The use of spruce in folk medicine. Medicinal properties of spruce. Spruce shoots medicinal properties in folk medicine

Spruce is a coniferous, evergreen plant belonging to the pine family. The tree in question, which has a pyramidal crown, reaches a height of 40-50 m. Its trunk is tapered, that is, it gradually narrows in diameter from the base to the top. The thickness of the spruce in the lower part can be up to one meter. The bark on the branches of the tree, smooth to the touch, has a red-brown color, on the trunk it is brownish-gray, with an uneven surface, in small areas it peels off.

Spruce branches are placed in regular whorls, covered with single, hard, dark green needle-shaped leaves, the length of which is 2-2.5 cm, the thickness is 1-1.5 mm. The plant in question is monoecious, that is, it contains female and male generative parts. Spruce has no flowers and fruits. In the lower part of the shoot there are male elongated cylindrical spikelets (reddish-yellow cones 2-2.5 cm long), surrounded at the base by light green scales, in the upper part of the shoot there are female spikelets (they are larger and have a reddish-brown color). Fertilized ovules develop into seeds. At the same time, female spikelets turn into a cone, which consists of an axis and woody scales of a light brown shade attached to it. Spruce cones are cylindrical, hanging, rounded at both ends. Their length reaches 10-16 cm, diameter is 3-4 cm. At first they are red, then they turn green, and then brown. Seeds are dark brown, ovoid.

Spruce harvesting and storage

For medicinal purposes, cones, needles, bark, spruce buds are used. Buds should be harvested in early spring, before they bloom. Dry them in the open air, spreading out a thin layer. Collection of cones is carried out in the summer before the formation of seeds. It is necessary to store raw materials in a dry, dark place in a cardboard, paper box, cloth bag.

Application in everyday life

Spruce is the main raw material for the production of cardboard and paper. It is widely used in construction, in carpentry, in particular, for the manufacture of furniture. In addition, telegraph poles, railway sleepers, musical instruments (for example, violins) are made from the wood in question. Spruce shavings, cuttings, sawdust, wood chips are used in the chemical industry (from them, ethyl alcohol is obtained by hydrolysis, as well as such building materials as a plasticizer). When distilling spruce wood, acetic acid, methyl alcohol, is obtained. Due to the fact that tannins are present in the bark of the plant in question, it is used in the leather industry. Turpentine and rosin are obtained from resin-resin.

The composition and medicinal properties of spruce

• Spruce bark contains fineness, needles contain vitamin C, essential oil, tannins, as well as resin and trace elements (manganese, iron, copper). The cones contain phytoncides, minerals, essential oils, resin.

1. with a disorder of the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system (if a person has neurosis, neurasthenia, sciatica, neuritis, plexitis);
2. in case of overwork;
3. with weakened muscle tone;
4. persons suffering from polyarthritis, hypertension of 1-2 degrees.

Infusion of spruce cones used for inhalation, rinsing with sore throat, tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract

Pour chopped dry spruce cones with boiling water in a ratio of 1:5, cook for half an hour, stirring, then leave for 15 minutes. Strain the finished composition through cheesecloth, folded in three layers. The liquid in the end should have a brown color, an astringent taste and smell of needles. Store it in a dark, cool place for no more than 72 hours.

For inhalation, the infusion must be heated to a temperature of 60-80. For one procedure, 20-30 ml of the product is required. Rinsing should be carried out with a composition whose temperature is 35-40 degrees. They are performed 2-4 times a day. With rhinitis, the infusion is instilled into the nose for 5-10 drops.

Spruce-based vitamin infusion with antiscurvy, tonic effect

Pound spruce needles in a mortar, adding a small amount of cold drinking water, pour them with boiled water in a ratio of 1:10, acidify with citric acid (you can use ordinary lemon juice), boil for half an hour, let it brew for 2-3 hours. After straining, the solution is drunk after a meal, a quarter to a half glass a day.

A decoction of shoots and cones of spruce, used for dropsy

Pour young shoots and cones of the tree in question (30 g) with a liter of milk and bring to a boil. After straining, take the product three times a day, dividing the entire volume into three parts.

Needle-based remedy to increase immunity

Pour spruce needles with water in a ratio of 1:5, leave for an hour. It is necessary to take the composition in winter, 40 drops a day, in summer the daily dose is 20 drops.

Spruce needle syrup used for coughs, mental fatigue, excessive appetite, infertility

Peel the needles from the spruce branches (it is better to use a knife for these purposes), chop them using a rolling pin, put them in a separate container, filling it a quarter. After that, add honey (so that it fills the empty volume of the jar), close the lid tightly, put in a warm place for 21 days. After the specified period, strain the composition.

With a constant cough, take half a teaspoon a day six times. The course of treatment is 7 days. With excessive appetite, the composition should be consumed 5 minutes before or immediately after a meal, one tablespoon, without drinking water. If you have hard mental work, drink 1-2 teaspoons of syrup several times a day. With infertility, it is recommended to take the composition several times a day for a tablespoon.

Infusion of the kidneys, used for colds, throat diseases, bronchial asthma

Finely chop the spruce buds, add 3-4 liters of water per kilogram of collection. Boil the product for 10-15 minutes, strain, let stand and strain again through cheesecloth. For one liter of decoction, add one kilogram of honey and propolis extract (30 g of propolis per 100 ml of alcohol). After thoroughly mixing the composition, heat it to a temperature of 40-45 degrees. Chilled infusion should be taken three times a day, one teaspoon.

Remedy for chronic bronchitis, chronic cough

Mix spruce resin with yellow wax in a ratio of 1: 1, melt the mixture, cool. Putting it on hot coals, inhale the deeply emitted smoke for 10-15 minutes.

