Medlar is an exotic, healthy and dietary fruit. Loquat fruit, useful properties, composition and calorie content

Useful properties of medlar have been known since ancient times. People to this day use the fruits to get rid of ailments of various etiologies. Another name for medlar is Japanese plum, loquat. In order to have a more accurate idea of ​​what benefits you will derive from the consumption of fruits, we will consider the main features in order. So, let's begin.

Composition and features of medlar

1. Medlar is an evergreen shrub that has thorns on twigs and is strewn with large clusters. The fruits have a sour aftertaste, their pulp is tender, pleasant to eat, does not knit the tongue. By taste, medlar resembles a trio - ripe strawberries, bananas, sweet and sour apples.
2. To date, more than 30 species of this plant are known to man. Medlar extends to the whole world and is widely cultivated in household plots. The most popular and sought-after varieties of shrubs are the Caucasian and Japanese medlar.
3. Useful properties of fruits become possible due to the composition of the medlar. So, it includes flavonoids, protein, phenolic compounds, some fats, carbohydrates, amygdalin.
4. The fruits are not deprived of vitamins. Among them are group B, PP, A, C. Of the mineral elements, it makes sense to single out the following: iron, potassium, iodine, magnesium, sodium, zinc, calcium, selenium.
5. As for organic acids, medlar is rich in malic, oxalic, tartaric and citric acids. It contains a lot of natural saccharides, which are presented in an easily digestible form. The shrub is not deprived of tannins, pectin, dietary fiber, phytoncides.
6. The bark, foliage, seeds and fruits of the plant are of particular value. Some folk healers claim that the leaves of the shrub are much more valuable than the pulp and other parts of the medlar. They argue this by the fact that unique acids are concentrated in the leaves of the medlar: pomolic, ursulic, corosolic and others.
7. Also, the foliage boasts the inclusion of plant polyphenols, glycosides, carafollin. These substances fight foreign bodies in the body. Studies have been conducted in which scientists have proven that foliage is able to overcome the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
8. The foliage of the shrub has the ability to suppress the action of free radicals and completely remove them. The green part contains triterpene, which is responsible for the synthesis of sugar and enhances the volume of insulin.
9. Pectin fights toxic compounds, salts of heavy metals, radionuclides. It acts as a brush, which is carefully passed through the cavity of the internal organs. Despite the abundance of valuable properties, medlar is not very high-calorie. In a portion weighing 100 gr. accumulates about 50 kcal. It all depends on the particular variety.

1. The fruit is contraindicated for people who have high blood pressure. Medlar has a diuretic effect and thus fights hypertension.
2. Similarly, the fruits affect patients with persistent migraines and headaches. The fruit reduces intracranial pressure and improves the patient's condition.
3. Medlar is prescribed for consumption by those who are likely to develop a heart attack, stroke, coronary disease. Fruits improve the health of the heart muscle and the entire circulatory system in particular.
4. It contains flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Together, they prevent oxidative processes, preventing diabetes, eye diseases, and oncological ailments.
5. Medlar frees the cavity of internal organs from free radicals. The fruit is useful for elderly people who are at risk of developing senile dementia.
6. The fruits help to cope with diarrhea and general stool disorder. They normalize digestive processes, remove stagnation, and have anthelmintic properties.
7. Loquat enhances the production of the hormone insulin, making life easier for patients with diabetes. Along with this, blood glucose levels are monitored.
8. Organic acids remove cholesterol from the cavity of the blood channels, improve protein metabolism, transform carbohydrates into energy. On this basis, the risk of atherosclerosis is reduced and natural weight loss occurs.
9. Medlar is used to eliminate small stones and sand in the cavity of the urinary system. The fruit is responsible for the correct functioning of the pancreas and thyroid glands.
10. Decoctions, teas, freshly squeezed juices are prepared from the plant. These drinks remove phlegm from the cavity of the respiratory tract, ease the course of asthma and reduce body temperature during fever.
11. Fruits strengthen the immune system during viral infections, and also help to recover from a protracted illness. Medlar enhances wound healing, so lotions based on it are used for skin ailments.
12. Interestingly, unripe fruit is effective for diarrhea. Ripe specimens, on the contrary, have a laxative effect and normalize bowel function. Medlar prevents fermentation of food in the esophagus.

