Useful properties of coniferous trees are reflected in medical treatises of different countries for more than one century. Possessing excellent antibacterial properties, the needles strengthens the immune system, successfully fights against colds, and is also used in the treatment of many other diseases. The expression "green pharmacy" is great for spruces.
Spruce and its medicinal properties
Spruce belongs to the pine family, combining more than 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees. It grows everywhere in Northern and Central Europe, North America. Some of its species grow even in Central Asia.
Find out what is useful for fir, juniper and its fruits, yew berry.
The description of the spruce is easily recognizable - it is a tall, straight-stemmed conifer with a crown in the shape of a regular cone. It can reach a height of 35 m. The fruits of spruce are cones. All types of spruce possess useful properties and are similar in structure. The use of different parts of the tree for the treatment of diseases is caused by chemicals that are part of the needles, cones, seeds.
On the territory of the CIS countries, spruce not only grows in the wild, but also specially planted in the landscape gardening of medical institutions, sanatoriums, dispensaries, kindergartens and educational institutions. It uses the ability of phytoncides and essential oils to ate disinfect air and make it useful for breathing.
Familiarize yourself with the beneficial properties of honey from pine shoots, pine cones, pine pollen, pine buds, pine bark, pine needles, and pine resin sap.
The Leningrad Forestry Academy conducted a study of the biochemical composition of different types of needles. The works were supervised by Professor Nikitin N. I. In the course of the work the following indicators were identified:
- Tannin content (tannins) - 10%. Winter needles are especially rich in them.
- Carbon contains 13%, due to the large amount of carbohydrates and other water-soluble components.
- The content of vitamin C in needles is 25 times higher than in potatoes. The exact amount depends on the degree of illumination of the needles. The maximum amount of this vitamin is found in the winter needles.
- The amount of vitamin A is almost the same as that of carrots. Vitamin E is also found in large quantities.
- Protein - 11.8%. Vegetable proteins provide the body with essential amino acids and nitrogenous substances.
- The needles contain a large amount of ash elements, soluble components, pectins and proteins.
Among the healing qualities of wood, the following properties are noted:
- antiviral;
- anti-cold;
- pain medication;
- anti-stress;
- normalizing.
Did you know? The oldest spruce on the planet grows in Sweden. This is Old Tikko, which is 9550 years old.
Pine needles or medical preparations based on it are used to treat diseases of various body systems:
- immune;
- cardiovascular;
- gastrointestinal;
- nervous.
The range of application of the needles is very wide:
- Most often, treatment with the use of needles is recommended for colds. Decoction of needles - an excellent prevention of beriberi.
- It contributes to the accelerated recovery of the body after serious diseases and in the postoperative period.
- Needles strengthens joints and is used in diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including for the treatment of age-related changes - arthrosis, gout, rheumatism.
- Being a natural antiseptic, needles have proven themselves in the treatment of skin diseases - when removing inflammation, healing wounds, and treating eczema.
- Needles is a strong diuretic, also has choleretic properties.
- Antibacterial and immunomodulating properties provide needles tannins.
- Essential oils help cleanse the body of toxins and slags.
- The needles purify and disinfect the indoor air.
Cooking decoctions
Broths - one of the main elements of home therapy. They can be prepared on the basis of fresh or dry raw materials. Dry is usually in powder form and contains fewer active ingredients than green needles.
Find out how pine nuts, cedar oil, sap cedar are useful.
Since conifer needles and cones are classified as solid types of raw materials, they need to be ground before cooking.
The ratio of raw materials and water depends on the method of administration:
- for external use need to take 1/5 of the water relative to the dry raw materials;
- for internal use - 1/10.
For the treatment of colds, they drink the broth hot, with the addition of honey.
From spruce needles
A classic conifer decoction is 1 cup of conifer needles, boiled in 1 liter of boiled water. During boiling, the water gradually boils away, so after cooking, the prepared broth is supplemented with boiled water to 1 l.
The decoction is used to treat gums and respiratory diseases. Adding citric acid and honey to the finished broth helps to strengthen the immune system and the overall health of the body.
Did you know? Wine made of spruce needles helped sailors of northern peoples to fight scurvy in sea voyages.
If you do not have lactose intolerance, then water can be replaced with milk and used to treat colds.
Spruce cones
Young fir cones are harvested in late spring. They are used to strengthen the immune system and the overall recovery of the body.
Classic decoction is 0.5 st. spoons of crushed cones into a glass of water or milk. The boil is boiled for 5 minutes, then left to infuse in a thermos for 45 minutes.
Accepted with periodontal disease, toothache, to restore optimal microflora and prevent inflammation after various dental procedures. Also, a decoction of cones can be used to treat colds, sore throats, bronchitis, and laryngitis.
