Fresh hawthorn berries, the benefits and harms of which will be discussed further, are fruits that are very useful for humans. Walking through the forest, you can see the bushes of this plant, strewn with red-blooded fruits. They are quite tasty and healing power.

The ancient Greeks cooked from these ground hawthorn fruits delicious bread, even then people appreciated the uniqueness of these berries, and they were also credited with magical power, for this purpose, the spines of the plant were strengthened at front door to scare away evil spirits. The cradle of the baby was decorated with branches, as such a ritual frightened off diseases.

What are the beneficial properties of the hawthorn berry?

Currently, hawthorn berries are highly valued, and all because they are endowed with many healing components that must be listed: vitamins A, K, E, vitamin C, there is choline, fructose, tannins, starch, pectin, sorbitol, essential oils, organic acids. In addition, they also contain mineral compounds: molybdenum, iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium.

Berries promote elimination toxic substances from the body, as well as some poisons. They have antioxidant properties, normalize blood circulation, protect blood vessels from any damage.

In addition, this plant also has decorative qualities, but do not forget about healing power these fruits. You can note following impacts on the body: anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antimicrobial, as well as vasodilating, antioxidant, diuretic, antitumor, choleretic, cardiostimulating, and hepatoprotective.

Hawthorn fruits can treat many heart diseases, as they restore its work with bradycardia, tachycardia, improve the patient's condition with heart failure, relieve pain in chest dilates blood vessels.

These fruits have been used in official medicine, since hawthorn tincture is prepared from them, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. Doctors have estimated that these fruits improve blood circulation, and also supply oxygen not only to the heart, but also to the brain and blood vessels.

Herbal medicines based on these berries are in demand not only in cardiology, but also in pediatrics, therapy and neurology. They are prescribed for heart attack, for pain in the heart, for neuritis, for hypertension, for migraine, for atherosclerosis, for insomnia, for angina pectoris, after any cardiac interventions, for nervous overwork, for stressful situations, with epilepsy.

This list can be continued, so, hawthorn berries are used for nervousness, in hysterical conditions, in complex treatment herpes virus, with allergies, with dermatitis, colitis, diarrhea, an effective herbal remedy for reduced immunity, with colds and viral, diabetes, hepatic colic, hypothyroidism, rheumatism, in addition, with liver diseases, as well as menopause.

Do hawthorn berries have contraindications for use?

In general, hawthorn berries are harmless to the body, but there are also contraindications in which they cannot be used. Consider them in detail.

Berries, as well as phytopreparations that are prepared on the basis of these fruits, should not be used under the age of twelve. In addition, they are contraindicated in pregnant women and women in the lactation period.

Usually the recommended dosage of berries is 150 grams per day, if consumed in more, you can harm the body, for example, a person can have a sharp drop in blood pressure, and nausea can also develop, sometimes developing into vomiting.

In addition, changes in the work of the intestines will be noted, in particular, loose stools will appear, and drowsiness will also join, therefore, in order to avoid all of the above negative phenomena, it is necessary to observe moderation in their use.

You can not take a decoction of berries, as well as a tincture prepared on the basis of these fruits on an empty stomach, otherwise you cannot avoid intestinal spasms, as well as vascular disorders. In addition, nausea and even vomiting may occur, as well as pain in the abdomen.

It is contraindicated to use hawthorn fruits in conjunction with antiarrhythmic drugs, unless the attending physician prescribes otherwise. It is worth noting that eating unripe fruits can lead to poisoning, so you need to make sure that children do not eat these berries.

Hawthorn should not be taken by those people who have been diagnosed with hypotension, otherwise it can greatly decrease blood pressure, the patient will have to urgently carry out symptomatic measures.

Before using hawthorn berries, it will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with its beneficial properties, and it is also worth focusing on contraindications to the use of these fruits.

Conclusion

Before using these healing berries- Be sure to consult your doctor.

Flowers and fruits of hawthorn bring great health benefits. The plant is used for the treatment and prevention of vascular and heart diseases, normalization of digestion and pressure, overcoming insomnia, overwork, and eliminating nervous strain.

