Lingonberry for children: beneficial properties and harm

The healing properties of lingonberries have long been known and used in folk recipes. At the same time, they appreciate not only delicious berries, but also lingonberry leaves. When can I give fresh lingonberries to babies and how to make healthy drinks from it? Is it permissible to treat children with cranberry leaf infusions and infusions, and under what diseases do these remedies help?

• Fresh lingonberries are rich in sugars, which are a natural source of energy. Also in this berry there are a lot of organic acids, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamins of group B, calcium, pectin, vitamin A, volatile production, phosphorus, vitamin E and other valuable substances. At the same time, their assimilation is better than that of pharmaceutical vitamin preparations.
• Lingonberry berries have a positive effect on metabolic processes, thanks to phytoncids, both the fruits and the leaves of such a plant have a disinfecting effect.
• The diuretic effect of the use of cranberries has long been known. At the same time, unlike tablets diuretic drugs, it is soft and harmless. Note that such an action will be enhanced if we supplement the intake of berries with alkaline mineral water.
• Using lingonberries will help remove heavy metals and other harmful compounds from the body.Therefore, it is advised to include such a berry in the diet of residents of ecologically unfavorable regions, for example, when living near an industrial enterprise.

Some interesting facts about lingonberries can be found by looking at a fragment of the program “Live healthy!” By Elena Malysheva:

• Lingonberry has the ability to reduce high blood pressure, as well as lower intracranial pressure. In addition, this berry tones, improves eyesight, stimulates wound healing and has a antipyretic effect, which causes the use of lingonberry juice at a temperature and cold.
• Lingonberry is advised to include in the diet when infected with worms, gastritis, anemia and vitamin deficiencies. Broth cowberry, which also includes St. John's wort, helps with enuresis.
• Lingonberry juice promotes bowel emptying, so its inclusion in the drinking regime of children will help to forget about constipation. WITHinterfering with honey, they get a remedy that helps with a wet cough that stimulates sputum discharge.
• Lingonberry leaves are rich in glycosides, tannins, phytoncides, vitamins, organic acids and lycopene. Such substances provide them with antiseptic, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the leaves have a vessel strengthening effect.
• Cowberry herbal tea soothes well, promotes recovery from infectious diseases, pIt helps eliminate fatigue, stimulates the immune system. It also removes excess fluid from the body and increases the effect of antibiotic therapy.

• Lingonberry is not recommended for children who have problems with blood clotting.
• This berry can cause harm if the acidity of the gastric juice is increased or the child has developed gastritis. It should not be used fresh and with cholecystitis or peptic ulcer.
• Although the majority of children cowberry does not cause allergies, yet sometimes an allergic reaction to the fruits of this plant is possible, therefore, its introduction into the infant diet should be carried out gradually.
• You should not include mors and fresh lingonberries in the diet of children with a tendency to diarrhea.
• Lingonberry is not recommended for hypotension.
• To consult about the use of such berries with a pediatrician need for kidney disease, for example, with urolithiasis.

Fresh lingonberries in the whole form for infants is not recommended, because it is very difficult to peel it off. The inclusion of this berry in the children's diet is best to start with morse, after consulting with a pediatrician, because for some babies lingonberries may be an allergen.

There are opinions that it is possible to treat baby with milk already from 6 months, but most doctors and mothers recommend to postpone familiarity with such a drink until one year. The first sample should include a very small amount of lingonberries - no more than a spoon of fruit drinks or one whole berry. If a negative reaction to the product does not occur, gradually the portion can be increased.

Berry cranberries are advised to offer along with other berries and fruits. Especially useful to enjoy them between meals, and after eating the use of lingonberries is undesirable. In addition, because of the sour taste, lingonberries are often combined with sweet dishes, such as pudding, yogurt, or cereal. If there are no contraindications, children can treat cold with honey and lingonberries.

Take 3 tbsp. spoons of lingonberry fruit (about 50 grams) and a few tsp of sugar. Next, you need to brew berries with a liter of boiling water, bring to a boil and after 5 minutes, remove from heat. Drink after filtering necessarily cool and offer children. Its storage for longer than a day is not recommended, so prepare only a few portions of fruit drinks at once.

Bay lingonberry leaves with water, they need to boil in a water bath for about 10-15 minutes. After cooling and leaving the infusion for several hours, the medicinal drink is filtered and given to the child. According to the instructions for use, children are offered no more than 50 ml of such a useful liquid before meals. This infusion is useful for hypovitaminosis, rheumatism, flu, swelling and other problems.

For such a tasty delicacy, you need to fill in with 100 milliliters of water 25 grams of gelatin and allow it to swell, then heat it in a water bath until completely dissolved. Separately, add about 300 g of lingonberries with a tablespoon of sugar and wait until juice appears. Bring to a boil about 300 ml of water, add 50 g of sugar, then add gelatin, remove the mixture from the heat and pour the lingonberry juice. Wait for the dish to solidify and offer it to the child.

Connect 20 g of berries and about 30 g of dried leaves of lingonberries, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave for ten minutes. Strain, add sugar or honey to tea. This drink is useful for anemia and a lack of vitamins.

Scald about 300 g of fresh cranberries with boiling water, dry the berries and chop them in a blender. Fill with a liter of boiling water, bring to a boil over the fire, then immediately remove and strain twice through a sieve. Add in the resulting broth about 80 g of sugar and bring it to a boil again.

Separately, dilute 50 g of potato starch with cold water in an amount of 200 ml, pour the mixture into the cowberry broth and let the liquid boil again with constant stirring.After removing it from the heat, transfer it to another vessel and close the lid so that the jelly will infuse.

You can use it warm and chilled. Children like this drink are not very sweet, but not too sour taste. It is a natural remedy that helps prevent hypovitaminosis and colds.

Cowberry leaves are harvested during the flowering period of the plant, until they turn brown. Ripe lingonberries are advised to be harvested in September, going in search of coniferous and mixed forests.

Fresh berries perfectly tolerate freezing and retain their properties when dried, so children in the winter can make fruit drinks and tea from frozen lingonberries or dried berries. Also, for long-term storage, you can cook compote or jam cranberries from the fruit.

A very interesting video on how to collect and store berries, see below: