Pine nuts have long been considered to be a valuable nutritional product.rich in vitamins, microelements and other beneficial substances.
There is an erroneous opinion among the people that these nuts are obtained from stately cedars. In fact, these are seeds of Siberian pine pine trees, which, when they reach a mature age, are capable of producing 10–12 kg of nuts from each tree.
In size, cedar pine nuts are quite tiny: 10-14 mm in length and 6-10 mm in width. But as they say small spool but precious.
Table of contents
- What vitamins and minerals are contained, what is the calorie content of pine nuts?
- Useful properties and benefits for men, women and children
- Contraindications
- Use in traditional medicine
- The effect of nut on health during pregnancy and lactation
- Nutshell: healing properties for humans
- Harm to the husk for the body
- How to prepare the shell for use
What vitamins and minerals are contained, what is the calorie content of pine nuts?
Pine nuts feed not only forest birds and animals. This the product is a unique delicacy in the human diet. Initially, pine nuts were used in cooking for the preparation of various dishes.
Later their nutritional value was studied, which amazes with a variety of the useful substances which are a part:
- glucose, fructose and sucrose;
- vitamins: A, C, K, E, as well as a group of vitamins B (B₁, B₂, B₃, B₅, B₆, B);
- micro and macronutrients;
- amino acids.
Cedar kernels contain 19 amino acids: histidine, proline, arginine, tyrosine, methionine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lysine, tryptophan, glycine and others.
Pine nuts contain 60-63% of fats, which are a source of valuable pine-nut oil, 14-17% of easily digestible proteins and 10-14% of carbohydrates.
The energy value of the product is 875 kcal per 100 g.
Pine nuts. Siberian greetings:
Useful properties and benefits for men, women and children
The usefulness of pine nuts allows them to be used by almost everyone for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes, which is explained by the wide range of valuable substances that make up them.
What is the use of this little nut:
- It has a positive effect on the immune system, helping to recover from a serious illness or intense physical exertion;
- used for the prevention of anemia, improves blood composition and has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system;
- reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood;
- improves brain activity, increases mental abilities;
- with regular use strengthens bone tissue and improves visual acuity;
- as a product rich in iodine, effective in the treatment and prevention of thyroid dysfunction;
- due to the content of the complex of vitamins of group B helps to normalize the work of the nervous system: relieves irritability, helps fight insomnia and stress;
- improves metabolism and the functioning of the endocrine glands;
- normalizes the functioning of all organs of the digestive system;
- serves as a prophylactic against the development of benign and substandard tumors;
- reduces the appetite, which is useful for overweight people and those who follow the figure;
- improves the overall condition of the skin, helps in the treatment of various skin diseases, promotes rapid healing of wounds and tissue regeneration;
- increases the potency in men and normalizes the activity of the reproductive system;
- slows the aging process in the body, has a rejuvenating effect;
- It is an excellent prophylactic agent of atherosclerosis and diabetes.
Contraindications
Despite the huge list of useful properties, taking cedar nucleoli as food should not be uncontrolledin order not to harm health.
Pine nuts positively affect the mental and physical development of children. However, given the miniature size of the nuclei, do not give them to kids under the age of 4-5 years - Children can inhale nuts, which will cause a blockage of the respiratory tract.
Children after 5 years should eat nuts in the presence of adults, so that they can, if necessary, provide first aid.
It is not recommended to eat pine nuts at the same time with dairy or meat dishes. A large amount of protein, which is part of these products, exerts an excessive load on the digestive organs and does not allow the body to assimilate all the beneficial substances of the nuts.
Sometimes when eating nuts in food appears a taste of bitterness in the mouth. Quality product is pleasant to the taste, easy to chew and has a delicate aroma.
The appearance of bitterness suggests that the nuts eaten were rancid and caused a kind of poisoning of the body.
The feeling of bitterness in the mouth can be present for 2-14 days after consuming the product and goes away by itself without taking medication.
What is the maximum shelf life of peeled nuts? He is total 14 days.
When buying pine nuts on the market, give preference to unpeeled - they can be stored without loss of taste and healing properties up to 1 year.
As a contraindication doctors traditionally call individual intolerance. Sad as it may be, allergy can develop on pine nuts.
Allergy in mild form is expressed by vomiting, diarrhea, itching and redness of the skin. In more severe cases, anaphylactic shock develops, accompanied by low blood pressure, general weakness and loss of consciousness.
Pine nuts and their benefits and contraindications:
Use in traditional medicine
For recipes of traditional medicine, all components of pine nuts are used: peeled kernels, shells, butter and even oilcakeGrinded and used as a dietary supplement.
Cedar flour is prepared from the cake, and from it - nutritious milk or cream, which are useful for babies suffering from allergies to breast milk.
