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Waking up after hibernation, the tree begins to actively restore all its vital processes. To grow new foliage and produce fruits, it uses the nutrients accumulated in the core, which, due to the force of root pressure, rise up along with water from the soil. The liquid designed to nourish the tree is what we call tree sap. Birch sap is essentially nothing more than ordinary water with vitamins and minerals dissolved in it.
Fresh birch sap does not have a pronounced aroma and has a slight sweetish aftertaste. Some adherents of proper nutrition believe that this drink has exceptional benefits for human health and even use it for medical purposes. We will tell you if they are right and what are the benefits and harms of birch sap for the body.
The history of the appearance of birch sap in nutrition
Birch sap has been known since ancient Our Country. The drink was collected in special vessels made of birch bark: it was believed that in such containers the juice retains its beneficial properties longer. Healers actively used it in the treatment of a variety of ailments, and ordinary people were happy to use it as a refreshing drink.
During Soviet times, birch sap was collected on an industrial scale. The drink was canned and sold in three-liter jars at the lowest prices. Most of the juice was extracted in Belarus, Ukraine and the Central European part of Our Country. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, juice production declined, and today it is not so easy to find it on sale.
In Our Country, the USA, Canada and the countries of Eastern Europe, birch sap, by analogy with maple sap, is used to make syrup, which is used as a sweetener for pancakes, cheesecakes, pancakes, cereals and other dishes.
The composition and calorie content of birch sap
“Birch sap is an ideal food product, especially during spring hypovitaminosis,” says Irina Borisovna Yuzup, PhD, pediatrician, nutritionist, specialist in integrative, preventive and conventional medicine. – It is rich in sodium, potassium, iron and manganese, as well as vitamins B1 and B12 in natural forms for the human body. In addition, birch sap contains a large amount of essential oils and phytoncides. The sweetness of the product is due to the presence of glucose and fructose in it, and the sourness of the juice is due to organic acids.
Nutritionist Irina Yuzup emphasizes that the chemical composition of the drink may vary depending on the soil and the region where the tree grows:
– Birch roots are located very deep, – the doctor explains, – therefore, eating from the deep layers of the soil, the birch, to a lesser extent than other trees, absorbs harmful substances from the surface layers of the earth.
| Caloric value on 100 g | 8 kcal |
| Proteins | 0,1 g |
| Fats | 0,0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
The benefits of birch sap
According to doctor Irina Yuzup, to combat spring weakness, depression, absent-mindedness, it is enough to drink at least one glass of birch sap a day for 2-3 weeks half an hour before meals (but not in the morning on an empty stomach!).
The drink enhances the body’s resistance to infectious diseases and has an anti-inflammatory effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa due to tannins.
– Birch sap contains saponins, which are used as natural diuretics and adaptogens. They improve the absorption of nutrients into cells, continues the nutritionist. – The drink has an alkaline Ph and promotes the breakdown of urinary stones that are of phosphate and carbonate origin. In addition, birch sap is useful for diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, has expectorant and tonic properties. With regular use of birch sap, the blood is cleansed, dangerous substances that accumulate during infectious diseases are removed.
The benefits of birch sap for women
Birch sap strengthens hair, has powerful antioxidant properties, which helps to cleanse the skin, and can make menopause feel better. As part of creams and lotions, it perfectly moisturizes the skin, and cosmetic masks with birch sap return silkiness and healthy shine to curls.
The benefits of birch sap for men
With regular use of the drink in men, testosterone production is normalized, libido increases and testicular activity improves, which makes it possible to recommend birch sap as a means of preventing problems with the male reproductive system.
The benefits of birch sap for children
Birch sap contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals, which are especially needed by a growing children’s body. However, it is possible to introduce a drink into the baby’s diet only when the baby reaches 1 year old, this should be done with great care, since there is a risk of an allergy in the child. At first, it is better to dilute the juice with water in a ratio of 1: 1, gradually reducing the amount of water if the product does not cause negative reactions.
