Wild Strawberry: general information
Wild strawberry - a perennial herb. Mainly found in open forests and forest edges and clearings. Widespread in the central part of Russia, Siberia and the Caucasus, as well as Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic countries and Kazakhstan. In addition, it was brought to Africa and both parts of America, where well taken root and is now found in the wild. Strawberry blossoms in May and June, and fruiting in mid-summer.
Wild strawberries has been known since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have discovered its seeds during the excavation sites of ancient man, belonging to the Stone Age. Its medicinal properties have been well known in ancient Greece and Rome. In Russia, this fragrant berries have long been used to treat many ailments.
In the strawberry genome allocated 34809 genes - nearly 1, 5 times greater than the human DNA.
The chemical composition of strawberries
Fruits of wild strawberries are rich in ascorbic acid and folic acid, carotenoids. Due to the large amount of iron they are useful for blood, and its constituent calcium has a positive effect on bone strength. They contain cobalt salts, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and other minerals. The structure also includes strawberries sugar, pectin, tannins, organic acids and fiber.
Widely used in folk medicine found strawberry leaves. They contain large amounts of vitamins C and B, as well as minerals, aluminum, barium, vanadium, iron, iodine, cobalt, manganese, nickel, phosphorus and others. They include citric, malic and quinic acids, sugars, essential oils, glycosides, flavonoids, catechins, tannins.
Procurement of raw materials
In medicine, as a rule, use dried strawberry leaves. It is best to collect them at the time of flowering, when the content of nutrients in the green parts of the plant reaches a maximum. However, the active collection of leaves during this period can affect fruiting. To avoid this, you should leave at least half of the leaves on the bush.
Leaves are cut with a knife or scissors, in order not to damage the plant, leaving a small petiole about 1 cm in length and then dried in an oven or drier at a temperature of 45 ° C or in dry ventilated.
Another way of harvesting the leaves - drying with pre-fermentation. Initially, they are placed in the dark place for several hours, so that they have dried and slightly softened, which is then kneaded by hand. After this procedure leaves become sticky to the touch. As such, they need to be folded into a cardboard box, cover with a damp cloth and leave at 9:00. On top of them to dry in the sun, in an oven or oven.
Fresh fruits are usually harvested in the form of jam. However, freezing and drying allow you to keep more nutrients. To dry the berries, they must first podvyalit 25-30oS temperature for several hours and then at 60C dosushit.
Application of strawberries
Strawberry fruits are eaten as vitamins and fortifying agent. They improve appetite and stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, normalizes blood pressure and metabolism. This berry is recommended to use with hemorrhoids, gastritis, jaundice, diathesis. Regular use of it in food helps to excrete uric acid, which helps in the treatment of gout.
Strawberry leaves have a diuretic effect. They help with urolithiasis, diabetes and anemia, dilate blood vessels and normalize the heartbeat. Also dry leaves can be brewed tea instead and drink as vitamins and immunomodulatory agent.
Contraindications strawberries are peptic ulcer, renal and hepatic colic, and some diseases of the stomach. You can not drink strawberry leaf drugs to pregnant women, since they provoke contractions of the uterus.
In gout, kidney stones, atherosclerosis, and disorders of the liver brewed dry leaves at the rate of 2 tablespoons per cup of boiling water and infused for 10 minutes, then strain. The resulting drink take a tablespoon several times a day.
When liquid stool and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract helps decoction of leaves prepared in similar proportions. The same tool can be used as a compress for the speedy healing of weeping and bleeding wounds. Asthmatics to alleviate the condition is recommended to use a tablespoon of broth every 2 hours.
Toothache need to make a glass of boiling water 2 tablespoons of dried leaves of strawberries and a teaspoon of mint. The cooled broth drain and rinse his mouth several times a day.
Estheticians also did not escape the attention strawberries. Masks of this fragrant berries tighten and tone the skin, slow the aging process. For their preparation, you can use the pulp of fresh fruit in its pure form or mixed with beaten egg white.