Rhubarb is an herbaceous plant used in cooking, traditional medicine, and even in cosmetology. This affordable garden culture serves as the basis for recipes for a variety of diseases and cosmetic defects.
Description
Rhubarb looks unpresentable, it looks like a weed, is considered a vegetable, and is used in cooking and medicine. His homeland is Central China. Descriptions of this plant are found in herbalists, written long before our era.
Rhubarb is a perennial large grass growing up to 3 m in height. It has branched, thick rhizomes. The stems are annuals, thick and straight, inside are hollow, sometimes furrowed. The leaves are large, with long stalks. At the end of the stem is a large paniculate inflorescence. The flowers are white, greenish, sometimes pink or red.
Further information on the cultivation of rhubarb, as well as its varieties, can be obtained from this article.
Areas of use for rhubarb:
- Cooking Only stalks are edible in rhubarb; leaves and roots do not eat — they contain poison. Rhubarb is a versatile product. From its stems make jams, ice cream, jelly, puddings, kvass, jelly, various desserts. Rhubarb is added to vinaigrette, salads, borscht, pickles, sauces and other dishes. Rhubarb stems have a mildly sour taste, so they eat it with sugar. When a vegetable is stewed in sugar syrup, it gives off a lot of juice - almost no water is needed.
- Ethnoscience. Rhubarb has long been used in Tibetan and Chinese medicine. Today, many effective recipes for the gastrointestinal tract and tonic agents are being prepared on its basis.
- Cosmetology. Rhubarb juice is a great alternative to foundation. It hides minor defects and makes the skin a bit “tanned.” Helps with vitiligo, evens out the general tone of the epidermis, whitens the skin.
Rhubarb belongs to the buckwheat family. There are about 20 types of rhubarb that easily interbreed with each other, so they are difficult to isolate and identify.
Vitamins, Minerals, and Calories
Rhubarb contains:
- valuable dietary fiber - from 3.2%;
- carbohydrates - up to 2.5%;
- proteins - about 0.8%;
- vitamins - A, K, groups B, PP, E, C;
- trace elements - iron, copper, selenium;
- macronutrients - potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus.
Having eaten 100 g of rhubarb, a person will receive a daily intake of nutrients.
In the petioles of rhubarb there is also a lot of malic, ascorbic, nicotinic, folic, succinic, oxalic, citric and acetic acids involved in the metabolism that protect the body from free radicals. They promote bile formation and biliary excretion. A large amount of organic acids is the cause of the sour taste of rhubarb.
Due to an overdose of oxalic acid, kidney stones form. There is a lot of this acid in adult plants, therefore it is recommended to eat young petal rhubarb petioles - not older than 35 days.
Rhubarb contains two types of dietary fiber - soluble and insoluble. He has a small calorie content - only 13 kcal per 100 g of peeled stems. Useful for losing weight. But due to the sour taste, many rhubarb dishes and preparations are prepared with sugar, which significantly reduces their benefit.
Useful and healing properties
Most often in folk medicine they use rhubarb petioles - they are tasty and contain a lot of useful substances. Rhubarb stalks are used as a food and medicine supplement. The plant helps with constipation, menopause symptoms, allergies.
The effect of petioles of rhubarb on the body:
- Antitoxic. Absorbs poisons and toxins, decay products. The plant is able to eliminate the effects of any intoxication. Helps with hangover, used for hepatitis and poisoning.
- Hypoglycemic. Helps reduce blood sugar, helps maintain its stable level in diabetes.
- Antibacterial and healing. Used to remove acne, acne, vitiligo, boils, rashes of different nature.
- Vitaminizing and fortifying. Increases immunity. Used in the fight against alopecia - hair loss. Strengthens nails and hair follicles.
- Anti-inflammatory. Relieves inflammation in arthritis, gout, appendage diseases.
Briefly about the plant itself, the benefits and harms of rhubarb, as well as how to store it, is described in the program “Live Healthy”:
The action of rhubarb is so multifaceted that it has long been used to treat a wide variety of diseases. This plant is included in many medicinal collections - it positively affects almost all body systems:
- Digestion. It affects the appetite and normalizes the acidity of the stomach. Useful for gastritis and ulcers of the mucosa, normalizes the intestinal microflora. Due to the anti-inflammatory properties, rhubarb is used to treat hemorrhoids, colitis, proctitis.
- Leather. The plant has a whitening effect. It is used to eliminate pigmentation, remove scars. The healing properties of rhubarb make it possible to treat eczema, psoriasis, and trophic ulcers with its help.
