Cornel: use, beneficial properties and contraindications

The healing properties of cornel are known for a long time and are used in traditional medicine in various directions. A cornelian medicine can be not only healing, but also tasty, if it is fragrant jam or rich sweet-sour compote.

Chemical composition and caloric content of cornel

Cornel fruits contain vitamins (C, PP, A) sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose), pectin, carotenoids, tannins, tannins, coloring pigments (anthocyanins), organic acids (citric, malic, tartaric, succinic), phenol carboxylic acids (gallic, glyoxalic, salicylic), macronutrients (potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus), trace elements (iron, zinc, manganese, iodine), essential oils, phytoncides, catechins.

Energy value of 100 g of berries:

• protein - 1 g;
• carbohydrates - 9 g,
• organic acids - 2 g,
• dietary fiber - 1.5 g,
• water - 85 g,
• ash - 0.8 g.

The leaves contain tannins, flavonoids, tannins, iridoids. During the flowering of the cornel, leaves accumulate vitamins C and E. Glycoside, horse meat (an antimalarial drug), tannins and salicylic acid are found in the bark and roots, and fatty oils are found in the seeds. Caloric cornel - 45 kcal per 100 g of fruit.

Medicinal properties of cornel

Cornel has many useful properties.

It has a beneficial effect on the digestive system: improves appetite, strengthens the secretion of the stomach, helps with intestinal upset, providing astringent and anti-inflammatory effect, normalizes metabolism, helps in losing weight. It is useful in diseases of the blood (anemia) and circulatory system: strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes blood pressure, increases hemoglobin. Has antipyretic effect.

The high content of phytoncides in berries allows you to fight against infectious diseases, and pectins cleanse the body of metabolic products, heavy metals.Cornel is used in preventive measures when there is a danger of poisoning by toxic substances (lead and mercury vapor).

Fresh berries and their products are well toned and strengthen the body.

The leaves have a hypoglycemic, bile and diuretic effect, and the bark has anti-fever and antipyretic properties. Leaves or bark tinctures treat skin diseases (eczema, skin infections).

The medicinal properties of the cornel root are very valuable: its decoction is taken for malaria. Cornel bones have astringent and vasoconstrictor properties, which is important in the treatment of hemorrhoids.

How to procure and store medicinal raw materials of cornel

Cornel fruits are harvested after ripening (in September) and in dry weather. Fresh berries can be processed into blanks (jam, compote) or dried. When drying, more useful substances are stored. Fruits should be spread out in a thin layer, dried in the sun and dried in a dryer, in an oven or in a natural way. Dried berries taste sweeter.

Dried berries are stored for up to three years.

Dogwood leaves are harvested after flowering (June-July), when the amount of accumulated nutrients is greatest, and the bark is removed with rings from young branches in early spring.

The roots are harvested in spring or autumn. The collected vegetative parts of the plant must be well cleaned and dried under a canopy in a ventilated room. Raw materials can be stored in linen or cotton bags in a dry place for about two years.

Recipes of traditional medicine

Due to many useful properties, dogwood has become a popular medicinal raw material in traditional medicine.

To strengthen the immune system

During the week you need to eat half a glass of fresh berries of dogwood per day or drink berry broth with honey. This will help to increase the protective functions of the body against colds.

To deal with stress

For calming with disorders of the nervous system (stress, nervous strain), a decoction of dried crushed cornel seeds is recommended. Eating berries contributes to increased physical endurance.

With headache

Cornel normalizes the pressure of the brain, and drinks from it are a natural analgesic. When migraine to the place of increased pain you need to attach a lotion of fresh chopped berries, wrapped in gauze.

With colds

With a cold, it is good to eat cornel jam, and fresh and dried cornel is good for flu, sore throat, scarlet fever, and measles. To combat colds and flu, a healing broth is prepared. You need to pour two tablespoons of fresh or dried berries with a glass of water and boil over low heat, and after 8 hours, clear the fruit from the seed and chop the flesh. Broth with the addition of honey should be taken twice a day, 50 ml.

With hemorrhoids

The main raw material for the treatment of the disease is cornel bones. The easiest way is to eat 15 whole berries several times a day or boil jam from them. You can also use a glass of seeds or powder from them, prepared from a kilogram of fruit in the dosage of one spoon three times a day.