Harm of birch sap
Doctor Irina Yuzup warns: birch sap is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance to the product, allergy to birch bud pollen, severe urolithiasis. However, juice will not cause any harm to the body of a healthy person. As the nutritionist notes, birch sap has a low glycemic index (about 23), so with normal blood sugar control, you can drink it in small portions up to 300-500 ml even with diabetes.
The use of birch sap in medicine
Birch sap has shown to be effective in treating patients with hypertension. In 2012, a group of researchers from Ukraine found that the use of birch sap in combination with antihypertensive therapy increases the effectiveness of patient treatment. In addition to pressure stabilization, such treatment leads to weight loss, improved metabolism, normalization of the main parameters of the blood lipid spectrum, activation of enzymatic antioxidant protection, and improvement of microcirculatory circulation (1). In addition, birch sap is an excellent herbal diuretic that can be used to relieve swelling in kidney disease (2).
The use of birch sap in cooking
Most often, birch sap is consumed in its pure form, but some lovers of gastronomic delights add it to smoothies, prepare various cocktails based on birch sap, and even strong alcohol, such as moonshine or wine.
Vitamin cocktail
During the winter cold and off-season, such a cocktail will become a real lifesaver for immunity. The drink will saturate the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals and will be a great help in the fight against colds and SARS.
| Birch juice | 1 glass |
| Oat flakes | 2 Art. spoons |
| Blueberries frozen | 0,5 glasses |
Blueberries need to be defrosted first. Pour oatmeal into the blender bowl, fill it with birch sap and let it brew for 5-7 minutes. Add blueberries and blend with a blender until smooth. Instead of blueberries, you can use any other berries you like.
Birch Kvass
The invigorating taste and bright aroma of birch kvass will not leave indifferent even those who were initially skeptical about this traditional Slavic drink. And due to the addition of honey, kvass turns out to be even more interesting and useful.
| Birch juice | 5 l |
| Honey | 100 g |
| Lemon | 100 g |
| Yeast | 50 g |
| Water | 50 ml |
| Raisins | 10 g |
Add honey, squeezed lemon juice and yeast previously dissolved in water to birch sap. Pour kvass into a suitable container, such as a jar or bottle, add raisins there and close the lid. Put the container in a cool place and let the drink brew. In 2-3 days kvass will be ready.
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How to choose and store birch sap
Buying birch sap in the store is not recommended. Such a product has definitely been boiled and preserved and practically does not contain useful substances. Its shelf life can be up to 2 years, but there is almost no point in using store-bought birch sap.
Ideally, birch sap should be drunk immediately after collection. If you still decide to postpone its use, it is important to ensure that the drink is properly stored, otherwise, after a few hours, pathogenic microorganisms will begin to multiply in it.
It is best to store birch sap in a glass container under a tightly closed metal or plastic lid in a dark place at a temperature of 0 to +10°C. The container must first be sterilized or doused with boiling water. Under such conditions, the shelf life of birch sap will be a maximum of a week. The product can also be frozen or canned. Unsuitable for food juice becomes cloudy, sediment forms at the bottom, a sour smell and taste appear.
Popular questions and answers
We will analyze the most popular questions from readers related to the collection of birch sap.
When is birch sap harvested?
Where is the best place to collect birch sap?
How to collect birch sap?
Sources of
- Tribrat T. A., Kazakov Yu. M., Chekalina N. I., Shaut S. V., Boryak V. P. Improving the effectiveness of treatment in patients with hypertension associated with metabolic syndrome. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/povyshenie-effektivnosti-lecheniya-u-bolnyh-gipertonicheskoy-boleznyu-assotsiirovannoy-s-metabolicheskim-sindromom
- I. Tsybyrne, V. Andreev. Expert evaluation of the definition of disability and disability in kidney disease. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ekspertnaya-otsenka-opredeleniya-ogranicheniya-vozmozhnostey-i-trudosposobnosti-pri-boleznyah-pochek