Forest gifts – medicinal plants, berries, mushrooms – have always been valued by people. From spring to autumn, each at the time, they delight us with its usefulness and availability, and the red blueberry, known by many, is not the last among them.
General description of the plant
The red blueberry is a group of perennial plants with flowers of the Vaccinium genus of the Verescae family, represented by perennial leafy bushes with bright red berries. It is not difficult to distinguish them from other representatives of the genre (red blueberry, red currants, red blueberry) due to several peculiarities:
- Long stems (up to 60 cm) in the form of a housing are Odresne, crawl on the ground and are rooted in the knots;
- The leaves, small and coriaceae, are bright and blue below
- The flowers have a high pedicel (up to 5 cm), they are roses and seem fall due to the curved petals back.
The Latin name, oxycoccos, is formed from the combination of two Greek words: “sour” and “sphere”, in reference to the characteristic taste of the fruit. A data. Local names in many languages reflect the resemblance to the stem of the stem with the head of a crane: English “Cranberry” (“red blueberry”), German “Kranebeere”, Russian “Zhuravlikha”, Belarusian “Zhuraviny”.
In the temperate climatic zones of the northern hemisphere, the plant is found in high, spherical and peat bogs, as well as on the banks swampy of rivers and lakes. It blooms in May or June, and reaps its fruits from the end of August to October. Four red blueberry varieties are known
- The common red blueberry or swamp, which is located in Europe, Siberia and the East extreme;
- The red blueberry of small fruit, which is located in Central Asia and Europe;
- the large or American fruit blueberry, which is located in North America;
- The southern mountain berry (Vaccinium rediflorum), which grows in the mountains of the southeast US and East Asia, is a shrub up to 1. 5 m high.
Due to its high nutritional valu e-berries are a source of vitamins and are used a lot in the food industry and cosmetolog y-the plant (red blueberry) is grown in the US since the 30s and in the territories of the former USSR(Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia) from the 70s.
In 2017, in Russia, the first global swamp red blueberry plantation was established in the Arkhangelsk region.
Chemical composition of red blueberry
The red blueberry is a treasure of organic substances and beneficial inorganic compounds. Its composition includes
- substances (natural thickeners that are added to many desserts);
- MacroAzúces (glucose, fructose, sucrose)
- acids (citric, malic, oleanoic, quinic, succinic);
- Bioflavonoids (among them, anthocyanine coloring substances)
- phenolic (among them the tannins, responsible for the astringent flavor)
- pectins;
- macro and micronutrients;
- Vitamins
Macro and micronutrients are present mainly in the form of salts. The most present in these berries (in parentheses – % of the daily dose) are:
- Potassium – 120 mg (4. 8%);
- Magnesium – 15 mg (3. 8%);
- silicon – 1. 5 mg (5%);
- copper – 61 micrograms (6. 1%);
- Molybdenum – 5 µg (7%);
- Cobalt – 1. 44 µg (14. 5%);
- Manganese – 0. 36 micrograms (18%).
Of the variety of vitamins contained in fruit (in parentheses – % of the daily ration)
- Pantotenic acid (B5) – 0. 295 mg (5. 9%);
- pyridoxin (B6) – 0. 08 mg (4%)
- Biotin (B7, also known as vitamin H) – 100 micrograms (200%)
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) – 15 mg (16. 7%);
- Vitamin E – 1 mg (6. 7%);
- Philoquinone (vitamin K) – 5 µg (4. 2%).
Fact. Although in Siberia the red blueberry is called “Limón del Norte”, it contains 3 times less vitamin C, also giving in its amount to such garden berries such as raspberries, currants and spiny currants.
Calories and nutritional value (per 100 grams)
The energy value of the berries is variable and depends on the elaboration method. Thus, blueberries have a caloric value
- Fresh and frozen – 28 – 35 kcal depending on the type and variety;
- Dry (without sugar) – 48-60 kcal due to moisture loss;
- dried (with added syrup) – 310 kcal on average.
As for the nutritional value of fresh fruit, it consists of:
- Water – 88. 9 g;
- Proteins – 0. 45 g
- Fats – 0. 2 g;
- Carbohydrates – 3. 75 g;
- Organic acids – 3. 3 g (including pectin – 0. 8 g)
- Food fibers – 3. 1 g
- Minerals (ashes) – 0. 3 g.
Red blueberries properties
Benefits
- Eating a small amount of berries from time to time is a good prevention of tooth decay and the accumulation of tartar, and rinse your mouth with a decoction of berries reduces the bleeding of gums.
- This delicacy improves digestion if gastric acidity is low.
- Burned drinks are good for colds for their vitamin C and diaphoretic action.
- The soft diuretic effect of red blueberry along with its antimicrobial properties makes it a valuable remedy for inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract: urethritis, cystitis, pyelonephritis.
- Fruit vitamins and minerals have a positive effect on blood vessels, preventing the deposition of cholesterol plates on their walls, intervene in insulin synthesis and are necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
- Small amounts of berries are useful for pregnant women to prevent the development of varicose veins and get rid of edema.
