Content
- 1 Description
- 2 The composition and calorie content of gooseberries
- 3 Why gooseberries are useful for the body
- 4 Gooseberry for weight loss
- 5 Useful properties of gooseberry leaves
- 6 The medicinal properties of gooseberries
- 7 Gooseberry face masks
- 8 What can be made from gooseberries
- 9 How to choose gooseberries
- 10 Gooseberry picking and storage
- 11 Gooseberry harm and contraindications
- 12 Conclusion
A tasty and healthy delicacy called "gooseberry" is loved by both adults and children. This berry has been known in Russia since ancient times. It was specially grown and served at the royal table, and the jam from such fruits is truly "royal". What are the benefits and harms of gooseberries for the human body? Let's figure it out.
Description
The culture is a long-lived bush. It can grow and bear fruit up to 40 years. The bushes are low (no more than one and a half meters). Branches are smooth, and there are densely studded with thorns.
In terms of taste and useful properties, the berry is somewhat reminiscent of grapes, sometimes it is called that - northern grapes.
Gooseberries begin to bear fruit abundantly within a few years after planting.
The shrub is self-fertile, does not need pollination. But if bushes grow nearby - congeners, then the harvest will still be plentiful.
Keeping quality and transportability of berries is excellent. They can be picked unripe and transported over long distances, the fruits ripen already in the plucked form.
Unfortunately, gooseberries cannot boast of good resistance to diseases. Powdery mildew dominates him.
Its winter hardiness is also poor. But the dietary and beneficial properties are simply excellent.
The composition and calorie content of gooseberries
Gooseberries are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. In the fruits of a dark color, vitamins C, P, A are present in abundance. It contains folic acid and other valuable B vitamins.
Of the trace elements in gooseberries, there are calcium and potassium, manganese and sodium, iron and iodine, zinc and copper, cobalt and phosphorus.
Pectin, tannins, malic acid, citric acid, serotonin and flavonoids, valuable for the human body, are also present in the fruits of this plant.
100 grams of this tasty and healthy berry contains 44 kcal.
Why gooseberries are useful for the body
The beneficial effect of the fruit on the body is undoubtedly.
The benefits of gooseberries for the human body include the following properties:
- Strengthens the heart and blood vessels.
- Significantly inhibits the development of sclerosis, improves memory and attention.
- Dark varieties remove harmful substances from the body.
- Ripe berries inhibit the growth of all kinds of tumors.
- With hypertension, gooseberry lowers blood pressure.
- Reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol.
- The diuretic effect of the fruit has a beneficial effect on kidney function.
- The choleretic and laxative capabilities of gooseberry make it useful for the liver, intestines, and urinary bladder.
- Gooseberry stops the bleeding process.
- Relieves inflammatory processes in the body, accelerates the healing process in various diseases.
- Strengthens the protective properties of the body.
- Eliminates constipation, regulates digestion.
- Recovers strength after heavy physical exertion, or illness.
- Quickly relieves fatigue, tones up the body and gives it energy and vigor.
- Accelerates metabolism, promotes weight loss.
Benefits for women
The health benefits of gooseberries for women are also undeniable. The fruit is very useful for menstrual irregularities in women. Regular consumption of fruits will regulate menstruation, normalize the abundance of secretions at the same time. The presence of a large amount of ascorbic acid in berries will raise hemoglobin, which often drops during menstruation in women. This is especially important for menopause.
Frequent mood swings on critical days, irritability and nervousness can also be quickly eliminated with the help of such a vitamin culture.
Benefits for pregnant women and breastfeeding
The vitamins in the gooseberry make it simply irreplaceable for expectant mothers. The useful substances of the culture will saturate the body of both the expectant mother and the fetus with all the necessary vitamins and microelements. The berry is an excellent prevention of birth defects.
The diuretic properties of gooseberries during pregnancy will also come in handy. It will remove the extra puffiness that almost all expectant mothers suffer in the late stages of an interesting position.
Fresh gooseberries will help to cope with the toxicosis of pregnant women and eliminate constipation, which pregnant women are also prone to.
Gooseberries are also essential for nursing mothers. It will increase the fat content of milk and its beneficial properties.
Benefits for men
The value of the fruit for the male body is also great. Culture reduces the risk of stroke for men. When playing sports, the fruits perfectly tone up and allow you to effectively recover after heavy physical exertion.
