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The beneficial properties of pine needles and contraindications are the subject of heated discussions in folk medicine. Pine tree needles are used to treat dozens of ailments, and it is very interesting to find out exactly what properties they are valued so highly for.
What are the benefits of pine needles?
It is not without reason that pine needles are used for colds and inflammatory ailments. Conifer needles have, first of all, strong antiseptic, strengthening and healing properties; they can be used either separately or in combination with other folk and pharmaceutical remedies.
What does pine needles contain?
The benefits of pine needles are determined by its chemical composition. Young pine needles contain the following components:
- ascorbic acid;
- vitamins E and B;
- quite rare vitamin K;
- vitamin P;
- carotene, and this component is present in pine needles even more than in carrots;
- phytoncides;
- tannins;
- oleic, benzoic and stearic acids;
- calcium and phosphorus;
- copper and manganese;
- iron and zinc;
- magnesium;
- cobalt.
Also, pine needles contain a huge amount of essential oil, which has increased medicinal value.
What does pine needles cure?
Pine needles are one of the few folk remedies whose effectiveness is recognized and actively used by official medicine. In one form or another, fresh and dried pine needles are used to treat:
- colds - cough, runny nose, sore throat, tracheitis and bronchitis, ARVI and influenza;
- gynecological inflammations - pine needles help with fungal infections and bacterial processes in the genitourinary tract in men and women;
- diseases of the oral cavity - gingivitis, stomatitis, caries, periodontal disease;
- digestive ailments - gastritis and ulcers, cholecystitis and pancreatitis;
- cardiovascular diseases - pine needles have a powerful preventive and therapeutic effect against atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, and poor blood supply to the brain.
Pine needles are used for joint ailments - arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis and radiculitis. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, it relieves swelling of the soft tissues around the joint and relieves pain. Eating pine needles is useful for diseases of the nervous system - B vitamins, present in large volumes in pine needles, help improve well-being.
And, of course, one cannot fail to mention the calming properties of pine needles. Products based on it help to effectively combat insomnia and emotional disorders, stress and depression.
Harvesting pine needles
Since pine grows everywhere in the middle zone, it is very easy to prepare needles on your own - you don’t have to buy the raw materials at the pharmacy.At the same time, for competent preparation, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules.
- You can collect needles throughout the year, but it is best to do this in winter. During the cold period, pine needles contain the maximum amount of vitamin C and other beneficial substances.
- To collect raw materials, you need to choose places that are as clean as possible from an environmental point of view. There should be no major roads near the forest, and industrial factories and factories should also be avoided. It is better to go deeper into the forest - trees growing in the middle are the most environmentally friendly.
- When collecting raw materials, the lower branches should be cut off, and it is advisable to take no more than a couple of branches from one tree to preserve the health of the pine tree.
- For collection, you need to select young branches, but it is better not to touch the freshest shoots. If you damage them, the pine tree will suffer and may even die.
Pine needles can not only be cut from the shoots of the plant, but also picked up from the ground - from young branches that were torn off by a strong wind.
Fresh pine needles have the greatest benefits; dried pine needles contain half as much vitamins and natural acids. However, for long-term storage, the needles are often dried.
This is done as follows - cut branches are laid out in an even layer on a clean surface at room temperature and with good ventilation. When the conifer needles are completely dry, they will move away from the shoots by themselves. After this, the needles can be collected in dry glass jars and stored in a dark place.
Application of pine needles
Pine needles are mainly used for medicinal purposes. With the help of decoctions and tinctures based on it, you can:
- remove phlegm and cure bronchitis, cough and pneumonia;
- accelerate the healing of any damage to the skin - burns, cuts, scratches and boils;
- cleanse the body of toxins and toxic substances, thereby improving blood composition and reducing the load on the liver;
- facilitate the functioning of the kidneys and gall bladder - needles are an excellent diuretic and choleretic agent;
- reduce blood pressure and improve the condition of blood vessels;
- eliminate inflammatory processes of the digestive and genitourinary systems;
- reduce temperature and remove general malaise;
- relieve joint pain and improve mobility;
- normalize sleep and improve mood.
However, medicine is not the only area of application for pine needles. Needles are used in home cosmetology; as part of masks and rinses, they help take care of the beauty of hair and skin. If you put fresh pine branches in water, the needles will scent the room for a long time and also eliminate harmful microorganisms in the air.
