Contents
Lingonberry: useful and healing properties. Video
The bright red lingonberry fruits are extremely popular for their amazing sweet and sour taste. But not only that. The pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry actively uses lingonberry extract for the manufacture of their products. Such attention to this berry is not at all groundless.
Lingonberry: useful and healing properties
Lingonberry is an evergreen shrub that has been used from time immemorial as a remedy for many diseases. The places of its growth are damp coniferous and deciduous forests and, in rare cases, peat bogs. This plant is characterized by an extremely wide distribution, which is facilitated by animals and birds.
The fact is that lingonberry seeds cannot be digested and therefore are carried over long distances. Thus, the area of their distribution increases.
From Latin, lingonberry (vitis-idaea) is translated as “vine from Mount Ida.” The mother of all gods, Cybele, reigned on this mountain, personifying a fertile nature. In ancient times, people believed in the healing powers of the lingonberry fruit.
Lingonberry is also known under the mysterious name “berry of immortality”. An old mystical legend is associated with this shrub. According to her, lingonberry refers to those plants that have been hit by drops of living water, which gives people immortality. A swallow carrying this water in its beak was stung by a wasp during the flight. Unable to endure the pain, the bird spilled water on pine, cedar and lingonberry. Since then, thanks to the life-giving drops, these three plants remain green all year round.
Whatever the reason for the special qualities of lingonberries, its enormous value for humans is difficult to dispute. Moreover, both the berries of the shrub and its leaves have a healing effect.
The energy value of lingonberry is within the normal range – about 46 kcal / 100 g. The special value of this berry lies in the rich content of vitamins necessary for the body (A, B, C, E). A huge amount of carotene, carbohydrates, tannins and organic acids (salicylic, citric and malic) important for the perfect functioning of the body made the use of lingonberries not only pleasant, but also useful. In addition, the berry contains a number of minerals (phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium).
Lingonberry leaves in medicine
The reason for using the leaves of this shrub for health and healing purposes is arbutin (a natural antiseptic). It is included in huge quantities in the leaves of lingonberry. In addition to arbutin, the leaves of this plant are rich in astringents, tannins, antioxidants, tannins and flavonoids.
By the way, the leaves are used in medicine much more often than berries. The reason for this is the ease of their procurement, long-term storage and unpretentiousness during transportation. Thus, they can even be purchased at the pharmacy, which cannot be said about berries.
The spectrum of action of lingonberry leaves is quite wide. They have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and choleretic effect. For the treatment of kidney disease and gout, a decoction from the leaves is excellent, since it can soften and remove salts and stones. To achieve the ideal result of the therapeutic effect of the leaves, you need to collect them before the flowering process (in spring and autumn).
Mineral salts, chromium and copper contained in berries are excellent for cardiac ischemia. Ischemic heart disease is typical in most cases for the older generation, therefore it is necessarily included in their diet. People with high blood sugar levels are advised to systematically consume lingonberry berries due to their ability to lower glucose levels.
Lingonberry juice is of great benefit to pregnant women, as it prevents the occurrence of neuroses and anemia. It also has a beneficial effect on intestinal motility, increasing the pronounced low acidity.
Cosmetological value of lingonberry
The use of lingonberry juice extract in cosmetology is far from uncommon. It has a rejuvenating effect, gives the skin elasticity and acts as an antioxidant.
Functions of lingonberry juice in relation to the skin:
– softening the skin and retaining moisture in its upper layers; – saturation with vitamins; – improving metabolism; – strengthening epidermal cells.
Lingonberry extract forms the basis of many foams, gels and facial scrubs due to its rich composition.
Vitamin C and ascorbic acid make the skin firm, while vitamin C and ascorbic acid fight acne
Possibility of harm to lingonberries
It is forbidden to use lingonberries in any form when:
– stomach and duodenal ulcers; – tumors of the prostate gland; – hemorrhoids; – gastritis with high acidity.
The negative properties of lingonberries also include the tendency to accumulate radioactive substances. When buying a berry, you need to make sure that it grew in an ecologically clean area.