Many people are interested in how the use of apple tree leaves affects the body. Below is described in detail what benefits and harm they can bring to human health, as well as what are the daily norms for using the product, what is its use in cooking, especially the choice and storage.

Did you know? Every year, around the world, people drink about 700 billion glasses of tea. The record holder is England, where the average resident drinks up to 1800 cups of tea per year.

Calorie content and chemical composition

The leaves of the apple tree are alternately arranged oval-shaped leaves, with jagged or smooth edges, of a light green hue. 100 g contains up to 400 mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which enriches the human body with energy and helps in the fight against infections, stress and depression. Calorie content of the product is very low - up to 1 kcal. Leaves are rich in minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, phosphorus. They also contain amino acids, flavonoids, volatile and tannins.

The effect of apple leaves on the body

Below is a detailed description of how the use of apple tree leaves affects the human body, as well as the beneficial and healing properties of the product, its harmful effects and contraindications.

Did you know? The fruit of the apple tree does not sink in water, since it consists of 25% air.

Benefits and healing properties

• The use of apple leaves in the form of tea or infusion has a healing effect on the human body with such ailments:
• gastrointestinal diseases, especially with gastritis;
• respiratory diseases;
• anemia;
• hoarseness;
• insomnia;
• skin diseases;
• nephritis;
• bladder problems, kidney stone disease.

The product has an anti-inflammatory effect. Rubbing the skin with infusion of foliage will help to get rid of not only purulent foci on the skin, but will also be an excellent tool in the fight against acne. Folk healers recommend using leafy tea for people whose profession is associated with the tension of the vocal cords, since it eliminates sore throat and saves from hoarseness.

You will be interested to learn about the effects of dried apples on human health.

In addition, due to the wide range of nutrients that make up this product and its low calorie content, tea from apple tree leaves contributes to weight loss. During breastfeeding, it is recommended to drink such a drink, adding condensed milk to it.

Contraindications and harmful properties

In addition to useful qualities, a product also has some harmful properties, which must be taken into account during its use.

• Consider in what cases it is better to refrain from using this product:
• Do not use foliage for those people who suffer from constipation.
• With special care, the product should be used by pregnant women. Infusion can in some cases have a negative effect on the unborn child. Especially you need to refrain from consuming decoctions and infusions in the first trimester of pregnancy.
• Tea from apple leaves should not be drunk by persons who have an individual intolerance to apples or are prone to allergic reactions.
• To abandon the use of funds based on apple leaves is also worth people with thrombophlebitis.

Consumption per day

If you have problems with the respiratory system, then you need to drink an infusion of apple leaves 3 times a day (half a cup). For its preparation, it is necessary to pour 1 tbsp. l raw materials 1 tbsp. boiling water, insist 2 hours and strain before use. It is recommended to drink warm tea from apple leaves to get rid of insomnia 1 hour before bedtime.

Important! The fermentation period affects the taste and color of tea. The infusion will be darker if the process lasts a long time.

Cooking Application

Before using the leaves of the apple tree in cooking, many people are interested in what form they can be used in and what dishes to add. Some chefs add them fresh and crushed to cold snacks. They can also be dried and subsequently used as a spice.

The main product that can be independently prepared from foliage is fermented tea. To preserve all useful elements in the raw materials, it should be dried in an electric dryer at a temperature not exceeding + 45 ° C for 20 hours. In the obtained healing infusion, to improve the taste, it is recommended to add an apple, lemon zest and a little honey.

Features of the selection and storage of apple leaves

The future raw materials are prepared in advance, and then used for preparing infusions and tea. The collection of raw materials should be carried out at the time of formation of the ovaries on the tree, until all useful nutrients accumulate in the green mass. It is recommended to collect only soft young leaves that are not infected by pests and without visible damage.

It should be remembered that the fermentation of apple leaves is best done in the fresh air, but not in the sun. You should also not pick leaves after chemical treatment of the tree, but it is better to wait until the action of the substances ceases (about 2 weeks). For drying, the leaves are laid without cuttings, in a shaded place. The raw materials are laid out in a thin layer on a cleaned surface, for example, on a windowsill or on a baking tray.

Important! During drying, the foliage should be stirred regularly to prevent the formation of mold and all kinds of mass compaction. This will save not only the collected raw materials, but also all the useful substances contained in it.

Having become acquainted with the description, chemical composition and useful properties of apple leaves, it will be possible to start harvesting them in the spring. However, you should remember about contraindications and the possible harmful effects of this product on the body of some groups of people.