Lingonberry is an evergreen small shrub with red fruits that lives up to 100 years. Its range covers North and Central Europe, Asia and North America. In Russia, it grows in places such as the taiga North and the middle zone forest zone. Lingonberries are more frost-resistant than blueberries and blueberries. Differs in good fruiting on poor and dry soils.
The lingonberry flowering period falls on May-June. Its flowers are a wonderful honey plant, and the full ripening of tasty and healthy berries occurs in August-September.
Lingonberry contains a lot of vitamin C, carotene, B vitamins, organic acids, mineral salts and other useful substances and trace elements. Berries are stored fresh for a very long time, due to the content of benzoic acid in them - a strong antiseptic that destroys microbes.
Powerful healing powers are enclosed in the leaves and fruits, and this is where the amazing lingonberry plant is famous. The use of its medicinal properties is even difficult to enumerate how diverse and numerous they are.
Patients who have a high fever are given both fresh berries and an infusion of them. They are indicated for diseases of rheumatism and gout, for diseases of the urinary tract and kidneys, for gastritis (only with reduced acidity of gastric juice). Lingonberry lowers blood pressure, which is important for hypertensive patients. Lingonberry tincture from soaked berries is used as a laxative, and for diseases of the joints - as a diuretic. In the case of edema, not associated with serious illness, lingonberry helps to do without diuretic medications.
For treatment, not only cranberries are used. The use of the healing power of its leaves is also quite wide. They are used as an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, astringent, as well as contributing to the effectiveness of antibiotics. Leaves are usually collected in the spring before the plants bloom. Tincture of the leaves can be prepared by pre-drying them.
Lingonberry leaves are used in the treatment of diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, hepatitis, gastritis, prostatitis, pyelonephritis. With self-treatment, you must always consult a doctor if lingonberry acts as a natural medicine.
The benefits and harms of this berry should be evaluated by a specialist. After all, each product, without exception, may have limitations in use. Lingonberries are no exception. Contraindications to its use relate to hypotension due to the fact that the leaves, and especially berry juice, very quickly and effectively reduce pressure. Abuse in this case can result in a sharp decrease in pressure and even loss of consciousness.
The use of fresh lingonberry berries is also contraindicated for those who are diagnosed with gastric ulcer. Regardless of the form in which cranberries are presented, contraindications to its use relate to cholecystitis. Caution is necessary for those who have exacerbations of this disease are often observed. Lingonberry has contraindications for kidney diseases, especially for stones in them - great care is needed here. It will be better if you temporarily refrain from this treat.
It is well known that with such a delicate problem as diarrhea, cranberries are an effective remedy. Contraindications relate to the constant use of berries, so in this case they can be neglected. Everyone can take cowberry infusion 1-2 times. But we should not forget that with the aforementioned ailments, long-term tricks are dangerous.
As for culinary preferences, cranberries make jams, preserves, liquors, juices, drinks, various pastries, stew it with meat and prepare for the winter, using time-tested recipes. A syrup from lingonberry berries, as shown by some studies, improves vision.
The leaves of lingonberry, due to the high content of tannins, are used for tanning the skin. And one small detail - lingonberry berries lead in the content of vitamin C compared with cranberries and blueberries.