Fern useful properties recipes. Fern home: benefits and harms, useful properties, signs. Helps in the treatment of anemia

Ferns are the most ancient group of higher plants. For a long time, in the minds of many peoples, ferns have been associated with various superstitions and legends, which is largely due to poisonous properties a significant proportion of ferns. They contain essential oils, flavonoids, tannins, phenol phloroglucinum, which has found its application in medicine. In addition, ferns are used as fodder (common bracken, due to the high protein content), medicinal (especially male stink), food (mainly common bracken and common ostrich), ornamental (female kochedyzhnik, common ostrich) plants; some are weeds.

Birch-fern forest

For example, phloroglucinol derivatives contained in Male thyroid gland (Dryopteris filixmas L.), when injected into a vein in toxic doses, cause convulsions and cardiac arrest in warm-blooded animals. When administered orally, they irritate the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. After absorption into the blood, after about 2 hours, they cause convulsions and death of animals.

Phloroglucinol derivatives and their decay products are poisonous to living protoplasm, but they are especially toxic to the muscle cells of worms and mollusks. This feature is associated with the antihelminthic effect of the fern rhizome.

With storage, the antihelminthic effect of fern and its preparations becomes weaker. The loss of activity is associated with the transition of fern acid to inactive anhydride - filicin.

Preparations from the rhizome of the thyroid gland are used against tapeworms. Fern preparations are especially effective for infestations with bovine and porcine tapeworms (teniidoses), as well as for diphyllobothriasis and hymenolipedosis.

An extract from the rhizomes of the male thyroid gland and the preparation filiksan are used - the sum of the active ingredients of the rhizomes of the male thyroid gland.

There are indications that filixan is less toxic than male thyroid extract. However, when prescribing both drugs, it is possible side effects: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea with blood and mucus, in pregnant women, as a result of reflex contraction of the uterus, there may be a miscarriage, dizziness, headache, respiratory depression, convulsions; there may be a weakening of cardiac activity, a decrease in blood pressure, collapse. N.P. Kravkov reported cases of atrophy of the optic nerve as a result of poisoning with fern extract. That's why treatment with male thyroid preparations is carried out under the close supervision of a doctor.

There is also a widespread legend or superstition aboutflower (fire flower) of a fernto be found on the night of Ivan Kupala , is connected just with the male Shchitovnik. Whoever found such a flower that night, the underground treasures, the gift of foresight . The "fiery" flower allegedly could make any person invisible, give power over dark forces, make him fabulously rich or happy.

Common bracken(Pteridium aquilinum)

Due to the peculiarities of development and powerful rhizome, bracken is considered in some countries a hard-to-kill weed. At the same time, people have long tried to benefit from this plant. In England, for example, until the XIX century. dried bracken leaves were used for roofing, as bedding for livestock, as fuel and as fertilizer. Baskets were woven from large petioles in California, and in Europe pillows and mattresses were stuffed with bracken leaves.

At one time, fern ash was also widely used.

There is information about the possibility of using bracken in the leather industry as a tanning agent. Antimicrobial properties make it possible to use fern leaves for packaging vegetables and fruits.

There are a variety of opinions about the possibility of using bracken as animal feed. On the one hand, the high protein content is attractive, and on the other hand, it is known that fresh and dried bracken causes poisoning of animals. Nevertheless, the experiments of P. V. Maksimov (1936) on the ensiling of forest grass, consisting of 90% of fern, confirmed that animals eat such food willingly and do not have any consequences. Does not cause poisoning of animals and flour obtained from fern, dried in artificial conditions.

The literature discusses medicinal properties bracken. So in the review of A. I. Shreter and L. M. Kornishina (1975) it is indicated that the leaves and rhizomes of bracken were used as a hemostatic, tonic, antipyretic, astringent, antihelminthic, analgesic, as well as in diseases nervous system and some other pathologies.

The fern plays a certain role in human nutrition.

