Sorrel: health benefits and harms

Sorrel is a plant that is familiar to every hostess. It is used to prepare first courses, pies, sauces and salads, which is explained by the unique taste characteristics of this plant. However, few think about the benefits of sorrel to the human body, the features of its composition and unusual properties.

What is the difference between spinach and sorrel

Spinach and sorrel have a similar appearance, but only at first glance. Looking closely at these two plants, you can notice many differences, including:

1. The shape of the leaves. Sorrel is characterized by the presence of light green leaves of a pointed shape, and spinach has a rounded foliage, painted in dark shades of green.
2. Taste features. Sorrel is very popular due to its unusual taste characteristics. This herb has a sour taste, without any extraneous taste. In spinach, the acid is completely absent. This herb is neutral with a slight bitterness.
3. Features of the composition. Spinach contains a large amount of vegetable protein and is perfectly absorbed, which cannot be said about sorrel.

Composition and calorie content

Sorrel is a unique plant that contains many useful substances. 100 g of this product contains:

• 2.5 mcg beta carotene.
• 0.06 mg of thiamine.
• 0.16 mg riboflavin.
• 0.5 mg of niacin.
• 0.25 mg pantothenic, 35 μg of folic acid and 47 mg of ascorbic acid.
• 0.2 mg pyridoxine.
• 1.9 mg of tocopherol.
• 0.6 mg phylloquinone.
• 0.6 μg biotin.
• 362 mg of potassium.
• 70 mg of chlorine.
• 54 mg of calcium.
• 71 mg of phosphorus.
• 41 mg of magnesium.
• 20 mcg of sulfur.
• 4 mg of sodium.
• 2.4 mg of iron.
• 70 mcg of fluoride.
• 3 mcg of iodine.
• 0.5 mg of zinc.
• 0.35 mcg of manganese.
• 0.2 mg of copper.

As for the calorie content of this plant - it refers to low-calorie food products and is allowed to be consumed during a diet whose goal is to reduce weight. 100 g of sorrel contain a total of 21 calories.

What is useful sorrel

Due to the content of a large number of vitamins, macro- and microelements, sorrel is able to have a beneficial effect on the human body. Regular use of this plant helps to improve the functioning of many internal organs, get rid of some health problems and normalize the general condition.

General benefit

The unique features of sorrel include the ability:

1. Withdraw accumulated in the human body, toxins and toxins.
2. Cleanse and thin the blood.
3. Lower the pressure.
4. Improve the work of the cardiovascular system.
5. Stimulate brain activity.
6. Beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
7. To stop the development of inflammatory processes in many internal organs, including the liver.
8. Normalize kidney function.
9. Improve the condition and appearance of nails.
10. To restore shine and a healthy look to hair.
11. Stop premature aging of the skin.
12. Energize.
13. Prevent the development of vitamin deficiency.
14. Improve the functioning of the immune and nervous systems, blood composition.
15. Lower blood sugar and cholesterol.

For women

Sorrel refers to foods that contribute to the normal functioning of the female body.This plant has a minimal calorie content, which makes it indispensable for those women who seek to get rid of a few extra pounds.

In addition, regular consumption of sorrel will help increase hemoglobin in the blood, prevent the development of cancer, cope with hormonal changes during menopause, minimize the risk of uterine bleeding, and also maintain youth and an attractive appearance for many years.

For men

Sorrel is considered an indispensable part of the daily men's menu. Regular consumption of leaves of this plant will prevent the development of diseases of the genitourinary system, and will help improve blood circulation and the functioning of the prostate gland.

During pregnancy

Pregnancy is the period when a woman needs to consume a large amount of vitamins, minerals and other trace elements. All these components are part of the sorrel and are stored in it after heat treatment.

In addition, this plant will help pregnant women cope with such problems:

• Urinary tract diseases.
• Angina.
• Disorders in the liver.
• Frequent diarrhea or constipation.
• Severe toxicosis at any stage of pregnancy.

The ability of a sorrel to prevent the development of colds and improve the functioning of the immune system is considered especially useful during the period of bearing a child. However, it is not worth consuming it in large quantities, as this will do more harm than good.

