Viburnum

There is no other berry as viburnum that healthy nutrition experts admire so much. And it’s because the concentration of vitamins and micronutrients in viburnum is very high.

Viburnum berries contain a number of the most important vitamins, such as A, C, E, P, K. They also contain potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and essential oils. Thus, it is a true source of all vitamins and antioxidants; at the same time, the calorie content of viburnum is only 28 kcal per 100 g.

Viburnum is a perennial shrubs family or an ordinary small tree, reaching a height of 4 m. “Kalina” is a Slavic name; the people called the plant this way for its bright color of berries, similar to the hot iron color. The Latin name of the plant is from the word vimen, that is, vine or twig.

A bit of history

There is one legend about the origin of viburnum bitterness. Once upon a time, viburnum berries were sweeter than even raspberries. A proud blacksmith, the most handsome man in the village, was into his own looks. He did not pay attention to the girl; he deliberately ignored her and made her cry with his indifference. This guy loved to sit in the forest – the place of his power; he spent all his free time there.

Once he came to his place – and there was nothing there. Everything burned out. He saw only a “viburnum bush” and a tear-stained girl next to him. The blacksmith realized everything as if his eyes had opened because of the fire, and he understood what he had done. He ran up to her at once and hugged her, but it was too late – almost all the girl’s beauty was gone along with tears.

However, since that time, the blacksmith has become a favorite man of all villagers – always kind and cheerful. As for the plant, its berries tasted like wormwood – because of the girl’s tears. Since then, people believed that a bouquet of viburnum, applied to a loving heart, would surely soothe the pain that a lover experiences.

Scientific evidence

In terms of scientific evidence, the bush adapts well to various weather conditions. Prefers well-lit places, in the shade, it will give the less rich harvest. Withstands frosts and severe droughts with ease. Viburnum is geographically distributed throughout Europe. Can withstand high humidity. It does not take root well in the climatic conditions of North Africa, Asia Minor, and the Far North.

Why viburnum is useful for health

The fruits of viburnum are berries that cannot be called tasty. They have a bitter-sour-tart taste, the fruits get rid of bitterness only after frost, and then the berries are harvested for medicinal purposes.

It has a lot of useful properties:

• prevention and treatment of vitamin deficiency;
• preventing the development of cancer cells;
• preventing the development of an allergic reaction;
• cleansing the body of toxins;
• strengthening immunity;
• treating of colds;
• improving liver function;
• normalization of the gastrointestinal tract;
• lowering pressure;
• lowering blood cholesterol levels;
• maintaining the nervous system;
• normalization of the pulse.

Medicinal decoction and tincture are made from the plant. Fresh berries have a healing effect on diseases of the internal organs. The juice is used for skin diseases as an external agent.

The benefits of viburnum

The plant’s rich composition gives an astringent, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hemostatic, vitaminizing, antibacterial, and expectorant effect. Solutions, in the creation of which the bark, fruits, or leaves of the plant were involved, help with diseases of the woman’s genitourinary system. These include:

• uterine bleeding;
• painful and heavy menstruation;
• fibroids;
• nephritis and pyelonephritis;
• cystitis; bacterial infections.

Various compresses from viburnum juice perfectly treat mastitis – a particularly relevant issue for pregnant women. During menopause, viburnum helps fight hot flashes in women, increased sweating, and irritability associated with changes in hormonal levels during this period.

Viburnum: benefits for women

For women of reproductive age, the viburnum can normalize the muscle tone of the uterus. Needless to say about general health, youthful skin, hair health. There are many different plant uses: take as a decoction, make compresses, prepare various baths and masks for hair, body – whatever, viburnum is universal and unique in its product.

Eating viburnum in food will saturate the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals, creating a protective barrier for bacteria and viruses, normalizing the nervous system, normalizing sleep, and increasing efficiency.

Viburnum: benefits and harms for men

Viburnum is good for the heart: it is good to use for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels negatively affect the erection (an important component for the continuation of the human race); therefore, it is necessary to prevent the development of problems in time.

The immune system of men, like women, requires constant support. The viburnum’s vitamin composition envelops the body and prevents the pathogenic bodies from penetrating deep into the body.

Fighting hypertension. The systematic use of various recipes based on viburnum helps to normalize blood pressure. Viburnum also carries out the prevention of diseases of the intestinal tract. Useful properties help to cope with flatulence, constipation, bloating.

