With approach of spring many people direct in a birchwood for collecting juice from these trees. Than it is useful to a human body and also what harm can do to health?
Birch sap long since is popular for excellent gustatory qualities and existence in the structure of a huge amount of useful vitamins and minerals. To understand useful properties of this drink, it is necessary to pay attention to its structure more carefully.
Structure of birch sap
It contains a large amount of vitamin C and also group B vitamins, folic and pantothenic acids. The sweet-sour relish to juice is impacted by existence in its composition of glucose and fructose. Among mineral substances in birch sap there are an iron, sodium, silicon, potassium, manganese, calcium, magnesium and so on.
Also at this drink there are various tannins, air and phytoncides.
At the same time at birch sap very small caloric content (only 20 kcal on 100 ml) which depends on age of a tree. The birch is more senior, the more calories are in juice.
Useful properties of birch sap
1. Thanks to existence in composition of magnesium and potassium, strengthens a cardiac muscle and walls of blood vessels.
2. Has the healing and disinfecting effect that promotes fast tightening of various wounds and cuts.
3. Existence in composition of iron positively affects hemoglobin level in blood, thereby interfering with development of anemia.
4. All complex of vitamins which is contained in birch sap allows to cope not only with a spring depression, but also with excessive fatigue of an organism.
5. Thanks to low caloric content, helps at various diets and fight against excess weight.
6. Has anti-inflammatory effect. It is especially effective at a tonsillitis, cold and cough.
7. Favorably affects work of a brain, because of existence in its structure of easily acquired sugars.
8. Has the cleaning effect. Removes the hazardous substances from a human body which are contained in a gall bladder, a liver and kidneys.
9. Birch sap is recommended to drink at various skin diseases (deprive, eczema).
10. Possesses diuretic action.
11. Promotes decrease in level of cholesterol in blood of the person.
12. Is prophylactic of oncological diseases.
13. Normalizes a metabolism.
14. Perfectly struggles with insomnia and improves mood of the person after winter frosts.
15. At women removes muscular spasms during a menstrual cycle.
16. Promotes the best digestion of greasy and heavy food.
17. Improves the general condition of nails and hair.
18. Favorably affects immunity of the person and increases the general resilience of an organism to viruses.
All these properties demonstrate that birch sap is tasty and useful drink. However it has contraindications to application too.
Harm of birch sap
It can't be used when diagnosing an urolithic disease at the person. This drink by sick diabetes because of a large amount of glucose in its structure is also forbidden.
Various allergic reactions to juice and birch pollen can negatively affect the general condition of the person. Children can use birch sap only after the first year of life.
When pick birch sap
This time directly depends on weather conditions. Heavy traffic of juice usually begins right after approach of the first thaw at the end of March and comes to an end at the beginning of May, right after blooming of kidneys on trees. To make sure whether time of gathering birch sap came, use a thin pricker. To them make a small opening in tree bark. If the movement of juice began, then in the place of a puncture the drop will appear.
Birch sap is picked only in eco-friendly places, far away from big settlements, factories and the plants. Only such birch sap can be really useful to a human body. From one tree collect no more than 150-200 ml of juice.
As it is correct to store birch sap
As at any natural juice, at this drink rather small expiration date. In normal storage conditions birch sap will be spoiled for 3-4 day after collecting. It is possible to prolong this time by means of several ways. Birch sap can be frozen, preserved and used for preparation of kvass, fruit drink and balm. Only thus it is possible to increase a drink expiration date up to several weeks or even months.