Interestingly, the berries of wild varieties were already used in ancient Asia. In the 16th century, the first cultivated species were bred. Initially, hawthorn, the beneficial properties and contraindications for which are described in detail in this article, was used to eliminate loose stools that appeared with dysentery. Then it began to be used to improve the condition of blood vessels and heart function.

Composition

It should be noted that the exact composition of the hawthorn plant is still unknown. Beneficial features(and there are practically no contraindications for use) plants allow it to be used in treatment various diseases. There is an opinion that healing effect achieved by plant polyphenols, flavonoids. In addition to giving the fruits a certain color, they help eliminate the fragility of the walls of blood vessels, neutralize free radicals in the body. The composition of the hawthorn can be distinguished:

Hawthorn fruits also benefit from the properties of the acids included in their composition:

• oleanolic- improves brain function, blood supply to the heart and tones;
• ursolic- has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect;
• coffee- differs in antibacterial properties, besides, promotes active release of bile;
• chlorogenic- useful for the normalization of the liver, kidneys, has a choleretic and anti-sclerotic effect.

The fruits of this plant contain a lot of provitamin A, carotene, vitamins E, C, K. In terms of the amount of carotene, some varieties are comparable to rose hips or carrots. The fruits contain sugar and sorbitol, which is recommended in case of diabetes. They also contain a lot of calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, trace elements of copper, manganese, zinc. After freezing, the amount of tannins decreases, while the berries become less tart and sweeter.

Medicinal and cosmetic properties

The use of flowers and fruits of the plant in the form of tincture, infusion, decoction benefits the human body, has various systems and organs complex impact. IN cosmetics the plant helps restore skin moisture. Creams with it in the composition relieve swelling, tone up, eliminate any manifestations of age-related changes.

A heart

What are the beneficial properties of hawthorn? And contraindications before starting its use in treatment must be taken into account, but we will dwell on them later. He renders vasodilating action and at the same time tones the heart muscle, ensuring a normal supply of oxygen. The rhythm is set, the frequency decreases, the force of contractions of the organ increases. This reduces fatigue, reduces excitability, improves cerebral circulation and coronary circulation. Hawthorn is useful in reducing the manifestations of atrial fibrillation, as well as eliminating tachycardia.

Vessels

Hawthorn fruits normalize cholesterol levels, blood clotting indicators, and also prevent the occurrence of atherosclerotic plaques. They are used for spasms of blood vessels.

Digestive system

The use of tinctures and infusions helps with gastritis, flatulence, difficult digestion in young children. To fight liquid stool hawthorn is also used. Useful properties (and, unfortunately, there are contraindications) of its fruits and flowers allow you to cope with dizziness, headache, and shortness of breath. The substances contained in hawthorn prevent the appearance of various types of tumors, improve immunity, and help restore strength after suffering infectious diseases. Young nursing mothers use it to stimulate milk production.

Nervous system

The benefit of hawthorn also lies in the fact that it has a sedative effect. This useful plant reduces the excitability of the nervous system, contributes to the normalization of sleep, helps to eliminate insomnia.

Pharmacy funds

For the preparation of medicinal preparations that have a number of useful properties, the fruits and flowers of red and prickly hawthorn plants are used. They are well studied and contain a large number of compounds that normalize the functioning of the heart.

It should be emphasized that today you can buy the fruits of the plant in various dosage forms: it is a powder, herbal raw materials, tincture, lozenges, extract. Means containing hawthorn in their composition help to eliminate arrhythmias, are used to lower cholesterol levels, calm the central nervous system, normalize blood clotting, increase milk production, and in infants - to eliminate impaired digestion.

decline blood pressure- this is the ability that the flowers of the hawthorn plant possess (the instructions for the preparations are always attached and you must first read it). Tincture from it is prepared from dry crushed fruits in alcohol.