It is known, for example, that the local population of the island of New Zealand and the Canary Islands, South America and Australia baked bread from the flour of pre-dried bracken rhizomes rich in starch. In the famine years, such bread was baked in countries Western Europe. The rhizome flour has good palatability, but is quite coarse due to the significant amount of fiber. The rhizomes themselves are edible and taste like baked potatoes.

During the First World War, which caused significant difficulties in providing the population with food, young bracken shoots were recommended in England as substitutes for asparagus.

Ferns are especially popular in the diet of the population of Japan and Korea. Japanese cuisine is rich in recipes for preparing a wide variety of fern dishes. So, bracken is recommended to be used for cooking various seasonings, salads, snacks, you can add it to soups, eat it with bean curd. Fern fried in oil has the best taste, and all dishes from it with the addition of walnut. IN Lately interest in fern has increased, which is associated with an increase in its export to other countries, as well as with the increasing popularity of dishes from it in catering throughout Russia.

Nutritional advantages of the common bracken.

Young bracken shoots are suitable for food only at a certain stage of development. I. V. Dalin (1981) divided the period of intensive fern growth into several stages, giving each its own name:

– « shoot"(ring) - the petiole of the future leaf is annularly curved;

– « undergrowth"- the top of the frond comes off the soil, the petiole begins to straighten, but is still quite strongly curved;

– « bend elimination"- the main part of the petiole is already growing straight up, but the top of the frond is still curved;

– « shiltse"- the top straightens completely, the whole frond is straight;

– « threesome"- from the top of the frond, leaf blades begin to unfold.

The optimal stages of development in the practice of blanks are considered to be “elimination of bending”, “awl” and “triangle” at the very beginning of the deployment of the leaf blade.

According to the biological value of the protein, bracken fern is close to the proteins of cereal products, which are considered easily digestible, and mushrooms, but inferior to proteins of animal origin.

Common ostrich(Matteuccia struthiopteris)

The Norwegians are known to have used the fern to feed goats and also to make beer. In Russia, it was used as an anthelmintic.

The common ostrich is one of the most beautiful views, it is cultivated as an ornamental plant, and in Canada for food purposes.

According to the Japanese, ostrich feathers are considered the most delicious among edible ferns. Unlike many other ferns, it can be eaten not only boiled, but also fresh.

An ostrich appears in early spring. They begin to collect it at the stage when the top of the leaf just appears above the soil and is folded like a snail. In this case, the length of the petiole should be at a level of no more than 3 cm from the soil; there should not be more side leaves - only such a stage of development is suitable for food purposes. If the fern is overgrown, its snail-shaped leaf will unwind during processing, and the dish prepared from such a plant will have an unattractive appearance.

In Canada and some US states, the ostrich is a traditional spring food for local Indians. The population prefers frozen fern to all other types of processing, and its harvesting in some provinces reaches 200 tons.

• Turova A. D., Sapozhnikova E. N. medicinal plants USSR and their application. - 3rd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Medicine, 1982. 304 p., ill.
• Maksimov P.V. Fern silage // Probl. animal husbandry. - 1936. - No. 9. - S. 154-156.
• Shreter A. I., Kornishina L. M. The use of ferns of the flora of the USSR in scientific and folk medicine // Rast. resources. - 1975. - T. 11, no. 4. – P. 50–53.
• Dalin I.V. Accounting and use of the common bracken in the forests of the Far East: Abstract of the thesis. dis. cand. s-x. Sciences. Krasnoyarsk, 1981. - 24 p.
• Tsapalova I. E., Plotnikova T. V. Change nutritional value of fresh fern shoots during storage // Izv. universities. Pishch. Technology. -1982. - No. 5. - p. 158.

Description

Fern is a herbaceous plant, a representative of the Osmund family. Scientists consider North China, Korea, and the Far East to be its homeland. There is a fern in the forests of Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Central Asia, Mexico. The plant is a green stem with pinnately dissected leaves (see photo). The fern is considered one of the oldest plants on the planet, originating in the Devonian period. Pressed fern wood, according to scientists, became the material for coal.

In order to understand what this plant is, it is necessary to trace the stages of its development: the fern stem grows underground, young leaves called fronds begin to form in spring, then the leaves grow and most of all resemble a huge snail, the leaves unfold and become like a hook . The fern does not bloom, but reproduces with the help of spores.

The plant received its scientific name Pteridium aguillinum (bracken fern) due to its resemblance to the wing of a huge bird (with Greek preton means "wing", aqulia means "eagle").

There are many interesting legends associated with the fern. People were very wary of this plant, because it looked very mysterious. Our ancestors did not understand how this plant reproduces if it never blooms. Fern blossoming was expected by people as a special holiday. According to a well-known belief, a person who finds a flower of this plant on the feast of Ivan Kupala will be able to become incredibly rich, since the earth itself opens up on this night and shows hidden riches. In Rus', they believed that this plant opens any locks and that you cannot hide a single secret in front of a fern. According to an ancient legend, the fern appeared thanks to the goddess of love Venus, supposedly she dropped her beautiful hair, and this amazing plant grew out of it. Another legend says that a girl fell off a cliff, and a spring arose in that place, and her hair became a plant that looked like a bird's wing.

calories: 34 kcal

Energy value of the product Fern:

• Proteins: 4.55 g
• Fats: 0.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 5.54 g

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of the fern are due to its valuable chemical composition. The plant is rich in alkaloids, starch, essential oils, flavonoids, tannins. Fern shoots contain carotene, tocopherol (vitamin E), riboflavin, or vitamin B2. The presence of alkaloids makes the plant an excellent pain reliever.

Fern contains a large amount of protein, similar to cereal protein, which is easily digested and has a positive effect on the body. With regular use, the plant has a positive effect on growth processes.

Fern has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system, tones the body. There is evidence that the plant helps to remove radionuclides from the human body.

For medicinal purposes, the rhizome of the plant is used, which is harvested in September. Fern is effective for varicose veins, inflammation of the sciatic nerve, and cramps in the calf muscle. With these diseases, the course of treatment is 3 weeks.

Use in cooking

Ferns have been used in cooking since ancient times. For food purposes, only two types of fern are used - bracken and ostrich. Edible are the so-called rachis, or plant shoots. And its young leaves are added to salads, fried, marinated, used instead of seasoning. Fern shoots taste like mushrooms. Due to the high presence of proteins, the plant was loved by the inhabitants of Japan, Korea, and the Far East. calories this product is 34 kcal per 100 grams.

There are two types of fern preparation: boiling and canning. In any case, before preparing the plant, its shoots must first be boiled. You should not neglect this stage and fry fresh rachis: in this way you will spoil the dish, because the fern will be bitter. The leaves are washed in salted water. When the water boils, after a few minutes it is drained, the plant is washed and again poured with salted water. Next, the fern is boiled until tender. The shoots should not break, it is enough to bring them to a state where they will easily bend. The cooked plant is thrown into a colander and used according to culinary recipes.

A popular option for preparing fern is its salting. Thanks to salting, the product can be stored for a long time, and besides, you get an excellent “semi-finished product”, which can be turned into an amazing product very quickly. tasty dish. The plant is thoroughly washed, then placed in glass jar and covered with salt, the ferns are folded in layers, sprinkling them with table salt. Next, the container with the plant is pressed down on top with something heavy and placed for 14 days in a cool place. After two weeks, it will be necessary to drain the brine, and transfer the shoots to another container. Moreover, the plant is folded again in layers with the difference that the layer that was on top should be at the very bottom. The fern is again poured with brine with a minimum salt content of 22%. In this form, the fern can be stored for several years.

On sale there is a specially harvested fern for food purposes. The purchased product must be soaked in clean water for a few hours to remove excess bitterness and salt. During this time, it is better to periodically drain the water and fill the plant with new water. After two hours, the fern is transferred to a saucepan and boiled for about 15 minutes without adding spices. In parallel, it is necessary to cut the onion and meat. Next, the meat and onions should be fried for vegetable oil. The fern after heat treatment is cut into small pieces and fried along with the rest of the ingredients. At the end of cooking, add 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce. The dish is served hot.

A well-known recipe for the preparation of this plant is “Korean fern”. Onions and carrots, cut into strips, stew on olive oil until golden. Fern sprouts are added to the vegetables in the pan and mixed thoroughly. The resulting mass is again thoroughly mixed and seasoned with seasoning for cooking carrots in Korean. Next, the vegetables are stewed until tender for 15 minutes.

Fern benefits and treatment

The benefits of the plant have long been known to folk medicine. Fern is used as an analgesic for joint pain, headache. For rheumatism, it is recommended to take warm baths with fern decoction. Also, decoctions of the plant are effective for jaundice, diseases of the intestines and spleen. Externally, the plant is used for eczema, abscesses, scrofula. Fern root powder relieves congestion in the intestines and spleen.

A decoction of fern rhizomes can be prepared at home. To do this, boil 10 grams of crushed rhizome for 10 minutes in 200 ml of water. Take a decoction should be 1 tsp. along with bee honey. Sometimes the decoction is mixed with flour and taken by dividing the "dough" into 10 parts. Fern is a potent remedy, drugs on the basis of which it is impossible to take without medical indications. After taking the plant, be sure to put an enema and take a saline laxative. Taking other types of laxatives is strictly prohibited.

Outwardly, a decoction of fern is used as baths or rubdowns. In order to prepare a bath with a decoction, you will need 50 grams of rhizome per 3 liters of water. The broth is insisted for several hours, and then poured into a cool bath.

Fern harm and contraindications

The plant can cause harm to the body with uncontrolled use. It is better to use fern under the supervision of a phytotherapist or attending physician, since the plant is poisonous.

Fern is contraindicated for pregnant women.

Contraindications to its use are also fever, anemia, tuberculosis, liver and kidney disease, ulcers, chronic diseases.

In case of an overdose, the patient should wash the stomach and immediately seek medical help.

Interesting Facts

The fern is one of the oldest plants on earth, preserved until today. Scientists believe that the compressed wood of ancient ferns has become the main forming material of coal.

Everyone knows the belief that whoever finds a fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala will be able to find all the treasures and open all hearts. It's just a legend - the fern never blooms.

Lovers of comfort in the house and indoor flowers increasingly prefer home ferns.

What attracts them to this amazing plant? Unusual appearance or his beneficial features?

Description and characteristics of indoor fern

The fern belongs to the fern family, which are distributed throughout the world. Indoor fern is an unpretentious and ornamental plant, with wide and spreading leaves.

One of characteristic features fern is the lack of seeds. Despite this, the plant has the ability to reproduce due to the presence of special spores (soruses) near its roots.

The appearance of the fern is very different from the usual indoor flowers. The leaves of the plant look like dissected feathers. The color of the indoor fern is usually light green, and its height can reach 1 meter.

The benefits of indoor ferns

Fern has many beneficial properties. The root of this plant is widely used in folk medicine, and the amazing leaves are used in cooking.

An ordinary indoor fern perfectly absorbs dust and purifies the air. In addition, the flower neutralizes electromagnetic rays that come from the TV, computer monitor, microwave oven. By placing a pot with this plant in close proximity to the source electromagnetic radiation, you can get rid of headaches, fatigue and many other consequences of using electronics.

Fern in treatment: properties and benefits

In addition to absorbing electromagnetic rays and dust particles, fern is widely used in folk medicine, as it has analgesic, diuretic and laxative effects, and also removes all harmful toxins from the body.

Particular attention is paid to the root of this plant. From different parts of the home fern, a variety of remedies are prepared for the treatment of helminthiasis, removing tapeworm and tapeworm.

With the help of fern, varicose veins are treated, as well as increase immunity and strengthen the body. Salted fern shoots perfectly relieve stress and have a positive effect on the nervous system. Fern root powder is used to eliminate inguinal hernia in men.

It should be noted that the fern has a lot of useful qualities, so it is used in the treatment of cancer, disruption of the digestive tract, oophoritis, ulcers, rheumatism and migraines.

How to care for a fern so as not to harm it?

