Medicinal properties of spruce and pine needles. The healing properties of spruce needles - you will be amazed by my discoveries. Christmas tree, forest aroma ...

The growth of pine and spruce in the harsh northern places endowed them with invaluable medicinal qualities which have been known to man since ancient times. Not a single tablet has yet been found that can compare with the therapeutic effect of spruce and pine needles, because "mother nature" herself endowed from the miraculous healing power designed to help a person in many serious diseases and pathological disorders.

Such properties are due to the chemical composition. It contains substances such as microelements and macroelements, phytoncides, phytohormones and vitamins, essential oils. In pine needles, almost the same vitamin-mineral complex is observed with the addition of ascorbic acid.

Useful properties of needles and for what diseases it is used

A decoction made from pine needles boasts 3 main effects on the body - these are anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and wound healing effects. Nevertheless, each type of needles has its own special healing property.

Decoction of spruce needles used in traditional medicine for a long time. With its help, our ancestors sterilized the premises, treated joint diseases and disorders of the cardiovascular vascular system, disinfected wounds and used for. At the moment, a decoction of spruce needles is able to significantly improve and normalize metabolic processes in the human body, help strengthen immunity, normalize appetite and become a preventive measure for the development of beriberi. In addition, the needles perfectly relieve inflammation and have a diaphoretic, diuretic, choleretic and analgesic effect. A drug prepared on the basis of spruce needles can be used for such diseases and pathological disorders:

scurvy;
phlebeurysm;
bronchitis;
fungal skin lesions;
rheumatism;
chronic heart disease.

Pine needles deserve attention for their excellent ability to combat the manifestation of atherosclerosis and colds. A special focus is noticed in the event of complications of the female reproductive system. Among other things, pine needles contain magnesium, which improves body tone, relieves fatigue, increases muscle activity and removes cholesterol from the body. It can be used for such violations:

colds;
atherosclerosis;
gout;
rickets;
insomnia;
overwork and nervous stress;
furunculosis;
weakening of the immune system.

Folk recipes for decoctions

In the presence of high pressure a complex decoction of pine needles will help. For cooking, you need to take spruce needles in the amount of 5 tablespoons, 2 tablespoons of onion peel and the same amount of wild rose. All components must be poured with 1 liter of boiling water and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. This decoction is taken 200 ml 3 times a day. Such a remedy normalizes blood pressure and improves the functioning of the heart muscle.
Another coniferous decoction of spruce needles is prepared at the rate of 10 tablespoons of needles and 10 cups of boiling water. All components are mixed and boiled for half an hour over low heat. Next, the broth is removed from the fire, wrapped in a warm shawl and infused for 3 hours. You can take such a remedy instead of water, 100-150 ml per day. A medicinal drink is used to strengthen immunity and in the presence of a cough, skin rashes and inflammation of the lungs.
To provide the body with the necessary amount of vitamin C, you can use this recipe. To do this, 1 cup of boiling water is poured into a free dish, half of 1 teaspoon of citric acid and 10 g of pine needles are added. The resulting mixture is boiled for 20 minutes, after which it is infused, cooled and filtered. You can drink such a decoction using sugar or honey. The remedy is an excellent prevention of the onset of beriberi.
To relieve the symptoms of inflammatory diseases respiratory system it is possible to use a decoction of spruce needles and milk. For cooking, 1 liter of milk and 30 g of spruce shoots with needles are taken, after which the mixture is boiled for 10 minutes over low heat and removed. The resulting broth must be filtered and divided into 3 doses. You need to drink it throughout the daylight hours.
To restore liver tissue, pour 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water pine needles and boil over low heat for half an hour. Accepted health drink 100 ml per day.

Medicinal use of needles begins with harvesting. Pine needles are collected at any time of the year, but it is still better to give preference to the summer season, because it is during this period that there is especially high content useful substances. It is better to harvest branches in small quantities. In winter, raw materials can be stored under snow; in summer, cool places are preferred, because at room temperature all vitamins are destroyed.

Harvesting spruce needles is best done in the winter, and you can collect it immediately "for future use". The winter period of assembly is due to the fact that after the first frosts in the needles of a tree, the content of vitamin C increases, in summer its amount decreases significantly. You need to store raw materials in a cool place, you can use drying when harvesting. In case of non-compliance temperature conditions and keeping raw materials at temperatures above 10 degrees, it is possible to reduce the concentration of useful substances by almost 35%.

The duration of the course from a decoction of spruce needles, if available somatic diseases can only be prescribed by a doctor. Long-term use of spruce broth is unacceptable, because it can become a provoking factor in the development of concomitant pathology.

With the abuse of a drug based on pine needles, side effects in the form of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach and headaches.

It is useful to chew pine needles or spruce with periodontal disease. They contain biological active substances, which, together with saliva, penetrate into the tissues of the teeth and cause healing effect. In addition, with chewing movements, blood flow to the gums, teeth and salivary glands, which is the prevention of the development of many dental diseases.

Contraindications to the use of needles

With the external use of pine needles, there are almost no contraindications, with the exception of people prone to allergic rashes. For internal use, use is not allowed when:

ulcerative exacerbations;
renal failure;
inflammation of the liver;
pyelonephritis;
heart failure;
pregnancy and lactation period.

