Honeysuckle: benefits and harms to the body

Honeysuckle is a shrub plant (creeping or climbing, depending on the variety). Certain types of berries are good for eating - they are tasty and healthy. In central Russia, you can most often find common honeysuckle, which has poisonous fruits. It is a wild plant, but it is also grown for ornamental purposes. The benefits and harms of honeysuckle will depend on its type, harvest time, method of use.

How to distinguish edible and inedible honeysuckle

Many people know the taste of honeysuckle since childhood. It is a multispecies plant, so it can be edible and inedible. Both types are used in horticulture. Edible species include: Altai, Kamchatka, Turchaninov and others. All of them are presented in the form of shrubs. Inedible species can also be shrubs or vines (or some other form).

How to distinguish:

1. Edible has blue-blue berries with a pronounced waxy bloom. Compound fruits have a fusiform, oval, cylindrical shape. They have good taste, for example, Kamchatka without bitterness.
2. Inedible has small, rounded fruits with a short stalk, black, red or orange color. Fruit crops are poisonous. Such berries are actively used in the field of ornamental gardening: Tatar, ordinary, Maaka and others. They are also called "wolfberry".

The chemical composition and calorie content of honeysuckle

In its composition, honeysuckle does not contain proteins, fats, dietary fiber. It contains:

• magnesium;
• sodium;
• potassium;
• iron;
• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• thiamine;
• folic acid;
• riboflavin;
• glucose and fructose;
• vitamin C;
• pectin substances;
• polyphenols;
• organic acids.

Why is honeysuckle useful for the human body

This is a common plant, in which each part has many beneficial properties. In folk medicine, garden honeysuckle has been used since ancient times for the preparation of various drinks, broths, infusions that help the cardiovascular, urogenital, and digestive systems. Fruits, branches, bark, flowers, leaves are useful.

It is used to treat and prevent various diseases. The healing properties of honeysuckle are known to many - it helps with heart disease, colds, and digestive problems. Provides the following useful actions:

1. Help in the removal of harmful substances and toxins from the body.
2. Normalization of pressure, improvement of the work of the heart muscle.
3. Positive impact on the functioning of brain structures.
4. Increasing the body's resistance to penetration and development of infectious lesions.
5. Elimination of headaches.
6. Help in metabolic processes, digestion.
7. Reducing the likelihood of atherosclerotic plaques, blood clots.

Berries will be useful for diabetes, high blood pressure, colds, infectious diseases, and high cholesterol levels.

It gains its beneficial properties for men and women in a very short time, so it is usually harvested in early to mid-June, especially in the southern regions.

For men

The benefits of honeysuckle for men are beyond doubt, because it is rich in vitamins A, B, C, and minerals. It also contains amino acids, pectins, glycosides. It is often recommended for men over 40 who suffer from hair loss.

It will also be useful for diabetics, since berries have a positive effect on metabolic processes and have a low calorie content. The composition also contains pectins, which help with irritated gastric mucosa during the digestion of heavy food and in cases of poisoning. You can also use honeysuckle to normalize blood pressure.

For women

Honeysuckle berries are especially beneficial for women. The berries contain antioxidants that slow down the aging process of cells and improve the condition of the skin. Eating them periodically, you can achieve a general improvement in the body, as well as preserve beauty longer. The benefits of honeysuckle berries are enhanced when consumed fresh.

During pregnancy

The benefits of honeysuckle during pregnancy are due to the composition. Its positive properties allow:

1. Reduce the likelihood of edema formation.
2. Improve and stabilize the work of the cardiovascular system.
3. Eliminate the deficiency of beneficial microorganisms and vitamins in the body of a pregnant woman.

To do this, you need to eat a few honeysuckle berries on an empty stomach before each meal.

Nursing mom

Honeysuckle during breastfeeding can be harmful only in one case - if a nursing mother eats berries in the first months of a child's life. Doctors recommend starting the use of these fruits with beneficial properties six months after the birth of the baby.

Mom needs to add them to the diet gradually, a few berries at a time, monitoring the baby's reaction. In the absence of allergies, stomach problems and other unpleasant manifestations, honeysuckle can be eaten on an ongoing basis. In this case, she will not cause any harm to the mother and the child - only benefit.

Is honeysuckle possible for children and at what age

The optimal age to give a child honeysuckle for the first time is 1–1.5 years. You need to start with a few drops of juice or compote. During the first week, the portion can be increased to 20-30 ml, after a month - up to 50-70 ml. If the child perceives the berry well, then puree can be made from it.

Older children can eat honeysuckle berries, but not in large quantities - 1–2 tsp. at a time. They will be useful for schoolchildren and older preschoolers.

In some cases, honeysuckle can be harmful, since after using it there is a chance that:

• hives;
• high temperature;
• constipation or diarrhea;
• increased irritability, tearfulness;
• sleepiness.

Honeysuckle contains trace elements in huge quantities, so the berries are useful for adults and children.

The benefits of honeysuckle for weight loss

Honeysuckle cannot harm the figure, because it is low in calories and is recommended for all those who want to lose weight. When consumed, the absorption of food improves, which leads to a decrease in appetite. The benefits of honeysuckle fruit drink are especially significant.

