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Chinese Magnolia vine

Useful properties and recipes of the use of Chinese Magnolia vine


The Botanical characteristics of the Chinese Magnolia vine

Schisandra chinensis is a perennial, woody, deciduous, twining vine of the family limonnikova. Also, this plant has many folk names such as "Chinese shizandra", "the Manchurian lemongrass"and"C-Wei-zi"in Chinese means"berry of five flavors".

Chinese Magnolia vine can reach 15 meters in height, twining around shrubs and tree trunks. A stalk of lemongrass, wrinkled, branching, has a thickness of 1.5–2 cm, and numerous longitudinal lenticels. The color of the stem depends on the age of the plant. For example, young specimens have a shiny, yellowish bark, and on old plants it is a dark brown color.

The leaves of Chinese Magnolia vine are alternate, slabokaite and have an elliptical shape with cuneate base. The color of leaves with the upper side dark green, lower pale. The tops of the leaves are sharp. The stalks are pinkish-red in color have about 2-3 centimeters in length.

Flowers Schizandra located on long thin pedicels, white or slightly pink color and a pleasant sweet flavor. Flowering lasts from early may to mid-June. After flowering Magnolia growing its receptacle so that the flower spike is formed of a brush-megagood, which consists of 20-25 juicy red fruit.

Chinese Magnolia vine fruit is a spherical berry shape with two shining kidney-shaped seeds, brown, or yellowish brown. The taste of specific fruits, spicy, sour, salty, bitter, sometimes pungent. The smell of the berries as the leaves and stems, when crushed a strong lemon.

Growing Chinese Magnolia vine

To grow Chinese Magnolia vine and its use for medicinal purposes began over 250 years BC in Ancient China. Later, the vine has spread throughout the Far East, where indigenous people often used it as a means of reducing power.

Also in lemongrass grows wild in China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin, Primorsky and Khabarovsk territories.

Lemongrass grows in the mountainous, deciduous, and mixed forests of the valley. Often lemongrass can be found on forest edges, around bushes, near the valleys of streams and small rivers. Chinese Magnolia vine likes well-drained, rich in organic matter, acidic soil. For medicinal purposes of lemon are grown on special plantations.

Growinglemongrass in suburban areas and gardens – easy lesson, as the vine is an adaptable plant. Plant schisandra is recommended in the penumbra, as grown in a Sunny spot the plants are poorly developed and do not produce fruit. Watering should be moderate, as the vine does not like waterlogged or drying out of the soil. Also, the lemongrass is a beautiful decoration for walls of houses, verandas and pergolas. Growing lemongrass as a hedge, it is necessary to put strong supports, you can use arches, lattice or trellis. Without good support, the vine does not bear fruit.


Picking and harvesting Schizandra

As a medicinal raw material used the fruits, seeds, bark and leaves, and lemongrass. The bark is collected in spring, the stems in the fruiting period. In order to obtain the flavonoids collection leaves of lemongrass is in the phase of their blooming, and billet to retrieve from the leaves of the mucus are in the process of defoliation. Start collecting leaves and shoots better in August, cutting off the old unproductive vines. Then they should be crushed and spread out in a thin layer. To dry the raw materials required under a canopy, stirring occasionally.

The berries of schisandra chinensis should be collected in the period of their full maturity. The period of ripening of the fruit of the vine lasts from September and lasts until autumn frosts. To cut brush with berries should be very cautiously, it is better to use a sharp knife. Be careful not to damage vines as the plant without support may cease fruiting. As containers for the collected fruit is better to use barrels, baskets or enamel bowl. But the use of galvanized buckets will lead to oxidation of the juice of the berries. The processing of fruits should be done within a day after collection. Schizandra berries can be harvested in two ways.

1st method: collected fruits of schisandra chinensis within three days it is necessary to dry under a canopy in the shade. Then you need to sort through the berries, separating them from the receptacle, twigs and other impurities. After the berries are dried up in oven at a temperature of 60 degrees. Fruit that have passed such processing, do not lose their medicinal properties for two years.

2nd method: Schizandra berries should be pressed on a hydraulic press. After the fermentation process the fruit on the sieve are washed under running water. Seeds need to be separated and dried in the air heater vent drying. The washed fruits are dried in a thermal drying first at a temperature of 35-40 degrees, and then be dried at 60-70 degree weather.


Useful propertiesSchizandra

All parts of Chinese Magnolia vine are rich in nutrients composition. The fruit of Schizandra contains about 20 % organic acids is malic, citric and tartaric acid. In addition, the berries have a high content of mineral salts and vitamins C and E. the fruit Also contain such trace elements as zinc, copper, iron, manganese, Nickel, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, silver, calcium, molybdenum and titanium. Due to the large number of restorative materials the fruits of schisandra can enhance arousal in the cortex of the human brain and enhance the reflex activities of the Central nervous system. It is the effect on the Central nervous system stimulates the cardiovascular system and initiating respiration, exerting a tonic and stimulating effect. Dried fruits contain starch, ash, fiber and water-soluble substances.

Magnolia vine seeds are equally useful. It is believed that they contain active ingredients such as schizandrol a and schisandrin. Also the seeds are rich in fatty oils, anthocyanins, catechins, resin, and tannins. In folk medicine, the use of seeds is widespread for the treatment of tuberculosis, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, anemia, diseases of stomach, intestines, liver and kidneys.

The Chinese Magnolia vine leaves are rich in essential oils. Therefore, infusions of the leaves and the bark of schisandra is an effective remedy for the treatment of scurvy and infant dysentery.

