procedures related to this product, a professional medical consultation is required. You can get it at the Elena Morozova Weight Loss Clinic.
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Viburnum berry for women's health: the benefits of fruits, harm, contraindications
There are not so many restrictions on use. Several are considered purely feminine:
- Any kind of kidney disease, as the beautiful half of humanity is more prone to them.
- Pregnancy. At any time, it is not recommended to introduce the plant into the diet. This applies to both internal and external reception. The rules apply to leaves, stems, roots, bark and the berries themselves.
But if we consider the beneficial and harmful properties of viburnum, contraindications to the use of fruits for women and men, it is worth noting that the former are many times more. A whole range of positive effects and only a few cases when the product can be perceived negatively by the body:
- Hypotension.
- Urolithiasis disease.
- Gout.
The systematic use of funds, which include the plant, for the prevention and treatment is justified. For the strong half, the cosmetic effect is not of great importance, but the medicinal qualities and tonic effect are important.
Recipes using viburnum: useful properties, contraindications, how to cook a berry
This plant is valued in cooking. But not everyone is positive about its sharp taste. Someone complains about acid, someone about bitterness. Getting rid of both is actually quite simple. Place the berries in boiling water for ten to fifteen minutes, and the taste of the product will become much softer.
If you want to treat yourself to an unusual and healthy jam, then pick the fruits after the first frost. Under the influence of low temperature, they lose their characteristic bitterness. For those who do not want to wait for the arrival of winter and want to prepare a delicacy as quickly as possible, we recommend cheating and putting the plant in the freezer for an hour and a half. The effect will be the same.
The season for picking berries falls at the end of autumn, but knowing some of the intricacies of storage, you can pamper yourself with them almost all year round. In order for the plant to retain vitamins, you can:
- Dry the fruits in the oven. This is done at a temperature of 60 °. It is best if the oven door is slightly ajar.
- To freeze. Like any other seasonal product, this one keeps well in the cold.
Another option is to take a clean, dry pan, put the viburnum there and put the container in a cool place. In this state, the berries can be stored for up to six months. You can cook them with sugar or honey.
Five-minute recipes are very popular. The fruits are not boiled, but ground in a blender or food processor. They stay fresh, which means they retain more nutrients. In the refrigerator, such a dish is stored for a long time.
Fresh viburnum: benefits and harms
The only contraindication to its use is a high degree of acidity in the stomach. After prolonged processing and drying, a significant part of the acid simply disappears. The dried product can no longer harm the sensitive stomach. At least with the same intensity. But this process also reduces the usefulness of the fruit. Many trace elements and vitamins cease to act, are absorbed worse. Therefore, it is better to take the dried product as decoctions and tinctures, and it is recommended to use fresh berries without a prescription. But be sure to follow the dosage. The presence of a large amount of acid can damage even a healthy stomach, cause discomfort on the teeth and in the oral cavity. Observe the measure.
A very useful berry, already little known to modern city dwellers, is viburnum. But in the villages, these shrubs are still grown and the berries are used to treat and increase immunity in winter. Just like that, not everyone can eat it because of the specific bitter taste. But in many traditional medicine recipes
viburnum is used. From what this berry helps, you need to know, because it is very useful. It is no coincidence that so many songs about red viburnum have been created among the people.
Useful properties of viburnum
People have long believed that it helps against 99 diseases. One of the few berries that can be harvested in winter, replenishing vitamins, is viburnum. From what it helps, all the housewives knew before. In case of any illness, fragrant tea was brewed from viburnum twigs and fruits. It has anti-inflammatory properties, treats coughs, lowers blood pressure and fights neurosis and insomnia.
The fruits of viburnum contain many vitamins, natural organic acids and tannins useful for digestion. Therefore, viburnum is used as a vitamin and normalization of metabolism. It is also very useful to make masks from this berry: they rejuvenate the skin, treat inflammation and acne. Many more properties can be listed that viburnum has. What else does she help?
Decoctions and juice of viburnum are taken for neuroses, insomnia and headaches. It has general strengthening properties, improves immunity and even helps with cancer. A decoction of fruits and twigs perfectly cleanses the body of toxins and stimulates the intestinal muscles.
A decoction of viburnum
Kalina heals many diseases, but not everyone can eat it fresh, as it contains a bitter glycoside. Therefore, most often it is used as a decoction. To prepare it, you need to grind the berries and pour hot water. For two spoons take a glass of water. The resulting solution is heated for 15 minutes, preferably in a water bath. This should be done in an enamel bowl.
The cooled and filtered broth is mixed with honey and drunk like tea. You can take up to three glasses of infusion daily. Best of all, it helps with neurosis and vasospasm. The constant intake of a decoction with honey can cure incipient hypertension, as viburnum helps with pressure. If the decoction is also made with the addition of plant branches, then it treats a persistent cough and
How to save viburnum for the winter
The taste of viburnum softens during frosts, so it is recommended to hang it on the veranda and eat it after the first frost. The only berry that tastes better after freezing is viburnum. From what it helps, it becomes clear if you find out that it contains a large amount of vitamin C. A tablespoon of berries provides a person's daily need for it.
