Red elderberry has been used in folk medicine for a long time , its medicinal properties help to cope with many diseases. With little toxicity, this plant requires strict adherence to all recommendations for use and dosages.
Description
Elderberry red is a branchy shrub or tree no more than five meters tall with a wrinkled bark of brown color, which has a purple hue on young twigs. Unpaired leaves consist of 5-7 oblong pointed leaves of elliptical shape.
Flowers collected in sticking up panicles appear in late April. They consist of a spinless corolla and a cup having 5 cloves. The color of the flowers is first greenish, then becomes yellowish-white.
The tree acquires its decorativeness in July, when it is decorated with brushes of bright red shiny drupe berries. They contain three bones and have a not very pleasant taste. Although the birds love them. Pecking berries, they contribute to the spread of seeds. Elderberry grows quite quickly, starting to bear fruit from the third year of life.
Due to its decorative features, as well as endurance and unpretentiousness, this plant is very often used for landscaping city streets and squares. But red elderberry is also highly regarded in folk medicine. The healing properties are all parts of this plant - bark, flowers, leaves and roots.
Chemical composition
Elderberry flowers contain a lot of vitamin C, tannin, essential oils, organic acids, tannins, mineral salts and resins. Many of the above components are found in the bark of the plant, which in addition to them is also rich in phytosterol, ceryl alcohol and pectin substances. The composition of elderberry contains amino acids, ascorbic acid, fatty oils and sambunigrin, which causes toxicity of the fruits.
Elderberry red. Beneficial features
Medicines created on the basis of this plant have long been used in traditional medicine. The antipyretic, diaphoretic action of elderberry helps with colds. Decoction from the roots is recommended for patients with diabetes. With pustular skin diseases, hemorrhoids, burns and diaper rash, the use of flower infusions is very effective. A decoction prepared from elderberry fruit can help with gastric ulcer, hepatitis, normalizes metabolism.
Diuretic, decongestant, antihypoxic effect has red elderberry. The healing properties of fresh berries are used in gynecology, as well as for the treatment of rheumatism and gout. They also have the ability to cleanse the body of radionuclides.
Caution - Poison
When treating with the use of elderberry products, caution should be exercised. The content in this plant of a certain amount of hydrocyanic acid causes a decrease in the activity of enzymes, which can lead to tissue hypoxia (oxygen starvation). This is manifested in the appearance of shortness of breath and rapid breathing.
Against this background, the heart rate may slow down, blood pressure may increase, as a result of which the onset of complete cardiac arrest is not ruled out.
Unripe elderberry fruits are especially poisonous. The use of infusions and decoctions of them can cause excessive intoxication, which can disrupt the processes of oxidation and recovery in the tissues of the body, lead to a decrease in temperature and the general serious condition of a person for a long period.
Black elderberry is recognized as official medicine and less dangerous . Red, the healing properties of which, although no less attractive, should be used very carefully, with strict adherence to cooking technology.
Billet
For therapeutic purposes, all parts of this plant are used. Their collection is carried out at different times. Flowers are harvested at the time of full bloom. They are laid out in a thin layer on a sheet of paper and placed in a well-ventilated, shaded area. Dried flowers must be threshed or knead by hand, then carefully sieved and pedicels removed.
Harvesting of bark is made in the spring, during the period of sap flow. To remove it, make cross cuts with a knife at a distance of about 30 cm and connect them longitudinally. Use bark from young trees.
Infusions and decoctions
These funds are prepared only from dried raw materials, because the sambucinigrin glycoside contained in the plant disappears during drying. A decoction has a very effective effect; elderberry has good medicinal properties in it. With foot fungus, it is prepared as follows: two tablespoons of flowers are placed in a glass of water, brought to a boil and kept on low heat for 10 minutes. After the broth has cooled, you need to add 500 ml of cold water to it. Dip your feet in this solution and hold for 20 minutes. Do not wipe.
In a container of water (250 ml) add one spoonful of dried elderberry flowers and boil for 5 minutes. Cool, strain and use for treatment. This is an excellent remedy for inflammatory processes, you can use it to gargle with sore throat and with cough. A decoction of the roots is effective in psoriasis.
With many diseases, infusions from this plant help due to the numerous medicinal properties of elderberry. The recipes for their preparation are different and depend on the problem that needs to be solved, and the raw materials used.
As a diaphoretic during colds, as well as with rheumatism, bronchial asthma, an infusion made from two teaspoons of elderberry flowers, filled with boiling water (1 glass), can help. It is infused for 15 minutes and taken half a glass in the morning and evening.
With bronchitis, an infusion of elderberry bark is recommended. In 300 ml of boiling water, a tablespoon of bark is poured and infused for 2 hours.
People with gastric ulcer are recommended to take an infusion prepared from ripe dried fruits (1 tablespoon of berries per 3 liters of boiling water) for a month.
Tincture
In different types, red elderberry is used. The healing properties of tinctures, prepared on the basis of bark, flowers or fruits, help get rid of many diseases. Several recipes are known:
- Pour fresh berries three quarters into a three-liter jar and top it with vodka. Close the lid and put in a dark place. After a month, you can use the resulting tincture to compress or lubricate problem areas with osteochondrosis, arthritis, displacement of the vertebrae or calcaneal spur.
- Pour elderberry bark in an amount of 200 g with one liter of dry white wine, leave to infuse for 2 days and drink 10 ml with dropsy.
- Add alcohol (1:10) to elderberry flowers and insist in a dark place. After 10 days, strain the solution and take 30 drops in the morning and evening for colds, rheumatism and bronchial asthma.
The use of elderberry red
Delicious and healthy juice is prepared from the berries of this plant. It serves as a good prophylactic for various diseases. The berries are scalded with boiling water, squeezed juice from them, put sugar and bring to a boil. Drink 50 ml per day. Elderberry also makes jams and jams that are delicious in taste.
Contraindications
In order not to cause negative consequences from the use of this plant, you need to know what red elderberry has healing properties and contraindications. The latter is especially important given the toxicity of the fruit. Caution should be exercised when taking funds from elderberry for people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, children and pregnant women.
Elderberry red is not an official medicinal plant, so you should not risk it and apply it to those who do not have experience in using such drugs. Better to trust proven drugs.