Blue spruce needles have medicinal properties. Spruce: medicinal properties and contraindications Blue spruce beneficial properties

Treatment with pine needles - pine, spruce, cedar

Treatment with pine needles - folk recipes

Greetings, dear blog reader " Traditional medicine recipes" Today I will tell you about the healing properties of some coniferous plants.

Useful properties of pine needles

● Since ancient times, when traditional medicine was just beginning to develop, all nationalities used pine needles to treat various diseases. Decoctions and extracts of pine needles were used as medicinal products by the ancient Sumerians five thousand years ago. They knew about pine needles at that time both in Rus' and in Ancient Greece.

● People chewed all winter to avoid getting sick. Moreover, people who constantly chew pine needles do not have any problems with their teeth and gums.

You are amazed when you begin to understand how many diseases can be cured with the help of forest beauties - pine and spruce. What is the secret of these plants?

● Needles contain a lot of biologically active substances that have stimulating and healing properties. These include vitamins, macro- and microelements, chlorophyll, essential oils, phytoncides and phytohormones.

The most important thing is that pine needles are rich in ascorbic acid - vitamin C, the level of which increases to a maximum in winter and decreases slightly in summer.

● As for essential oils, it’s the other way around – their accumulation is much greater in summer and less in winter. Needles are a unique source of carotene, which is absolutely indispensable for prevention.

In our body, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A - a very important trace element that ensures the body's resistance to infections and normal vision through the synthesis of visual pigment.

● Pine needles contain a lot of vitamin E. A lack of this vitamin leads to rapid aging of the body, miscarriages, painful changes in the heart muscle and skeletal muscles, gonads and nerve cells.

● The needles are rich in phytoncides. These are substances that have the ability to destroy pathogenic microbes, fungi, harmful protozoa: unicellular and multicellular organisms or stop their development.

Have a detrimental effect on pathogens and other diseases; accelerate wound healing, stimulate cardiac activity, stimulate the secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract, purify the surrounding air from harmful chemicals and microbes, and maintain biological stability.

● Phytoncides in their structure contain essential oils - special mixtures of volatile aromatic compounds. That's why the beautiful Christmas tree has such an unusual, long-lasting aroma. New Years is soon!!!

I am sure that a forest beauty will certainly appear in your home by this date. Be sure to pay attention to how the air environment in your home will change.

If a cat lives in it, he will really want to lie under the Christmas tree. Moreover, he will try to climb up the trunk. The explanation is simple - the animal is treated by inhaling the aroma of a coniferous plant.

● To ensure a sound and restful sleep, place a bouquet of fir paws in your bedroom. Pine needles contain many macro- and microelements, for example: aluminum, copper, iron, etc.

These elements are indispensable for human life. When we lack some microelement, blood counts deteriorate, (anaemia), dizziness, digestive difficulties, respiratory and of cardio-vascular system.

● Now you are convinced that pine needles are a storehouse of nature, a natural pharmacy containing useful vitamins and substances. Make friends with pine needles: they are always ready to help you fight illnesses and gain good health for many years.

Treatment with pine needles - traditional medicine recipes

- let it brew for half an hour, 500 grams of pine needles in 300 ml. boiling water; Take a piece of gauze large enough to wrap the limb affected by varicose veins.

Distribute the resulting pulp evenly over the limb and wrap it in gauze. Keep for 15 minutes, wrap every other day for two weeks;

- at the same time, take a decoction of pine needles internally: boil pine needles ground in a mortar with a small amount of cold boiled water for half an hour, adding enough boiled water so that the proportion is 1:10 (one part of pine needles to 10 parts of water). Acidify the broth with a little lemon juice, leave for 3 hours and filter; drink half a glass twice a day.

Other pine needle treatment recipes

● Tea that strengthens the immune system. This drink will help you with. Rinse a glass of pine needles thoroughly, chop them and brew with three glasses of boiling water. After an hour, add the juice of ½ lemon and a teaspoon of honey. Then you can drink this healing nectar, but first strain it.

● A unique remedy for bronchitis. Rinse the pine needles thoroughly and fill a liter jar, pour into an enamel pan and cover with two liters of water for 30 minutes.

Add 4-5 potatoes there and place on the stove. After the potatoes are cooked, mash them, wrap them in clean paper or a thin towel and place them on your chest. Keep until completely cool.

● Ointment to kill fungus. Finely chop half a kilogram of pine needles and place them in a one-cm layer at the bottom of a jar with a volume of no more than 250 ml. On top of the same layer - 200 grams of butter.

Fill the entire jar: there should be five layers laid in this way. Cover the full jar with foil and place in the oven at 100-120˚C for about 6 hours.

Remove and cool the jar, strain its contents through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. You should end up with greenish colored oil. Apply the ointment two to three times a day. You will see the result already on the second day.

● We treat. Stuff your mattress with crushed pine needles and sleep on it. Soon your joint pain will leave you.

● Pine baths at home. Place the pine needles in a canvas bag and place it in a bath of hot water. Take a bath - colds and other diseases will leave you.

● Set up your own home sauna. It is well known that essential oils help improve the health of the body. Put on “coniferous clothes”: a robe or an old nightie, boiled in a solution of spruce branches.

It is best to do this before taking a pine bath: while you are in the bath, the clothes will be saturated with the esters and aroma of pine needles. After the bath, wring out the “pine” robe, put it on and go to bed. It helps treat colds and...

● Toning face mask. Mix equal parts (50 ml each) of kefir or cottage cheese and pine needle infusion until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Apply an even layer to your face for 30-40 minutes, then rinse with warm water. This product is an antiseptic and has tonic and whitening properties.

● How to smooth out wrinkles. Apply the following mixture on your face in a thin, even layer: 20 ml of sunflower oil, three tablespoons of honey, 2-3 tbsp. l. chopped pine needles. After 10-15 minutes, rinse with warm water.

Such masks should be done 1-2 times a month, after which you will notice a rejuvenating effect.

● To . Place two cups of pine needles in a saucepan and fill with water until they are completely covered. Cook over low heat for one hour.

After 20 minutes of removing from heat, filter and add the beaten white of one chicken egg and 3-5 drops of good cognac. Apply this mixture to your hair, wrap it in a towel, and after half an hour wash it with shampoo. This mask will relieve hair from brittleness and dryness.

● How to get rid of unpleasant negativity. Popular rumor says that our house is protected from damage by smoke from spruce or pine branches. To do this, place several spruce or pine branches on a hot frying pan.

The branches will begin to smolder, and direct the smoke to all corners of your home - it will drive away all the negative energy that has accumulated over the years.

Contraindications for treatment with pine needles

● Coniferous baths are contraindicated for patients with disorders of the cardiovascular system, blood circulation, severe cancer, malignant neoplasms, infectious skin diseases and the presence of acute inflammatory processes.