When breastfeeding

Sorrel is also no less useful for breastfeeding. During this period, it is especially important for a woman to protect herself and the child from colds, normalize the nervous system, and also prevent the development of vitamin deficiency and exhaustion of the body. All this is possible with regular use of sorrel.

However, it is not recommended to introduce it into the daily diet of a young mother without first consulting a pediatrician. Only the attending physician will be able to assess all possible risks for the infant, establish the allowable amount of sorrel and explain in which cases this product should be discarded.

For kids

Pediatricians are allowed to introduce sorrel into the daily diet of children who have reached the age of three. Regular use of this plant guarantees:

1. Saturation of the child's body with all the substances that are necessary for normal growth and development.
2. Improving the immune system, which is especially true for children who suffer from constant colds.
3. Increased appetite in a child.
4. Improving the gastrointestinal tract.
5. In addition, sorrel is able to have a beneficial effect on the child’s nervous system and is one of the best means to prevent the development of anemia.

When losing weight

Sorrel is no less useful for those people who seek to reduce their weight. This plant helps to improve digestive processes, helps to normalize metabolism and accelerates the digestibility of food. In addition, sorrel will help prevent the development of vitamin deficiency and exhaustion, which is also important during weight loss.

Benefits of Sorrel Soup

Sorrel soup is one of the lightest first courses and has a great taste. However, for its preparation does not require special skills or too expensive ingredients.

Regular consumption of sorrel soup helps:

• improve liver function;
• prevent the development of vitamin deficiency;
• improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition, due to the unique composition of sorrel, this delicious dish will prevent stagnation of bile in the human body, help to cope with the problem of constipation, improve the condition of the skin and increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood.

Sorrel in medicine

Sorrel is widely used in modern medicine. Its unique composition contributes to the treatment of:

• vitamin deficiency;
• colitis;
• hemorrhoids;
• cholecystitis;
• hypertension.

In addition, this plant has anthelmintic, astringent and choleretic properties. Decoctions of sorrel are used to treat diseases of the skin, runny nose and even cough.

With diabetes

Sorrel is one of the foods that people with diabetes can take. However, when using it, it is worth considering:

1. Permissible daily rate. Only a qualified person can calculate the allowable rate.
2. Sorrel quality. It is allowed to eat only high-quality sorrel leaves from the home garden.
3. The need to discard any additives. When cooking sorrel dishes, do not use spices, salt or sugar.

Regular consumption of sorrel will help people suffering from diabetes:

• Improve intestinal motility.
• Speed ​​up your metabolism.
• Improve the immune system.
• Prevent visual impairment.
• Improve blood coagulation.

Important: sorrel glycemic index - 15 units.

With pancreatitis

Gastroenterologists prohibit the use of sorrel to patients who suffer from pancreatitis, even during the period of remission of the disease. Even a one-time use of dishes that contain sorrel in their composition can lead to:

• irritation of the mucous membranes of the pancreas;
• increase acidity;
• the appearance of stones in the bile ducts.

These and many other unpleasant consequences of eating sorrel leaves are the reason why it is forbidden to people with pancreatitis.

With gastritis

Patients who suffer from gastritis are also not recommended to use sorrel leaves due to the nature of the course and development of this disease. Otherwise, the risk of developing concomitant pathologies and complications increases.

For the intestines

But for the proper functioning of the intestines, sorrel is simply irreplaceable. Therapists claim that this plant will help to cope with both constipation and diarrhea. To solve a particular problem, you need to regularly use a certain amount of sorrel.

With gout

Diet, which should be followed by patients suffering from gout, implies a complete rejection of the use of sorrel. Neglect of this rule will lead to a deterioration in the general condition, increased unpleasant symptoms and the development of concomitant diseases.

Sorrel-based traditional medicine recipes

Traditional medicine experts recommend using sorrel to treat such diseases:

• Avitaminosis.
• Disruption of the digestive system.
• Dermatitis and other diseases of the skin.
• Dysentery.
• Hemorrhoids.
• Stomatitis.

