Dogwood: health benefits and harms, vitamin composition, in the treatment of diseases

Dogwood, or dogwood, is one of the most useful plants for humans. The fruits of this shrub have an impressive list of healing properties along with lemon and rose hips. Ever since ancient times, doctors used wood to combat many ailments. But in the modern world, he has not lost its relevance. However, as with any other plant, there are some nuances. The article describes in detail the various properties of dogwood, as well as the use for medicinal and domestic purposes.

Useful and healing properties

Sod fruits can be used from almost all diseases. Beta-carotene, which gives the berries a reddish tint, has a positive effect on vision, strengthens the eye vessels. Vitamin C stimulates the immune system, thereby reducing the risk of respiratory illness. Pectins cleanse the liver, remove harmful substances from it and promote recovery. But dogwood is especially useful for men. In the Middle East and the Southern regions, teas are often made from dried leaves and berries, as they enhance potency.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Before adding to the diet, you must definitely get medical advice. Women during pregnancy are recommended to eat berries primarily for the proper absorption of iron . In this case, the blood of the unborn child will be sufficiently saturated with hemoglobin, and the risk of anemia in both the fetus and the mother will decrease. Dogwood also strengthens the immune system - during pregnancy it is extremely undesirable to get a cold, and pharmaceutical preparations can leave a negative mark.

However, if the expectant mother has problems with the gastrointestinal tract or often has constipation, these fruits are contraindicated. During breastfeeding, berries should be consumed carefully so as not to provoke an allergy in the child. In this case, it is allowed to eat no more than five berries a day, so that the body gets used gradually, or abandon them altogether.

Dogwood Vitamins

Dogwood has a very rich vitamin complex. There is a fair amount of vitamin C in the pulp (about 50 mg per 100 g), an order of magnitude higher than in orange or blackcurrant. In addition to it, there are vitamins A and P, but in a lower concentration.

Contraindications and harm

Do not use dogwood in certain cases, despite all its useful qualities. Dogwood is also not recommended for use with severe excitability of the nervous system or insomnia.

  • Due to its sour taste and some trace elements in the composition, the plant is harmful:
  • with gastritis and high acidity of the stomach;
  • allergic reactions;
  • with frequent bleeding and very thin blood;
  • chronic constipation.

Important! If there are no serious problems with nerves, then dogwood should not be eaten only at night.

Disease Use

As mentioned earlier, dogwood possesses not only interesting palatability, but also healing powers. Most often, berries are used for preventive purposes. But in the treatment of specific diseases, he can be a great helper.

With gout

Dogwood fruits help in the breakdown of oxalic and uric acids, therefore, are effective for gout . To prevent gout, a decoction is prepared. In a metal bowl bring to a boil 200 ml of water. 2 tablespoons are added to boiling water for 1 minute. tablespoons of dried turf berries. After that, the container is removed from the fire and covered with a lid. You need to let it brew for about 2 hours. Then the broth is filtered. It can be divided into three equal parts and drunk during the day before meals.

Under pressure

Decoctions of dogwood pulp are used to maintain normal pressure and strengthen blood vessels . However, they will be more useful to people with low blood pressure. Hypertensive patients should not particularly lean on the cervix, as it normalizes pressure by increasing it. Did you know? 100 g of pulp contains only 40 calories

With diabetes

Due to the presence of natural sugars, dogwood is allowed for patients with diabetes mellitus. When ingested in the stomach, trace elements of berries stimulate the production of special enzymes that control glucose levels. Diabetics should eat dried fruits, one at a time twice a day . You can also drink the decoction described earlier, but only once a day.

At elevated temperature

During flu or colds, dogwood helps lower body temperature and remove fever. In addition, vitamin C will strengthen the body as a whole, and the disease will pass faster . As a treatment, a decoction is used, which includes not only berries, but also foliage.

For cooking, you need to boil 400 ml of water. In boiling water put 1 tbsp. a spoonful of fruit without stones and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried chopped leaves. All this is languished in water for 16 minutes, then removed from the heat and insisted for about 7 hours. At elevated temperatures, approximately 100 ml are drunk.