● Spruce and pine needles are best collected in winter, when the trees are dormant. Place the broken spruce branches on a cotton cloth and place them to dry in places with air circulation.

The needles will fall off on their own. Collect needles in the forest away from populated areas. Do not pluck the top young shoots with buds under any circumstances - the plant may die due to growth disturbances. Store the needles in closed glass jars in a cool, dark place for no more than 2 years.

Get treatment for your health, and may the Lord God help you with this!!!

You can find the latest information about conifers on Wikipedia...

What are the health benefits of spruce / decoctions, infusions, baths of cones, buds, pine needles, shoots /

Spruce is a tree familiar to most residents of the northern hemisphere from childhood. Europeans use the term “spruce” to mean the common spruce species or its hybrid, the Finnish spruce. For residents of Asia, Siberian or Korean spruce are common. And in North America, black, Canadian, and prickly spruce reign. All representatives of the genus Spruce (Picea) are similar in structure and chemical composition. Any type of spruce has beneficial properties and can be used to treat certain diseases. In Europe, cones and needles of the common spruce (European) are used as medicinal raw materials.

The medicinal properties of spruce are due to the chemicals that make up its composition, these are:
essential oils;
tannins;
resins;
mineral salts;
vitamins (C, E, B3 or PP, K);
carotenoids;
trace elements (iron, manganese, chromium, copper);
amino acids.

Different parts of the spruce contain different amounts of useful components. Their composition may vary depending on the time of year. The largest amount of useful components is in young shoots and developing buds.
One of the main components of the essential oils that make up spruce is pinene, which received its name from the Latin Pinus (pinus - pine). Spruce and pine are so close in chemical composition and properties that until recently both belonged to the genus Pinus (pine).

Medicinal properties of spruce

The main and most well-known beneficial property of spruce is its bactericidal properties. Spruce contains substances from the class of terpenes, better known as essential oils, which are phytoncides with a wide spectrum of action. These biologically active components are very volatile, so they are constantly released into the environment. As the temperature rises, the amount of essential oils released increases. On hot days, a strong pine aroma is felt near the spruce. Spruce phytoncides destroy pathogenic bacteria, microscopic fungi that cause rot, as well as species of some protozoa (single-celled) animals.
By inhaling the aroma of pine needles, a person not only gets rid of pathogenic microorganisms and improves immunity. Phytoncides, inhibiting the development of pathogenic bacteria, stimulate the growth of microorganisms beneficial to humans.
In addition, spruce stimulates the immune system of plants growing near it. It is useful for pets and birds. In winter, a vitamin supplement is prepared for them from ground pine needles.

Where can the medicinal properties of spruce help?

Spruce has a diverse positive effect on the human body, affecting almost all systems and organs:
Stimulates the immune system;
Tones and relieves fatigue;
Activates brain activity;
Helps normalize the nervous system after stress, improves sleep;
Accelerates the healing of wounds, including burns and ulcers;
Stimulates the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the intestines and stimulates the growth of microflora in it, which helps digestion, improves the functioning of secretory cells;
Spruce phytoncides destroy even such dangerous bacteria as staphylococci, E. coli, bacteria that cause tuberculosis and whooping cough.
To obtain medicinal raw materials and produce various preparations, spruce needles, cones, resin, and less often bark, branches and wood are used. The beneficial properties of spruce allow the use of needles and cones to treat many diseases:
upper respiratory tract diseases of viral and bacterial origin, bronchial asthma;
diseases of the lower respiratory tract (pneumonia, tuberculosis);
inflammatory processes of the excretory system and kidney diseases;
decreased elasticity of blood vessels, dilation of veins;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
skin diseases caused by fungi and bacteria;
infectious diseases of the oral cavity;
rhinitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, laryngotracheitis.

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Face masks with olive oil and crushed spruce needles perfectly renew the skin, stimulate the epithelium, and smooth out wrinkles.
A brewed drink made with spruce needles cleanses the blood of toxic substances, binds free radicals that destroy cells, and improves blood circulation.
Inhalations with pine needle extract, another medicinal property of spruce, which is used in the treatment of nasopharyngeal diseases. An easier way to cope with the disease is to suck spruce resin.
Baths with extracts or tincture of spruce needles help get rid of rheumatism. And pine needles, ground into a pulp, mixed with vegetable oil or baby cream, will help cure fungus that occurs between the toes and get rid of an unpleasant odor.
Brewed spruce needles are a good remedy for gum disease or inflammatory processes in the mouth (young pine needles can simply be chewed without swallowing). This is an excellent preventative against periodontal disease.

Healthy recipes from spruce needles, buds, shoots and cones

Oral use

For vitamin deficiencies, colds, and simply to strengthen the body, prepare a drink.
Take 4 tbsp. spoons of pine needles collected in winter, pour them with 3 glasses of cooled boiled water and leave for 3 days in a dark place, then strain. Add 2 tsp. citric acid or apple cider vinegar and take 1/2 cup 2 times a day along with honey or sugar. Store the prepared infusion in a cool, dark place.
A decoction of spruce needles has the same property. Pour 2 tablespoons of pure spruce needles into an enamel bowl with a glass of boiling water, boil over low heat for 20 minutes and let it brew for half an hour. Drink half a glass 2 times a day, adding sugar or honey.
A decoction of spruce buds and cones in milk cleanses the blood well and fights vitamin deficiency. It is prepared from crushed raw materials (2 tbsp) and milk (1 l) for 20 minutes. Take cooled glass up to 3 times a day.
Young spruce shoots collected in early spring, washed and dried, are placed in a 5-liter jar, sprinkled in layers with sugar (1.5 kg). Leave to stand overnight, stir, put in the sun, covered with a lid with holes or a cloth. After 10 days, the resulting juice is poured into another container, sealed, and stored at room temperature. Juice from spruce needles is taken for all the diseases listed above, from 0.5 to 2 tbsp. l. 1 time per day on an empty stomach.
Grind clean spruce needles and mix with the same amount of honey. Leave for 2 weeks in a cool, dark place, stirring occasionally. Drain the resulting liquid mass and squeeze out the remainder. Take a spoonful for preventative purposes. For tuberculosis and respiratory diseases, 2 tbsp. l. on an empty stomach in the morning.
From young shoots and cones of spruce (or pine) make syrup or jam, useful for colds and respiratory diseases. Fill fresh raw materials with water with a small top and cook for about 2 hours. After cooling, strain through a thick cloth and add 1 kg of sugar for each liter. Re-cook the jam and pour into clean jars and seal. Depending on the cooking time with sugar, you will get syrup (boil), five minutes (cook for 10-15 minutes) or jam (cook for 1-2 hours).
Spruce buds collected at the end of spring are a concentrate of beneficial substances from spruce. They are washed and crushed, poured with water in a proportion of ¼ and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. Strain, allow to cool and strain again through a thicker cloth. Use ¼ cup 3 times a day. For long-term storage in a cool, dark place, honey is added to the resulting decoction in a ratio of 1/1, which is dissolved when heated in a water bath or over very low heat. Keep tightly closed. Take a teaspoon before meals three times a day.

