Far Eastern lemongrass: medicinal properties and contraindications, cultivation

Far Eastern lemongrass (also Chinese or Manchurian lemongrass) is a plant of the Lemongrass family, a perennial climbing shrub. It is entangled in supporting structures like vines, so it is usually planted along fences and walls. The berries of lemongrass of the Far East are bright red, as can be seen in the photo below, small and very sour, which formed the basis for the name of this culture. The fruits of the shrub are endowed with many useful properties, thanks to which it is quite popular in Russia, although it is not grown everywhere.

Where does Far Eastern lemongrass grow

Far Eastern lemongrass grows mainly in China and the Far East. In Russia, it is grown only in the Primorsky Territory, Yakutia, Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Amur.

What is Far Eastern lemongrass useful for?

It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of Far Eastern lemongrass for the body. The high concentration of nutrients in the fruits of the shrub determines a number of useful properties of this berry:

• Far Eastern lemongrass expands peripheral vessels and reduces blood sugar;
• tones up the nervous system as a whole, due to which it is prescribed in the treatment of depression, insomnia, chronic fatigue and drowsiness, irritability and attention disorder;
• lowers blood cholesterol levels;
• prevents the development of atherosclerosis;
• strengthens the immune system, which is why it is recommended to drink lemongrass tea during the period of activation of colds and viral diseases;
• stimulates hematopoiesis, which is useful for anemia;
• reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases;
• favorably affects the work of the gastrointestinal tract, cleansing the stomach of harmful bacteria;
• has a choleretic effect, which greatly facilitates the course of diseases of the gallbladder;
• helps in the complex treatment of malignant tumors.

Benefits of lemongrass Far East for men

Separately, it is worth noting the following properties of lemongrass, useful in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men:

• prevention of premature ejaculation;
• increased erection;
• stimulating sperm production.

In order to prevent the development of impotence, it is recommended to include in your diet teas from lemongrass or other products based on it: jams, preserves, tinctures. In particular, the benefits of lemongrass infusion have long been proven, which is prepared as follows:

1. 10 g of lemongrass seeds are mixed with 50 g of water.
2. The resulting mixture is infused for 2 weeks.
3. After this time, the infusion is decanted through cheesecloth or a sieve, after which it is poured into glass containers.

Recommended dose: 30-40 drops, 3 times a day before meals.With more frequent intake of the infusion, you can do more harm to the body than good.

Medicinal properties of lemongrass of the Far East for women

The benefits of the fruits of the Far Eastern lemongrass are also obvious for the female body:

• the high content of polysaccharides in berries prevents the deposition of fat, so they are useful for those who want to lose weight;
• the factor that the fruits normalize the work of the stomach also contributes to a decrease in body weight, due to which hunger is slightly dulled;
• the antioxidants included in the berries help to remove toxic substances from the body;
• with regular consumption of lemongrass fruits in one form or another, the skin is rejuvenated, as a result of which wrinkles become less noticeable;
• in combination with other remedies, lemongrass helps in the treatment of female infertility;
• essential oils contained in berries strengthen nails and hair, reducing their fragility;
• crushed berries are often used as the main ingredient in face masks.

Raw material collection rules

Far Eastern lemongrass berries are harvested only when they are ripe - this is evidenced by their rich red color. If you collect the raw materials earlier, there will be no benefit from it.

Lemongrass ripens in late September - early October. It is important to harvest before the first cold weather.

The harvested crop is spread in an even layer on the fabric in a dark, dry place. A canopy or attic is perfect for this. After 3-5 days, the berries will dry out, after which they can be dried in the oven at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. At higher temperatures, raw materials can be burned.

Store the crop in a closed container, in a dark and dry place. The beneficial properties of lemongrass persist for up to 2 years.

Harvesting lemongrass for the winter

In order to preserve the medicinal properties of berries from the lemongrass vine, it is recommended to dry them for the winter. In this way, raw materials are harvested as follows:

1. Whole bunches, not divided into individual berries, are laid out on a baking sheet, on which a layer of cloth or paper was previously laid. At the same time, it is important to distribute the fruits so that they do not touch each other.
2. A baking sheet with raw materials is carried away on the face under a canopy or into the attic. In the second case, you need to make sure that the attic is sufficiently ventilated.
3. When lemongrass is slightly dry, you can separate the bunches by removing individual berries from the stalk.
4. The stalks are thrown away, after which the remaining fruits are laid out in a thin layer.
5. After that, the baking sheet is placed in the oven for 5-7 hours at a temperature of about 40-50 ° C.
6. The procedure is repeated for several days.

How to take Far Eastern lemongrass

The sour taste of the berries is the reason why lemongrass is not as popular as many other berries, however, and it is used in cooking. Usually, from the fruits of the bush are made:

• juices;
• fruit drinks;
• liqueurs;
• jam;
• jams;
• syrups;
• tinctures;
• teas.

