Cloudberries

Cloudberries are the semi-handicraft or herbaceous plant relating to family pink. In height cloudberries reach 30 cm. Its stalks upright also have 2-3 leaflets. At the top of a stalk there is one flower of white color. Cloudberries are a gonochoristic plant therefore pistillate plants and staminate flowers are located on various stalks. Female flowers it is a little less, than men's. Cloudberries berry by the outward reminds raspberry berry, but differs from the last in taste and a smell. Unripe berries have red color which in process of their maturing changes on amber-orange.

Distribution

Cloudberries grow in northern areas in pocosins, the moss tundra and on peatbogs. Seldom meets in the woods of a midland of Russia. In the people cloudberries are called northern orange, moss currant, the Arctic raspberry or marsh amber. This berry was very popular in pre-revolutionary Russia. It was given even to an imperial table in a fresh and soaked look and called imperial berry.

Structure of cloudberries

It is difficult to revaluate advantage of cloudberries for a human body. It is the whole well of useful and valuable substances. Cloudberries contain 4,4% of carbohydrates, 0,9% of fat and 0,8% of protein. Caloric content of 100,0 g of berries makes 40 kcal. In mature berries there is a lot of pectin, cellulose, organic acids, tannins, anthocyans, phytoncides and carotinoids. Contains in cloudberries in 7 times more of minerals and is almost twice more than ascorbic acid (vitamin C), than in oranges. In addition A, PP, B1 and B3 vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, cobalt and iron are its part, and seeds contain essential oil.

Cloudberries: properties and use

Cloudberries are an excellent source of biologically active agents. The vitamins and minerals which are contained in it do this berry by a valuable dietary product. The advantage of cloudberries is also that thanks to the structure it can be applied also in complex treatment of various diseases.

The main property of cloudberries it is necessary to call its antiscorbutic action. It also improves appetite and promotes the best digestion of food. Other properties of cloudberries are the knitting, antimicrobic, spasmolytic, styptic and sudorific action. It is widely used in treatment of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. Cloudberries are especially useful to the people having gastritises with hyposecretion of a gastric juice.

At the regular use of cloudberries in food the metabolism improves, the mood and the general working capacity increases. This berry is the excellent means interfering development of a syndrome of chronic fatigue.

The advantage of cloudberries consists not only in its berries, but also in roots, leaves having diuretic, antiinflammatory, wound healing and styptic properties. Infusions and broths of roots and leaves of cloudberries are used for treatment of avitaminosis, disbolism, an urolithiasis, malaria and catarrhal diseases.

In recent years extracts of cloudberries began to be used widely in cosmetology. They are a part of various creams rejuvenating, nourishing and moisturizing skin.

Contraindications

It is not necessary to eat cloudberries to the people suffering from a peptic ulcer of a stomach and duodenum, gastritises with hypersecretion of a gastric juice.

Advantage of cloudberries

Berries of cloudberries have the powerful antioxidant properties interfering a senilism of a human body and developing of malignant tumors. Besides cloudberries split harmful cholesterol and bring it out of an organism, and also promote immunity strengthening. Juice of berries of cloudberries is used for treatment of itch.

The advantage of cloudberries at treatment of obesity is especially invaluable. It is a low-calorie product, and its biologically active agents contribute to normalization of exchange processes, reduce puffiness of soft tissues.

The advantage of cloudberries was known to the northern people in an extreme antiquity and in the countries of Scandinavia it was appreciated worth its weight in gold. Considering all useful properties of cloudberries and its merit for preservation of health of the person, in Finland the image of this berry was applied to coins of 2 euros.