Linden is a fairly common tree for our latitudes. It is unpretentious, decorative, and at the same time it gives a lot of shade, due to which it was often used to design alleys in rich estates. For a gardener, this tree is a real gift: in the fall, you don’t need to scoop the leaves off;
Did you know? Linden is a tree shrouded in many secrets. Since ancient times, the Scandinavian peoples considered the linden to be sacred, linking her with Freya, the goddess of spring and the patroness of home comfort. In the shade of this tree, it was customary to assemble in order to solve matters important for the local community. The Slavs also deified the lime tree, making it a participant in many rituals dedicated to the goddess of love and beauty, Lada. The ancient Greeks revered the "golden tree" as a symbol of love and loyalty. Lipa was also a source of inspiration for many Russian creators - Akhmatova, Blok, Yesenin, Pasternak, Fet, Derzhavin, Tolstoy and others.The linden blossoms rather late - in the middle of summer - and at this time it exudes a intoxicating smell that actively attracts bees. Linden tea and linden honey are a favorite delicacy of our ancestors, in addition, they have long noticed that sore throat and bronchitis, ulcers and intestinal disorders, burns, migraines and dizziness - this is not a complete list of painful conditions that linden treats.
The composition and beneficial properties of linden
Due to its numerous beneficial properties, linden is widely used not only in traditional medicine, but also in pharmacology. Few know that used in linden not only flowers, but also bark, bracts (wings), less often - buds.
All linden organs contain a lot of ascorbic acid and carotene, they also contain glucose, sugar, micro- and macronutrients, protein, tannin, tannins, flavone glycosides (bioflavonoids), amino acids and essential oils.
Useful qualities of the plant provide various antioxidants and phytoncides.
Thus, the glycoside tiliacin has diaphoretic and antibacterial properties, flavonol quercetin is one of the most powerful antioxidants, and kaempferol strengthens the walls of blood vessels and capillaries and removes harmful substances from the body.
Based on all of the above, the lime color is a proven antipyretic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory agent, widely used for the treatment of colds and respiratory diseases, as well as infections of the oral cavity (as a rinse). In addition, linden flowers in the form of decoctions and infusions are used to relieve pain and cramps, as a diuretic and choleretic, with loss of consciousness and other painful conditions.
Lipa has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, soothes, dilutes the blood and improves the production of gastric juice. Linden is used in some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, with high acidity. Linden color stabilizes metabolic processes, heals ulcers and wounds, eases the flow of hemorrhoids, relieves joint pain, rejuvenates and tones the skin.
Brooms for a bath are made from linden branches, and linden honey has unique anti-cold properties.
Lipa is part of many herbal, but is used in its pure form. In addition to the above-mentioned decoctions and tinctures, lotions and compresses based on linden-colored, as well as linden baths, have a soothing and healing effect. Thus, the use of bark and linden flowers can be both internal and external.
Useful properties of linden tea
Knowing the usefulness of linden flowers, it is worth stocking them for making lime tea. It is in this drink that the amazing aroma of the essential oils contained in the plant is best disclosed, and tonic, anticonvulsant, diaphoretic, and other invaluable lime-colored properties are realized. This tea has a stimulating effect on the circulatory, cardiovascular and urogenital systems, the gastrointestinal tract, the kidneys and the gall bladder, cleanses the liver, removes toxins from the body, reduces blood viscosity.
Separately, it should be noted the beneficial properties of linden tea for women suffering from menstrual disorders and painful menstruation. The thing is that linden contains many phytoestrogens that are similar in composition to estradiol - the female sex hormone.
There are several ways to make delicious golden lime tea. The first one is the standard one: fill in the lime blossom with hot water, wrap it up, insist for about a quarter of an hour and enjoy.
The quantity of raw materials is determined by taste, focusing, however, on the fact that if there are too many flowers, the drink can turn out to be bitter. Some prefer to pour linden with cold water and not just bring to a boil, and even boil for a few minutes. Such a drink is more saturated and can be used as a brew (diluted with water when serving).
And, finally, you can add a lime blossom to ordinary tea leaves, brewing the drink in the usual way. You can drink this tea while drinking lime honey.
Important! Ascorbic acid, contained in linden flowers, decomposes at high temperatures, so if you want to preserve all the beneficial properties of a medicinal plant as much as possible, you should not boil it with boiling water and even less.
