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the norm Is one of the most ancient fruits. It has a very pleasant aroma and at the same time is very sour (sour than lemon). Quince produces its useful and vitamin-rich fruits in late autumn. Ripe fruits are golden yellow in color, and their shape resembles a pear.
Quince is a low-calorie food rich in fiber. There are only 100 calories in 48 grams of fresh quince. In addition, the fruits of quince have a high concentration of vitamin C. 100 grams of fresh quince contains 23 mg, or just over 25% of the daily value. Vitamin C has very beneficial health benefits.
General benefits
1. Possesses anti-inflammatory properties.
Ripe quince fruits are a rich source of vitamin C, accounting for over 25% of the recommended daily requirement. Vitamin C helps boost immunity and aids in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. In addition, it has anti-allergenic properties.
2. Useful for weight loss.
Quince fruits are low in calories but high in fiber. In addition, it is practically free of saturated fatty acids, sodium and bad cholesterol. All of these properties make it a great product for weight loss and overall health. By improving the health of your digestive system with the fiber found in quince, you can lose weight.
3. Treats stomach ulcers.
The phenols present in quince have been found to be effective in healing stomach ulcers. However, not only the fruit itself is useful, but also the quince juice. It soothes and improves the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Treats diseases of the digestive system.
Quince is an effective remedy in eliminating morning sickness in pregnant women. Quince when mixed with honey helps in the treatment of colitis, diverticulitis, diarrhea, constipation and intestinal infections. Quince syrup is used to treat hemorrhoids. Boiled or baked quince eliminates nausea and vomiting. Being a good diuretic, it helps to flush excess fluid from the body and reduce the risk of edema.
5. Has antioxidant benefits.
This fruit has amazing antioxidant properties due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds. Antioxidants slow down the aging process and also prevent the occurrence of heart disease and strokes.
6. Possesses antiviral properties.
Research has shown that quince fruits have anti-viral properties. The phenols contained in this fruit have significant antiviral activity as well as antioxidant properties. It helps protect the body from colds and other viral pathogens.
7. Reduces blood pressure.
Quince fruits are rich in potassium, which helps to maintain blood pressure in the range of acceptable values. Basically, quince helps to reduce high blood pressure. Potassium causes the blood vessels and arteries to relax, thereby reducing stress on the cardiovascular system. This helps reduce the risks of developing conditions such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
8. Reduces cholesterol levels.
Regular consumption of quince fruit helps to lower LDL (or bad cholesterol) levels in the blood, keeping your heart healthy. This is due to its antioxidant content, which helps the body reduce fat oxidation, neutralize gliside, and reduce the amount of fatty acids found in blood vessels.
9. Contains anti-cancer agents.
The antioxidant properties of quince help the body fight free radicals and destroy malignant cancer cells. Free radicals are dangerous by-products of cellular metabolism that can lead to mutation or death of healthy cells in the body. The granules in the quince fruit pulp contain astringent compounds known as tannins, i.e. catechin and epicatechin. Tannins protect mucous membranes from cancer by binding to cancer-causing toxins and chemicals in the colon.
10. Relieves stress.
Various antioxidants contained in quince help relieve stress and maintain a calm state of the nervous system. What’s more, with regular consumption of quince, your body will produce beneficial hormones that will help you feel more energized.
11. Increases immunity.
As mentioned earlier, quince is rich in antioxidants. However, other substances, such as vitamins C and E, also stimulate the immune system in various ways. For example, vitamin C helps to increase the number of white blood cells, which are the body’s main defenders against pathogens, viruses and bacteria.
12. Helps with diabetes.
High fiber levels help prevent high blood sugar levels. Unstable sugar levels can negatively affect the health of people with diabetes. Quince helps to normalize constant blood sugar levels and even lower its levels. This is also possible due to the fruit’s low glycemic index.
13. Promotes the production of red blood cells.
The nutrients from the zinc and ferritic substance of quince can help the body produce more red blood cells. With a higher level of red blood cells, the body replenishes the lack of iron, and with this, anemia and the risk of its occurrence disappear. In addition, you will have additional energy, you will gain strength of mind, daily routine activities will be carried out with unprecedented ease.
14. Improves eye health.
The flavonoids and phyto-nutrients found in quince fruit successfully fight free radicals that cause eye diseases and damage the retina. Moreover, quince helps with “night blindness”, especially often occurring in adults. By consuming this fruit regularly, you can reduce your risk of visual impairment.
In China, boiled quince seeds are used to make jelly, which helps to eliminate eye problems, relieve inflammation of the throat and mucous membranes.
Benefits for women
15. Useful during pregnancy.
The nutrients included in the quince, in particular potassium, calcium and iron, contribute to the normal development of the fetus. Boiled quince pulp helps fight toxicosis. Ascorbic acid, in addition to the well-known antiviral, immunostimulating properties, is able to accelerate the absorption of iron and stabilize the hematopoietic function. The diuretic property of quince will help pregnant women get rid of edema.
16. Useful for menopause.
Quince is very useful for women during menopause. At this stage of hormonal formation, severe bleeding is possible, which leads to iron deficiency anemia. Thanks to the contained substances and microelements, quince fruits help stop bleeding, replenish iron deficiency, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and improve blood circulation.
Skin Benefits
17. Skin protection
The high levels of antioxidants and vitamins found in quince are beneficial for maintaining healthy and youthful skin. Antioxidants eliminate damage caused by free radicals, thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles, removing dark spots on the skin and helping to protect it from UV damage.
Hair Benefits
18. Stimulates hair growth.
Quince contains iron, copper and zinc. These three minerals, along with various other trace minerals, are essential for the production of red blood cells. When red blood cell production is high, blood circulation increases as more oxygen circulates throughout the body. It increases blood flow to the scalp, which heals hair follicles and stimulates hair growth.
19. Revitalizes hair.
Using quince fruits as masks and lotions, you can get rid of oily roots, strengthen hair, saturate it with essential vitamins and minerals. Hair will be shiny and smooth, and therefore beautiful and healthy.
Benefits for men
20. Prevention of inflammation of the prostate gland
Quince fruits are recommended for men as a preventive measure. Namely – with inflammatory processes of the prostate gland and bladder. Inflammatory processes can lead to complications and disrupt the function of the male genital organs.
Harm and contraindications
1. It is absolutely contraindicated in some diseases.
Quince is contraindicated for people with pleurisy, enterocolitis, chronic constipation, a tendency to allergies, and individual intolerance.
2. Partially contraindicated.
Very carefully it is allowed to eat quince with stomach ulcers, high blood clotting and lactation.
3. Irritating to mucous membranes.
Raw quince can cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa, sore throat, dysfunction of the vocal cords, cough and, in some cases, difficulty breathing.
4. Does not apply with other medicines.
When combined with medicinal products, quince is less well absorbed by the body.
5. May cause intoxication.
Quince seeds contain substances hazardous to health – nitriles. Under the influence of gastric juice, they turn into hydrocyanic acid, which is very dangerous to health. They also contain tamigdalin, which can convert to cyanide and cause toxicity. When adding this fruit to dishes, be sure to extract the seeds. However, a couple of seeds accidentally ingested with food will not cause much harm.
Chemical composition of the product
Nutritional value of quince (100 g) and percentage of the daily value:
- The nutritional value
- Vitamins
- Macronutrients
- Trace Elements
- calories 48 kcal – 3,37%;
- proteins 0,6 g – 0,73%;
- fats 0,5 g – 0,77%;
- carbohydrates 9,6 g – 7,5%;
- dietary fiber – 3,6 g – 18%;
- water – 84 g – 3,28%.
- And 167 mcg – 18,6%;
- S 23 mg – 26,6%;
- E 0,4 mg – 2,7%;
- B1 0,02 mg – 1,3%;
- B2 0,04 mg – 2,2%;
- beta-carotene 0,4 mg – 8%;
- PP 0,2 mg – 1%.
- potassium 144 mg – 5,8%;
- calcium 23 mg – 2,3%;
- magnesium 14 mg – 3,5%;
- sodium 14 mg – 1,1%;
- phosphorus 24 mg – 3%.
conclusions
Quince is one of the fruits that are rich in nutrients. However, quince can be insidious. If you do not know some of the features of its use and application, you can get the opposite effect.
Useful Properties
- It has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Helpful for weight loss.
- Treats stomach ulcers.
- Treats diseases of the digestive system.
- Rich in antioxidants.