Spruce resin ointment for the treatment of pustular wounds, ulcers

Mix gum resin (100 g) with unsalted lard (100 g), natural beeswax (100 g). Place the composition in a container, boil for 10 minutes, constantly stirring the product, removing the resulting foam. The resulting ointment covers the washed wound and wraps the affected area with a bandage. The bandage should be kept for 1-2 days.

Contraindications

Spruce-based products should not be used by people suffering from nephrosis, nephritis, stomach ulcers, hyperacid gastritis.

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This representative of the pine family is associated with the New Year for many of us. Spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree with a pyramid-shaped crown. Its height can reach 50 meters. The spruce trunk is runaway. This means that it tapers from the base to the top. The thickness in diameter of spruce in its lower part can reach one meter. The bark on spruce branches is smooth and red-brown in color. The trunk has a brownish-gray tint, its surface is uneven and flaking. Spruce branches on the trunk are arranged in regular whorls. They are covered with hard, single, dark green leaves in the form of needles 2 centimeters long. This plant belongs to the category of monoecious: it has both male and female generative parts. This forest beauty has no flowers and fruits. In the lower part of the shoots there are male cylindrical spikelets in the form of reddish-yellow cones, and in the upper part of the shoots there are female ones. They are larger in shape and red-brown in color. Female spikelets transform into a cone, consisting of an axis and brown scales. Spruce cones hanging, cylindrical, up to 16 centimeters long. Young cones are red, and when ripe, they turn brown.

Procurement and storage

For medicinal purposes, needles, cones, bark, and spruce buds are harvested. The latter are harvested at the very beginning of spring, before they bloom. Dry them in the open air, laying out a thin layer and protecting them from the rays of the sun. Cones are harvested before seeds are formed. All raw materials collected and ready for use are stored in a dry and dark place, placed in paper bags or cloth bags made of natural fabric. The shelf life of finished spruce raw materials is one year.

Application in everyday life

Spruce, in addition to being used in traditional medicine, is also actively used in the woodworking industry due to its valuable wood. It is the basis for the manufacture of paper and cardboard. In construction and carpentry, in the furniture industry, spruce is also highly valued. Telegraph poles and railway sleepers, musical instruments, such as violins, are made from its dense wood. Spruce shavings, its sawdust and cuttings are used by the chemical industry to produce ethyl alcohol and a special material - a plasticizer. When the spruce tree is distilled, methyl alcohol and acetic acid are obtained. Due to the presence of tannins in spruce, it is also actively used in the leather industry. Spruce resin-resin serves as the basis for the production of turpentine and rosin.

Another area of ​​application of spruce, its needles, is gardening. In particular, the zones between the rows of strawberries are covered with needles to increase productivity and prevent the growth of strawberries with shoots. Spruce needles are also added to other substrates for plant nutrition.

Composition and medicinal properties

Spruce bark contains tannins. Ascorbic acid, tannins, essential oil, resin are present in its needles. There are also many minerals in the needles, for example, copper and manganese, iron and calcium. Pine cones contain resins and phytoncides, essential oils and minerals.

In folk medicine, spruce-based preparations have the following range of healing properties:

1. Expectorants.
2. Cholagogue.
3. Disinfectants.
4. Diuretic.
5. Sweatshops.
6. Painkillers.

Decoctions based on spruce buds are used to treat pneumonia and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (often in the form of inhalations), pulmonary tuberculosis and swelling of renal or cardiac origin, rheumatism and gout, cholelithiasis. Such decoctions have choleretic and diuretic properties.

Infusion of spruce needles is used for the prevention and treatment of scurvy. Folk healers advise taking such infusions as antispasmodics. With their help, fungal skin diseases and atherosclerosis are treated.

Infusions of spruce cones are used to treat tonsillitis and pharyngitis, laryngitis and sinusitis, vasomotor rhinitis, in order to prevent childhood infections. Spruce has also proven itself well for external use. So, spruce resin, diluted in half with wax and sunflower oil, when applied to damaged skin, helps to heal and regenerate it. This remedy is used for abrasions and burns, abscesses and ulcers.

Coniferous extract is another form of application of this medicinal plant in medicine. It must be added to baths and taken in the presence of osteochondrosis and rheumatism, CNS disorder and polyarthritis, sciatica and hypertension of 1-2 degrees.

The use of spruce in traditional medicine

Herbalists have many effective recipes using spruce. Use the ones that are right for you:

1. A decoction of cones for inhalation, gargling, treatment of sinusitis and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. Grind dry spruce cones, pour boiling water over them in a ratio of 1:5. Boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring, leave for 20 minutes. Filter the cooled composition through cheesecloth. The healing liquid should be brown and astringent, with the smell of pine needles. Store it in a cool place for no longer than 72 hours. For inhalation and rinsing, the decoction is heated, the procedures are carried out several times a day.
2. Vitamin spruce infusion with antiscurvy and tonic effect. Spruce needles must be ground in a mortar, then pour them with boiled water in a ratio of 1:10, boil for half an hour, let it brew for 2 hours. After that, the solution is consumed after a meal, ½ cup per day.
3. A decoction of spruce shoots and cones for the treatment of dropsy. It is necessary to pour young shoots and cones of spruce in the amount of 30 grams with a liter of milk and bring the composition to a boil. After cooling and filtering, the product is taken three times a day, that is, the entire liquid must be divided into three servings.
4. Improving the immunity of spruce needles. Pour boiling water over the needles in a ratio of 1: 5, insist for an hour. It is necessary to take a filtered remedy in winter, two tablespoons three times a day before a meal, and in summer reduce the dose to one spoon three times a day.
5. Needle syrup was eaten for coughs and to reduce appetite. Take fresh spruce needles and put them in the bottom of a half-liter glass jar so that they fill it a quarter. Then fill the container to the top with honey. Put the product in a warm place for 21 days, tightly closing it with a lid. After the expiration date, filter the composition. When coughing, it should be consumed half a teaspoon five to six times a day. Such treatment lasts until complete recovery from coughing. And with excessive appetite, the syrup is recommended to be consumed 5 minutes before a meal or immediately after it. If a person has a long mental load, then the same remedy can be used in a teaspoon 1-2 times a day between meals.
6. Kidney infusion was eaten to treat colds and sore throats. Spruce buds need to be crushed and take 3 liters of water per kilogram. Boil this remedy for 10-15 minutes, cool completely, filter, add a glass of honey and 30 grams of propolis per liter of broth. Mix everything thoroughly and take the remedy three times a day for a teaspoon until complete recovery.
7. Treatment of chronic bronchitis and chronic cough. It is necessary to stir spruce resin with propolis in a ratio of 1: 1. Melt the composition and put on hot coals. Inhale the steam deeply for 10-15 minutes. Such inhalation twice a day will allow you to forget about an old cough.
8. Ointment on spruce resin for the treatment of ulcers and purulent wounds. It is necessary to mix resin-resin in the amount of 100 grams with interior lard in the same amount and the same dose of beeswax. This composition should be boiled over low heat for no longer than 10 minutes, stirring constantly and removing the resulting foam. Then the ointment is completely cooled under the lid and placed in a glass container. A clean wound is covered with a thin layer of this ointment and covered with an aseptic bandage. Keep it for a day, then change.
9. Treatment with coniferous extract of sciatica, arthritis, sciatica. For this purpose, it is better to purchase ready-made coniferous extract in the pharmacy chain and add it to the bath according to the dosage indicated in the instructions. Baths are taken daily.