In addition, a decoction of the roots and leaves of this plant will help to quickly cope with colds. An infusion of sorrel can nullify the unpleasant symptoms associated with the onset of menopause and relieve pain with rheumatism.

There are many folk remedies, which include sorrel, but these are considered the most popular:

An agent that relieves unpleasant symptoms during menopause

For cooking you will need:

• 10 g of dried sorrel.
• 250 ml of boiling water.

Pour the dried leaves with boiling water and let them brew for 3 hours. Take the infusion for 7 days half an hour before meals. Divide a glass of infusion into 3 parts and drink before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Sorrel pain reliever

For cooking you will need:

• 10 g of sorrel roots.
• 300 ml of boiling water.

Pour the crushed sorrel roots with boiling water and boil in a water bath for 10-15 minutes. After the specified time, cover the broth with a lid and let it cool to room temperature.

To eliminate the pain syndrome in diseases such as rheumatism, drink 30 ml of broth 2-3 times a day.

A decoction that will help cure cystitis

For cooking you will need:

• 0.5 kg of sorrel leaves.
• 1 liter of boiling water.

Boil the leaves of sorrel in the specified amount of water, placing the container with the ingredients in a water bath for 10-15 minutes. Add the finished broth to the bathroom.

Before starting treatment of any disease with decoctions of sorrel, make sure that there are no contraindications and consult your doctor. If the condition worsens or other undesirable reactions occur, the use of one or another remedy should be discarded. Otherwise, there is a risk of worsening the general condition and the development of pathological processes in the body.

Sorrel in cosmetology

Sorrel is widely used for the manufacture of cosmetics, the purpose of which is to brighten the skin and remove unwanted age spots. At the same time, leaving cosmetics, which includes sorrel extract, is considered completely safe for women's skin. In addition, the use of such cosmetics will help prevent premature aging of the skin, stop the development of inflammatory processes on the skin of the face and increase its elasticity.

Beauticians recommend the use of makeup products, which include sorrel, to those women who:

• strive to get rid of unwanted pigmentation of the skin;
• want to lighten a tan;
• wish to prevent deterioration of the appearance of the skin;
• suffer from acne.

Care cosmetics, which includes natural sorrel extract, can be contraindicated only if there is an allergic reaction to one of the components that make up its composition.

Mask for freckles and age spots
What is required:

• Sorrel - 10 g.
• Oatmeal - 5 g.
• Grapefruit juice - 5 ml.

Grind all the ingredients in a mortar, at the end you can add a spoonful of warm green tea, if you need to get a more liquid consistency and a larger volume for use on the face, neck, chest. The treatment time is 20 minutes.

Acne mask
Ingredients:

• Sorrel broth - 50 ml.
• Green clay - 10 mg.
• Aloe juice - 1 tbsp.

The preparation of the mask is quite simple: first prepare and strain the broth, then when it cools down a little, mix it with cosmetic clay (sold at any pharmacy, it is inexpensive), add aloe juice at the end. Before the procedure, steam the skin, then with a spatula, distribute the composition to the problem areas. Keep the mask on your face until completely dry. It takes about 15 min.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the many useful properties of sorrel, experts recommend not to use it in large quantities, since the acid contained in this plant can provoke the development of urolithiasis. In addition, therapists pay attention to the fact that sorrel is forbidden to be consumed by those people who have:

• osteoporosis;
• an ulcer of any section of the gastrointestinal tract;
• deposit of kidney stones;
• salt metabolism disorders;
• gastritis.

Excessive content of oxalic acid in the human body leads to the development of diseases such as uremia and gout, contributes to an increase in acidity.

How to choose and store sorrel

Only high-quality sorrel will have useful properties, so it is important to know how to choose it correctly. A good, fresh bunch of greens will have the following characteristics:

• Bright green tint.
• Rich and slightly sour taste.
• Excellent palatability (especially small sorrel leaves).
• Density, uniform staining, whole leaves.
• The absence of any signs of rot.