External use

At spruce resin is used externally on purulent wounds and ulcers. You can: 1) Sprinkle the wounds with dry ground resin; 2) Heat, stirring, spruce resin, vegetable oil and beeswax taken in equal quantities. After cooling, lubricate sore areas. An ointment for the treatment of boils is prepared using the same recipe, but instead of vegetable oil, pork fat or butter is used.
For rheumatism and osteochondrosis, baths made from cones and spruce needles will help. The cones are crushed, the needles are washed and filled with cold water in a ratio of 1/3. Baths are taken every other day. The infusion is first boiled for half an hour, filtered and poured into the bath. For one procedure, 2 kg of raw materials is enough.
For colds, sore throat, laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, inhalations, warm rinsing or washing with infusion of fir cones are used. The crushed cones are boiled for half an hour in water (ratio 1/5), cooled, and filtered well. For rhinitis, 7 drops of infusion are instilled warm into each nasal passage.

Contraindications

Inhaling the aroma of spruce is not beneficial for everyone, as is inhalation with spruce needles. In sick people, they can cause exacerbation of asthma or migraines. The use of infusions and drinks from spruce is contraindicated for gastric diseases, and excessive doses are dangerous for the kidneys.

(lat. Pícea) - a genus of plants of the Pine family (Pináceae), in terms of prevalence among coniferous trees it ranks second after pine. Spruce lives for 250-300 years; there are trees up to 500-600 years old. In the USA (Colorado), a long-living spruce grows - the Engelmann spruce, whose age is 852 years.

Monoecious trees with a pyramidal crown, whorled branching and interwhorled shoots. The trunk is full-wood, up to 40-50 m high, in some species - up to 80-90 m, with a diameter at the butt up to 1-2 m, the bark is red-brown or gray, flaking with thin scales; young branches are brown or reddish, glabrous or slightly drooping, with strongly protruding leaf marks, buds are ovoid-conical, pointed, brownish, non-resinous. The needles are hard, prickly, tetrahedral, flat in the lower part of the crown (shadow needles), and do not fall off for 6 - 9 years.

Spruce forests (spruce forests) are evergreen dark coniferous forests with a predominance of spruce in the tree layer. They are among the naturally progressive edificators that can invade other phytocenoses and even displace them. Spruce forests grow in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, occupying a significant part of the territory of Europe, Asia and North America.

In Russia they are distributed from the western to the eastern borders. They shape the appearance of the landscape of the taiga zone. The total area of spruce forests in Russia is about 70 million hectares with a timber reserve of over 10 billion m3. Spruce forests are in fourth place in terms of area after larch, pine and birch forests. In spruce forests, both pure stands and those mixed with deciduous and coniferous species are formed.

Spruce wood

Spruce is a coreless mature wood species. The spruce wood is white, with a slight yellowish tint, and low in resin. Engelmann spruce has darker wood - yellowish-brown. Resinous passages are few and small. Spruce wood has a uniform structure with annual layers clearly visible in all sections, disturbed by numerous knots.

Spruce is a species with low uniform density and a sharp difference in the structure of early and late wood of annual layers. The number of annual layers per 1 cm of cross section and the percentage of late wood depend on both the species and the place of its growth. So, for example, for common spruce (European) in the north of the European part of Russia, the number of annual layers is 12.1, and the percentage of late wood is 21, for Siberian spruce (Western Siberia) - 6.5 and 25, respectively, for eastern Siberia - 9 and 25.

The microroughness remaining after treating the surface of spruce wood is 8-60 microns, which is significantly lower than that of hardwood. Freshly cut spruce wood has a moisture content of about 110%. Maximum humidity during water absorption is 212%.

Hydraulic conductivity indicators are an important characteristic for choosing a wood drying mode; the intensity of the isothermal transfer of bound water depends on them. The values of the hydraulic conductivity coefficient (Dx1010 m2/s) for spruce are presented in the table.

These values differ little from those of pine, but are 1.5 - 1.8 times higher than those of larch and hard-leaved species. Spruce, like pine, is a low-drying species. The homogeneous structure of the wood and long fibers make spruce less prone to warping and cracking during the drying process (compared to pine).

Spruce is a low-density species. The average density of spruce wood at standard humidity (12%) is 445 kg/m3, absolutely dry - 420 kg/m3, base density - 365 kg/m3.

The permeability of liquids and gases along the fibers of spruce is slightly higher (15-20%) than that of pine, but the difference between gas permeability in the radial and tangential directions in spruce is the largest (in the radial direction it is 10 times greater than in the radial direction; in pine - 2-5 times).

In terms of strength properties, spruce wood is somewhat inferior to pine. In terms of long-term resistance to deformation, it is practically not inferior to pine, as well as in another indicator - the ability to hold fasteners. Spruce wood bends somewhat better than pine wood.

In terms of resistance to decay (biological damage), among domestic species, spruce is classified as a medium-resistant species (it is noticeably inferior to pine heartwood); according to the European standard EN 350 - 2:1994, spruce is classified as a low-resistant species (pine is classified as moderately resistant).

The generally good machinability of spruce wood by cutting is significantly hampered by numerous knots, the hardness of which is often so great that it causes chipping of the blades of carbide tools.

Application of spruce wood

Spruce is a tree that is exceptional in its properties. One of these properties is musicality. Since ancient times, musical instruments, including stringed ones, have been made from spruce. Novgorod harps of medieval Rus' were most often made from spruce.

The tops of violins, cellos, and guitars have long been made from resonant spruce, which provides the instruments with beautiful sound. She seems to hold the sound within herself. There are special requirements for musical wood: not have knots, curls, tilts or other defects. The annual layers should be the same width, and in a radial section straight and parallel.

Musical instruments made from spruce have an amazing sound because the fibers in the wood are distributed very evenly (such wood is called resonant wood). Violins by Italian makers, including Amati and Stradivarius, are made from spruce.

In search of good material, craftsmen and restorers of musical instruments find wood when dismantling old houses, which, over decades of a stable microclimate, acquires truly wonderful musical properties. The fact is that with gradual drying in the capillaries of the resin ducts of the wood, microscopic resonance chambers are formed, and it seems to acquire a voice.

The 19th century French explorer Savard calculated the speed of sound in spruce wood. It turned out that it is 15-16 times greater than the speed of sound in air. There have been many attempts to replace spruce wood with wood from other species, but none of them have been successful. Experts believe that it is unlikely that it will soon be possible to find a material whose acoustic properties will be similar to resonant spruce.