Contraindications for use

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Useful properties of spruce

Spruce is an amazing plant: it can be used to treat various diseases in its entirety. Cones, needles, branches and buds have unique beneficial properties. The diuretic effect of infusion of needles is used to effectively treat the organs of the entire urinary system. Essential compounds boast bactericidal and antiviral properties. As an aromatherapy, spruce essential oil is used for the common cold. diseases of the upper respiratory tract, as well as to increase immunity and prevent acute respiratory infections.

In addition, spruce oil can eliminate overexertion and nervousness, enhance the protective properties of the skin and improve the overall tone of the human body. Being indoors, in a short time, essential compounds of spruce neutralize harmful microorganisms, filling the house with oxygen and a healing microclimate and weakening electromagnetic radiation from household appliances.

spruce application

With rheumatism, an infusion of Siberian spruce needles is prescribed. For viral infections, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and scurvy, it is recommended to use a decoction of young branches, buds and spruce cones. From the resin, you can prepare an excellent ointment that will help get rid of furunculosis. If you regularly make baths from spruce legs, you can cure sciatica. To get rid of bronchitis. effective inhalations are often prescribed with wax and resin vapors. A vitamin drink made from pine needles will increase the body's resistance to various adverse environmental influences.

Spruce Recipes

It is no coincidence that various recipes for effective spruce remedies are very popular in traditional medicine.

A decoction of spruce needles. To prepare an antiscurvy decoction, you should take spruce needles and finely grind it. For one glass of boiling water, take 1 tablespoon of pine needles. This mixture must be boiled for 30 minutes, then put in a warm place and let it brew for about three hours. The course of treatment involves taking a decoction of 100 grams during the day. In addition, such a healing vitamin drink has a general strengthening effect on the body and perfectly cleanses the blood of harmful impurities.

Infusion of spruce cones. Such a wonderful remedy is prepared from spruce cones. Young cones should be crushed and pour hot water at the rate of 1:5, then boil the mixture for 30-40 minutes and leave it for 15 minutes. After this, it is recommended to strain the infusion. The liquid has a brown tint, astringent taste and a specific smell. Store this infusion in a dark and cool place for a maximum of three days. This tool can be used for inhalation - 20 ml for an adult per procedure. To strengthen the immune system, a vitamin infusion of cones is prescribed. To do this, in a ratio of 1:10, pour the cones with water, add lemon and boil for half an hour. After three hours of infusion, strain the mixture. As a general tonic, the infusion is taken half a glass in the morning before meals.

Spruce tincture. An amazing tincture from the kidneys is prescribed for rhinitis. bronchitis, pneumonia. tuberculosis, renal edema, bronchial asthma and rheumatism. For cooking, pour vodka in an amount of 0.5 liters about three tablespoons of young coniferous branches along with buds. The mixture should be closed tightly in a glass container and infused for at least 14 days, shaking occasionally. This remedy is taken three times a day before meals.

spruce needles

Spruce needles are often prescribed to strengthen the immune system. If you chew 2-3 needles daily for a month, you can feel a noticeable surge of vigor and strength. Or you can prepare a particularly effective remedy from two tablespoons of chopped pine needles to one glass of boiling water. The mixture should be boiled for 20 minutes, and then sugar can be added to it to taste. Divide the mixture into three doses and drink throughout the day.

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Spruce buds

Resinous spruce buds, which are harvested in early spring, are often used to make an effective tincture for getting rid of sore throats. rhinitis, bronchial asthma and other respiratory diseases. It is no coincidence that such kidneys are included in many medicinal preparations for expectorant purposes. Spruce buds are extremely useful for tuberculosis and pneumonia. Along with this, such herbal preparations are indispensable in the treatment of fungal diseases.

spruce cones

Healing young spruce cones are often used in folk medicine. They contain tannins, essential oil, vitamin C, resin, manganese, copper, aluminium, iron and chromium. Due to this, spruce cones have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic and analgesic effects. In addition, the cones are an excellent antiscorbutic agent. An infusion of spruce cones can perfectly treat tonsillitis, bronchitis and pneumonia in both adults and children. Also, cones are useful for pharyngitis and sinusitis.

Spruce species

There are about fifty different types of spruce. Let's look at a few of the most popular.

Norway spruce grows in central Russia. It reaches 50 meters in height and can live three hundred years. This species prefers acidic and well-drained soils and cannot tolerate salinity or stagnant water.

