Chestnut is a plant belonging to the beech genus. It grows in North America, Asia and other European countries. In France, the chestnut is considered a symbol of the country, so a national holiday is celebrated in its honor. In nature, two types of chestnut are known, one of which is called "noble". It is it that can be consumed in food and added to various dishes.

On the territory of Russia, edible chestnuts grow in the southern regions of the country. Edible chestnut, its benefits and harms are known in Europe, it is actively used in the cuisine of national restaurants and in alternative medicine. The offbeat taste of roasted chestnuts adds a certain zest to Christmas dishes.

Chemical composition

Chestnut benefits and harms are determined depending on the components that are included in its composition. For example, chestnuts contain more useful minerals such as carbohydrates and starch. Based on this, you can equate their beneficial properties with those of rice. You can cook chestnuts with the addition of both sugar and salt. The ingredients presented will not spoil the gastronomic taste of the fruit. Chestnuts are considered a kind of energy product, in which tannins, fats, starch and proteins are concentrated.

Calorie chestnuts

Chestnuts are edible, the benefits and harms can be determined based on their calorie content. People who control their weight should constantly consume chestnut nuts. After all, it has a low calorie content. It can be safely added to your menu for vegetarians who do not eat animal proteins. Chestnut perfectly fulfills this need of the body thanks to its plant analogue of protein.

Chestnut benefits and harms

The benefits of this product are determined by its active use in medicine, cooking and cosmetology.

The use of chestnut in medicine

The presented product is characterized by excellent medicinal properties. Typically, this statement applies to horse chestnut. Due to its rich composition, it has the following effects:

1. Anti-inflammatory action. It is necessary to use a decoction of fruits or leaves for inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract. Fresh leaves are used for whooping cough.
2. The vasoconstrictive effect is the expansion of the artery. As a result, blood flow accelerates, blood coagulability decreases, capillary fragility decreases, the tone of dilated veins increases, and the resulting blood clots dissolve. In pharmaceuticals, bark and seeds are used in the treatment of thrombophlebitis and hemorrhoids.
3. Chestnut perfectly eliminates leg fatigue, increases muscle tone. Varicose veins can be treated by ingesting flower juice and taking a foot bath with its infusion.
4. For the treatment of dilated veins of the nasopharynx, it is necessary to take a decoction of chestnut bark. For this, 50 g of dry finely chopped raw materials are taken and poured with a liter of boiling water. Insist half an hour. Use the prepared broth to flush the nasopharynx in the morning and evening.
5. For the treatment of hemorrhoids, take a chestnut decoction from the bark and fruits. You should take 5 g of finely chopped raw materials and pour a cup of boiling water. Insist for half an hour. Strain and add boiled water to bring to the original volume. Take the medicine in the amount of a tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
6. In case of climatic bleeding, fresh juice from chestnut flowers is an excellent remedy. The medication is taken in 30 drops per tablespoon of water 2 times a day.
7. The high content of tannins chestnut broth has an astringent, wound healing and anti-burn effect. Infusion of bark and seeds is actively used in the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder, rheumatic ailments, indigestion, non-healing wounds.
8. Thanks to the energetic properties of the product, ailments are eliminated and strength is given. To feed the natural energy of the chestnut, you can carry 2 nuts with you. And if you have breast diseases, put a small chestnut in your bra. You can also use nuts to massage your breasts.

The use of chestnut in cosmetology

The medicinal properties of horse chestnut extract made it possible to use it to obtain many creams for oily and normal skin, bath foams, hair shampoos, anti-cellulite masks. When using a foot cream with such an extract, edema is eliminated, and there is a soothing effect in sports injuries and sprains.

Chestnut can withstand the negative effects of UV rays. It is for this reason that it is often incorporated into many sunscreens. The oil extract is used to care for aging skin. To carry out such a manipulation, it is enough to moisten a cotton swab in the extract and apply to problem areas for 10-15 minutes.

