Despite scientific and technological progress, traditional medicine continues to exist. Nobody passes magic prescriptions to grandchildren anymore, but when the illnesses make themselves felt, everyone knows: a grandmother, armed with one popular prescription, will cure faster, better and more reliable than any therapist with an armful of pills and syrups. One of the brightest representatives of herbal "medicines" is lingonberry. This is a small-sized shrub with a branched stem, decorated with shiny, elongated in shape and juicy leaves, as well as red berries, similar in appearance to cranberries. Lingonberry flowers are small, pale pink.
Lingonberries are classified as long-lived plants, and rightly so: its rhizome can be underground for up to 5 years, growing in breadth and not appearing on the surface. The approximate time of fruit ripening falls, as in the case with other representatives of the berry species, in autumn. They are round in shape, scarlet in color, but their taste is sour, tart, sometimes with a slight bitterness.
Natural conditions for growth are forest zones of the forest-tundra and tundra. Wanting to collect the forest harvest of this berry, you should go to the coniferous forests: pine and spruce, as well as to birch. By the way, despite the general similarity of cranberries and lingonberries, you should know that for the former, the wetland of the swamp type is preferable, while lingonberries love light, heat and dryness.
What is useful in keeping the berry
Lingonberry, like many other berries, is a storehouse of vitamins and other beneficial substances. It contains an impressive content of organic acids, including malic, lactic, citric, tartaric, tartaric, salicylic, benzoic, and succinic. These small berries contain carbohydrates, polyphenols, pectin, a lot of vitamin C, PP, phosphorus and iron. A lot of it and essential oil, which includes a variety of organic compounds. Lingonberry seeds are no less useful than the juicy pulp of fruits. The reason for this is the instant fatty oil contained in these small grains. Perhaps, it is with such an abundance of useful components that all the properties of lingonberries, due to which this berry is present in most recipes of traditional medicine, can be explained.
Nutritional and energy value
As for the calorie content of lingonberries, it is about 43 kcal per 100 grams. This figure can be more or less, depending on the ripeness of the berries. Carbohydrate in 100 grams of berries contains 9.6 g, protein - 0.7 g, fat - only 0.5 grams.
In what situations cowberry will help
The properties of lingonberries for kidney stones, ailments of the liver, joints, diabetes and gout will come in handy. To treat all these diseases, you need leaves from the bush. Prepared broth as soon as possible will facilitate the course of the disease, and over time will contribute to a complete cure for it. At first, the idea of such an application of leaves seems simply surprising, because everyone is used to using only berries, occasionally seeds, but not foliage. And it's all about the antiseptic substances contained in the sheet. They provide these useful properties of lingonberries, establishing the work of the digestive tract, liver and kidneys.
Lingonberry for weight loss
It seems surprising, but those struggling with excess weight can also use lingonberry leaves to more effectively get rid of hated kilograms. In this situation, the use of leaf decoction is combined with the usual diet or nutrition system. When cranberries are selected as an adjuvant, the medicinal properties and contraindications (see photo of the berry in the article) should be studied as carefully as possible so as not to harm the already deprived of vitamins organism. For cooking, you need 40 g of raw materials and 200 g of boiling water. Having connected them among themselves, the infusion should be covered with a lid and left for a quarter of an hour. Take it three times a day for 30 minutes before eating half a glass. If there is an increased acidity of the intestine, it is better to take a decoction some time after a meal. The standard course is exactly 3 weeks. As for the further use of the miracle remedy, it is better to coordinate it with the doctor in order to be sure that the treatment is only beneficial.
With intoxication, anemia and neurosis
Useful are the healing properties of lingonberries (berries) and the next morning after a feast. It perfectly removes alcohol from the body, has diuretic, laxative and antiparasitic qualities. Berry broth normalizes the general tone of the body and perfectly quenches thirst.
Drinking freshly squeezed lingonberry juice is useful for high blood pressure, people with neurosis, anemia, and low vision. And due to the fact that the properties of the berries also provide an antimicrobial and bactericidal effect, the juice actively destroys all putrefactive and other dangerous bacteria that live in the intestinal tract.
Lingonberry leaves. When to collect and how to store
Collecting lingonberry leaves, unlike berries, can be done in March and early April. In general, as soon as the snow begins to melt. After collecting the right amount of leaves, they should be dried, getting rid of excess moisture. To do this, they should be laid out in the attic of a house, in an oven or oven at low temperatures. The main thing is the lack of direct contact with direct sunlight. It is also important not to overdry the raw materials, not to burn them. When the leaves reach the desired state, they are poured into a container that closes with a lid, or a bag of dense, lightproof fabric and stored in a dark, cool place with minimal air humidity. They can be kept in this form for up to two years. Based on them, you can prepare decoctions, or you can add crushed leaves to tea: it turns out very tasty and healthy.
The benefits of lingonberries for women
The beneficial properties of the described plant are in demand among women planning a pregnancy and already in this position. What a universal and unique berry of a lingonberry! The therapeutic properties and contraindications for women must be taken into account when treating it. Indeed, in the presence of certain ailments, its use is strictly prohibited, since it can be dangerous for the mother and child.
Advertising on TV and on the Internet reports that it is impossible to bear and give birth to a healthy baby without absorbing synthetic vitamins. However, many of these artificial, non-natural preparations of doubtful origin are completely replaceable with lingonberries. You can use it in the form of a decoction of leaves or berries, juice. Lingonberry mashed with sugar does not lose its beneficial properties. But it acquires a pleasant sweet and sour taste.
Lingonberry has the qualities of an antidepressant, which is incredibly important for pregnant women. After all, as you know, hormonal disruptions continually provoke uncontrolled mood swings. The use of lingonberries significantly reduces the intensity and frequency of such phenomena, stabilizes the emotional state. If the temperature suddenly rises, cranberry juice will help normalize it.
Neutralization of problems during pregnancy
The properties of lingonberries contribute to the reduction of edema (due to its easy diuretic effect), which is especially annoying in the later stages of gestation. It is allowed to drink a decoction of leaves and berries, even while breastfeeding. However, after three weeks from the start of the appointment, you should consult with a specialist about further treatment.
With problems with the cardiovascular system and low hemoglobin, the use of a decoction will also not be superfluous. For those mothers who do not want to saturate their and children's body with "chemistry", cranberries are an excellent option. The healing properties (photo of it, so as not to be confused with other berries, is attached) of this plant will help with many problems.
When is contraindicated
The berry, as one could already see, is incredibly healthy. However, this remedy is still therapeutic, although absolutely natural. Good, but sometimes cranberries are not so safe. The therapeutic properties and contraindications during pregnancy must be borne in mind.
You can not, as already mentioned, be treated by her young mothers with excessive production of gastric juice. Women with a weak stomach are also not recommended to use it, since in most cases it is recommended to use it on an empty stomach, which, in turn, can provoke intestinal upset.
It is dangerous for people suffering from low blood pressure, because one of the qualities of this berry is lowering blood pressure. It is forbidden to take lingonberries and with cholecystitis.
Lingonberry - the berry is very healthy. In addition, you can apply not only its fruits, but also leaves. Be sure to consider contraindications so that treatment does not have the opposite effect. Lingonberry also has beneficial properties for children. The main thing, before starting treatment with it, is to get a full consultation from a specialist who can accurately determine whether the use of the plant is permissible. Even if the doctor approves the “lingonberry therapy”, after a month from the moment it starts, you should come to the reception in order to make sure that everything is in order and receive further recommendations or, possibly, a ban on the subsequent use.