Canadian spruce has a dense cone-shaped crown and dove-colored needles. Such a tree can grow up to 30 meters. Its branches are directed obliquely upwards. However, in old trees they are somewhat lowered. To the characteristics of the soil, such a spruce is completely undemanding. It is drought tolerant and winter hardy. Lives about 400-500 years.

Prickly spruce grows no more than 25 meters in height. Occasionally, specimens up to 45 meters are found in nature. This light-loving species lives for about 100 years. The pyramidal crown is decorated with dense tiers of regularly shaped branches. The color of the prickly needles is from greenish to silvery. Prickly spruce is resistant to various atmospheric pollution. This tree does not like fertile and highly moist soil.

Engelman spruce has a dense pyramidal crown and grows up to 50 meters high. Such a tree can live up to 400 years. Slightly drooping branches with stiff silvery needles give this plant a chic look. Engelman spruce is a winter-hardy tree. It prefers well-drained soils. This species is propagated by seeds, grafting and cuttings.

Spruce contraindications

Numerous drugs containing spruce elements are not recommended for hyperacid gastritis and stomach ulcers. In addition, a contraindication is individual intolerance.

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Evergreen conifers are associated with the New Year, family celebrations, clean frosty air of a coniferous forest, mushroom places. Our ancestors have long known about the healing properties of coniferous needles. A decoction of needles was considered a remedy that relieves ailments, which was taken by everyone - from young to old.

Raw materials collected fresh during travels and campaigns have long been of particular value. Wise nature made it so that in winter, when the body is in dire need of vitamins and minerals, the concentration of nutrients in the needles increased several times. Needles in winter contain 4 times more ascorbic acid than in summer. A decoction of needles for use in winter is more appropriate and effective.

Decoction of needles - useful properties

A popular recipe for traditional medicine is a decoction of pine needles. Unlike alcohol tincture, it can be taken by children, the elderly, at work, where concentration is required. By simple preparation, you can get a vitamin and mineral cocktail saturated with ascorbic acid.

All decoctions from coniferous plants have three main properties:

• removal of inflammation;
• destruction of pathogenic microorganisms;
• healing of wounds and ulcers.

In addition to these properties, the decoction has a diaphoretic, choleretic, diuretic effect, it is effective in the fight against helminths.

The needles are rich in ascorbic acid, vitamin E, B vitamins, nicotinic acid, and a complex of minerals. Among the active components are salts of iron, cobalt, manganese.

Very effective decoction for colds. A pair of needles kill pathogens. Coniferous decoction for colds can replace citrus fruits and pharmaceuticals, has a great effect on the nervous system, and reduces stress. The rest of the broth can be added to the bath.

How decoctions are used

Each type of needles has unique properties that you need to focus on before cooking. The properties of the decoction of pine and spruce needles are somewhat different.

Spruce needles are used to treat:

• joint diseases;
• of cardio-vascular system;
• colds;
• wounds, abrasions, ulcers;
• beriberi;
• weakened immunity;
• disorders in the digestive system;
• fungal skin lesions;
• rheumatism;
• for anesthesia.

Coniferous decoction on pine needles is an excellent remedy for such violations:

• atherosclerosis;
• frequent colds;
• diseases of the female genital area;
• insomnia;
• stress, overwork;
• herpes;
• furunculosis.

Cooking rules

Coniferous broth how to brew is a method that does not require special knowledge. You just need to stick to the recipe.

For a decoction, it is better to use winter needles, it has a higher concentration of active substances and components. The collected raw materials can be stored at +10°C.

Before brewing needles, it is necessary to sort it out, clean it of debris, rinse with cool water.

How to brew needles according to the classic recipe? Such a decoction can be used for various diseases, add other components, taken orally and externally.

Classic recipe

Compound

• 1 glass of coniferous needles;
• 1 liter of boiled water.

Cooking

1. Measure out 1 cup of needles.
2. Boil 1 liter of water.
3. Mix, cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. After removing from heat, let it brew for 20 minutes.
5. Filter the finished broth.
6. Coniferous broth retains useful properties in the refrigerator for a week.

Decoction of needles - recipes

Recipe for boosting immunity

Compound

• 1 glass of boiling water;
• 10 needles;
• 0.5 tsp citric acid;
• sugar and honey to taste.

Cooking

1. Coniferous needles must be placed in a saucepan, pour water, boil for 20 minutes.
2. The mixture is infused to room temperature, filtered through a sieve.
3. To taste, you can add honey and sugar, bring with boiling water to the original volume.

Coniferous decoction recipe at high pressure

Compound

• 5 st. l. needles;
• 2 tbsp. l. onion peel;
• 3 art. l. hawthorn fruit;
• 1 liter of boiling water.

Cooking

1. Mix needles, husks, hawthorn fruits in a saucepan.
2. Pour 1 liter of water, boil for 20 minutes over low heat.
3. Filter the decoction, take 1 cup three times a day before meals.

Liver Recovery Recipe

Compound

• 3 art. l. coniferous needles;
• 1 cup boiling water;

Cooking

1. The mixture is boiled over low heat for half an hour, during which time half of the water will evaporate.
2. After cooling, you will get about 100 ml of decoction, you need to take it once a day, ideally if it is fresh.

Coniferous decoction in milk to relieve the symptoms of a cold

Compound

• 1 liter of milk;
• 30-40 g of coniferous needles.

Cooking

1. The mixture must be boiled over low heat while stirring.
2. Remove from the stove, filter, sue.
3. Divided into three parts, take as a hot drink during the day.

Coniferous decoction - prophylactic (to maintain immunity)

Such a drink can be prepared for the whole family, drink fresh.

Compound

• 10 st. l. coniferous needles;
• 10 cups of boiling water.

