The benefits and harms of Strawberries

Strawberry is a herbaceous plant of the Rose family. Appeared and began to grow strawberries in East Asia, where the spread on America and Eurasia. Plant height is approximately 15-20 cm Stem is straight, and has a coarsely toothed trifoliate leaves. The strawberry white flowers and berries, round or slightly elongated, have many seeds on the outside. Pick berries in the first two months of the summer in the morning or in the late afternoon time of day

Properties of strawberries

Strawberry is used mainly in cooking, but is considered to be quite valuable berries in folk medicine. It has many vitamins and minerals that are struggling with various ailments. Besides berries are used in medicine and the leaves, as they possess several beneficial actions. To get the maximum use of their harvested during the flowering of strawberries, and then dried.

The intensity of the color of the berries depends on how much sunlight got berry: the one that was in the shade — light, yellow-green, and the one that grew under the sun — bright red. The smell of berries is quite tender and sweet. The chemical composition of berries varies and depends on where it grows, what kind of weather accompanies growth, where were collected a berry. So, berries, grown in a cool and generous summer rains, not very sweet, but more of ascorbic acid and juiciness. If strawberries grew on the contrary, in a dry and Sunny summer, they have more sweetness and flavor.

Use strawberries

The berries contain many nutrients, is easily digestible sugars, organic acids (malic, quinic, citric, salicylic), vitamins, essential oils, carbohydrates, tannins, volatile. If you compare the strawberries in the amount of potassium and calcium, the levels of these substances exceed the level of their content in blueberries and raspberries, respectively. In addition, the berries contains a lot of iron, even more than in apples and plums.

In strawberries contains the most useful minerals, and the level of vitamin C second only to black currants. Also contains vitamins P and PP. Berry has a diuretic, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, astringent properties, promotes slowing of heart rate increases the uterine tone and frequency of contractions. It is an excellent remedy for vitamin deficiency, metabolic disorders and diabetes. It is also useful for anemia, because it contains large amounts of iron and folic acid. Berry infusion is used in diseases of the throat.

Leaf decoction has several actions: tonic, sedative, tonic, anti-sclerotic, analgesic, vasodilator and blood-forming.

The use of strawberries

Large quantities of this berry, the vascular sclerosis, constipation, stomach ulcers, kidney stones, gout. To heal small lesions, eczema, berry is pulp and applied topically to the site of the lesion: a mixture is placed on the gauze and made lotions.

However, it is very popular decoction of the leaves because it helps with various ailments:

with a total lack of energy (this is also suitable and berries in large quantities) and mental fatigue;
asthma;
when inflamed or bleeding gemorroidalnyh nodes (used in the form of enemas);
the bleeding wounds of the body (used as a compress or lotion);
in diseases of the biliary organs;
for hypertension, gastric ulcers and intercalate;
arrhythmia, bronchitis, atherosclerosis, kidney stones and ischemia, diseases of the spleen.
The leaves can be used for brewing tea. For this the leaves should be gathered in autumn, fresh or dried hastily. If you collect leaves in the spring, the taste will not be as pronounced.

The leaves themselves can also be steam, and then applied to the non-healing wound or ulcer — this will help bring the pus and speed up the healing process.

Its use strawberries found in cosmetics. The leaves and berries help to get rid of freckles, age spots and acne, and the infusion of the leaves or the mask of berries have a cleansing action of the skin.

Damage strawberries

This berry is quite a strong allergen, so it is important to observe the amount of consumed strawberries. The risk of getting a negative reaction is especially high in children and pregnant women. Treated strawberries is not necessary, if there is increased secrecy of gastric juice, are marked colic (liver or stomach), there is inflammation of the Appendix.