Currant leaves: properties, preparation and application

Since ancient times, people have grown currants and used in everyday life not only its wonderful fragrant berries, but also branches and leaves. The beginning of the spread of shrubs dates back to the XI century. Currant received the name from a modified and not very pleasant verb "stink", because next to the shrub you can feel the strong smell of essential oils. If the rules of eating berries are known everywhere, then what is useful in the leaves, as well as how to improve their health with their help, not everyone knows.

In Russia, the leaves of this berry shrub became in the 30s of the last century in order to prevent scurvy and vitamin C deficiency. Currant leaves contain many different substances, despite the practical absence of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The composition of the product includes 0.1 g of carbohydrates, 0.1 g of proteins and 0 g of fat per 100 grams. Caloric content is also minimal - only 1 kilocalorie for the same weight.

Currant leaves contain a huge amount of vitamin C, which is so necessary in the modern world. The maximum content is observed during the blooming and flowering of the shrub. Its amount reaches 460 mg per 100 g, with a recommended daily intake rate of 65-75 mg for an adult, and 30-35 mg for a child.

When eating black currant leaves, you can enrich your body magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium. All major macronutrients are present in this green.

Carotene and phytoncides are another component of the vitamin list of currant leaves. Such important substances as terpene alcohol, polyphenols and their compounds are also present in the product.

Such substances can interfere with the transformation of healthy cells into malignant, which makes them indispensable in the fight against cancer diseases.

Currant leaves contain essential oils that can have an antimicrobial effect.

After analyzing the chemical composition of currant leaves, it is clear how important they are for health promotion. Currant belongs to the gooseberry family. In the world there are almost a hundred and fifty different species of this shrub. Many diseases can be avoided by ingesting decoctions of currant leaves. The list of useful properties for the human body is very large.

• Due to the increased content of vitamin C, currant leaves can affect the immune system. This vitamin is involved in the redox processes of the body. It helps produce phagocytes, that is, cells that attack harmful bacteria and viruses. Also, the normal content of vitamin C stimulates tissue regeneration and increases skin turgor. Since this vitamin does not accumulate in the cells of the body, in order to maintain the proper level it is necessary to eat it every day with food.
• If a person smokes, then it is better, of course, to get rid of such a bad habit. When this is not possible, the natural antioxidants found in currant leaves will help remove most of the toxins from the body. It will also help people working in hazardous industries or living in large polluted megalopolises.
• Due to the high content of magnesium, the use of currant leaves in one form or another helps to strengthen the heart muscle, which is equally useful both for heart diseases and for their prevention.

• Calcium in the composition of the product is in easily digestible form. It is vital for strengthening the human bone and muscular systems.
• The same broth can be used as a disinfectant for various cuts and abrasions.
• It has a hypotensive effect and improves brain activity, which is a huge plus when older people use the product. Thanks to recent experiments, scientists have found that currant leaves can also improve a person’s condition in Alzheimer's disease.
• It has the ability to clean the vessels and expand them.
• Increases hemoglobin.
• For colds and after illness, it is recommended to use a currant leaf decoction to restore the human body. He will saturate with vitamins and will give vigor to the patient.

• A special property has a decoction of young leaves: kills bacteria that cause dysentery and pneumonia. Such complex diseases can be defeated by using homeopathy in addition to medical treatment.
• For diseases of the urogenital system, in particular, for cystitis, pyelonephritis and kidney stones, a decoction of currant leaves is used as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent.
• If you regularly use a currant leaf drink instead of tea and coffee, you can prevent the development of cancer.
• In diabetes, it is simply necessary to take a decoction of the leaves of this shrub, as it is pronounced affects the level of sugar in the blood.
• For young children use a bath in the leaves of the currant. This procedure eliminates skin rashes and redness without harming the delicate skin of the child. For adults, you can also wash your face, especially with enlarged pores and oily skin.

• In case of stomatitis and other inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity, it is recommended to conduct a rinse course with brewed currant leaves. This action will help get rid of pathogenic microflora and reduce the unpleasant symptoms of the disease.
• Recommended use of decoction of currant leaves for women with breastfeeding. This drink does not cause allergic reactions, increases lactation, especially after warm drinking, and also nourishes the female body, which is weakened after childbirth, with various beneficial substances.
• During pregnancy, you can also take a decoction of currant leaves to remove excess fluid from the body. After all, every second girl in the position suffers from the problem of puffiness.
• Good reviews received treatment of gout with a decoction of crushed black currant leaves. As a result of the course of treatment, the level of uric acid in the body decreases, the pain and swelling of the joint decrease.

In addition to the undeniable advantages of the use of currant leaves of currants, they have a number of contraindications. Due to its acid, such a product is not recommended to be taken in case of some stomach diseases: ulcers and gastritis. If there is some inflammation in the intestines, then you should also refrain from taking the drink.

When blood is thickened and platelets are high, eating beverages from the leaves of a plant can provoke thrombosis, as the vessels dilate and the blood clot can come off. Another decoction can increase blood clotting. With high hemoglobin should also abandon the flavored drink.

It is necessary to treat this drink with caution during pregnancy. You should not abuse it, even if you really want. Any product in large quantities can cause allergies, and women in a particular position need to treat themselves more carefully.

For hepatitis, be careful with currant leaves. Tannins in them in large quantities, heavily processed by the liver.

When harvesting currant leaves, it is better to take them at the dacha, and not on the fields of the agricultural industry. With mass cultivation currants can be treated with pesticides and herbicides. These substances fall on the leaves and accumulate in them.After drying, the harmful substances also do not disappear, then getting into the human body along with herbal tea.