Cooking

1. Boil the mixture for half an hour.
2. Leave to infuse, wrapped in a shawl for 3-4 hours.
3. Filter and take 100 ml for each adult family member. For children, the dose should be reduced to 50 ml.

Contraindications

There are practically no contraindications for external use of the decoction. There are restrictions for taking a decoction of needles inside:

• period of pregnancy and breastfeeding,
• liver disease,
• kidney failure,
• pyelonephritis,
• heart failure.

Before the first use, a test should be carried out on the back of the hand, if there is no reaction within 12 hours, then the remedy can be used.

What is spruce good for health / decoctions, infusions, baths from cones, buds, needles, shoots /

Spruce, a tree familiar from childhood to most residents of the northern hemisphere. Europeans under the concept of "spruce" mean the species spruce ordinary or its hybrid Finnish spruce. For the inhabitants of Asia, Siberian or Korean spruce are familiar. And in North America, black, Canadian, prickly spruce reign. All representatives of the genus Spruce (Picea) are similar in structure and chemical composition. Any type of spruce has beneficial properties and can be used to treat certain diseases. On the territory of Europe, cones and needles of common spruce (European) are used as medicinal raw materials.

The healing properties of spruce are due to the chemicals that make up its composition, these are:
essential oils;
tannins;
resins;
mineral salts;
vitamins (C, E, B3 or PP, K);
carotenoids;
trace elements (iron, manganese, chromium, copper);
amino acids.

Different parts of spruce contain different amounts of useful components. Their composition may vary depending on the season. The greatest number of useful components in young shoots and developing buds.
One of the main components of the essential oils that make up spruce is pinene, which got its name from the Latin Pinus (pinus - pine). Spruce and pine are so close in chemical composition and properties that until recently both belonged to the genus Pinus (pine).

The healing properties of spruce

The main and most well-known useful property of spruce is its bactericidal properties. Spruce contains substances from the class of terpenes, better known as essential oils, which are broad-spectrum phytoncides. These biologically active components are very volatile, so they are constantly released into the environment. As the temperature rises, the amount of essential oils released increases. On hot days, a strong coniferous aroma is felt near the spruce. Spruce phytoncides destroy pathogenic bacteria, microscopic fungi that cause rot, as well as species of some protozoan (single-celled) animals.
Inhaling the aroma of pine needles, a person not only gets rid of pathogenic microorganisms and improves immunity. Phytoncides, inhibiting the development of pathogenic bacteria, stimulate the growth of microorganisms useful to humans.
In addition, spruce stimulates the immune system of plants growing next to it. It is useful for pets and birds. In winter, a fortified supplement is prepared for them from ground needles.

Where the healing properties of spruce will help

Spruce has a versatile positive effect on the human body, affecting almost all systems and organs:
Stimulates the immune system;
Tones and relieves fatigue;
Activates brain activity;
Helps to normalize the nervous system after stress, improves sleep;
Accelerates the healing of wounds, including burns, ulcers;
Stimulates the work of the cardiovascular system;
Favorably affects the functioning of the intestines and stimulates the growth of microflora in it, which helps digestion, improves the functioning of secretory cells;
Spruce phytoncides destroy even such dangerous bacteria as staphylococci, E. coli, bacteria that cause tuberculosis and whooping cough.
To obtain medicinal raw materials and manufacture various preparations, spruce needles, cones, resin, less often bark, branches and wood are used. Useful properties of spruce allow the use of needles and cones for the treatment of many diseases:
diseases of the upper respiratory tract of viral and bacterial origin, bronchial asthma;
diseases of the lower respiratory tract (pneumonia, tuberculosis);
inflammatory processes of the excretory system and kidney disease;
decrease in the elasticity of blood vessels, varicose veins;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
skin diseases caused by fungi and bacteria;
infectious diseases of the oral cavity;
rhinitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, laryngotracheitis.

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Face masks with olive oil and chopped spruce needles perfectly renew the skin, stimulate the epithelium, and smooth out wrinkles.
The brewed drink on spruce needles cleanses the blood of toxic substances, binds free radicals that destroy cells, and improves blood circulation.
Inhalations with pine needles extract, another healing property of spruce, which is used in the treatment of diseases of the nasopharynx. An easier way to cope with the disease is to suck spruce resin.
Baths with extracts or tincture of spruce needles help get rid of rheumatism. And the needles, ground into gruel, mixed with vegetable oil or baby cream, will help cure the fungus that occurs between the toes and get rid of the unpleasant smell.
Brewed spruce needles are a good remedy for gum disease or inflammatory processes in the mouth (young needles can simply be chewed without swallowing). This is an excellent prophylactic against periodontal disease.

