Hawthorn - A high deciduous shrub or small tree of the family Rosaceae, with a rounded crown and purple-red shoots. In autumn the leaves turn a graceful shrub in the orange-red colors. The fruits are edible, the color of bright orange and pink to red and black. Fruits adorn the crown for two months. The flowers bloom in spring (June) after the appearance of the leaves. Beautiful white flowers, stamens contain dimethylamine, which gives them an unpleasant odor. Berry bush covered in late August. The fruits are spherical or pear-shaped, with arms strong bones, located on top of the fruit near the calyx, lightly covered with skin. Fruit size may be different, however, as the color of which depends on the type of hawthorn. On the territory of the Russian Federation meets forty species of hawthorn. Shrub growing in the woods, in ravines, on the banks of rivers, cultivated in gardens.Hawthorn blooms profusely every year, but the fruit is not always tied - if during the flowering bush was rain, then, alas, the harvest can not wait. Crataegus laevigata cultivated in the gardens of the Baltic states and Ukraine, a native shrub found in Western Europe, Transcarpathia.
Collecting and harvesting of hawthorn
For medicinal purposes harvest the fruits, leaves and flowers of hawthorn. The flowers are harvested during their flowering, dried parts should be stored in a tightly closed container, which does not penetrate the air. Berry bushes can pluck only when they finally ripen - then they become rich red. Immediately after harvest the fruit is necessary to dry. Hawthorn and its properties help heal various ailments, so during assembly be careful and cautious in this green healer. After all, he helps all of us, does he not deserve a little respect and care? What a pity to see broken off, twisted bushes left after man. ... Once upon a time in our country were huge thicket of bushes, but every year they are becoming smaller. This wonderful plant brings us invaluable, and such a cruel price he has to pay for it ....
Chemical composition
Leaves, fruits and flowers of the plant contain flavonoids (hyperoside, quercetin, vitoksin), boots, ursolic, oleanovuyu, hporogenovuyu and caffeic acid, acetylcholine, choline. The fruit pulp contains sugar, citric and tartaric acid in the fruit itself has carotene and vitamin C, pectin. The leaves and flowers are found gomoorientin, orientin, vitexin and saponaretin.
Hawthorn and its properties
By the way, hawthorn, the use of which is widely practiced in traditional medicine, and is used in official medicine. Hawthorn useful for diseases of the central nervous and cardiovascular system. Hawthorn preparations prescribed for hyperthyroidism with tachycardia, heart failure after a long illness, angioneurosis, insomnia. They tone the heart muscle, contribute to a decrease in excitability of the central nervous system, increase blood circulation in the blood vessels of the brain, eliminate arrhythmia and tachycardia, improve overall well-being.
Also, a hawthorn extract liquid is used as a means of regulating the circulation.The use of hawthorn helps with frequent fatigue, chronic fatigue. In general, it is useful to use in the form of tea as a prophylactic. Moreover, if you start to use hawthorn when you feel unwell, you can prevent the development of many diseases.
• Herbal with hawthorn: take in equal amounts grass motherwort, hawthorn flowers and rhizomes of valerian. Spoon collection pour a glass of boiling water and infuse. Take four times a day for a quarter cup before eating.
• The aqueous extract of hawthorn flowers: a tablespoon of raw pour a glass of boiling water, two hours a sealed container. Take 3-4 times a day for a quarter cup.
• The aqueous extract of the fruit: fruit pour boiling water (proportions are the same), insist on fire, without boiling. Take 3-4 times a day for 3 tablespoons before meals.
• If you want to make a useful vitamin drink, brew tea from young leaves and berries.
• Fruit tincture on alcohol: 100 g of alcohol, 25 g of fruits. Take 3 times a day for 30-60 drops.
• Alcohol tincture of flowers: 2 parts alcohol, 1 part of the flower, insist two weeks. Take before meals for 40 drops 3 times a day.
DoHawthorn contraindications not, therefore, the longer you'll drink it, the better. Its fruits can be eaten even raw, but not more than a glass a day, and toasted and ground they are an excellent substitute for coffee. This remarkable plant is completely harmless and help our body to his invaluable. Of course, wait for instant results log JustLady advise you not to, but long-term use, you can not help but notice how much better feel of steel.
Alice Terentyeva