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Maclura apple or orange is a mulberry fruit plant native to America. Today this tree can be found in central, southern and eastern Europe. The unusual large fruits of maclura received a romantic name – Adam’s apple – and are valued among traditional healers as a panacea for all diseases. Medicinal products from these fruits are even used to get rid of cancer. We will also learn how to make an effective medicine from an Adam’s apple.
What’s this
Maclura, scientific name – maclura pomifera, refers to deciduous trees with a lush spreading crown. It grows up to 15-20 meters in height, in the warm season it is covered with large fruits. At first glance, it is difficult to determine whether it is a vegetable or a fruit: the peel of the fruit looks like a citrus, and the flesh smells like a fresh cucumber, but you can’t eat it. The botanical description of this plant notes that maclura bears fruit with poisonous fruits.
The tree is valued in decorative terms, because during the period of flowering and fruiting it looks very impressive. Growth covers three continents: South America, Europe, Central Asia. It is cultivated in the CIS countries as a garden and ornamental plant. But it deserved special popularity, nevertheless, thanks to its extraordinary fruits.
Maclura fruits, in addition to the Adam’s apple, received more than one other name: dye mulberry, Chinese or Indian orange, false orange. Due to the similarity of the poisonous fruit with citrus, it is also called the “inedible orange.” The etymology of “Adam’s apple” comes from the legend that the first man ate the forbidden fruit. The name implies that this fruit is stuck in Adam’s throat.
When the fruit ripens, it reaches a diameter of 14-16 cm. From the photo in the section, you can see that under the rough skin there is a mucous pulp with seeds that contains toxic substances, so it’s better not to taste it. But with proper use, you can get a huge benefit from this pulp.
The false orange ripens for two to three months, the fruits are harvested at the end of autumn. Ripe fruits are removed from the trees with gloves, as its slimy juice is very difficult to wash off the hands. You can save such fruits both fresh and in the form of tincture or cream. The shelf life of fresh maclura is up to six months, if kept in a dark, cool place, while it does not lose its medicinal properties.
Why is it useful
If you cut the fruit, a milky juice is released from it, with which all the structures of the fruit are saturated. A wide range of applications in informal medicine maclura – to a greater extent, the merit of this milky juice. It contains a huge amount of fatty acids, useful for all internal organs. Although these fruits are inedible, they give all their benefits in tinctures and other remedies.
The chemical composition of these fruits is very similar to mulberry, which is why they received another name – dye mulberry. The pulp contains up to 10% pectin components, the seeds are 30% composed of essential oils, and the maclura leaves are rich in citric acid. When the fruit ripens, its milky juice contains the most valuable component – flavonoid compounds. These substances are powerful antioxidants, a separate group of them – isoflavones – are indispensable for strengthening blood vessels and heart muscle.
Traditional medicine highlights the following main properties of this plant:
- bactericidal;
- antitumor (protection against cancer);
- healing;
- anti-sclerotic;
- pain reliever;
- anti-inflammatory.
Ointments, tinctures, oils are prepared from leaves and fruits at home. The root is rarely used for infusions, which is also not eaten. Such funds are used for almost any disease: externally or internally, as monotherapy or as a collection, for treatment and prevention. Thanks to the beneficial properties of false orange, wounds heal quickly, fatigue disappears, fungi and viruses are neutralized. Let’s find out in more detail what can be prepared from maclura.
Tincture of leaves
Maclura apple-bearing also has valuable foliage. Young twigs and leaves are rich in fiber, vitamin P, essential oils, natural antioxidants. They are used to prepare medicinal tinctures.
In the spring, until the poisonous tree is covered with flowers, you need to collect shoots and leaves. Then they need to be finely chopped and poured into a glass container. Soak the maclura blank in alcohol or vodka so that the liquid completely covers the greens. So the covered mixture should stand for at least two weeks in a dark place.
After preparation, the tincture must be filtered through gauze, and the resulting liquid mixed with pure vodka, the ratio is 1:1. The resulting remedy is used for colds, rubbing the chest and wrapping up for a couple of hours or at night.
Also, such rubbing is used for hernia of the spine, heel spur, varicose veins. Compresses against papillomas are made from it.
Traditional healers recommend rubbing with maclura tincture for rheumatism, radiculitis, and osteochondrosis. For treatment, the patient’s back is rubbed with an alcohol mixture and wrapped warmly, it takes several hours or a night to keep warm. The course lasts no more than a week with a break of two to three months. It is useful to do such rubbing for diseased joints, with the expansion of veins in the legs.
In addition, the finished tincture of the leaves can be taken orally for prevention:
- catarrhal diseases;
- vascular and heart diseases;
- immunodeficiency;
- diseases of the liver and kidneys.
For oral administration, 2-3 drops of tincture are stirred in a tablespoon of clean water.
You can drink this remedy once a day, the prophylactic course can be extended for a month, but then be sure to take a break for the same time.
Fruit tincture
A tincture made from the fruit of this tree is considered more effective. Chinese orange has a very wide range of uses: from the common cold to the treatment of oncology. The pulp and green peel are rich in useful components that help prevent and cure many diseases. Methods of treatment with tincture of maclura fruit are the same as those of the leaf.
Such a healing infusion is recommended during periods of recovery after injuries, operations, seizures. Such a remedy is very effective for fractures, sprains, muscle and joint ruptures. They are also treated with a dystrophic process in the shoulder and elbow joint – epicondylitis. In folk medicine, it is believed that an effective medicine will be obtained if it is kept for as long as possible. So, the classic recipe for cooking requires exposure to one year, and the instructions for use include almost all known diseases.
Fresh fruits are cut into small cubes and placed in a glass container. Adam’s apple must be filled with alcohol so that as little air as possible remains in the jar. This mixture is covered with a nylon lid and left in a dark place for at least six months.
Ready tincture is treated:
- mastopathy;
- salt deposits;
- myoma;
- spurs and corns;
- hypertension;
- metabolic disorders;
- polyarthritis;
- radiculitis;
- gout.
It is also taken for prevention:
- the appearance of tumors;
- blockage of blood vessels;
- hypertension;
- brain dysfunctions.
When the false orange tincture turns dark brown, it can be used for home therapy. It is important to remember that the fruit is poisonous and should be used with caution.
The course lasts a little over a month. One drop of infusion is diluted in a tablespoon of water and drunk once a day. The next day, two drops are dripped into a spoonful of water, on the third – three, this continues until they reach 20. After that, the number of drops decreases one at a time until it reaches one. Then they take a break for a month and, if desired, repeat the treatment cycle. It is believed that such treatment can be used for weight loss.
For the prevention of diseases of the uterus and ovaries, a different regimen is used. Five times a day, take 2-3 drops in a tablespoon of water. This therapy lasts a month, after which you need to wait a week and repeat the cycle again.
Maclura fruit tincture is used for compresses and tampons. For example, with sinusitis, a mixture of tincture and pure water is made in a ratio of 1:5. Cotton swabs are moistened in this liquid and kept in the nose for 15 minutes. You need to repeat this procedure twice a day, seven days of therapy is enough.
If you mix the tincture with olive oil in a ratio of 1: 1, you can get rid of polyps in the nasopharynx. In this solution, cotton pads or swabs are moistened and kept in the nose for 15 minutes. The scheme and duration of treatment are the same as for sinusitis.
You need to store this remedy in a cool place without sunlight, it is better to choose glass as dishes. The shelf life of the infusion is up to 5 years.
Healing cream
Of all the healing remedies from the Adam’s apple, ointment is the most popular. It is made at home from fruits and fat. The scope of this cream is as wide as that of the tincture. With its help get rid of: psoriasis, arthritis, acne, cervical erosion, treat adenoma and much more. Such a tool can be applied to the skin or make candles from it.
So, to prepare such an ointment on your own, you need:
- Harvest Chinese orange or buy it. For an effective remedy, you will need fruits whose skin is more orange than light green.
- Cut fruit into small pieces and place in a fireproof bowl.
- Melt pork fat separately. One part of the fruit will require five parts of fat.
- Pour the prepared false orange with fat.
- From above, everything needs to be covered with a layer of ordinary dough made of flour and water.
- Put this blank in the oven at the lowest heat and keep for a day. You can darken the ointment for one day, turn it off for the night, and then hold it in the oven for another day.
The finished balm can be transferred to a convenient dish, the main thing is to use glass containers. You need to store such a tool in the refrigerator or just in a cool place.
There is a way to make Adam’s apple ointment easier than the previous one. Fruit tincture is mixed with animal fat in proportion: one part of infusion and two parts of fat. Any of the creams is recommended for mastopathy, intervertebral hernia, and myoma. To do this, it is advised to make compresses from the ointment: you need to apply a good layer of cream on a piece of cloth, apply it on the sore spot and wrap it tightly. Keep such a compress for 10-12 hours, once every two days. The course of therapy lasts three months.
For the treatment of mastopathy, cabbage is additionally used. Fresh cabbage leaves are dipped in boiling water for a minute, then beaten a little and smeared with ointment. Such a compress is applied to the chest and is well rewound, you can use them for diseased joints. You need to repeat such events every other day for 3 months.
With inguinal hernia, cervical erosion and hemorrhoids, candles from the same cream are used. You will need a dense thread and cream, you yourself need to form oblong candles and hold them in the refrigerator to fix the shape. Candles are used at night, the treatment lasts 2 months.
To improve the effectiveness of the action, it is advised to use fish oil instead of pork, or you can simply add it to the general mixture. This cream is good for skin lesions, ulcers, burns. It is recommended to apply it for varicose veins, arthrosis of the knee joint, cervical osteochondrosis. For efficiency, it is better to make compresses from the cream one day, and simply spread it on the affected area on the other.
Maclure oil
In addition to traditional medicine, the inedible orange has found its use in cosmetology. The antiseptic properties of the fruits cleanse the skin well, reduce inflammation. Essential oils and fatty acids in the composition of the seeds and milky juice well nourish the hair and skin, increase tone. This oil is used for age spots on the face, acne, to lighten and even out skin tone.
For cooking, you will need fresh maclura fruits, only ripe ones are suitable, because unripe ones have much less useful properties. A ripe Adam’s apple should be slightly sticky with a bright orange skin, green – accordingly, has a more green color. The cooking sequence is very simple:
- Indian orange cut into cubes with the skin and place it in a jar.
- Pour everything with vegetable oil: olive, sesame, sunflower. To improve the therapeutic effect, it is better to take cosmetic oil: grape seeds, wheat germ, avocado seeds. If you use coconut oil, you can get a homemade cream.
- Cover the container and place in a dark place for exposure. There the oil should stand for two weeks.
- After that, strain the mixture and pour into a clean container, where it will be stored. If coconut was used, melt in a water bath, and then pass through a large sieve.
Such a cosmetic product is suitable for improving the appearance and therapy. It treats dermatitis, acne, and is used against psoriasis and eczema. For cosmetic purposes, the oil can be applied in a small layer on the scalp or face, on dry or affected areas. It is recommended to use this remedy no more than three times a week. If the oil is used for treatment, it is applied in a course of 1-2 months.
Safety measures
Considering that inedible orange contains toxic substances, it is necessary to use medicinal products with it carefully. This is especially true for tinctures that are taken orally: they should be taken exactly as the instructions indicate. Before use, be sure to consider contraindications.
Reviews of doctors about such home therapy measures are not very positive. Firstly, in official medicine, maclura fruits are not used at all, since their benefits and harms are poorly understood. In the pharmacy you can find ready-made tinctures from it, but they do not apply to medicines. Secondly, doctors are extremely categorical about self-medication and note that it is dangerous if used carelessly.
Nevertheless, this fruit has found its purpose in folk medicine and continues to gain popularity. Today, any of the described remedies can be purchased via the Internet, and the positive reviews of those who have tried only increase the demand for such products.
You can not use such a medicinal tincture:
- diabetics;
- pregnant and lactating mothers;
- with severe diseases of the stomach;
- with individual intolerance.
The reaction to the ointment must also be tested first: spread it on a small area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe skin and monitor the condition of the epidermis. If there is no reaction within two days, then this remedy can be used.
During the period of treatment with Maclura, the use of any alcohol and additional medicinal tinctures for alcohol is prohibited. You can not combine Adam’s apple with antibiotics and chemotherapy courses.
If during the period of application of tinctures from leaves or fruits nausea, pain in the stomach appears, breathing is difficult, sleep is disturbed for no reason, you need to stop taking the remedy.
In conclusion: where to get maclura
Fresh fruits for making homemade medicine can be bought on the Internet, they rarely appear in ordinary markets among vegetables and fruits. Due to the long shelf life, even fruits ordered over the Internet will come to you fresh. You can also buy a ready-made product at a pharmacy, finding an ointment or tincture from an Adam’s apple is not so difficult. Such drugs do not have a high price, but they have the widest scope and they always have instructions.
In order not to search the Internet or pharmacies for this unusual fruit, you can grow it right on your site. For healing remedies, one tree is enough, which will bear fruit well. Maclura orange propagates using seeds or seedlings. Finding seedlings of this plant is very difficult, but buying seeds for seedlings is not difficult.
Seeds need to be kept for two days in warm water before planting. After that, they can be placed in boxes with soil, you can transplant the plant to a permanent place when it reaches a meter in length. For planting, you need to choose a sunny place and fertile soil. In relation to fertilizers, apple-bearing maclura is completely unpretentious; it tolerates salty and acidic soils equally well.
Of care, she only needs a lot of light and periodic pruning – once every three years. Even drought, it stoically endures, while giving a good harvest of fruits. The frost resistance of this light-loving tree is surprisingly high. Mature plants tolerate winter well without shelter, and young seedlings are best covered in the first frosts.
Gardeners recommend planting maclura in prominent areas, since it also has decorative properties. In spring, the tree will be covered with large flowers, and by autumn a scattering of fruits will appear on it. Thus, you will get both a beautiful and very useful plant.
- Sources of
- Ananikyan G.S., Ananikyan V.V., Yeribekyan M.I., Mnatsakanyan V.A., Panosyan G.A.: Osain and pomiferin – biologically active substances of orange maclura fruit tincture // International Journal of Applied and Fundamental Research. – 2015. – No. 9-4. – P. 673-675;
- Korotkov V.A., Kukhtenko A.S., Ordabayeva S.K.: Phytochemical study of maclura fruits and extracts, 2014.