- The immune system. Helps to gain strength after pneumonia, tuberculosis, large-scale blood loss. Invigorates and adds strength, improves metabolism - therefore, the plant is included in the fees for weight loss.
- The cardiovascular system. Reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- Eyes. Due to its rich carotene content, it has a positive effect on vision.
Rhubarb is especially appreciated for its laxative, antiseptic and choleretic effect. Preparations with such properties are made from plant rhizomes.
How to take recipes
In order to make maximum use of the healing properties of rhubarb, it is used not only in its raw form, but also in concentrated form. From petioles and rhizomes prepare:
- Tinctures. For the treatment of diseases of the digestive system, gall bladder, anemia.
- Infusions. They have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. With their help, treat colds, colds, sinusitis, constipation.
- Decoctions. Applied from high pressure in hypertensive patients. They perform well in the fight against hepatitis.
- Powder. It has both a diuretic and laxative effect (depending on the dosage), regulates the menstrual cycle.
Recipe number 1. Infusion of constipation. Rhubarb is often addictive, so that it doesn’t get bogged down; the infusion is alternated with pharmaceutical preparations. How to cook and take:
- Dried rhizomes (2 tbsp. L.) Crush in a mortar.
- Pour the resulting powder with boiling water (250 ml).
- Insist 10-15 minutes. Strain.
- Before going to bed, drink 1/3 of the volume received.
Recipe number 2. Powder for diarrhea. Useful for flatulence, spasms in the intestines and dysbiosis. Preparation and use:
- Grind the dried roots in a coffee grinder to a fine powder consistency.
- Take orally 2 times a day. Dosage - 1-2 g. Children are given 0.1 g (at the tip of a knife). To wash down with water. To improve the taste of the powder, you can mix it with honey.
Recipe number 3. Decoction of hypertension. Made from dry petioles. It has a general strengthening effect. Preparation and use:
- Dried petioles (2 tbsp. L) pour boiling water (300 ml).
- Insist until cool. Strain.
- Drink during the day, dividing the entire volume into three doses - you get 1/2 cup.
Recipe number 4. Tincture for diarrhea. How to cook and take:
- The crushed roots (2 tbsp. L.) Are poured with vodka (500 ml).
- Insist two weeks in the dark.
- Strain, store in the cold.
- Accepted only by adults - if there are no contraindications, one teaspoon. Reception - twice a day, before meals.
Recipe number 5. Decoction of hepatitis. Used to treat various liver diseases. Preparation and use:
- The powder from the roots of rhubarb (2 tbsp. L.) Is poured with boiling water (500 ml).
- Boil for 15 minutes over low heat.
- Insist 6 hours. Filter.
- Take a tablespoon 2-3 times a day - before meals. The course of treatment is 30 days.
Recipe number 6. Cholagogue infusion with celandine and dandelion. Preparation and use:
- In equal parts, the roots of rhubarb, dandelion and celandine are mixed. A tablespoon of the mixture is poured with boiling water (250 ml).
- Insist to cool. Filter.
- Take before meals - 1/3 cup 3 times a day, as a choleretic agent.
Recipe number 7. Drug for vitamin deficiency. Excellent prophylactic in the winter. Preparation and use:
- Petioles of rhubarb are peeled and washed.
- Having dried the washed petioles, squeeze the juice from them.
- Add honey or sugar.
- Drink one and a half glasses of juice per day.
Recipe number 8. From oily hair. Preparation and use:
- Ground dry rhubarb roots (250 g) are poured with natural white wine (500 ml).
- Simmer until reduced by 50%. Cool down.
- The mass is applied to wet hair, spreading over the entire length, for half an hour.
Recipe number 9. From freckles. Preparation and use:
- Petioles grind and squeeze juice.
- In fresh juice (2 tbsp. L.) Add ground oat flakes (1 tbsp. L) and homemade cream (1 tbsp. L).
- The mask is applied to the face - after cleansing and steaming the skin for 20 minutes.
- The mixture is washed off with cool water.
Recipe number 10. From acne. Preparation and use:
- Fresh petioles are crushed.
- The crushed rhubarb (2 tbsp.) Is mixed with glycerin (1 tbsp. L.) And egg white (1 pc.).
- Apply to steamed skin for 15-20 minutes.
- Wash off with cool water, wipe with a cube of ice. Do the procedure every other day.