Spruce needles should not be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding, in the presence of individual intolerance and severe kidney and liver diseases.

Inhale the fresh aroma, enjoy its unforgettable silence. Did you know that you can take a piece of it home with you? Guessed? Of course, we are talking about the needles, which are in abundance here. This unique natural resource is obtained completely free of charge, and can help in a variety of life situations. Today we will talk about what is pine needles. Beneficial features and it will be useful for everyone to know contraindications. And then next time, going to the forest, you will not forget to take pine needles with you.

From the heart of nature

We will not dwell on the fact that it does not make sense to collect material that you plan to use for treatment in city parks. It is suitable for a maximum of decorative crafts, which can also be quite interesting. You will have to take a trip out of town to find environmentally friendly needles. Growth conditions also matter. It was life in the harsh conditions of the northern regions that gave this tree healing qualities which have been known to man since ancient times.

Even in a modern pharmacy it is impossible to find a pill that could compare in its effect with pine resin or pine needles. Mother nature herself endowed them with miraculous healing power, designed to help a person with a number of serious illnesses and pathological disorders.

Procurement of raw materials

Unlike deciduous trees, conifers allow you to collect green needles. all year round. Do not collect those that have already fallen and lie like a carpet under your feet. They are suitable only for decorative crafts. Even if they have partially retained their flavor, use them as medicinal product makes practically no sense. Another thing is green needles, fragrant, with live droplets of resin. It is in this form that you need pine needles. Useful properties and contraindications today we decided to consider not in vain. Many of us use ointments and tinctures with pine oil, but not everyone knows that similar means can be done at home for free.

Most of the nutrients are found in the needles in the winter, so with the onset of winter frosts, go to the forest. However, for some potions, you may need fresh shoots. In this case, the blanks must be made in the summer, during the period active growth. You can store them in the refrigerator. But putting branches in the water is strictly not recommended. In this case, the needles will lose all the nutrients in two days.

Chemical composition

What causes the magical effect on the body that pine needles have? We will consider useful properties and contraindications today in sufficient detail so that you get a complete picture. So, the needles contain microelements and macroelements, and in quantities that can compete with the most modern dietary supplements. In addition, needles are a source of phytoncides and phytohormones, vitamins and essential oils, ascorbic acid. The unique set allows you to strengthen the immune system and help with recovery after an illness.

Medicines

Let's now talk in more detail about how pine needles are used. Useful properties and contraindications are important to study before you start taking one of the selected drugs. I must say that you have quite a choice. On the basis of odorous needles, infusions and decoctions, ointments can be made. In addition, the decoction is added to the bath for relaxation or treatment, or they undergo inhalation treatment with it. All products with pine needles extract have the following properties:

Application spectrum

To combat what ailments can pine needles be used? Useful properties and recipes that we will use today will allow you to build your own piggy bank natural remedies to fight certain diseases. The range of application is so wide that it creates the effect of a panacea. Of course, needles will not help from everything, but in some cases it can really bring relief.

Colds and flu are easy to beat

With the onset of autumn, epidemics of unpleasant diseases begin, which are quite difficult to resist. But the task becomes easier if you have pine needles. Useful properties, the use of which has found expression in the fight against SARS, allow preventive actions. Any doctor will confirm that the disease is easier to prevent than to cure. However, they help to quickly defeat the infection that has already entered the body and reduce the load on the most important organs.

The most effective recipes

For any illness respiratory tract from colds to flu indispensable tool is pine needles. Useful properties and contraindications, recipes must be studied and consulted with your doctor first. The essential oils that it contains help to get rid of cough and make breathing much easier. A luxurious vitamin composition gives the body a chance to quickly cope with the consequences of the activities of viruses and bacteria and strengthen the immune system.

How to cook medicinal infusion? For this you need 100 g of needles. Pour it into a saucepan and put on fire, adding a liter of water. The mixture should not boil too much, after 3-5 minutes you can remove and cool. After that, you need to strain and add honey. In order to get a lasting result, it is enough to use ½ cup 3 times a day. Despite the fact that this remedy is natural, it has contraindications, so do not forget to consult a specialist.

Pneumonia

A serious illness that can lead to a number of complications. Therefore, without wasting time in vain, we begin treatment. For this, pine needles are taken as the basis. Medicinal properties modified leaves are so high that they can even do without antibiotics. So, you will need to mix five parts of needles and three parts of wild rose. Soak in boiling water for several hours. Honey and lemon are added to the resulting infusion.

It is very useful for colds to conduct a course of inhalation. They help you quickly strong cough. To do this, fresh needles need to be poured cold water for 12 hours, and then bring to a boil and inhale the vapors with essential oils.

Therapeutic baths

And we continue to talk about how pine needles can be used. Useful properties (how to take certain drugs based on this medicinal raw material, we are studying today) - this is an increasing topic of our conversation. Such procedures have an extremely beneficial effect on the respiratory tract and help with a number of diseases. There are two options for how to prepare therapeutic baths:

For immunity

Most often, parents are engaged in the search for the optimal means to strengthen it. This is understandable, kids get sick more and more often. Therefore, pine needles are very useful to you. Useful properties and contraindications for children are evaluated only on the basis of the likelihood of individual intolerance. In other cases, you can prepare the simplest vitamin drink and give it to children. To do this, you will need 30 g of needles and a glass of boiling water. The mixture should be boiled for 10-15 minutes, insist and add honey.