1. On the basis of green foliage, various tonics, lotions and facial compresses are prepared. Such products help to eliminate dermatological problems, even out the relief and whiten the skin.
2. The decoction is also good for diarrhea. To prepare a drink, brew a press of leaves in 300 ml. boiling water, let stand for 4 hours and strain. Drink 45-50 ml. 20 minutes before a meal.
3. The infusion according to the above recipe also effectively cleanses the blood channels of cholesterol, cleanses the body of toxic substances, and helps to recover from stress and illness.
4. Elderly people need to prepare decoctions and infusions to relieve pain in osteoporosis, arthrosis and other ailments of this type.
5. The powerful effect of the foliage and inflorescences of the medlar encourages people to use these parts of the shrub to prepare cold remedies. It's all about the ability of medlar to disinfect and relieve inflammation.

Harm medlar

1. There are a number of restrictions under which medlar is contraindicated. Its intake should be limited in case of pancreatitis, peptic ulcer of the duodenum and stomach, allergies to the fruit itself, gastritis.
2. In order not to cause significant harm to health, start taking small amounts. Listen to the state of the body, at the slightest sign of an allergy, stop taking it.
3. In the presence of any chronic diseases, use medlar after consultation with your doctor. Do not forget that the fruit can be presented in the form of dried fruits, marmalade, jam and other forms.

Despite the variety of medlar varieties, their chemical list remains virtually unchanged. Only the appearance and taste are different. In order not to harm yourself and loved ones, take precautions when using medlar. Then you will definitely get all the benefits.

Video: useful properties of medlar

Japanese medlar (loqua)- a plant of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is also called a loquat. This fruit is native to Southeast Asia. You can meet the fruits today in the Caucasus, India, Japan and other territories with a similar climate.

The fruits that are collected in clusters are oval, round or pear-shaped. The length of the fruit varies from 3 to 5 cm. Under the dense skin, which can be yellow or orange with a reddish tint, there is a juicy pulp. Depending on the variety, it can be white, yellow or orange (see photo). In addition, the taste of the fruit is also different, so it can be sweet, sour or sweet and sour. The pulp can contain from 3 to 5 large seeds. Ripe fruits are very easy to peel. The taste of the fruit is somewhat similar to strawberries, pears and apples.

Beneficial features

The Japanese loquat fruit contains a large amount of vitamin C, which has a positive effect on immunity and increases the body's protective functions against viruses and various infections. B vitamins have a positive effect on the activity of the nervous system. Vitamin A has a beneficial effect on vision and helps to get rid of some eye problems. There is also folic acid in fruits, which is necessary for pregnant women.

Lokva contains a lot of potassium, which has a positive effect on the activity of the cardiovascular system. Calcium, which is in fruits, strengthens hair, nails and bones.

Use in cooking

Japanese loquat fruit consumed not only fresh, but also soaked and processed. The fruits are used to make various drinks, for example, juice, compote, etc. are made from them. Very tasty wine is prepared from Japanese medlar. In addition, the fruit is perfect for jams, preserves, jams and marshmallows. Japanese medlar is also widely used as a filling for making sweets and various pastries. Fruits are included in the recipe of many fruit salads and desserts. The seeds of the fruit can be used as a coffee substitute.

The benefits of Japanese medlar (lokva) and treatment

The benefits of Japanese medlar (lokva) are widely used in traditional medicine recipes. For example, fruits are used to strengthen the intestines and improve digestion in general. A decoction prepared from unripe fruits and seeds is recommended for use in inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it helps in the treatment of urolithiasis.

If you collect the leaves during the flowering period, then the decoction prepared on their basis will have an antidiarrheal and hemostatic effect. It can also be used to gargle during a cold. Due to the content of tannins in the leaves, they have a healing and anti-inflammatory effect. A syrup made from the fruit of the Japanese medlar helps to relieve sore throats with severe coughs. In addition, it can serve as an analgesic and sedative. Another syrup will help in the treatment of diseases of the stomach and intestines, as well as the respiratory tract. A decoction prepared from flowers and leaves is recommended for use in sore throats and inflammation of the oral cavity.

Harm of Japanese medlar (lokva) and contraindications

Japanese medlar (lokva) can harm people with individual intolerance to the product. It is worth refusing to eat fruits with gastritis with high acidity and ulcers. There are contraindications to the use of loquat in people with inflammation of the pancreas. By the way, this does not apply to the use of jams and jams. In addition, it is worth controlling the amount of fruits eaten, as this can cause various problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Do you know what a medlar is? What is it - a musical instrument, an oriental beauty or a delicacy? Or maybe medlar fruit? Hearing this sing-song name, one immediately recalls the song “Brichmulla” by Sergei Nikitin, the oriental bazaar, chased dishes, baklava, churchkhela, mysterious unexplored medlar stand in front of your eyes. But since one cannot live in ignorance, it is worthwhile to thoroughly understand this unfamiliar concept.

What is medlar

What is a medlar? There are many names for this cute fruit: Japanese eriobotria, loqua, biwa, shesek. First of all, the medlar is a fruit tree reaching 10 meters in the wild of the Pink family, the Yablonev subfamily. Despite the fact that there are many varieties and bred varieties, there are about 1000 of them in China, and about a hundred in Algeria and the Iberian Peninsula, Japanese medlar and Caucasian (German) are distinguished. Japanese - biwa (lokva), being an evergreen tree, has also become widespread in landscape design.

Where does it grow

The climate where the Japanese loquat grows is milder and more humid than that where the Caucasian (Germanic) grows. Although the tree itself is winter-hardy and withstands short-term cold snaps. China is considered its homeland, from which it was brought to Japan, where it has been growing for more than 1000 years. The distribution area is extensive: China, Japan, Asia, warm Mediterranean countries: Spain, Israel, Algeria, and the Black Sea coast: Turkey, Abkhazia. The Caucasian variant is found in the Balkans, northern regions of Iran and Transcaucasia. This plant prefers mountainous terrain, and was originally grown in Europe for ornamental purposes.

What is this fruit

So, what is this fruit that grows from the Japanese archipelago to the Atlantic? The Japanese name for the biwa fruit is also the name of the national plucked instrument, of the lute family, resembling a round shape in shape. In color and size, the fruits of the loquat resemble.

Taste

The taste of the fruit is fresh, juicy, depending on the degree of ripening and variety, sweet, sour-sweet or slightly acidic, reminiscent of a ripe pear, fleshy.

As it is

When choosing a loquat, you must definitely pay attention to the skin. It should be free of cracks, damage and stains. Because fresh fruits are of the greatest value; in the process of harvesting, they are removed in clusters along with the stalk. Brushes are cut with a knife or secateurs. After the fruit is separated from the brush. The pits are removed before the fruit is eaten. When using the Caucasian medlar, which has a dense hard peel, the fruits are also cleaned of it. Peeled fruits are eaten fresh, added to fruit salads, sprinkled with grated coconut. Medlar contains a significant amount of pectin, so excellent jams and curd are obtained from it, compotes are boiled, added to liqueurs and tinctures.

In Spain, this fruit is used as the main ingredient for making meat sauce, and chutney with medlar, cloves, and cinnamon is popular in eastern countries.

What does a medlar look like

Loquat grows on evergreen trees of medium size 4-7 meters, due to dense pubescence, the inflorescences have a reddish gray color, resembling panicles in appearance.

The leaves of the medlar are thick, hard, leathery with clear veins, rich dark green in color with a short stalk.

Flowering is slightly fragrant.

The fruits of the medlar are collected in bunches of 5-30 pieces. Most often it is a bright yellow fruit 3-5 cm in size.

Peel - yellow, orange, rarely red. The pulp of the fruit is from white to yellow with an orange tint.

Beneficial features

Medlar (loqua) has a rich vitamin composition, thanks to which it is a very popular product in Japan. And as everyone remembers, the Japanese are famous for their longevity. This fruit has a large amount of water, more than 80%, it perfectly quenches thirst, and low sugar content, so it will not affect your figure in any way. The triterpent contained in it stimulates the production of insulin, so medlar can be eaten by people with diabetes. Active substances, such as phytoncides, inhibit the growth of bacteria and microscopic fungi.

The ground medlar bones are brewed in the form of coffee, or beaten with a whisk into foam, which is added to the finished dish. Lokva is the most valuable honey plant in the subtropical climate.
Medlar is useful not only in terms of nutrition. Souvenirs and kitchen utensils are made from reddish wood. The bark and leaves are used for tanning leather.

calories

Medlar and its per 100 grams of product is: 45-48 kcal.

