Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle – a plant from a sort of long-term bushes. The name of a honeysuckle, usual for us, in the wild nature is expression "wolf berry". Can grow in the form of the creeping, curling or upright bush with large fragrant flowers of light color (white, light blue, light pink or light yellow). Height of a bush of a honeysuckle can reach 2 meters and more.

Fruits or berries of a honeysuckle differ in blue or dark-blue color, with a characteristic wax plaque, in a form they can be roundish or extended. Honeysuckle berries are always located in pairs, even sometimes growing together among themselves. Honeysuckle berries something taste like blueberry: they, depending on a grade, can be sweet, sweet-sour or even to taste bitter a little. Some grades of a honeysuckle edible have the taste similar to pineapple or a wild strawberry.

Honeysuckle ordinary or wolf berry grows in our width everywhere. In Russia 3 types of an edible honeysuckle grow:

1. Altai;

2. Kamchatka;

3. Caucasian.

Besides, about 14 types of wild-growing species of this plant live in our country. Such regions as the Far East, Sakhalin and Eastern Siberia are rich with a honeysuckle.

The most widespread grades of a honeysuckle edible, grown up in the territory of Russia:

• Leningrad giant;
• Bluebird of happiness;
• The Tatar;
• Blue spindle;
• The curling honeysuckle.

The main difference of an edible honeysuckle from a noxious plant is color of berries: blue and almost black fruits can be eaten, and here berries of red and orange color are poisonous.

Useful properties of a honeysuckle

The honeysuckle has a number of useful advantages. As the plant blossoms in the early spring, berries of a honeysuckle become ripe at the beginning of summer, and at this time, as we know, the majority of plants does not fructify yet.

Honeysuckle berry – the owner of extremely rich set of curative substances:

• Magnesium;
• Monosugar;
• Phenolic connections;
• Ascorbic acid;
• Group B vitamins;
• Organic acids;
• Pectins;
• Tannins;
• Microelements;
• Macrocells.

On the content of magnesium a honeysuckle edible – the richest product, in it at it is not present equal among other plants and berries. In berry of a honeysuckle the optimum combination of the most valuable biologically active agents which make powerful recreational impact on a human body is revealed.

Caloric content of a honeysuckle makes about 30 kilocalories on 100 grams of berries.

Useful properties of a honeysuckle play a large role in maintenance of cardiovascular activity. Fresh berries of a honeysuckle well tone up an organism, render powerful fortifying property. Juice of berry of a honeysuckle saves from many skin diseases. Besides, berries of a honeysuckle possess antiscorbutic and anti-ulcer actions.

Useful properties of a honeysuckle are defined not only by berries, but also other parts of a plant. So, leaves, bark, inflorescences and branches of a honeysuckle have the following properties:

1. Diuretic;

2. Cholagogue;

3. Disinfecting;

4. Antiinflammatory.

Bark of a honeysuckle gathers in the early spring and is dried up.

Use

For removal of hypostases and at disorder of intestines (diarrhea) use broths and infusions from flowers and leaves of a honeysuckle.

Fresh broth from leaves and branches of a honeysuckle is used for washing of eyes at conjunctivitis, for rinsing of a throat at an inflammation of upper respiratory tracts (quinsy, laryngitis, tracheitis, a SARS). Besides, at catarrhal diseases sudorific and febrifugal properties broth from leaves and branches of a honeysuckle has. Inside accept infusion of leaves of a honeysuckle at dropsy and cystitis.

Fruits of an edible honeysuckle recommend to use in food to people at whom nasal bleedings are observed.

Thus, useful properties of a honeysuckle are applied by traditional medicine to treatment of the following diseases:

• Anemia;
• Vascular diseases;
• Hypertension;
• Problems with a stomach, intestines and digestion;
• Problems with a liver;
• Bleedings (fragility of blood vessels);
• Diseases of a gall bladder;
• Malaria;
• Migraine.

Also it will be useful for that who has a problem with digestion of food to use honeysuckle berries: it will help to adjust secretory function of a stomach and to increase its digestive ability.

Many skin diseases will respond to treatment when using outwardly of juice from honeysuckle berries. Thus, it is possible to cure deep ulcers, deprive, eczema and psoriasis. Painful symptoms at rheumatism and arthritis are perfectly removed by a hot bathtub with branches and bark of a young bush. Use of broth from branches and bark of a honeysuckle helps to improve growth of hair, to remove hypostases. If the person has a small appetite, broth from branches and leaves of a honeysuckle will help to improve it.

Even if there is actually, nothing to treat, physicians recommend to use honeysuckle berries, to drink broths from its leaves and colors for the preventive purposes. Their regular reception will allow to strengthen immune system and to saturate an organism with vitamins, this council is especially urgent in the spring.

In addition to medicine, this plant found the application and in other areas. A honeysuckle a beautiful bush and therefore it is often grown up for registration of gardens and parks. In cookery original taste of berries of a honeysuckle is widely used. So, they are applied in food in the following types:

• Crude;
• Jam;
• Jelly;
• Jam;
• Compote;
• Juice;
• Wine;
• Dried;
• Frozen.

Harm of a honeysuckle, contraindication to its use

Use of an edible honeysuckle in food in reasonable quantities has no contraindications, but if treatment is made by poisonous grades, it is necessary to observe carefully a dosage and to be very careful.

The overestimated honeysuckle berry doses, even an edible look, can provoke the following disturbances of health:

• Secondary hyperglobulia (sharp increase in quantity of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in blood);
• Allergic reaction (diathesis at small children);
• Diarrhea (frustration of a chair).