The chestnut decoction has a lifting effect on the skin of the face. It is enough to prepare a decoction (finely chop 2 tablespoons of chestnut fruit and pour a glass of boiling water) and rub it over your face. This procedure is carried out every other day.

Chestnut is an effective weight loss remedy

Chestnut, unlike many nuts, contains starch. It is considered to be a natural "energy bar". Thanks to such nutritional value, it is enough to eat it for dinner in the amount of 2 pieces and be completely satisfied. In this case, the stomach will not be overloaded.

However, use this product for the purpose of losing weight must be extremely careful.

Contraindications to the use of chestnut

• individual intolerance,
• chronic renal failure,
• pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Most of the difficulties arise due to the fact that people often confuse and use horse chestnuts instead of sweets. In this situation, poisoning can occur. However, excessive consumption of sugary fruits can also lead to stomach problems such as constipation and bloating.

In our country, people rarely think about the benefits and dangers of edible chestnuts. Painfully exotic food. However, for those people who want to know more about the beneficial properties of various products and contraindications for their use, information about chestnuts will not be superfluous.

What it is?

The trees of the genus are called chestnuts. Castanea that grow in warm temperate climates and have edible fruits.

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

In addition to trees with edible fruits, chestnuts are sometimes called other types of plants, the fruits of which cannot be eaten.

How to distinguish edible chestnuts from inedible ones?

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

Learning to distinguish edible from inedible options is simple - just look at the photo.

The trees on which the fruits ripen have completely different leaves. The Horse Chestnut has compound, palmate leaves; the tree whose nuts can be eaten have single leaves.

The fruits themselves also differ.

In an edible chestnut, nuts are collected together in 2-4 pieces, surrounded by branched thorns on the outside. Those nuts that cannot be eaten are single. They have no thorns on top.

Composition

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

Nuts are very high in fats, proteins and fat-soluble vitamins. But carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins, soluble in water, are much less in them. Everything is different in chestnuts. In their composition, they are close to vegetables such as potatoes or corn: they are rich in starch, fiber, vitamin C.

So, 100 grams of fried fruit contains:

• 245 kcal;
• 53 grams of carbohydrates, of which 5 are fiber, which is about 20% of the daily value;
• 2.2 g of fat, including saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid molecules;
• 3.2 g protein;
• 59% of the daily intake 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 shown may vary slightly depending on the type Castanea.

Please note that the composition data for these nuts is always given per 100 grams of fried product, as it is inedible when raw.

The benefits of chestnuts are also explained by the presence of compounds with antioxidative activity in them. This is not only vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, but also some other substances, such as polyphenols.

The antioxidative activity of nuts is very similar to. Like the autumn orange berry, chestnuts provide the body with significant amounts of copper and manganese, which support the work of enzymes that are natural internal antioxidants for humans.

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

Healing properties

1. Improving digestion: supporting the work of beneficial intestinal microflora and eliminating chronic constipation.
2. Strengthening immunity. Strengthening bone tissue, prevention of osteoporosis.
3. Help in normalizing blood pressure in hypertension.
4. Prevention of atherosclerosis.
5. Improving brain function: enhancing cognitive abilities, preventing neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia.
6. Protection against cancer and premature aging.

How do they work on losing weight?

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

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

However, despite all their benefits, chestnuts are not a product on which to lose weight. Yes, it is allowed to be included in the diet for weight loss. But don't be too heavy on these nuts. Since their glycemic load is quite high. And only food that does not load the body with a significant amount of carbohydrates has an unconditional benefit for weight loss.

Chestnut soup

Yes, you can make a real soup from these nuts. To do this, they must first be fried or boiled.

Stew with pumpkin

that can be multiplied by combining it with chestnuts.

You can see how to do this.

Baked chicken

In many countries, chickens or turkey poults baked with chestnuts are popular holiday dishes for New Years and Christmas.

Here is one of those recipes.

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

We have listed only chestnut recipes that are easy to implement at home, and that are healthy. There are also many sweet treats 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 how chestnuts are good for health, and after finding that they have quite a lot of medicinal qualities, you decided to include these nuts in your diet for their benefit, you should not mix them with sugar and other easily digestible carbohydrates.