Consider some preparations containing hawthorn in one form or another:

1. "Cardiovalen"- these are drops that, thanks to valerian tincture, adonizide, hawthorn extract, which are part of them, have the ability to increase the strength of heart contractions, in addition, they have a sedative effect.
2. "Fitorelax", produced in the form of tablets, includes an extract of hawthorn flowers and valerian rhizome. Benefits due to sedative properties, allows you to cope with increased nervous excitability, insomnia.
3. "Valemidin" is an alcohol drops designed to eliminate spasm of internal organs and vascular smooth muscles. They also have a sedative effect.
4. "Amrita" is an elixir in the form of a mixture of water-alcohol extracts of wild rose, ginger, elecampane, juniper, cardamom, hawthorn and licorice, thyme. Its medicinal properties and benefits are manifested by a tonic and tonic effect.
5. "Kedrovit" made in the form of an elixir. It increases the resistance of the human body, tones up, helps to cope faster with overwork. It includes fruits and flowers of hawthorn, Pine nuts, Birch buds, chokeberry berries, honey.

Also interesting is the drug "Demidov Syrup", which removes spasm of smooth muscles, has an effective choleretic action, reduces the occurrence of gases, while stimulating peristalsis. Includes birch buds, calamus, hawthorn fruits, oregano, oak bark.

Brewing hawthorn at home

It is useful to drink diluted fruit juice in season. It normalizes the digestive tract and improves blood circulation.

hawthorn tea

Put in a thermos in the evening medicinal hawthorn(20 berries), add a little wild rose, pour a liter of boiling water. Already ready in the morning healthy tea. It is better to brew whole fruits, since in this case more healing substances. You can also prepare an infusion of dried hawthorn flowers and fruits - it has a huge amount of useful properties.

hawthorn tincture

Hawthorn tincture is prepared from crushed dried flowers or fruits. It can be used for angina and hypertension. The prepared components are infused on vodka for two weeks at the rate of 4 tablespoons of raw materials per 2 glasses of vodka. The resulting tincture is filtered. It is used with water 30 drops an hour before a meal.

Infusion

Most easy recipe its preparation at home - boil whole berries with boiling water and leave in a thermos overnight at the rate of 2 handfuls of fruits per liter of boiling water. Drink three times a day for a third of a glass. The infusion is useful for angina pectoris, arrhythmias, and also for getting rid of nervous excitement. Crushed berries will turn out to brew faster. It is necessary to pour a spoonful of fruit into a glass hot water. Half an hour later, treatment home remedy completely ready. Drink a third of a glass each time before meals.

Contraindications

Any plant can be beneficial if used correctly, this is especially important for heart disease. Before you start using hawthorn on your own, you need to consult a specialist, especially in case of severe disorders of the kidneys or heart. Although hawthorn has useful properties, there are also contraindications to its use. What is the danger?

1. Long-term use can cause an increase in heart rate.
2. Application of fruits in too in large numbers can cause poisoning.
3. Taking medicines from it on an empty stomach can cause vasospasm or intestinal spasm, and vomiting can also begin. In such a situation, it is necessary to take tinctures and infusions a couple of hours after eating, reduce the dose or concentration of the agent.
4. Don't drink right away cool water in the treatment of hawthorn, otherwise paroxysmal pains, intestinal colic may begin.

In addition, doctors advise hypotensive patients in some cases (for effective use useful properties of the plant in the treatment of heart disease) use infusions of flowers, not the fruits of the plant.

Hawthorn is used in medicine and cooking. Hawthorn extract is sold in pharmacies in the form of tablets, capsules or liquids. Berries, flowers, leaves, stems and even the bark of a plant are useful for the body.

Due to its tart, but at the same time sweet taste, hawthorn is used in cooking. Jam, marmalade, jelly and marshmallow are prepared from it. Hawthorn is added to candy and pastry fillings, and the berries are sometimes eaten raw. Hawthorn is used to make wine, tinctures and healthy teas.

Composition of hawthorn

Hawthorn has unique composition. It contains fiber folic acid, tannins and . Hawthorn contains a lot of flavonoids and phenolic acids.

Vitamins from the daily norm:

• A - 259%;
• C - 100%;
• E - 13.3%.

Minerals from the daily norm:

Hawthorn calorie - 52 kcal per 100 gr.

Hawthorn is used as medicine in different areas medicine. Useful berries, leaves and stems of the plant.

For joints

Hawthorn extract is useful for arthritis and gout. It helps retain protein and collagen in the body, which protect joints from damage and allow them to move easily. The use of hawthorn will prevent and prevent these diseases.