When and how to properly collect and store lime blossom
Linden flowers are harvested in the active flowering phase - depending on the region and the type of linden, it may be June or July. It is important to correctly determine the moment when to collect the color of lime. Try to do this when most of the flowers are in the tree. Do not be late - linden blooms from 10 days to two weeks, focus approximately on the middle of this period.
For harvesting you need to choose healthy inflorescences, without external defects and traces of diseases (pests) that can manifest themselves in darkening, rust, drying, etc. If the flower has faded, you can not use it, try to dry one such inflorescence as an experiment, and you will immediately notice the difference - the raw material turns out completely unsuitable for use.
Important! For the preparation of raw materials, you need to choose a dry day (there should be no moisture on the inflorescences) and carry out the procedure during the day so that the flowers are fully opened.It is not recommended to carry out the preparation of lime color in large quantities (unless, of course, you are not going to sell it or do not do healing professionally). For "domestic consumption" throughout the winter, the average family is quite enough to collect a kilogram of flowers (after drying, this weight will decrease three times), and next year it is better to stock up on fresh color.
Of course, there is no point in collecting medicinal raw materials along the roads and in the middle of city streets - so much industrial dust accumulates on such flowers that you can forget about the beneficial properties of the plant.
Look for a suitable tree or grove in the forest or planting during a picnic and when the season comes, go to him for the "harvest". Also make sure that there is no apiary nearby, otherwise you will serve the bees with unkind service, and leave the host without honey. It is necessary to collect inflorescences carefully, one by one, tearing off with your hands or cutting off with scissors in order not to harm the tree. The flowers do not break individually, but are separated from the bract.
If you are going to stock up on the bark of the tree, then it should be done in the off-season, as close as possible to cold weather - late autumn or early spring.
Important! If linden is not growing at your summer cottage, permission to remove bark should be obtained from forestry (or municipal services, depending on whose jurisdiction the tree is in).When to collect the kidneys, questions should arise - when they swell.
For further procurement of raw materials must be dried. To do this, unparsed inflorescences are laid out on a horizontal surface (the layer should not exceed 2-3 cm) and dried in a place protected from bright light with good ventilation. You can use a dryer or oven (temperature is set to 45 degrees, not higher). Periodically, the raw materials must be gently shaken or mixed.
The readiness of raw materials is evidenced by their acquisition of fragility and characteristic yellowish color. Linden aroma should be preserved, but become much less noticeable. In addition, the flowers should stick slightly to the hands (this suggests that you managed to save the precious essential oils contained in the inflorescences).
You can store the raw materials in paper or linen bags or in a ceramic container so that oxygen is available to the flowers. Glass and plastic are enemies of lime color. If done correctly, the collected flowers can be used for up to two years.
Use in traditional medicine
The use of flowers and linden bark for medicinal purposes is very diverse. Consider only some of the recipes of traditional medicine, long used by our ancestors.
With headache
As mentioned above, linden has a pronounced sedative and sedative effect, and also thins the blood. Therefore, in case of severe headaches and migraines, it is possible to pluck several fresh inflorescences or young leaves, chop them well and simply apply to the forehead and temples - the essential oil released from the raw materials easily absorbs into the skin and provides anesthetic effect.
Throughout the year, headache will get rid of lime tea, as well as tea made from aromatic collection - mint, lemon balm, lime blossom and motherwort. This drink will also help to get rid of insomnia and overcome the negative effects of stressful situations that were carried over during the day.
When coughing
Using linden gives a strong expectorant effect. Best of all, this property "works" if you take a decoction based on a lime blossom. Dried flowers are poured with cold water, boiled for several minutes after boiling, then the broth is wrapped and well infused. You can add to the linden blossom dried black currant leaves, raspberries, elder flowers or dried raspberries. This collection will further enhance the expectorant effect.
Strained broth is better to pour in a thermos, so that several times a day to drink warm and not reheat again.
Proportions for cooking broth: 1 tablespoon of medicinal raw materials in a glass of water. But if you do not have a thermos, you can prepare a more concentrated solution and then dilute it with warm water as brewing during the day.
With a cold
Lipa for colds is an excellent means to sweat well. In addition, it has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps alleviate the symptoms of respiratory infections. For this, a decoction prepared as described above is perfect, as well as fragrant lime tea with linden honey (only you do not need to add honey to a hot drink, this will destroy its healing properties). To reduce the temperature of lime decoction, you can take a glass every hour. Children should be given such a drink at night. If the cold is accompanied by a sore throat, it is helpful to rinse it with lime tea.
