What are chestnuts for and how to use them? Dangerous properties of chestnuts. Joint diseases: inflammation and injury

Some twenty or thirty years ago about this original dish edible chestnuts have not even been heard of in Slavic countries, let alone tried or cooked own kitchen. But amazing diversity national traditions Nowadays it is becoming publicly available. Someone tries Parisian chestnuts in a restaurant during a tourist trip, someone looks for similar delicacies in establishments in their country, and someone even decides to cook such a dish on their own. Let's look at the usefulness of such a dessert, the rules for its preparation and consumption.

The fruits of the chestnut tree have become a unique business card Paris, because there you can simply find sellers on the streets frying chestnuts in frying pans. The aroma that spreads around is intoxicating and enchanting.

This smell, reminiscent of the aroma of freshly baked homemade bread, creates a unique atmosphere of comfort in the open air. And once you’ve tasted this dessert, it’s hard to deny yourself another portion.

Did you know? This little-known food was popular long before the beginning of our era. For example, in Ancient Rome such a delicacy was served as a dessert for the upper classes and privileged persons. Alexander the Great, during a long campaign to the East, used chestnuts as a hearty and nutritious substitute for regular food, thanks to which his army was able to advance so far.

These nuts are used to prepare traditional fried treats, soups, soufflés, they are ground into flour and prepared into bread, sweets and all kinds of pastries. The fruits of the chestnut tree are also served with meat dishes, with asparagus and scallops, added to mousse and much more.

In cool weather autumn evenings Chestnuts are an ideal accompaniment to mulled wine, and in the cafe chestnut desserts go perfectly with Normandy cider.

The tradition of selling roasted nuts on the street is not only French cities, but also Italian or Turkish. However, only in Paris there is a special holiday dedicated specifically to chestnuts. The holiday is accompanied by street celebrations, songs, competitions and performances by amateur theaters.

Someone has probably already thought about the fact that there are chestnut trees growing in their yard or somewhere nearby, so you can pick their fruits right now and start cooking. But don’t rush to conclusions, because not all chestnuts are suitable for eating. For example, the one growing in your yard is a type of horse chestnut, and people don't eat it.

This is a fodder type of fruit that is given to horses and cattle. For humans, there are seed forms of the chestnut tree.
The varieties of chestnuts allowed for food include:

European sowing;
crenate;
Chinese (softest);
Asia Minor (grows in Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Krasnodar Territory).

All other types of chestnut tree nuts are unsuitable for this.

There are several basic rules for distinguishing between edible and inedible fruits of the chestnut tree. To distinguish horse chestnut from what is edible for humans, you can focus on the following points:

Difference in leaf shape and size. Edible chestnut has a more rounded leaf shape, without jagged or uneven edges.
Differences in inflorescence shape. In edible species, the inflorescences are flatter, while in horse species they are elongated, shaped like a Christmas tree.
Taste of ripened fruits. Horse chestnut has a bitter taste, while the seed variety is slightly sweet.
U horse chestnut only one fruit inside the plush(green amniotic pod), two nuts are less common.
The top of the horse chestnut is bright green, there are small tubercles on it. The sowing variety is distinguished by the presence of long thorns and the brown color of the plus.

Both of these varieties have only one thing in common: their fruits are similar in dark brown color and smooth surface with a small lightened spot.

Studying the composition

An important point To understand the value and usefulness of these fruits for the human body is the content of micronutrients, minerals and vitamins.

It is worth immediately noting that chestnuts are a subspecies of nuts, and therefore their composition is very similar. Chestnut fruits are rich in starch, vegetable fiber, a variety of mineral compounds and amino acids. They also contain folic acid, which is essential for our body.
It also contains sucrose, glucose and fructose, vitamins A and E, as well as the entire line of B vitamins.

In addition, chestnut tree nuts contain many micro- and macroelements. Of particular note is the presence of:

gland;
potassium;
sodium;
phosphorus;
calcium;
copper;
magnesium

This product is quite high in calories, since 100 grams of nuts contain 180 calories. At the same time, more than 60% of the product is occupied by energy-valuable carbohydrates, more than 30% is allocated to proteins and fiber, and less than 10% remains for fats.
These nuts are the least fatty, so vegetarians and people watching their weight often include them in their daily diet. At the same time, the fruits of the chestnut tree are very filling and nutritious, satisfy hunger for a long time and are not deposited in problem areas. And they contain only saturated fats, and they are quickly processed by the body.

