The benefits of blackberries have been known for a long time.This plant grows not only in forests, but is also actively cultivated in household plots. Currently, more than twenty varieties of this culture have been bred. All species have unique beneficial properties.
The blackberry belongs to the Rosaceae family, the genus Rubus. The height of its bushes is on average about one meter. There are tall, low grades, prickly and bearing less. Further we will tell about this plant in more detail.
Description and the growth of blackberry
Blackberry in nature is found throughout the Europeanthe territory of Russia and Siberia. Also its bushes grow in some countries of Asia, in Ukraine, in North America. You can meet the fragrant berry on the edge of the ravines, in the meadows, in the forests.
In the wild, its whip reaches a meter or morelong, covered with wax bloom and spikes. The leaves are green, consisting of three or five leaf plates, and the bottom is silvery. Petioles long, strong. Blackberry blossoms in white. After that, green berries are formed, which, when reaching ripeness, turn reddish and then black. Often ripe berries have a waxy coating.
Blackberry useful properties allow you to useThis culture is not only in cooking, but also in folk and official medicine. On the basis of the described plant, various homeopathic preparations with a wide spectrum of action are produced.
The chemical composition of blackberry leaves
Полезные свойства ежевики хорошо изучены и used for the treatment of various ailments and in cosmetology. So, its leaves contain a large amount of tannins, flavonoids, leucoanthocyanides, inositol, essential oil, organic acids. Also in the composition of the leaves is ascorbic acid, sucrose, glucose, fructose. They contain many vitamins: the whole group B, as well as C, PP, E, A. Many micro and macro elements: zinc, manganese, potassium, iron, selenium, phosphorus, calcium and more.
Due to the diversity of its constituentsubstances, the beneficial properties of blackberry help to deal with a variety of ailments. Moreover, from the leaves you can not only prepare a variety of infusions and decoctions, but also add a small amount of raw materials to tea with each brew.
The chemical composition of berries
The beneficial properties of blackberries are determined by a unique composition. They contain many vitamins:
- Vitamin C - helps strengthen the immune system.
- A - has an effect on the skin, preventing aging, and also accelerates the regeneration processes for wounds, improves eyesight.
- As part of the berries the whole set of vitamins of group B.They help to normalize metabolic processes, strengthen the heart muscle, increase resistance to stress, and also reduce cholesterol levels, improve hair structure, and have a positive effect on kidney pathology.
- E - has a rejuvenating effect, helps in the treatment of the cardiovascular system, with violations of the brain.
- K - improves blood clotting, strengthens blood vessels.
- P and PP.
Also in the berries there are many useful acids,phenolic compounds, cellulose, glucose, fructose, pectic substances, amino acids, fatty oils, tannins, mineral elements, amino acids.
The use of plants in medicine
Useful properties of blackberry for humansmultifaceted, since this plant can be almost completely used for therapeutic purposes. In medicine, its berries, leaves, roots are used. The roots are harvested in the fall, the leaves - throughout the growing season, and berries - as they mature.
From the leaves prepare infusions, decoctions, used for tea. Berries are dried, frozen, made from them jam, jams, used fresh.
Berry benefits
Knowing the beneficial properties of blackberry and contraindications to its use, you can deal with a variety of ailments, strengthen the immune system:
- Berries help fight obesity, as well asmetabolic disorder. With their regular use in food, metabolic processes are normalized. The catechins which are a part slow down absorption of fats, and also accelerate a metabolism.
- With diabetes, the berries help lower blood sugar levels.
- Berries help with colds, increasing the body's resistance. Included in the composition of the fight against pathogenic microorganisms, including viruses.
- Blackberry has beneficial properties for women- It slows down the aging process and prevents the development of cancer. Ingredients protect against free radicals and are a strong antioxidant.
- The plant helps to cope with hormonal disruptions, with pain during menstruation. Berries normalize hormones and blood pressure.
- In blackberry there is pectin, which promotes the removal of toxins and salts from the body, toxins, normalizes metabolic processes, reduces cholesterol levels.
Berries have different effects on the body, depending on ripeness. So, ripe berries have a laxative effect, and green - firming.
Blackberries - a storehouse of vitamins. It increases the immune defense, restores the nervous system, improves brain function, stabilizes blood sugar levels.
Use of roots
Not only berries and leaves have healing properties, but also roots. Of them prepare therapeutic tincture according to the following recipe:
- One hundred grams of the crushed roots is filled with water (0.5 l) and boiled until half the volume is evaporated.
- The broth is filtered and diluted in a 1: 1 ratio with red table wine.
This tool is taken in the pathology of the respiratory tract, as a diuretic, with poor appetite, as well as a hemostatic drug.
Leaf benefits
The beneficial properties of blackberry leaves help to cope with a variety of health problems. The healing elements included in them help to fight the following ailments:
- gastrointestinal disorders;
- skin problems, including eczema;
- menstrual irregularities, painful periods;
- pathologies of the oral cavity - stomatitis, inflammation of the gums;
- sleep disorders, neurosis;
- sore throat;
- anemia.
From the leaves, you can squeeze the juice and use itas a wound healing agent, as well as a diuretic, diaphoretic drug. Fresh juice gives good results in the treatment of infectious diseases, as well as in the treatment of skin rashes, boils, depriving. Young leaves are recommended to be chewed by those who are constantly worried about bleeding gums, there are any inflammations of the mouth.
For viral infections, leaves are used inas a febrifuge, firming, tonic. They are used to prepare vitamin teas. Leaflets applied to sore spots with varicose veins.
Contraindications
When using leaves it is important to know wholesomeBlackberry properties and contraindications for women, men and children. So, infusions can not be used in diseases of the kidneys and bladder, because the leaves and roots have a strong diuretic effect.
Blackberries are not recommended for use withallergies to them, as well as kidney disease. It is impossible to blackberry for those who have increased acidity of the stomach, as the berries can lead to heartburn and contribute to the development of ulcers.
Recipes of traditional medicine
To raise the immunity take one tablespoonleaves and pour them a glass of boiling water, means infused for half an hour. After that, the drug is filtered, divided into equal three parts and taken one part three times a day. It should take about a week.
При климаксе и нервных расстройствах помогает infusion of two tablespoons filled with a glass of boiling water and infused for eight hours. After the tool is filtered and taken on the fourth part of the glass three times a day. Accepted infusion until complete disappearance of symptoms.
In inflammatory processes a tablespoonleaves are steamed with a glass of boiling water and infused for three hours. The tool is taken in half a cup three times a day. Take the composition until complete recovery - usually no more than two weeks.
Blackberries are used to brew tea,cooking jams, jam, fruit drinks, compotes. Not only fresh, but also frozen blackberry is used as food, whose beneficial properties are practically not lost.
From the dried berries can be prepared infusion, taking twospoons of berries and brew them with a glass of boiling water. The composition is infused for twenty minutes and taken on a third cup every two hours. This infusion has a good diaphoretic effect.
Dried berries can be crushed and used as a means of diarrhea in children (given by half a teaspoon).
More about the benefits of blackberries can be found in the video proposed in the article.
Для лечения патологий собирают только молодые leaflets. They contain a lot of nutrients. Fresh leaves can be added to tea: they will give it a pleasant aroma. It is best to hold the harvesting of leaves in the spring, when they just bloom, but you can collect raw materials throughout the entire growing season.
Collected leaves are ground and dried in a well-ventilated area. The finished raw material is stored in fabric bags no more than a year.
Berries can not only be used for canning, but also dried in a dryer. The fruits prepared in this way are stored in a glass container in a dark place for up to twelve months.