- Possesses antiviral properties.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- Lowers cholesterol.
- Contains anti-cancer agents.
- Relieves stress.
- Increases immunity.
- Helps with diabetes.
- Promotes the production of red blood cells.
- Improves eye health.
- Good for skin and hair.
- Good for both men and women.
Harmful properties
- Absolutely / partially contraindicated in some diseases.
- Irritating to mucous membranes.
- Cannot be used with other medicines.
- Quince seeds can cause intoxication.
With the correct use of quince fruits, side effects and risks of complications can be reduced to zero. Follow all of the above recommendations.
Additional useful information about quince
How to use
1. In cooking.
Quince can be used to make jams, jellies, marmalade and puddings, as well as, like a pear and an apple, to take for a snack or breakfast. Different countries use quince in different ways, often using quince juice as a flavoring agent. In some European countries, such as Spain, quince is added to pasta and served as a side dish with added cheese. In Morocco, quince fruit is added to meat soups or dried in the sun until it becomes a dried fruit and eaten sprinkled with cinnamon.
To get the most out of this fruit, it is recommended to eat it raw. The fruit contains a large amount of ascorbic acid, which is destroyed by heat treatment. In addition, fresh quince contains fiber, which is very useful for restoring intestinal microflora. Fresh quince can be sliced and added to tea instead of lemon.
2. Quince lozenge.
As mentioned above, in Europe, quince is used to make jelly, marmalade or marshmallow. In this form, the fruit retains many of its nutrients. A sweet dessert will be a tasty and healthy addition to the main course. Quince pastille is easy to make at home, as the fruit contains a large amount of pectin, which gelates the pastille.
For cooking, you need 1 kg of quince and 1 liter of honey. Cut the quince into small pieces and remove the seeds from it. Then boil and grate. Add liquid honey to the resulting puree and stir thoroughly. The resulting sweet mass must be cooked over low heat until it lags behind the sides of the pan. Put the finished marshmallow on greased baking sheets and smooth so that its layer is about 1 cm. Next, put the baking sheets in the oven and dry the marshmallow at a low temperature on both sides. Roll the dried marshmallow.
3. In cosmetology.
Quince can be used to make masks, lotions, scrubs and much more. Topical use of quince helps to get rid of oily skin, removes oily sheen, tightens pores, cleanses the skin and acts as an antiseptic. A decoction of quince seeds can be used as an emollient for the skin.
Quince oil is also used to heal cracks on the lips caused by cold. To strengthen hair and color gray hair, you can use a decoction of quince leaves. To eliminate dandruff, a decoction of quince seeds is rubbed into the scalp. A decoction of the leaves is used to strengthen and color hair with early graying. A decoction of seeds normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands and relieves dandruff. To nourish aging skin, it is useful to massage with a piece of fresh quince.
How to choose
Quince can be purchased at any fruit store, and sold in supermarkets. When buying fruit, you need to pay attention to the following:
- Skin color. It should be of a uniform yellow color, without the slightest green tinge.
- The fruit should have a characteristic pleasant aroma, indicating its ripeness.
- If the quince has traces of impacts or mechanical damage, dents, its shelf life will be significantly reduced.
- Despite the fact that the quince itself is quite hard to the touch, excessive “stone” density is a sign of an unripe fruit.
- When buying, it is better to choose dense and large fruits.
How to store
- It is best to store quince in the refrigerator in a plastic or (preferably) paper bag.
- Staying in the cold improves the palatability of this fruit.
- The shelf life of quince in the refrigerator is 4 months.
- It is not recommended to put quince in the refrigerator next to pears, as they accelerate the ripening of the quince and shorten its shelf life.
- The favorable temperature for storing quince is 0 ° C, air humidity is 90%.
- You can cut the quince into chunks and store frozen.
History of occurrence
Quince has been known to mankind for about four thousand years. It originally grew wild. Until now, quince grows so in Asia Minor, in the Caucasus, in the mountainous area near Turkey, Iran, as well as in the hills of New Zealand.
The name “quince” appeared in an ancient Greek manuscript around 600 BC. According to some historical scientific journals, the ancients called the fruit of the quince the golden apple. In fact, quince appeared much earlier than the apple, but unfortunately it is less popular due to its sour taste.
