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Blueberries

Blueberry is a small shrub which in height does not grow more than a meter. The leaves of the shrub reach a length of 30 mmare they on long curved branches. During flowering the plants have small flowers with white or pinkish hue. After the flowers fall, tie on blueberry fruits blue berries covered with bloom. It is the fruit of blueberries are of value to humans, as they are edible and contain a large amount of useful minerals and vitamins. The Bush itself is lifespan, which can reach one hundred years.

Interestingly, in people blueberries are sometimes called goebbel, pianica, fotoplenka, geoboy, drunk, berry, berries attributing properties such as to intoxicate the person and cause headaches. However, this is not the fault of the blueberry, and the fault of rosemary, which often grows nearby.

Blueberries are eaten as raw, and after heat treatment, making jam and preserves. The berries often put wine.

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Useful properties of blueberries

Useful properties of blueberries are diverse. Berries are not only sources of vitamins and minerals, but also valuable medicinal raw materials. To get the maximum benefit, the fruit plants should be consumed raw. In untreated berries retained the maximum concentration of nutrients.

Blueberries – a real storehouse of organic acids, vitamins and mineral salts. Blueberries contains vitamin C, thanks to which this berry is used as antiscorbutic means. Juice and blueberries are a great cure for diabetics. Blueberries normalizes metabolism in the body. As for the content in blueberries salts of iron, compared to its content in pear and Apple, the first more than twice.

Among the medicinal properties of blueberries include:

  • Protection against radioactive radiation.
  • Strengthening blood vessels.
  • Normalization of work of heart.
  • Improving the functioning of the intestine, stimulating its peristalsis.
  • Slowing the aging process and atrophy of nerve cells.
  • improve the functioning of the brain.
  • Providing a choleretic effect.

  • The pressure reduction.

  • Anti-inflammatory effect.

  • Useful to use blueberries in atherosclerosis, when kapilliarotoxicos, when failure of the capillaries.

  • The berries have a therapeutic effect in angina and rheumatism.

  • The blueberry is a berry that you want to use for people with diabetes. Not only do they promote tissue regeneration, but also intensify the effects of drugs aimed at reducing the level of glucose in the blood.

  • Thanks to the regular inclusion in the menu of fresh berries it is possible to achieve the normalization of metabolism.
  • A decoction of the dried berries of blueberry are used as remedy for dysentery. To prepare a medicinal drink, you must pour a tablespoon of dry raw materials Cup of boiling water and infuse.
  • Use fresh berries it helps to stimulate the appetite.

  • A decoction of the twigs and leaves of the plant when you consume the heart disease.

  • The decoction of only the leaves of the plant has a mild laxative effect.
  • Blueberries useful for vision. With its systematic use can restore vision, to release tension from the eyeball. Berry favorably affect the accommodation of the pupil improves visual acuity in the dark.
  • For the production of gastric juice, for getting rid of diseases of the digestive tract and to reduce the temperature of the body is useful to drink fresh juice of the blueberry.
  • There is information about what blueberries have anti-tumor properties. Established that they contain large amounts of antioxidants, which destroy cancer cells.
  • Useful to use blueberries to people who work in hazardous industries. The berries have a large number of pectin, which bind and promote the excretion of radioactive compounds.
  • Blueberries have plenty of vitamin K1, which takes an active part in the processes of blood clotting.
  • To maintain vitality, blueberry is recommended to use regularly the elderly.
  • Do the berries and the juice extracted from them – food diet thatuseful to use for people with overweight.
  • Due to the high content in the berries of vitamin e, it is useful to use for people with varicose veins.
  • It is useful to eat blueberries during an epidemic of influenza or other respiratory diseases, as the berry contains large amounts of vitamins to strengthen the body's resistance to pathogenic viruses and bacteria. In addition, the blueberry helps the body better absorb vitamin C, which is so necessary to maintain immunity in the norm.
  • In the composition of the blueberries contain flavonoids that can prevent urinary tract infection and contribute to the suppression of growth of pathogenic flora.