Having a serious diuretic effect, currant leaves can provoke heart problems in people with a predisposition to them. For a person with heart disease, a sharp drop in fluid can cause blood pressure surges and interruptions in the work of the main muscle. For the same reason, people with severe obesity when taking an infusion from the leaves of this plant need to consume plenty of water so as not to cause dehydration and heart problems.

Like any other medicinal plant, currant leaves need to be harvested at certain times under special conditions.

To ultimately get the maximum nutrients leaves need to be collected when the first flowers appear on the bush. If it rains, you need to postpone the collection time for the day. Increased air humidity will prevent proper sheet preparation. Drying will be delayed, which may cause pathogenic microflora to appear on harvested plants.

The best time to break the leaves is noon. By this time, all the dew should dry out and the ambient humidity will drop to the minimum daily value. If you believe in folk signs, then it is better to collect medicinal plants on the growing moon. It is believed that at this time nutrients reach their maximum concentration.

After collecting the leaves spread on parchment paper or clean cloth with a thin layer. It is advisable not to overlap the surface of one sheet with another. Do not use newspapers or magazines, as printing ink can be absorbed into the collected foliage and thus get into the human body. In a warm dry place with regular turning (it should be done twice a day) the greens will acquire the desired consistency in two days.

In order to preserve all the beneficial properties of the plant, the storage of dried leaves should be carried out in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid, away from direct sunlight. The option of storage in linen bags made of cloth. It is most useful to use leaves cooked for winter for 1 year, but if the right conditions are met, it is possible to increase the shelf life up to 2-3 years.

There is a very interesting way of drying the currant leaves for tea, called "fermentation." In order for the currant flavor to be most fully revealed when brewing, the leaves of the shrub are dried in a special way.

• On the day laid out on a tray in the shade.
• After partial drying, it is rolled into several rolls.
• These blanks are placed in a container and covered with a clean, damp cloth for 10 hours. The ambient temperature should not be below 25 degrees. Above - the leaves may become moldy.
• Rolls should be pretty dark, after which they need to be dried in the oven at low temperature - about 100 degrees. The leaves themselves will say about the readiness of tea: they must break when pressed.

Before drying the convolutions in the oven, you can perform some operations with them: cut them into large or small pieces, and also scroll in a meat grinder. Such methods will allow you to prepare large-and small-leaf tea, as well as granulated. With this method, it is convenient then to brew the drink in one mug using special brewing containers. It does not always require a large amount of tea, and portioned preparation will always allow you to drink a fresh flavored drink.

Currant leaves can be used both for preparing a drink from one ingredient, and for brewing a collection based on several medicinal fragrant plants. Currant greens combined with leaves of raspberry, mint, St. John's wort.

Currant tea is made according to this principle: one tablespoon of crushed leaves is brewed with a cup of boiling water. After 10-15 minutes, the drink will be ready. To improve the taste, you can add sweeteners: sugar, honey, jam. You can also cool the tea, and you get a great vitamin remedy to quench your thirst in the summer heat.

There is another way to properly brew currant drink. It also requires a favorite classic tea, which will give the necessary tartness. In the tea pot put 1 tablespoon of a tea, and the same amount of crushed dried leaves of black or red currant. Pour boiling water in the amount of 300 ml. After 15-20 minutes, the tea leaves are ready for use.

In order to calm the naughty nerves and feed the body with energy, you can try to make a decoction based on mint and currant leaves. To do this, in equal proportions take a handful of leaves of both plants and pour boiling water. The broth is used by diluting one third of the glass with warm water. The medicinal effect will increase when honey is added to the warm liquid.

To prepare a drink from fermented currant leaves, the recipe is slightly modified. For 1 glass of drink 1 teaspoon of leaves is needed. It is not necessary to insist on such a welding. Only 5 minutes, and healthy aromatic tea is ready. Due to the unusual method of drying the leaves, this broth will be more fragrant and slightly darker in color. However, this does not affect the benefits of the product.

When pickling cucumbers, zucchini, mushrooms and other vegetables in the brine currant leaves are also used. They give a tart pleasant aroma to the finished dish.

Apply wonderful leaves and in cosmetology. If you have problems with skin rashes, you can make a face mask of fresh leaves. To do this, gruel of chopped green currant should be applied to the face for 15-20 minutes, then rinse with water and smear the skin with your favorite cream.

For hair, you can also use the life-giving power of black currant leaves. She will give them shine and health. Half a cup of crushed leaves must be filled with boiling water, and then put the liquid in a thermos. After waiting three hours, you need to strain this product. After washing your hair with a suitable shampoo, you need to rinse your hair with a decoction and rub it into the scalp. It is recommended to do this procedure once a week. The result will manifest itself in a month.

To eliminate skin dermatitis, as well as to prevent excessive sweating, you can take twice a week bath with infusion of black currant leaves. To do this, boil in five liters of water for 5 minutes about half a kilogram of dried and crushed leaves. After boiling, give the broth to infuse and then add to warm water. The overall temperature of the water in the bath should not exceed 38 degrees.

The procedure takes about 20 minutes. Then you need to allow the skin to dry on its own, and not to wipe with a towel. If the child has diathesis, you can also bathe him in such a bath. Only the time spent in it is reduced to 10 minutes.

Currant leaves are a storehouse of beneficial micro and macronutrients, as well as vitamins. Using them for preventive purposes will help support the body during colds, as well as take part in the fight against other ailments. Much that is given by nature, is an excellent medicine, to all other tasty. The fact that such a product is extremely easy to get, undoubtedly, makes it even more attractive.

To learn how to make tea from currant leaves, see the next video.