Black currant.

Black currant: properties, uses and medicinal properties

Black currant (Ribes nigrum) is a shrub belonging to the gooseberry family. This shrub can reach a height of up to 2 meters, and its shoots are yellowish-gray in color and covered with pubescence. The bark of the stems can be dark brown or red-brown.

Black currant leaves are three- or five-lobed, long-petiolate, with a serrated or jagged edge. Flowering occurs in May-June, and the fruits are large round berries of black, dark purple, dark red or brownish color, which ripen in July-August.

Black currant is common in the European part of Russia, the Urals, Siberia and Central Asia. It grows in damp forests, on river banks, in wet meadows, near swamps, on rocky damp slopes and placers, and can form small thickets. It is widely cultivated in garden plots.

Currant leaves are used as a substitute for tea, for pickles, pickles and for livestock feed. Buds preserved in 50% alcohol are used in the alcoholic beverage industry. Fruits in fresh and dried form are used for food, in processed form - for the preparation of sweets, jelly, jelly, syrup, marmalade, fruit juice, etc.

But black currants are not only tasty, but also healthy. Its fruits, leaves and buds are used in medicine as medicinal raw materials. They have diuretic, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antirheumatic, antiatherosclerotic and mild laxative effects.

To prepare an infusion of black currant fruits, pour 2 tablespoons of dry raw material into 1 glass of hot water, boil for 10 minutes, leave for 30 minutes and filter. Take 2 tablespoons 4 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 3 weeks.

To prevent atherosclerosis and lower blood pressure during hypertension, it is useful to consume currant fruits mixed with sugar in a 1:2 ratio.

Fresh black currant juice is used for peptic ulcers (stomach and duodenum), inflammation of the mucous membranes, bronchitis and cough. To prepare juice, the fruits must be thoroughly washed, mashed and strained through cheesecloth or a juicer. The juice can be consumed pure or added to other drinks.

Black currant leaves are used to treat rheumatism, gout, arthritis, hemorrhoids, hemorrhages, bruises, skin diseases and colds of the upper respiratory tract. To prepare an infusion of black currant leaves, pour 2 tablespoons of dry raw material into 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes and filter. Take 2 tablespoons 3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.

Black currant buds contain large amounts of vitamin C, anthocyanins, flavonoids, carotene and other biologically active substances. They are used to treat atherosclerosis, kidney diseases, urinary tract diseases, diabetes, liver and gallbladder diseases, colds and flu. To prepare an infusion of black currant buds, pour 2 tablespoons of dry raw material into 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 2 hours and filter. Take 2 tablespoons 3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.

Despite its many beneficial properties, it should be remembered that black currant can cause allergic reactions in some people, so you should consult your doctor before using currant-based medications.