Spruce wood is difficult to process due to the great hardness of the knots, but in some areas huts were built entirely from spruce. They believed that in such a hut one could breathe easily, there was even a saying: “A hut is a spruce tree, but the heart is healthy.”

Spruce wood is soft, light, not very durable, and is used as a building material (boards, beams), for small crafts, and for processing into wood pulp.

Spruce is used for the production of wood chemical products - paper and cardboard, cellulose, turpentine, rosin, tar, wood vinegar, methyl alcohol. From pine needles and wood, volatile fractions of different composition are isolated, consisting mainly of terpenoids - the so-called. essential oils, their main component is pinene.

It is used in ornamental gardening and park construction. Notable for its neatness and elegance of the crown, slender trunk, and shade tolerance. The spruce hedge is very thick and almost impenetrable. There are many garden forms and cultivars. Spruce is often used to create windbreaks, especially along roads. The seeds serve as food for forest birds (woodpeckers, crossbills) and rodents (mouse, squirrel). Spruce bark is used as a leather tanning agent. The needles are often used to prepare pine-vitamin flour for livestock feed.

Spruce, medicinal properties

Norway spruce (European) has many beneficial and medicinal properties. The plant has an excellent preventive and therapeutic effect for many diseases. Young tops of branches, immature cones, pine needles, and resin are used as medicinal raw materials, from which infusions, decoctions, tinctures and powder are prepared.

Spruce, beneficial properties

Spruce has a tonic, diuretic, choleretic, antimicrobial, antiscorbutic, analgesic and antispasmodic effect.

Infusion and decoction of spruce cones are used for inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, cough, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, sore throat, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, whooping cough, laryngitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, chronic pneumonia and for the prevention of infectious diseases, as well as for strengthening immune system and as an antiscorbutic agent.

Spruce is used for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, dropsy and infectious diseases of the urinary tract.

In the form of baths, pine extract is used for functional disorders of the peripheral and central nervous systems, such as neurasthenia, neurosis, plexitis, radiculitis, neuritis, and fatigue.

A decoction of the plant's needles is used to treat purulent wounds, cuts, abrasions, and fungal diseases. Spruce resin is used to prepare an ointment against boils.

Spruce oil helps eliminate nervousness, overstrain, increases the overall tone of the body and enhances the protective properties of the skin. Essential compounds from spruce can neutralize harmful microorganisms and purify indoor air.

Spruce, medicinal recipes

Decoction of spruce needles: one tablespoon of crushed spruce needles is poured into one glass of boiling water and boiled for thirty minutes, after which the broth is covered and left to infuse for three hours. The finished broth is filtered and taken half a glass during the day to strengthen the immune system and cleanse the blood of harmful impurities.

Spruce tincture: three tablespoons of young pine twigs are poured with half a liter of vodka and tightly closed with a lid. The tincture is left for two weeks, shaken occasionally. The finished tincture is taken before eating, 5-10 drops for bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinitis, renal edema, tuberculosis, rheumatism, bronchial asthma.

Infusion of spruce cones: young cones are crushed and poured in a ratio of 1:5 with hot water, boiled over low heat for half an hour and allowed to brew for twenty minutes. The finished infusion has an astringent taste, a specific odor and a brown tint. The infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than three days and used for inhalation; for an adult, 20 milliliters are used per procedure.

As a general tonic, you can pour hot water into the pine cones in a ratio of 1:10, boil for fifteen minutes, add lemon and leave to steep for one to two hours. The finished infusion is filtered, you can add sugar or honey, and I drink half a glass once a day in the morning before meals.

Spruce recipes

Spruce jam: fresh young shoots and fir cones are thoroughly washed, placed in an enamel bowl and filled with water a centimeter above the cones and simmered over low heat for two hours. After complete cooling, the broth is carefully filtered through cheesecloth and sugar is added in a ratio of 1:1 to the volume of the broth. Then put the pan on the fire again and cook for 1.5-2 hours like regular jam. Next, the jam is poured into sterilized jars and rolled up, used for coughs, myocarditis, microinfarctions, and rheumatic carditis.

Tea made from spruce twigs: useful for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, to cleanse the body, to increase the body’s immune forces and to prevent various diseases. You can add other herbs to spruce tea: mint, heather, raspberry leaves, currants and others. You can drink 2-3 cups of this tea during the day.

Spruce, contraindications

Read also: Norway spruce, description

Watch the video that talks about the medicinal properties and uses of spruce (watch from 13 minutes):

Pine: medicinal properties and contraindications.

Pine is an almost universal tree species. Her gifts are pine boards, tar, rosin and turpentine. Pine bark is an excellent material for making inert soil used in growing orchids. Pine is also an excellent alternative to a New Year tree: its needles practically do not fall off, which cannot be said about spruce. The value of pine also lies in its medicinal properties, which were noticed in ancient times, which were confirmed in ancient manuscripts.

Procurement of medicinal raw materials

For medicinal purposes, traditional medicine uses pine needles, young shoots and cones. The use of pine resin also has a place in folk medicine. There is no reason to consider the use of products obtained at pharmacological enterprises (turpentine, rosin, etc.), so it is advisable to focus on those parts of the plant that have practical use at home.

Pine buds are harvested at the very beginning of sap flow (early spring).

Pine cones are collected for medicinal needs in May - June, and young shoots are also harvested at the same time. You can harvest pine needles at any time of the year (even from a tree that was used as a “New Year tree”).

Chemical composition of medicinal raw materials

The needles and young shoots of pine, like all parts of the tree, contain resinous substances. In addition, pine needles are a rich source of ascorbic acid and were often used in ancient times to treat scurvy (vitaminosis caused by a lack of vitamin C). Pine needles accumulate a large number of chemical compounds, both organic and inorganic, which include macro- and microelements.

Essential oil of pine needles contains terpene compounds, borneol, bornyl acetate, aromatic substances, etc.

Pharmacological properties of pine preparations

Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of pine buds, cones and pine needles help thin the viscous mucus in the bronchi (expectorant effect) and increase diuresis (diuretic). Biologically active substances included in medicinal raw materials have a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect. All of the listed properties of pine preparations determine their use for the treatment of diseases of the bronchopulmonary system (bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.). Pine preparations are often prescribed as additional drugs used to treat diseases associated with the formation of stones in the kidneys and bile ducts. Pine preparations are also used in dermatology.

In ancient medical publications ("Private Pharmacology", 1847) information was found on the use of pine cones. “Pine cones have diuretic and diaphoretic properties; they are used in dropsy and old aches and rheumatic sufferings, mucus discharge (for example, from the lungs). Previously, they were also used against scurvy and venereal diseases.” The publication also gives instructions on the technology for preparing a complex pine tincture (tinc. pini composit., loco tincturae lignorum):

Pine cones - 90 g; - Guaiac wood shavings - 60 g; - Sassafras and juniper berries - 30 g each; - Alcohol - 1074 ml.

After infusion, the raw material is pressed out.