The unique trace elements contained in the fruits of the plant help in partial neutralization of the negative effects of fatty unhealthy foods, alcohol, and tobacco.

Menpower

Prevention of prostatitis is another advantage of viburnum broths. Red clusters inhibit the activity of pathogenic bacteria and are responsible for reducing swelling.

The beneficial properties of viburnum for men make it a valuable component for the preparation of “medicines” in traditional medicine for ailments, including true men.

Viburnum harm to health

Oddly enough, but this berry can also have a negative effect on health.

Viburnum: harm

Even though this plant has been trendy for many years, treats various diseases, and restores the human body, it can negatively affect if it is misused, for example, for certain diseases. Contraindications include:

• low blood pressure – ripe fruits reduce it even more, negative consequences, in this case, cannot be avoided;
• pregnancy – viburnum contains elements that are similar to female hormones in their action. It turns out that during pregnancy, the mother’s body already produces an increased number of hormones, and you should not use viburnum inside;
• joint diseases – a large number of organic acids adversely affect cartilage and joints. Therefore, gout, arthritis, and other diseases are a direct contraindication for the use of viburnum berries.
• Allergic reaction – various rashes on the skin. It occurs due to an overdose of vitamin C, which is contained in ripe viburnum fruits;
• thrombophlebitis – viburnum promotes rapid blood clotting;
• individual intolerance to some elements in the viburnum (usually manifested in the form of rashes, nausea or headache may also appear);
• diseases of the liver, kidneys, and their exacerbation – viburnum contains ascorbic acid, which irritates the inflamed organs.

Conclusion

Despite the tremendous benefits of viburnum, one cannot mindlessly use it. It’s mainly because, in large quantities, any drug will only harm. As you can see, the list is small but important. By the way, if you use viburnum wisely, you can bring a lot of benefits to your body.

Calorie content of viburnum

Viburnum has a slightly bitter taste, but after the first frost, this bitterness goes away. Nutritional value per 100 g:

• proteins – 0 g;
• fats – 0 g;
• carbohydrates – 7 g.
• Caloric value: 26.3 kcal.

The low-calorie content of viburnum makes it possible to use it when dieting and obese. Viburnum can be used frozen, dried, squeezed, boiled, added to various bakery products. On the basis of viburnum, one can prepare alcoholic drinks or viburnum tea – for adherents of a healthy diet.

Healing properties

If we compare viburnum with medicine, it is almost like paracetamol in importance and a spectrum of action.

Viburnum: vitamins

The bunches are rich in various vitamins, but most of the space is given to C and A groups. Also, this short shrub contains tannins and pectins. They are indispensable in the treatment and restoration of the gastrointestinal tract’s normal functional activity.

Viburnum possesses:

Relieves stress, treats neuroses, helps to cope with insomnia and hysteria.

• The treatment of varicose veins – rubbing from viburnum is not a medication but a rather effective method. You need to use it in conjunction with other medications.
• Treatment of the cardiovascular system. Folk recipes using viburnum berries are effective, but they have both beneficial properties and contraindications. As mentioned above, with increased blood clotting, viburnum will negatively affect the patient’s body and even lead to blood clots.
• Rejuvenating effect – has a beneficial effect on the skin and smoothes it, removes wrinkles. But this is possible only with the regular use of viburnum broths.

Viburnum branches and wood. They are rich in essential oils with salicin content and tannins with a lot of tannins. They have an antiseptic, astringent, enveloping effect. Viburnum leaves are rich in various chemical compounds with diaphoretic, carminative, antioxidant, and tonic properties. Also, the leaves can stimulate appetite, improve digestion. In general, this plant is an untranslatable product; all components have a beneficial effect.

What to cook from viburnum

Pie with viburnum

This dish will be rather difficult to prepare. For the pie we need:

• 600 g wheat flour;
• 200 g rye flour;
• 100 g butter;
• 450 g granulated sugar;
• 200 ml of kefir;
• 50 ml of oil;
• half a teaspoon of baking soda;
• 1.5 kg of viburnum;
• 400 ml of water:
• salt to taste.