Tinctures are used to treat a wide range of ailments:
- atherosclerosis;
- hypertension;
- digestive and respiratory organs;
- kidney and urinary system;
- heart and blood vessels;
- skin and hair diseases;
- joints and spinal column;
- nervous system disorders;
- anemia and hypovitaminosis;
- catarrhal diseases;
- thyroid dysfunction;
- hemorrhoids.
The appearance of the cedar tincture is reminiscent of cognac. Experts say that the taste is not much different from this elite drink.
On the Internet and in the literary sources there are many recipes for making tinctures. Here is one of them:
- In a clean glass jar put 500 g of unpeeled pine nuts, pour in vodka or medical alcohol. The liquid must completely cover the nuts.
- Infuse the product at room temperature in a dark place for 12-14 days.
- After two weeks to check the readiness of the tincture - the kernel inside the nuts should be completely dissolved by the action of alcohol.To check it is enough to get a nut out of the jar and split it. If there is no kernel inside the nut, the tincture is ready for use.
- If the core is not completely dissolved, maintain the tincture for some time, checking the state of the nuclei in a day.
The course of treatment usually lasts 1-2 months.. If necessary, undergo a second course after a 30 day break.
Tincture taken 3-4 times a day before meals. The recommended single dose - 2 teaspoons of funds, diluted in 1 tablespoon of boiled water, so that the total amount of tincture is quite enough for a whole course.
As with any drug you can not exceed the recommended dose. It is advisable to consult a doctor before using the national remedy of pine nuts.
The effect of nut on health during pregnancy and lactation
In addition to the main products It is recommended to add pine nuts to the diet of pregnant women. The future mother and baby will receive from them practically all the useful elements necessary for the normal development of the fetus.
It is important do not exceed the recommended daily dose - 2 tbsp. spoons - and buy only high quality product.
After giving birth, pine nuts should not be excluded from the mother's diet. They increase lactation and, getting into the body of a baby with mother's milk, strengthen the immunity of the child, a positive effect on his mental and physical development.
Nutshell: healing properties for humans
Pine Nut Shells used for the preparation of eco-friendly material - cedroplast. This is a composite finishing material, which consists of resin and shells of cedar pine.
In addition to the decorative function, cedroplast has unique properties. According to the manufacturers, in a room trimmed with plates of cedar wastes, workers have reduced fatigue, increased working capacity and improved clarity of thought.
Cedar shells are widely used by gardeners and landscape designers. Shell mulch protects plants from fungal diseases and pests., enriches the soil with micro- and macroelements necessary for garden crops.
Pharmaceutical industry includes recycled cedar shells in the composition of ointments, creams and tinctures. These drugs have antiseptic properties due to tannins that are part of the shell. They are used to treat burns, depriving, eczema and ulcer inflammation of the skin.
Alcohol and vodka tincture of the shell effective in the complex treatment of anemia, atherosclerosis, leukemia, cardiovascular and urinary system, digestive organs, eye diseases.
From the husks of nuts cooked brothswith anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Their use is recommended for the restoration of the digestive organs, the treatment of allergic cough and runny nose, rheumatism, gout, periodontitis.
Harm to the husk for the body
Pine nutshell therapy must be coordinated with the doctor.Only a specialist can examine the body and confirm whether such treatment is suitable for a specific disease.
Special caution should be exercised to those who found violations of the blood.
Treatment of folk remedies based on pine nuts or shell should be combined with traditional medicines.
How to prepare the shell for use
Separating the shells from the kernels is not easy, it will have to make some effort. Immediately you need to put aside the idea that pine nuts can be gnawed - their shells are hard enough and can violate the integrity of the teeth.
In the industrial field for cleaning nuts from the shell use special devices (peeler). At home, two methods are used to extract the nutritious nucleoli.
"Cold" way
For shell cracking use handy tools - hammer, pliers, metal pestle. Even an ordinary kitchen crush for garlic perfectly cope with the role of peeling nuts.
When splitting, care must be taken not to crush the kernels along with the shell.
"Hot" way
Soak nuts in hot water for 10-15 minutes, then spread them out on a cutting board and chop the shells with a wooden rolling pin, rolling the nuts with a little pressure.
How to clean pine nuts:
Some sources suggest before desquamation. fry nuts in a pan, microwave or oven.
The majestic Siberian pines gave to mankind unique product - tasty and healthy pine nuts.
These small seeds help in the treatment and prevention of various diseases. In the national recipes used and kernels of nuts, and the shell.
However, we must not forget that everything needs measure and discretion. No need to engage in self-treatment and rely on the miraculous power of healing nuts - only a comprehensive treatment will help to defeat the disease or prevent its occurrence.