Dogwood: health benefits and harms

According to legend, dogwood appeared from the spear of Romulus. The founder of Rome outlined the boundaries of the future city, and then stuck a spear into the ground. It turned into a dogwood tree.

Since ancient times, people have used dogwood for food. In antiquity, it was salted like olives. Now it is much less used in nutrition. At the same time, dogwood berries are extremely useful. No wonder there is a proverb in the Caucasus: “Where dogwood grows, doctors are not needed.” What is the uniqueness of this bright red berry? Let’s deal with a gastroenterologist.

The history of the appearance of dogwood in nutrition

The homeland of the dogwood is Asia Minor and the Caucasus. It is also common in Southern and Eastern Europe. It began to be cultivated quite early, probably by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Mention of him is found in Verligia. In Our Country, the plant began to acclimatize in the XNUMXth century under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, a lover of herbal curiosities.

The composition and calorie content of dogwood

The chemical composition of dogwood berries makes them an indispensable product for health. It contains a rich complex of vitamins (C, P, A), microelements (iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium), as well as organic acids (malic, citric and succinic), tannins, pectin and nitrogenous substances, flavonoids, essential oil, phytoncides, tannins. Of the sugars, they contain fructose and glucose. By the way, in terms of vitamin C content, dogwood surpasses even blackcurrant.

The benefits of dogwood

Dogwood has an antibacterial, tonic, anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic effect. It increases the body’s immune defenses and is extremely useful for colds, flu, tonsillitis, and anemia. It is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal upset. Dogwood has a strengthening effect on the heart and vascular walls. It is also useful for hypotensive patients, as well as people suffering from gout and arthritis. Dogwood helps to normalize metabolic processes and lower the level of glucose and cholesterol, it should be included in the diet of people who follow the figure.

The benefits of dogwood for women

As the candidate of medical sciences points out, gastroenterologist-hepatologist Olga Arisheva, the health benefits of dogwood for women are expressed in a beneficial effect on the circulatory system, which allows you to recover faster after menstrual blood loss.

The benefits of dogwood for men

Berries are also useful for men’s health – they tone up the muscular and nervous system, helping to recover faster after overload. In addition, the berry is a good tool that increases potency and normalizes the functioning of the genitourinary organs, says Olga Arisheva.

The benefits of dogwood for children

For children, dogwood will help strengthen the immune system, as well as cope with indigestion.

Cornel Harm

– Dogwood is able to increase blood pressure, so hypertensive patients should be more careful with him. It has a tonic effect, and therefore it should not be used in the afternoon, says Olga Arisheva. – Also a contraindication is the increased acidity of gastric juice, gastric and duodenal ulcers, prostatitis and kidney disease during an exacerbation. Due to its astringent action, it should be limited if there is a tendency to constipation.

The use of dogwood in medicine

Cornel has long been used in folk medicine. In the treatment, berries, leaves, flowers, as well as the bark of the plant are used.

As scientific studies have shown, dogwood berries lower blood sugar, lower the temperature, and also have bactericidal properties. They improve the glycemic index in patients with type II diabetes. Dogwood leaves have immunomodulatory properties, and the infusion of flowers has a diuretic and choleretic effect (1).

The use of dogwood in cooking

Dogwood Jam

Dogwood jam has a sweet taste with a slight tart note. Try to diversify your tea drinking with them

Take ripe dogwood berries, sort them and rinse thoroughly. Prepare the syrup: pour water into a saucepan with a thick bottom, add sugar, wait until the mixture boils and boil it for 3-5 minutes over low heat. Pour the berries into the syrup, mix, turn off the heat and leave for 6-8 hours. When the berries are infused, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes, removing the foam. Transfer the jam to sterilized jars, screw tightly with lids and wrap in a blanket until completely cool. It is better to turn the jars upside down.

Spicy dogwood sauce

Dogwood berries make an excellent sauce that goes well with meat, poultry or fish

Rinse the ripe dogwood and wipe through a colander. Add chilled boiled water, crushed cilantro seeds, crushed capsicum, salt, suneli hops, chopped garlic, finely chopped cilantro and dill and mix thoroughly.

How to choose and store dogwood

When choosing dogwood, give preference to bright red fruits – this is the color of ripe berries. They must be resilient. Soft dark red fruits – overripe, they are not stored for a long time. Also, dark fruits have more sugar.

Cornel should be stored in a cool place. It is best to pour the berries into a plastic bowl or bag with ventilation and place in the refrigerator, in the compartment for fruits and vegetables. They will keep for about 10 days. Also dogwood can be frozen for the winter. Washed and dried berries must first be poured onto a tray and put in the freezer for three hours. After that, the dogwood should be packaged in bags. By the way, after freezing, the berries will become sweeter.

Popular questions and answers

We will answer popular questions from readers about the properties of this berry.

Sources of

1. Khasanova D. A. Dogwood as a medicinal plant // Biology and Integrative Medicine, 2016, No. 4, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/kizil-kak-lekarstvennoe-rastenie/viewer