The tincture was prescribed in 2-4 ml doses for the treatment of rheumatism, and as an adjunct against sexually transmitted diseases.

Medicinal properties of pine in folk medicine (recipes)

A popular recipe for premature aging in Moldova is pine pollen. To obtain pollen, young cones collected in the spring are dried in the sun so that their scales open and the pollen falls freely. Take this remedy 1 g (approximately) up to 3 times a day before meals.

- "Pine honey." To prepare the product, underdeveloped pine cones (about 4 cm long) are used. Fresh cones are washed, placed in an enamel bowl, sprinkled with sugar (1 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water) and poured with water so that it covers them completely, and a little higher by 2 - 4 cm. The composition must be cooked for at least an hour and a half, making sure that the water did not boil over, and constantly removing the resulting foam. During the cooking process, the buds become “transparent”, and the syrup acquires a ruby color and a viscous consistency.

With the light hand of Valery Tishchenko, the following recipe became widespread: 5 tbsp. pine needles (chopped), 3 tbsp. rose hips, 2 tbsp. onion peels per 700 ml of water. Cook for 10 minutes after boiling, pour into a thermos and leave overnight. The healer believes that such a decoction should be drunk from a liter or more per day (instead of water), thereby completely restoring the vascular system. The course of treatment with decoction is at least 4 months. With all due respect to the traditional healer, this recipe is not suitable for treatment, and, as practice has shown, use in such dosages can lead to serious exacerbations of heart disease. The maximum permissible dosage is 50 or 100 ml per dose, with two or three times of use!

Decoction for baths. Hot foot baths for colds. For 10 liters of water - 1 kg of pine needles (or shoots). After boiling, remove the dishes from the heat and leave for 1 hour. Used for foot baths for colds. For baths, decoctions of cones (crushed) are also used, of which 3 cups are taken per 10 liters. The cooking technology is similar to the previous one.

A medicinal infusion of pine needles helps with iron deficiency anemia. For a glass of warm water - 2 tbsp. pine needles, leave for 3 hours. Take frequently, every 2 - 3 hours, 15 ml.

Extracts prepared from pine needles are used to prepare baths. For 10 liters of water - 1 kg of pine needles, cook for half an hour and leave for an hour and a half. For every kilogram of extract, 2.5 kg of table salt is added. Pine-salt baths are recommended for patients suffering from diseases of the musculoskeletal system associated with salt deposition (osteochondrosis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.). Baths have a good effect on various types of neuroses and joint pain.

Tincture of pine cones can be taken to treat gastritis, peptic ulcer etc.

Contraindications to treatment with pine preparations

Internal use of pine preparations is not recommended during pregnancy, during exacerbation of kidney disease, or acute hepatitis. Individual intolerance also serves as one of the contraindications when treatment with pine preparations should not be resorted to.

Abuse of pine-based drugs can provoke unpleasant symptoms: headache, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. Pine pollen may cause allergic rhinitis.

For external use of infusions, decoctions and extracts, no special contraindications have been identified.

Collecting pine needles

You can harvest pine needles at any time of the year. But it’s better to collect it in the summer, when the needles contain more acids and other useful substances. It is not recommended to collect pine needles for future use; if stored for a long time, healing properties are decreasing.

Needles should be collected using branches - this way they are better stored. Under the snow, in the cold, the main part of the nutrients is stored for up to 3 months. If you put a pine twig in water and keep it at room temperature, then after a few days the vitamins are destroyed.

The benefits of pine needles

The needles contain a large amount of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, phytoncides, chlorophyll, ascorbic acid (especially a lot of it accumulates in winter), phytoncides, and essential oils. The latter accumulate mainly in the summer, and in winter their content in the needles is minimal.

Thanks to such a rich set of valuable substances, pine needles have the following beneficial properties:

Bactericidal action. Due to the presence of essential oils.
Anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, expectorant effect. This makes pine needles very useful for acute respiratory infections. Gargle with the decoction.
It has a positive effect on the functioning of the digestive system and has a diuretic effect.
Stimulates cardiac activity.
Purifies the air in the room, which also has a restorative effect on the body.
Fights insomnia, stress, nervous fatigue. Improves mood.
Normalizes metabolism, stimulates the removal of excess fluid from the body.
It has a positive effect on the skin, rejuvenates it, smoothes wrinkles, fights boils and accelerates skin healing. The positive effects of pine needles on hair have also been noted.
It has a good effect on joints, recommended for gout and rickets.

Contraindications

Needles should be used with caution, because irresponsible use of this folk medicine can cause serious harm to health. You cannot use pine needles when:

Hepatitis in acute form. For chronic hepatitis, the use of pine needles is permissible after consultation with a doctor.
Glomerulonephritis and other severe kidney diseases. In mild cases of kidney disease, treatment with pine needles is possible, but you should first consult a doctor.
Severe heart failure.
Infectious skin diseases (pine baths).
Acute inflammatory processes.

Recipes with pine needles

For kidney diseases. 2 tbsp. onion peels and 5 tbsp. Pour a liter of boiling water over the pine needles and keep on low heat for 10 minutes. Then the broth should be infused in a thermos all night. This portion of the decoction is designed for 1 day, the course of treatment lasts several months. A doctor's permission is required!
Cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, colds, cough. 200 ml boiling water per 1 tbsp. pine needles, pour in and boil for 20 minutes. Strain, cool, drink in one go.
Phlebeurysm. Pour 500 g of peeled, crushed pine needles into 300 ml of boiling water. Stir to form a paste. Apply it to the affected area, wrapping it in gauze. After 15 minutes, remove the compress. The course of treatment lasts 14 days; compresses need to be applied every other day.
Improvement of skin, elimination of wrinkles. Mix 30 grams of pine needles (washed and chopped), a tablespoon olive oil and 3 tbsp. honey Apply the resulting mixture to the skin and rinse with warm water after 10 minutes. Repeat after two weeks.
For general strengthening of immunity. Rinse a glass of pine needles, chop them, pour 600 ml of boiling water. Let stand covered for 1 hour, then squeeze the juice from half a lemon and strain.
Pine bath. Immerse the pine needles in the bag in a hot bath. Helps well with colds.
Liver restoration. Pour boiling water over 2-3 tablespoons of needles and boil for half an hour. Then strain and drink 100 ml per day.
Diuretic. Pour 1 tbsp of pine needles into 250 ml of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes, then strain. Take a tablespoon four times a day after meals.
Strengthening the cardiovascular system. Pour 2 tbsp liter of water. onion peels, rose hips, and 5 tbsp. pine needles. Bring to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, then leave for 12 hours in a thermos. Drink warm instead of water. The course of treatment lasts 2 weeks, followed by a month break.

In folk medicine, pine needles are considered a very valuable raw material. It’s not for nothing that the Finns call pine the “tree of life,” because almost every part of it can be used to treat diseases.