Initially, the quince, together with the rowan, pear, and apples, were referred to as the pear genus. However, there are many differences between these fruits, which forced scientists to isolate the fruit in a separate genus, the Japanese pear. It included the following types of quince: Chinese, evergreen, chaenomeles. Despite a number of common features, which include tough pulp, a large number of seeds, a specific strong aroma and a stony structure, these plants had numerous differences. Therefore, in 1822, each type of quince was separated into a separate monotypic genus: Japanese (quince) – Henomeles, Chinese – Pseudodocinia, evergreen – Dotsinia.
Today quince is cultivated in 40 countries of the world. In addition, fruit-bearing trees can be found in Northern Iran, Latvia, Belarus, Crimea.
How and where is it grown
The quince tree is deciduous and rather small. Ripe fruits are yellowish-golden in color, they are a bit like pears in shape and consistency. Quince is a native fruit fruit for the Eurasian region, including Uzbekistan, Armenia, Turkey, Hungary, Macedonia and other nearby regions. Some researchers believe that when apples were mentioned in ancient history, they most likely meant quince.
Quince is widely used in the food industry in different countries. The height of an adult fruit tree is five meters. The leaves of the quince are similar to the leaves of an apple tree, the inflorescences are large, white or pink. The fruits, depending on the variety, are spherical or pear-shaped and yellow, light lemon, dark yellow in color. The fruit is similar in size to a large apple. The peel of the quince is covered with small villi, but as it ripens, it becomes smooth. The taste is sweet, tart, astringent. The pulp is slightly juicy, astringent, sweetish, aromatic and rather tough due to the large number of stony cells. The seeds are reddish brown with a mucous membrane and contain a poisonous substance (amygdalin) that gives the fruit a bitter almond scent.
The bark of the quince tree is rather thin, smooth. Leaves are ovoid or oval in shape. From above they are glossy and dark green, from below they are much lighter and more rough. Quince blooms in single large (4-5 cm) flowers of white or pink color. As a rule, the flowering period occurs in May – June, and the fruits ripen by mid-autumn (from September to late October). Growing of quince is limited by average annual temperatures + 8 … 9 ° С and an absolute minimum of –15 ° С.
Quince is cultivated as a fruit, medicinal and ornamental breed. Growing trees is not difficult, as quince easily tolerates drought and can grow on any soil. The main requirement for cultivation is sufficient lighting, in the shade the quince blooms poorly and does not bear fruit, the fruits lose their unique aroma. Prolonged lack of moisture negatively affects the quality of the fruit pulp: it becomes tough. However, excess moisture can also impair the taste of quince.
The advantage of quince trees over apple trees and pears is the lack of periodicity in fruiting, that is, the harvest of quince can be obtained annually. The tree can bear fruit for several decades in a row without deteriorating the quality of the fruit. The quince is propagated by cuttings, layering, shoots and seeds, and the characteristics of the variety can be preserved only with vegetative propagation.
In the Caucasus, it grows on dry soil, while it often grows around overgrown water bodies, forming thickets between coastal grasses. The fruits of cultivated trees reach 2 kg, wild – 60-100 grams. Wild quince bears fruit poorly, there are only 2-10 fruits per plant. On the territory of Russia, quince is not widespread. Here it grows only in the south of the European part of the country.
Interesting Facts
- The famous apple of discord, given by Paris to Aphrodite and which became the root cause of the Trojan War, was nothing more than the fruit of a quince.
- In ancient Greece, this fruit, presented as a gift to a girl, was considered a declaration of love. Quince was revered as a symbol of love and fertility.
- Traditionally, the fruits of the quince were thrown under the wheels of the chariot of the newlyweds.
- The bright lemon-yellow color, delicate aroma and similarity of forms led to the fact that the common people began to call the quince “the golden apple”.
- In ancient times, freckles were taken out with quince juice.
- In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, quince was used to flavor clothing and premises.
- The word “marmalade” comes from the Portuguese name for quince – marmalade.
- Wild quince grows on forest edges and mountain slopes, sometimes rising up to 1400 meters above sea level.
- The weight of the quince fruit can reach 2 kg.
- Avicenna (medieval Persian scientist) in the “Canons of Medical Medicine” devoted a whole chapter to the beneficial properties of this wonderful plant.
- There is a river in Russia called Aiva (Penza region).