With hemorrhoids

The use of dogwood reduces pain and relieves swelling. Also, for the prevention of hemorrhoids, you can take a handful of dogwood with bone on an ongoing basis. In alternative medicine, the following recipe often appears: 100 g of dried seeds are ground and poured with hot water, approximately 500 ml. This tool is insisted for 10-12 hours. Then, using a cotton pad, the liquid is applied to the formations inside the anus.

Important! Tincture should be in a thermos at all times. If it is not, then the container with the infusion is tightly wrapped in a towel or other cloth to keep the heat in check.

Liver disease

Dogwood leaves do well with liver ailments. They contain tannides - tannins. They have anti-inflammatory and biliary properties.

To combat liver diseases, use this collection:

  • 1 tbsp. a spoon of dried shredded dogwood leaves;
  • 3 rose hips;
  • 1 tbsp. a spoon of mint leaves, you can fresh;
  • 0.5 tbsp. spoons of lemon balm leaves.

The mixture is poured into 500 ml of cold water. Then 5 minutes the collection is boiled. After this 30 minutes you need to let the broth brew and strain at the end. They drink the drug three times a day, approximately 100 ml.

Kidney disease

For inflammatory processes in the bladder, as well as a tendency to the appearance of kidney stones, a compote of sod berries and pears is prepared. This drink should be drunk 2-3 times a day for two weeks. Did you know? In ancient times, sod berries were used to prevent abortion.

With rheumatism

Since cornel has good anti-inflammatory properties, it is used to enhance joint health. To prepare a cure for rheumatism, a simple decoction of dried roots is used. For 400 ml of water you will need 10 g of crushed roots. The broth is boiled for 15 minutes, then filtered.

In abscesses

Dogwood is often used to fight ulcers, abscesses and skin defects. Wound healing agent is prepared from dried bark and branches, honey and rye flour. 300 ml of water is boiled, then herbal ingredients are added and boiled for half an hour. The broth is cooled and added to it 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey and 2 tbsp. tablespoons of flour. The agent is applied for 20 minutes to the affected area of ​​the skin. To enhance the effect, you can also apply a decoction of chamomile. Important! The product must be used immediately after preparation. After 40 minutes, the therapeutic effect is significantly reduced.

For headache

Dogwood drinks will help get rid of migraines and headaches. You can also use fresh berries for external use, as a compress. To prepare the product, you need to grind the fruits of turf, then transfer the mixture to cheesecloth and apply a compress to your forehead.

For colds

With acute respiratory infections, cornel berries are perfect. Due to the high content of vitamin C, the patient's temperature decreases, and thanks to volatile production, the virus is killed and immunity is strengthened. During influenza or colds, cornel fruit jam should be consumed.

To prepare it you will need:

  • 2 kg of dogwood berries;
  • 1.5 kg of sugar or sweetener;
  • 1 liter of water.

Cooking:

  1. Remove seeds from berries.
  2. Add sugar or a substitute to cold water, put on fire and boil for 10 minutes.
  3. Put the pulp in the syrup and leave for 2 hours.
  4. After 2 hours, return the jam to the stove and boil until the desired consistency.

This amount of jam should be enough for the whole winter. Use the product before meals or in the morning on an empty stomach, 1 tbsp. spoon. This remedy also soothes the throat well.

Cornel for weight loss

Due to its low calorie content and rich in nutrients, dogwood helps to lose weight:

  • berries improve metabolism and promote the breakdown of toxins;
  • perfectly tone up and give energy for productive trainings;
  • normalize the digestive tract and remove harmful substances that accumulate for a long time in the form of fat deposits.

If you compare all of these factors, then dogwood really helps to lose weight. But the daily intake of berries should not exceed 200 g.