For the heart and blood vessels

The heart and blood vessels receive the greatest benefit from hawthorn. Thanks to hawthorn extract, you can cope with heart failure, chest pain, arrhythmia, normalize blood pressure, get rid of atherosclerosis and lower cholesterol.

Chest pain is sometimes mistaken for symptoms heart attack, but they can also indicate angina pectoris. Hawthorn will reduce pain and prevent their recurrence. Antioxidants and organic compounds in hawthorn have a positive effect on heart health. It is useful for both hypotension and hypertension.

In heart failure, the heart cannot pump enough blood to provide nutrients and oxygen. internal organs. Hawthorn will cope with this problem - it will improve the work of the heart, strengthen the heart muscles and eliminate shortness of breath. Berries dilate blood vessels, improving blood circulation.

For nerves

The enzymes in hawthorn affect the hormones in the body. It helps fight depression chronic fatigue and the effects of stress.

For the gastrointestinal tract

Organic compounds and fiber in the hawthorn interact with the intestinal microflora and normalize its work. Hawthorn improves digestion and breakdown of food in the stomach, increases metabolism, eliminates constipation, cramps and bloating, and also fights against intestinal infections. With the help of hawthorn, you can get rid of the tapeworm and tapeworms.

For kidneys and bladder

Hawthorn is one of the diuretics - means that help the body get rid of excess fluid. It stimulates the kidneys and increases the excretion of salts in the urine.

Hawthorn improves performance Bladder and treats kidney disease.

For skin

Hawthorn is useful for topical application thanks to antioxidants. It is effective for ulcers, acne and burns. Hawthorn relieves inflammation and itching, and also helps wounds heal quickly.

Hawthorn is used for eczema and psoriasis. With the help of the extract, you can reduce the number of wrinkles and slow down the appearance process, as well as prevent the formation of age age spots on the skin.

For immunity

Hawthorn removes toxins from the body. Vitamin C in hawthorn increases leukocyte activity and improves general state immune system.

Tea based on hawthorn berries is a warm drink that contains antioxidants, malic and citric acids, minerals and flavonoids.

Hawthorn tea tones the body.

You can make your own drink at home. For this you need:

1. Place hawthorn berries in boiling water in a ratio of 1 tbsp. berries per 1 liter of water.
2. Boil for 8-10 minutes.
3. Strain the decoction, removing the berries.

Tea is drunk hot. You can add honey to improve the taste. Add honey only to warm tea, otherwise it loses.

The tincture is considered one of effective ways get the most out of hawthorn berries. It is prepared using highly concentrated alcohol. You can replace alcohol apple cider vinegar, but this will reduce the beneficial properties of the tincture. Ready hawthorn tincture is taken in doses. One dose should not exceed 15 drops of the product.

Hawthorn is a tall deciduous shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Pink. The culture is widespread in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, in wild nature hawthorn can be found in North America and throughout Eurasia.

Decorative and medicinal plant, which is an excellent honey plant, can live up to 300 years. Hawthorn fruits, which are small apples, ranging in size from ½ to 4 cm, formed from a gynoecium, overgrown with hypanthium on the outside, with hard seeds (from 2 to 5 pieces), are eaten and used as medicinal raw materials.

Hawthorn fruit photo benefit and harm

Various varieties of this crop, common in our latitudes, for example, large-fruited hawthorn and blood-red hawthorn, are highly valuable medicines.

From the bark, flowers, leaves and young shoots, unique medical preparations, and the plant is used both in traditional pharmacology and in traditional medicine. In terms of healing properties, hawthorn is as unique as the well-known dog rose.

Today we will talk about the fruits of hawthorn, their benefits and harms, the spectrum of effects on human body and ways of using. IN medicinal purposes fresh berries are used, but dried or frozen fruits retain almost all biologically active phytonutrients.

Freshly picked hawthorn is an excellent raw material for making jam, marmalade, jam, marmalade, compote, jelly, wine, liquor. Vitamin teas are brewed from all types of berries, water and alcohol extracts (infusions, decoctions, tinctures) are prepared.