Having decided to purchase an indoor fern, you need to consider that, like any plant, it needs a list of conditions that are important for successful development and life. The fern will not thrive in a home that does not meet the following conditions:

1. Lighting;
2. Air temperature;
3. Regularity of watering;
4. Air humidity.

For a home fern, the optimum temperature is 15-24 degrees. If the temperature of the fern habitat in the house is below 12 or above 25, then the plant is likely to wither.

An important point for the life of a fern is air humidity. The plant will feel good in a space with 40-60% humidity. In order to increase the humidity in the room, you can purchase a special humidifier, but just spray the leaves of the plant regularly.

As for watering, it all depends on the season and the humidity in the house. Basically, the fern is watered 1-2 times a week, but you can also focus on soil moisture: when the soil in the pot is dry, you can water it. It should be noted that such an amount of watering is optimal, since both dry and too moist soil can lead to disastrous consequences for the plant. Over-watering, for example, will cause the roots of the flower to rot. Also, the fern needs watering exclusively with “soft” water. To do this, let the water brew for several days at room temperature.

Flower growers often like to fertilize their plants, but does a fern need it? Certainly. To fertilize this flower, it is enough to add mineral or organic fertilizers. It is important to take into account that winter time the fern is not fertilized for years.

If we consider the issue of lighting in which this plant will live comfortably, then it is important to consider that the fern does not like direct sunlight. Due to excessive sunlight, the leaves of the flower may fade and turn yellow. Optimal location for a fern - a stand for flowers. It provides a comfortable diffused sunlight for this plant.

The need for a transplant is signaled by the green color of the leaves, but such signs are often found only in young shoots. Usually, the plant is transplanted every two or three years in the spring, when the flower no longer fits in its pot.

fern species

The fern family includes more than a thousand varieties of this plant. But which ones can be grown at home? The following types of fern are adapted for life in close proximity to people:

• Nephrolepis

This type of fern is famous for its unpretentiousness. It performs well the decorative function of indoor plants, forming a lush and sprawling bush. Also, one of the advantages of this species is its rapid growth.

• Blehnum

This species of the fern family has similarities with a palm tree and requires a lot of space in the house.

• Maidenhair

This species is also called "Venus hair", as it has fairly thin stems and small leaves. Unlike the counterparts described above, it needs careful care and self-care.

What damage can a fern cause?

An ordinary indoor fern does not do much harm. The only moments that can be distinguished are an allergic reaction to this flower, which is quite rare, and the release of carbon dioxide by it. As for the second statement, this item applies to all indoor plants, since when they absorb oxygen, they release carbon dioxide, which can provoke headaches and dizziness in humans. You can avoid the harmful influence very simply - do not put the flower in the bedroom.

If an indoor fern standing in a flowerpot does not do much harm, then eating or treating a home flower can be harmful to human health, and also has contraindications. It is important to note that the fern is a poisonous plant.

It should be noted that taking tinctures and decoctions based on indoor fern can lead to intoxication of the body. In case of poisoning with fern products, the appearance of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and fainting is characteristic. In the event of a sad outcome of the use of the plant, it is necessary to quickly remove it from the body and clear the stomach.

It is strictly forbidden to take a homemade cactus for food or for treatment purposes if the following factors are present:

• Pregnancy
• Diseases of the kidneys and liver
• Age up to two years
• Tuberculosis
• Weakened immune system
• Anemia
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage of development

The fern belongs to a rare category of plants that do not have seeds. However, sori are located on the lower part of the plant. Due to such spores, fern reproduction is carried out. The leaves of this ancient plant are complex because they have a pinnately dissected appearance. Such a herbaceous perennial grows from 30 to 90 cm in height.

It should be noted that such a miraculous decoction will help get rid of diarrhea and tinnitus, and is also prescribed for the treatment of jaundice, colds, eczema and abscesses. With the help of this plant, you can quickly stop hemorrhoidal bleeding and restore the psyche in case of serious nervous disorders. In addition, the fern will easily cope with malaria. To prepare a decoction of rhizomes, you need 10 grams of well-dried raw materials and 200 grams of boiling water. After a long boil, you can take a remedy with a small addition of honey, 1 teaspoon.