Contraindications

They must be taken into account, no matter how wonderful pine needles are. Useful properties and contraindications, reviews of doctors - all this important information. We have already examined the first point in sufficient detail, as for the warnings, they primarily concern pregnant women and nursing mothers. They will have to look for another option for treatment and protection of immunity. And also contraindications will be chronic and acute diseases internal organs. First of all, it is the heart and kidneys. But doctors have nothing against the external use of coniferous decoction and tinctures.

Needle treatment - pine, spruce, cedar

Needle treatment - folk recipes

Greetings, dear blog reader Traditional medicine recipes". Today I will tell you about the healing properties of some coniferous plants.

Useful properties of needles

● Since ancient times, when traditional medicine was just beginning to develop, all nationalities used needles for treatment various diseases. Decoctions and extracts of pine needles medicinal products used five thousand years ago by the ancient Sumerians. Needles were known at that time both in Rus' and in Ancient Greece.

● People chewed all winter so as not to get sick. Moreover, people who constantly chew needles have absolutely no problems with teeth and gums.

You wonder when you begin to understand how many diseases can be cured with the help of forest beauties - pine and spruce. What is the secret of these plants?

● Needles contain a lot of biologically active substances that have stimulating and healing properties. These include vitamins, macro- and microelements, chlorophyll, essential oils, phytoncides and phytohormones.

Most importantly, the needles are rich in ascorbic acid - vitamin C, the level of which rises to a maximum in winter and decreases slightly in summer.

● As for essential oils, it is the other way around – their accumulation is much greater in summer and less in winter. Needles are a unique source of carotene, which is absolutely indispensable for prevention.

In our body, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, a very important trace element that ensures the body's resistance to infections and normal vision due to the synthesis of visual pigment.

● There is a lot of vitamin E in the needles. A lack of this vitamin leads to rapid aging organism, miscarriages, painful changes in the heart muscle and skeletal muscles, gonads and nerve cells.

● The needles are rich in phytoncides. These are substances that have the ability to destroy pathogenic microbes, fungi, harmful protozoa: unicellular and multicellular organisms or stop their development.

They have a detrimental effect on pathogens and other diseases; accelerate wound healing, stimulate cardiac activity, stimulate secretory function bodies gastrointestinal tract, clean the surrounding air from harmful chemicals and microbes, maintain biological stability.

● Phytoncides by their structure contain essential oils - special mixtures of volatile aromatic compounds. That is why the beautiful Christmas tree has such an unusual persistent aroma. New Years is soon!!!

I am sure that a forest beauty will certainly appear in your house by this date. Be sure to pay attention to how the air environment in your home will change.

If a cat lives in it, he will really want to lie down under the Christmas tree. Moreover, he will try to climb it along the trunk. The explanation is simple - the animal is treated by inhaling the aroma of a coniferous plant.

● To ensure a strong and restful sleep, put a bouquet of spruce paws in your bedroom. Pine needles contain many macro- and microelements, for example: aluminum, copper, iron, etc.

These elements are indispensable for human life. When we lack some microelement, blood counts worsen, (anemia), dizziness, digestive difficulties, disorders of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems occur.

● Now you are convinced that the needles are a storehouse of nature, natural pharmacy with content beneficial vitamins and substances. Be friends with needles: she is always ready to help you fight ailments and gain good health for many years.

Pine needles treatment - traditional medicine recipes

- let it brew for half an hour 500 grams of needles in 300 ml. boiling water; take a piece of gauze large enough to wrap around a limb affected by varicose veins.

Distribute the resulting slurry evenly over the limb and wrap it with gauze. Hold for 15 minutes, wrap every other day for two weeks;

- at the same time take inside a decoction of needles: coniferous needles ground in a mortar with a small amount cold boiled water boil for half an hour, adding so much boiled water that the proportion is 1:10 (one part of needles to 10 parts of water). Acidify the broth with a little lemon juice, leave for 3 hours and filter; drink half a glass twice a day.

Other needles treatment recipes

● Immune boosting tea. This drink will help you with. Rinse a glass of pine needles thoroughly, chop, brew with three glasses of boiling water. After an hour, add the juice of ½ lemon and a teaspoon of honey. Then you can drink this healing nectar, but first strain it.

● Unique remedy from bronchitis. Rinse the needles thoroughly and fill a liter jar, pour into an enamel pan and pour two liters of water for 30 minutes.

Add 4-5 potatoes there and put on the stove. After the potatoes are cooked, mash them, wrap clean paper or a thin towel and apply to your chest. Keep until completely cool.

● Ointment for the destruction of the fungus. Finely chop half a kilogram of pine needles and lay a layer of one cm on the bottom of a jar with a volume of no more than 250 ml. On top of the same layer - 200 grams of butter.

Fill the entire jar: you should get five layers laid in this way. Cover a full jar with foil and put in the oven at a temperature of 100-120 ° C, for about 6 hours.

Remove and cool the jar, strain its contents through a fine sieve or gauze. You should have a greenish oil. Apply the ointment two to three times a day. You will see the result on the second day.

● We treat. Stuff your mattress with crushed pine needles and sleep on it. Soon the joint pains will leave you.

