Elderberry: benefits and harm to the human body

Elderberry is a unique berry. The plant is unpretentious regarding habitat, most often grows in the wild. Fruits are endowed with beneficial substances that are incredibly beneficial to the human body. From this culture, you can make delicious jam, which will also help a person overcome various diseases. Useful qualities are possessed not only by the fruits, but also by inflorescences, foliage, and bark.

What does elderberry look like and where does it grow

This culture is a small tree or bush on which clusters with berries of a black color are located. The height of such a plant is usually 2–5 m, sometimes it can grow up to 10 m in height. The leaves are small, on each branch there are 3-5 leaves that have a yellow or greenish tint. Culture blooms in late spring or early summer.

Usually in nature there are trees with black and red fruits. The pulp has a reddish color. One berry contains 4-5 seeds of a small size. Full ripening of fruits lasts about a month - from late August to mid-October. The plant is characterized by a rather unpleasant aroma, due to which it is not touched by the inhabitants of the forest.

Most often, the culture grows in subtropical regions, where moderate climatic conditions prevail. So, you can meet elderberries in Russia, the USA, Africa and Ukraine. A shrub grows on the edges, along roads, as well as in thickets and in desert areas.

Kinds

Otherwise, elderberry is called sambucus. It has about 4 dozen varieties, but in the middle zone only about ten species grow. In the gardens, most often you can find only three types of elderberry - red, black and American. All these plants love a fertile and moist area. They can grow in partial shade, but best of all they live in sunny areas. Elderberry can be cut, so it is often used in landscape design. In addition, there are currently many varieties with original leaves of different colors and beautiful inflorescences.

Black elderberry is a small tree, whose height can be 4 m. It has large leaves, inflorescences have a greenish-yellow color. The plant blooms from May to June. The fruits of the culture are edible, characterized by a black color, appear in late summer and early autumn. Some varieties produce greenish berries. Wild black elderberry is resistant to frost. As for ornamental shrubs with red and yellow leaves, they very often freeze if they are not properly taken care of.

Also in the middle lane is red elderberry. In late spring panicle inflorescences appear that do not have any smell. Closer to autumn, red berries appear instead of them. The fruits of this variety are poisonous, they can not be eaten.

Canadian or American species can grow up to 3 m. Externally, this variety is similar to black elderberry, but is resistant to various weather conditions in the middle lane. The plant blooms in summer. In this case, light flowers appear on the tree, in the autumn, black berries ripen, allowed for eating.

Composition and calorie content

The beneficial qualities of black elderberry are due to its rich composition.For example, saponins were found in the root of the bush, which have an expectorant effect, that is, they dilute sputum and ensure its excretion from the respiratory organs. Also, diuretic, tonic and sedative properties are characteristic of these substances.

The inflorescences of the bush contain terpenes, which give the plant a pleasant aroma. There is vitamin A involved in the activity of the optic nerve.

The fruits are endowed with anthocyanins, which protect the body from the development of inflammatory processes and stabilize the functioning of the intestine; tyrosine, which provides the synthesis of melanin.

The plant is endowed with a large number of tannins, which have a beneficial effect on inflamed hemorrhoids.

In addition, the berries have a lot of ascorbic acid. So, in 100 g of such fruits, almost 30 g of vitamin C is concentrated, which is more than 50 percent of the required daily intake in this substance.

The elderberry is endowed with fiber necessary for the normal functioning of the digestive tract. Also, the chemical composition of the product is endowed with phenolic acids, which have antioxidant properties. They can neutralize the effect of free radicals due to the various flavonoids present in the fruits of the culture. It should be noted that almost ten times more flavonoids are concentrated in inflorescences than in the fruits themselves.

Calorie content of fruits is 75 kcal per 100 g.

Useful properties of black elderberry

General benefit

Not everyone knows about the useful characteristics of black elderberry, as its poisonous fellow with red berries often grows in nature. Almost all parts of the elderberry tree are characterized by useful qualities. From elderberry, products are produced that have healing and preventive properties. Berries of culture are widely used in both folk and official medicine.