Useful recipes from spruce needles, buds, shoots and cones

Oral use

With beriberi, colds and just to strengthen the body, prepare a drink.
Take 4 tbsp. spoons of needles collected in winter, fill them with 3 cups of cooled boiled water and leave for 3 days in a dark place, then strain. Add 2 tsp. citric acid or apple cider vinegar and take 1/2 cup 2 times a day with honey or sugar. Store the prepared infusion in a dark, cool place.
A decoction of spruce needles has the same property. Pour 2 tablespoons of clean spruce needles in an enamel bowl with a glass of boiling water, boil over low heat for 20 minutes and let it brew for half an hour. Drink half a glass 2 times a day, adding sugar or honey.
It cleanses the blood well and fights vitamin deficiency. A decoction in the milk of kidneys and spruce cones. It is prepared from crushed raw materials (2 tablespoons) and milk (1 liter) for 20 minutes. Take in a cooled form in a glass up to 3 times a day.
Washed and dried young spruce shoots collected in early spring are placed in a 5-liter jar, sprinkled with sugar (1.5 kg) in layers. Leave to stand overnight, mix, expose to the sun, covered with a lid with holes or a cloth. After 10 days, the resulting juice is poured into another container, corked, stored at room temperature. Juice from spruce needles is taken for all the diseases listed above from 0.5 to 2 tbsp. l. 1 time per day on an empty stomach.
Rub clean spruce needles and mix with the same amount of honey. Infuse for 2 weeks in a cool and dark place, stirring occasionally. Drain the resulting liquid mass, squeeze out the remnants. Take a spoonful for preventive purposes. With tuberculosis and respiratory diseases, 2 tbsp. l. on an empty stomach in the morning.
From young shoots and cones of spruce (or pine), cook syrup or jam, useful for colds and respiratory diseases. Fill fresh raw materials with water with a small top and cook for about 2 hours. After cooling, strain through a dense cloth and add 1 kg of sugar for each liter. Re-boil the jam and pour into clean jars, roll up. Depending on the cooking time with sugar, you will get syrup (boil), five minutes (cook 10-15 minutes) or jam (cook 1-2 hours).
Spruce buds, collected at the end of spring, are a concentrate of useful substances of spruce. They are washed and crushed, poured with water in a proportion of ¼ and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. Strain, allow to cool, and strain again through a thicker cloth. Apply ¼ cup 3 times a day. For long-term storage in a cool dark place, honey is added to the resulting broth in a ratio of 1/1, which is dissolved by heating in a water bath or over very low heat. Keep tightly closed. Apply before meals on a teaspoon three times a day.

Outdoor use

At purulent wounds and ulcers externally use spruce resin. You can: 1) Sprinkle wounds with dry rubbed resin; 2) Warm up, stirring, taken in equal amounts of spruce resin, vegetable oil and beeswax. After cooling, lubricate sore spots. According to the same recipe, an ointment is prepared for the treatment of boils, but instead of vegetable oil, pork fat or butter is used.
With rheumatism and osteochondrosis, baths from cones and spruce needles will help. The cones are crushed, the needles are washed and poured with cold water in a ratio of 1/3. The bath is taken every other day. Previously, the infusion is boiled for half an hour, filtered and poured into the bath. For one procedure, 2 kg of raw materials are enough.
For colds, tonsillitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, inhalations, warm rinsing or washing with infusion of spruce cones are used. The crushed cones are boiled for half an hour in water (ratio 1/5), cooled, filtered well. With rhinitis, 7 drops of infusion are instilled in a warm form in each nasal passage.

Contraindications

Inhalation of the aroma of spruce is not useful for everyone, as well as inhalations with spruce needles. In sick people, they can cause an exacerbation of asthma or migraine. The use of infusions and drinks from spruce is contraindicated in gastric diseases, and excessive doses are dangerous for the kidneys.

Hello dear reader!

Coniferous trees have a large supply of vitality. And people have been using them for a long time to improve their health. Healing not only pine. In no way inferior to her is another coniferous tree common to us -. As well as other types of spruce - Siberian, Ayan, Oriental. For medicinal purposes, spruce needles, young spruce shoots, young shoots, spruce bark and its resin are used.

Spruce needles: useful properties and applications

Spruce needles are rich in vitamin C, vitamins K, D, PP, essential oil, turpentines. The volatile substances emitted by the needles are phytoncides that kill many pathogens of broncho-pulmonary diseases. Walks in the spruce forest are no less useful than in. It's just that the spruce forest is somewhat overwhelming with its gloomy beauty and gloominess.

Spruce needles also contain mineral salts, trace elements: iron, copper, manganese, chromium, cobalt. Spruce needles have antiscorbutic, antimicrobial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and choleretic effects.

Vitamin drink from spruce needles

Northerners have long used an infusion of spruce needles against scurvy. And in besieged Leningrad, a remedy for this terrible disease was prepared not only from pine needles, but also from spruce.

Needles, as a source of vitamin C, are all the more valuable because in winter the content of ascorbic acid in it is higher than in summer. But it is in winter that other sources of vitamins may simply be unavailable.

To prepare an antiscorbutic vitamin drink, take 1 tablespoon of chopped pine needles per glass of boiling water. To enhance the extraction, add lemon juice or citric acid at the tip of a teaspoon. The mixture is boiled for 20 minutes in winter and 40 minutes in summer. Then insist 3 hours in a warm place, filter.

Coniferous baths

Spruce needles are an excellent tool for preparing coniferous baths. Such baths relieve nervous excitement, help with severe fatigue, joint diseases.

For the bath prepare a decoction of spruce needles. You can also use young spruce cones with it. , fir needles are also used in the preparation of coniferous baths. It is acceptable to use a mixture of needles of different species.

Spruce needles are taken at the rate of 1 kg per 5 liters of boiling water. Boil for 20 - 30 minutes, getting a brown broth. It is filtered and poured into the bath.

The water level is selected in such a way that the region of the heart is not affected - this is undesirable. Water temperature - no more than 40 ° C. The time spent in the bath is 10-15 minutes.

Young spruce shoots are also called spruce legs. They appear when spruce buds open around mid-May. First, they are "brushes" of light green needles. They grow rapidly, and until mid-June they still differ from other shoots in the color of the needles and its softness. It is in May - June that they should be harvested for use in therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.

But remember, please - you can’t cut off the tops of young Christmas trees when harvesting spruce shoots! They will stop growing normally and will never grow into tall and slender trees. Young spruce shoots break off only at the tops of the lateral branches - "spruce paws".

A decoction of young spruce shoots in milk used for various skin rashes and dropsy. Prepare a decoction as follows.

30 g of young shoots are poured with 1 liter of milk, brought to a boil and boiled over low heat for 10 minutes. After that, the broth is filtered and drunk during the day in three doses - morning, afternoon and evening.

Jam from young spruce shoots

Jam from young shoots of spruce is useful for colds, bronchitis, coughs, flu, even tuberculosis as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent. Helps strengthen immunity.

There are many ways to make spruce jam. You can make jam - a "pressure cooker" from very young shoots, only one and a half to two centimeters long. Such jam can be cooked even in field conditions, on the coals of a fire.