That is why experienced gardeners, on whose plots hawthorn grows, as well as everyone who knows about the therapeutic qualities of this plant, harvest fruits for future use, collecting them in ecologically clean forests in order to take care of their health throughout the year.

Buy dried hawthorn You can also in the pharmacy network. Another option is to order the product online, but you can only get full confidence in the quality of the berries by picking and drying them yourself.

Hawthorn berries - benefits and harms, how to take

Ripe berries in fresh have a sweetish taste and mealy texture.

They contain the following chemical compounds:

• vitamins (carotenoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, K, PP);
• choline and acetylcholine;
• quercetin;
• minerals (potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, aluminum, batt, iodine, manganese, etc.);
• antioxidants;
• triterpenic acids (ursolic, oleanic, krategic);
• organic acids (tartaric and citric);
• fiber (dietary fiber);
• pectins;
• bioflavonoids;
• sugars, including fructose;
• saponins;
• phytosterols;
• glycosides;
• tannins;
• essential oil.

So powerful biochemical composition puts hawthorn berries on a par with medicines.

It is not recommended to consume more than one glass of fresh fruits per day, since the cardiac glycosides present in the composition (hyperoside, pinnatifidine, vitexin, acetyltexin, etc.), caffeic and chlorogenic acids and other active compounds can lead to jumps blood pressure and disruption of the rhythm of myocardial contractions.

Main medicinal properties hawthorn berries:

• cardiotonic;
• venotonic;
• antispasmodic;
• vasodilating;
• hypocholesterol;
• sedative;
• cleansing;
• astringent;
• blood-purifying;
• immunomodulatory;
• anti-stress;
• hypotensive;
• anti-inflammatory;
• antiseptic;
• diuretic;
• antimicrobial;
• vitaminizing;
• antioxidant;
• tonic.

The use of berries and all types of products from them has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and nervous, endocrine and immune, digestive and excretory, reproductive and musculoskeletal system and improves cerebral circulation.

Large-fruited hawthorn - benefits and harms

Large-fruited varieties of hawthorn are grown with pleasure by many summer residents in their garden to pick berries that are used for culinary and medicinal purposes.

Hawthorn (all species permitted for consumption) is used for the following pathological conditions(table):

hawthorn jam

We bring to your attention a proven recipe for harvesting hawthorn for the winter. Delicious and nutritious jam will help you be healthy at any time of the year.

Recipe

2 kg of washed hawthorn fruits are placed in an enameled pan, poured with a liter clean water, bring to a boil on the stove, and boil until soft for about a quarter of an hour. The broth is infused for 15 minutes, and then the liquid is poured into a separate bowl. Soft fruits are ground through a sieve, separating hard seeds and skin.

The resulting puree is mixed with 1.6 kg of granulated sugar, 6 g citric acid and a decoction of berries. Jam is cooked for about 25 minutes over medium-low heat.

The finished product should easily lag behind the walls of the pan. The hot mass is poured into sterile dry jars and rolled up with tin lids. Eat 1-6 teaspoons of jam per day as a dessert, for example, with tea or milk, dividing the portion into 2-3 doses.

Tea from hawthorn fruit: benefits and preparation

Vitamin berry tea is good for most of us. If you have no health contraindications, then this tea will help to saturate the body with vitamins, strengthen the heart muscle, cleanse the intestines of toxins, and strengthen the immune system.

It is best to add an infusion of hawthorn berries to green tea. A tablespoon of dry fruits is poured with a glass of boiling water, the container is covered with a lid, insisted for a quarter of an hour and filtered.

The resulting medicine is added in an amount of 40-50 ml for each camp of green tea brewed according to the usual rules and consumed 1-2 times a day.

The benefits of hawthorn tincture

An alcohol extract from hawthorn fruits can be purchased at any pharmacy or prepared independently (for 1 part of dry raw materials, 10 parts of medical alcohol are taken, with a strength of 70 °; infuse in a tightly sealed dark glass bottle for 21 days in a shaded place, filter).

Such a popular dosage form improves the functioning of the heart, helps with atherosclerosis and in recovery. nervous system. Regular intake of tincture is useful for people with high blood pressure, as it brings the indicators back to normal.