Pine

Scots pine is a coniferous tree, reaching a height of up to 40 meters. It has a straight trunk with cracked brown or sulfur and a rounded crown. Its leaves, or rather needles, are located on the branches in pairs, having a dense, rigid structure. The flowering period is May, when cones form on the edges of the branches. A little later, the cones enlarge and become woody, forming, in turn, seeds in the axils of their scales. The lifespan of one tree is up to 400 years.

The medicinal properties of pine were known more than 5 thousand years ago. Compresses and poultices were made from pine needles, and in Ancient Egypt pine resin, which the plant is very rich in, was used for embalming. Even now, after more than 3,000 thousand years, these embalming compounds have absolutely not lost the bactericidal properties that pine gave them. IN Ancient Rus' people chewed the resin to cure diseases of the gums and teeth, and thus disinfected the oral cavity.

In medicinal medicine, almost all parts of this tree are healing and useful: needles, resin, young spring shoots, branches, bark - everything goes into use. Pine contains a lot of tannins, resin, starch, essential oil, carotene, vitamins B, C, K, R.

Even in the old days, healers advised people with depression to walk at a leisurely pace through a pine forest, inhaling the fragrant, resin-saturated air. And if you press yourself against a pine tree for 2-3 minutes, a person immediately relaxes, his consciousness clears up, he becomes cheerful, vigorous, and efficient. Research by Japanese scientists confirms that the essential scent of pine improves memory, invigorates and lifts mood.

Pine buds

Decoctions of pine buds have pronounced diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, disinfectant, and hemostatic effects. It also perfectly performs the function of an expectorant due to the fact that the epithelium of the respiratory tract is stimulated, mucus viscosity is reduced, and the functions of the ciliated epithelium are stimulated.

Tea made from pine buds copes well with bronchitis, pneumonia, cholelithiasis and kidney diseases. Recipe: 10 grams of pine buds are poured into 1 cup of boiling water and cooled to room temperature. Take 2 tsp. 3-4 times a day.

Expectorant: 1 tsp. pine buds are poured with 1 glass of boiling water and simmered in an enamel bowl in a water bath for half an hour. Afterwards, the resulting broth is filtered, cooled and brought to the original volume with boiled water - up to 1 glass. This decoction can be stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Take 3 times a day, 1/3 cup.

Decoction for inhalation: You need to take 20 grams of buds and pour 1 glass of boiling water over them. Next, put it in a water bath and breathe this steam. It perfectly thins phlegm, cures bronchitis, tracheitis, rhinitis, and reduces sore throat.

For whooping cough and bronchial asthma: 40 grams of pine buds, 30 grams of plantain and 30 grams of coltsfoot leaves. Mix everything, pour 1 liter of boiling water, let it brew, cool and take 1/3 cup 3 times a day.

For inflammation of the bladder or urinary retention: Take 1 tbsp. pine buds, pour 1 cup of boiling water over them, let it brew overnight, and then take 1/3 cup 3 times a day after meals, 1-1.5 hours later. For children, it is necessary to reduce the dose of one-time consumption by half. This recipe also helps with diseases of the upper respiratory tract, pharyngitis and laryngitis.

Pine needles

It is best to collect pine needles in late autumn or winter. It is during this period that they have the highest concentration of tannins, ascorbic acid and essential oils.

Vitamin infusion No. 1 You need to collect pine needles, rinse them thoroughly in water, and finely chop them with scissors. Raw materials in a volume of 4 glasses need to be filled with 500 ml of cold water, add 2 tbsp. vinegar to slightly acidify the solution and reduce bitterness, and let it brew in a dark and cool place for 2-3 days. You need to take 1 glass per day. This tea will instantly saturate the body with vitamin C, remove excess fluid from the body, increase immunity and strengthen the body against colds and inflammatory processes.

Vitamin infusion No. 2 Boil 200 grams of water and add 40 grams of pine needles, lemon zest (just a little) and 1 tsp. granulated sugar. Simmer over low heat for half an hour, then cool and add a few drops of lemon juice.

For a bath: You need to take 1 kg of pine needles and buds mixed in equal parts, pour three liters of boiling water over them and let it brew for 3-4 hours, strain and add to the bath. This infusion is great for treating neuroses and depression.

To remove toxins and radioactive substances from the body: Take 40-50 grams of pine needles (preferably young) and pour 2 liters of boiling water. Place the infusion in an enamel bowl over low heat and add 1 tsp. finely chopped licorice root and 1 tbsp. chopped onion peels. Boil the broth for 20 minutes, and then add 2 tbsp. pre-mashed rose hips. After the broth is removed from the heat, it must either be poured into a thermos, or tightly wrapped in a pan and allowed to brew for 12 hours. Within 48 hours, i.e. two days, you need to drink at least 5 liters of this decoction. This golden recipe helps prevent radiation sickness and cleanses the body even with severe radiation infections.

External use of pine needles: Poultices made from fresh pine needles are excellent for skin diseases, pustules, boils, rashes, burns and injuries. It is necessary to pick pine needles, rinse them in cold water, then pour boiling water over them, wrap them in gauze and apply a compress to the affected area. For burns, the pine needles must be finely chopped, lightly steamed in water, allowed to cool to room temperature and applied to the injury site.

To clean the vessels: Take 5 tbsp. chopped pine needles, 2 tbsp. chopped onion peels and 3 tbsp. rosehip. Pour the resulting mixture with 1 liter of boiling water and boil for another 10-15 minutes. Strain the resulting broth and take 100 grams once a day before meals.

To improve vision: Take 5 tbsp. finely chopped pine needles, pour 2 cups of boiling water over it and let it brew overnight. In the morning, strain the infusion and take 1 tbsp. 4 times a day after meals.

Diuretic: 1 tbsp. pour 1 cup of boiling water over finely ground pine needles and let it brew for half an hour. Strain the resulting solution and take 1 tbsp. 4 times a day. You can rinse your mouth with the same infusion to get rid of scurvy, periodontal disease and bleeding gums.

Vitamin infusion: It is necessary to finely chop the pine needles in a volume of 3 glasses and pour cold boiled water (4 glasses), add 1 tsp. lemon juice and place in a dark and cool place for 3 days. Then the infusion must be filtered and taken 100-150 grams 2 times a day. For children, the portion should be halved.

Pine tea: 4 tbsp. Grind finely ground pine needles with 2 tablespoons of sugar, pour boiling water over it and drink a tea drink rich in vitamins.

Pine baths: Baths with the addition of pine needles are used for joint diseases, skin rashes, ulcers and other diseases, for excess weight, and joint diseases. Also, pine baths are very good at relaxing tired muscles, restoring strength, and eliminating depression and neuroses. Recipe: rinse 2 kg of pine needles, finely chop, add 1 liter of hot water and let steep for half an hour. Then strain the infusion and pour into the bath. You can only swim in warm, not hot water, preferably at night, before bed and for no more than 20-30 minutes.