To prepare an external medicine, we take 50 grams of dry fern rhizomes per 3 liters of water, boil them for at least two hours, after which you can treat the affected skin or take a bath with such a decoction.

Such wonderful remedies help to heal varicose veins veins, relieve the inflammatory process of the sciatic nerve, help get rid of rheumatism and cramps of the calf muscles. Depending on the course of the disease, the duration of the course of treatment can be up to three weeks.

fern leaf

fern root

fern species

Indoor fern. Indoor ferns attract attention due to their interesting carved leaves. In terms of decorativeness and beauty, they have no equal among other indoor plants. Indoor nephrolepis has pinnate leaves, reaching a length of 70 cm. The graceful appearance of asplenium is distinguished by delicate segmented leaves and goblet rhizomes. At home, ferns require frequent spraying with plain water. They do not like direct sunlight and temperatures below 16 degrees Celsius. Ferns require moderate watering, without drying out the soil.

Thai fern. The Thai fern is a magnificent aquarium plant with long thin rhizomes and lanceolate bright green leaves of complex shape. As a rule, such a plant does not grow more than 30 cm. For the normal development of plants, the aquarium needs to be heated in the winter and cooled in the hot period. There is no need to change the water frequently. With sufficient light, the Thai fern is covered with large leaves of a rich green hue. As a rule, one powerful incandescent lamp is enough for this, which will illuminate the aquarium for at least 12 hours.

Male fern. The male fern is a herbaceous perennial that grows up to 100 cm tall. It has a powerful rhizome and large leaves collected in a bunch. The plate of each sheet has an elongated shape with outgoing pointed cuts. Sporangia with numerous spores are arranged on the underside along the venation in two rows. The male fern spores from July to August. This species grows well in shady damp places in pine forests and among shrubs. From the fresh rhizomes of such a plant, a magnificent extract is obtained.

Indian fern. Indian fern is common in tropical areas throughout the globe. It is one of the most popular aquarium plants. Its beautiful finely dissected leaves have a pale green tint. As a rule, this species grows no more than 50 cm. The Indian fern is optimal for small aquariums. When the temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius, plant growth slows down significantly, and the leaves become very small. Protect the Indian fern from direct sun rays, but provide bright artificial light for a long time.

Fern red. The red fern is distinguished by young leaves, which have a special reddish color. They have a longer and wider shape. The height of the red fern reaches no more than 30 cm with a width of about 15 cm. Ideal conditions for the maintenance of this species, one can name a temperature ranging from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, an average level of water hardness and a spacious aquarium. Keep in mind that such a fern grows very slowly, but does not require special care.

Tropical fern. This type of fern reaches 20 cm in height and has solid adventitious roots. In some plants, such adventitious roots form a kind of "skirt" around a powerful trunk. Tropical ferns in the form of vines climb high in the trees, where there are many sunlight. Moss tropical ferns live in small damp pits. With their lacy leaves, they absorb moisture. Various tropical plant species also settle in shady forests with high humidity.

Tree fern. The tree fern easily adapts to unusual conditions, but it does not like cold weather and strong winds. This plant prefers warm climate. As a rule, it is found in many damp forests, sometimes choosing lakes and swamps. The tree fern feels especially good in subtropical forests. A complex system of branches and preshoots forms long pointed leaves. Leaf plates do not combine, creating dense thickets. This species reproduces, like other ferns, with the help of spores.

Water fern. The water fern is widespread in northern Australia and South-East Asia. Small populations of the plant are found in Central America and Tanzania. This plant is very popular among modern aquarists due to its long, finely dissected leaves of a bright green hue. In favorable conditions, the water fern can reach 50 cm. Optimum temperature for this species is considered to be about 25 degrees of heat, lighting can be artificial source Sveta. This type of fern reproduces by the formation of small daughter plants on the mother's old leaves.

Fern forest. The group of forest species of fern includes such varieties as the common ostrich, the nomad, the shield, the multi-row, the leaflet, the bracken.