● Coniferous baths at home. Collect needles in a canvas bag and place it in a bath with hot water. Take a bath - colds and other diseases will leave you.

● Set up your own sauna. It is well known that essential oils contribute to the healing of the body. Put on “coniferous clothes”: a dressing gown or an old nightgown boiled in a solution of spruce twigs.

It is best to do this before taking a pine bath: while you are in the bath, the clothes will be saturated with ethers and the aroma of pine needles. After the bath, wring out the "coniferous" robe, put it on - and go to bed. It helps to treat colds and.

● Toning face mask. Mix equal parts (50 ml each) of kefir or cottage cheese and infusion of needles until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Apply to the face in an even layer for 30-40 minutes, then rinse warm water. This tool is an antiseptic, has a tonic and whitening property.

● How to smooth wrinkles. Apply this mixture in a thin even layer on the face: 20 ml sunflower oil, three tablespoons of honey, 2-3 tbsp. l. chopped needles. Rinse with warm water after 10-15 minutes.

Such masks should be done 1-2 times a month, after which you will find a rejuvenating effect.

● To . Place two cups of pine needles in a saucepan and cover with water until they are completely covered. Cook over low heat for one hour.

After 20 minutes of removing from heat, filter and add the beaten protein of one chicken egg and 3-5 drops of good cognac. Apply this mixture to your hair, wrap it in a towel, and wash it with shampoo after half an hour. This mask will relieve hair from brittleness and dryness.

● How to get rid of unpleasant negativity. Popular rumor says that our house is protected from damage by smoke from spruce or pine branches. To do this, put a few sprigs of spruce or pine in a hot pan.

The branches will begin to smolder, and direct the smoke to all corners of your home - it will drive away all the negative (negative) energy that has accumulated over the years.

Contraindications for needle treatment

● Coniferous baths are contraindicated in patients with disorders of the cardiovascular system, circulation, with severe, malignant neoplasms, infectious diseases skin and the presence of acute inflammatory processes.

● Spruce and pine needles are best harvested in winter when the trees are dormant. Spread the broken spruce branches on a cotton cloth and dry in places with air circulation.

The needles will fall off on their own. Collect needles in the forest away from settlements. In no case do not pluck the upper young shoots with buds - the plant may die due to growth failure. Store needles in closed glass jars in a cool, dark place for no more than 2 years.

Take care of your health and may the Lord God help you in this!!!

You can find the latest information about conifers on Wikipedia ...

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

Spruce, a tree familiar from childhood to most residents 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.

AT different parts spruce contained different amount 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 phytoncides. a wide range actions. These biologically active components are very volatile, so they are constantly released into environment. As the temperature rises, the amount of essential oils released increases. On hot days near the spruce there is a strong coniferous aroma. 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 boosts immunity. Phytoncides, inhibiting development pathogenic bacteria, stimulate growth useful to man microorganisms.
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 work of cardio-vascular 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 like staphylococcus, coli, the 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 viral and bacterial origin, bronchial asthma;
diseases of the lower respiratory tract (pneumonia, tuberculosis);
inflammatory processes 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 oral cavity;
rhinitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, laryngotracheitis.

We recommend reading: Spruce: description, classification, types > Magic cone, or how to grow a Christmas tree from seeds >
Spruce: planting, care, reproduction, use in landscape design
Ivan-tea narrow-leaved. Koporye tea > Benefits and healing properties of linden honey >
Norway spruce (European) / Picea abies >Rosehip oil: application and beneficial properties >

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 from toxic substances, binds free radicals that destroy cells, 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 good remedy with gum disease or inflammatory processes in the mouth (young needles can simply be chewed without swallowing). This is an excellent prophylactic against periodontal disease.

Healthy 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 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 dense fabric and add 1 kg of sugar for every 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 - 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 vegetable oil use pork fat or butter.
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 dangerous for the kidneys.

Spruce, medicinal properties

Norway spruce (European) has many useful and medicinal properties. The plant has an excellent preventive and therapeutic effect with many diseases. Young tops of branches, immature cones, needles, resin are used as medicinal raw materials, from which infusions, decoctions, tinctures and powder are prepared.

Spruce, useful properties

Spruce has a tonic, diuretic, choleretic, antimicrobial, antiscorbutic, analgesic and antispasmodic effect.

Infusion and decoction of spruce cones are used for inflammatory diseases upper respiratory tract, cough, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, tonsillitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, whooping cough, laryngitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, chronic inflammation lungs and for the prevention of infectious diseases, as well as to strengthen immune system and as an antiscorbutic.

Spruce is used for kidney diseases and Bladder, dropsy and infectious diseases of the urinary tract.

In the form of baths, coniferous extract is used for functional disorders of the peripheral and central nervous systems, such as neurasthenia, neurosis, plexitis, sciatica, neuritis, overwork.

A decoction of the needles of the plant is used to treat purulent wounds, cuts, abrasions, and fungal diseases. Spruce resin is used to prepare an ointment against boils.

Spruce oil helps to eliminate nervousness, overstrain, improves the overall tone of the body and enhances the protective properties of the skin. Essential compounds of spruce are able to neutralize harmful microorganisms and purify the air in the room.