With diarrhea

There are several recipes for treating diarrhea with cornel:

• Decoction of two tablespoons of fresh fruit or dried leaves and a glass of water: cook for 10-15 minutes, leave for 8 hours, take half a cup before eating.
• A decoction of two tablespoons of dried fruits of dogwood and a glass of water: pour boiling water over the berries, cook for 30 minutes. Take 100 g three times a day.
• Infusion of two tablespoons of berries and a glass of boiling water: insist 8 hours, take 100 g twice a day.
• Kissel: 50-60 berries of dogwood and 0.5 liters of water to cook, until the berries are completely melted. Consume before meals. This same kissel is useful for general body strengthening and treatment of beriberi.

With rheumatism

A decoction of rheumatism consists of a teaspoon of crushed dogwood roots and 300 ml of water. It must be cooked for 20 minutes on low heat, then leave for a few hours and strain. Drink two tablespoons half an hour before meals three times a day.

With boils

The medicine for boils and boils is prepared from boiled dogwood bark and barley flour in equal parts. The compress is applied to the boil and secured with a bandage or patch. After 4-6 hours it needs to be changed.

With diabetes

Fresh cornel juice in diabetes contributes to the pancreas and digestive system, controls the level of glucose in the blood.Half a glass of juice should be drunk half an hour before meals, and if the body tolerates it well, you can increase the intake to the glass. After 10 days of admission, you must pause for the rest of the body.

The benefits of dogwood for pregnant women and children

The moderate consumption of dogwood is of great benefit to the woman’s body during pregnancy, since it contains many beneficial substances and vitamins, and is also able to reduce toxicosis. To normalize the functioning of the heart and the removal of fluid from the body requires potassium contained in the cornel. Also, cornel has a positive effect on the circulatory system: strengthens the walls of blood vessels, normalizes blood pressure and increases hemoglobin content. It is also useful for the digestive system.

For intrauterine development of the baby, colds and viral diseases of the mother are dangerous.Using dogwood, it can not only strengthen the immune system, but also quickly defeat the disease without increased use of medications.

Also, dogwood is very useful for children. It nourishes the small body with useful substances necessary for its growth and development: vitamins (especially ascorbic acid), carotene, pectins, glucose, fructose, bioflavonoids, mineral salts. They are indispensable for the growth and development of bone tissue, normalization of metabolism, positively affect the nervous, circulatory, digestive, immune systems. For children, you can cook a variety of fruit salads with dogwood or desserts with dairy products.

How to use dogwood in cosmetology

Dogwood masks help to cope with the problems of oily skin: eliminate shine, narrow enlarged pores and nourish the skin with beneficial substances.

Dogwood mask recipes are pretty simple. It is necessary to peel berries, chop them to make about two tablespoons, mix with other ingredients, apply on face for 15-20 minutes and rinse with cool water.

For oily skin:

• egg white, half a teaspoon of starch;
• a teaspoon of starch, a teaspoon of oatmeal.

For problem skin:

• two tablespoons of mineral water, three drops of lavender essential oil.
• two tablespoons of rye bran, a teaspoon of baking soda. Rinse with vinegar acidified water.

For dry skin:

• banana and olive oil.

Anti-wrinkle:

• a teaspoon of starch, a teaspoon of ground oatmeal, two tablespoons of banana pulp.

From peeled berries of dogwood, linseed oil and white clay can be prepared mask for hair and scalp. To strengthen the hair and give it a light reddish tint, for rinsing use a decoction of the berries.

Contraindications and possible side effects

The use of cornel has some contraindications.

Excessive use of dogwood can negatively affect the work of the kidneys and the digestive system. You can not eat cornel with acidity or stomach ulcers, constipation, allergies.It is not recommended to eat it at bedtime and in the presence of insomnia: cornel has a tendency to excite the nervous system.

For children it is important not to use dogwood in large quantities. This provokes digestive problems (fermentation, diarrhea), and an overabundance of some beneficial substances is simply excreted from the body, since they do not have the ability to accumulate. A large dose of ascorbic acid may increase certain diseases of the kidneys and digestive organs.

The small red berry of dogwood is a real find for a weakened organism. If you use it wisely, it can help cope with disease, give strength and improve health.