Dogwood: beneficial properties of berries for the body, how to take during pregnancy, for hemorrhoids, for gout, for blood pressure, for weight loss

Content

1 What does a dogwood look like?
2 Where does dogwood grow?
3 Nutritional value and composition of dogwood
4 What are the benefits of dogwood for the human body?
5 Medicinal properties of dogwood
6 Dogwood in folk medicine
7 Is it possible to take dogwood for weight loss?
8 Beneficial properties of dogwood leaves
9 Restrictions and contraindications for taking dogwood
10 Conclusion

Beneficial features dogwoods were known in ancient times. There was even a belief that in the area where this bush grows there is no need for doctors. In fact, the medicinal properties of dogwood are exaggerated. It does not save wounds from festering. To obtain benefits in this case, the dogwood must be accompanied by juniper.

But drupes contain a lot of vitamins and microelements. Even if dogwood does not heal, then in dried form it replenishes the lack of vitamins in winter. In the Middle Ages, it was enough to feel well in the winter to become convinced of the beneficial properties of dogwood fruits.

What does a dogwood look like?

The fruit of the wild dogwood bush is a small drupe, no more than 2 cm. The hard core is surrounded by dense sweet and sour pulp. When ripe, the drupe is dark brown in color. Unripe fruits are red.

Garden dogwood varieties today differ from wild ones not only in their larger size, but also in shape and color. Varieties with pear-shaped and spherical drupes have already been bred. By color, the fruits of garden plants can be:

pink;
yellow;
dark brown;
red;
purple.

Drupes of garden varieties are more fleshy. What a garden dogwood looks like in cross-section is shown in the photo.

Where does dogwood grow?

Wild dogwood is a southern plant and its natural range extends from the Caucasus Mountains through the Crimea and Southern Ukraine all the way to Bulgaria. But garden varieties are already adapted to colder conditions, and today in Russia dogwood grows not only in the southern regions, but also much further north: in the Volga region, Belgorod region and even in the Moscow region. Dogwood bushes are also planted in the St. Petersburg region, but more often as ornamental green plants. There is no benefit from them as from berries. It is very difficult to obtain a harvest in this region.

Nutritional value and composition of dogwood

With the common dogwood, everything comes into play. Wood was once highly valued in carpentry. Today, the need for wooden crafts has disappeared, but the need for all parts of the plant remains. They mainly use berries, but leaves, bark and wood are also not ignored.Sometimes it is more rational to use bark than drupes.

The berries contain:

up to 9% sugar. In garden varieties it can be up to 17%.;
organic acids up to 3.5%;
tannins 4%;
vitamin C;
vitamin PP;
flavonoids up to 5%;
pectin substances.

Leaves as an astringent are more effective than berries, since they contain 14.5% tannins. But the greatest benefit for diarrhea will come from the bark, which consists of 25% tannins.

The set of vitamins in dogwood is actually poor. The berries are often used for colds as a source of vitamin C. Eating fresh or dried dogwood fruits for colds is more beneficial than the popular rosehip decoction, since when heated, vitamin C decomposes and is absent in the decoction.

The mineral composition is rich. But it closely depends on the composition of the soil where the dogwood bush grows.

Comment! The plant does not generate micro- and macroelements on its own; it pulls them out of the soil.

Therefore, the amount of these substances and the benefits of the plant will directly depend on the composition of the soil on which the bush grows. For these elements, only average data can be given, which should not be taken as dogma. Such data is in the table below.

The nutritional value of dogwood fruits lies in the large amount of fatty acids they contain. As for caloric content, hardly anyone measured it, since the data differ by an order of magnitude. On websites about diet and weight loss, calorie content is indicated at 40 kcal per 100 g of product. The table below shows 600 kcal.

What are the benefits of dogwood for the human body?

The beneficial properties of dogwood have been known since ancient times, and even in times of famine, the Crimean Tatars used dried cakes made from grated berries to prevent scurvy.Although at that time they had no idea about scurvy itself.

Interesting! When the importance of vitamin C was experimentally discovered, no one remembered the beneficial properties of dogwood.