Compound

• water - 87%,
• fats - 0.1%,
• carbohydrates - 10%,
• proteins - 0.4%,
• dietary fiber - 2%, ash - 0.5%

vitamins

Vitamins that this fruit is full of: beta-carotene (vitamin A), B vitamins, incl. folic acid, ascorbic and malic acids.

trace elements

Also, this fruit is rich in macro and micro elements: iron and copper, potassium and calcium, iodine and selenium, phosphorus and sodium, manganese, etc.

What is useful medlar

So what is the special benefit and is harm to the body possible when eating this little-known fruit? In the East, medlar has long been used in folk medicine and cosmetology. A rich set of acids gives the body energy and supports the immune system, being a natural antioxidant.

Loquat flowers have an expectorant property, so a decoction of flowers is used to treat bronchitis, coughs and asthma, rid the body of mucus.

Do not forget about a comprehensive approach to health. If you overindulge in fried, fatty, spicy, and salty foods, don't expect a high fruit intake to solve your problems. A balanced, varied diet is the key to health.

Using the medlar fruit and its beneficial properties, you can gradually and systematically improve the body step by step. Saturating the body with the fluid it needs, regularly removing toxins from the body, you cleanse the intestines. Considering that it is in the intestines that up to 80% of the cells responsible for immunity are formed, by improving the absorption of nutrients, you help the nutrients to be better absorbed. Eating healthy and taking care of your body helps keep your heart and circulatory system in good condition.

In what other cases is this tasty fruit useful? Medlar its benefits and harms.

Medlar during pregnancy

The load on the woman's body is increasing. All pre-existing diseases appear. And often, medication is not recommended. Therefore, the fruit is also useful for the expectant mother, saturating the body with the necessary vitamins and microelements. Properly formulated nutrition and the implementation of the recommendations of the attending physician are the key to the health of the expectant mother and baby.

Medlar for beauty

As noted earlier, all parts of this plant are used in cosmetics and home skin care products. Face masks are made from the pulp, decoctions and extracts from the leaves are used for lotions designed to combat problem skin, including during adolescence. On the Internet, there are options for masks and face lotions. But do not forget that they can only be used fresh, and in no case is it recommended to store, because. instead of benefit or burn.

Loquat to maintain a slim figure

If you are maintaining weight or want to adjust downwards, the Loquat is here to help. It nourishes the body with nutrients, saturates the cells with moisture, cleanses the intestines and removes toxins at a very low calorie content.

Treatment of diabetes and heart disease

By removing excess fluid from the body, improving the filtration of the kidneys, this outlandish fruit reduces blood pressure and pressure on blood vessels. Malic acid is involved in the breakdown of fats and leads to a decrease in bad cholesterol in the blood.

On the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains, a small evergreen tree native to Asia grows - the medlar - the beneficial properties and contraindications of this plant have long been studied by traditional healers. Exotic fruit has a bright rich aroma and a sweet-sour juicy, astringent, tart taste. The use of medlar has a beneficial effect on human immunity. Berries have antioxidant properties, remove toxins, have an anti-inflammatory effect, and help the body cope with certain diseases faster.

What is medlar

An evergreen thorny tree or shrub with small orange fruits, which are collected in clusters of 10 pieces, is called medlar. The plant belongs to the rose family. The homeland of the shrub is China, India, the Himalayas. In Russia, it is grown in Sochi and the Crimea. The tree can grow up to 7 meters in height, its bark is covered with thorns. Oval leaves are leathery, large, felted on the shady side. Small flowers of a yellow or white shade grow singly, have a strong smell. Small yellow fruits are covered with edging, have a pear-shaped, oval, round shape.

The fruit has a delicate pulp and a pleasant sour taste reminiscent of an apple, strawberry and pear. A fruit with an unusual name is tasty and at the same time useful - it can cure a person of many diseases, saturate the body with essential trace elements and vitamins. Unripe medlar contains tannins, so it is often used for leather dressing. And interesting crafts are made from noble and beautiful brown-red wood.

What does a medlar look like

Fleshy, large fruits can be of different shapes: pear-shaped or spherical. The thin skin of orange or yellow is easily removed, revealing a juicy tender pulp, inside of which there is one or more brown seeds. Berries grow in clusters up to 12 pieces on each. The most common varieties are:

• Japanese medlar (loqua, nispero, shesek). The evergreen tree has large leaves and yellow-orange fruits resembling apricots. It begins to bloom from September to November, and the fruits ripen in June. The Japanese variety does not tolerate frost. The taste of fruits with sourness, a bit like a pear. It is useful to use the berries fresh, after cleaning them from the skin. Photos of ripe fruits can be found on the gardeners website.
• Medlar Caucasian (German). A low tree with long large leaves. The pulp is sweet and sour, with a tart taste. The fruits are brown or red in color with small inclusions. True, such a fruit becomes if it is frozen. Therefore, berries are harvested at the end of autumn. The German medlar can be seen growing in the Balkans, in Iran, there is also a tree in the Crimea. Due to the wide distribution on the peninsula, another name for the German variety is often found - Crimean medlar.

Compound

The medlar fruit is similar in composition to an apple, it contains vitamins PP, C and P, ascorbic acid, which helps to increase protection against viruses. At the same time, the beneficial properties of the fruits of an evergreen tree differ significantly from the healing properties of apples, since the plant has a beneficial effect on digestion. In addition, the calorie content of medlar is only 45 kcal per 100 g of product, so the fruit is often used in diets. The plant also contains:

• tannins;
• sugar;
• fruit acids;
• phytoncides;
• provitamin A;
• aromatic substances;
• pectins.

How is medlar used

The fruits of an evergreen plant can be eaten processed, but better fresh. The fruit is actively used for making juice, delicious jam, compote, jam, oriental sweets, alcoholic beverages (liqueurs, wines). Less commonly, they make syrup, sherbet, and candy fillings from berries. They also use salted and pickled fruits as a snack. Fruit sauces go well with sausages, meat dishes, scrambled eggs, pancakes, puddings. Seeds also have an excellent use - they are used to make a high-quality coffee surrogate, which is not inferior in taste to the original.

Japanese medlar is often used in medicine - the beneficial properties of the plant help to normalize digestion. Fully ripe fruits perfectly cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. The plant in the form of tinctures is used to treat asthma, colds. A decoction of the leaves is used for bleeding or diarrhea. The fruits are effective in cosmetology in the form of lotions, masks, extracts and as an anti-inflammatory, emollient, tonic. Wood is also valuable, and tannins found in leaves and bark are indispensable in the manufacture of outerwear.

Beneficial features

Due to its balanced unique composition, medlar is very healing - it has beneficial properties for people who suffer from diseases such as hypertension, asthma, bronchitis. The leaves of the shrub help with diabetes. Unripe fruits provide invaluable assistance in kidney diseases. The Japanese medlar plant is useful during pregnancy, fruits strengthen the woman's body, supply the body with the vitamins necessary for the full development of the child. What is useful medlar? Regular consumption of fruit strengthens the immune system and contributes to:

• saturation of the body with microelements;
• stabilization of the digestive system, purification of vascular and liver toxins;
• relief from colic in the intestines;
• removal of stones from the kidneys;
• fixation with diarrhea (immature fruits) or relaxation with constipation;
• excretion of sputum in diseases of the respiratory system;
• reduce the risk of oncology;
• increase the body's resistance to viral infections;
• pressure stabilization;
• blood clotting;
• lowering sugar;
• prevention of strokes and heart attacks.

Healing properties of leaves

There are useful substances both in the fruits of the medlar and in the leaves of the plant. As a rule, decoctions, infusions are made from them, which are taken to treat bronchitis, asthma, inflammation of the respiratory tract. Leaf extract helps to cope with rashes and inflammation on the skin. The great benefit of medlar in diabetes mellitus, tk. the plant helps to increase the amount of insulin, which has a positive effect on the well-being of the patient. In addition, the leaves

• help with diarrhea
• prevent premature aging;
• prevent the occurrence of strokes, heart attacks;
• reduce "bad" cholesterol;
• remove salt from the body;
• normalize blood pressure;
• used to treat cough.

Bones

The seeds from the fruits of the plant also have useful properties. If the seeds are pre-dried and then ground, you get a surrogate that tastes like coffee. At the same time, the drink has a tonic property. A tincture of seeds, honey and alcohol quickly relieves pain and helps with asthma. Due to the fact that the seeds contain a small number of toxic substances, they can only be consumed in processed form: fried, dried, ground.

