We are accustomed to live against the clock. Society moves at a frantic pace, and we often find ourselves juggling our way to everything. Reconciling work with family life and leisure is not always easy, and unfortunately, many times we end up sacrificing time that we should dedicate to our personal care.
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This produces that, as soon as the holidays arrive and we relax, our defenses go down and that is when we fall ill, quite an inconvenience, since nobody likes to get sick during their rest time. To prevent this from happening, it is important to take care of our health every day, eating a healthy and balanced diet and exercising around 20 minutes a day.
Nature is wise, and we are lucky to have countless varieties of plants suitable for strengthening our health. Today we will talk about elder, one of the most widely used medicinal plants in the world, with a multitude of beneficial properties for the body.
What is elderberry?
The elderberry is a shrub that usually grows in sunny locations, especially in the British Isles. It is a plant, it has been used since ancient times for its enormous antioxidant capacity, for example, the Egyptians used it to heal burns and as a strengthening tonic.
They contain a large amount of minerals and vitamins that give them great properties and health benefits.
Properties
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Fight colds and flu: According to a study conducted at the Technical University of Queensland, elderflowers and berry extract reduce the intensity and duration of cold and flu symptoms.
This is because the compounds in elderberries block the enzymes that the flu virus uses to enter cells and inhibit their multiplication. It is a natural and safe alternative that prevents infections and improves the immune response.
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Strengthens the heart: It acts positively on various risk factors for the heart such as hypertension or high levels of sugar and uric acid in the blood. The high anthocyanin content of elderberries explains the beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.
- Improves mood: It is also a good serotonin generator, working with a natural antidepressant effect.
- Help with fluid retention: Stimulates the elimination of excess fluid through urine.
- Fight early aging: The antioxidants, as well as the flavonoids and anthocyanins present in the plant, provide protection to the cells of the body, being able to reduce cell degeneration, reducing the effects of aging in the body.
- Improves the digestive system and helps lose weight: It is rich in fiber, which helps keep waste moving through the colon and helps prevent serious diseases, such as colon cancer. In addition, it has natural diuretic properties, due to its low calories it is an ideal snack to eat between meals and it also has laxative properties, which helps in case of constipation.
elderberry infusions
There are two ways to incorporate elderberry into our diet through infusions.
- Flower infusion: It is prepared with two teaspoons full of fresh or dried flowers in a quarter of a liter of boiling water. Let it rest for a few minutes and take it three times a day.
- Leaf infusion: It is prepared in a similar way to the infusion of flowers, using two level teaspoons of leaves. The only drawback is that, despite having similar properties, its smell is not very pleasant.
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