How to use dogwood

Dogwood can be eaten in any form - dried or fresh. Juices, preserves are made from berries, they are canned for the winter, and stewed fruit and other drinks are also boiled. The fruits are usually harvested in late August or early September. But you can’t let the berries over-ripen, as they, when consumed, begin to ferment inside the body and can cause diarrhea. Did you know? According to legend, the founder of Rome, Romulus, when he outlined the borders of his lands, thrust a spear into the ground. Over time, a luxurious bush has grown in its place, which has borne fruit. Residents of the city came to collect them and discovered the beneficial properties of berries. And knowledge of these properties was passed down through generations.

Dried dogwood

The best way to preserve all the nutrients is drying. Dried dogwood can be stored for a very long time, since there is no moisture in it, and the process of decay is significantly slowed down. Berries, leaves and bark are washed, then put on a cloth and left to dry in a warm place. You can also use an electric dryer - it will significantly reduce cooking time.

Dried dogwood

Dried dogwood has the same properties as dried. The only difference is the cooking technology and the final taste. To make candied fruits you will need: 800 g of fresh berries, 0.5 l of water, 1.5 kg of sugar. Rinse the dogwood, mix with 500 g of sugar and leave for a day to leave the juice. The next day, the rest of the sugar is mixed with water and boiled for 10-12 minutes. After that, berries are added to the finished syrup. The mixture is infused for 20 minutes, filtered and put in a form for drying. You can then dry the fruits in the oven or in an electric dryer.

Cooking recipes

Dogwood has been used in cooking for a long time. The ancient Greeks and Romans dried and salted the berries like olives. And the inhabitants of the Caucasus still use ground dogwood as a spice for meat and flour dishes. Below are the most useful dogwood recipes.

Compote

The fruits of turf go well with any fruit and berries. They give a slight sour taste. Perfectly come to replace cherries, because at the end of summer it can no longer be found on the shelves.

For compote you will need:

  • 150 g of fresh dogwood berries;
  • 300 g of fresh apples;
  • 100 g of apricots;
  • 4 l of water;
  • sugar or honey to taste.

Sliced ​​apples are placed in cold water and brought to a boil. After 10 minutes, apricots and dogwood are added. To the state of readiness, you need to boil another 5 minutes.

Decoction

Decoctions are different, and all of them are aimed at the prevention or treatment of certain diseases. A drink from leaves and herbs stimulates the immune system and gives energy.

To cook it, you need to collect the following components:

  • dry dogwood leaves - 6 pieces;
  • leaves of lemon balm, sage - 3 pieces each;
  • water - 800 ml;
  • sugar or honey to taste.

Boil water, add to it all the components except honey, and let it brew for 10 minutes, after removing it from the heat. Then the drink is filtered. Honey or sugar is added as desired. You can drink such a decoction no more than 1 cup twice a day.

Uzvar

The uzvar is made from dried berries. It has all the same useful properties as compote from fresh fruits. However, in time, the uzvar is boiled longer.

Recipe:

  1. Dried cornel fruit (15 pieces) simmer over low heat for 30 minutes in 500 ml of water.
  2. Remove the Uzvar from the heat and insist for half an hour.
  3. Strain and add sweetener.

Infusion

The peculiarity of the preparation of the infusion is time-consuming. In order to make a drink, it will take at least 6 hours. However, with such a long process, dogwood berries give the maximum benefit. Preparing tincture as follows: 2 tbsp. tablespoons of berries pour 500 ml of boiling water and insist for 6-7 hours. Additionally, you can add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dogwood leaves. The drink enhances health and promotes proper digestion.

The benefits and harms of dogwood seeds

Sod bones are mainly used for hemorrhoids, as they have anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. Also, a decoction of roots and dried seeds is used to treat wounds for their quick healing. However, you cannot use whole bones, since they themselves are poorly digested and can negatively affect the liver, so they are crushed. In this form, the bones are exclusively beneficial.

Doeren is an amazing plant. Its fruits are actively used in everyday life, in cooking, and medicines are made from it. In addition to its useful functions, the bush itself looks very elegant, especially during flowering. And also, if you manage to grow dogwood in the house or in the country, it will effectively clean the air around it and kill bacteria, so you should definitely look at it.

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