Spruce, medicinal recipes

Decoction of spruce needles: one tablespoon of chopped spruce needles is poured with one glass of boiling water and boiled for thirty minutes, after which the broth is covered and left to infuse for three hours. The finished broth is filtered and taken in half a glass during the day to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the blood of harmful impurities.

Spruce tincture: three tablespoons of young coniferous twigs are poured with half a liter of vodka and tightly closed with a lid. The tincture is left for two weeks, occasionally shaken. Ready tincture is taken before eating 5-10 drops for bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinitis, renal edema, tuberculosis, rheumatism, bronchial asthma.

Infusion of spruce cones: young cones are crushed and poured in a ratio of 1:5 with hot water, boiled over low heat for half an hour and let it brew for twenty minutes. Ready infusion has astringent taste, a specific smell and has a brown tint. The infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than three days and is used for inhalation; for an adult, 20 milliliters are used for one procedure.

As general tonic you can pour cones with hot water in a ratio of 1:10, boil for fifteen minutes, add lemon and leave to infuse for one to two hours. The finished infusion is filtered, sugar or honey can be added, and I drink half a glass once a day in the morning before meals.

Spruce Recipes

Spruce jam: fresh young shoots and spruce cones are thoroughly washed, put in an enamel bowl and poured with water a centimeter above the cones and boiled over low heat for two hours. After complete cooling, the broth is carefully filtered through gauze and sugar is added in a ratio of 1: 1 to the volume of the broth. Then again put the pan on the fire and cook for 1.5-2 hours like regular jam. Next, the jam is poured into sterilized jars and rolled up, used for coughing, myocarditis, microinfarctions, rheumatic heartitis.

Tea from spruce twigs: useful for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, for cleansing the body, for increasing the body's immune forces and preventing various diseases. Other herbs can be added to spruce tea: mint, heather, raspberry leaves, currants and others. During the day, you can drink 2-3 cups of this tea.

Spruce, contraindications

Read also: Norway spruce, description

Watch a video about medicinal properties and the use of spruce (watch from 13 minutes):

Pine: medicinal properties and contraindications.

Pine is an almost universal tree species. Her gifts are pine boards, tar, rosin and turpentine. Pine bark is an excellent material for making up an inert soil used in growing orchids. Pine is also a great alternative to a Christmas tree: its needles practically do not crumble, which cannot be said about spruce. The value of pine also lies in its medicinal properties, which were noticed even in hoary antiquity, which was confirmed in ancient manuscripts.

Procurement of medicinal raw materials

For medicinal purpose traditional medicine uses pine needles, young shoots and pine cones. The use of pine resin also has a place in folk medicine. There is no reason to consider the use of products obtained at pharmacological enterprises (turpentine, rosin, etc.), therefore it is advisable to focus on those parts of the plant that have practical use at home.

Pine buds are harvested at the very beginning of sap flow (in early spring).

Pine cones are harvested for medicinal needs in May - June, at the same time, young shoots are also harvested. Needles can be harvested at any time of the year (even from a tree used as a "Christmas tree").

The chemical composition of medicinal raw materials

In the needles and young shoots of pine, as in all parts of the tree, resinous substances are contained. In addition, needles are a rich source of ascorbic acid and were often used in the old days to treat scurvy (avitaminosis caused by a lack of vitamin C). Accumulates in pine needles a large number of chemical compounds, both organic and inorganic nature, which include macro- and microelements.

Pine needle essential oil contains terpene compounds, borneol, bornyl acetate, aromatic substances, etc.

Pharmacological properties of pine preparations

Water and alcohol extracts pine buds, cones and needles contribute to the thinning of viscous mucus in the bronchi (expectorant action), increase diuresis (diuretic). Biologically active substances that are part of the medicinal raw materials have a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect. All of the listed properties of pine preparations determine their use for the treatment of diseases. bronchopulmonary system(bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.). Pine preparations are often prescribed as additional funds used to treat diseases associated with the formation of kidney stones and bile ducts. Pine preparations are also used in dermatology.

In ancient medical publications ("Private Pharmacology", 1847), information was found on the use of pine cones. "Pine cones have diuretic and diaphoretic properties; they are used in dropsy and chronic aching and rheumatic suffering, mucus (for example, from the lungs). Formerly they were also used against scurvy and venereal diseases." The publication also provides instructions on the technology of preparing a complex pine tincture (tinc. pini composit., loco tincturae lignorum):

Pine cones - 90 g; - Shavings of guaiac wood - 60 g; - Sassafras and juniper berries- 30 g; - Alcohol - 1074 ml.

After infusion, the raw material is pressed.

The tincture was prescribed in 2 - 4 ml in the treatment of rheumatism, and how aid from venereal diseases.

Medicinal properties of pine in folk medicine (recipes)

In Moldova, a popular recipe for premature aging is pine pollen. To obtain pollen, young cones collected in spring are dried in the sun so that their scales open and the pollen spills out freely. Take this remedy 1 g (approximately) up to 3 times a day before meals.

- "pine honey". To prepare the product, underdeveloped pine cones (about 4 cm long) are used. Fresh cones are washed, laid out in an enamel bowl, sprinkled with sugar (1 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water) and poured with water so that it covers them completely, and a little higher by 2 - 4 cm. It is necessary to cook the composition for at least one and a half hours, observing that the water does not boil over, and constantly removing the resulting foam.During the cooking process, the cones become "transparent", and the syrup acquires a ruby color and a viscous consistency.