You can store sorrel at home in several ways:

1. In a glass of water. In the event that it is necessary to preserve the sorrel for several days, it can simply be put in a glass of water, after washing the leaves and removing excess moisture.
2. In a refrigerator. Keep the sorrel fresh for 20-30 days will help the refrigerator. Washed and dried leaves of this plant must be placed in a clean, dry container and put on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
3. In the freezer. An equally popular way of storing sorrel is dry freezing. The leaves of this plant should be dried at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, cut, laid out in bags and placed in a freezer.

How to prepare sorrel for the winter

Many young housewives are wondering how to prepare sorrel for the winter so that it retains all its nutritional properties. There are many ways to prepare sorrel blanks. It can be boiled and rolled raw, salted or cooked fresh billets. Among the many of these and other methods, the most popular is the one that does not require heat treatment.

For procurement you will need:

• Big bunch of sorrel.
• 300-400 ml of purified water.

Cooking method:

1. Before proceeding with the preparation of the workpiece, carefully sort through the sorrel, selecting all the spoiled leaves.
2. Rinse each sheet under cold, running water.
3. Slice.
4. Place the chopped sorrel in a 0.5 L jar so that there is no free space left in it.
5. Pour sorrel with water.
6. Roll up the lid.

You can store such a workpiece at room temperature. Sorrel will stand idle all winter and not go bad.

What can be cooked from sorrel: recipes

From sorrel you can cook not only the first dishes, but also excellent salads.

Hearty Salad

To prepare it you will need:

• 50 g of fresh sorrel.
• 100 g of pre-boiled potatoes.
• 100 g of bacon.
• 100 g of canned mushrooms of any kind.
• 1 small bell pepper.
• A small amount of crackers.
• Olive oil.
• Spice.

Cooking method: mix the fried bacon with chopped potatoes, mushrooms, pepper and sorrel. Add a small amount of salt, crackers and olive oil to the salad. You can decorate with greens if desired.

Spring Salad

Another popular sorrel snack is Spring Salad.

To prepare it you will need:

• 300-400 g of fresh sorrel.
• 2 small apples.
• 400-500 g of radish.
• 3 cloves of garlic.
• A small bunch of green onions.
• Sour cream with a low fat content.
• Salt and spices.

Cooking method: finely chop and mix all the ingredients. Season the salad with sour cream and add salt.

Omelet with sorrel

No less popular are breakfasts, which include sorrel. The omelet with sorrel is very popular.

To prepare it you will need:

• 50 g of fresh sorrel.
• 4–5 pieces of chicken eggs.
• 200 g of cheese.
• 20 g butter.
• Some olive oil.
• Salt and spices.

Cooking method: add 30 g chopped sorrel to beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into a pan with heated oil and add 100 g of cheese to it. Sprinkle the finished omelette with the remaining cheese and sorrel, then stand for another 2-3 minutes in the oven.

Is it possible to give sorrel to animals

Sorrel is one of the most useful products for rabbits of different breeds. The composition of this plant guarantees the animal good health and the intake of all the nutrients necessary for normal development and growth. But offering sorrel to cats and dogs is not worth it. It can be dangerous for the body of these pets.

Interesting facts about sorrel

Sorrel is widely used in cooking, it is loved and appreciated by many people. However, a few of them know that:

1. Grow sorrel and use it for cooking a variety of dishes began in the 12th century.
2. Sorrel roots, stems and leaves are used to treat many diseases.
3. The Russian people considered this plant a weed for a long time.
4. Rhubarb is the closest relative of sorrel.
5. This amazing plant can cure both constipation and diarrhea.
6. Only young sorrel leaves can be eaten.
7. Sorrel can help cure allergies.
8. In folk medicine, sorrel is used not only to normalize the functioning of the human body, but also as a sedative.

Sorrel is an amazing product that can have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the internal organs of a person and help cope with many diseases. However, as far as it can be useful, it is so harmful. Therefore, use this plant should be considered. Otherwise, the risk of developing diseases that are dangerous to human health and life is increased. Correct dosages (not more than 1 bunch per day) and increased attention to contraindications will minimize all risks and help everyone to appreciate the enormous benefits of sorrel.

Sorrel photo