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

What is the potential harm?

1. A strict contraindication for the use of chestnuts is an allergy, which is less common than other types of nuts. It usually manifests itself in the form of skin redness and severe itching.
2. It is also necessary to remember that the fruits Castanea are edible only in ready-made form. The harm of untreated chestnut is due to the fact that it contains a lot of tannic acids, the consumption of which can lead to unpleasant side effects.
3. In a nut that has been heated, the amount of these compounds is minimal. Nevertheless, it is not recommended to eat chestnuts at the same time as taking medications, since the residues of tannic acids in them can reduce the activity of medicinal preparations.
4. 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 a potato. Therefore, it is a conditionally approved product for both diabetics and those who are losing weight. Especially those who are trying to lose weight on a low-carb diet.

Can chestnuts be eaten during pregnancy and breastfeeding?

If no allergies to these nuts have been previously 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 during the period of gestation.

For women who are breastfed, nuts, including chestnuts, are recommended to be included in their menu, as this reduces the likelihood of a child developing a nut allergy in the future. However, some babies may already be allergic. Therefore, after a chestnut meal, it is imperative to monitor the child's well-being: observe whether he has a rash, whether he has nausea and abdominal pain.

The benefits and harms of edible chestnuts: conclusions

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

In terms of their chemical composition, they are more reminiscent of vegetables, for example, potatoes, than nuts. They are rich in starch, fiber and vitamin C. Low in fats, proteins and fat-soluble vitamins.

Chestnuts have a good effect on blood pressure, perfectly saturate, help to raise immunity and contribute to the improvement of intestinal microflora.

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

At home, chestnuts can be prepared in a variety of ways. But whatever the recipe, before its implementation, the nuts must be fried, baked or boiled, since they are inedible in their raw form.

More recently, this fruit, in some places replacing potatoes and corn for local residents, was completely alien to us. Today we are looking more closely at chestnuts- not only on European trips, but also on the menu of restaurants, in stores and in their own kitchens.

What are chestnuts

In the courtyard of my childhood, as in many other old Moscow courtyards, a luxurious chestnut grew. We can say that an exemplary chestnut: it reached the sixth floor in height, regularly bloomed with elegant candles in May and dropped weighty cones on an out of place installed bench in sunny October. Hard greenish stones were used for a variety of children's games, but if someone told us that somewhere they are fried, boiled and made from them cakes with chocolate, we would have laughed in his face. By the way, they would have done the right thing, because that chestnut, obviously, was horse- its leaves looked like curly star-shaped paws (in a tree with edible fruits, they are oblong and are attached to the branch handle one by one).

Edible chestnuts do not grow in our latitudes. The nearest place on the map is the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, but even there they for some reason turn out to be small, like walnuts, while in Europe they are the size of a good tangerine. However, especially large ones are valued almost like truffles and are not even exported. You can meet them in southern France, in Spain and, of course, in Italy, where, of course, solid delicacies will be born.

The most selected are in Sicily, just good ones are in the north of the country. In Piedmont, in Lombardy, you can see signs on the streets warning of the seasonal fall of nuts (chestnuts are exactly nuts). During this very fall, passers-by do not hesitate to pick up the crop, lay it out, satisfied, in their cases and bags from Furla - why, you don’t have to pay three euros per kilo, like in a supermarket!

In the north of Italy, extremely rare for Europe have survived wild chestnut woods, where in September-October whole companies go with baskets. And mothers of families remember dozens of recipes for preparing this autumn gift of nature. You need to hurry: chestnuts are poorly stored - after a couple of days they begin to dry out and deteriorate. True, if you freeze them baked or boiled, then you can use the whole season, and the taste will not suffer.

