Elderberry red: description of where it grows, the difference from other varieties. Elderberry red: useful and harmful properties of the plant, therapeutic effect on the body

Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa).

Other names: common elderberry, common elderberry, kalinka.

Description. Deciduous branched shrub of the Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) up to 4 m high. Has a superficial root system. The bark of old branches is grayish-brown, with longitudinal wrinkles. The branches have a soft, spongy, brownish core. Young shoots are shiny, brown, possibly with a purple or violet tinge, rounded or slightly ribbed, with large slit-like and small lenticels. Kidneys on small legs; leafy - oblong-ovate, floral - spherical.
Leaves are opposite, unpaired pinnate, glabrous or slightly hairy, with 3-7 oblong-ovate or elliptical leaflets, 5-8 cm long and 3-4 cm wide. Leaflets are long pointed at the apex, wedge-shaped or rounded at the base, serrate along the edge. Petiole 5-11 cm long, with 2 glands at the base of the lower pair. Top part the leaf plate is green; the bottom is bluish. The leaves have an unpleasant odor.
The flowers are bisexual, regular, yellowish-white, fragrant, collected in dense ovoid or conical inflorescences directed upwards. Blooms in May - June. Ripening of fruits in August - September. The fruit is a spherical, shiny, juicy, bright red drupe, usually with three trihedral-ovate, light yellow seeds with a finely wrinkled surface.
The homeland of the red elderberry is Western Europe. Wild elderberry is found in the Carpathians, Upper Dniester, Siberia, on Far East... Grows in forests and among shrubs. They bred her as ornamental plant... Red elderberry propagates by cuttings, layering, seeds.

Collection and procurement of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, flowers, bark, roots, fruits of red elderberry, sometimes leaves are used. The flowers are harvested during their complete blooming (before the corollas fall off); for this, the inflorescences are cut with scissors or a knife. Then they are dried in the shade in the open air or in a room with normal ventilation, spread out in a thin layer on paper or cloth. After drying, the flowers are threshed.
Leaves are also harvested during the flowering period. They are dried, like flowers.
The bark is harvested in April, during the period of sap flow; roots - late autumn or in early spring; berries - after they are fully ripe.
For harvesting the bark, branches of the third and second years of life are used. On a branch with a knife, circular transverse cuts are made at a distance of about 2.5 cm. Then they are connected with one longitudinal cut and the bark is removed. The bark is dried in a dry ventilated area.
Plant composition insufficiently studied. Flowers contain the flavone glycoside rutin, glucose, fructose, tannins, traces essential oil, organic acids, vitamins. Leaves and unripe fruits contain the poisonous glycoside sambunigrin.

Medicinal properties, application, treatment.
Elderberry preparations have diaphoretic, laxative, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties. The diaphoretic properties of this plant are used for colds, flu, sore throat.
To do this, take a warm water infusion or alcoholic tincture of red elderberry flowers. Infusion and tincture are also taken for respiratory diseases, headaches, arthritis, rheumatism; tincture of flowers - also with pathological menopause.
A decoction of flowers is used externally - in the form of rinsing in the treatment of sore throat, sore throat and oral cavity. Infusion of fresh fruits of red elderberry is used as an emetic and laxative.
Decoction of bark and decoction of roots have diuretic and diaphoretic properties, and the latter also has a laxative effect.
In folk medicine, flowers and fresh fruits of red elderberry are used to treat tumors, cancer, osteochondrosis, deforming arthrosis, "heel spurs".

Dosage forms and doses.
Infusion of red elderberry flowers. 1 teaspoon of dry crushed flowers is poured with 1 glass of boiling water, insisted for 15 minutes, filtered. Accepted in warm form half a glass 2 r. a day 30 minutes before meals or between meals. Drink slowly, in small sips. The infusion is used as a diaphoretic for colds, flu, sore throat, as well as for diseases of the respiratory tract, headaches, arthritis, rheumatism.

Tincture of red elderberry flowers on vodka. Flowers are placed in glassware, pour vodka in a ratio of 1: 5, cover with a lid, insist for 15 days in a dark cool place, filter. Take 25-30 drops of 3 r. per day with the same indications as the water infusion, as well as with pathological menopause.

A decoction of red elderberry flowers for external use. 1 tablespoon of dried flowers in a glass of water, after boiling, boil over low heat for 5 minutes, remove from heat, filter after 10 minutes. Apply as a rinse.