Also, a local pine needle bath has a very good warming effect for constantly freezing feet or hands: pour 1 glass of finely crushed pine needles into 1 liter of warm water in one container and 1 liter of cool water in another container. Place frozen limbs alternately in one container or another and hold for 20 seconds in each. The temperature difference between the two containers should not exceed 15 degrees.

The needles collected from the branches should be kept in a cold place, preferably in the snow, so that they do not lose their full vitamin qualities, and if necessary, prepare infusions and decoctions. If it is not possible to store in a cold place, then you need to tear off the needles from the branches very carefully, without a base, then they will not lose their properties even in a warm place. It is best to store raw materials in a linen bag.

Sap

Resin is used mainly externally as an excellent wound-healing extract. With its help, ointments are prepared that can heal the most putrid, wet and difficult-to-heal wounds.

Ointment: Heat 25 grams of beeswax, rosin and vegetable oil in a water bath until the components are completely dissolved. Then add 50 grams of resin and bring to a boil, but do not boil. Cool the resulting mixture and you can coat the wounds with a thin layer or apply compresses if the condition of the wound does not allow it to be smeared.

Against abscesses, bruises, broken bones: Mix 200 grams of oleoresin, 150 grams of olive oil, 15 grams of vitriol and add one onion. Bring to a boil, but do not boil. Cool the resulting mixture and use it externally as an ointment. You can also lubricate the nasal mucosa if you have a runny nose.

If you have a boil, you just need to apply a little resin and you can immediately feel the analgesic effect. After 2-3 days, the boil will completely resolve. You can apply it to wounds in the same way. There is a clear wound healing effect.

Scots pine in cosmetology

For baldness: 500 grams of pine buds are boiled for half an hour in 5 liters of water, filtered and used as a rinse. Also, this recipe is used not only for baldness, but for hair loss and simply as a preventive, strengthening method. After rinsing with pine decoction, the hair becomes silky, shiny, dense, and excess oiliness disappears.

For acne: In addition to the fact that Scots pine can heal wounds, it also has healing properties for acne or pustular rash on the face. Recipe: Finely chop 2 full handfuls of pine needles, pour 1 liter of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. You should wash your face with this decoction in the morning and evening.

Contraindications

Scots pine has a very strong concentrate of all the substances it contains, so when self-medicating you need to be very careful and careful and remember that it is better to take a slightly smaller portion than to then suffer from an overabundance and side effects of the medicine.

It is prohibited to use the drugs for those who have individual intolerance, kidney disease, hepatitis, glomeluronephritis, pregnancy and lactation.

The use of turpentine can cause hyperemia of the skin, and with its frequent use, the skin in areas of local exposure becomes blistered and becomes dead. Even if slightly rubbed into the skin, turpentine can cause increased blood pressure, shortness of breath, and insomnia. Children are prohibited from taking any medications that contain Scots pine until they are 2 years old.

Norway spruce, from a biologist's point of view, is a direct relative of pine. This plant is one of the most ancient. The physiological features of this tree determine many of the qualities of spruce.

Biological characteristics of spruce

The familiar Christmas tree is a gymnosperm plant that forms tall (25-30 meters) woody forms. In the Northern Hemisphere, this tree species forms entire forests; Norway spruce is one of the main components of the taiga.

The tree is evergreen, its green parts are transformed leaves, the nature of the changes of which is aimed at reducing evaporation and thus preserving moisture. Whorls of branches extend from the trunk, which in adulthood is covered with brown bark, and the tree forms a pyramidal crown.

Spruce loses some of its needles every year, which is due to the accumulation of substances in the needles that are toxic to the tree’s survival. The water-repellent properties of needles determine the fact that spruce forests are very dry. Reproduction occurs by transferring seeds formed in cones - megastrobiles. Fertilization occurs within the same tree, since male and female strobili are located on the same individual. Seed ripening occurs in the autumn season, that is, in September-October.

Gymnosperms, a typical representative of which is the common spruce, have reached our times from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic. At that time, angiosperms (flowering plants) had just emerged. Later, angiosperms, due to their adaptability, became cosmopolitan and spread throughout the globe.

Meanwhile, gymnosperms, due to the characteristics of their growth, in some places can displace trees belonging to the angiosperm division. A typical example is the co-growing of spruce and birch. At first, the birch crown provides the shadow the small tree needs, but when it grows, it shades the area and acidifies the soil, so the birch tree dies.

The ancient Germans revered and worshiped the spruce tree as the source of forest life. Of course, the tradition of decorating wood dates back to pagan times. However, Christianity is known to have adopted many pagan rituals. Therefore, they began to decorate the spruce for Christmas.

The fashion for installing and decorating spruce trees on New Year's Eve in Russia was introduced by the reformer Tsar Peter I. The German tradition quickly became popular in our country and to this day we put up this nice tree in our apartments, houses or on our garden plots.

Chemical composition

In general, spruce, like any other plant, is formed by a complex of organic and mineral substances. However, the proportions of some substances fluctuate depending on the season. Therefore, there is information that winter spruce trees contain more useful substances than trees of other seasons.

The organic component of the composition is represented by a large number of phytoncides, resinous and tannic components, vitamins, polyprenols, as well as carbohydrates, fiber and some other substances.

Various mineral salts are dissolved in the cell sap of the Christmas tree, which are donors of substances such as iron, magnesium, manganese, and aluminum. It is known that different parts of a given plant contain different elements, for example, the bark of a tree contains tannids, which are practically absent in other parts of the tree.

This phenomenon is associated with aspects of the life activity of spruce. The peculiarities of the seasonal composition determine the time of collection of medicinal raw materials, for example, it is better to collect cones in the summer, and take needles from young spring branches.

Use in folk medicine

Common spruce has a lot of useful properties, so even official medicine recognizes it.

Currently, there are several pharmaceutical drugs that are used to treat various diseases. A typical example is the medicine “Pana-Bin”, which is a mixture of essential oils of spruce needles and peach oil, mixed in a 1:1 ratio. This drug is used to treat urolithiasis, because the substances contained in the needles affect the smooth muscles of the ureters.

The medicinal qualities of common spruce are widely used in various traditional medicine recipes. To treat different diseases, homeopathy specialists use different raw materials from spruce.
Phytoncides contained in different parts of spruce determine its therapeutic effect on the human respiratory system. Many problems associated with the area of specialization of an ENT doctor can be solved through the use of infusions and decoctions of common spruce. In folk medicine, a decoction of fir cones is used for this purpose.
Ingredients: finely chopped pine cones - 1 tbsp. spoon, water - 2 tbsp. Preparation and administration: the components are mixed and boiled for about 0.5 hours. The strained decoction is used for inhalation, which should be carried out for at least 10-15 minutes. The liquid can be reused by preheating it. The shelf life of the decoction is 3 days if stored in the refrigerator.

