Medlar - useful properties and contraindications

The fruits of the medlar, which are imported from Central Asia and the Caucasus, have amazing gastronomic and healing properties. It is simply impossible to resist the sweet juicy pulp, which makes the fruit valuable for culinary delights. And there is not a single part of a marvelous plant that does not benefit: fruits are eaten raw and boiled, seeds are ground and brewed as a drink, leaves are used as compresses, and even wood is suitable for souvenir works.

Chemical composition

Listed valuable properties of the medlar gives its chemical composition.

The energy composition of the fruit is as follows:

• lipids - not more than 0.2 g;
• proteins - 0.4 g;
• carbohydrates - 10.3 g (sucrose and fructose);
• dietary fiber - 1.7 g;
• ash - 0.5 g;
• water - more than 86 g

Also, the fruits are rich in valuable vitamins and other beneficial elements:

• B vitamins (almost all), beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, PP;
• macronutrients (sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium);
• trace elements (manganese, selenium, zinc, iron, copper);
• antioxidants;
• tannins;
• phenols;
• organic acids;
• polyunsaturated fats.

The loquat calorie is up to 47 kcal per 100 g, which makes the plant suitable for dietary nutrition.

Useful properties of the medlar

The balanced composition of the fruit allows you to use them to strengthen the immune system and treat a number of diseases. The flesh of the plant produces the following effect:

1. Reduces sugar levels in diabetes (including gestational) and at the same time increases the natural secretion of insulin.
2. It facilitates sputum discharge in case of bronchitis and colds, and phytoncides in the composition eliminate inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs.
3. Promotes safe lowering of arterial pressure.
4. Allows you to remove small stones from the kidneys and urinary ducts.
5. It is a natural diuretic, allowing you to remove excess fluid from the body and reduce swelling.
6. It improves digestion, relieves intestinal colic and stimulates the motility of the stomach.
7. It removes from the body poisons, slags, heavy metal compounds, radionuclides and harmful cholesterol, thereby cleansing the liver and blood vessels.
8. It produces a firming effect in case of diarrhea (green fruits) or, on the contrary, promotes relaxation with constipation (ripe fruit).
9. Increases the protective properties of the body, and also prevents the development of myocardial infarction, stroke.
10. Antioxidants in the composition reduce the risk of the development of a malignant process, and also slow down the processes of cell oxidation (prevention of acidosis).
11. Normalizes metabolism.

Vitamin A and C in the composition strengthen the heart muscle and stabilize blood pressure, normalize blood clotting, reduce the risk of bleeding.

The fruits are also used in cosmetology to improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails. Antioxidants and beauty vitamins (A and E) trigger the processes of cell rejuvenation and cell regeneration, polyunsaturated fats restore hydrolipid balance, and phytoncides and ethers help relieve irritation and reduce skin inflammation. Medlar masks and shampoos make hair extraordinarily soft and light,nourish the roots and reduce hair loss. Baths for nails contribute to the clarification of the nail plate and the healing of agnails.

Medlar helps men to speed up metabolism, which contributes to more effective training and active loss of fat mass. The berries also clean the vessels of cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaques, restore their tone and elasticity, which helps to restore the body faster after a long period of smoking.

Interestingly, not only the fruit itself, but also its seeds and leaves are taken for food.

The seeds are finely ground in a coffee grinder and then a valuable drink is made, which is similar in taste to coffee. It perfectly tones, cleans blood vessels and stabilizes pressure.

Medlar leaves are valued for the rare natural absorbent - amigdolin. It is he who binds and removes from the body various toxins, free radicals and chemical compounds that come with alcohol or cigarettes, industrial products. A decoction of the leaves, it is advisable to take with food and alcohol poisoning, intoxication, liver diseases (cirrhosis). The leaves are eaten in the form of herbal decoctions, alcohol infusions, as an ingredient in jam.In this form, the plant helps to get rid of intestinal and renal colic, improves digestion, makes breathing easier for rhinitis and sinusitis, coughs asthma and bronchitis.

The leaves must begin to collect at the end of summer, and the fruit in September. It is noteworthy that after heat treatment the loquat does not lose any beneficial components and healing properties.

Medlar and diet food

In Asian countries, they have long discerned the valuable potential of a fruit for body shaping. First of all, this contributes to low calorie along with the satiety and the presence of dietary fiber. One handful of fruits can kill the appetite for several hours and normalize digestion, but it does not get better, because in the medlar there are only complex long digestible carbohydrates and absolutely no fat.

Medlar is great as a diet food - for this, replace the day snacks with fruit. Also fasting days on fruits are effective (once a week you can only sit on them and water to completely cleanse the body). Attention, on the day of unloading more than 1000 g of loquat should not be eaten.

Dietary fiber contributes to the removal of toxins and feces - minus 1 kg of excess weight. You lose another 1-2 kg due to the diuretic effect - excess water and salt are eliminated from the body, swelling is reduced.

Useful recipes

For many countries of the CIS medlar is considered a strange fruit, so there are not so many recipes for cooking.

Let us give an example of several therapeutic options for the preparation of fruits and leaves.

1. Infusion of fruit. Remove from the loquat (4 pcs.) Seeds and rub the pulp with a blender or fork. Fill the mixture with 100 ml of vodka. If it is possible to crush the seeds, you can also add them to the fruit consistency. Insist in a dark cool place for 5 days, then strain and use 1 spoon before meals.
2. A decoction of the leaves. You need to take 1 tablespoon of chopped (chopped) fresh leaves and pour a glass of boiling water. Insist an hour, then strain. The product is taken in 50 ml after a meal, which allows you to saturate the body with vitamins and stimulates digestion. For the treatment of ulcerative conditions, colitis or gastritis, 3 tablespoons of broth should be drunk half an hour before a snack.You can also rinse the mouth with a decoction to prevent gums from bleeding and periodontal disease.
3. Thick decoction of the leaves. 170-200 ml of boiling water is taken per 10 g of crushed plant. The decoction is infused in a thermos, after which it is used in 2 tablespoons 15 minutes before a meal. The concentrate is used for diarrhea, as well as for stopping internal bleeding. If it is not possible to prepare fresh leaves, then a dry collection is taken, which must also be brewed in a thermos, but not less than 3 hours.

Contraindications and harm medlar

Medlar is recommended for use by nutritionists and gastroenterologists; however, it is necessary to control portions in the following cases.

1. Diseases of the digestive tract in the acute phase. It is not recommended to eat the fruits during remission of ulcer, gastritis, enterocolitis and colitis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, high acidity. With caution, you can eat fruit in heat treatment (souffle, jam, decoction), as well as marmalade, dried fruit.
2. Childhood. If the child has never tried the loquat, then it is necessary to give one fruit and look at the reaction of the skin and mucous membranes. An allergic reaction is possible in children if there is an intolerance to certain berries or citrus in the history.Pediatricians recommend introducing the fruits in the diet of children from 1.5 years.
3. Lactation. Do not recommend to use the loquat during breastfeeding, as it is possible diathesis in a child.

It is also necessary to consider the following features of the fruit:

1. The immature fetus is very sour, can aggravate internal bleeding, stomatitis in the oral cavity, and also cause constipation.
2. Overripe loquat loses valuable properties.
3. Fresh fruit seeds are poisonous (contain prussic acid), so they should be lightly fried before eating.

Oriental delicacy is actively used in cooking, where it reveals all of its gastronomic potential. Sweet berry perfectly emphasizes the taste of baking and jam, and thanks to the sourness you can get an exquisite sauce for meat. In addition, the daily consumption of tasty fruit helps to strengthen the immune system, improve digestion and cleanse the body.

Video: use of medlar