Medlar to maintain a slim figure

All recipes for weight loss, as a rule, are aimed at stabilizing the work of the gastrointestinal tract and removing water. Medlar is fully consistent with these goals. The use of fruits from this tree strengthens the intestines, cleanses the body well and saturates it with useful substances. The biochemical composition of the fruit will help not to experience hunger. It is useful to use the fruits on fasting days, because. The fruit is low in calories and rich in fiber. The medlar diet should be only one day a week. It is not recommended to consume more than one kilogram of fruit.

Medlar in cosmetology

The exotic fruit is often used for cosmetic purposes. The juicy pulp of the fruit helps fight acne and various rashes, smoothes wrinkles, moisturizes and nourishes the skin, and brightens pigmentation. A cream based on medlar extract can increase skin elasticity and firmness. The tonic from the leaves is good at fighting irritation on the face and other parts of the body.

A mask of evergreen berries will make the skin smooth. Fruit-based tonic lotion helps fight acne, blackheads, and inflammation on the face. To prepare it, you only need to mix 250 grams of fruit with a glass (100 ml) of vodka. This mixture should be wiped on the face. Store the lotion in a cool, dark place or refrigerator.

Medlar in folk medicine

The beneficial properties of the evergreen plant have been known for a long time. You can find many recipes with medlar in folk medicine. For example, a decoction prepared from unripe fruits is used to treat urolithiasis. If you make a decoction of the leaves, then you can drink it as a fixing, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and antioxidant agent. Some healers recommend eating the fruit to relieve kidney disease. And to cleanse the body of toxins, you can use this recipe:

1. It is necessary to take a large spoonful of dried leaves, place them in a thermos.
2. Next, pour the mixture with half a liter of boiling water.
3. The liquid should be filtered after three hours.
4. The resulting healing decoction should be consumed 50 ml 20 minutes before meals.
5. A cleansing course should be carried out once every four months for two weeks.

With diseases of the stomach, you can make a decoction of dried seeds. To do this, you need to take 2 tablespoons of ground seeds and 500 ml of water. Everything must be placed in a saucepan and put on a slow fire for 20 minutes, cool a little and drink half a glass on an empty stomach. Medlar can still stop internal bleeding. To do this, use 50 ml of decoction during each meal.

Contraindications

Unripe fruits of the plant are contraindicated in people who suffer from peptic ulcer, inflammation of the pancreas, gastritis with high acidity. It must be remembered that with such diseases it is not recommended even to drink fresh juice from medlar, but jam and preserves made from fruit, on the contrary, have a beneficial effect on the stomach. With caution, it is necessary to introduce fruits into the diet of children, because. they can provoke an allergic reaction. In addition, berries cannot be used:

• with open wounds;
• people with individual intolerance to the product;
• with rosacea and eczema;
• with inflammation on the skin;
• breastfeeding women;
• with cholecystitis.

When to pick fruit

Exotic fruits growing in Russia are usually harvested in late autumn. This is especially true of the Caucasian variety, because. the sour taste of fruits after frost changes to sweet, they become soft. Medium-sized ripe fruits, not hard and not completely soft, without dark spots should be chosen. Medlar has a short shelf life, while it is practically not subject to transportation.

How to eat

In order for beneficial nutrients to enter the body faster, the berries should be eaten fresh, while not forgetting to remove the seeds. The most delicious are those fruits that have been hanging on a tree for a long time, bright, medium-sized, without spots. The little ones are often sour. You can peel the peel or eat with it. Marmalade is made from berries, jam is cooked, compotes and alcohol tinctures are prepared, dried, and used in desserts. Even after being processed, the fruit does not lose its beneficial properties, and dishes from it restore the microflora and improve digestion.

Video

Medlar is an evergreen fruit tree whose fruits resemble apricots in appearance. There are four bones inside. The height of the musk tree reaches 10 m, the leaves are oblong in shape. The skin of the fruit is quite dense, but the inside is very soft and sour, this is a combination of apple, apricot and strawberry to taste. Medlar has a yellow-orange color of berries. This tree grows mainly in those countries where the climate is warm, not below 0 ° C. However, the medlar can endure a drop in temperature to -15 ° C, but not for long. The homeland of this plant is considered to be Southwest Asia. The benefits of this fruit are endless.

