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Medicinal properties of black currant leaves and contraindications, benefits and harms

It is difficult to underestimate the medicinal properties of plants, because this is a real storehouse of vitamins and other useful substances. Nevertheless, many people mistakenly believe that only the fruits of the plant have beneficial properties. An example of this is currants: everyone understands that berries are useful, but few people know about the healing power of the leaves. Below we will figure out why black currant leaves are so useful, we will analyze the medicinal properties and learn how to make tea from dried currant leaves.

Ingredients: vitamins and minerals

Currant tea and other drinks are considered healthy for a reason. It's all about the rich composition of the plant. It includes useful compounds such as:

Group vitamins: B, K, A, C, PP and E.
Antioxidants
Copper.
Sodium.
Organic acids.
Manganese.
Flavonoids.
Phytoncides.

All this, taken together, creates a real bomb of vitamins and minerals, which charges the body with health and energy.

Useful properties of black and red currant leaves

Like any other product on Earth, currants are beneficial and harmful to humans. Let's see what the beneficial properties are expressed in, and in what cases the use of the plant is dangerous to health.

Benefit:

Cleans the body of toxins and toxins.
Strengthens the immune system.
Has a healing effect in diseases of the digestive system.
Regulates blood clotting.
It has a positive effect on the human skin.
Eliminates excess fluid.
Reduces inflammation.
Helps with diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Not recommended for use with:

Allergic reactions to the product.
Stomach ulcer.
Gastritis with high acidity.
Thrombosis with inflammation of the vein wall.

Important! Prevention and treatment with currants is not recommended to be extended for more than one month. After this period, the reception should be stopped and the body should be allowed to rest.

For men

For men, the plant will help in the following:

cope with the disorder of the functions of the reproductive system;
reducing the risk of getting a heart attack;
normalizes the activity of the urinary system;

For women

For women, the plant will be useful with the following properties:

slows down the aging process in the body;
normalizes metabolism;
saturates the body with folic acid.

Before using it for medicinal purposes, make sure that your blood has good clotting ability and that the acidity in your stomach does not exceed the norm. Not recommended for use while breastfeeding.

For kids

The benefits for the child's body are as follows:

improves memory;
strengthens bones;
stimulates brain activity.

In what areas is it used

The scope of application is quite wide, and the useful properties of currants are used in:

traditional medicine;
cosmetology;
cooking.

ethnoscience

The use of black currant is actively practiced in folk medicine, and recipes based on it help to fight:

rheumatism;
urolithiasis;
gout;
colds;
scurvy;
sore throat;
diathesis;
cough.

Take a look also

Description and characteristics of the raisin currant variety, planting and care

Cosmetology

For cosmetologists, the plant is a real treasure, because on its basis creams and masks have been developed that help with:

age spots and freckles;
reduces the number of wrinkles, rejuvenating and toning the skin;
relieves the skin of dead cells, accelerating the natural process of regeneration;
strengthens hair, adding a natural, beautiful shine;
strengthens nails.

When to collect and how to dry properly

For maximum benefit, the product must be properly assembled and prepared, choosing the right time for this. For currants, this period is considered the time of flowering. In different regions it may occur at different times. In one region it will be the end of May, while in another, currants can bloom only in August.

For the correct collection of fresh leaves, the following conditions must be met:

the weather during collection should be warm and without precipitation;
it is desirable that a light rain pass a few days before collection, which will wash away all the dirt from the leaves;
it will not be superfluous to focus on the lunar cycles, because the greatest concentration of nutrients in the leaves is observed in the phase of the growing moon.

Note! After harvesting, the leaves must not be washed, as this will prevent proper drying, which will spoil the product and rot.

Drying

The collected leaves are evenly distributed on a clean piece of cloth and sent to a specially prepared place that meets the following conditions:

well ventilated;
warm;
protected from direct sunlight;
low humidity.

Such conditions will protect the crop from mold and help to properly prepare the material for use. Remember to stir the leaves periodically, checking for spoilage. The leaves are ready the moment their structure becomes brittle. Then the drying can be finished and the collection can be sent for storage.

Fermentation

Fermentation takes place as follows:

Dry the leaves during the day, spreading them evenly on a piece of clean cloth, in a place covered with shade.
Juice is released from the dried leaves, for this they are finely chopped, ground in a mortar or rolled in a meat grinder.
The resulting mass is unloaded into a prepared container, which is covered with a damp piece of cloth. We leave the container alone for 6 hours and let the mass ferment properly.
We dry the mass in the oven, at a temperature of 100 ^about until the mass becomes brittle to the touch.

Try not to dry out the leaves - this will make them less aromatic and tasty.

How to store in winter

Dry leaves are kept whole or broken into small pieces, which are poured into a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. The container is stored in a place protected from sunlight, such as a kitchen cabinet.

What components can be combined

Black currant leaves go well with:

raspberry leaves;
mint;
juniper;
coffee;
almonds;
red currant;
cherries;
gooseberries.

Cooking recipes

Not every housewife knows suitable recipes for making black currant leaves. Below we will look at the three most popular recipes that give the maximum therapeutic effect when used:

tincture;
tea from healing twigs and leaves;
broth.

The benefits of each of them have been tested by generations of our ancestors, which speaks of the quality of the recipe best.

Take a look also

Description and characteristics of the red currant variety Rovada, planting and care

Tincture

Ingredients of the leaf tincture:

water - one liter;
chopped black currant leaves - 6 large spoons.

Cooking algorithm:

preparing the leaves;
boil water;
pour the leaves into boiling water and remove the container from the heat;
let it brew for an hour;
filter the infusion.

Consume no more than 250 milliliters of infusion per day, for 3-6 approaches.

Healing tea from twigs and leaves

For making tea, a collection of berries and leaves of the plant is used, which must be brewed together with black tea. Composition:

water - 0.5 liters;
granulated sugar - to taste;
black currant leaves - two large spoons;
a small spoonful of black or green tea.

Recipe:

wash and chop the leaves;
pour them into boiling water and let it brew for 10-15 minutes;
add tea and let it brew for another 1-2 minutes;
we filter the liquid and add sugar or honey to it to taste.

Note! If desired, the composition can be diversified by adding the leaves of other plants, for example, mint or raspberry.

Decoction

It is used for medicinal purposes, and for cooking you will need to prepare:

leaves and berries - 4 pieces each;
water - 300 milliliters.

Preparation:

boil water;
add leaves and berries;
cook for 20 minutes at the minimum power of the stove;
we filter;
cool the broth.

Indications for use

Currants do not lose their medicinal properties in any of their forms, be it a drink or a fresh product. Its use helps to cope with many ailments, and doctors advise using the plant for the following diseases:

rheumatism;
diabetes;
flu and colds;
at elevated temperatures;
for weight loss.

Rheumatism

Cleans the body of excess uric acid and oxalic acid, thereby helping to fight rheumatism, joint pain and gout. Helps the elderly well.

For diabetics

Recommended by doctors due to the high fructose content of berries. Suitable for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Leaves cleanse the body by removing toxins and other harmful substances.

For flu and colds

An effective remedy that allows the body to fight against pathogens, saturating it with a shock dose of vitamins and beneficial microelements. It helps well in the form of tea and various tinctures.

To lower the temperature

Tea made from black or red currant leaves is an excellent antipyretic agent that allows you to bring down the temperature quickly and with benefits for the body.

Weight loss benefits

It has fat burning properties due to the high content of vitamin C. Such properties are possessed not only by black currants, but also by red and even white currants.