It is recommended to prepare more viburnum for the winter by freezing it or making juice with honey. You can not just eat it or drink juice, very tasty seasonings and sauces are obtained with the addition of viburnum. Nowadays, women should remember what red viburnum helps from, and more often include this amazing berry in their family's diet.
For the Slavic peoples, viburnum is not just a beautiful shrub. Culture and life are closely connected with this plant. Mentions about her are found in beliefs and rituals, poems are dedicated to her. songs. Viburnum berry symbolizes purity, love and beauty of a girl. It is an ingredient in many national dishes and is valued in medicine for its beneficial properties.
Berries of viburnum ordinary
The viburnum bush attracts the eye at any time of the year: strewn with snow-white flowers in spring, lush greenery in summer or bright red clusters in autumn. But the plant deserved popular love not only for its beauty, but also due to its healing properties.
Compresses, ointments, decoctions and tinctures are prepared from viburnum to help cure a variety of diseases:
- pathology of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, ulcer, colitis);
- hypertension;
- pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
- tuberculosis;
- liver disease;
- atherosclerosis;
- colds;
- pathologists of the nervous system;
- inflammation of the skin;
- menopause;
- menstrual disorders;
- pain during menstruation;
It has a hemostatic property, regulates cholesterol, the rate of sugar. Indispensable for diseases of the upper respiratory tract due to antispasmodic and disinfecting properties. Reduces body temperature, helps to remove excess fluid, thereby eliminating puffiness. In diabetes mellitus, it normalizes the general condition of the patient.
Video "Harvesting viburnum berries"
In alternative medicine, all parts of the plant are used: bark, seeds, leaves, flowers, berries, seeds. The composition of the plant includes a variety of useful substances:
- mineral salts;
- glycosides;
- chromium;
- valeric acid;
- manganese;
- pectin;
- phytoncides;
- copper;
- formic acid;
- linoleic acid;
- saccharides;
- phosphorus;
- selenium;
- fatty acid;
- tannins;
- isovaleric acid.
In addition, common viburnum is saturated with vitamins A, E, C, K, P. It is widely used not only for medicinal purposes, but also in cooking (sweets, wines, pies, desserts), cosmetology (masks, tonics, shampoos, lotions) .
Viburnum berries are considered a low-calorie product and are indicated for people who follow the figure or are obese (energy value - 26 kcal).
100 grams contains:
Due to the rich chemical composition of viburnum, berries are often included in various vitamin preparations.
Secrets of harvesting and storage of viburnum
viburnum berries
You can grow or find a wild bush. Under natural conditions, it grows in shady areas, along water bodies. Likes moisture, pine or deciduous forests.
- If you need to prepare young shoots, you should do it in early spring, and April is suitable for bark. At this time, sap flow is just beginning.
- The plant blooms in May-June, so the flowers are collected at the time of their full disclosure. The inflorescences are plucked whole and dried immediately.
- The berries ripen by September-October, and they should be plucked with a leg, while maintaining the integrity of the "umbrella". The fruits collected after the first frosts do not lose their usefulness, but they become not so bitter.
bark harvesting
In order to collect the bark from the viburnum bush, it is necessary to cut the branches obliquely, while leaving the trunk of about 10 cm, to renew the overgrowth. It is important to remember that viburnum grows rather slowly and the next collection of bark from this bush can only be resumed after 10 years. Therefore, if there is no need to cut down the entire bush as a whole, only the side branches are cut, without affecting the main trunk.
On the resulting branches and trunks of viburnum, transverse annular cuts are made every 10-15 cm. After that, longitudinal cuts are made connecting the annular ones to each other. The bark can be easily removed with tubes or layers. To preserve the beneficial properties of viburnum, you can not cut the bark with a knife, otherwise wood strips will remain on its inner surface. The resulting bark is spread on paper or cloth with a thin layer (up to 5 cm). It is better to dry in a shady, well-ventilated place (attic, shed). When it becomes fragile enough, it can be transferred to a cloth bag for storage (no more than 4 years).
Collection and harvesting of viburnum berries
The collection of viburnum berries is carried out in dry weather. Clusters must be picked carefully, without damaging the fruit, thereby preserving useful substances. When harvesting, the berries are separated from the stalks.
The recycling process depends on the end result. Berries can be dried, frozen, canned, ground into juice. The fruits are dried, like the bark, it takes about 7-9 days. You can use an electric dryer or oven.
Harvesting viburnum for the winter can be carried out in the following way. Pour the washed, dried berries into a jar by a third, add granulated sugar to the top and close. Store in the refrigerator or cellar, the berry is ready to eat after 6 months.
