A loquat is a prickly evergreen tree or a bush with small fruits that are collected in a brush for eight to ten pieces. This fruit has a delicate flesh of yellow color and a pleasant taste with sourness. The useful properties of the German and Japanese medlars were known even more than 1000 years BC, but even today its fruits are widely used to treat certain diseases and restore health.
What is useful loquat?
The chemical composition of the loquat is similar to an apple. In the fruits of this plant there are:
- sugar;
- fruit acids;
- provitamin A;
- tannins;
- vitamins C, PP and P;
- pectins;
- phytoncides;
- aromatic substances.
But the useful properties of medlars cardinally differ from the medicinal properties of apples. This fruit is used to normalize digestion, as well as for various intestinal diseases. This is not the only thing that is useful loquat. It is often used to eliminate inflammatory processes in the airways: it facilitates breathing, relieves shortness of breath, a protracted cough and clears the lungs of phlegm.
A little unripe fruit has a fixing action, and the pulp of a fully ripe medlar is known for its laxative property. Also, freshly picked fruits are eaten by those who want to cleanse the body of toxins. The use of medlar is also in the fact that it eliminates renal colic and helps fight urolithiasis.
Healing properties of medlar are concentrated not only in fruits, but also the leaves of this plant. From them prepare infusions and broths, which relieve diarrhea, asthma and inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract. They are especially valuable for cores and hypertensive patients, as they reduce the level of "harmful" cholesterol, remove salt from the body, normalize blood pressure, prevent premature aging and prevent the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes.
Application of the medlar
Most often, the fruit is eaten fresh or cooked with jam, jams, juices, compotes or syrups. But to use the useful properties of loquat all year round, you can prepare from fruit and alcohol tincture. 5 fruits are kneaded together with pits, add 2 tablespoons of honey and 100 g sake (28-degree rice vodka). The mixture is left for several days, and then filtered.
From the leaves of the medlar it is easiest to prepare a decoction. 1 tbsp. Spoons of raw material are poured in 200 ml of warm water and boiled for 5 minutes.
At home, you can prepare a cosmetic mask with medlar juice, which will make the skin of the face more smooth, supple and radiant. 40 g of juice should be mixed with the same amount of pulp without skin, 1 tsp. olive oil and add 1 tbsp. l. fatty cream and soy flour. The resulting composition must be applied to a linen napkin with cutouts for the mouth and eyes, and put on the face. After 15 minutes, the mask can be washed off.
Contraindications to medlar consumption
Despite the use of medlar, one should not eat its fruits, especially those who are immature, those who:
- peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum ;
- inflammatory processes in the pancreas;
- gastritis with high acidity.
With the diseases described above, it is also not advisable to drink juices or wine from the medlar, but here jams or jams in small amounts can easily be afforded.
With care, they introduce a loquat into the diet of children. It can cause an allergic reaction, so you should start eating them only 1-2 pieces a day.
If you decide to use the useful properties of medlar in home cosmetology, then remember that for these procedures, too, there are contraindications: open wounds, inflammatory diseases, couperose and eczema. And in the cold season after applying the mask you can not immediately go out.