Ordinary products-vegetables, fruits, nuts, juices and berries – are not just our taste preferences. That's what makes us who we are. It also enriches and enriches the elements necessary for life. But what if we make changes to our usual diet? After all, each product is a storehouse of certain substances that affect the body. Our health, well-being and mood depend on what we eat. And the task of each of us is to learn this information and learn how to use it.
Loquat
German Loquat was known to mankind more than 1000 years BC. In the territories of Ancient Babylon, Mesopotamia freely traded it, on ships it was taken to the west to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. It was from here that Loquat landed on European lands. To date, the German Loquat grows in the Balkans, Asia Minor, the Crimean Mountains, Transcaucasia, Armenia, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Greece and the north of Iran. The tree is fastidious and grows well only in dry sunny places and on weakly acidic soil.
The German Loquat has a round shape slightly flattened along the axis with unfolded sepals at the end. The fruit is small in size (2-3 cm in diameter), red-brown in color. The immature fruit is quite hard and sour. Matters Loquat only after the first autumn frosts or after lying for a month. In this case, the fruits lose moisture, become wrinkled, but at the same time soft and sweet.
The homeland of Japanese Loquat is the subtropical territory of China. It was from here that the plant got to Japan, and then in the 19th century. was imported to Europe. They cultivate Loquat in Georgia, India, the United States, Ukraine, Southeast and South Asia and the Himalayas. This species is closest to quince, pear and hawthorn. The plant begins to bloom in autumn, and the fruits ripen in spring in the period from May to June. They have a pear-shaped form up to 10 cm in diameter. The color of the skin is orange-brown, the pulp is juicy-sweet to taste. Inside each Japanese Loquat there are large dark brown bones from 1 to 5 pcs.
Storage and use of Loquat
Store Loquat should be in a dark, cool place, so that the fruits do not touch each other. Loquat is mostly fresh, but in the regions where it grows, jam, jam, marmalade, pastille, juices, compotes, and wine and liquor are cooked.
Nutrition value in 100 grams:
| Proteins, gr | Fat, gr | Carbohydrates, gr | Ash, gr | Water, gr | Calorific value, kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Composition and availability of nutrients
The fruits of Loquat contain vitamins (C, A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9), minerals (potassium, iron, magnesium, iodine, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, selenium, zinc and others), sugars (fructose, sucrose) and organic acids (lemon, apple). Phytoncides and tannins give the fruits astringent properties that positively affect the course of gastrointestinal diseases, normalizing the work of the intestines, relieve pain in stone deposits in the kidneys and urinary tract. Saddle fruit Loquat stop intestinal bleeding, relieve inflammation.
Useful and medicinal properties
From the pulp of ripe fruits, alcoholic tinctures are prepared for the treatment of bronchial asthma and other respiratory diseases. To do this, Loquat together with bones (5 pieces) is carefully ground, add honey (2 tbsp.) And sake (100 ml). All components are mixed and leave to be infused for a week in a sealed container. After that, tincture is filtered and taken for 30 g. 3 times a day before meals. This remedy facilitates cough, binds and removes phlegm from the lungs, improves the general condition of the body.
Loose fruit should not be consumed by people with gastrointestinal diseases, accompanied by an increased level of acidity of gastric juice, ulcers and inflammatory processes in the pancreas.
Also, carefully the fruits must be introduced into the diet of children and people prone to manifestations of allergic reactions.