Chestnut nuts can also be consumed raw, that is, just from the tree. But first you need to peel the peel and glossy film from the fruit. This process is quite labor-intensive, so it will be much easier to prepare them. There are many recipes for this, and you will definitely find something to your liking.

In addition, raw fruits do not have that amazing and alluring aroma, and therefore you will not get any special, memorable impressions from such a dish.

How to prepare a delicious delicacy

With a little work in the kitchen, you will get a dish with special taste, which will not leave anyone indifferent, and your home will be filled with the pleasant and romantic aromas of Paris itself. Below we have given several basic options for preparing the fruits of the chestnut tree.

Roasted chestnuts

For this dish you need:

wooden plank;
spatula or spoon for turning chestnuts;
frying pan with a lid (preferably an old one, as brown nuts leave permanent stains and often burn).

Important! On electric stove You won't be able to roast the chestnuts properly. For best preparation needed open fire, or at least a gas oven.

No oil, salt or any other ingredients or tools are needed.

Required Ingredients

Edible chestnuts (as many as will fit in your pan).

Step by step recipe

Wash the nuts thoroughly.
Each fruit needs to be cut, but not all the way, but approximately to the middle. This will help your nuts cook faster.
Now place the nuts in the pan, flat side down.
Fry for five minutes on the fire, covering the pan with a lid so that the fruits do not dry out.
Turn the nuts over. By this point they will have already opened up greatly. If the flat side of the fruit turns black, then you need to reduce the heat. Next, loosely cover the roasting nuts with a lid and simmer for another ten minutes.
Next, you should stir the fruits again and move them to a small burner of the gas stove, or reduce the heat even more.
In this mode, the fruits should spend another fifteen minutes in the frying pan, after which they can be placed on a plate.
Wait until the nuts have cooled, then proceed to peel them from the burnt skins.

It is best to eat chestnuts immediately after peeling, while they are still warm. When they cool down completely, taste qualities slightly faded.

Boiled chestnuts

Difference this method preparation from the previous one is that chestnuts do not explode during cooking, and therefore there is no need to make punctures or cuts.

Required Ingredients

Edible chestnuts and water.

Step by step recipe

Cover the fruits of the chestnut tree with water. Those that float are not suitable for consumption. They should be removed.
Place the fruits in a saucepan and add water until the water completely covers them.
After boiling, cook for twenty minutes, then drain the remaining water and keep in a saucepan with the lid closed for another five minutes.
Next, you need to put the nuts on a plate and, after cooling slightly, peel them. Do not delay peeling, as it will be more difficult to remove the peel when it cools completely.
These nuts can be added to soups and soufflés, stuffed into poultry, or even pureed. To do this you need to add milk and butter, just like for mashed potatoes. In general, chestnut nuts have a lot in common with potatoes, including taste.

Baked products

Third in a universal way cooking chestnuts is baking. This recipe– one of the fastest.

Did you know? IN Ancient Greece On the streets of many cities one could find entire groves of chestnut trees, thanks to which residents were saved from hunger during numerous wars accompanied by sieges. The first trees planted by the Greeks in the colonial cities on the Black Sea coast were chestnuts.

Required Ingredients

Edible chestnuts and parchment.

Step by step recipe

First, wash and dry the chestnut tree fruits on a towel.
Make a cross-shaped cut on the convex side of the fruit. If this is not done, they may explode.
Place the nuts, cut side up (flat side down), on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 200°C for 15-17 minutes.
Post it ready-made nuts onto a plate and peel off the skin.

Bon appetit!

Is it possible to have chestnuts?

Let's find out what the situation is with pregnant, lactating women, infants and children, because they too will want to enjoy all the delights of the delicacy.

Pregnant and lactating

These fruits are recommended for use by people with depression, stress and overload, as well as exhaustion of the body. It is in a situation of depletion of microelements and vitamins that all pregnant and lactating women find themselves, since part of their body’s resources goes to the child.

Therefore, it is not only possible to eat chestnuts, but also necessary for all pregnant and lactating women - these nuts are rich in many vital important connections, including folic acid, which affects the increase in the amount of breast milk.

They are also low in calories, which is important since women often gain weight during pregnancy. overweight. The fruits of the chestnut tree are completely harmless from this point of view.

Important! Potassium content makes chestnuts good remedy to prevent hypertension, eliminate risk factors cardiovascular diseases, anemia (anemia). In particular, they help improve blood circulation and regulate blood pressure.