However, nature throws chestnuts everywhere. One of the varieties is fragrant Tamba chestnuts- grows on the Japanese island of Honshu. In the Land of the Rising Sun, chestnuts are highly respected - among the poetic Japanese people, they are considered the same symbol of autumn as the blossoming sakura - a symbol of spring. Fresh Tamba chestnuts are so sweet they don't even have sugar added to them when making kurimoti rice balls, an amaguri beer snack, or a waffle filling sold at the bustling intersections of old cities.

How to eat chestnuts

We also gradually got to know the chestnuts. Sooner or later, each of us came to Europe for Christmas and was fascinated by its magic. The winter may have been warm and almost snowless - such that one wanted to walk and walk. In the old city, a festive bazaar was buzzing around the cathedral and offering all kinds of sparkling and singing treasures. Fragrant corrugations were baked everywhere, punch and mulled wine were poured, stirring up interest in life. And, of course, an integral part of this whole tale were the chestnut sellers, who theatrically controlled in the falling twilight with their antediluvian braziers. On the iron sheets, the brown chestnuts bounced, crackling, and glowed to a noble golden hue. The burst balls were poured into a paper bag - then they easily opened, showering the skin, and they burned pleasantly. The taste was reminiscent of hazelnuts and at the same time boiled sweet potatoes, which are baked on the streets of Asian cities. But it happened in Paris, or Rome, or Strasbourg, Cologne, Vienna ...

In general, our memories of the day when we first tasted chestnuts are not devoid of sentimentality. However, discarding sentimentality, you can to cook exotic nuts obtained in the ordinary market or in an expensive gastro-boutique, and in your own kitchen... The easiest recipe is fry them in the same primitive way: make an incision (otherwise they will explode) on the flat side, put them on a frying pan (not on a Teflon pan, of course), cover them with a lid and listen as they jump there, ready to burst and present the world with a delicate crumbly insides. However, the most delicious chestnuts are not those that have already burst, but those that are about to burst, “on the brink” ... But to define this “just about” is almost an art. Only professionals can use it. For example, the Japanese, who roast their Tamba chestnuts in drums with hot river sand, without leaving the temperature regulator unattended.

Chestnuts are delicious exceptionally hot, just from a brazier or frying pan. If you are aiming not at a fleeting connection (a dinner of students: chestnuts and young wine), but at a serious relationship, this stage of roasting can be the beginning of what is called a wonderful friendship. Use a spoon to gently remove the warm pulp from the cracked skin and cook in one of dozen ways.

How to cook chestnuts

Let's say chestnuts can be served as side dish for roast- instead of the usual potatoes. Or add to pilaf. Or, as in the Caucasus, pour them with a lot of onions into dishes where meat is being prepared, and leave for ten to fifteen minutes: the chestnuts will have a completely different aroma. And they will need to be served separately, generously sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

A lunch near Moscow is good combination with apples and: first, pouring water, bring the chestnuts to pleasant softness, then, draining the water, add the chopped apples and butter and simmer until the fruits become soft. Prunes and nuts will add piquancy to the dish.

Chestnuts are baked, fried, boiled, and stuffed with poultry: in America for Thanksgiving, in Europe for Christmas. We are not bound by age-old traditions and can stuff a rooster or a turkey right now. By the way, a capon stuffed with chestnuts and armagnac is sold for incredible sums in gastronomic boutiques.

Chestnut is generally a favorite of haute cuisine masters. And those who like to make unusual flavor combinations. By the way, in such combinations, it is perfect as a souvenir: they just brought me a jam from Paris called "chestnuts and smoked Chinese tea." It's almost unsweetened, you can't eat it with cookies or pancakes - it's just an artifact.

Friends with an interest in gastronomy will appreciate the beauty of the game if you cook for them chestnut soup... It does not require special knowledge or effort: to the meat broth seasoned with onions, garlic, celery and parsley, after the chestnuts you need to add a spoonful of butter, a glass of cream and a little alcohol like brandy.

When there is no time to mess around with roasting and peeling nuts, you can use canned chestnut puree... It forms the basis for dozens of interesting and easy-to-serve dishes. Mostly sweet, of course. The simplest cake that you don't even need to bake: stir well a couple of glasses of puree with 175 grams of butter, 300 grams of dark chocolate and a few tablespoons of rum, put in a mold and keep in the refrigerator overnight. Or just whip the puree with the cream.