Hawthorn tincture has proven itself not only in improving the condition of the myocardium and blood vessels, but as a mild sedative. The medicine is useful for frequent stress, vasospasm, elevated level cholesterol, as a rejuvenating, tonic, immunomodulatory and restorative agent.

Hawthorn decoction

Another popular form of cooking hawthorn is a decoction. According to doctors traditional medicine, it helps with nervous overload, heart neurosis, heart cough, shortness of breath, asthma, hypertension, rheumatism, heart rhythm disturbances like atrial tachycardia.

• It is believed that a decoction of berries stimulates lactation and relieves unpleasant ones.

To preserve all the beneficial properties of fruits, it is important to brew them correctly. 15 g of dried raw materials are poured into a glass of hot water in an enamel bowl, which is simmered in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Next, the composition is cooled at room temperature for about 45 minutes and filtered, squeezing soft fruits through gauze.

The resulting liquid is brought to a volume of 200 ml. boiled water. Take a decoction of hawthorn 100 ml 2 times a day half an hour before meals.

The harm of hawthorn for health

Undoubted harm can bring hawthorn berries if the dosage is exceeded. The same applies to any dosage forms plant based. In order not to cause irreparable harm, carefully read the instructions for preparations from hawthorn. The duration of administration and individual dosage should be prescribed only by the attending physician.

A contraindication to the use of hawthorn is an allergy to its fruits, age up to 12 years, the presence of the following chronic diseases: atrial fibrillation, heart disease, apato-abulic syndrome, asthenoneurotic syndrome, hypotension, autism, oligophrenia, delays mental development, depression, kidney failure, toxicosis, chronic fatigue syndrome.

Extracts from hawthorn should not be taken simultaneously with drugs against arrhythmias. If you have chronic pathologies heart and blood vessels, as well as when observing a specialist for many disorders in the functioning of organs and systems, taking drugs based on the fruits of the plant is possible only after agreement with the doctor.

Starting to use hawthorn, tea, infusion, decoction or tincture, carefully listen to your body, especially in the early days. It is he who will help you determine how healthy this or that product is.

Be healthy!

Since ancient times, people have used healing power plants. Bright red fruits, which have truly miraculous healing properties, are still popular today, both among the luminaries of medicine and among supporters non-traditional methods, after all delicious berries carry healing from numerous diseases.

Common hawthorn is a plant whose life span is surprisingly long: it reaches three hundred years or more. The tree has a hard wood to the touch, which allows it to endure strong temperature fluctuations. The shoots are strewn with thorns. During flowering, the plant is densely covered with buds of white or white-pink color.

The fruits are fleshy, elongated, mostly red, but there are also purple, black, orange.

There are many subspecies of hawthorn. For the most part, the place of growth - middle lane, but also in the subtropics and in cold regions you can find varieties of a plant that has adapted to harsh conditions. With the advent of winter, the shoots gradually lose their leafy cover.

Main places of growth:

• edges
• ravines
• undergrowth
• mountain slopes
• river banks

Scientists in most countries of the world use hawthorn for medicinal purposes. Many plant varieties are officially recognized, these subspecies are actively used by traditional healers.

There are a myriad of species of hawthorn, up to 1500. On the territory of the Russian Federation, you can find up to 40 subspecies of the plant. The most useful of them is the blood-red hawthorn, which rightly occupies a leading position in medicine. For medicinal purposes, flowers, hawthorn bark are used, but berries are especially useful, sweet and pleasant in taste, they are a storehouse of the most useful substances for the body.

The healing properties of the plant are due to the special composition of its berries, flowers and leaves:

1. many fruits essential oils, flavonoids, starch, vitamins (A, C, E)
2. lots of fatty oils in the bones are successfully used in the treatment of dysinteria
3. source of acids and essential extracts - flowers

Organic acids, tannins in the composition make it indispensable in the prevention and treatment of many diseases.