3 cups of young shoots are sprinkled with sugar in the amount of 1.5 cups. Pour the mixture with 2 cups of water. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

A more common method of making jam is when a decoction is first prepared from young spruce shoots, and jam (syrup) is made from this decoction.

For a decoction, washed and crushed shoots are poured with water so that it completely covers them. Cook for two hours. The cooled broth is filtered.

1 kg of sugar is added to 1 liter of broth and boiled for another one and a half to two hours. After checking the jam for readiness (similar to any other jam), it is poured into sterilized jars and closed with lids.

Spruce jam is useful for colds, bronchitis, cough. It must be remembered, however, that this is not an ordinary delicacy, but a medicine. It is undesirable to abuse jam from young spruce shoots.

Jam is also made from young spruce cones. But more on that in another.

In the use of spruce needles and young shoots, there are contraindications . As in the case of preparations from pine, this is primarily kidney disease (glomerulonephritis) , hepatitis and pregnancy . You should not take them gastritis with high acidity.

Norway spruce, from the point of view of a biologist, is a direct relative of pine. This plant is one of the most ancient. The physiology of this tree determines many qualities of spruce.

Biological characteristics of spruce

The familiar Christmas tree is a gymnosperm plant that forms high (25-30 meters) woody forms. On the territory of the Northern Hemisphere, this tree species formed entire forests, common spruce is one of the main components of the taiga.

The tree is evergreen, its green parts are transformed leaves, the nature of the changes of which is aimed at reducing evaporation and thus preserving moisture. From the trunk, in the adult state covered with brown bark, whorls of branches depart, while the tree forms a pyramidal crown.

Spruce loses part of its needles annually, which is associated with the accumulation of substances toxic to the survival of the tree in the needles. The water-repellent properties of needles determine the fact that spruce forests are very dry. Reproduction occurs by transferring seeds formed in cones - megastrobiles. Fertilization occurs within the same tree, since male and female strobili are located on the same individual. Seed ripening occurs in the autumn season, that is, in September-October.

Gymnosperms, a typical representative of which is the common spruce, have come down to our times from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic. In those days, angiosperms (flowering) plants had just emerged. Later, angiosperms, due to their adaptability, became cosmopolitan and spread throughout the globe.

Meanwhile, gymnosperms, due to the peculiarities of their growth, in some places can displace trees belonging to the angiosperm department. A typical example is the joint growth of spruce and birch. First, the birch crown gives the shade necessary for a small Christmas tree, and when it grows, it obscures the territory and acidifies the soil, so the birch dies off.

The ancient Germans revered the spruce tree as the source of forest life and worshiped it. Of course, the tradition of decorating a tree dates back to pagan times. However, Christianity is known to have adopted many pagan rites. Therefore, the fir tree began to decorate for Christmas.

The fashion for the installation and decoration of spruce on New Year's Eve in Russia was introduced by the reformer tsar Peter I. The German tradition quickly became popular in our country and to this day we put this pretty tree in our apartments, houses or garden plots.

Chemical composition

In general, common spruce, like any other plant, is formed by a complex of organic and mineral substances. However, the proportions of some substances fluctuate depending on the season. Therefore, there is evidence that there are more useful substances in winter spruces than in trees of other seasons of the year.

The organic component of the composition is represented by a large number of phytoncides, resinous and tannic components, vitamins, polyprenols, as well as carbohydrates, fiber and some other substances.

Various mineral salts are dissolved in the cell sap of the Christmas tree, which are donors of substances such as iron, magnesium, manganese, and aluminum. It is known that different parts of this plant contain different elements, for example, the bark of a tree contains tannins, which are practically absent in other parts of the tree.

This phenomenon is associated with aspects of the life of spruce. Features of the seasonal composition determine the time of collection of medicinal raw materials, for example, it is better to collect cones in the summer, and take needles from young spring twigs.

Application in traditional medicine

Norway spruce has a lot of useful properties, so even official medicine recognizes it.

Currently, there are several pharmaceutical preparations that are used to cure various diseases. A typical example is the drug "Pana-Bin", which is a mixture of essential oils of spruce needles and peach oil, mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. This preparation is used to treat urolithiasis, because the substances that make up the needles affect the smooth muscles of the ureters.

The medicinal qualities of common spruce are widely used in various traditional medicine recipes. For the treatment of various diseases, specialists in the field of homeopathy use different raw materials from spruce.
Phytoncides, which are part of different parts of spruce, determine its therapeutic effect on the human respiratory system. Many problems associated with the area of ​​specialization of the ENT doctor can be solved through the use of infusions and decoctions on spruce. In folk medicine, a decoction of spruce cones is used for this purpose.
Ingredients: finely chopped cones - 1 tbsp. spoon, water - 2 tbsp. Preparation and reception: the components are mixed and boiled for about 0.5 hours. Strained broth is used for inhalation, which should be carried out for at least 10-15 minutes. The liquid can be reused, preheated. The shelf life of the decoction is 3 days if stored in the refrigerator.

With the help of inhalations with a decoction of spruce cones, respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma are treated. Also, a decoction can be used to gargle with sore throat, laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis. In case of diseases of the nasal passages - sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis - washing them with salted infusion on spruce cones is useful.

In addition to spruce cones, spruce resin is used to treat the internal respiratory tract - bronchi. To do this, it is mixed with beeswax, having previously melted, in a ratio of 1: 1. After cooling, the viscous mass is rolled into balls, which can be stored for a long time. Application occurs by burning (smoldering) one ball and inhaling the resulting smoke.

For the treatment of various diseases of the human musculoskeletal system, spruce needles are used. The composition of this plant element includes vitamins, tannins and essential oils. Together, they have an analgesic, diaphoretic and antimicrobial effect on a person. These mechanisms underlie the use of spruce as a medicinal raw material in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and sciatica. There is a recipe among the people that has been used since ancient times.