It also has a pronounced diuretic property, so excess fluid is quickly excreted from the body.A sample menu for those who want to lose weight with honeysuckle may look like this:

1. Breakfast: berries with cottage cheese (0% fat), with low-fat sour cream or natural yogurt.
2. Lunch: honeysuckle leaf tea and a small piece of cheese.
3. Dinner: vegetable soup, salad with boiled meat or fish and fresh vegetables.
4. Afternoon snack: 100-150 g of berries. You can season with low-fat sour cream, natural yogurt, kefir.
5. Dinner: buckwheat or rice porridge with berries, apples or pears.
6. Before bedtime: 1 tbsp. kefir.

Honeysuckle for diabetes and pancreatitis

The right decision for diabetics is to introduce fresh berries, fruits and vegetables with useful properties, vitamins and microelements into your diet. The permitted berries include honeysuckle. The benefits for diabetics are as follows:

1. Blood pressure normalization.
2. Decrease in blood cholesterol.
3. Improving digestion, helping to get rid of extra pounds.

With pancreatitis, especially during an exacerbation, the use of honeysuckle can cause serious harm.

Excessive consumption of berries can cause the start of fermentation processes in the intestines.

Traditional medicine recipes with honeysuckle

Experts talk about the benefits and harms in different ways, but in folk medicine this plant is actively used to treat a sore throat, improve memory, with vegetative dystonia, as a diuretic, for high blood pressure. The recipes can be as follows.

For a sore throat:

1. Pour 5-10 sheets of honeysuckle with 250 ml of boiling water.
2. Let it brew for 15–20 minutes.
3. Bring the broth to a boil, turn off the gas.
4. Allow to cool to room temperature.
5. Use only for gargling, drinking is not recommended.

To improve memory and VSD:

1. Take 2 tbsp. l. dried berries.
2. Pour 1 tbsp. boiling water.
3. Hold in a water bath for 20-30 minutes.
4. Insist for 1-2 hours.
5. Consume once or twice.

As a diuretic:

1. Take 2 tbsp. l. dried honeysuckle bark.
2. Pour them with 1 tbsp. boiling water.
3. Hold in a water bath for 20-25 minutes.
4. Let it brew for 30-40 minutes.
5. Take 1 tbsp. l. three times a day before meals.

Infusion of honeysuckle berries

The medicinal properties of honeysuckle are known to many - it is a plant rich in vitamins and microelements, which has very tasty berries. For cooking you need to take:

• 300 g of honey;
• 400 g of berries;
• 2 liters of vodka.

The preparation of the infusion is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. First you need to prepare the berry: wash, remove garbage, spoiled fruits, dry on a paper towel.
2. Then you need to grind it in a blender, mixer or any other means at hand.
3. The finished puree must be transferred to a jar, add all the honey and vodka there.
4. The jar must be shaken, transferred to a dark place with room temperature.
5. The mixture should be infused for several weeks.
6. After 3-4 weeks, the infusion must be filtered, passed through several layers of medical gauze.
7. The finished drink should be bottled.
8. It can be consumed a little over a period of 4–5 years.

Honeysuckle juice

To make juice from honeysuckle with useful properties, you need to take ripe berries, squeeze the juice out of them using any press, mix with water in a 1: 1 ratio. To make the juice as healthy and tasty as possible, it is recommended to hold it for 10–20 minutes in a water bath.

Then the finished drink should be filtered, cooled to room temperature. You don't need to put it in the refrigerator. Such an approach during preparation will preserve all the healing properties.

You can use a juicer to speed up the process.

Alcohol tincture of honeysuckle

Alcoholic tinctures based on honeysuckle have a slight bitterness, but a pleasant aroma. If you consume the ready-made drink in reasonable amounts, then it will be beneficial for the human body: it will improve digestion, strengthen the immune system, and help in the fight against colds.

The following ingredients are needed:

• 300 g honeysuckle berries.
• 250 ml of water.
• 150 g of sugar.
• 1 liter of vodka.

Preparation is carried out as follows:

1. Rinse the berries, crush with a press or with your hands, pour the resulting puree into a jar, pour vodka, mix.
2. Close the jar with a lid, leave for a week in a dark place, shaking occasionally.
3. After 7 days, mix water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer for several minutes, removing the white foam. Cool the resulting syrup to 25–30 ° С.
4. Strain the finished tincture through cheesecloth, add syrup to it, close the jar with a lid and hold for another week.
5. The drink can be bottled for easy storage.

Honeysuckle tea

To prepare vitamin tea from honeysuckle with beneficial properties, you must take:

• 2 tbsp. l. berries;
• a few honeysuckle leaves;
• oregano, thyme, mint (to taste);
• 1 liter of boiling water.

All ingredients must be mixed in a teapot or thermos, let it brew for 5-10 minutes. Drink it like a simple herbal tea - there are no special rules.