Fresh and dried needles are actively used in gardening. First of all, it acts as a mulching material for garden trees and plants. If you scatter it over the ground in a dense layer, the needles will prevent the evaporation of moisture from the ground and prevent growth weed. In winter, needles serve as a good insulating material for the root system of heat-loving plants. And thanks to the bactericidal properties of needles, they are often used in the preparation of disinfecting solutions for spraying.
Recipes with pine needles in folk medicine
Many simple but very useful medicinal remedies are prepared using pine needles.Methods of use and dosage of drugs may vary, but in any form, pine needles have a guaranteed positive effect on the body and improve well-being.
Decoction of pine needles
A simple and useful remedy based on pine needles is a vitamin pine decoction. The drink helps well with vitamin deficiency and weakened immunity, and has a comprehensive cleansing effect due to the high amount of antioxidants. A decoction of pine needles is used to treat and prevent scurvy, after heart surgery or after chemotherapy.
Prepare the product as follows:
- about 30 g of fresh pine needles are poured into a glass of boiling water;
- Boil over low heat for 20 minutes;
- then remove from the stove and leave covered for another 2 hours;
- filter.
To improve the taste, you can add natural honey to the drink. Drink half a glass of pine decoction on a full stomach.
Pine needles also help with coughs; in this case, it would be most beneficial to brew the needles not in water, but in 500 ml of milk. Prepare the product and use it in the same way as a regular decoction.
Pine needles with rose hips and onion peels from pressure
Pine needles are beneficial for hypertension, and to increase the beneficial effect, it is recommended to mix the needles with onion peels and rose hips. The remedy is prepared as follows:
- 5 large spoons of pine needles are mixed with 3 large spoons of rose hips;
- add 2.5 tablespoons of onion peel;
- Pour the ingredients with a liter of boiling water and place on moderate heat.
After the mixture boils, it will need to be boiled for another 10 minutes, and then left for at least 12 hours. Take the strained medicinal product three times a day, half a glass. Reviews of pine needles, rose hips and onion peels indicate that the drink has a quick therapeutic effect, and when used in a course, it helps to stabilize blood pressure and no longer allow it to drop.
Pine needle tea
The benefits and harms of tea made from pine needles are widely known - the drink quickly replenishes vitamin deficiencies, strengthens the immune system and relieves discomfort in the stomach. You can prepare healthy tea as follows:
- 2 large spoons of pine needles are thoroughly chopped, while the bases of the needles need to be cut off and discarded;
- the raw materials are poured into a teapot and filled with hot water in a volume of 250 ml;
- When the tea has cooled naturally to room temperature, it is filtered through a strainer.
They drink pine tea in an amount of no more than 2-3 cups a day; you can add honey or sugar to the drink, the benefits will not be reduced, and the taste will improve. Vitamin tea contains a huge amount of vitamin C and is therefore especially effective in combating inflammation or colds.
Kvass from pine needles
Another healthy and tasty drink based on pine needles is aromatic, refreshing kvass. It’s very easy to prepare, all you need is:
- take 5 liters of regular kvass;
- pour 1 kg of fresh pine needles into it;
- leave for 24 hours so that the drink ferments properly;
- strain from the needles and pour into another vessel.
You can drink pine kvass 3-4 glasses a day, preferably on a full stomach - if you drink carbonated kvass on an empty stomach, you may experience heartburn and a feeling of heaviness.Kvass will have a strengthening effect on the body, improve your mood and help you cheer up, and in the summer heat it will also serve as an excellent refreshing drink.
Infusion of pine needles
Pine needles retain their medicinal properties in a simple infusion of water. To prepare it, you need to take 1 large spoon of thoroughly washed pine needles, pour a glass of boiling water over it, and then leave for only half an hour.
The strained and cooled product is consumed four times a day on a full stomach. Since the concentration of beneficial substances in the infusion is quite high, you need to take the drink 1 large spoon at a time - an overdose can lead to nausea and migraines.
Pine infusion is beneficial for a wide range of diseases. You can use it for joint ailments and high blood pressure, poor digestion and the first signs of a cold.
Bath with pine needles
The healing properties of pine needles are used not only internally, but also externally. In particular, for arthritis, rheumatism, osteochondrosis and other ailments, baths with the addition of fresh or dried pine needles are of great benefit.
