Bella Adams
It is called the berry of immortality and for good reason, because it has such a wonderful effect on human health that it is simply impossible to overestimate this effect. So, here is information about lingonberries, their benefits, and contraindications for consumption.
All about lingonberries
Lingonberry is an evergreen shrub with bright red round fruits. It blooms from May to June, and the fruits are fully ripe in September. Our ancestors called lingonberries “the berry of immortality” for their ability to overcome even the most serious diseases. And the plant itself is very resilient – its life expectancy is about 100 years.
Initially, the name for the berry was coined in Latin – vitis-idaea. Blood-red droplets, like grapes, scattered on wild branches. Perhaps that’s why the literal translation from Latin means “vine from Mount Ida”.
Lingonberries (other names include kamenka and gogodzi) are a close relative of cranberries, but they grow in the forest instead of swamps. Most of us know lingonberries as wild berries, although there are lingonberry plantations in some countries (Belarus, Lithuania, Germany, Scandinavian countries, and Finland).
Types and varieties of lingonberries
First of all, lingonberries can be divided into wild (forest) and cultivated. Currently, more than two dozen cultivars and hybrids of lingonberries are registered worldwide.
How to cook lingonberries
Lingonberries are quite sour. Lingonberries are used to make jam, jelly, candy filling, compote, jelly, pudding, fruit drinks, juice, and meat sauce, and are added to the dough, porridge, and marinade. In Denmark, Christmas goose is served for lunch with red cabbage and lingonberry compote.
Lingonberries can not only be well preserved but also used to preserve other foods. All this is possible due to the presence of a natural antiseptic, benzoic acid.
Composition and calorie content of lingonberries
Lingonberries contain many useful substances, including vitamins A, B, C, and E, tannins, pectins, and carotene. It is rich in minerals such as iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and manganese. It contains the acids necessary for our body: salicylic, malic, citric, as well as tartaric, quinic, and gallic.
The long-term storage of lingonberries is due to the presence of benzoic acid in its composition. This berry contains up to 15% of sugars, the main ones being glucose, fructose, and sucrose. It is also incredibly rich in carbohydrates and fiber.
The caloric content per 100 grams of nutritious lingonberries is only 43 kcal.
Thus, the ripe fruits of the evergreen shrub have all the possible benefits, and the berry is widely used in cooking. Lingonberries are used to make compote, fruit drinks, and various desserts. Lingonberry jam is very healthy and tasty.
Useful properties of the berry
The rich vitamin composition of lingonberries allows you to use jam for the prevention and treatment of colds and also helps to restore and strengthen the immune system. Lingonberries go well with pears, apples, and honey.
Lingonberry syrups, hot sauces, salads, and pastries also taste great and are healing. Lingonberries also go well with meat dishes, which, thanks to the berry, acquire some piquancy and look more original. Not only gourmets and lovers of tasty food can include lingonberry dishes in their diet, such food is not prohibited even in the presence of diabetes. The berry perfectly restores strength, and normalizes the mental state of a person, relieving stress. It makes the body stronger and more resilient.
Lingonberries are incredibly rich in biologically active compounds that are beneficial to the body, and this is the reason for their healing properties. It is used in various forms and types in medicine, cooking, and cosmetology.
Lingonberries have good tonic qualities. For the treatment of flu, it is useful to take lingonberry juice, as well as infusions of leaves and berries. This remedy will relieve fever and also help with a sore throat.
Lingonberries are also useful for children, as they are good for urinary incontinence. Due to its mild laxative effect, it will help a child with constipation. A child with a poor appetite can also be given cowberries, which will improve it.
Lingonberries are indispensable for cystitis. It will help both to prevent this very unpleasant disease and to treat it. Due to its high content of vitamin C and B2, potassium, organic acids, and magnesium oxide, cowberry eliminates inflammation in cystitis and allows you to forget about it for a long time.
Lingonberries are known to have a positive effect on vision, as they contain a large amount of provitamin A.
Experts recommend taking lingonberry juice in case of high blood pressure. For women, lingonberries are also useful as a good cosmetic product. Decoctions of its leaves will strengthen hair and eliminate dandruff problems.
For men, especially in old age or with reduced sexual function, lingonberries will serve as an excellent aphrodisiac.
This berry helps to remove alcohol from the body. The medicinal qualities of this plant will also help with gum disease, stomatitis, and periodontal disease. A decoction of the leaves will be especially useful, which is useful for rinsing the mouth with such diseases.
Lingonberry leaves have even more beneficial properties than berries. It is a natural bactericidal, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory agent. It enhances the effect of antibiotics, so broth is recommended as an adjuvant in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. This decoction is also useful for reducing puffiness, as it helps to remove excess fluid from the body.
In medicine, the leaves are used to make disinfectants, diuretics, and choleretic drugs.
Lingonberries are the best natural healer for the kidneys. It will help to get rid of pyelonephritis and prevent the formation of kidney stones. Arbutin contained in it is an excellent antiseptic for the urinary tract.
It improves the functioning of the pancreas, so it is also useful to take lingonberries in the treatment of diabetes. With a pronounced low acidity of gastric juice, lingonberries will be an excellent helper, as they have a positive effect on intestinal motility. This berry will help with gastritis and pancreatitis. A decoction of lingonberry leaves is also useful for weight loss. Nutritionists recommend using it in conjunction with diets.