1. For therapeutic purposes, it is recommended to consume only fresh berries, since during storage the composition of the product worsens, while the beneficial elements are destroyed. Fresh fruits can be included in the treatment for 5-6 months. If they are dried, in this form they are suitable for several years, but with appropriate storage.
2. A decoction of elderberry is used to restore normal metabolism, regulate the activity of the digestive tract, assimilate the necessary substances and remove bile. Due to the low caloric value and high fiber, raw materials can be included in the list of dishes intended for diet food.
3. Dried berries can be included in the menu of people suffering from diseases such as malaria, oncology of the dermis or epigastrium. This is due to the fact that in the composition of dried berries there are elements that can stop the development of tumor cells.
4. A high concentration of fiber helps to eliminate “bad” cholesterol from the body, which ultimately reduces the likelihood of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system.

For women

For women, this plant is truly a godsend. An infusion made from elderberry flowers is used for douching with various gynecological pathologies. Alcoholic infusion helps women cope with the manifestations of menopause. To prepare such a tool, it is necessary to fill the collected inflorescences with alcohol with a concentration of 40 percent in a ratio of 1: 5. The mixture should be infused for two weeks in a cool and dark place. Ready infusion should be filtered and taken three times a day, 20 drops.

The use of the product in cosmetology is also known. So, gruel prepared from berries will help eliminate acne, while a decoction of inflorescences will lighten age spots.

For men

As you know, a strong half of humanity is more often affected by CCC diseases, so they should introduce this product into the diet to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack and atherosclerosis.

In addition, black elderberry is effective for prostatitis. In this case, berry juice has healing properties.

During pregnancy

During the bearing of the fetus, a woman needs to constantly monitor her nutrition. Many products can adversely affect the condition of the baby and the woman herself. Regarding elderberry, we can say that to some extent it belongs to poisonous crops, therefore, its consumption in this period must be abandoned.

When breastfeeding

The same rule applies to girls during lactation. It is also important for breastfeeding women to be careful when consuming certain foods. In order not to harm the child, it is better not to eat such berries.

For kids

Most pediatricians believe that elderberries should not be given to a child under 12 years old. But at the same time, there are a number of drugs used to treat cough and flu. When using such medicinal raw materials in a small amount, an allergy does not appear.

When losing weight

If you need to get rid of excess weight, it is recommended to include elderberry drinks, such as decoctions, tinctures, in the menu. A decoction based on the roots of the culture should be taken very carefully. You also need to remember that berry juice helps to eliminate fluid from the body. To improve metabolism, you should eat fresh fruits, but only in small quantities.

With regular consumption of elderberries, you can lose a couple of kilograms in two weeks.

What is useful red elderberry

In the people, this type of elderberry is taken as a laxative, antipyretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.

In order not to get poisoning with hydrocyanic acid, in no case should you use for therapeutic purposes green foliage, stems and unripe berries. With proper use of the plant, you can prepare an effective drug for various conditions.

To get a diuretic and antipyretic composition, tea from flowers is used, as well as squeezing from ripe fruits.

As a laxative and emetic, bark and shrubs should be used. A decoction based on inflorescences is characterized by an expectorant property, and also relieves inflammation.

Note! Care should be taken if there are gastrointestinal problems.

Dried leaves and fruits do not contain toxic components.

Even if there are no contraindications, you still need to be carefully treated with such a product and constantly monitor the body's reaction.

Healing properties of elderberry flowers

The flowers of the plant have a diaphoretic and antimicrobial effect. Based on them, infusions are prepared that help cure bronchitis, flu and tonsillitis.

Often this part of the plant is used in the production of lotions. Such funds have tonic and anti-aging properties. Moreover, they are able to eliminate certain skin diseases.

The benefits of elderberry jam

Jam from elderberry inflorescences can cure sciatica, rheumatism, and also remove unnecessary cholesterol from blood vessels. With moderate consumption of such goodies in patients with diabetes, the glucose indicator in the blood normalizes.

Elderberry jam helps to lower blood pressure, get rid of dermatitis, relieve swelling, support the work of the liver, pancreas and thyroid gland.

From elderberry honey is also collected. Such a product allows you to strengthen the body's defenses, improve sleep, cure joint diseases.