Gooseberry berries regulate the hormonal balance in the body, improve blood circulation, which is very important for male potency. Active blood circulation is an excellent prevention of prostatitis.
Benefits for children
Children just need to consume gooseberries regularly. A growing child's body requires an increased dose of vitamins and minerals. The child's energy expenditure is also high. A valuable berry will saturate the child's body with all the necessary nutrients, give the child strength and energy, and increase the body's defenses (which is very important for frequently ill children).
Gooseberry for weight loss
The fruits of this culture have the ability to break down fats, so they are included in the menu for women who want to lose weight. Gooseberry also effectively removes toxins and cleanses the body. Low calorie content and an abundance of vitamins make it indispensable for dietary nutrition.
Useful properties of gooseberry leaves
The leaves of the plant have the same beneficial properties as the fruits. They contain a lot of vitamins, flavonoids, tannins. Drinking tea or a decoction from the leaves of the culture is an excellent prevention of anemia, heart and vascular diseases. A decoction of the leaves of the plant is recommended to be consumed even with tuberculosis.
The medicinal properties of gooseberries
The berry is useful for many diseases: liver, kidney, gallbladder, heart, blood vessels, obesity. Gooseberries are essential for diabetes. It contains a lot of chromium, it is chromium that stimulates the production of insulin by the pancreas and lowers sugar levels in the body.
Tincture
The fruits are extremely useful not only fresh, but also dried. You can make a tincture from them. To do this, pour 200 g of dried berries with 500 ml of boiling water and let it brew for several hours. It is best to prepare such an infusion in a thermos.
Decoction
For the broth, both dried berries and leaves of the culture can be used as ingredients. They must be brought to a boil in a water bath, or simply boiled over low heat.
Tea
Aromatic tea made from dried fruits or gooseberry leaves is no less useful. It can be enjoyed on long winter evenings.
Gooseberry face masks
The culture is also very popular in cosmetology. Unripe gooseberries effectively whiten the skin, remove freckles and age spots. To do this, you just need to grind them into gruel and wipe your face with it several times a day.
Ripe fruits have excellent moisturizing properties. Gruel from them must be applied to the face area and left for 30 minutes, then rinsed with water.
But the pre-frozen and thawed berry will do an excellent job with dark circles under the eyes.
What can be made from gooseberries
The fruits are useful not only fresh, but also dried or processed. You can make jam, jam, compote from them. All these dishes will be not only very tasty, but also extremely healthy.
Gooseberry jam
This is perhaps the most popular delicacy, it was prepared in the old days at the royal palaces. The popularity of such a dish is associated not only with its excellent taste, but also with its beneficial properties. It also contains essential vitamins and minerals.
How to make gooseberry jam can be seen in the video:
Gooseberry compote
Many of our readers are wondering: is it possible to freeze gooseberries? The answer to it is unambiguous: it is not only possible, but even necessary. In the winter cold, you can take it out of the freezer and enjoy a delicious and healthy summer berry. Compote from such fruits is extremely useful. In summer it can be prepared from fresh fruits, and in winter from frozen ones.
How to choose gooseberries
To choose ripe and tasty gooseberries on the market, you need to pay attention to their appearance. The berry should be moderately soft, but dry (a wet berry is a sign of overripe and rotting). It is better to buy berries with "tails", they are better preserved and contain more nutrients.
Gooseberry picking and storage
The fruit usually ripens in late June - early July. To know exactly when to pick gooseberries, you should focus on the softness and sweetness of the berry. Harvesting is difficult, due to the thorniness of the bushes, it is recommended to do it with gloves. But there are many new varieties of culture on which there are no thorns at all. The harvested berries are stored in a cool dark place. The optimal shelf life is 2 weeks; fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1.5 months.
Gooseberry harm and contraindications
We have already described the contraindications to the use of plant leaves above. It is also worth giving up the use of berries for people who have a history of ulcerative, or other diseases of the intestines, or stomach, especially in the acute stage.
Conclusion
Delicious and sweet gooseberries are not just an excellent delicacy, but also a real storehouse of vitamins. Everyone should use it: from small to large, its benefits for the human body are enormous. The berry will help you to lose weight efficiently and quickly without depletion, and will also increase the protective functions of the body.