The most popular in medicine is the blood-red hawthorn, the plant is used in the treatment of many diseases:

• is a widely recognized means of preventing strokes
• berries contain large reserves of ursulic acid, which enhances the process of blood circulation in the vessels of the heart and brain
• used as a means to help remove excess bile from the body
• helps in the fight against cholecystitis
• improves metabolic processes
• contributes to the normalization of body weight (pectins in the composition of berries contribute to the activation metabolic processes in organism)

• the occurrence of edema
• allergic reactions
• rheumatoid arthritis
• migraines, dizziness
• sleep disorders
• reduced immunity
• diseases of the heart muscle and malfunctions in its work
• increased nervous excitability
• depression, stress
• epileptic seizures
• hysteria
• irritability
• hypertension (as a means of normalizing blood pressure)
• diabetes mellitus (normalizes blood sugar)
• atherosclerotic manifestations (destroys cholesterol plaques and prevents their occurrence)

In addition, hawthorn fruits are used for cooking delicious compotes, mousses, preserves, jams, marmalade - an appetizing medicine helps to increase immunity.

Like any drug, hawthorn, in addition to benefits, can cause significant harm to the body. This will happen if the drug is used uncontrollably, without following any treatment regimen, in increased dosages.

In such cases, such unpleasant symptoms can be observed:

• Malfunctions in the digestive tract.
• Low blood pressure
• renal dysfunction.
• Arrhythmias of the heart.

Before use, you should visit a doctor and carefully read the instructions for using the drug. Women during pregnancy and lactation use only on the advice of a doctor!

The plant blooms profusely, but not for long (about four days). Before harvesting, you need to make sure that it is completely healthy. The flowering period begins in late spring (early summer) and at the same time it is already possible to start harvesting hawthorn.

Dry weather is best for harvesting (towards the end of October). The fact that the berries are ripe is determined by their color: deep red. In the leaves of a plant useful substances much less, however, they are also used in the workpiece.

The following methods are used in the preparation:

1. Drying.
2. Freeze.

Before drying, you must:

• rinse thoroughly to remove impurities
• lay out on prepared parchment
• dry for several days, turning from time to time

If the workpiece takes place in special dryers, then the temperature in them should not be higher than 60 degrees. You can also dry in the oven, with the door open, maintaining a temperature of forty degrees. Another, the most common drying method: simply spread out on a sun-protected surface with good air access, until completely dry. You can determine whether the hawthorn is completely dried by squeezing a handful of fruits in your hand. Ready berries are easily separated from each other, have a slight aftertaste of bitterness and a specific smell.

When dry, hawthorn should be placed in cloth bags, wooden boxes lined with parchment, foil or glassware and thus stored. Take it out with a dry hand to avoid moisture penetration. The shelf life is no more than 2 years.

Some berry lovers keep them in blanks:

• jam
• jam
• tincture

Preparing the tincture:

1. pour dried flowers with boiling water (one to one)
2. insist half an hour
3. strain and roll into glass jars

More information can be found in the video:

Juice preparation:

1. Wash 1000 g of fruits thoroughly, cook for 2 hours in a small amount of water
2. grind through a sieve, add 0.5 kg of sugar, a liter of water
3. boil
4. remove from fire
5. pour into glass jars, roll up

Jam making:

1. 1000 g of fruit pour 1 tbsp. water
2. add 0.5 kg of sugar
3. cook until thick
4. cool, roll up in prepared jars

Compote is the most difficult to prepare:

1. seeds removed from berries
2. pour syrup with 30% sugar
3. insist at least 10 hours
4. drain the infusion
5. boil
6. soak the berries and put them on the bottom of sterilized glass jars
7. pour the resulting infusion
8. roll up

Subject to necessary rules, frozen hawthorn fruits do not lose their healing properties. The product is frozen quickly, tightly packed in containers, in the freezer.

Besides, good way: scroll the fruits with a meat grinder or chop in a blender, and then put the resulting mass in cellophane or containers and freeze them. In this case, small portions are better - this factor affects the safety of vitamins.

The frozen product can be used for the same purposes as the dried one:

• in the preparation of various teas and medicinal infusions
• as a component or the main component of fruit drinks, compotes
• as food additive, in various variations of dishes

Hawthorn is a natural remedy, this is its main advantage compared to chemical counterparts. However, this plant can have a strong effect on the body, so you should not use it on your own, without the supervision of your doctor.