More facts about the beneficial properties of chestnuts:

thanks to vitamin B2, the effects of skin aging are reduced; it also has a positive effect on eye health;
bones and teeth are strengthened due to the high phosphorus content;
insomnia is prevented due to the presence of an amino acid such as tryptophan;
nuts protect the nervous system due to their high content of vitamin B and phosphorus;
high fiber content helps digestion;
Chestnuts are recommended for kidney diseases due to their high potassium content;
help improve memory;
good for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Infants are not recommended to start complementary feeding with chestnuts, as this will be too heavy a product for their still fragile stomachs. It is worth remembering that until six months the baby’s body is fully supplied with all the necessary microelements and vitamins from mother’s milk.
Therefore, introduce into the child’s diet chestnut nuts It is possible only from the age of one, or better yet, from the age of three, when the stomach is already capable of accepting and digesting such food.

In our country, people rarely think about the benefits and harms of edible chestnuts. Too exotic food. However, for those people who want to know more about the beneficial properties different products and contraindications for their use, information about chestnuts would also be useful.

What it is?

Trees of the genus are called chestnuts Castanea, growing in moderately warm climates and having edible fruits.

There are many varieties Castanea. In the Caucasus you can easily find Chestnut Sowing ( Castanea sativa). If you purchase imported nuts, then these are most likely the fruits of European or American Chestnut.

In addition to trees that have edible fruits, chestnuts are sometimes called other types of plants whose fruits cannot be eaten.

How to distinguish edible chestnuts from inedible ones?

In our latitudes one must be able to distinguish trees of the genus Castanea with edible fruits from Horse Chestnut ( Aesculus), the fruits of which are poisonous.

Learn to distinguish edible options it’s easy to avoid inedible – just look at the photo.

The trees on which the fruits ripen have completely different leaves. The horse chestnut has compound palmate leaves, while the tree whose nuts can be eaten has single leaves.

The fruits themselves also differ.

The edible chestnut has nuts collected together in groups of 2-4, surrounded on the outside by branchy spines. Those nuts that cannot be eaten are single. They have no spines on top.

Compound

Chestnuts are nuts. However, their composition is fundamentally different from the composition of other fruits classified in this class.

Nuts are high in fat, protein and fat-soluble vitamins. But they contain significantly less carbohydrates, fiber and water-soluble vitamins. With chestnuts everything is different. Their composition is similar to vegetables such as potatoes or corn: they are rich in starch, fiber, and vitamin C.

So, 100 grams of fried fruit contains:

245 kcal;
53 grams of carbohydrates, of which 5 are fiber, which is about 20% daily norm;
2.2 g of fat, including saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid molecules;
3.2 g protein;
59% daily dose of manganese;
43% vitamin C;
25% vitamin B6 and copper;
17% folate and potassium each;
16% thiamine (vitamin B1);
10% vitamins B2 and K;
8% magnesium;
7% niacin;
6% pantothenic acid;
5% iron;
4% zinc.

The data provided may vary slightly depending on the type Castanea.

Please note that the composition of these nuts is always given per 100 grams fried product, since in its raw form it is inedible.

The benefits of chestnuts are also explained by the presence of compounds in them that have antioxidant activity. This is not only vitamin C, which is the strongest antioxidant, but also some other substances, for example, polyphenols.

The antioxidant activity of nuts is largely similar to. Like the autumn orange berry, chestnuts supply the body with significant amounts of copper and manganese, which ensure the functioning of enzymes that are natural internal antioxidants for humans.

Another beneficial property of chestnuts is their lack of gluten and high starch content. This makes it possible to prepare flour from nuts, which can be used for baking by people suffering.

Medicinal properties

Improves digestion: supports the functioning of beneficial intestinal microflora and eliminates chronic constipation.
Strengthening immunity. Strengthening bone tissue, preventing osteoporosis.
Helps normalize blood pressure in hypertension.
Prevention of atherosclerosis.
Improving brain function: enhancing cognitive abilities, preventing neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia.
Defence from oncological diseases and premature aging.

How do they help you lose weight?