Tincture of red elderberry fruit for arthrosis. A glass jar is filled 3/4 of its volume with fresh berries, poured to the top with vodka, closed with a lid, insisted in dark place 5-6 weeks. Tincture is used to lubricate problem areas, 2-3 p. a day, making a light rub. It is used for osteochondrosis, deforming arthrosis, "heel spur".
Treatment can be lengthy, and the improvement process can begin after a few months. To enhance the therapeutic effect, it is advisable to take inside an aqueous infusion or a tincture of flowers 2 times a day. Inside, the drugs are taken in courses - 3 weeks of admission, then 3 weeks off, etc.

For pancreatic cancer. 1 tablespoon of dried red elderberry flowers is poured with a glass of boiling water, infused for 1 hour, filtered. Take in the intervals between meals for a third of a glass of 3 r. per day with tincture of black poplar buds or drooping birch (15 drops of tincture per dose). One month take an infusion with a tincture, then a 1 month break, etc.

Elderberry red(common, cluster) is a plant that is almost ubiquitous in our country, more often found in the wild in ravines and forest edges. In addition, the red elderberry is widely cultivated, grown in parks and squares. It turns out that this plant has been used for medicinal purposes for a long time. What exactly is the red elderberry useful and how it is used, let's talk further.

Description and composition of red elderberry

Red elderberry is a shrub that reaches a height of 3.5 m with erect stems. Leaves consist of several unpaired leaves, green above, grayish below. It blooms in mid-spring with small white flowers, collected in inflorescences. The red elderberry is a shiny red berry that ripens in late July - August.

The composition of this plant is not fully understood. Of the substances found in leaves, bark, flowers and berries:

rutin;
Sahara;
tannins;
organic acids;
vitamins;
fatty and essential oil.

Eating unripe berries and red elderberry leaves leads to poisoning, because they contain a poisonous substance - sambunigrin glycoside, which decomposes into hydrocyanic acid and benzaldehyde.

Useful and medicinal properties of red elderberry

To date, this plant is not recognized as a medicinal plant in scientific medicine, but in folk medicine, red elderberry is widely used. Preparations based on it have the following properties:

anti-inflammatory;
laxative;
diaphoretic;
pain reliever;
diuretic, etc.

Applying red elderberry

Consider for what diseases red elderberry is used, with a description of the recipes for preparing drugs based on it.

Tincture of red elderberry berries on vodka:

Fill a liter jar three quarters with the fresh berries of the plant.
Pour vodka to the top, cover and leave in a dark place for a month.
Apply as compresses and lotions up to twice a day for such diseases: arthritis, osteomyelitis, joint deformities, heel spur, displacement of the vertebrae.

Tincture of red elderberry berries on cognac:

Fill three-liter jar fresh berries, pour a glass of brandy.
Cover and insist, shaking occasionally, in a cool dark place for 10 days.
Take out the berries, grind them into gruel and put them back in the jar along with the juice that has come out.
Add 100 ml of alcoholic tincture of birch buds (1:10) and leave for 10 days in a dark place, stirring regularly.
For cancer, take a tablespoon three times a day half an hour before meals, washed down with an infusion of mint or lemon balm. The treatment should be carried out in a course of 1.5 - 2 months; a month later, the course can be repeated.

Elderberry Tincture:

Pour the flowers with alcohol (70%) in a ratio of 1:10.
Insist for two weeks in a cool dark place, then strain.
Consume 10 - 30 drops up to three times a day for inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, colds, headaches.

Elderberry flower decoction:

Pour a tablespoon of flowers with a glass of boiling water.
Cook for 5 minutes over low heat, then cool and strain.
Use for rinsing the mouth and throat for sore throat, cough, stomatitis.

A decoction of the roots of red elderberry:

Pour 250 ml of water over one teaspoon of dried crushed roots.
Put on fire, bring to a boil and cook for five minutes.
Insist for an hour, then strain and bring to 250 ml with boiled water.
Consume a tablespoon three times a day half an hour after meals as an antipyretic, diuretic or laxative.

Elderberry is a shrub of the honeysuckle family, which can often be found in the wild. In the photo, it resembles a viburnum or cranberry. The people consider the red berry to be medicinal. But doctors say that it has more harm and contraindications than useful properties.

Description of culture

Elderberry red - undersized perennial shrub or a tree. Its height usually does not exceed 4 m. The plant is rather sprawling. Elderberry was brought to Russia from Western Europe.

