The Medicinal Properties Of Rowan Ordinary

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Today, passing along the alley, planted with various deciduous species, I noticed with chagrin numerous rowan berries on the ground. Their harvest this year is extraordinary, but it saddens that the birds - waxwings came to us unusually early - are very careless about ripe berries - they peck and do not completely eat them, dropping them to the ground. The nearby fruits are showered as well.

But so far only the middle of autumn. Winter with its frosts is ahead, forecasts appear disappointing, forecasters say that it will be quite cold. Rowan berries would be very useful for birds from cold days, because they can stay on the branches for a long time. But birds do not tend to care about the future, like, for example, squirrels that store fruits, mushrooms and nuts for the winter - birds are now carelessly rejoicing in a rich harvest.

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But people can stock up on the berries of this beautiful plant, which is still widespread in our gardens and forests. What are rowan fruits useful for? And what can be useful in the flowers and berries of this plant?

Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) is a shrub or tree from 3 to 15-20 meters high. This plant in our country is widespread in almost the entire European part, in Siberia. It even penetrates into some northern regions, because it is winter hardy. It can be found on the edges and outskirts of forests, along river banks, or on mountain slopes, because it is also drought-resistant.

Rowan stands out among other deciduous trees and shrubs with its foliage - they are alternate, odd-pinnate - on a flexible, strong petiole up to 20 cm long, more than ten oblong leaves are placed oppositely - in spring and summer they are green (below - grayish-gray), and in autumn they turn purple …

Rowan has beautiful inflorescences visible from a distance - a dense shield with many small white flowers. But you shouldn't approach them and smell the flowering inflorescence: the aroma can be disappointing - it is not very pleasant, bitter.

Rowan blooms in May - June, and by autumn, numerous small fruits are formed and ripen, collected in bunches - they are spherical, slightly resembling small apples in their shape. By the time of ripening in late August - early September, the berries acquire a red-orange color. The fruit tastes bitter with a tart aftertaste. After they get frozen, the bitterness in them decreases. These berries are readily eaten by many birds, especially those that remain with us for the winter. What do they find in them?

Studies have shown that the fruits of mountain ash contain a lot of useful substances, which are useful not only for birds, but also for people. For example, they have a high content of vitamin C (up to 100 mg per 100 g), carotene (up to 15 mg), there are vitamins B2, K, E. They also have sugars (mainly fructose), apple, lemon, wine, folic, succinic, oxalic, sorbic acids. But it is known that sorbic acid has a bacteriostatic effect. It inhibits the growth of bacteria and molds.

Found in fruits are tannins and pectin substances, amino acids, essential oils, phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins and many other useful substances.

Since time immemorial, the fruits of mountain ash have been used for medicinal purposes. Official medicine now uses them mainly as a multivitamin, as well as a valuable raw material containing carotene.

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Procurement of raw materials. To obtain medicinal raw materials, ripe rowan berries are harvested. They are removed from trees or shrubs in August or September (depending on the terrain and weather conditions of the season), separated from the stalks and twigs and dried, spreading them in a thin layer on the fabric in ventilated rooms, if the weather is dry, or in dryers at a temperature of + 40 … + 60 ° C.

It is recommended to store dry raw materials in paper bags or sacks, protect from dampness. It retains its beneficial properties for up to two years. In pharmacies, dried rowan berries are sold packaged in packages from 30 to 100 g.

In the pharmacy annotation to this medicinal raw material it is written: promotes an increase in the secretory function of the stomach and the secretion of bile, the binding and removal of toxins and excess carbohydrates. It also has diuretic, hypotensive properties. It has a general strengthening effect on the body. Indications for use: prevention of hypo- and avitaminosis.

For medicinal purposes, everyone can also freeze rowan berries in the refrigerator, and, if necessary, use them for their intended purpose.

In order to always have this remedy at hand, you can plant one or two rowan plants in your garden or in your summer cottage. In addition to providing you with their fruits, they will also decorate the site. Rowan is very beautiful in spring during flowering, but it looks unusually beautiful against the background of the blue autumn sky, hung with bright clusters of its fruits.

In pharmacies, you can also find syrup from the fruits of mountain ash.

In folk medicine, rowan syrup (1 kg of berries per 0.6 kg of sugar) is used in the treatment of polyarthritis and diseases of the urinary system, including for removing sand from the kidneys, with stones in the kidneys, bladder, and also in violation of salt metabolism.

In general, in folk medicine, the use of preparations from mountain ash is unusually wide. It uses not only the fruits of this plant, but also its flowers, as well as the bark. Mountain ash preparations are used as a vitamin, diuretic, laxative, anti-dysentery agent. They are used for gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice, hemorrhoids, kidney and liver diseases, atherosclerosis, bleeding; decoction (inside) - with hypovitaminosis (vitamin deficiency), general weakness.

Mountain ash juice - for anemia, asthenia, gout, hemorrhoids, low acidity of gastric juice, gastritis. Dried fruits are good for diarrhea.

A decoction of rowan berries

To prepare it, 1 tablespoon of dry crushed rowan fruits is poured into 300 ml of water and boiled for 10 minutes. Then, having wrapped, they insist for one hour in a sealed container in a warm place. After that, the remaining raw materials are squeezed out, the liquid is filtered. Drink the resulting broth in equal portions three times a day before meals with vitamin deficiency, anemia, diabetes mellitus, menopause, after radiation exposure.

Vitamin tea with rowan and rose hips

To get it, you need to mix the fruits of mountain ash and rose hips in equal parts. Then pour 1 tablespoon of the resulting mixture with half a liter of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes, then strain. Drink one glass of this tea three times a day with atherosclerosis, spring vitamin deficiencies, with long-lasting debilitating diseases. For convenience, this tea can be brewed in a thermos.

Heals rowan juice

Fresh fruit juice is taken 1 teaspoon 4 times a day half an hour before meals with low gastric acidity. The dosage must be strictly observed. Also, traditional healers recommend it for cholecystitis, vitamin deficiency.

Fresh juice is also used externally to treat papillomas and warts.

Mountain ash medicinal tincture

To obtain it, 200 g of rowan berries are poured with a liter of vodka. Insist in a dark place for two weeks. Then the liquid is filtered.

Take tincture in small doses - 1 teaspoon three times a day. Store the tincture in a dark and cool place. Used as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent.

Contraindications

You can not use the fruits of mountain ash ordinary with a tendency to increased blood coagulability, thrombosis and thrombophlebitis, as well as peptic ulcer and gastritis with high acidity.

And, of course, a consultation with a doctor never hurts.

E. Valentinov

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