With the light hand of Valery Tishchenko, the following recipe has spread: 5 tbsp. pine needles (chopped), 3 tbsp. rose hips, 2 tbsp. onion peel in 700 ml of water. Cook for 10 minutes after boiling, pour into a thermos and insist overnight. The healer believes that such a decoction must be drunk from a liter or more per day (instead of water), thereby full recovery vascular system. The course of treatment with a decoction is at least 4 months. With all due respect to the traditional healer, but this recipe is not suitable for treatment, and, as practice has shown, use in such dosages can lead to serious exacerbations heart disease. The maximum allowable dosage is 50 or 100 ml per dose, with two or three doses!

Bath decoction. Hot foot baths for colds. For 10 liters of water - 1 kg of pine needles (or shoots). After boiling, remove the dishes from the heat and insist for 1 hour. Used for foot baths for colds. For baths, decoctions from cones (crushed) are also used, of which 3 cups are taken per 10 liters. The technology of preparation is similar to the previous one.

At iron deficiency anemia helps healing infusion of pine needles. Per glass warm water- 2 tablespoons needles, insist for 3 hours. Take often, every 2 - 3 hours, 15 ml.

Extracts prepared from pine needles are used to prepare baths. For 10 liters of water - 1 kg of pine needles, cook for half an hour and insist for an hour and a half. For every kilogram of extract, 2.5 kg is added table salt. Coniferous-salt baths are recommended for patients suffering from diseases of the musculoskeletal system associated with the deposition of salts (osteochondrosis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.). A good effect of the bath is provided for various kinds of neuroses, joint pains.

Pine cones tincture can be taken to treat gastritis, peptic ulcer, etc.

Contraindications to treatment with pine preparations

The internal use of pine preparations is not recommended during pregnancy, during an exacerbation of kidney disease, acute hepatitis. Individual intolerance also serves as one of the contraindications when you should not resort to treatment with pine preparations.

Abuse of drugs based on pine can provoke unpleasant symptoms: headache, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. Pine pollen can be a cause of allergic rhinitis.

With external use of infusions, decoctions and extracts, no special contraindications have been identified.

We collect needles

You can harvest needles at any time of the year. But it is better to collect it in the summer, when there are more acids and other useful substances in the needles. It is not recommended to collect needles for the future; during long-term storage, its healing properties decrease.

Needles should be collected with branches - this is how it is better stored. Under the snow, in the cold, most of the nutrients are stored for up to 3 months. If you put a sprig of pine in water and keep it at room temperature, then after a few days the vitamins are destroyed.

The benefits of pine needles

The needles contain a large amount of vitamins, micro and macro elements, phytoncides, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid (especially a lot of it accumulates in winter), phytoncides, essential oils. The latter accumulate mainly in the summer, and in winter their content in the needles is minimal.

Thanks to such a rich set of valuable substances, pine needles have the following useful properties:

bactericidal action. Due to the presence of essential oils.
Anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, expectorant action. This makes the needles very useful for acute respiratory infections. Gargle with a decoction.
Positive impact on work digestive system, has a diuretic effect.
Stimulates cardiac activity.
It purifies the air in the room, which also has a general strengthening effect on the body.
Fights insomnia, stress, nervous fatigue. Improves mood.
Normalizes metabolism, stimulates the removal of excess fluid from the body.
It has a positive effect on the skin, rejuvenates it, smoothes wrinkles, fights boils and accelerates skin healing. Also noted positive impact needles and hair.
It has a good effect on the joints, it is recommended for gout, rickets.

Contraindications

Pine needles should be used with caution, because the irresponsible use of this folk medicine can bring serious harm health. You can not use pine needles when:

Hepatitis in acute form. In chronic hepatitis, the use of pine needles is permissible after consulting a doctor.
Glomerulonephritis and other severe kidney diseases. With a mild form of kidney disease, treatment with pine needles is possible, but you should always consult a doctor first.
Severe heart failure.
Infectious diseases of the skin (coniferous baths).
Acute inflammatory processes.

Recipes with pine needles

For kidney diseases. 2 tbsp onion peel and 5 tbsp. needles pour a liter of boiling water and hold on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Then the broth should be infused all night in a thermos. This portion of the decoction is designed for 1 day, the course of treatment lasts several months. You need a doctor's permission!
Cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, colds, cough. 200 ml of boiling water for 1 tbsp. needles, pour and boil for 20 minutes. Strain, cool, drink at a time.
Phlebeurysm. Pour 500 g of peeled chopped needles with 300 ml of boiling water. Mix to make a paste. Apply it to the affected area, wrapping it with gauze. Remove the compress after 15 minutes. The course of treatment lasts 14 days, it is necessary to apply compresses every other day.
Skin rejuvenation, wrinkle removal. Mix 30 grams of pine needles (washed and chopped), a tablespoon olive oil and 3 tbsp. honey. Apply the resulting mixture to the skin and rinse with warm water after 10 minutes. Repeat after two weeks.
For general strengthening immunity. Rinse a glass of pine needles, chop, pour 600 ml of boiling water. Let stand covered for 1 hour, then squeeze the juice from half a lemon and strain.
Pine bath. Immerse needles in a bag into hot bath. Good for colds.
Liver recovery. Pour boiling water over 2-3 tablespoons of needles and boil for half an hour. Then strain and drink 100 ml per day.
Diuretic. Pour 1 tbsp of pine needles with 250 ml of boiling water. Insist 30 minutes, then strain. Take four times a day after meals, a tablespoon.
Strengthening the cardiovascular system. Pour a liter of water 2 tbsp. onion peel, rosehip, and 5 tbsp. pine needles. Bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, then leave for 12 hours in a thermos. Drink warm instead of water. The course of treatment lasts 2 weeks, followed by a monthly break.