Elderberry juice: benefits and applications

The fruit pulp contains B vitamins, retinol, a number of minerals and essential oils. Berry squeeze differs in antiseptic and expectorant action. Very often, this product is included in the recipes of traditional medicine to create funds for the treatment of wet coughs, colds. Berry squeeze is also used in the treatment of sugar disease, skin diseases, etc.

Is elderberry syrup useful

This tool can strengthen a weakened immune system. It contains iodine. Elderberry syrup is also used to increase hemoglobin in the blood and strengthen the walls of blood vessels.For preventive purposes, this tool should be taken 1 dessert spoon three times a day for 3 months.

It is also known that elderberry syrup is used in the fight against breast cancer. In addition, he is able to treat inflammation of the lymph nodes and stop uterine bleeding. This composition should be taken for people with impaired vision and cerebral circulation.

Syrup is a healing agent for the human circulatory system. Moreover, such a product will help stabilize hormonal activity and purify the blood. Elderberry syrup is used for tonsillitis, pneumonia, cystitis and gout.

The use of elderberry in traditional medicine

Medicinal preparations based on black elderberry are useful for infections of the respiratory system, due to the diaphoretic action, the product has an antipyretic effect. To cope with a cold at home, you need 20 g of extracts from inflorescences pour 200 ml of boiling water and bring the mass to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes on low heat. After this, cool the broth, separate the liquid part and drink 2 times a day 10 minutes before eating. Before use, add a small amount of natural honey.

To prepare a choleretic agent, grind the dried fruits or shoots of the plant, steam them in a glass of water for 20 minutes. After that, filter the liquid and drink 40 ml in warm form every 4 hours, 15 minutes before eating.

To get a laxative, just pour 5 g of dried elderberry 150 ml of chilled boiled water, insist the mixture for a day, and then strain. Ready to take infusion once a day, before that it needs to be heated.

In the presence of inflammatory processes on the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, for example, a boil, burn or diaper rash, poultice of elderberry leaves can be used. To do this, boil 40 g of young leaves in milk. Distribute the finished mass on a gauze napkin and attach it to the affected area.

You can cure rheumatism and urolithiasis using a bath with elderberry infusion. In this case, chopped leaves and roots in equal proportions (10 g each), steam 1 liter of boiled water. In this form, the mixture should be infused for 2 hours. After that, filter the resulting mixture. Add the liquid part to the bath with water, the temperature of which is about 36 degrees. Such procedures should be carried out every day before bedtime, while they should last no more than 15 minutes. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.

Elderberry decoction helps to establish the activity of the urinary system. To prepare a medicinal product, mix 7 g of dried elderberry inflorescences, St. John's wort and chamomile. Pour this mixture of medicinal plants with 200 ml of boiling water and simmer on a steam bath for 15 minutes. Cool the finished broth, filter and add boiled chilled water so much that in the end you get 1 cup of useful product. Drink the entire amount received before going to bed.

Elderberry in cosmetology

All parts of the plant are enriched with flavonoids, ascorbic acid, tannins, carotenoids. All these components are actively used in the manufacture of cosmetic formulations. The result is a product that improves the condition of the skin, increases skin tone, makes it more elastic, relieves swelling and eliminates inflammation.

1. Outwardly, the plant is used to remove age spots, freckles and give the skin a lighter tone. To prepare a bleaching agent, it is necessary to fill in 20 g of fresh elderberry inflorescences with 200 ml of boiling water, insist the mixture for a couple of hours, then boil for several minutes. Next, strain the mass and mix the liquid part with a glass of vodka. To process the face with the received lotion before going to bed. Keep this product in a dark place. You can also make ice cubes from flowers of culture to wipe the face.
2. To cope with hyperpigmentation, it is necessary to moisten a gauze napkin in a heated infusion of black elderberry flowers, prepared in a 1:10 ratio, squeeze a little and apply on the face with increased pigmentation. Repeat this procedure five times, making an interval of 5 minutes. Do this every day until you get the desired result. After that, you can do such masks 1-2 times a week.
3. For oily skin, compresses from a decoction of elderberry flowers will be useful. To make such an infusion, you need 1 tablespoon. dried inflorescences pour 250 ml of boiling water.
4. A mask based on elderberry infusion will help soften and tone the dermis. To obtain it, you need 2 tbsp. Boil oatmeal in 100 ml of milk, then add 2 tbsp. decoction of elderberry black.
5. Young leaves, pre-cooked in milk, can be applied to boils and places with diaper rash. In addition, elderberry leaves can be used for baths with skin itching.
6. With sensitive and irritated dermis, it is recommended to make a compress every evening from the decoction of the bark of the plant. To make it, you need 4 tbsp. crushed bark pour 200 ml of cold water. This mixture should be cooked for 10 minutes, after which it must be removed from the stove and insisted for another 20 minutes.