Benefits and uses of honeysuckle leaves

Honeysuckle leaves are edible. They have long been used to make decoctions and infusions, teas, compotes, fruit drinks. In its pure form, the leaves can be used as an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and diuretic. Harvesting is carried out during flowering. Leaves are dried in the shade outdoors. You can make a healthy drink from them for every day.

One of the more popular honeysuckle leaf recipes is the following:

1. Pour 1/2 tsp into the teapot. dried leaves or put two fresh ones.
2. Pour 250 ml of boiled water, chilled a little.
3. Leave to infuse for 20-30 minutes.

One serving will last a whole day. You need to use 1/3 tbsp. three times a day before meals.

Why are honeysuckle bark and branches useful?

The bark has long been used in folk medicine for colitis, puffiness, dropsy, as well as for treating wounds, burns, and treating inflammation in the throat. A decoction is often prepared from the branches of the plant - it is a natural and very useful diuretic. The recipe is as follows:

1. You need to take 1 tsp. dried branches.
2. Pour in 250 ml of water.
3. Boil the mixture for 25–35 minutes.
4. Finally, cool, strain through several layers of cheesecloth.
5. You need to take the remedy for 1 s. l. 3-4 times a day.

Useful properties of honeysuckle flowers

The flowers are also edible, so they cannot do any harm. Their beneficial properties are used in folk medicine to lower body temperature, remove toxins and other harmful substances from the body, and eliminate the inflammatory process of different localization. From them, you can prepare a healing infusion that helps with colds and pneumonia:

1. You need to take 1 tbsp. l. dried flowers.
2. Pour 1 tbsp. boiling water, let it brew for 1 hour, strain through cheesecloth.
3. The infusion should be taken during illness for ½ tbsp. twice a day, every 12 hours.

Honeysuckle in home cosmetology

The benefits of honeysuckle are also enormous in the field of home cosmetology. It acts as a basis for creating all kinds of creams and masks. These natural beauty products are suitable for all skin types. With their help, the following problems are eliminated:

1. Hypovitaminosis.
2. Small wrinkles.
3. Loss of skin elasticity.
4. The presence of spider veins.
5. Acne.
6. Dysfunction of the sebaceous glands.
7. High dryness of the skin.

For facial skin

Rejuvenating face masks are usually made from honeysuckle. It is not recommended to use them if there are skin diseases of unknown etiology or there is plant intolerance. In this case, significant damage will be done to the skin.

It is recommended to take a closer look at the following recipe. Ingredients used:

• 100 g fresh berries;
• 50 g sour cream;
• 20 g of honey.

The mask is prepared like this:

1. Grind the berries in a blender until puree.
2. Mix the puree with sour cream and honey.
3. Apply the prepared mixture to the skin of the face.
4. You need to hold it for 15-30 minutes.
5. Rinse off with ordinary running water.

For hair

The beneficial properties allow this plant to be used to strengthen and improve hair growth. This remedy is suitable for men and women. The recipe is as follows:

1. It is necessary to brew 1 liter of boiling water 1–2 tbsp. l. crushed dry leaves of honeysuckle.
2. The mixture should be infused for an hour and a half.
3. After that, you need to strain it through cheesecloth.
4. Hair must first be washed in the usual way, then rinsed with the resulting healing agent, wiped a little and allowed to dry.

The benefits of honeysuckle harvesting

The benefits of harvesting honeysuckle for the human body is invaluable - the plant helps with colds, heart disease, respiratory diseases. In different regions of Russia and other countries of the world, various preparations are made from honeysuckle: fruit drinks, juices, jam, wine. Drinks and food with its content are capable of:

1. Improve blood counts and increase hemoglobin levels.
2. Cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, remove excess salts and metals.
3. To speed up the healing process for colds and serious viral pathologies.
4. Improve the functioning of brain structures, cardiovascular system, digestion.
5. Provide a beneficial effect on various metabolic processes in the body.

Possible harm to honeysuckle and contraindications

Honeysuckle can cause significant harm to humans when consumed. But this happens rarely and in certain cases. The following features can be distinguished:

1. Do not abuse this remedy, because it can lead to muscle spasms, unpleasant pain in the abdomen, constipation or diarrhea.
2. It is forbidden to eat berries or take folk remedies from honeysuckle, if after the first intake any allergic reactions appear. In this case, it is worth completely abandoning further use for any purpose.

Some harm can be caused to pregnant and lactating mothers, therefore, the plant should be introduced into the diet with caution and in minimal portions.

Honeysuckle collection and storage

Ripening of honeysuckle on the bushes occurs in stages: first at the top, and then at the bottom. Therefore, berries can be picked from late July to mid-August. This is a precocious product. Therefore, after full ripening, the berries begin to fall off within a few days.

Honeysuckle quickly deteriorates, therefore processing is necessary. You can keep it in its pure form for only a few days. For long-term storage, the fruits must be dried or frozen, or immediately used for various preparations:

• jelly;
• jam;
• fruit drink;
• compote;
• sherbet.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of honeysuckle will depend on the correct use of it. It can be given to children, adults, the elderly, pregnant and lactating women. There are a lot of folk recipes with the use of honeysuckle, but their use is recommended to be agreed with a doctor.

Reviews