Blackcurrant

Blackcurrant is obliged by the name to Old Russian expression "смородь" that meant a strong smell. And it so, really, from all berries blackcurrant has the most pronounced aroma. The strong smell is inherent in both leaves of blackcurrant and berries. The currant bush concerns to family gooseberry, in height can reach up to 2 meters. Blackcurrant berries large, round, saturated black color.

Useful properties of blackcurrant

Blackcurrant – a source of many useful substances and vitamins. Besides, blackcurrant berry very low-calorie: it contains 38 Kcal.

In blackcurrant berries the advantage is presented by the content of numerous useful substances:

• Group K vitamin;
• Tannins;
• Vitamins C, In, P, E;
• Pectins;
• Carotene (vitamin A);
• Saccharites;
• Phosphoric acid;
• Essential oil;
• Salts of phosphorus, potassium and iron.

In addition to the huge content of vitamin C in blackcurrant berries its leaves include in the structure such elements as:

• Magnesium;
• Sulfur;
• Phytoncides;
• Manganese;
• Silver;
• Lead;
• Copper;
• Essential oil.

In berries of blackcurrant and leaves the content of vitamin C is so high that for ensuring daily need of the person for this substance, it is enough to eat only 20 berries.

Blackcurrant is considered a basis of a healthy and balanced diet which result are such positive changes in an organism:

1. Increase in immunity;

2. Improvement and strengthening of an organism;

3. Numerous advantage at any chronic diseases.

Berries of blackcurrant and leaves - fine prophylactic of the following disturbances of health:

• Diseases of cardiovascular system;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• Prevention of malignant new growths.

Blackcurrant is obliged by exclusive properties not only to the maximum content of vitamin C, but also presence of antotsianidin at it. These substances provide special advantage of blackcurrant as anti-oxidizing product.

These properties of blackcurrant provide important additional actions on an organism:

1. Disinfecting;

2. Antiinflammatory.

What is interesting, so is that leaves of blackcurrant of vitamin C contain much more, than berries. This fact causes use of the following properties of leaves of blackcurrant as remedy:

1. Tonic;

2. Antiseptic;

3. Antiinflammatory;

4. Antirheumatic;

5. Diuretic;

6. Clearing.

Use of blackcurrant

The advantage of blackcurrant consists in its ability to prevent development of diabetes, and also problems with sight. The regular use of berry of blackcurrant and leaves (in the form of teas) can interfere with decrease in mental abilities and development of a sclerosis in elderly people. At the progressing sclerosis the advantage of blackcurrant cannot be revaluated.

Useful properties of blackcurrant are widely used at treatment of diseases of respiratory tracts:

• Quinsy;
• Flu;
• SARS;
• Bronchitis;
• Pneumonia (pneumonia).

Juice mix from berries of blackcurrant, sugar and honey perfectly helps to cope with a severe cough. Antiseptic properties of blackcurrant help to cope with quinsy (even purulent). For this purpose it is necessary to rinse a throat the juice from fresh berries of blackcurrant divorced with clear water. At any catarrhal diseases it is useful to have tea from blackcurrant leaves.

Important property of blackcurrant is its recovery action on an organism. So, after the postponed serious illness and surgeries when the organism is strongly weakened, to patients is shown to use juice from blackcurrant berries.

Decoction from berries of blackcurrant and infusion from blackcurrant leaves perfectly help at the following diseases:

• Hypertension;
• Diseases of a liver and kidneys;
• Anemia;
• Gastritis;
• Stomach ulcer and duodenum;
• Bleeding of gums.

The essential advantage of blackcurrant is represented by use of its leaves at heart troubles, gastritis, gout. Infusion and broth from leaves of blackcurrant are capable to bring excess of uric and purine acids out of an organism. Besides, at disbolism and various bleedings such means has sudorific and soft laxative effect.

Still in the ancient time people used useful properties of blackcurrant from leaves, branches and kidneys for treatment of various skin diseases (dermatitis, diathesis, rash, eels). For this purpose and now appoint medical bathtubs from infusion of leaves of blackcurrant with addition of branches and kidneys. Folk healers derive the benefit of blackcurrant concluded in its leaves for treatment of a scrofula at children and at problems with sight long ago.

It is necessary to pick blackcurrant berries when they completely ripened. But if to miss 2 weeks after its full maturing, there is a loss of important vitamin C: instead of 100% the indicator can decrease to 70%. And leaves of blackcurrant need to be broken when they did not coarsen yet and did not dry up.

Properties of blackcurrant are widely used in cookery. From berries of blackcurrant prepare various products:

• Compotes;
• Kissels;
• Jam;
• Jams;
• Jelly;
• Desserts;
• Wine;
• Sauces;
• Wine.

Berries of blackcurrant use as a stuffing for pastries as ingredient for various marinades to meat and fish dishes.

It is very important that at preparations blackcurrant completely keeps the useful properties. So, currant can be frozen, frayed with sugar. These are the best options of preparation. A little less vitamins become after cooking and stewing of berry of blackcurrant.

Medicinal properties of blackcurrant apply also in cosmetology. Many creams, lotions and decorative cosmetics contain extract of this plant. Juice from berry of blackcurrant can be rubbed in skin around nails thanks to what they considerably become stronger. To get rid of freckles and a nevus pigmentosus, the blackcurrant berry mashed and imposed in the form of a mask will help to bleach skin.

Medicinal tea from leaves of blackcurrant not only is useful, but also very tasty. Therefore, it is possible to replace with such broth usual black tea. Leaves of blackcurrant can be prepared in the spring, to dry up and use during the whole year.

Contraindications to the use of blackcurrant

Vitamin K and phenolic connections as a part of berry of blackcurrant cause its contraindications in the following cases:

• Thrombophlebitis;
• Stomach hyperoxemia;
• Gastritis;
• Hepatitis.

Abuse in food of berries of blackcurrant and leaves in the form of broths can lead to increase in coagulability of blood. Besides, berries of blackcurrant are not recommended to be used after strokes and heart attacks and at threat of development of thrombosis.

Juice from blackcurrant is capable to cause allergic reaction in children, but in small doses promotes increase in hemoglobin blood.