The calorie content of chestnuts per 100 grams is 245 kcal. Their glycemic index not high – 54. This makes these nuts a product that can be included in the menu for people losing weight. Moreover, the explanation of why chestnuts are useful for weight loss is more extensive than just moderate calorie content and low GI. This:

support of beneficial intestinal microflora (in overweight people there is always a pathological change in the composition of the intestinal microflora);
anti-inflammatory activity (according to current scientific information, the rapid accumulation of fat deposits is associated with the presence of latent inflammatory activity in the body);
rapid satiation for a long time, ensuring a reduction in the total number of calories consumed during the day without the pangs of hunger;
slowing down the absorption of food, ensuring the prevention of a massive release of insulin after eating, which leads to the rapid formation of fat deposits;
general improvement of metabolism and increased energy potential due to the activation of various enzymatic systems.

However, despite all their benefits, chestnuts are not a product on which you can lose weight. Yes, it is allowed to be included in the menu proper nutrition when losing weight. But don't go heavy on these nuts. Since their glycemic load is quite high. And only those foods that do not load the body with a significant amount of carbohydrates have unconditional benefits for weight loss.

Chestnut soup

Yes, these nuts can be used to make the most real soup. To do this, they must first be fried or boiled.

Pumpkin stew

, which can be multiplied if you combine it with chestnuts.

You can see how to do this.

Baked chicken

Popular in many countries holiday dishes on New Year and Christmas are chickens or turkeys baked with chestnuts.

Here is one such recipe.

You can also cook nuts with meat. It will turn out tasty and very satisfying.

We have listed only recipes for dishes with chestnuts that are easy to implement at home and that are healthy. There are also many sweet dishes with this ingredient.

Of course, you shouldn’t deny yourself sweet desserts for life. You just need to clearly understand the following. If you wanted to know the health benefits of chestnuts, and having discovered that they have quite a lot of medicinal qualities, you decided to include these nuts in your diet for their benefits, you should not mix them with sugar and other easily digestible carbohydrates.

In their sweet form, they no longer provide any benefit to the body, since sugar not only causes harm to health in itself, but also negates the healing effects of other food components.

What are the possible harms?

A strict contraindication for eating chestnuts is an allergy, which is less common than for other types of nuts. It usually manifests itself in the form of redness of the skin and severe itching.
It is also necessary to remember that the fruits Castanea edible only in finished form. The harm of a chestnut that has not passed heat treatment, is due to the fact that it contains a lot of tannic acids, the consumption of which can lead to unpleasant side effects.
In a nut that has been heated, the amount of these compounds is minimal. However, it is not recommended to eat chestnuts at the same time as taking medications, since residual tannic acids in them can reduce the activity medicines.
We must not forget about the glycemic load, which is quite high. In terms of the amount of carbohydrates and their chemical structure, this type of nut resembles potatoes. Therefore, it is a conditionally approved product for both diabetics and those losing weight. Especially those who are trying to lose weight on a low-carb diet.

Is it possible to eat chestnuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding?

If an allergy to these nuts has not previously been identified, then during pregnancy they can be included in the diet. But if you have not tried them before conception, then you should not start using them while pregnant.

Women who are breastfeeding are advised to include nuts, including chestnuts, in their menu, as this reduces the likelihood of a child developing a nut allergy in the future. However, some babies may already have allergies. Therefore, after a chestnut meal, it is imperative to monitor the child’s well-being: see if he has a rash, nausea or abdominal pain.

The benefits and harms of edible chestnuts: conclusions

The fruits of trees of the genus Castanea are unusual nuts.

Their chemical composition is more reminiscent of vegetables, such as potatoes, than of nuts. They are high in starch, fiber and vitamin C. Low in fat, protein and fat-soluble vitamins.

Chestnuts have a good effect on blood pressure, are excellent satiators, help boost immunity and promote healthy intestinal microflora.

In moderation, they can be consumed by pregnant women, nursing mothers and those who want to lose weight.

At home, chestnuts can be prepared in the most different ways. But whatever the recipe, before putting it into practice, the nuts must be fried, baked or boiled, since they are inedible in their raw form.

Chestnut is one of the most beautiful plants on the planet. His large flowers, openwork leaves and fruits in prickly shells are reminiscent of something mythical. Indeed, an ancient legend says that this tree was created by Jupiter. The loving god pursued the beautiful nymph Neya for a long time, and she, unable to withstand his onslaught, committed suicide. Feeling guilty, Jupiter turned the nymph into an amazingly beautiful tree. So it began to be called Castanea (from the Latin “casta” - virgin, “Nea” - the name of a nymph).

Oh Paris...