A distinctive feature of the culture is its unpretentiousness: it tolerates any soil, cool climate, does not suffer from smoke and exhaust gases. Elderberry thrives on hard rocky areas, in the steppes or in dense forests.

The shrub grows rapidly. Elderberry blooms in June, and shining scarlet berries ripen by September. At this time, elderberry looks very attractive, so the plant is often used in urban and garden landscapes for decorative purposes. For example, as a hedge or to reinforce sloping areas such as embankments or hillsides.

Attention! The berries reach 5 mm in diameter. There is a bone inside. Therefore, birds are very fond of fruits. However, a person cannot eat them raw.

The use of red elderberry as an internal remedy

In alternative medicine, the flowers and berries of the bush are used. Less commonly, leaves, root and wood. Chemical composition fruits have not been thoroughly studied. However, scientists know for sure: sambunigrin is present in the unripe red pulp and leaves. This substance belongs to strong poisons, which, under certain biochemical processes, are capable of forming hydrocyanic acid. Its concentration is not as high as in the black relative of the red elderberry, but it can also seriously harm a person without proper processing of berries before eating.

Attention! Various elements of elderberry also contain vitamins, organic acids, esters, tannins and other useful substances.

Red elderberry appears exclusively in folk medicines. The range of its application is quite wide.

Elderberry bush

Bronchitis, severe cough. Drink the bark infusion:

chop the bark of the plant to make 1 tbsp. l .;
pour boiling water over the shavings - 300 ml;
leave for 2-3 hours;
strain;
consume half a glass 3-4 times a day.

Stomach ulcer... In this case, make an infusion of berries:

1 tbsp. l. pour dried ripe berries with 3 liters of boiling water;
insist 3 hours;
drink 100 ml three times a day. The course of treatment is 1 month, a second one can be carried out after a minimum of 2-week pause.

Heat... Red elderberry is used as a diaphoretic. Pour a glass of boiling water over 1 tbsp. l. ripe dry fruits. Leave it on for 2 hours. Drink 1 tbsp. l. two to three times a day.

Migraine... Traditional medicine claims that in this case, elderberry flower broth helps. To prepare it, mix 2 tbsp. l. inflorescences with 1 tbsp. water. Put on fire and bring to a boil, let cool. Warm up before use. Drink 100 ml slowly in small sips 2 times a day.

Climax... To normalize the functioning of the body during this period, an alcoholic tincture of flowers is used. Mix them in a 1 to 5 ratio and leave in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks. From time to time, the tincture needs to be shaken. Take 30 drops orally three times a day.

Red elderberry as an external medicine. Contraindications to use

Traditional medicine also actively uses recipes with elements of this plant as rubbing and compresses. Red elderberry treats foot diseases - for example, getting rid of a heel spur will help alcohol tincture... Fill a 1 liter jar 1/3 full with fresh ripe berries and 2/3 full with alcohol. Insist 1 month in a warm and dark place. The medicine can be applied in the form of a compress or rubbed into sore spots. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to take a water decoction from flowers or plant bark twice a day at the same time.

Advice. This scheme works in the treatment of all types of arthritis, osteochondrosis, joint deformities or vertebral displacement.

Psoriasis and other skin diseases are also treated with the help of red elderberry. To do this, use a decoction from the roots:

pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan;
add 5 tbsp. l. crushed plant roots;
bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes;
chill.

Elderberry fruit

The broth is treated with diseased skin areas twice a day using a cotton or bandage swab. Do not rinse these areas after treatment.

In parallel, it is advisable to use elderberry infusion inside:

chop bush branches to get 1 tbsp. l .;
pour 1 tbsp. boiling water;
leave for 15 minutes;
take three times a day for 1 tbsp. l.

Only properly prepared plant parts can be used in all recipes. Leaves and flowers are pre-dried, spreading out in a thin layer in the shade on oilcloth. After drying, they are crushed. The bark can be collected only on young trees, trying to remove it with a whole tube.

Elderberry should only be taken in small doses, otherwise it will cause nausea and vomiting. But it cannot be treated for children under 14 years old, people suffering from chronic diseases Gastrointestinal tract and diabetes, as well as during pregnancy.

The benefits and harms of elderberry: video

Red elderberry is a short shrub that grows everywhere, as it is unpretentious to weather conditions plant. Official medicine practically did not pay attention to the red elderberry, while folk ways treatments often include the herb.

For medicinal purposes, all parts of the elderberry are used. Since the young leaves and fruits of the shrub contain the poisonous substance sambunigrin, which forms hydrocyanic acid, it is necessary to use elderberry for treatment with extreme caution.

What is the use of red elderberry?

The chemical composition of red elderberry has not yet been fully understood. However, in folk medicine, this plant is considered very useful.

Useful properties of red elderberry:

antipyretic;
laxatives;
emetics;
anti-inflammatory;
pain relievers;
antibacterial.

In order to protect the body from hydrocyanic acid poisoning, in no case should young leaves, shoots and fruits of red elderberry be used for treatment. A plant can cure many diseases if you know how to use it correctly.

Juice from ripe elderberries and tea from its flowers are recommended for colds, as well as a diuretic or antipyretic agent - you need to either rinse your mouth with liquid, or take it internally.

The same two remedies showed positive result and for problems such as pain in the joints and spine (with osteochondrosis or rheumatism) and pain in diseases of the osteoarticular system (osteomyelitis or heel spur).

An ulcer of the stomach and duodenum can also become an indication for the use of an anti-inflammatory agent based on red elderberry.

During menopause, red elderberry can significantly alleviate a woman's condition and eliminate hormonal disorders of the body. Positive reviews after using this plant, you can read about the treatment of migraines and such a severe skin disease as psoriasis.

For a laxative or emetic effect, not only fruits are used, but also the bark of a red elderberry. If you need to get the anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties of the plant, you can brew tea from its flowers.

It helps to treat bronchitis well, bronchial asthma and the common cold. Red elderberry is even used to treat cancer.

In folk medicine, ripe fruits, bark and flowers of red elderberry are most often used. Decoction recipes differ depending on the treatment of a particular disease.

Peptic ulcer

With a stomach ulcer, it is necessary to take 100 ml of elderberry infusion three times a day for one month. This should be done before eating. The infusion is prepared simply - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried ripe berries should be poured with 3 liters of boiling water. After taking the medicine, it is also recommended to eat 30 g butter... The treatment can be repeated if necessary 2-3 weeks after the completion of the first course.

Bronchitis

To prepare an infusion for the treatment of bronchitis, you need to pour 1 tbsp. a spoonful of chopped bark 300 ml of boiling water. Set aside for a couple of hours, then strain. Take 0.5 cups three times a day.

Headache, colds and respiratory problems

Pour 2 teaspoons of dried elder flowers with 250 ml of boiling water. Let it brew for literally 5-10 minutes. Take 100 ml warm twice a day. You need to drink in small sips and slowly.

Pathological menopause

Pour elderberry flowers with 40% alcohol or vodka in a 1: 5 ratio. Insist for a couple of weeks in a dark and cool place. After the allotted time, strain the ready-made infusion and take it three times a day. The recommended dose is 25-30 drops.

Heel spur, osteochondrosis and arthritis

Fill liter glass jar fresh fruits of red elderberry by about three quarters. Pour the berries with vodka or alcohol to the top and close the lid. The tincture should stand for about a month in a warm place. For the treatment of these diseases, compresses are prepared with tincture of red elderberry and applied to sore spots or lightly rubbed the healing fluid into the joints. The effect of the treatment will be higher if you combine the use of compresses with the ingestion of an aqueous decoction of flowers and red elderberry bark.

In addition to the fact that the red elderberry contains a poisonous substance in young fruits and leaves, it has no serious contraindications for use for medicinal purposes. Nevertheless, before using, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.

Contraindications:

allergy or individual plant intolerance;
childhood;
period of pregnancy.

Red elderberry looks especially beautiful in September and October, attracting attention with large clusters of bright scarlet berries. This deciduous shrub can sometimes grow as small tree... It is distributed over the territory of Eurasia and North America, where it is found both in the wild and in cultivated forms as an ornamental leafy plant in parks and gardens. Elderberry is often used for landscaping cities.

Plant height can vary from 1.5 to 3 m, depending on the growing region and weather conditions.

External characteristics:

straight, strongly branching stems with a rough bark in a white dot;
leaves with a serrated edge of an oblong shape of a rich dark emerald color, while young leaves can be crimson;
snow-white flowers, collected in large inflorescences, with a specific smell;
fruit scarlet with an unpleasant taste.

In official medicine, the plant is not used, therefore, there are no serious laboratory tests of its composition.

However, as a result of a few amateur analyzes, the following substances were found in the elderberry:

essential oils;
vitamin C;
tannins;
organic acids;
various poisonous substances.

Because of this, you need to use it as a medicine very carefully, in no case exceeding the recommended dose.

Red elderberry: edible or not

Red elderberry is not considered highly toxic, so it is even used in cooking.

It is strictly forbidden to eat fruits that have not undergone heat treatment.

You need to know how to properly cook these berries in order to avoid digestive upsets and others. side effects, and use them only in limited quantities. Overdose medicines from elderberry or the use of berries in large quantities can lead to poisoning.

Poisoning symptoms:

headache;
dizziness;
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea with white discharge;
suffocation;
sore throat and hacking cough;
stomach ache;
increased heart rate;
dyspnea;
white spots on the hands and face.

In severe cases, even convulsions may occur. If you do not provide the patient with assistance in a timely manner, death may occur due to acute pulmonary and heart failure. You need to immediately call an ambulance, and while waiting for her arrival, give the victim Activated carbon or Enterosgel.

Useful and medicinal properties of red elderberry in medicine

O medicinal properties and contraindications of this plant were first spoken in the Middle Ages. Since then, alternative medicine healers have widely used its inflorescences, fruits and roots to treat various diseases.

Correct use of elderberry-based folk remedies helps:

remove fever and fever;
lower blood sugar levels;
normalize metabolism;
remove puffiness;
cope with inflammation;
heal wounds.

Medicinal raw materials can be prepared independently. Last weeks springs and the first 2 weeks of June - the best time for collecting and harvesting leaves and flowers. The fruits must be harvested after they are fully ripe at the end of summer. Raw materials are carefully sorted out and placed to dry in a dark and well-ventilated area. The finished product is best stored in fabric bags.

In the treatment of what diseases does the plant help?

People have known about the ability of a plant to lower the temperature for a long time. Due to its diaphoretic action, it quickly relieves fever and helps the body to cleanse itself of harmful wastes from the activity of viruses.

Also, the plant quickly heals inflammatory processes in the throat and oral cavity... Rinsing with infusions and broths helps to quickly relieve inflammation, relieve pain and destroy pathogens.

Elderberry has a strong emetic and laxative effect, so it is often used to quickly cleanse the intestines of toxic substances. It stimulates intestinal motility and irritates the walls of the stomach, facilitating effective cleansing.

Also, broths and infusions of elderberry are often used externally for the treatment of heel spurs, arthritis and arthrosis. Such compresses relieve pain, remove the inflammatory process, slow down the progression of the disease and help the joints recover faster.

In addition, plant-based preparations help:

relieve swelling due to a pronounced diuretic effect;
remove phlegm with asthma;
prevent the development of hormonal disorders during menopause;
fight various malignant and benign formations.

There is no official confirmation of the last point, but traditional healers often use elderberry in the composition complex treatment just such cases.

Healthy recipes

The beneficial properties of berries, flowers and leaves make it possible to use them for various diseases.

From the recipes of traditional medicine, the following should be mentioned:

From joint diseases. Gather ripe berries and fill a 1 liter glass jar with about ¾ of its volume. Then fill the contents of the container with alcohol to the top, cover with a lid and put in a dark but warm place for 30 days. From time to time, the container must be shaken vigorously. Strain the finished medicine and apply for compresses and rubbing 3-4 times a day.
With angina and stomatitis. 1 tbsp. l. Pour 200 ml of boiling water over dried fruits and cook over low heat for 6 minutes. Cool, strain and use for rinsing.
For colds and coughs. 2 tsp pour 200 ml of boiling water over dried inflorescences, leave for 12 minutes and strain. Drink during the day, dividing this amount into 2 doses of 100 ml. You need to drink in small sips, without rushing.
Menopause. Pour the flowers with vodka in a ratio of 1 to 5. Insist for 2 weeks, strain and take 90 drops per day, dividing them into 3 doses. An improvement in the general condition is noted after the first days of admission.

How to use red elderberry correctly

From the ripe fruits of this shrub, you can cook jelly, which is then used as a laxative. Juice freshly squeezed and boiled with sugar is used to prevent various diseases. You can cook from berries useful blanks for the winter - preserves, mashed potatoes or jams, using them later as medicine.