With prostate
The original way to alleviate such an unpleasant male disease as prostatitis, is also associated with lime. After burning the branches or logs of the tree, the coals are collected, carefully triturated and brewed by analogy with coffee powder. Such a drink is taken a glass a day during the week.
In case of poisoning
The coal powder obtained by the method mentioned above is taken three times a day in a teaspoon for food poisoning as an adsorbent.
In diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
In the presence of disorders of the stomach and intestines, it is best to use non-concentrated decoctions from the herbal collection, including lime blossom, chamomile and mint. This drink has a high choleretic effect. To prepare the broth, two tablespoons of raw materials need to be poured with a glass of boiling water and ten minutes to cook over low heat. Insist, strain and take completely cooled.
From the intestinal colic and spasm will help get rid of the lime bath. Fill the bath with warm water and add to it a concentrated decoction obtained from linden flowers, filled with boiling water and brought to a boil (before use, the decoction must be infused and then filtered).
After lying in a bathroom for a quarter of an hour, you can forget about the unpleasant pain in the intestines.
Decoction as a diaphoretic and febrifuge
A tablespoon of linden-colored need to pour a glass of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Wrap, insist, strain. Take in the form of heat as needed (high fever), to enhance the effect and facilitate sleep - at night. A single rate - depending on the state - can be quite large - up to three glasses.
Did you know? The high temperature suggests that the body resists infection, so fever is a good sign rather than a cause for panic. If we begin to artificially reduce body temperature, we thereby interfere with our own immunity to fight the disease. Another thing is that a long and truly high temperature (40 degrees and above) can adversely affect the body's water balance and cause disturbances in the heart and central nervous system. Therefore, antipyretic drugs should be used, but not uncontrollably, but only in critical situations.
Linden flower decoction to add to the bath
Above was described the method of preparation of a linden-colored bath to get rid of stomach cramps. Such a bath, in addition, will have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system.
If you are screwed up and frayed, if you had to be nervous and fussing all day, if you were tormented by insomnia - do not be lazy to arrange unloading yourself at night with a lime bath, this pleasure is worth a few minutes spent preparing a concentrated broth.
In addition, you will receive an additional bonus in the form of younger and refreshed skin, because linden also has cosmetological properties. Especially recommended lime bath for people with oily skin.
Use in cosmetology
In cosmetology, lime blossom is used not only in the form of baths.
Linden infusion has a beneficial effect on the skin, and is suitable even for those with whom it is especially sensitive. The high content of ascorbic acid in linden flowers determines its use as an extract, which is added to various lotions, tonics, bath foams and shower gels. Such products have a nourishing, softening and refreshing effect. In addition, it is linden "opens" the skin for all chemically active substances that are part of cosmetic products.
Lipa helps to get rid of edema, improves skin elasticity, strengthens and soothes it, and even helps get rid of the first signs of wrinkles.
Lime extract is often included in the composition of cosmetic products intended for skin care in the eye area. This leaves dark circles and swelling of the eyelids, the skin becomes smooth and has a healthier appearance. In addition, these funds are good protection of the epidermis from the harmful effects of the external environment, wind, cold and heat.
Linden is also used in the manufacture of hair products - shampoos, foams and balms. Hair is better combed, less fall out, get shine and elasticity.
To make a lime face mask at home, pour half a glass of hot water into three tablespoons of lime blossom, heat gently with constant stirring and apply hot gruel to your face. The exposure time is 20 minutes, then the mask is washed off. For oily skin, this mask is preferable, but you can use it with dry skin, just a layer needs to be applied thinner.
Contraindications and possible harm
As always, when speaking about the beneficial properties of linden, one should not forget about contraindications.
Actually, it is one thing - do not abuse and listen to your body. The pronounced diaphoretic effect of linden and its diuretic properties during uncontrolled use may adversely affect the functioning of the heart and kidneys.therefore, drinking lime tea every day, regardless of the state of health, is definitely wrong. Overdose can also manifest itself in impaired vision. Lipa is a medicine, not a harmless delicacy, and it is its chemical activity, providing a therapeutic effect, can have the opposite effect if it is taken improperly.
The presence of serious chronic or, on the contrary, acute diseases that are not included in the list of ailments treated with lime, can be a serious contraindication to its reception, therefore in such cases it is necessary to get a preliminary consultation from your doctor!