For many, edible chestnuts evoke an association with the city of lovers - Paris. After all, it is in France that these fruits are considered a national product. Every year it is held here traditional holiday, dedicated to the sweet chestnut. Even if someone hasn’t had a chance to visit it, still images from French films, where vendors roast edible chestnuts in huge frying pans right on the street. One can only imagine what a wonderful aroma fills the Parisian streets at this time.

For many, the smell of roasted chestnuts evokes thoughts of distant childhood, reminiscent of potatoes baked in a fire, the aroma of hazelnuts, the fragrance of baked bread and something else elusive.

This delicacy is prepared quite simply. Today, chestnuts can be bought both at the market and in the supermarket. In Europe, until Christmas, these fried fruits are sold right on the streets.

Types of chestnut

The noble (sweet) chestnut is a fast-growing, long-lasting tree. It was brought to England from Asia Minor and southern Europe. The plant grows in America and Asia. In Russia it can be found on the Black Sea coast. The chestnut grows for twenty years, reaching a height of thirty meters. The leaves of the plant are carved, beautiful, long - up to 25 cm. At the height of summer, catkins appear on the branches, which then turn into fruits. Unripe chestnuts are hidden in prickly shells. They ripen in the fall and fall to the ground along with the leaves. That's when edible chestnuts are harvested. The benefits and harms of these fruits depend on the type of plant.

There is an inedible type of chestnut - horse chestnut. It is not suitable for food, but medicines are made from its leaves, bark, fruits, and flowers that help with many ailments. Thus, horse chestnut extract is useful as:

Anti-inflammatory agent. Fresh leaves used for whooping cough, and a decoction of leaves and fruits - for various inflammations of the respiratory tract.
Vascular strengthening. Accelerates blood flow, dilates arteries, reduces blood clotting, strengthens capillaries.
An indispensable remedy for relieving tired legs. Helps with varicose veins.

Edible chestnut: beneficial properties

The fruits of the chestnut are nuts. In their composition they contain 60% starch, 17% sugar, 3.5% fiber, 6% protein, only 2% fat, great amount mineral and biologically active substances, flavonoids, tannins, oils, vitamins A, B, C. Edible chestnuts have beneficial substances not only in the fruits, but also in the leaves (carotenoids, rutin), bark, flowers (flavonoid glycosides, escin).

This plant is widely used in folk medicine. Decoctions, infusions, and alcohol tinctures are made from it. The tree has the strongest energy thanks to the generous southern sun. Medicines, prepared on the basis of edible chestnut, have anti-inflammatory, astringent, antitussive, hemostatic and diuretic properties.

Sweet chestnut flowers are the rarest honey plants. Caucasian bees produce nectar from their unique product. Chestnut honey can only be tasted in the Caucasus mountains. Its taste and medicinal qualities made this product especially popular among visitors to local honey shops.

According to supporters of traditional medicine, the benefits of edible chestnuts are noticeable even if you simply carry the fruits raw in your pocket. The energy of the southern plant protects against illnesses and improves well-being.

Can eating chestnuts be harmful?

Do not confuse horse chestnut and edible chestnuts; benefit and harm in this case can go hand in hand. Only Castanea sativa is suitable for food. In our country it grows on the Black Sea coast. Eating horse chestnut can even cause poisoning. Sweet chestnut is often confused with an ordinary chestnut; be careful, because the second product can also negatively affect your health. To be sure of the benefits of fruits, it is better to buy them at the market or in a store.

Do not overuse sweet chestnut as food product. Too much a large number of eaten fruits may cause allergic reaction, discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract: bloating, nausea, diarrhea. It is strictly contraindicated to consume chestnut fruits for persons suffering from:

Kidney diseases, renal failure.
Urolithiasis.
Hypotension.
Kidney dysfunction.

People with individual intolerance to any components included in the product should also exclude chestnuts from the diet. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should not consume these fruits.

Calorie content of edible chestnut

Edible chestnuts are unlikely to be suitable for fasting days or any diets. Everyone knows that any nut itself is very high in calories. Chestnut is no exception to this rule. High content starch as well as protein provides high calorie content of this product, it reaches up to 200 calories per 100 grams. When fried, nuts become even more nutritious. Contains 100 g fresh product has protein -1.63 g, carbohydrates - 44.17 g, fat - 1.25 g.

Edible chestnuts: how to cook?