Inhalation with a solution of bumps treats diseases of the nasopharynx. To do this, the dose of cones per glass of water is increased to 3 tbsp. spoons. It is necessary to carry out the procedure 1 time per day during the week.
Did you know? Vintage female headdress kokoshnik-shishak symbolized studded with cones top spruce. is he was a symbol of the unfading health and fertility of women.
From fir branches
The main property of decoction of fir branches - stopping inflammatory processes.
Broth recipe:
- 200 g spruce branches;
- 1 liter of boiling water.
It should be consumed within 10 hours, since volatile substances cannot be stored for a long time in the drink.
Anti-inflammatory properties have aloe, yucca, calendula, bitter wormwood, clary sage, willow, fig, aconite, birch, wood louse, goldenrod, purslane.
From spruce buds
Spruce buds decoction is recommended for circulatory system diseases, joint and muscle pain, chronic respiratory diseases, and tuberculosis. With a low concentration (1 tbsp of spoon of kidney per 250 g of water), the drink is used to prevent colds, strengthen the immune system, as an anti-inflammatory drug.
Broth recipe:
- half-liter jar of buds and pine branches;
- 3 liters of water.
For diseases of the respiratory system take primrose, goose fat, Icelandic moss, fennel, mulberry, cloves, white radish, ivy, sporysh, thyme.
Conifer jam
Needles are used in the preparation of various medicinal dishes in all countries where spruces grow. So, in Bulgaria they cook coniferous kidney jam - "Hog honey". To make this honey, you will need:
- half-liter pot of kidneys;
- water - 2 l;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- citric acid - 1 tsp.
They treat a cold with such a remedy, a running cough, and also drink it as a prophylactic during the cold season.
Jam from young shoots of pine boiled in late May. To prepare it, you will need young pine shoots, the length of which is not more than 2 cm. For jam you need:
- 1 kg of shoots;
- 1 l of water;
- 1.5 kg of sugar;
- 0.5 tbsp. spoons of lemon juice.
Learn how to make green tomato jam, nightshade jam, rose jam, zucchini jam, feijoa jam, orange jam.Shoots sorted out, remove random needles, washed. Pour into a saucepan, pour in water and boil for 1 hour. The pot is removed from the heat and left to infuse for a day. In a day, syrup is prepared from the infusion and sugar, after laying out the cones in a separate container. The consistency of the syrup should resemble honey. Pour cones into syrup, add lemon juice and boil for another 10-15 minutes. Then the jam is poured into cans and covered with lids.
Pine Jam: video
Spruce paste
Paste from fresh needles is used as a wound healing agent. It relieves pain and reduces inflammation of the wound surface. It is used in the treatment of skin diseases, eczema, ulcers, herpes, hemorrhoids.
Important! Children any needles of pine needles can be given no earlier than 3 years of age. Dosage for preschool children - 1-2 teaspoons per day. Schoolchildren can be given on 1-2 st. spoons to strengthen the immune system and enhance mental activity.
Recipe:
- Take 300 g of oil and 300 g of conifer needles. Lay in a cast iron in layers: a layer of oil, on top of a layer of needles, again a layer of oil, a layer of needles and finish with a layer of oil.
- To cover with a lid.
- Cover the lid with a layer of dough.
- Simmer in the oven at 90 ° C for 2 hours.
- Turn off the oven and let it stand for 2 hours.
- The cycle is repeated during the day.
- After 24 hours, cool, remove the iron from the oven.
- Remove tightness, remove and discard black needles.
- Oil filter in a jar. The color of the solution is marsh.
Spruce paste with honey and propolis: video
It is used to lubricate wounds and cracks. In case of chronic wounds, treatment is carried out in a course - after a month of using the product a week-long break is taken.
Did you know? In ancient times, mattresses filled with fir cones served as original massage mats that treated diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Other applications for health needles
First of all, conifers are used in food - nuts from cones are eaten by both people and birds with pleasure. You can also make jam from cones and young plants. However, this is not all:
- Coniferous oils and various extracts, extracts are used in the manufacture of medical cosmetics. Such cosmetics are used to treat problem skin and strengthen hair.
- Needles in balneotherapy are used to improve tissue nutrition, normalize the work of the hematopoietic system, and remove toxins and slags from the body.
- Fashion trends include the manufacture of eco-clothing. From the needles you can get fiber, which is not inferior to animal origin wool by its medicinal qualities.
Pine bath
Basically, pine baths are used for dermatoses and various skin lesions, as well as a sedative for stress and overstrain of the nervous system. But the range of their application is wider. They are indicated for the treatment of:
- gynecological diseases;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- endocrine disruption;
- bronchopulmonary pathologies;
- nervous disorders;
- skin diseases.
Important! Coniferous baths are prohibited in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, cancer and during periods of exacerbation of chronic diseases.