Types of medlar

There are about 30 varieties of medlar, among which there are 2 main ones:

1. Medlar Germanic (aka Caucasian);
2. Japanese medlar.

German medlar blooms towards the end of May, and gives fruit after the first frost in the fall. She has a white flower with red stamens. The fruit of the German medlar is red-brown in color and has a diameter of up to 5 cm. To taste, the ripe German medlar resembles applesauce. This type of medlar grows in the Crimea, the Caucasus, and southern Europe.

Did you know?Such a fruit tree as the German medlar has been known to people since ancient times, about a thousand years ago. In the old days, medlar fruits were traded in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, and this fruit came to Europe. Today medlar is grown in Asia Minor, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in Algeria, in Azerbaijan.

As for the fruit of the Japanese medlar, there are some differences from the German medlar.

The loquat that grows in the warm climate of China and Japan blooms in October and bears fruit in May-June. The flower has a white-cream shade with a very fragrant aroma. The fruit of the Japanese medlar is a bright yellow-orange color, shaped like a pear and has a maximum diameter of 10 cm.

Medicinal properties of medlar, its use in medicine

Medlar is a fruit whose benefits and harms to the body are incommensurable. Medlar has incredible utility. The composition of this fruit includes all kinds of vitamins, micro and macro elements, useful acids. Among them:

1. Vitamin A;
2. B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9);
3. Vitamin C;
4. Vitamin K;
5. Vitamin E;
6. Carotene;
7. beta carotene;
8. Potassium;
9. Calcium;
10. Magnesium;
11. Phosphorus;
12. Sodium;
13. Zinc;
14. Manganese;
15. Selenium;
16. Iron;
17. Fructose;
18. Sucrose;
19. Organic acids (malic, citric).

Medlar is an indispensable medicine in the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract. With its astringent properties, the fruit normalizes the functioning of the intestines, reduces pain in the kidneys with stone deposits. With the help of unripe fruits, inflammation in the intestines can be relieved. And the ripe fruit acts as a diuretic.

With bronchial asthma, you can make an alcohol tincture by rubbing the fruit along with the bones with 2 tbsp. spoons of honey and 100 ml of vodka. After that, you need to let this medicine brew for a week in a tightly closed container. Then you should strain the tincture and take 3 times a day, 30 ml before meals.

Important!The bones of this fruit are slightly poisonous, they should be consumed only in processed form - dried, fried, for making coffee drinks, but infused - for the treatment of bronchi and gastrointestinal tract.

Medicinal properties are possessed not only by the medlar fruit itself, but also by flowers and leaves. Loquat leaves, which are known for their healing properties in diarrhea, can be taken as a solution, or you can apply them for bleeding. In diabetes, medlar increases the amount of insulin in the blood, thereby improving the patient's condition. Medlar reduces the risk of cancer.

The use of medlar in cooking

In cooking, all kinds of jams, preserves, compote, juice, kvass, wine, liquor are cooked from medlar, sweet salads are prepared; you can make medlar and pumpkin seed jam right in the microwave.

To do this, take 1 kg of medlar, 300 g of sugar and 4 tbsp. spoons of pumpkin seeds. Separate the pulp of the fruit from the stone and mix with sugar, place for 10 minutes. in microwave. Then take out, add pumpkin seeds and cook already in a saucepan on a regular stove over low heat. Such a jam will be doubly useful, thanks to the miraculous properties of not only medlar, but also pumpkin.

Medlar and cosmetology

Medlar is used in cosmetology. A medlar face mask will help those who have sensitive skin prone to irritation and redness. This mask has a tonic property, will make the skin more elastic, give the face a fresh look. Masks can be made both from the fruits themselves and from the leaves of the plant. Here is an example of one of the masks. Mix the pulp of 5 fruits with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of olive oil. After 30 min. wash off with warm water. This mask is perfect for those with dry skin.

The use of medlar in dietetics

For people who are fighting overweight, medlar is also useful, because. Its main purpose is to remove toxins from the human body. Medlar, along with other fruits, occupies a significant place in any diet. Its calorie content is 52.5 kcal per 100 g of product, proteins 2.1, fats 0.8 and carbohydrates 14 g. As you can see, medlar is an “easy” fruit for the body. It helps to digest "heavy" food.