How are these fruits used in cooking? So, chestnuts are prepared in a variety of ways:

Bake.
They cook.
They fry.
Add to desserts, mousses, souffles, ice cream.
Ground dry nuts are used in baking.
Used as an appetizer for wine and beer.
Prepared with meat, vegetables, herbs, cereals.
Chestnuts are added to soups, pilaf, and stuffed with poultry.
Ground nuts are used to make a coffee drink and make flour.

The most common cooking method is to roast chestnuts. How to do this correctly? It is necessary to cut off the tip of each fruit or slightly cut the chestnut. This is done so that it does not burst when heated. Then you need to place the fruits in an even layer on a baking sheet and place in hot oven. Edible in 10-15 minutes roasted chestnuts ready to eat. Do not overdry the product: if all the moisture evaporates, the nuts will turn out too hard.

You can fry chestnuts directly over the fire in a dry frying pan. The process lasts half an hour.

It is better to peel chestnuts while they are hot; after cooling, the peel becomes tougher.

Peeled before serving roasted nuts can be seasoned with butter.

Recipes

Chefs of the most prestigious restaurants use ordinary edible chestnuts in preparing dishes. Recipes can be very diverse. Despite the simplicity of preparation, the dishes turn out to be very delicious. Let's look at a few of them.

Chestnut dessert. Canned chestnuts are mixed until pureed with brandy. Meringue pieces and whipped cream are added on top. The dessert is topped with hot chocolate.
Berishon. To prepare you will need:

500 gr. pork belly;
500 gr. cabbage;
300g chestnuts;
300 gr. Luke;
100 gr. wine sauce.

Separate the boiled head of cabbage into individual leaves. Wrap a little in each leaf pork breast, extinguish. Sauté the onion a little in oil. Roast chestnuts in a dry frying pan, peel. Place all ingredients separately on a large plate. Serve the sauce separately in a gravy boat.

3. Roasted chestnuts and Brussels sprouts.

We will need:

200 gr. chestnuts;
400 gr. Brussels sprouts;
20 gr. butter;
a few strips of bacon.

Roast chestnuts in a dry frying pan, peel. Boil the cabbage slightly in salted water. Fry bacon and cabbage in oil. Add chestnuts at the end.

You should not eat raw edible chestnut fruits.

Before frying or baking, the fruits must be cut or pierced to avoid “explosion”. You don't have to do this before cooking.

Nuts should be consumed immediately after shelling. Peeled for future use, they dry out and lose their taste.

Don't overcook chestnuts. The product becomes too hard.

After purchasing, store chestnuts in a cool, dark place.

If you are overweight, it is not recommended to indulge in chestnuts, as they are too high in calories.

Chestnuts, the benefits and harms of which have been known to people for a long time, are used not only in folklore, but also traditional medicine. About 30 species of this representative of the flora grow in nature; the most widely used by people are the fruits and other parts of the plant of 2 types of chestnuts: horse chestnut and noble chestnut.

The benefits and harms of noble chestnut

Chestnuts are well known not only as sources of medicinal raw materials. Trees have very aesthetic appearance, therefore they are widely used for landscaping cities. Flowering plants are very beautiful. In addition, these are excellent honey plants. Chestnut honey is highly valued for its refined taste, amazing aroma and pronounced healing properties. The durable wood of these trees has long been used in carpentry and for making barrels. The sweetish edible fruit is exported by some Mediterranean countries.

The fruits are mainly used in cooking. Chestnut nuts, the benefits and harms of which are determined by their chemical composition, are a delicacy for many gourmets. They contain large amounts of potassium and copper, so they are useful for heart failure. A fairly high content of iron and phosphorus improves the condition of anemia. Compared to other nuts, chestnuts hold the record for the presence of vitamins C, PP, A, B. Due to their low fat content (up to 5%) and fairly high protein and carbohydrate content, the fruits are highly valued by those who watch their weight. You can satisfy your hunger by eating just 3-4 fried fruits. The high vegetable protein content of chestnuts makes them an indispensable product, along with legumes, for many vegetarians.

How do you eat chestnuts? There are many ways to use fruits in cooking:

the powder is used to make coffee;
ground fruits are used to make marzipan and chocolate;
edible chestnuts are added as a side dish to meat;
game is stuffed with nuts;
roasted chestnuts are added to soups;
You can use them to make a paste for sandwiches;
they are simply fried for the Christmas holidays.

For those who don’t know whether chestnuts can be eaten raw, the answer is: you can eat them raw. But, like all nuts, roasted ones still taste better.