With the help of inhalation with a decoction of fir cones, respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma are treated. The decoction can also be used to gargle for sore throat, laryngitis, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis. In case of diseases of the nasal passages - sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis - it is useful to wash them with a salted infusion of fir cones.

In addition to spruce cones, spruce resin is used to treat the internal respiratory tract - bronchi. To do this, mix it with beeswax, having previously melted it, in a 1:1 ratio. After cooling, the viscous mass is rolled into balls, which can be stored for quite a long time. Application occurs by burning (smoldering) one ball and inhaling the resulting smoke.

Spruce needles are used to treat various diseases of the human musculoskeletal system. This plant element contains vitamins, tannins and essential oils. Together, they have an analgesic, diaphoretic and antimicrobial effect on humans. These mechanisms underlie the use of spruce as a medicinal raw material in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and radiculitis. There is a popular recipe that has been used since ancient times.

Ingredients: finely chopped spruce needles - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot water -1 glass. Preparation and use: the pine needles are brewed with boiling water and simmered over low heat for about half an hour. The infusion is filtered and used to wipe the affected joints.

Also, for the treatment of pain in joints, especially at the stage of the process when transformation of the shape of the joint occurs, resin, otherwise known as spruce resin, helps. To do this, it is placed in damp, warm gauze, heated to a temperature of 30-40 degrees, and the gauze (or bandage) soaked in resin is applied to the sore joints of the arms or legs. In some cases, even spruce wood can be used to treat diseases of the spine and back. For example, people have the following recipe for radiculitis:

Ingredients: wood shavings or finely chopped spruce needles - 0.5 kg. Preparation and administration: plant materials are calcined in the oven or in a frying pan and transferred to a woven bag. The hot bag is placed on the sore area of the back, previously covered with a waffle towel or diaper.

In this case, the therapeutic effect is achieved simultaneously by heating the affected area, and also, when cooling, the wood raw material releases aromatic substances that have a psychological calming effect on the patient and disinfects the air. Warming up with this method lasts 15-20 minutes.

In folk medicine, the calming effect of spruce raw materials is used. To treat chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety and even neuroses, it is useful to use lying, sitting and foot baths. For insomnia, use spruce needles placed in a woven bag, which is placed close to the pillow. However, it should be borne in mind that over time such a bag with pine needles loses its beneficial features, therefore, plant raw materials are recommended to be replaced at least once every 2 months.

For baths, water extracts and decoctions of spruce needles are used. They are diluted in a volume of warm or hot water poured into the bath. There is the following recipe based on pine needles.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 100g, warm water -1 liter. Preparation and use: Mix the ingredients and let it simmer in a saucepan with a lid on for about half an hour over medium heat. The broth is filtered and poured into a lying bath (volume 200 liters).

You can also combat anxiety, restlessness and increased excitability with the help of young spruce shoots or the upper parts of the branch stem (where the needles are the softest). Based on them, aqueous extracts are made, which are mixed with warm water and taken in the form of sitz or foot baths. The recipe for shoot extract is similar to that described for pine needles. The proportions must be kept the same, but the concentration of the medicinal composition will differ, because for a foot bath you will need 250 g of medicinal raw materials, and for a sedentary bath - 750 g.

For the treatment of various wounds, suppurations, boils, abrasions or ulcers, treatment with spruce resin - resin - is widespread among people. Numerous biologically active substances contained in this product cause bacteriostatic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects on external lesions of the skin and mucous membranes.

In addition, the use of oleoresin as an ointment relieves pain accompanying various external injuries, including pain from a burn. Among the people, there are quite a few ways to prepare medicinal components based on resin. Let's list some of them.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, butter - 1 part, beeswax - 1 part. Preparation and administration: the melted ingredients are mixed and placed in a container with a lid. Apply the resulting ointment to the areas of skin affected by boils, ulcers or abscesses.

Ingredients: resin, flower honey, any vegetable oil (sunflower, hemp, flaxseed, olive). Preparation and administration: all components are taken in a 1:1:1 ratio, heated until liquid and mixed. The cooled mixture is used to lubricate abscesses, ulcers, and festering wounds. You can use this ointment in the form of patches.

Ingredients: spruce resin - 1 part, pork fat - 1 part, yellow wax - 1 part. Preparation and administration: these substances are melted in a water bath and mixed. This composition can be used to treat complex wounds such as thermal and chemical burns, fistulas, as well as ulcers, abscesses and abscesses.

Common spruce is widely known among people as a source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Its anti-scorbutic therapeutic effect is based on this property, because scurvy is an acute deficiency of vitamin C, leading to severe consequences for human connective tissue. This property of spruce raw materials was widely used during the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, in cases of shortage of this essential vitamin for humans, the following recipe is used, based on spruce medicinal raw materials.

Ingredients: spruce needles - 30g, hot boiling water - 0.5 liters. Preparation and administration: The plant component is scalded in a container with a lid. The mixture is infused for at least several hours and, when strained, is drunk before meals 3 times a day.

In addition, spruce needles, buds, shoots and other parts of the tree are used to treat other vitamin deficiencies. The fact is that in addition to the described vitamin C, this plant also contains vitamin A (carotene), E (tocopherol), as well as some representatives of the B vitamin family. In this vein, take the following multivitamin solution.

Ingredients: finely chopped spruce needles or shoot tips - 5 tbsp. spoon, rose hips (fruit) - 3 tbsp. spoons, onion peel (chopped) - 1 tbsp. spoon, hot boiling water - 0.7 l. Preparation and administration: plant raw materials are brewed with hot boiled water and kept at medium heat for another 5-7 minutes. Cool for two hours with the lid of the pan in which the boiling was carried out closed. The tincture is taken in the amount of half a glass 3 times a day every day for a month, then take a break for 10-12 days.

In addition, there is a recipe for a mono-infusion of spruce. In this case, the pine needles and water are combined in a 1:2 ratio, and honey or sugar can be added to the strained infusion to improve the taste. Take half a glass of the tincture in the morning and before bed.

Contraindications to taking spruce medicinal raw materials

With all the useful substances that make up this plant, common spruce also has a negative effect on human health. In particular, doctors have found that taking essential oils from spruce has a negative effect on the condition of people suffering from kidney diseases such as nephritis or nephrosis. In addition, spruce phytoncides are a fairly powerful allergen, so allergy sufferers should take spruce medicines with caution.

Taking aqueous extracts and infusions of spruce orally is contraindicated for people suffering from ulcerations of various parts of the intestines, as well as gastritis.

Taking pine baths should be done with caution for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, in particular, hypertensive patients. Varicose veins and thrombosis are also a contraindication to taking lying or sitz baths with spruce infusions.

The condition of cancer patients can also worsen when taking pine baths.