In addition, the berries are used in sweet dough baked goods, where the acidity of the fruit is compensated by sugar.

How to brew lemongrass root

Almost all parts of this shrub are used in cooking. The root of lemongrass has also found its application.

It is brewed as follows:

1. 15 g of the root is thoroughly crushed.
2. Crushed raw materials are poured into 1 tbsp. boiling water and cover with dishes on top.
3. The root is infused for 5-8 minutes, after which the drink is ready to drink.

The resulting infusion of lemongrass root helps with weight loss, as it improves metabolism and promotes faster removal of toxins from the body. In addition, the root of this shrub increases energy expenditure, making weight loss faster.

Far East lemongrass tincture with vodka

Far Eastern lemongrass tincture is made in different ways, and you can use not only berries, but also seeds.

Seed tincture is prepared according to the following scheme:

1. Seeds are poured with 50 ml of vodka.
2. They are infused for 15 days in a dry, dark place.
3. The resulting tincture is decanted, after which it is ready for use.

Recommended dosage: 3 times a day, 30-35 drops.

The berry tincture is made as follows:

1. The berries, cut into 4 parts, are separated from the seeds.
2. The resulting mass is poured into 100 ml of vodka.
3. The mixture is infused for 10 days, after which the tincture is ready for use.

For the preparation of the tincture, they take not only ripe fruits, but also dried berries. Recipe:

1. The berries dried for the winter are poured with vodka in a ratio of 1: 5. Usually, a bottle with dark glass is used for this.
2. The container is closed and removed to a dark, dry place for 1-2 weeks.
3. During this time, the bottle is shaken at least once a day.
4. After this time, the tincture is filtered with gauze, after which it is kept for another 1-2 days.
5. If necessary, the drink is filtered again - it must be clean, transparent.

Dosage: 2 times a day, 30 drops. The course lasts 3-4 weeks.

This tincture helps with chronic fatigue and distracted attention.

Far Eastern lemongrass jam

There are many lemongrass recipes, however, they are very similar to each other. One of the most popular is also considered the fastest:

1. 1 kg of berries are washed in running water and poured into a basin.
2. They are filled with 1.5 kg of sugar and left for 24 hours.
3. After that, the fruits sprinkled with sugar are checked for the presence of juice. If it is not enough, you can pour ½ tbsp into the basin. cold boiled water.
4. Then the mixture is cooked over low heat until the sugar crystals are completely dissolved.
5. After the formation of the syrup, the berries are boiled for about 6 minutes. Then the mixture is removed from the stove.

Fully cooled jam is reheated for 5 minutes, after which it can be poured into sterilized jars.

Healing tea

Almost all components of the shrub are used to make tea: bark, berries, young branches and leaves.

The cooking recipe is as follows:

1. The above fresh or dried raw materials are ground and mixed in equal proportions.
2. 1 tsp the resulting mixture is poured into 1 tbsp. boiling water.
3. The contents are stirred well and left to infuse for 10-15 minutes. To do this, cover the container on top.

Far Eastern lemongrass tea is an excellent tonic in the fight against colds.

Contraindications for use

The benefits of lemongrass are undeniable, however, in some cases, excessive consumption of berries can be harmful. That is why it is advisable to consult a doctor before starting to take the fruit.

Schisandra is contraindicated:

• pregnant women (can provoke a miscarriage);
• when breastfeeding;
• persons with individual berry intolerance, as evidenced by pronounced allergic reactions;
• people with skull or spine injuries;
• with epilepsy and mental disorders;
• with gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer;
• with high blood pressure (but with hypotension, the berries will benefit the body).

In addition, it is not recommended to give Far Eastern lemongrass to children under 10 years of age.

Growing and caring for Far Eastern lemongrass

This is an unpretentious high-yielding garden crop, the cultivation of which will not be difficult. Shrub care involves the most basic procedures: weeding, watering, pruning, loosening the soil.

It is better to plant a crop in the shade or partial shade, in areas well protected from the wind. The crop is harvested, as a rule, 4-5 years after planting, not earlier.

Seeds are planted in the fall. In this case, it is recommended to soak them in water 2-3 days before planting. Planting material is sown in small furrows, after which it is sprinkled with a thin layer of humus (about 1.5 cm).

You can learn more about how to grow Far Eastern lemongrass from the video below:

Conclusion

Far East Schisandra is a berry with an extensive list of useful properties. The fruits of this shrub contain many vitamins, mineral salts and other trace elements, due to which regular moderate consumption of lemongrass helps to increase the overall tone of the body. At the same time, before starting to take berries, it is recommended to consult with a specialist, since the high content of acids in the fruits can rather harm with gastritis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

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