It is believed that eating noble chestnut nuts improves mood and helps fight chronic fatigue and stress. In addition, the fruits normalize metabolism, restore the composition of cartilage and bone tissue, have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart, circulatory system and kidneys, relieve swelling and have a mild analgesic effect. Vegetable chestnut oils improve skin condition and restore hair structure.

Since the fruits are very filling, it is difficult to overeat them, but abuse can lead to bloating and constipation even in healthy person. Allergy sufferers should also not get carried away with them, since nuts can provoke an exacerbation of allergies. People with reduced blood clotting and low blood pressure should not often eat the fruits of noble chestnut.

How to distinguish edible chestnut from horse chestnut?

Be careful not to confuse noble and horse chestnuts. The nuts of these trees are really similar in appearance. But the trees themselves are very different from each other. The edible chestnut belongs to the Beech family and grows mainly in Mediterranean countries. Konsky is a separate family of Konko-chestnuts, its distribution area covers Nordic countries. Its inflorescences look like openwork candles, the stem of the inflorescence is located vertically upward. And the edible inflorescences are collected in long earrings. The complex leaves of horse chestnut look like an open palm; 1 leaf consists of 5-7 blades. The edible leaves are simple, with small sharp teeth, up to 30 cm long.

The fruits of both trees are covered with a fleshy shell. The green, lumpy shell of the fava fruit looks like an underwater mine. And the edible one has a brown shell with small spines. Ripe fruits fall out of the shell. Chestnut walnut has a smooth, shiny brown surface with a light matte spot on one side.

These 2 fruits taste very different from each other. The bitter taste of horsetail makes it suitable only as an additive to livestock feed. By the way, from ancient times the Turks fed chestnuts to horses exhausted from long campaigns. At the same time, the horses regained their strength very quickly. Hence the name.

The benefits and harms of horse chestnut

What are the benefits of chestnut? Although horse chestnuts are not edible, they have the richest chemical composition. Horse chestnut, the benefits and harms of which are determined biologically active substances, used for treatment various diseases for a very long time now. In Mediterranean countries, the fruits and bark were used in the Middle Ages to treat fever, amoebic dysentery and malaria. The nut powder was applied to varicose ulcers. For gout, it was recommended to take baths with chestnut decoction.

In Germany, already in the 18th century, a decoction of the bark was used for prolonged diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and uterine bleeding. Sebastian Kneipp, a German priest who devoted his entire life to developing simple and accessible healing methods, advised using horse chestnut for thrombophlebitis, to cleanse the liver and gastrointestinal tract, for inflammation of the female genital organs, colds, radiculitis, and rheumatic pain.

Into the official medicine of European countries after many years of research alcohol tincture plants entered in 1866. Since that time, pharmacies began to sell it for the treatment of chronic intestinal inflammation, gout and hemorrhoids. Since the end of the 19th century in France, horse chestnut has been used by doctors to treat varicose veins of the limbs, prostatitis and prostate adenoma. In the middle of the twentieth century, mass production of drugs containing extracts from fruits and used for varicose veins began in Germany. In modern pharmaceuticals, plant extracts are available in the following preparations:

Reparil-gel;
Aescusan;
Yeskuvi;
Yesaven-gel;
Avenol et al.

The pharmaceutical effect of the drugs is primarily due to the content of bioactive compounds in almost all parts of the plant. During scientific research It was found that escin, present in the bark and fruits, has a vasoconstrictor effect, it relieves inflammation and swelling. The sedative effect of drugs is used for pathologies nervous system(hypochondria, hysteria). Such products are highly effective in the treatment of radiation sickness, as they actively cleanse the blood of radionuclides and toxins.

Chestnut, beneficial features which are expressed in anti-inflammatory, decongestant, analgesic, anticonvulsant, wound-healing, hemostatic, astringent, bactericidal action, has found wide application in folk medicine in many countries of the world.

To treat varicose veins on the legs and hemorrhoids, take the freshly squeezed juice of the plant's flowers orally. 30 drops of juice should be added to 1 tbsp. l. and add water. Take 2 times a day.

Flower juice can be preserved. To do this, it is diluted in half with water, brought to a boil and rolled into jars. Use 30-40 g of juice per dose.

A decoction of the green seed coat has a pronounced hemostatic effect. Therefore, it is used for uterine and intestinal bleeding not associated with oncological processes.