Harm and contraindications

Like any other plant component, black elderberry has a number of limitations. So, this culture is contraindicated for use in enterocolitis, chronic pathologies of the digestive system, pregnant and lactating women. Also, do not give the product to children under 12 years of age.

Very often, people confuse the black elderberry variety with the red, which is considered poisonous. It is very important to be careful and not to harm health, taking red berries for black elderberry.

The red variety of the plant is toxic. It is distinguished only by the color of the fruit, but you can see the difference only when the berries ripen. And if for medicinal purposes leaves and stems of a young tree are needed, you need to be able to distinguish between these two species, otherwise you can get intoxication.

When to collect and how to store

The collection of plants is carried out during the flowering period. It is best to collect raw materials at a time when the flowers have not yet opened. Warm and dry weather is suitable for collecting the medicinal plant. The fruits are harvested only after their full ripening. This usually happens in late summer. It is important not to miss the moment of ripening berries. Ripe elderberry is characterized by an elastic and dense surface. If the fruits are ripe, they become semi-dry, wrinkled. They should not be used for therapeutic purposes, since most of the beneficial substances are lost.

In addition to inflorescences and fruits, tree bark also has useful qualities. It is recommended to collect such raw materials in the middle of spring, during the period of kidney maturation. In this case, the plant must be at least two years old. Only the upper darkened layer of the bark needs to be cut. Dry such a product in a well-ventilated place.

Flowers are collected at the time of blooming, while they are separated from peduncles. Then they must be dried, and then passed through a sieve.

The collection of ripe berries is carried out together with bunches. Before drying, they must be decomposed in one layer and dried in air. After that, they can be sent to a special dryer or oven. Dried berries must be separated from the twigs.

The root part of the culture is harvested in late autumn. This raw material should also be dried, and then crushed to a powdery mass.

Flowers can be stored up to 2 years at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees. Dried fruits are stored only 6 months, for bark the shelf life is 3 years, and the roots can be used for 5 years.

Is it possible to dry

Drying is a way to preserve raw materials for a long time. In order to dry the healing raw materials, it is necessary to prepare a dryer for vegetables, a colander, as well as the elderberry itself. Sort berries, remove stalks, get rid of rumpled and spoiled fruits. Then wash the raw materials under running water and dry. Now put the elderberry on the device tray with a thin layer. Dry at 50 degrees.

You need to store the fruits in a hermetically sealed container in a dark and cool place.

What can be cooked from elderberry: recipes

In some countries liquor is made from the flowers of this plant. For example, in France, elderberry flowers are used to make syrup, which is subsequently added to pancakes. In Romania, a syrup prepared from a plant is diluted with water and used as a drink. From elderberry wine, jam, syrup are prepared. In Italy, the fruits are fried in dough and served as dessert.

Jam

To make tasty and healthy elderberry jam, you need 3 kg of granulated sugar and berries themselves. First you need to collect the raw materials, sort it out, remove the stalks and spoiled fruits. After that, put the elderberry in a colander and rinse with plenty of water. Then dry the berries by spreading them on a gauze napkin.

Next, place the berries in a bowl with a thick bottom, while alternating layers of elderberry with sugar. In this form, the workpiece should stand for several hours. This is necessary so that the product releases juice.

After 2-3 hours, the container with future jam can be put on a slow fire. When cooking, it is important to constantly mix the contents. From the moment of boiling, you need to cook a treat for about 35 minutes. The readiness of jam can be judged by the softening of the berries. After that, pack the dessert on sterilized jars and roll up. Store jam in a dark place.