Ingredients: finely chopped spruce needles - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot water -1 glass. Preparation and reception: the needles are brewed with boiling water and simmered over low heat for about half an hour. The infusion is filtered and used to rub the affected joints.

Also, for the treatment of pain in the joints, especially at the stage of the process, when the shape of the joint is transformed, resin helps, otherwise - spruce resin. To do this, it is placed in a damp warm gauze, heated to a temperature of 30-40 degrees and the gauze (or bandage) soaked in resin is applied to the diseased joints of the arms or legs. In some cases, even spruce wood can be used to treat diseases of the spine and back. For example, from sciatica among the people there is the following recipe:

Ingredients: wood chips or finely chopped spruce needles - 0.5 kg. Preparation and reception: vegetable raw materials are calcined in the oven or in a frying pan and transferred to a woven bag. A hot bag is placed on a sore spot on the back, previously covered with a waffle towel or diaper.

At the same time, the therapeutic effect is achieved simultaneously from heating the affected area, and also, when cooling, the raw wood releases aromatic substances that have a psychological calming effect on the patient and disinfects the air. Warming up with this method is carried out for 15-20 minutes.

In folk medicine, the calming effect of spruce raw materials is used. For the treatment of chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety and even neurosis, it is useful to use lying, sitting and foot baths. For insomnia, spruce needles are used, placed in a woven bag, which is placed close to the pillow. However, it should be borne in mind that over time, such a handbag with needles loses its useful properties, so vegetable raw materials are recommended for replacement at least once every 2 months.

For baths, water extracts and decoctions of spruce needles are used. They are bred in the volume of warm or hot water poured into the bath. There is the following recipe based on needles.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 100g, warm water -1 liter. Preparation and reception: The components are mixed and allowed to boil in a saucepan with a covered lid for about half an hour over medium heat. The broth is filtered and poured into a lying bath (volume 200 liters).

Also, anxiety, restlessness and increased excitability can be fought with the help of young spruce shoots or the upper parts of the stem of the branch (where the needles are softest). On their basis, water extracts are made, which are mixed with warm water and taken in the form of sitz or foot baths. The shoot extract recipe is similar to that described for pine needles. The proportions must be kept the same, but the concentration of the therapeutic composition will differ, because for a foot bath you will need 250 g of medicinal raw materials, and for a sedentary bath - 750 g.

For the treatment of various wounds, suppurations, boils, abrasions or ulcers, treatment with spruce resin is widespread among the people. Numerous biologically active substances contained in this product cause bacteriostatic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects on external lesions of the skin and mucous membranes.

In addition, the use of resin as an ointment relieves the pain that accompanies various external injuries, including pain from a burn. Among the people, there are quite a few ways to prepare medicinal components based on resin. Let's take a look at some of them.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, butter -1 part, beeswax - 1 part. Preparation and reception: the melted components are mixed and placed in a container with a lid. With the resulting ointment, lubricate the areas of skin affected by a boil, ulcer or abscess.

Ingredients: resin, flower honey, any vegetable oil (sunflower, hemp, linseed, olive). Preparation and reception: all components are taken in a ratio of 1:1:1, heated until a liquid state is obtained and mixed. The cooled mixture is lubricated with abscesses, ulcers, festering wounds. You can use this ointment in the form of patches.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, pork fat - 1 part, yellow wax - 1 part. Preparation and reception: these substances are melted in a water bath and mixed. This composition can treat such complex wounds as thermal and chemical burns, fistulas, as well as abscesses, abscesses and abscesses.

Norway spruce is popularly known as a source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Its antiscorbutic therapeutic effect is based on this property, because scurvy is an acute lack of vitamin C, leading to severe consequences for the human connective tissue. This property of spruce raw materials was widely used during the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, in cases of shortage of this most important vitamin for a person, the following recipe is used, based on spruce medicinal raw materials.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 30g, hot boiling water - 0.5 liters. Preparation and reception: The plant component is scalded in a container with a lid. The mixture is infused for at least several hours and, in a strained state, is drunk before meals 3 times a day.

In addition, spruce needles, buds, shoots and other parts of the tree are used to treat other vitamin deficiencies. The fact is that in addition to the described vitamin C, this plant also contains vitamin A (carotene), E (tocopherol), as well as some representatives of the vitamin family of group B. In this vein, the following multivitamin solution is taken.

Ingredients: needles or tops of spruce shoots finely chopped - 5 tbsp. spoons, wild rose (fruits) - 3 tbsp. spoons, onion peel (chopped) - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot boiling water - 0.7 l. Preparation and reception: vegetable raw materials are brewed with hot boiled water and kept at medium heat for another 5-7 minutes. Cool for two hours with the lid of the pan closed, in which boiling was carried out. The tincture is taken in the volume of half a glass 3 times a day, daily for a month, after which it is taken for a break for 10-12 days.

In addition, there is a recipe for monoinfusion on spruce. At the same time, needles and water are combined in a ratio of 1: 2, and honey or sugar can be added to the strained infusion to improve the taste. Tincture is taken in half a glass in the morning and before bedtime.

Contraindications to taking spruce medicinal raw materials

With the whole mass of useful substances that make up this plant, common spruce also has a negative impact on human health. In particular, doctors have found that the intake of spruce essential oils has a negative effect on the condition of people suffering from kidney diseases such as nephritis or nephrosis. In addition, spruce phytoncides are a fairly powerful allergen, so allergy sufferers should take spruce medicines with caution.

The intake of water extracts and infusions of spruce inside is contraindicated for people suffering from ulceration of various parts of the intestine, as well as gastritis.

Coniferous baths should be taken with caution for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, in particular, hypertensive patients. Varicose veins and thrombosis are also a contraindication to taking lying or sitting baths with spruce infusions.

The condition of cancer patients can also worsen when taking coniferous baths.