You can prepare a pine bath in 2 ways:
- according to the first method, first prepare a pine decoction - 1 kg of needles is poured into 10 liters of cold water, left for 10 hours, then boiled for half an hour and left for another 90 minutes, after which it is poured into the prepared bath;
- According to the second method, a small bag made of permeable, clean fabric is filled with pine needles and lowered into water at a temperature of about 38 °C.
It is recommended to take a bath with the addition of pine needles for no longer than 20 minutes, preferably shortly before bedtime.
A bath with the addition of pine needles is beneficial not only for joint diseases. Carrying out the procedure is useful for strengthening the heart and blood vessels; pine needles also help with nervous disorders, increased fatigue, and metabolic disorders. Pine needles have a positive effect on the condition of the skin - the body after such procedures becomes smoother and more elastic, the skin is tightened and smoothed.
Other recipes
Pine needles are found very often in traditional medicine recipes; they are used for most diseases. In addition to decoctions, infusions and tea, you can prepare other valuable remedies based on pine needles at home.
Pine needle jam has a wonderful taste and beneficial properties. It is prepared like this:
- 2 cups of washed pine needles are mixed with a glass of dried rose hips;
- pour 700 ml of boiling water and leave to infuse for 12 hours;
- add 300 g of sugar to the infusion, add another 3 glasses of water and place on the stove;
- cook for an hour until the mixture thickens.
About 5 minutes before removing the jam from the stove, add freshly squeezed lemon juice to it.If you consume jam with tea, the medicinal properties of pine needles will help strengthen the immune system and eliminate inflammatory processes in the body.
In recipes for treating pine needles, pine ointment is often mentioned. To prepare it you need:
- boil 20 g of chopped needles, and then lay them in layers with butter;
- simmer at low temperature in the oven for 24 hours, taking breaks every 2 hours;
- After the finished pine oil has cooled slightly, you will need to pour it into a glass container and put it in the refrigerator to harden.
The resulting cream can be used for joint ailments, in the treatment of herpes, hemorrhoids or skin lesions.
For colds, the benefits of pine needles are manifested in inhalations. To carry them out, you need to finely chop 25 g of needles, add 100 ml of hot water and boil over low heat for a quarter of an hour. Then the broth is infused for another quarter of an hour, and then they bend over the pan, covering their heads with a towel, and carefully inhale the rising hot steam.
Precautionary measures
Pine needles contain a huge amount of vitamins, organic acids and essential oils. On the one hand, such a rich composition gives pine needles colossal beneficial properties. But on the other hand, pine needles, if consumed in excess, can easily harm the body.
Against the background of an overdose of pine needles, severe headaches and a runny nose often develop, nausea occurs, and in especially unfavorable cases, inflammation of the stomach and intestines can develop.Therefore, you need to use products based on pine needles very carefully, carefully observing the dosages indicated in the recipes.
Contraindications to pine needles
In some cases, the properties of pine needles can cause severe harm to the body. It is not recommended to use decoctions and infusions based on needles:
- in acute form of hepatitis and other severe liver damage;
- for chronic renal failure and serious inflammatory diseases of the kidneys;
- in the presence of individual intolerance to a natural product;
- with heart failure;
- for infectious skin diseases - in this case, pine needles cannot be used either internally or externally.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers should also avoid preparations based on pine needles - the beneficial properties of the raw material can easily turn out to be harmful for the mother and child. It is not recommended to offer drinks made from pine needles internally to children under 7-10 years old; the products can harm the sensitive child’s body.
Terms and conditions of storage of raw materials
Fresh pine needles have the greatest health benefits. That is why they are collected in small quantities, and immediately after collection they are put in the refrigerator or crushed and frozen in the freezer. Under such conditions, the needles remain beneficial to the body for 2 months and are suitable for both internal and external use.
In addition, pine needles can be dried, the valuable properties will decrease, but the needles will still have quite a lot of benefits. Dried pine needles are stored in dry sealed jars in a dark place; it is advisable that the temperature also does not exceed 10 °C. From time to time, it is recommended to stir the dry needles in the jar to prevent mold from forming.Dry raw materials can be used for 2 years, but then a new collection will be required, since the needles will lose their beneficial properties.
Conclusion
The beneficial properties of pine needles and contraindications are very diverse - needles have a beneficial effect on the body for many ailments. However, if there are contraindications or if there is an overdose, pine needles can cause serious harm, so proven recipes must be followed exactly.