Home recipes using viburnum
Tasty and healthy viburnum jam
With colds, honey viburnum helps well, the recipe for which is quite simple. For 100 g of viburnum berries, take 1 tablespoon of honey. You need a cast iron or clay pot, other tall baking dishes will do. Pour a layer of viburnum on the bottom, pour honey on top, continue to alternate layers. The container should be filled no more than 2/3. Simmer in the oven at 160ºC for an hour and a half. Such berries help well with puffiness of a cardiac nature, shortness of breath, liver diseases, jaundice.
With nervous excitement, vasospasm, hypertension and atherosclerosis, fresh whole or grated berries will cope. You can wipe them through a metal sieve, after washing and separating them from the stalks. Before drinking, you should additionally strain the mass through cheesecloth. Such juice with honey in alternative medicine is used to fight breast cancer, as a prophylactic against gastritis.
From boils or eczema, an infusion of viburnum fruits helps. For this purpose, a tablespoon of fruits is poured with a glass of boiling water, covered and infused for about two hours, filtered. Such a remedy is popularly known as a laxative, diaphoretic, tonic and vitamin. Apply 2 large spoons 3 times a day before meals.
If you are worried about hemorrhoids, uterine bleeding or painful and strong menstruation, prepare a tincture of alcohol. To do this, a spoonful of bark is mixed with 50% alcohol (100 ml) and stored for a week in a cold place. After the tincture is filtered and applied 15-30 drops on an empty stomach two to three times a day.
Regular intake of viburnum normalizes the general well-being of people with malignant neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. But in the fight against scrofula, tea from the flowers of the plant will help. Freshly picked or dry petals are poured with boiling water, insisted for a quarter of an hour. Strained drink drink 1/3 cup 3-4 times a day.
Do not forget the beneficial properties of viburnum leaves. Their infusion is widely used for helminthiasis and for rinsing during a sore throat. The juice of viburnum leaves is used both externally, lubricating damaged areas of the skin (scrofula, boils, lichen, rash), and inside. Drinking it three times a day for a quarter cup, you can quickly recover from long-term serious illnesses, strengthen the immune system.
Who should not eat berries
The medicinal properties of viburnum berries are undeniable, however, like any medicinal plant, it must be used wisely. Pregnant women should be especially careful. The fact is that viburnum fruits contain special substances similar to female hormones. Their excess in the mother's blood can provoke deviations in the development of the baby, and even premature birth.
There are contraindications for people suffering from:
- low blood pressure;
- urolithiasis;
- chronic pathologies of the kidneys;
- leukemia;
- arthritis;
- high blood clotting;
- thrombophlebitis;
- gout.
With high acidity of the stomach, supplemented by an ulcer or gastritis, red viburnum, whose properties increase the secretion of gastric juice, is prohibited. Do not forget about the individual intolerance of the plant. The fruits can cause severe allergic reactions due to the high concentration of vitamin C and fever. It is worth noting that black viburnum berries are considered poisonous.
Kalina is an incredibly tasty, beautiful and healthy berry. In recent years, its properties have been undeservedly forgotten. And it’s completely in vain, because it’s quite difficult to find analogues for such an affordable and useful natural healer.
Viburnum acquires its best properties after it is caught by the first frost. The people believed that viburnum helps with 99 diseases, which many modern medicines cannot. It is also valuable that this “medicine” has practically no side effects.
From what diseases does viburnum help?
In the old days, housewives brewed twigs and viburnum berries for any indisposition of the household. The biologically active compounds present in the resulting drink (vitamins, especially PP, organic acids, bitter, tannins and resinous substances, as well as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese and iodine) had a tonic, analgesic and immunostimulating effect.
Viburnum helps to fight with sleep disturbance, neuroses, headaches. In oncological diseases, it is recommended to drink viburnum juice mixed with honey or sugar daily.
Viburnum has a strong astringent effect. With its help, in the old days, various bleedings were stopped - uterine, gastric, nasal, hemorrhoidal, etc. The decoction of viburnum bark helps most effectively with these problems.
A vitamin drink from viburnum berries also helps to increase metabolism. This property is very useful in metabolic disorders and weight loss. A decoction of viburnum berries, and even better - viburnum juice, is recommended to be included in the diet during the diet. In addition, viburnum juice perfectly cleanses the intestines from all accumulations and helps with constipation.
You should not use viburnum with increased acidity of gastric juice, arthritis, kidney disease, urolithiasis, increased blood clotting and pregnancy.
Does viburnum help high blood pressure with hypertension?
Thanks to tannins, viburnum juice strengthens blood vessels and helps relieve their spasms. With hypertension and high blood pressure, the viburnum berry remedy gently reduces pressure and soothes. And, in addition, this folk remedy is effective in atherosclerosis. The medicine is prepared as follows: viburnum berries are crushed into gruel and boiled with boiling water together with the grains. After cooling, a sour-tasting remedy is obtained. Just do not abuse it, otherwise the pressure may become too low.
Does viburnum help cough?
Viburnum is also effective for colds, including cough. The best expectorant is an infusion of viburnum flowers, and in general, mashed viburnum berries with honey is very useful for colds. And if you add currant and mint leaves to the infusion of viburnum berries, the resulting remedy will help get rid of hoarseness.