The use of schisandra

Chinese Magnolia vine is a valuable medicinal plant and is cultivated in many countries. And in the scientific and in folk medicine, Chinese Magnolia vine is used as a powerful tonic for fatigue, nervous exhaustion, reduced mental and physical health, for healing trophic ulcers and long not tighten wounds. Lemongrass contributes to a longer preservation of strength and energy in people engaged in heavy mental or physical work.

In traditional Chinese medicine lemongrass has been successfully used for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, impotence, anemia, and bleeding. Also lemongrass is recommended to apply in small doses to women in menopause – to relieve excessive irritability andvoltage.

Schisandra can enhance visual acuity and improves the ability of the eye to adapt to darkness. The plant also will help people engaged in mental work, as it stimulants enhance attention, concentration and the perception of wholeness.

As the berries of schisandra chinensis practically inedible fresh, they are often dried or made them juices, marmalades and jams. In canning, the fruit juice of lemongrass as a seasoning for syrups, compotes and kissels. Also juice used for wine buklirovannye. And when marinating cucumbers, tomatoes and mushrooms are often added to the lemongrass leaves.

The essential oil, which is rich in Chinese Magnolia vine, are highly valued and often used in perfumery, soap and cosmetic industry.

Also, a medical application, the vine often grown as ornamental plants.


Recipes based on Chinese Magnolia vine

Tincture from the leaves and stems of schisandra is prepared from finely chopped fresh leaves, stems or shoots Schizandra and 70% alcohol in the ratio of 2 tablespoons of raw materials to 6 tablespoons of alcohol. The dishes for this tincture it is better to choose dark glasses. To ensure that the mixture has rested, it is necessary to sustain its 10 days in a dark place, after which the tincture is filtered and left in the same container. Store the tincture is best in the fridge. This tool is recommended to be taken on an empty stomach before eating, and after 5 hours. Dosage is individual and should not exceed 30 drops. take this infusion is produced 2-3 times a day. Treatment with tincture of schisandra chinensis on alcohol it is better to conduct courses for 20-25 days.

Tincture of schisandra fruit. 40 grams of Schizandra berries need to fill with 50% ethyl alcohol, given the ratio of 1:5. Infuse the mixture should be in a dark place for 10 days. Then infusion to drain, and to the resulting precipitate add another 20 ml of alcohol and insist 10 days. Further, both of the tincture should be combined and mixed with an equal volume of distilled water. Make a tincture 2-3 times a day 2.5 ml before eating. The recommended course of treatment – 14 days. Tincture helps with vertigo, sleep disorders, frequent headaches, depressive and asthenic syndromes.

Tincture from seeds of schisandra. For its production need 10 grams of crushed seeds of Schizandra fruit, 20 grams of its berries and 70% alcohol. Seeds and berries pour 100 ml of alcohol and leave to infuse in a dark glass container at room temperature for 10 days. Then, the resulting infusion to drain. It should be consumed on an empty stomach, adding to the water20-30 drops. It is recommended to take a remedy for anemia, General fatigue, fatigue, sexual weakness, diseases of the stomach, colds and nervous diseases. Often the tincture is used for the prevention of influenza. In Korean medicine, a tincture made from the seeds of the schisandra is used for acceleration and induction of labor: 3-4 times with an interval of one hour.

The lemongrass juice is made from freshly picked, washed and pressed berries. The juice must be pasteurized bottled in glass jars and pasteurize for 10-15 minutes. Then the container should be tightly closed. This juice improves health and raises vitality. Use juice need tea in proportion of one teaspoon to a Cup of tea.

You can also cook the sweetened juice of the vine. For this pressed from the fruit juice need to add sugar: to one litre of juice from the berries of schisandra – one kilogram of sugar. The mixture should be put on weak fire and, stirring, bring to full dissolution of sugar. After reconstitution, the juice should be heated up to 90 degrees, pour into pre-sterilized banks and roll.

Tea. Tea need dried leaves, bark or young shoots of Chinese Magnolia vine. Approximately 10-15 grams of raw pour a liter of boiling water and without disturbing, insist 3-4 minutes. Also the leaves of lemongrass can be added to regular tea. To hold the brewed tea in a thermos is not recommended, it will deprive of its aroma. Regular consumption of tea with added Schizandra strengthens the immune system and increases resistance to colds.

Powder from seed Magnolia. For its production need the fruits of schisandra add water and leave for a few hours, then separating the pulp, take the seeds out. They should be well dried in the oven, then grind into powder. Apply the seed powder for acute and chronic hepatitis as liver protective means, after a prolonged illness and as a tonic and stimulant for physical and mental fatigue. Make the powder should be 0.5 grams, 2 times a day before meals.

The stimulating effect of Schizandra comes in 30 minutes after consumption and lasts for six hours.


Contraindications to the use of schisandra

As Chinese Magnolia vine is one of the strongest natural stimulants, its use is contraindicated in hypertension, cardiac abnormalities,of epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia, increased intracranial pressure, overstimulation, arachnoentomosis, arachnoiditis, chronic liver diseases and acute infectious diseases.

Also refrain from using products containing lemongrass, it is necessary for pregnant women, women in lactation, people with dystonia and children up to 12 years.

In order to avoid insomnia you should not take products containing lemongrass in the second half of the day.

Side effects of lemongrass: tachycardia, increased secretion of the stomach, insomnia, headache, allergic reactions and increased blood pressure. Treatment of Chinese Magnolia vine should be under medical supervision and only after a preliminary examination.