Juice

To obtain healing juice, you need 1 kg of elderberry with sugar. First you need to prepare the fruits. To do this, break the berries off the twigs, put in a colander and rinse under running water as well. Now, using a juicer, collect the squeezed fruit. If there is no special device, you can simply crush the elderberry, and then squeeze the liquid part with gauze.

Pour the collected juice into dishes, mix with sweetener and send to the stove. From the moment of boiling, it is enough to boil the mixture for several minutes. The juice is ready. It remains only to pour the drink into sterile containers and cork with stoppers. Store this product in the basement or in the refrigerator.

Compote

From elderberry you can cook and compote. To do this, prepare 1 cup of elderberry fruit, 1.5 liters of water and 150 g of granulated sugar. The process should begin with the preparation of berries. This is done according to the same principle as in the above recipes. Then put the berries in a bowl of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Brew a drink for 6-7 minutes. After that, separate the fruit using a colander. Add the sweetener to the liquid part, and then bring it to a boil again. To improve the taste, add a couple of mint leaves. Now the compote can be removed from the stove.

Wine

Elderberry is also used for making wine. In this case, it is necessary to prepare wine yeast. According to this recipe, you can get a sweet, dessert elderberry wine. Sugar is added in two stages - at the very beginning and before slow fermentation. From the specified number of products, an average of 16 liters of alcoholic beverage should be obtained. So, from the ingredients you need to prepare 10 liters of squeezed black elderberry, 5 liters of water, 6 kg of sugar. As for yeast, here you need to focus on the instructions. It is also recommended to use top dressing for yeast.

Start the process of obtaining a wine drink by adding water to the juice. Stir 4.2 kg of sugar component in the wort. Also prepare yeast with top dressing and send them to the wort. Pour the resulting mixture into a bottle. In this case, the fourth part of the tank should remain empty. Then put a water seal on the neck. The vessel should be sent to a dark place where the temperature is 23–25 degrees.

Active fermentation usually takes 1-2 weeks.When the gas in the valve stops, you must immediately drain the wort, removing the sediment, otherwise the finished drink will turn out to be bitter.

Next, add the rest of the sugar to the young drink. But first, it is recommended to taste the product, in some cases, adding the remaining sugar is not required.

Now the mixture can be poured into a smaller container, while leaving about 10 percent of the container empty. Reinstall the water seal on top. Fermentation is also carried out in a dark place. Quiet fermentation usually takes several months. During this period, the drink should be periodically poured when a precipitate appears. Finished wine can be bottled.

Is it possible to eat elderberry

Black elderberry berries can be eaten. As for the red berries, they are poisonous, so you can’t eat them. Even for medicinal purposes, using red fruits is very dangerous. They contain many healing components, but the presence of toxic compounds makes the plant dangerous to health.

In addition, red fruits have a rather unpleasant taste. When juice enters the stomach, it enters the blood through the walls of the stomach, affecting the central nervous system. This shrub has a very strong poison, it can be poisoned even as a result of contact with foliage, if you do not wash your hands after that. Manifestations of intoxication occur after 30-50 minutes. Symptoms of poisoning are severe headaches, dizziness, dry mouth, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, white spots on the arms and face, shortness of breath, cramps.

Interesting Facts

1. Sambucus is the scientific name for elderberry. It is believed that the tree got such a name, since a special musical instrument was made from its shoots. According to another version, the word originates from the Greek "sambyx", which translates as "red paint". It was believed that elderberry is used to dye fabrics and various objects.
2. There are many beliefs associated with this culture. So, the Polish people believe that the first demon chose a deep hole as his home, and in order to disguise it, he planted an elderberry bush.
3. In Ukraine, they also believe that the tree was first planted with a devil. Therefore, in order not to disturb him, not to bring trouble to their housing, people did not have to dig an elderberry. If it was impossible to do without it, then for rooting out the bush they called for sick people who already had little time to live.
4. At the same time, it was believed that in elderberry foliage there were creatures that protect the house and its residents from all sorts of troubles. Therefore, plant branches were used as a talisman.

Elderberry photo