In folk medicine, pine needles are considered a very valuable raw material. No wonder the Finns call the pine "tree of life", because almost every part of it can be used to treat diseases.

Pine

Scotch pine belongs to coniferous trees reaching a height of up to 40 meters. She has a straight trunk with cracked brown or gray and a rounded crown. Its leaves, or rather, needles, are located on the branches in pairs, having a dense, rigid structure. The flowering period is May, when cones form on the edges of the branches. A little later, the cones increase and become stiff, forming, in turn, seeds in the axils of their scales. The life expectancy of one tree is up to 400 years.

The medicinal properties of pine were known more than 5 thousand years ago. On the basis of needles, compresses and poultices were made, and in Ancient Egypt pine resin, which the plant is very rich in, was used for embalming. Even now, after more than 3000 thousand years, these embalming compositions have absolutely not lost the bactericidal properties that the pine endowed them with. AT Ancient Rus' people chewed the resin to cure diseases of the gums, teeth, and thus disinfected the oral cavity.

AT curative medicine almost all parts of this tree are healing and useful: needles, resin, young spring shoots, branches, bark - everything goes into action. There are a lot of tannins, resins, starch in pine, essential oil, carotene, vitamins B, C, K, R.

Even in the old days, healers advised people with depression to walk at a leisurely pace through a pine forest, inhaling the fragrant, resin-saturated air. And if you cling to a pine for 2-3 minutes, then a person immediately relaxes, his consciousness clears up, he becomes cheerful, cheerful, efficient. Research by Japanese scientists confirms that ethereal smell pine improves memory, invigorates and uplifts the mood.

pine buds

Decoctions from pine buds have a pronounced diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, disinfectant, hemostatic effect. It also perfectly performs the function of an expectorant due to the fact that the epithelium of the respiratory tract is excited, sputum viscosity decreases, and the functions of the ciliated epithelium are stimulated.

Tea from pine buds perfectly copes with bronchitis, pneumonia, gallstone and kidney disease. Recipe: 10 grams of pine buds are poured with 1 cup of boiling water and cooled to room temperature. Take 2 tsp. 3-4 times a day.

Expectorant: 1 tsp pine buds are poured with 1 cup of boiling water and languish in an enamel bowl in a water bath for half an hour. After the resulting broth is filtered, cooled and brought to the original volume with boiled water - up to 1 cup. Such a decoction can be stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Take 3 times a day for 1/3 cup.

Decoction for inhalation: You need to take 20 grams of kidneys and pour them with 1 cup of boiling water. Next, put in a water bath and breathe this steam. Excellent liquefies sputum, cures bronchitis, tracheitis, rhinitis, reduces sore throat.

For whooping cough and bronchial asthma: 40 grams of pine buds, 30 grams of plantain and 30 grams of coltsfoot leaves. Mix everything, pour 1 liter of boiling water, let it brew, cool and take 1/3 cup 3 times a day.

For inflammation of the bladder or urinary retention: Take 1 tbsp. pine buds, pour them with 1 cup of boiling water, let it brew overnight, and then take 3 times a day after meals after 1-1.5 hours, 1/3 cup. For children, it is necessary to reduce the dose of a single consumption by half. This recipe also helps with diseases of the upper respiratory tract, pharyngitis and laryngitis.

pine needles

It is best to collect coniferous needles in late autumn or winter. It is during this period that they have the highest concentration of tannins, ascorbic acid and essential oils.

Vitamin infusion No. 1 It is necessary to collect needles, rinse them thoroughly in water, finely chop with scissors. Raw materials in a volume of 4 cups need to be poured with 500 ml of cold water, add 2 tbsp. vinegar to slightly acidify the solution and reduce bitterness, and let it brew in a dark and cool place for 2-3 days. You need to take 1 glass a day. Such tea will instantly saturate the body with vitamin C, remove excess fluid from the body, increase immunity and strengthen the body against colds and inflammation.

Vitamin infusion No. 2 Boil 200 grams of water and pour 40 grams of pine needles, lemon zest (very little) and 1 tsp into it. granulated sugar. Boil over low heat for half an hour, then cool and add a few drops lemon juice.

For bath: Need to take 1kg mixed in equal parts needles and kidneys, pour them with three liters of boiling water and let it brew for 3-4 hours, strain and add to the bath. Such an infusion is excellent for neurosis, depressive states.

