Pine needles: healing properties, collection and use

Our ancestors attributed to the evergreen pine the power to heal the most terrible ailments, prolong life and give eternal youth to a person. Until now, folk (and now traditional) medicine uses pine buds, pollen, cones, pine needles and resin, which is obtained from tree bark. In this article we will focus on needles, since they are the easiest to collect.

Collection of needles

You can collect needles throughout the year, but if young shoots are needed, then you should go to the forest for them in June and July, and the two- to three-year-old needles that are richest in vitamin C should be collected in September and October. The collection of pine needles is carried out in environmentally friendly places, away from busy roads and big cities. Small supplies of fresh pine needles can be stored in the cold for 2 months.

Pine needle toothbrush

In order to prepare a natural toothbrush from pine needles, you need to take a small young twig with small shoots (it has a light green tint) or collect a bunch of pine needles. For convenience, you can tie long needles with thread, leaving 0.5-1 cm of the top of the needles free. To remove the hardness of the pine needles, soften them with something or simply chew them. A pine brush not only disinfects the oral cavity, but also gives a feeling of natural freshness, which is unlikely to be compared with modern toothpastes. Of course, such a brush is not reusable, but that is precisely its charm.

Refreshing face mask

To prepare a compress mask, you need to take a sprig of pine needles, chop it finely and pour 0.5 liters of pine needles per 100 g. milk. Boil and leave the broth for 30 minutes. Then strain and soak gauze in it. After squeezing a little, the gauze is placed on the face and held for 15 minutes. It is recommended to do this compress as often as possible. It not only refreshes the face, but also smoothes out fine wrinkles, rejuvenating the skin.

Vitamin drink

Pine branches are rich in ascorbic acid and are therefore recommended for vitamin drinks. A drink made from pine needles cannot be made for future use, as it very quickly loses its healing properties, so a small amount of needles is used in its production: 50 g of young pine needles and 2 cups of boiled water. The needles are thoroughly washed and chopped with scissors, mixed with water and boiled for 20 minutes. The drink is infused for about 2 hours, then filtered and a little citric acid and sugar (or honey) are added to it to taste. Drink half a glass a day. Store for no more than 12 hours. It is recommended to drink for people with liver diseases, respiratory diseases, blood diseases, cancer patients, as well as simply for the purpose of healing and cleansing the body.

Rejuvenating pine bath

To prepare a pine bath, you need to pour 250 g of pine needles into 1 liter of boiling water and let it brew for about an hour. Afterwards, prepare a bath (36-38°C) and pour the infusion into it. You can take such a bath for no more than 20 minutes and stay in it so that the water does not cover the heart area. Pine baths are also recommended for the treatment of skin rashes, furunculosis and as a skin rejuvenating agent.

Walk through the pine forest

It seems, what kind of recipe is this - a walk? But, if you have noticed, walking among the pines, your well-being and mood improve, headaches go away, inner peace sets in, blood pressure normalizes, and colds weaken. Air filled with pine essential oils improves the condition of patients with bronchial asthma and tuberculosis. That is why sanatoriums, holiday homes and pioneer camps tend to be located in pine forests.

Cautions: Walking in the pine forest is not recommended for people with severe heart failure. The phytoncides released by pine, especially in spring, aggravate angina and can cause severe attacks.

Pine preparations are contraindicated for nephritis, acute hepatitis, and also during pregnancy. Care should be taken when handling