For cooking, you need to rinse the berries well, put them on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven for an hour and a half at a temperature of 100 degrees. It should turn out to be some jam; steamed viburnum is good for health. While the viburnum is preparing, you can make the dough:

1. Sifted flour, sugar, baking soda, and slaked vinegar are combined in a bowl.
2. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, add softened pieces of butter. And grind the dough into crumbs.
3. Pour in ice-cold water and stir with your hands; the dough should be elastic. It is important not to overdo it – it will not work out of a solid pie.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 40-50 minutes.
5. Everything is as in the usual preparation of a pie – divide the dough into two parts and rolls out the halves to a thickness of half a centimeter.
6. Put the resulting dough on a baking sheet with grease and flour.
7. Put viburnum on the dough, sprinkle with sugar and cover with the second layer of dough. Pinch the edges of the cake gently.
8. Place the baking sheet in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees, for 30 minutes.
9. Delicious, and most importantly – healthy goods of baking are ready to eat. It is good to serve with tea. The main thing is to wait until the cake gets cool.

Tincture

The tincture is a bitter or sweet alcoholic beverage. It is a great way to cope with colds and other diseases and enjoy the amazing taste. Ingredient composition is minimal:

• 250 ml of alcohol;
• 500 g of viburnum;
• 2 glasses of water.

To prepare a delicious drink, viburnum needs to be sorted out and peeled, remove twigs, and spoil berries. The prepared berries are rinsed, laid back in a colander, and dried. The resulting must be transferred to glass jars and filled with alcohol to cover the berries with liquid completely. Then the cans are closed with nylon lids and placed in a dark place for a day. After this time, you need to add clean boiled water to the jars and leave for another 14 days. Now it remains only to strain the obtained through the filter and pour into bottles.

Viburnum, grated with sugar

For cooking, you need half a kilogram of viburnum and the same amount of sugar. Algorithm:

• Rinse the viburnum fruits well; it is best to do this together with the branches, let it brew a little (so that all the dirt settles).
• Spread the berries on a clean towel (household or paper) and wait until completely dry.
• Collect dry, clean berries from the branches and put them in a non-oxidizing container; it is better to choose a tall vessel.
• All spoiled berries must be removed to spoil the taste.
• Leave some of the sugar, add the rest to the berries and knead the berries well with a wooden mortar or rolling pin. If not available, you can use a spoon or fork.
• Better to put a plastic bag or plastic wrap on the bowl, make a hole and crush the berries through it.
• Grind all the berries, and then stir until the sugar dissolves. It will turn out to be a kind of jelly. You can leave the viburnum for 30-40 minutes so that the sugar will dissolve faster in it.
• Pour the viburnum into clean, dry, sterilized jars and fill the space with the remaining sugar to the very top.
• Close the jars with clean lids and put them in a refrigerator or cellar until requested.
• You can eat it neat or pour boiling water over – an excellent fortified tea.

Viburnum with honey

For a classic medicine you will need:

• washed dried berry;
• sweet nectar from bees of any kind.

For cooking, you need to mix the ingredients in a 1: 1 ratio. The recipe can be used for many diseases of the body, including the composition of the finished product is used in complex therapy for oncology. Viburnum with honey contains multiple benefits for the whole body.

Viburnum drink

To do this, the berries must first be thawed, washed, and removed from the stalks. During this, you need to put the pan on the fire and boil the water. After boiling, the berries are thrown into a saucepan and boiled until a characteristic pink hue appears. After that, you need to allow it to cool slightly and strain the obtained through a colander. That’s all. It remains to pour the drink into jars and twist or drink immediately.

Viburnum drink: benefits

This is a storehouse of all the vitamin compounds that are in the plant. Due to the liquid form, the elements are better absorbed and penetrate the body. The drug is especially useful in winter, when a person’s immunity may not cope with external factors.

Viburnum harvesting and storage

To delight yourself with this berry all year round – remember a few storage rules.

Fresh look

At home, you can store the berries directly in the brushes: put them in a loosely closed container and put it into the refrigerator. You can hang it in any room; dried viburnum does not lose its qualities. There is no need to worry that the product will deteriorate and lose its healing properties – for several months, the product retains trace elements properly. If it is not possible to store berries at low temperatures, it is advisable to process them.

Recycle

You can store the viburnum in the form of jam, compote, or tincture, as mentioned earlier. All recipes are above. The article presents classic recipes; there are many others – choose the one that suits the situation and possibilities.

Freezing

Berries calmly tolerate frost because in nature, they spend winter in open frost.

Even viburnum brushes suspended on the balcony can withstand prolonged frosts and retain their taste with useful properties after defrosting. To extend the period of using medicinal berries, you can freeze them by separating them from the brush along with the stalks.

How to plant the viburnum watch in the video below: