Leaves, flowers and hawthorn fruits: preparation and use

Hawthorn is a unique plant, each part of it has special beneficial properties.This bush, which sometimes looks like a tree, has been valued for many centuries due to its rich vitamin and mineral composition. Supporters of traditional medicine speak of hawthorn as a universal herbal preparation with a wide range of actions.

Fruits are the most useful, nutritious, vitamin part of hawthorn. They contain:

• Sahara;
• fatty acid;
• acids (crazeic, tartaric, phenolcarboxylic, triterpenic, citric, oleanolic, citric, ursolic);
• vitamin C;
• flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, gerbercetin, 3-methoxygerbacetin);
• beta carotene;
• fatty oil;
• vitamin PP;
• acetylcholine;

• glycosides;
• vitamin E;
• pectins;
• tannins;
• trimethylcholine;
• phytosterols;
• protocyanidin bioside;
• 6-sitosterol;
• choline;
• micro and macronutrients.

Flowers contain the following useful elements:

• acetylcholine;
• organic acids (chlorogenic and caffeic);
• choline;
• flavonoids;
• trimethylcholine;
• essential oils.

The substances contained in the leaves are not as diverse as in other parts of the hawthorn. But fruits and flowers can always be replaced by the green part, as the leaves contain very important components:

• vitamin C;
• tannins;
• organic acids;
• essential oils;
• small amount of vitamin b group.

Hawthorn fruits have such beneficial properties as:

• increase immunity;
• antioxidant effect;
• antiseptic and antibacterial action;
• strengthening the heart muscle;
• increased cerebral blood flow;
• normalization of sexual function;
• help with psycho-emotional exhaustion;
• help with nervous disorders.

Hawthorn flowers have the following range of actions:

• improved blood circulation;
• antioxidant effect;
• strengthening the vascular wall;
• restoration of metabolic processes;
• increased secretion of bile.

Hawthorn leaves:

• reduce acidity;
• have antidiarrheal effect;
• have a hypotensive effect;
• improve the quality of sleep.

Hawthorn fruits benefit from diseases such as arrhythmia, angina, heart failure, atherosclerosis, rheumatism, dermatitis, glaucoma, hormonal disorders, nephritis, diarrhea, hepatitis, cholecystitis.

Flowers of this plant are used for the following diseases: atherosclerosis, neurosis, circulatory failure, coronary heart disease and cancer, metabolic disorders.

The leaves are best used for hypertension, sleep disorders, neurosis, depression.

Despite such a huge range of positive effects on the body, Hawthorn has its own contraindications:

• hypersensitivity to the substances that make up the plant;
• long-term hawthorn intake without a break can disrupt the heart rhythm;
• when consuming concentrated hawthorn drinks, intestinal spasm may occur;
• hawthorn can not be used in exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• Do not abuse the berries to pregnant women and women during lactation.

To prepare inflorescences for the winter, The following rules must be observed:

• pick flowers in the last days of May;
• put containers on the bottom so that the inflorescences do not get crushed and retain their structure, otherwise they will darken and will be unsuitable for storage;
• it is necessary to dry the flowers in a warm, well-ventilated room (for example, in the attic);
• put parchment paper or cotton cloth on the baking sheet, and then lay the flowers in a single layer;
• with the right temperature and wet conditions, the raw material will dry in 3-5 days;
• store dry inflorescences in paper bags or bags, glass jars in a dry place.

To prepare the leaves, it is important to follow when the bush blooms, and adhere to the following tips:

• leaves should be collected strictly during the flowering period, maximum until the end of June;
• for preparation, choose clean, flat sheets without any damage;
• pick off the leaves with petioles, but when harvesting it is better to cut them;
• dry leaves can be exactly the same method as the flowers;
• dry raw materials should be finely ground into powder, have a natural green color and almost no smell;
• You can store in any container, most importantly - in a dry and dark place.

When harvesting fruits, several other approaches are needed:

• First, sort the berries so that there are no branches, leaves, spoiled fruit;
• rinse the berries thoroughly;
• dry them with a paper or woven water towel;
• put on a baking tray in one layer;
• place in the oven with a temperature of 50-60 degrees and leave for about 3 hours;
• Cool dry fruits, after which they can be placed in a glass jar, paper bag or box;
• Keep out of reach of children;
• Shelf life is 1 year.

Consider the best recipes:

• Hawthorn flower tea. This recipe can be used to reduce pressure and restore the tone of the heart muscle. For this you need 1 tsp. dry or live flowers, which need to fall asleep in a cup and pour a full glass of boiling water. To tea infused, leave it for 10-15 minutes. Drink a cup of tea in the morning and at night.
• Decoction of flowers and leaves. Take this drink can be for the treatment of insomnia, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, with psycho-emotional disorders. 2 tbsp. l flowers and 3 tbsp. l Hawthorn leaves pour warm water, put on a quiet fire and bring to a boil. After remove the container from the plate, filter, cool. Take half or need a glass of several times a day.

• Hawthorn tincture. Universal recipe that is suitable for the prevention of all the above diseases. Dried fruits, leaves, hawthorn flowers are poured with vodka. Leave to insist in a dark, cold place for exactly 1 month. The jar is better to cover with a thick cloth. Dry raw materials need to take 200 mg (in a ratio of 1: 1: 1) and add 1 liter of vodka to vodka. Apply need for 1 tsp. 2 times a day.

• Pre-Medicated Tea. For this you need 1 tbsp. l leaves of hawthorn, 1 tbsp. l chamomile flowers, 1 tsp. motherwort. All components need to mix and pour boiling water. You will have an excellent sedative that will have an anti-inflammatory effect. To drink this tea is best before bedtime.

To learn how to make hawthorn tea, see the next video.