Perhaps, by the 19th century, the old knowledge of the Crimean residents about the benefits of male derain was firmly forgotten. Or there was no access to the berries. But to prevent scurvy, perishable oranges began to be used on English ships.6

The benefits of dogwood are not limited to preventing scurvy. It is recommended to use:

in case of poisoning by heavy metal vapors (very important nowadays with the abundance of cars);
for colds;
for internal inflammation;
with a lack of micro- and macroelements in the body;
to strengthen the cardiovascular system;
for the prevention of thrombosis;
to boost immunity in case of skin diseases (cannot be used for tumor formations);
restoration of acidity in the stomach;
to stop diarrhea.

The beneficial properties of dogwood are almost identical to those of raw rose hips. But in the latter, part of the benefit is lost during heat treatment. In the case of dogwood, there is no loss of beneficial properties of the berries.

Dogwood does not have any alkaloids, like coffee and tea, but caffeine is not the only one that has a tonic effect. To feel good, it is not necessary to drink drinks containing alkaloids. It is enough to restore the mineral and vitamin balance. This is the basis of the tonic effect of dogwood fruits.

The benefits of dogwood for women

When comparing the benefits and harms of dogwood for women, the pros outweigh the cons.

With regular consumption of berries:

enrich the body with useful elements;
eliminate incipient inflammation;
fight bacterial invasion (no, they don’t chase away worms);
increase performance.

All these manifestations of beneficial properties are possible due to the large amount of vitamin C and a well-selected set of macro- and microelements.

The use of berries is contraindicated:

with peptic ulcer;
gastritis;
plant allergies;
CNS disorders.

There will be no benefit, but harm can be done.

Is it possible to take dogwood during pregnancy?

In general, berries have a beneficial effect on the body not only of the mother, but also of the expected child. Before eating berries, it is better to consult a doctor. If there are no contraindications, then it is not only possible, but also necessary.

Is it possible to take dogwood while breastfeeding?

Like other foods containing large amounts of vitamin C, dogwood fruits may be an allergen. Whether or not to consume oranges, strawberries or dogwoods while breastfeeding is up to the mother to decide.

If the child does not have allergies, then compote can be used beneficially for diarrhea in infants.

Is it possible for children to take dogwood

Dogwood berries bring both benefits and harm. If a child is prone to allergies to strawberries or citrus fruits, there is a high probability that he will have an allergic reaction to dogwood.

If your child does not have allergies, then you can benefit from some of the beneficial properties of dogwood berries. With stomach upsets, it is difficult to force a child to drink an unpleasant-tasting decoction of bark or leaves. But the child will drink sweet dogwood compote with pleasure.

Beneficial properties and contraindications for taking dogwood for men

In men who engage in heavy physical labor, the immune system often suffers. Thanks to a large number of microelements and other beneficial properties, dogwood fruits are able to restore immunity.In winter, dogwood preparations will supply the man’s body with deficient vitamins and minerals.

A man is also a person, so the contraindications for consuming all parts of the plant are the same as for women.

Medicinal properties of dogwood

Due to the beneficial properties of the plant, its parts are used in the therapeutic treatment of diseases as an additional remedy. But as the only medicine, dogwood berries cannot be used for any disease. Otherwise there will be more harm than good.

Dogwood will help with hemorrhoids

In fact, taking dogwood berries only alleviates the symptoms. But people think that if nothing hurts now, then they have already recovered. General advice for hemorrhoids: less meat, more plant foods and lots of exercise. The beneficial properties of dogwood for hemorrhoids are beyond doubt. When fresh, like any berry, it weakens. Exacerbation occurs with constipation, when a person has to push. Since dogwood acts instead of a laxative against hemorrhoids, the patient receives relief. With the same success you can use:

dried apricots;
prunes;
cucumbers;
tomatoes;
tomato juice in an amount of 1 liter per day.

The task facing a person with hemorrhoids is to prevent exacerbation.

But treating hemorrhoids with dogwood with seeds can land a fan of traditional medicine in a hospital bed. And there are several reasons for this state of affairs.

How to end up on the operating table and get rid of hemorrhoids

To treat hemorrhoids, it is recommended to swallow dogwood berries along with a whole seed. It is claimed that the bone contains a lot of fatty acids that will help with hemorrhoids. Perhaps acids really promote the release of feces, but where will the body get them?

There is an answer to this: the bones are completely digested in the intestines. The mechanism of plant reproduction with the help of drupes, which is studied in biology lessons at school, is modestly kept silent.

In the process of evolution, dogwood has adapted to expand its range with the help of herbivores and benefit from their consumption of drupes. He didn't count on a person. The gastrointestinal tract of herbivores is much better adapted to processing rough plant foods than that of humans. But the dogwood seeds came out with the droppings intact. Does anyone really think that the human gastrointestinal tract can cope with a bone that deer and roe deer could not cope with?