For leukemia, an infusion of horse chestnut flowers can be an excellent additional means of restoring blood composition. To prepare it, 1 tbsp. l. flowers pour 1 cup cold water, bring to a boil and leave for 8 hours. The infusion is consumed 1 tbsp. l. every 15-20 minutes. In this way, drink up to 1 liter of infusion per day. The course of treatment is 2 cycles of 20 days with a break of 10 days.
The same infusion and the same treatment regimen are used for brain tumors.

The shiny brown shell of chestnuts is used in the preparation of a remedy for the treatment of prostatitis. To do this, the seed peel is ground into powder and diluted in vodka in a ratio of 1:10, i.e. For a bottle of vodka (0.5 l) you need to take 50 g of powder. Insist for 1 month. Take 20 drops 5-6 minutes before meals. Treatment is also a course. 20 days of using the drug alternate with 10 days of rest.

A decoction of horse chestnut leaves is prescribed for rheumatism and gout, cholecystitis, vascular spasms, inflammation and intestinal atony. The effectiveness of a decoction of the leaves has been proven for inflammation of the bronchi and pulmonary tuberculosis. A decoction of bark and leaves is especially useful for smokers.

The components are harvested in the spring, immediately after the tree blooms. It is better to collect bark from young thin branches. The raw materials are dried in a shady, well-ventilated area.

The rich content of beneficial mineral components and bioactive substances in horse chestnut flower extracts has determined them to be valuable component many cosmetics. They neutralize the effects of free radicals, slow down aging, tone capillary walls, enhance blood microcirculation and have a calming effect. Therefore, the drugs can be used for itchy dermatitis.

Precautionary measures

The benefits of chestnuts for human health are expressed in numerous traditional medicine recipes. However, when using drugs, precautions must be taken.

Although the fruits are considered mildly toxic, they are not recommended for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

In all cases, medications can be taken only after consultation with your doctor.

Often found in cities and towns. It pleases the eye during flowering and fills the air. wonderful aroma. But not many people know the benefits of chestnut. It turns out that it is often used both in folk medicine and in the production of medicines and cosmetics.

Horse chestnut. Beneficial features

Chestnut seeds are brown shiny nuts, high concentration contain such as potassium, calcium, zinc, iodine, as well as some vitamins, oils and the leaves contain a lot of pectins, flavonoids and carotenoids.

Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and painkillers are made from this plant. Useful material horse chestnut can thin the blood, prevent blood clots, and improve blood flow.

In cosmetology, the components included in the composition of this plant, take care of problem skin, playing the role of an antiseptic. And the lymphatic drainage properties of chestnut are good in the fight against cellulite.

Procurement of raw materials

Traditional medicine knows many recipes using healing properties plants. How to preserve the benefits of chestnut? It is advisable to prepare the ingredients for these recipes in May, when there is active movement of sap in the plant.

The flowers are separated from the inflorescence and laid out in an even layer on the surface, leaving in the sun for one day. Subsequently, complete drying of the product should occur in a well-ventilated area. Leaves without petioles are dried in the same way. If everything is done correctly, it does not lose its original color and does not break at the fold. Young branches (3-4 years old) are used for harvesting bark. The crushed raw materials are dried under a canopy. The seeds of the plant, which have fallen on their own, retain their beneficial qualities throughout the year.

Application

How to make the most of the chestnut? Massage of reflex points with fruits reduces pain due to rheumatism. It is enough to periodically squeeze them in your hand. And if you press on the chestnut attached to the chest between the nipples, you can get rid of the beginning of a cough.

Vodka tincture from the seeds of the plant is used as a rub for radiculitis. Chestnuts ground in a meat grinder with the addition of white or blue clay are applied to problem areas for joint pain and gout for a couple of hours.

The flowers can be infused in vegetable oil and used as a rub for radiculitis and polyarthritis. And compresses from a hot decoction of the buds are applied to swollen joints after a dislocation - this is how chestnut is useful.

Baths from a decoction of the plant are beneficial for osteochondrosis, neuralgic diseases, and itchy skin syndrome. Poultices made from fresh or dried leaves help with skin dermatitis.

Contraindications

Chestnut has many benefits, but there are still reasons why taking this remedy can cause harm. If drugs made on its basis are used orally, it is necessary to monitor blood pressure and take a blood test to check prothrombin levels. You should avoid such drugs during pregnancy and lactation, if the menstrual cycle is disrupted, as well as with gastritis. In addition, for kidney and liver diseases, chestnut treatment is carried out only under special medical supervision.