They are distinguished by beautiful funnel-shaped rosettes of leaves, a rich shade and ease of care. The forest fern ostrich grows well on waterlogged soils and fairly open places. At the height of summer, forest ferns look like gorgeous green fountains. The kochedyzhnik is represented by spreading bunches of leaves with short scales. It is a winter-hardy species that is quite adapted to the Russian climate. Forest fern species prefer moist nutrient soils. The leaves of many species have a powerful bactericidal effect.

Contraindications to the use of fern

It is believed that the fern is one of the oldest plants on Earth. It appeared back in Rus'. There was a belief that any secrets and locks would be revealed to a person who found. According to legend, the plant arose from the goddess Venus, who dropped her hair. According to another version, the girl fell off a cliff, and a spring arose there, and her beautiful hair turned into a fern leaf, which resembles a bird's wing.

Let's digress from legends and consider how a plant grows in nature, as well as what you need to know before starting it. The benefits and harms of it have been studied since ancient times and, as people say, this plant is really mysterious. Nevertheless, it is often kept at home, used in cooking and used to treat diseases.

bracken fern

The plant we are considering looks like a shrub. In nature, the bracken usually grows in whole colonies. This is a tenacious plant that can live even in rocky and sandy soil. If a fern once begins to grow in a country house, then it is very difficult to remove it, for which summer residents, of course, do not favor it. It is so tenacious that even after a fire that mowed everything around, it will be the first to give its sprouts.

Description

One of the herbaceous plants of the Osmundaceae family is It traditionally grows on Far East, in China and Korea. In addition, it is also found in Russia, Finland, Asia, Mexico, Ukraine. The plant consists of many stems with pinnate leaves.

At first, the fern begins its life underground. Leaves are formed here - fronds, which look like a snail. Then, unfolding, they begin to resemble a hook. Reproduction of the plant occurs not at the expense of flowers, but at the expense of spores. It got its name because of the similarity of leaves with the wing of a large bird. That is why the fern "Orlyak" bears the name. Its benefits and harms are revealed in many folk legends that are retold from generation to generation to this day.

When the fern blooms

People have always been wary of him. In ancient times, they did not understand how the fern reproduces, since they did not see flowering. This time was expected as a holiday. There is a belief that the one who finds a flowering fern will become fabulously rich, since the Earth itself will show a person its mysterious riches. Since ancient times, people have believed that there is both harm and benefit of the fern. What is it expressed in? This will be discussed further.

Beneficial features

Today, science can justify the benefits of fern in terms of composition. The plant is very valuable. It is rich in starch, alkaloids, flavonoids, essential oils and tannins. The shoots contain carotene, riboflavin, tocopherol and others. useful vitamins and micronutrients.

It also has a lot of proteins, the same as in cereals. They are easily absorbed by the body and have a beneficial effect on it. The positive effect of fern is seen in the work of the nervous system and in increasing the general tone. There is evidence that fern helps to remove human body radionuclides.

Harvesting from rhizomes for treatment is done in September. It is used for problems with the sciatic nerve, calf muscle (convulsions). Those who have tried fern treatment note the benefits of a course that usually lasts three weeks. But remember: do not self-medicate. Before using any drug or remedy, you should consult a specialist.

Fern is famous not only for its beneficial effect. Its benefits and harms are most revealed in popular beliefs. This is what the article is about today. Let's look at how this plant is used in cooking.

cooking

Even in ancient times, the fern was used for culinary purposes. Its species such as ostrich and bracken are used for food, namely their shoots. The leaves are also edible. They are good to add to salads or other dishes in the form of seasoning. Fern shoots taste like mushrooms. They are very popular in Japan and Korea. This is a diet food. 100 grams of the product contains 34 kilocalories.

The plant is canned or cooked. Raw shoots, or, as they are also called, rachis, are not consumed, as they have a bitter taste. In cooking, the harm and benefits of fern have also been investigated. As mentioned above, the plant is saturated with a variety of trace elements that can be valuable for the body, and quite the opposite.

