The healing properties of this evergreen plant were known in antiquity. For several centuries, lingonberries have been saving people from many diseases. From its berries and leaves, decoctions, juices and medicinal teas are prepared. And also very often make lingonberry water. Preparing this drink is easy, any housewife, even a beginner, can handle it.
Description and description of lingonberry
The distribution area of lingonberries is quite large. Wild shrubs can be found in East Asia, Western Europe and the Korean islands. Recently, lingonberries began to grow on an industrial scale. She has:
- Beautiful pink flowers shaped like bells.
- Bright red fruits.
- The roots are greenish in the shape of a cord.
Lingonberry grows in the form of a bush, the height of which reaches 2.5 m. In terms of taste, it resembles cranberries, but the fruits are much denser and smaller.
Use of the composition
The berries contain a fairly large amount of acetylsalicylic acid, which is a preservative. Thanks to him, lingonberry products are stored well enough and do not lose their appearance. In addition, this substance is able to thin the blood and fight the first manifestations of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels.
Lingonberry is rich in vitamin C, E and A. It is indispensable for colds, as well as for any inflammatory processes. Vitamin C helps fight diseases and strengthens the immune system, while vitamins A and E act directly on the focus of inflammation and regenerate the tissues of the damaged organ.
How to choose?
Lingonberry berries must be ripe. Outwardly, such fruits have a crimson-red hue, dense peel and elastic consistency. It is in such berries that the maximum amount of quinic, malic and lactic acids will be contained.
The ripening period occurs at the end of summer or the beginning of autumn. It all depends on the region where the bushes grow. So that the berries do not crumple, it is best to collect them in a wicker basket. Be sure to remove the stalks and leaves. And then rinse the berries under running water and dry on a cloth.
The benefits of lingonberry water
Lingonberries boasts a high content of acetylsalicylic acid, better known as aspirin. In medicine, it is used as an antipyretic. Besides:
- Water from berries is used to cleanse the body of toxins and restore metabolism. This remedy has worked well for arthritis, arthrosis and gout.
- Due to the huge amount of vitamin A, lingonberries are used in the treatment of tuberculosis. They quite effectively repair damaged lung tissue, give vigor to the patient and strengthen his immunity to further fight the disease.
- Acids contained in cranberry juice are useful in certain stomach diseases. Scientists claim that in the composition of lingonberry water there are antitumor substances that prevent the oncology of peptic ulcers.
- Water prepared from the fruits of this plant, perfectly regulates blood pressure. It contributes to the expansion of blood vessels and is therefore highly recommended for use in atherosclerosis and hypertension.
- A fruit drink can be used for diarrhea caused by dysbiosis or mild food poisoning.
- Regular use of lingonberry water rejuvenates the body, improves skin and hair.
Berry use
From the red lingonberry, you can prepare various medicines that will perfectly strengthen the immune system and restore the efficiency of all internal organs. The simplest recipe is as follows: the fruit is kneaded to a puree state with a blender and squeezed juice. Subsequently, it is diluted with pre-boiled chilled water and taken throughout the day as a vasodilator, analgesic and tonic.
Also, the berries can be passed through a juicer or a juicer.
How to make water from berries
The use of pure juice is considered inappropriate. Most often it is diluted with water. The taste of lingonberry resembles cranberries. Due to the large amount of acid and tannins, it is slightly bitter. Sometimes children do not like the taste of lingonberry juice and have to improve it with honey or granulated sugar.
The berries are quite dense and small. Therefore, sometimes it is easier to prepare cranberry water from them than squeeze juice. It turns out a very tasty drink that is liked by adults and children.
Lingonberry without sugar
How to make lingonberry water? It is quite simple. You will need a wooden or glass container in which the prepared berries are laid out. Fruits are sorted out, removing leaves, and washed under running water. Green, unripe berries are not allowed. Further, the container with berries is completely filled with cool water and covered with a lid. Lingonberry water is infused in a dark and cool place for 30 days.
Water with sugar
Sometimes lingonberry water with sugar is required . She is more to the taste of children. For this, the fruits are moved and placed in a glass container. The most suitable would be a three or five-liter jar. The berries are poured with syrup, which is prepared at the rate of one glass of sugar per five liters of water. The liquid should be slightly chilled, at a pleasant room temperature. It is also necessary to insist within 30 days.
Lingonberry with lemon balm
How to prepare lingonberry water to diversify its taste? Well-proven drink with the addition of lemon balm leaves. The water is boiled together with aromatic grass, cooled and poured into a container with berries. The liquid should be refreshing, with a sour taste. Sugar is not specifically added to it, so as not to spoil the therapeutic effect of this composition. Thanks to this combination, you can saturate the body with vitamins and minerals. Namely:
- Calcium, responsible for the health of bones, hair and nails.
- A sufficiently large amount of iron involved in the blood circulation.
- Phosphorus, which significantly strengthens the nervous system, and also participates in the formation of the brain cell. The lack of this element leads to mental disorders and impaired memory.
Lingonberry with honey and cinnamon
This recipe of cranberry water is designed to strengthen immunity in the cold season. If you drink one cup of such a drink with honey daily, you can avoid the flu epidemic and go through the entire fall-winter season without colds.
To prepare it, you will need about 1 kg of lingonberry berries, three glasses of liquid honey, cinnamon and about 2 liters of pure water. Berries are infused for 72 hours. The composition necessarily includes cinnamon. Honey is added to the already prepared water and filtered.
Winter recipe
Cowberry water is well stored in the winter, but only subject to the preparation technique. Berries should be crushed until juice is formed. On top of the tank you need to put oppression and then send it to a cold place. The best option would be a cellar or balcony. Also, the berries can be grated with sugar, and in winter just diluted to get lingonberry water. It can be stored frozen and used throughout the year.
What is a drink dangerous?
Not everyone can drink cranberry water. It is not recommended to use it during the period of treatment with any medications, since it can come into conflict with chemicals. Lingonberry significantly lowers blood pressure, and therefore it is not recommended for people with hypotension. Due to the large amount of acid in the berries, the drink is not recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems, especially with gastritis. Also, lingonberries are forbidden to give to children under 12 months. In addition, berries can provoke an allergic reaction.
User reviews
In their reviews, users talk a lot about the benefits of lingonberry water and the harm from its use. She helped one, the other vice versa. In order not to fall into the number of unlucky people, you need to carefully read the contraindications.
Most people recommend using lingonberry water to maintain immunity and treat colds. The best effect, judging by the reviews, gives a drink with the addition of honey and cinnamon. Thanks to honey, the beneficial properties of lingonberries are enhanced, and cinnamon fights against pathogenic microflora in the digestive tract.
Parents of young children recommend making a lingonberry drink from the juice of squeezed berries and boiled water. Concentration should be weak. To improve the taste, you can add a little sugar or honey. Such a tool perfectly reduces the temperature during colds and accelerates the healing process. According to parents, the very next day the symptoms of the disease become less pronounced. In children, a runny nose passes and a sore throat decreases.