- If another antiseptic is not available, diluted juice is used to cure wounds and scratches in order to prevent suppuration and accelerate healing.
- Popular beauty recipes advise using decoctions to wash when a problematic fat skin is treated and as a hair rinse for the dandruff.
Damage and contraindications
- The substances that give the fruit its red color can cause allergic diasis in children.
- Organic acids damage tooth enamel and can cause pain in people with sensitive teeth.
Important! Dental sensitivity increases after bleaching and plate elimination procedures.
What is the correct way and in what quantities?
“The less heat, healthier” – the rule that applies to many vegetables and almost all fruits – it also applies to these berries. Acid and vitamins of red blueberries are destroyed by 20-70% during thermal treatment, so it is better to consume them fresh or in recently squeezed juice, diluted with water.
Without losing their healthy character, these additives will be well shown in:
- salads;
- second dishes such as edible decoration;
- Desserts (pastry creams, mousses, ice cream, sweet cold soups)
- Drinks that do not require boiling (kvas, lemonade).
In the sauces, snacks, compotes and liquid benchmark jams there will be somewhat less vitamins than in fresh fruit; In baked products and jams there will be almost no left.
To prevent blueberries from harming, it is important not only to keep the vitamins they contain when cooking, but also consume them correctly. There are three main recommendations:
-
A healthy adult can afford 120 – 150 g of fresh blueberries or 30-40 g of nuts without sugar or 200 ml of juice diluted in water without harming the body. For teenagers these limits are reduced by half.
Attention. Doctors do not recommend giving that whim to children under 3-4 years, and children 4 to 12 limit the daily ration of 20-30 grams (1-2 tablespoons).
The peculiarities of the use of red blueberries for medicinal purposes
Red blueberries in their fresh form – it is still more a food than a cure, which is not too enthusiastic due to its sour taste. Red blueberries are used more often than red blueberries for the treatment of internal diseases such as acute respiratory infections and inflammatory conditions, for example with honey.
The most acidic decoctions, juice and even fruit pulp are used for external applications: facial masks and hands, home remedies for the care of hands, body and hair.
The leaves of the plant, which can be acquired in almost any phytopharmacy, are not less valuable as a remedy. They contain less vitamins but more heat resistant nutrients, so they are suitable for preparing infusions.
Such drinks are less harmful to teeth and stomach, and their use helps to deal with heartburn, reduce throat pain, relieve headache and lack of breath, reduce joint pain.
However, we must not forget that any treatment with red blueberry and its leaves is a adjuvant therapy, not the main one, and it is worth consulting a doctor before using them.
What blueberries are healthier: dry, dried or frozen?
Fresh red blueberries are a seasonal delicacy and, therefore, are not always available. In supermarkets you can find dry, dried and frozen blueberries, but its benefits are not the same.
The nuts or dried fruits, which are only surpassed in use by the newly collected and frozen, are obtained by eliminating the liquid from the fruit of the plant. Both in industrial and domestic production, there are several drying methods:
- Outdoor;
- In an electric dryer or dehydrator;
- in a microwave oven;
- In the oven, with or without scald.
The natural drying method takes up to several weeks, but the resulting delicacy does not lose vitamins. Other methods allow dried fruits to cook quickly (half an hour to 4 – 6 hours), but some of its useful substances are destroyed.
IMPORTANT: When drying in an oven or dryer the temperature should not exceed 50 ° C – Only in this way the utility is preserved.
Dry cranes are not identical to dehydrated cranes, but these concepts are often replaced with each other, confusing buyers. The most frequent is that the one sold in the store differs from dry fruit due to the presence of sugar.
In industrial production, juice is squeezed from the fruit of the plant, boiled with glucose or sugar syrup and is injected again. The homemade method consists of drying the berries, which have previously boiled in sugar.
The benefits of this product are the same as those of the dried, but due to the sugar content (up to 60% of the weight), its caloric value increases, and becomes a prohibited delicacy for diabetic and overweight people.
IMPORTANT: It is possible to distinguish the dry blueberry from the dried by the brightness of the second: sometimes in their manufacture they use vegetable oil, so that the fruits do not stick. But do not trust the omens: it is better to study the label or, if possible, take a sample before buying.
Frozen berries are the best option if you can’t buy them fresh. This type of conservation
- It does not need sugar or other preservatives;
- It contains as many vitamins as fresh products
- They are preserved for more than a year without losing their nutritional value.
Choosing a quality product is not difficult either, and the opaque container does not cause problems: just make sure the fruit has a firm touch and does not stick. It is not necessary to defrost them before using them in the kitchen.
IMPORTANT: If you have to defrost the berries, take them out of the freezer and put them on the upper shelf of the refrigerator for 7-8 hours before cooking or eating them. Prolonged defrosting allows them to conserve their structure and attractive appearance.
Red blueberries are good for everythin g-Disponability, vitamins, health benefits in general-, but do not elevate them to the curalotodo range. Burned consumption will only be beneficial if used in moderation, and not instead of a cure for serious diseases, but together with them when it is acceptable.