The plant is cooked as follows: the leaves are placed in water, salt is added. Then boil for several minutes, drain the water and pour fresh. Boil a second time until done. Ready rachis should not break, but bend easily. When this state of the shoots is reached, the water is drained through a colander and then the fern is used according to the recipe.

A favorite dish for many housewives is salting. The workpiece will not deteriorate for a long time and at the same time retain all the useful properties. Its preparation is very simple: a fern is placed in layers in a glass jar, not forgetting to cover it with salt each time. Then the jar is covered and left for two weeks in a cool dark place. After that, the brine is drained and the shoots are transferred to another container, only in the reverse order, where upper layer should end up at the bottom. The jar is filled with brine, on the basis that the salt should be 22%. Then roll up the lids and store in a dark and cool place. The harvest can be eaten for several years.

The harm and benefits of the fern have been studied for a very long time, and it is the salting that the hostesses respond most positively, as they say that in this way the greatest amount of useful substances is preserved.

You can also buy a harvested plant. Before using such a product, it is first soaked for several hours so that the salt and bitterness are gone. Then the water is drained and filled with fresh water. After two hours, the fern can be boiled for a quarter of an hour without adding spices to it. The plant is added, for example, to fried meat at the end of cooking, cut into pieces and left on the fire for a few more minutes.

Known recipe for cooking "in Korean". To do this, first stew carrot and onion straws separately, then add ferns with spices to them and stew for another quarter of an hour.

Treatment

The harm and benefits of fern are widely known in folk medicine. It is used as an effective pain reliever, for example, for joint pain. With rheumatism, baths with a decoction of grass will help. Fern is used externally for abscesses, eczema and scrofula. Also, decoctions from the plant are treated for diseases of the intestines, spleen, jaundice.

At home, you can prepare a decoction of rhizomes. To do this, boil ten grams in two hundred milliliters of water, and drink a teaspoonful of honey. You can also add flour to the broth. Sometimes the treatment should be done with an enema or a laxative after the fern is consumed. The health benefits and harms, as people say, manifest themselves immediately after application. The main thing is to use the remedy correctly, namely, only after consulting a doctor.

Contraindications

With the proper use of a plant such as a fern, the benefits to humans become obvious. At the same time, as mentioned above, the use of the plant must be strictly controlled, since it is poisonous and harm from it will also not be long in coming.

Fern is forbidden, for example, to pregnant women. In addition, you can not use the plant for fever, kidney disease, ulcers, liver, tuberculosis and a number of other diseases, especially those of a chronic nature.

In case of an overdose, be sure to rinse the stomach and consult a doctor.

Fern home: benefits

Both harm and benefit are also available from indoor plants. People have known about this for a long time. Plants at home improve energy. Fern is also one of them. Many people believe that he is able to work miracles.

However, opinions on this matter are very ambiguous. Some are sure that where the fern grows, energy improves, while others, on the contrary, argue that it brings only misfortunes. If you look at it simply as indoor plant, it turns out that he is completely unpretentious and can easily live in the shade.

Those who believe in positive qualities say that the fern has a wonderful ability to appease people. Aggressive and quick-tempered natures change their mood to a more friendly and calm way. Therefore, where family members often quarrel, it is recommended to start this plant.

The same applies to the general atmosphere. In a house with a fern, harmony seems to appear. And people also believe that the plant brings good luck in both personal and business life, and also improves the financial situation. Previously, for example, very often a leaf of a plant was placed in a wallet, believing that money would be found there more often with it.

Fern home: harm

Before deciding whether or not to keep a fern in an apartment, the harm and benefits of the plant must be fully studied.

There is a point of view according to which this plant is an energy vampire, taking away energy from family members, because of which they become drowsy, tired and unhappy.

Those who believe in spirits should know: it has long been believed that along with a plant brought from mysterious forests to a house, people brought with them all sorts of evil spirits, which later also took away energy from them.

Conclusion

If we analyze all the information received, it turns out that such a plant still has more positive features, such as (its benefits and harms were presented to your attention in the article). If used correctly, the plant has an excellent healing effect. If you start a fern in the house - peace and tranquility will reign. How to treat this plant is a purely individual matter.