To remove toxins and radioactive substances from the body: Take 40-50 grams of pine needles (preferably young) and pour 2 liters of boiling water. Put the infusion in an enamel bowl on a gentle fire and add 1 tsp. finely chopped licorice root and 1 tbsp. chopped onion peel. Boil the broth for 20 minutes, and then pour 2 tbsp. pre-mashed rose hips. After the broth has been removed from the heat, it must either be poured into a thermos, or tightly wrap the pan and let it brew for 12 hours. Within 48 hours, i.e. two days, you need to drink at least 5 liters of this broth. This Golden Recipe Helps Prevent radiation sickness, cleanses the body even with strong radiation contamination.

External use of needles: From skin diseases, pustules, boils, rashes, burns and injuries perfectly help poultices from fresh needles. It is necessary to pick needles, wash them in cold water, then pour boiling water over, wrap in gauze and apply a compress to the affected area. In case of burns, the needles must be finely chopped, slightly steamed in water, allowed to cool to room temperature and applied to the site of damage.

To clean the vessels: Take 5 tbsp. chopped pine needles, 2 tbsp. chopped onion peel and 3 tbsp. wild rose. Pour the resulting mixture with 1 liter of boiling water and boil for another 10-15 minutes. Strain the resulting broth and take 100 grams once a day before meals.

To improve vision: Take 5 tbsp. finely chopped pine needles, pour it with 2 cups of boiling water and let it brew overnight. In the morning, strain the infusion and take 1 tbsp. 4 times a day after meals.

Diuretic: 1 tbsp. finely chopped needles pour 1 cup boiling water and let it brew for half an hour. Strain the resulting solution and take 1 tbsp. 4 times a day. The same infusion can rinse the mouth to get rid of scurvy, periodontal disease and bleeding gums.

Vitamin infusion: It is necessary to finely chop the needles in the amount of 3 cups and pour cold boiled water (4 cups), add 1 tsp. lemon juice and put in a dark and cool place for 3 days. Then the infusion must be filtered and taken 100-150 grams 2 times a day. For children, the portion should be halved.

Coniferous tea: 4 tablespoons grind finely chopped pine needles with 2 tablespoons of sugar, pour boiling water and drink a tea drink rich in vitamins.

Coniferous baths: Baths with the addition of needles are used for diseases of the joints, with skin rashes, ulcers and other diseases, with overweight, diseases of the joints. Also coniferous baths very well relax tired muscles, restore strength, eliminate depression, neuroses. Recipe: Rinse 2 kg of needles, finely chop, pour 1 liter of hot water and let it brew for half an hour. Then strain the infusion and pour into the bath. You can swim only in warm, not hot water, preferably at night, before going to bed and no more than 20-30 minutes.

Also, a local pine needle bath has a very good warming effect for constantly freezing feet or hands: pour 1 glass of finely chopped pine needles with 1 liter of warm water in one container and 1 liter of cool water in another container. Frozen limbs alternately lower into one or another container and hold for 20 seconds in each. The temperature difference between the two containers should not exceed 15 degrees.

The needles collected from the branches should be kept in a cold place, preferably in the snow, so that it does not lose its full vitamin qualities, and if necessary, prepare infusions and decoctions. If it is not possible to store in a cold place, then you need to cut off the needles from the branches very carefully, without a foundation, then in a warm place it will not lose its properties. It is best to store raw materials in a linen bag.

Sap

Resin is used mainly externally as an excellent wound healing extract. With its help, ointments are prepared that can tighten the most putrid, wet and hard-to-heal wounds.

Ointment: 25 grams beeswax, rosin and vegetable oil, heat in a water bath until the components are completely dissolved. Then add 50 grams of resin and bring to a boil, but do not boil. Let the mixture cool down and thin layer lubricate wounds or apply compresses if the condition of the wound does not allow it to be lubricated.

Against abscesses, bruises, bone fractures: Mix 200 grams of resin, 150 grams of olive oil, 15 grams of vitriol and add one onion. Bring to a boil, but do not boil. Cool the resulting mixture and use externally as an ointment. It can also be used to lubricate the nasal mucosa if there is a runny nose.

In the presence of a boil, you just need to apply a little resin and you can immediately feel the analgesic effect. After 2-3 days, the boil will completely resolve. In the same way, it can be applied to wounds. There is a clear wound-healing effect.

Pine ordinary in cosmetology

For baldness: 500 grams of pine buds are boiled for half an hour in 5 liters of water, filtered and used as a rinse. Also, this recipe is used not only for baldness, but for hair loss and simply as a preventive, strengthening method. After rinsing pine broth hair becomes silky, shiny, dense, excessive fat content disappears.

For acne: In addition to the fact that Scotch pine is able to heal wounds, it also has healing properties for acne or pustular rash on the face. Recipe: finely chop 2 full handfuls of needles, pour 1 liter of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. With this decoction, you need to wash your face in the morning and evening.

Contraindications

Scotch pine has a very strong concentrate of all the substances that it contains, so when self-medicating, you need to be very careful and careful and remember that it is better to use a little smaller portion than to suffer from an overabundance and side effects of the medicine.

It is forbidden to use drugs for those who have individual intolerance, have kidney disease, hepatitis, glomeluronephritis, pregnancy and lactation.

The use of turpentine can cause flushing skin, and if it is used frequently, the skin in places of local exposure becomes covered with blisters and dies. Even with slight rubbing into the skin, turpentine can cause an increase blood pressure, shortness of breath, insomnia. Children are forbidden to take any preparations that include Scots pine, up to 2 years.