Plus germination times. The dogwood drupe must rot for 2 years before the seed can germinate. In nature, no organism can afford to waste time. The gastrointestinal tract of herbivores damaged the seed, but the seed (with fatty acids) remained intact and germinated the next year. Do we think too highly of ourselves, believing that our intestines will be able to cope with the bones?

Thus, if the seeds are swallowed, at best, these foreign objects will pass right through.

Attention! If you swallow, then swallow wild dogwood. Its bones are smaller and without sharp tips.

If dogwood is ingested, the chances of intestinal blockage are much higher. In addition to the fact that drupes are larger, the seeds of garden varieties have very sharp tips. Perhaps these tips will have time to dissolve. Or maybe they will dig into the gastrointestinal mucosa. In the photo below are the seeds of a garden dogwood.

If the intestines become clogged with such bones, the patient will inevitably end up on the operating table. That's where the surgeon will get rid of his hemorrhoids.

The benefits of dogwood for hemorrhoids without deception

It is necessary to exclude the “miraculous” nature of the seeds from therapy and pay attention to the real beneficial properties of dogwood. Eating berry pulp and dogwood decoctions really helps prevent exacerbations and alleviates symptoms during attacks:

essential oils contained in drupes have an anti-inflammatory effect;
tannins relieve discomfort and itching in the anus;
minerals help restore blood circulation in hemorrhoids;
organic acids thin the blood, preventing the formation of blood clots;
iron prevents the formation of blood clots in hemorrhoids.

The therapeutic benefits of dogwood pulp for hemorrhoids are beyond doubt, but there is no need to eat the seeds.

Comment! Tannins are not destroyed during heat treatment.

But many other components are destroyed. To get the benefits of eating dogwood berries for hemorrhoids, they need to be eaten fresh or dried. Usually, half an hour before meals, eat 15-20 dogwood berries. A decoction of the leaves should not be used for hemorrhoids.

Is it possible to take dogwood for gout?

For gout, dogwood root is used, which also has beneficial properties. But when making a decoction, it is mixed with the herb of the plant. For 300 ml of boiling water, a teaspoon of chopped root and a teaspoon of herbs. Leave for 8 hours.

How to take dogwood for blood pressure

A decoction of rose hips and dogwoods can normalize blood pressure: 0.5 liters of water per 1 tbsp. rose hips and 2 tbsp. dogwood drupes. Boil for 20 minutes. Cool. Dosage not specified. You can simply drink half a glass of fresh dogwood juice. In this case there will be more benefits. But only if there are no contraindications.

Is it possible to use dogwood for pancreatitis?

Experts have not come to a consensus, since pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that requires a special diet. Until it is clear whether eating dogwood fruits will be beneficial or harmful, it is better not to eat dogwood.

Will dogwood help with diarrhea?

The beneficial properties of dogwood lie not only in its miraculous berries. The leaves and bark of this plant contain a lot of tannins.

Attention! Previously, dogwood bark was used to tan leather, giving it a beautiful light gray color.

For diarrhea, it is better to use bark or leaves, which contain more astringents than drupes and the benefits from other parts of the plant will be greater.

Dogwood in folk medicine

Since the beneficial properties of dogwood trees were noticed by people long ago, dogwood fruits were used wherever possible. From wood products to applying marshmallows to purulent wounds. In the years when there were no antibiotics and people died at the age of 30, humanity could not help but pay attention to various infusions and decoctions. Dogwood fruits have not escaped this either. And there was more benefit from this than from bloodletting.

What are the benefits of dogwood juice?

The benefits of dogwood juice are almost as good as the beneficial properties of the fruit. The juice has a wide range of effects. It is used as:

anti-inflammatory;
antibacterial;
immunostimulant;
blood pressure regulator;
vitamin preparation;
astringent for diarrhea.

Juice production requires special equipment for separating the pulp from the seeds, so in everyday life, decoctions, tinctures and syrups will be more useful.

What are the benefits of dogwood fruit drink?

The recipe for making fruit juice is simple: dilute the juice with water and sweeten it.The beneficial properties of fruit drink are the same as those of juice. But you need to drink more fruit drink.

On a note! In modern stores, tetra-packs of fruit drinks are marked “nectar” or “drink.”

