medvezhya yagoda

Useful properties and applications of bear berry

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Botanical characteristics bear berry

Bear berry is an evergreen shrub of the family Ericaceae. The shade of the stem depends on the age of the plant: young stems are colored bright green, biennial – yellowish-brown, and the old stalks covered the whole length of Corky bark dark-brown hue. Sellersville creeping stems can reach a length of two meters.

Leaves small, leathery, entire, alternate, short, thick, oblong-ovate. The flowers are collected in drooping brush end, on short pedicels, pale-pink hue. The fruit is a berry – like drupe with five bones, a bright red hue. Flowering period bear berry is in may-June, during fruit ripening in July – August.

The natural habitat of bear berry, the North zone of the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia and the Western Caucasus. This shrub grows in pine and hardwood forests, coastal dunes, sandy places and rocks.

The beneficial properties of bear berry

In folk medicine for many decades used the aerial parts of this medicinal plant leaves. Collection of medicinal raw material can occur in two stages: from spring to summer produce harvest of the overwintered leaves, and in late summer – new grown leaves. Shoots with medicinal raw material can be cut off with a knife (pulling is not allowed), and then eliminate the brown (old) leaves.

Drying of shoots and leaves produced in a thin layer outdoors. At the conclusion of the drying branches oborachivaetsya and sifted through a sieve (to screen out shoots).

In the chemical composition of the leaves of bear berries contains arbutin, free of hydroquinone, quercetin, tannins, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), essential oils, organic acids (quinic, formic, ellagic, ursulova, Gallic).

Infusion, tincture and decoction of bear berries has a pronounced disinfectant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, enveloping, analgesic, antimicrobial and diuretic action.

The use of bear berry

In folk medicine, medicinal infusions and decoctions, which include bear berry, used for edema, chronic colitis, diathesis, urolithiasis, purulent wounds, chronic nephritis and nephrosis,cystitis, urethritis, diabetes, tuberculosis of lungs, chronic constipation, uterine bleeding, gastritis, heartburn and rheumatism.

A decoction of medicinal plants can be used both topically and place (in case of diathesis, ulcers and festering wounds) directly on the area of localization of the inflammatory process. The powder obtained from the dried leaves of the bear berry, also used topically as an antiseptic and wound healing remedy.

Decoctions bear berry

Recipe No. 1. 1 tablespoon of dry medicinal raw material is poured 200 ml of boiling water, then insist on a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. The broth is allowed to cool for 45 minutes at room temperature, and then strain the broth into a clean bowl. If necessary, the volume adjusted to 200 ml purified water and mix well. Take a decoction of bear berries for chronic and acute kidney 1/2 Cup 3-4 times a day.

Recipe № 2. 1 tablespoon of dry medicinal raw pour 200 ml of boiling water, then insist on a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Then the resulting broth is filtered into a clean container; if necessary, the resulting volume of broth was adjusted with purified water to 200 ml. Take broth 15 ml (1 tablespoon) 3-4 times a day when diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Recipe No. 3. 1 tablespoon of dried leaves of bear berries pour 200 ml of purified water at room temperature, then put in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. The resulting broth is filtered into a clean container and take 15 ml 3-4 times a day for nephritis.

Recipe No. 4. 5 g of dry medicinal raw pour 100 ml of purified water at room temperature, after which the solution is put in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Then the broth strain and take 15 ml 3-4 times a day for inflammation of the bladder.

Infusion bear berry

1 tablespoon of dried leaves of bear berries pour 200 ml of boiling water and insist at room temperature for 2-2. 5 hours, and the resulting infusion is filtered into a clean bowl. Infusion take 100 ml 4-5 times a day for rheumatism.

Tincture of bear berries

20 g of dry medicinal raw pour 100 ml of 40%ethyl alcohol, and then the composition allowed to stand for 14 days in a dark place, stirring occasionally and shaking the tincture. At the expiration of the fixed term the infusion is filtered into a clean container and take 15 drops 3 times a day for nephritis.

Contraindications to the use of bear berry

Like most herbs, bear berry has a number of contraindications. Medicinal infusions and decoctions of the leaves bear berry is absolutely contraindicated for use in pregnant and nursing women, children under the age of 12 years, with urolithiasis, the glomerulonephritis, in potassium deficiency and you are hypersensitive (allergic reactions).

We should not forget that the medicinal preparations bear berries are not recommended to take more than 7 days, also the number of treatment courses per year should not exceed five.