To take a pine bath, you will need a decoction of conifer needles. To do this, it is better to use winter needles, because it contains a higher concentration of nutrients.
Technology:
- One glass of needles is boiled in a liter of water for 30 minutes.
- Insist broth 1.5 hours.
- Ready infusion is poured into the bath.
- Take a bath for 10-15 minutes.
- The water temperature should be comfortable.
Coniferous clothes
Pine wool is made from fibers that are obtained from conifer needles. Needles are soaked, crushed and spun yarn. Clothing made of such wool has a warming effect and is used for rheumatism and spinal diseases in order to improve blood circulation in the zone of contact with eco-clothing.
Pine thread manufacturing techniques:
- Pine needles bring to a boil and boil over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Crimp the needles, cut the tips.
- In the process of kneading the needles, the fibers are periodically washed with clean water.
- Thin strings are taken out of pine needles, folded in a row of several pieces and twisted.
- The thread is coiled up and spun like ordinary wool.
In the old days, this material was called "forest wool".
Conifer inhalation
Needle-based inhalations help cough, bronchitis and respiratory diseases. Inhalation can be done both over the broth and over the infusion. To prepare coniferous infusion, you need:
- Insist conifer needles in clear water for 12 hours.
- Put the infusion on the fire and cook for 45 minutes on low heat.
- Remove from heat and let stand 5-10 minutes before the start of inhalation.
Important! It is forbidden to inhale over just boiling solutions, in order to avoid burns of the upper respiratory tract.Inhalation is not done if the patient has:
- high body temperature;
- high pressure;
- tendency to nasal bleeding.
Needles - a pledge of beauty
Pine needles essential oils allow to widely apply it in cosmetology, medical cosmetics, including in skin care and hair care products.
Needles in cosmetology:
- has an antiseptic effect;
- tones and vitamins the skin;
- relieves inflammation;
- reduces puffiness and itching;
- improves blood circulation;
- stimulates skin regeneration.
Learn how to use walnuts, nettles, beeswax, aloe vera, grape vinegar in cosmetology.
Coniferous mask for skin
Masks for the skin have an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. They are applied to wet steamed skin for 20-30 minutes, then washed off with warm water. A moisturizer is applied to clean skin.
Recipe toning mask:
- Prepare coniferous infusion: brew 1 teaspoon of chopped needles with boiling water and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
- Heat up to room temperature cottage cheese mix with 2 tbsp. spoons of infusion and apply on skin for 30 minutes.
- honey - 3 tbsp. spoons;
- olive oil - 1 tbsp. spoon;
- dry powder needles - 3 tbsp. spoons.
Coniferous masks can be done 2 times a month. For the treatment of skin diseases - once a week.
Mask to strengthen hair
Hair mask is prepared on the basis of decoction of needles:
- water - 1 l;
- needles - 2 tbsp. spoons.
Add essential oils to broth and put on all length of hair, rubbing in hair and in head skin, for 20-30 min. Any essential oils can be used, they should be added 3 drops per solution. Wash off the mask with shampoo.
The task of the procedure is strengthening and nourishing the hair. The mask prevents hair loss and contributes to their improvement.
Contraindications
The use of the inside for people suffering from heart disease and kidney disease is undesirable. It is also contraindicated for the following ailments:
- nephritis and nephrosis;
- viral hepatitis;
- heart failure.
Important! People who are prone to allergic reactions should definitely take an allergic test before starting to use any coniferous substance.
Pregnant and lactating women should be wary of any type of treatment without consulting a doctor.
How to cook coniferous extract: video
No wonder the northern peoples conifers acted as a prototype of the World Tree of Life. The various healing properties of the needles are reflected in the many ways of its application. Use them to improve your health and improve the well-being of loved ones.
How to apply spruce needles: reviews
Spruce - this is one of those amazing plants that can be used to treat almost entirely: needles, cones, twigs, buds, bark, essential oil obtained from the needles, turpentine, resin.
In case of sore throat, 2 green cones of spruce boil for 30 minutes in a glass of water, filter and bring the volume to the original. This composition gargle 5-6 times a day.
With neurosis, radiculitis, polyarthritis, hypertension, coniferous baths improve well-being. Pine needles are poured with water and kept on a slow fire for 10 minutes. Then the broth is filtered and added to the bath. The procedure is carried out at bedtime for 20 minutes 12 days in a row.
При слабом иммунитете горсть хвои заливают 2 л воды в эмалированной посуде, добавляют столовую ложку луковой шелухи и чайную ложку мелко нарезанного корня солодки, кипятят на слабом огне. Then add 2 tablespoons of mashed rosehips and boil for another half minute, insisting, wrapped, 10-12 hours. Filter and store in the refrigerator. Drink 1 -2 liters during the day.