The benefits of dogwood compote

The beneficial properties of compote are weaker than those of juice due to the lower concentration of substances. But you can benefit from compote even in winter by brewing dried fruits. For juice you only need fresh dogwood.

The recipe for making compote is simple. Dried fruits are poured with water so that it covers the fruits. Depending on the required concentration, water can be added. After which the fruits are boiled for about 10 minutes over medium heat with the lid closed. Sugar is added to taste either directly into the pan or into a separate glass.

Dogwood syrup

Cook compote. Add sugar at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 liter of water. Stirring, boil everything to the desired thickness. There is almost no benefit due to the breakdown of vitamin C during the preparation of syrup, but it will help with diarrhea.

Dogwood infusion

The fruits are poured with boiling water and left to infuse for several hours in a warm place. The benefits of infusion are greater than those of syrup, but less than those of compote. When pouring boiling water, not all active substances transfer from the fruit into the water the first time. Especially if dry fruits were chosen to prepare the infusion.

What properties does dogwood honey have?

The benefits of dogwood honey are similar to other varieties of this product. This is a natural, powerful antibiotic. Among other varieties it may stand out due to its smell. Otherwise, the product of nectar processing by the bee’s stomach does not differ from other types of honey.

Dogwood tea

Regular tea has astringent properties and is consumed to stop diarrhea.But regular tea also contains more caffeine than natural coffee. Caffeine raises blood pressure and is contraindicated in hypertensive patients. The benefit of dogwood leaf tea is not only that it can help stop diarrhea, but also that it does not cause other consequences.

The benefits of dogwood pastila

Pastila is an old, well-forgotten Tatar lavash from the Middle Ages made from grated dogwood pulp. In this form, all the beneficial properties of the original product are preserved as much as possible. And in winter you can get a lot of useful vitamins and minerals from marshmallows. Plus, it's simply delicious.

Is it possible to take dogwood for weight loss?

The age-old question from women: “What should I eat to lose weight?” It’s possible to lose weight with dogwood. It is enough to consume dogwood in the morning and evening. Before or after meals? Instead of.

Dogwood fruits are low in calories, but if you consume other foods with them, the calories will come from other foods and there will be no benefit from the diet. There are no foods that simply by eating them will reduce your weight. At one time, the benefits of pineapples and wolfberry (goji berries) for weight loss were also advertised.

In fact, any diet means depriving the body of any nutrients. In an attempt to find these substances, the body begins to burn fat. You can even lose weight by eating fried potatoes with lard. If you eat it at night and at the same time:

not being able to eat enough;
work a day at hard physical work.

But such mockery will not bring any benefit to the body.

Important! The real benefit of dogwood in diets is that it replenishes the body with missing minerals, trace elements and vitamins.

At the same time, the principle “eat less, move more” continues to operate and brings more benefits than diets.

The diet regimen must be prescribed by a doctor. And the benefit of dogwood fruits lies only in the fact that they supply the body with essential minerals and vitamins. Thanks to the beneficial properties of the fruit, you can arrange a fasting day once a week with only dogwood and fortified natural drinks.

Beneficial properties of dogwood leaves

The leaves also have beneficial properties, but very narrowly targeted ones. They contain up to 14% tannins - tannins. The leaves can be used for intestinal disorders to stop diarrhea.

In such cases, the bark is more beneficial; it contains up to 25% tannins. But it is inconvenient to harvest the bark and then brew it. In addition, harvesting bark will lead to the death of a useful plant. And the loss of a certain number of leaves will not affect the health of the dogwood bush. And the leaves dry better.

Restrictions and contraindications for taking dogwood

Sometimes dogwood does more harm than good. If your stomach has high acidity, you should not eat berries, as they will add acid. Heartburn is a very unpleasant sensation.

People suffering from constipation should not drink tea from the leaves and should be careful when consuming the fruit. Due to the danger of an allergic reaction, it is not advisable to use dogwood in baby food.

It is not advisable to drink dogwood juice before bed. Due to the tonic effect, there is a chance to drive away sleep and, instead of benefiting, do harm. It is unlikely that you will be able to eat the amount of fruit required for such an effect.

Conclusion

The beneficial properties of dogwood are not questioned by anyone. But this is not a panacea for all diseases.Overestimating the benefits of this plant and attempting to self-medicate with dogwood can lead to complications or death due to failure to timely seek qualified medical help.

Useful properties and contraindications of dogwood