Harm and contraindications
Rhubarb, having a whole range of beneficial effects, acts like a medicine, which means it cannot be consumed uncontrollably. The leaves (petioles) of rhubarb are not recommended for people with kidney stones - due to the deposition of salt salts.
Rhubarb is also contraindicated in:
- individual intolerance;
- gallstones;
- peritonitis;
- rheumatism;
- cholecystitis;
- pancreatitis;
- inflammation of the genitourinary system;
- diabetes mellitus;
- stomach and hemorrhoidal bleeding.
Rhubarb should be used with caution when:
- high acidity;
- stomach ulcer;
- cirrhosis of the liver.
It is not recommended to use petioles and dishes / preparations prepared from them for diarrhea. In this state, rhubarb can have a stimulating effect - there is a risk of dehydration.
Side effects
As a food product, rhubarb is considered safe, without causing side effects. But with significant therapeutic doses, it can cause problems.
The risk of side effects increases if rhubarb preparations - infusions, decoctions, etc., are taken for more than 8 days. Long-term treatment with rhubarb threatens:
- heart rhythm disturbance;
- the formation of kidney stones;
- back or stomach pains;
- dizziness
- irritation of the skin and mucous membranes;
- tenesmus (unsuccessful urge to urinate / defecate, accompanied by soreness);
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- rush of blood to the pelvic organs.
Special cases
There are cases when rhubarb is not recommended for use in any form, or is permitted with reservations and restrictions. Rhubarb and its preparations require careful use in childhood and old age, during pregnancy and lactation.
Pregnant and lactating
Pregnant women are allowed to eat rhubarb only heat-treated - as part of jelly, desserts and other dishes.
The stems are saturated with vitamin K, and therefore it is extremely useful for women suffering from hypertension. A high calcium content is useful for the successful formation of the musculoskeletal system of the unborn child.
Using rhubarb as food, pregnant women will be able to:
- preserve the strength of bones and teeth;
- less sick with colds and SARS;
- cure diarrhea and constipation (in small quantities, rhubarb has a fixing effect, in large quantities - laxative).
During feeding, rhubarb should not be consumed in any form - there is a risk of impaired protein metabolism.
Childhood
For the first time, a baby can try rhubarb from the age of one. The vegetable is especially useful for children with a tendency to constipation. But they give rhubarb only in boiled form - for example, in the form of compote. Start with a few drops, gradually increasing the dose and monitoring the reaction. Older children can be offered syrup or jelly.
In childhood - up to 12 years, rhubarb is given with caution and in small quantities.
Harvesting raw materials
When harvesting petioles, they do not use a knife - it is easy to damage the growth point with it. Stalks break out manually, making accurate rotational movements in different directions.
To collect leaves, it is better to use a young plant. When harvesting old leaves, petioles are cleaned from the top layer. Rhubarb is dried, frozen and canned. In addition to petioles, rhubarb rhizomes are also subject to harvesting.
Drying roots and petioles
Rhubarb roots are dried immediately after harvest. They are collected from plants no younger than 4 years old - during this period many useful substances will accumulate in the roots. Procurement order:
- Rhizomes are dug from September to October.
- Having chopped off the ground part, the roots are washed and cut into pieces of 10 cm.
- Dried in the shade, in the air - the roots give off moisture and dry.
- Sun-dried roots are dried in dryers at 60 ° C.
The finished product has a dark brown surface and a yellow-pink core. Dried roots have a specific smell and a bitter-astringent taste.
Petioles, dried and ground, are used in medicine and cooking. They are added to salads, sauces, pastries. Procurement order:
- Having broken off the leaves, and collecting them in a bunch, the leaf plates are removed - so that only the petioles remain, which are washed and cut into pieces.
- Cured petioles in the air - under the sun, for 2 days, dried in the oven. Dry for 2 hours at 90 ° C.
- Dried raw materials are put in glass jars in whole or in crushed form.
Freezing
Freezing allows you to keep maximum useful substances in rhubarb that are inevitably lost during heat treatment.
Some housewives blanch the petioles to preserve their red color. But this procedure reduces the usefulness of the product.
Freezing order:
- Wash petioles in cold water.
- Dried on paper towels.
- Cut into cubes and, spread out on a baking sheet, put in the freezer for 1 hour.
- After pouring the cubes into the plastic bag, and removing the air from it by extrusion, they are tightly tied. Store in the freezer.
Rhubarb is not only a delicious product, but also a raw material for traditional medicine recipes. Having grown and harvesting rhubarb, you can prepare healing and prophylactic agents that are not inferior in effectiveness to expensive pharmacy drugs.
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