In many studies, scientists have found that blueberries may slow aging of the brain, protecting it from the worst effects of radiation. Scientists decided to conduct an experiment on rats. According to the results of the study found that due to the fact that the rats were fed food that consists of blueberry with strawberries, they have improved memory and attention. But rats that had not received such a food, on the contrary, attention and memory have changed for the worse.

How useful blueberries for women?

Blueberries beneficial for women suffering from anemia. Although iron in the berries are not very many, it kompensiruet the fact that it absorbed from her 100%.

In addition, a woman should consume blueberries in that case, if she has a predisposition to varicose veins. The unique composition of the berries allows you to maintain the veins and small blood vessels in good shape to retain their elasticity and strength.

Good to include blueberries in the power of women during menopause, as regular consumption of berries helps to slow the aging process in the body.

Can a nursing mom a blueberry?

Nursing mother to eat blueberries is not recommended, as the baby berry could trigger a diathesis.

Video about the benefits of blueberries:


Composition blueberry

The composition of blueberries as follows:

  • Water – 88%;
  • Sugar – 8%;
  • Mixture of organic acids and 1.6%;
  • Fiber is 1.2%;
  • Proteins – 1%;
  • Pectin, tannins and coloring substances – 0,5%.

The calorific value of 100 grams fruit is not high and is 61 kcal. In the berry there is a whole set of vitamins and minerals, including:carotene (0.29 mg), ascorbic acid (16 mg), a complete list of b vitamins (B1 0.02 mg, B2 0.02 mg), vitamins C, PP and p Are blueberries iron (0.8 mg), phosphorus (13 mg) and calcium (16 mg).

Organic acids that are present in blueberries, is represented by the following set: citric, acetic, oxalic, benzoic, malic acid.

How to store blueberries?

Blueberries are very difficult to collect without damaging the integrity of the berries. Even more difficult is the collected berries to keep. So, in the North, the fruit is put in a birch-bark boxes, pour fish oil and buried in the moss. Thus the inhabitants of the North keep berries for many centuries.

Of course, to keep the berries in an urban environment, you need to put it in plastic containers and cover tightly. Keep container have in the freezer at a temperature of -15 degrees. This way berries will remain fit for consumption throughout the year. Found that frozen berries do not lose their nutritional and medicinal properties. Therefore, it is possible to subject the fruit to a deep freeze. But you need to choose ripe, undamaged fruit with a whole skin.

It is important that before freezing, the berries washing is not necessary, otherwise their skin will get too hard. It is best to freeze the fruit in small portions, this allows you to avoid defrosting a large amount of blueberries.

In the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to +4 blueberries can be stored for two weeks. But it is important the berry is sealed, so it does not absorb odors.


Contraindications to the use of blueberry

Despite all the useful properties, there are also contraindications to the use of blueberry, among them:

  • Use blueberries in large quantities. Failure to comply with the recommended doses of can occur malnutrition of the muscles with oxygen, which will lead to fail in their functioning. This negative effect occurs because of the increased content in the berries of antioxidants.
  • The blueberry is a berry Allergy, so it should be cautious to offer children and people prone to allergic reactions. In addition, eating blueberries may cause intoxication of fetus, and therefore should not be included in the menu of pregnant women and mothers, breastfeeding.

  • Biliary dyskinesia isabsolute contraindication to the use of berries. If this recommendation are followed, you can provoke exacerbation of the disease.

  • When eating berries in large amounts increases the risk of diarrhea, flatulence and bloating. This is because blueberries has a laxative effect on the bowels.


Recipe of jam from blueberries for the winter

For making jam from blueberries for the winter, you will need to take a kilo of berries and four cups of sugar. Spoiled and unripe berries, leaves and stems for cooking the jam do not fit, so they need to be removed.

Sorted fruit is then placed in a colander and washed thoroughly under warm running water. After all residual water will drain, the berries should be put on a dry towel. While the fruit is dry, one should prepare the syrup. In an enamel bowl pour a glass of water and prepared sugar, after which the mixture is brought to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. When the sugar has dissolved, the syrup should be removed from the stove and let it cool.

The berries are placed in the syrup at room temperature and again put on the stove, spreading her small fire. After boiling, the jam need to soak on low heat for half an hour. In sterilized jars blueberry jam is bottled hot, then close the lids. Store this jam should be in dark and cool place.