From chestnut flour aromatic cookies(um, with pine nuts and raisins), but probably most of us, especially children, love whole chestnuts: to gnaw a nut that is large, like an egg, and with such an unusual taste, who will not like it? Our weakness is indulged primarily by manufacturers marron glaces- glazed chestnuts, which can be found in any French, Spanish or Italian supermarket.

Chestnuts, aged in sugar syrup and hidden in a thick chocolate or white icing shell, are easy to make yourself. Even easier - Drunk chestnuts: Pour one hundred grams of sugar into a glass of red wine, put the boiled chestnuts and simmer for a while over medium heat until a syrup is formed. Then, while still hot, place the whipped cream on the featherbed, sprinkle with vanilla and garnish with mint and candied fruits.

We sell edible chestnuts in three types: fresh unpeeled, fresh frozen peeled and pickled. The latter are a ready-made product, without additional processing they can be added to a salad, for example, in combination with an orange or with a fillet of smoked duck breast. Freshly frozen chestnuts must first be fried and then used, say, in a soup with porcini mushrooms. And fresh unpeeled nuts should be cut, covered with foil and baked in the oven for about 20 minutes, then salt and eat just like seeds or corn are eaten.
Another unusual "chestnut" product, directly related to nuts, however, has nothing to do with it, is honey. Pleasantly liquid (it does not crystallize until spring, or maybe longer, it just did not stay longer with us), dark brown - just chestnut! - colors with a light aroma and an amazing bitter taste. It is useful for kidney and stomach diseases, kills germs. There is no 100% chestnut honey - it would be too bitter, bees collect pollen from other plants. And the more clearly the bitterness is felt in honey, the more chestnut itself is in it.

We learned about edible chestnut from French films.

At home, it is a favorite delicacy, but for us it remains an unprecedented wonder, although now this overseas delicacy is available and on sale.

Let's talk about the beneficial properties and dangers of fruits today.

This is a tall tree of the Beech family with unusual pyramid-shaped inflorescences, as well as edible fruits.

The fruit in the section is a cream or yellowish nut.

The territory of its distribution is the south of Europe (the Balkans, Greece, etc.), Asia and America, in the post-Soviet space - the Caucasus, the Black Sea coast.

Outwardly, this nut looks like a horse chestnut growing in our latitudes, but, unlike it, it is not poisonous, although both plants have medicinal properties.

Chemical composition, calorie content and nutritional value of chestnut

The fruit contains: ascorbic and folic acids, B vitamins, retinol, riboflavin and niacin, and in addition, copper and iron, potassium and calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and manganese.

Nutritional value- 166 kcal fresh, 182 kcal fried per hundred grams of product.

Unlike other nuts, the fruit contains more carbohydrates and proteins than fat. It also contains a lot of starch, fiber and sugars.

Spiders do not like this tree and do not weave webs on its branches. Perhaps that is why most of the European castles used the wood of chestnut wood.

Chestnut is often consumed for metabolic problems, walnut with its beneficial properties helps to normalize metabolism, stimulates the production of necessary enzymes, regulates the water-salt and acid-base balance. It regulates fat metabolism, which reduces the risk of liver disease.

Edible chestnut has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland, useful properties support the endocrine system, normalize blood flow.

Moderate, but regular consumption of fruits in food is an effective prevention of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, thrombophlebitis, venous congestion and varicose veins.

The benefits of chestnuts for men

Horse chestnuts are most useful for men with problems with the reproductive system. Most of the problems with potency are associated with poor blood circulation in the genitals. Fruit-based preparations help to solve this problem, as well as cure prostatitis. Of particular value is that such a medicine does not harm other organs.

Chestnut trees have been around since prehistoric times and can live for over half a century. There are written testimonies dating back to 378 BC about the baking of bread from chestnut flour by the ancient Romans.

The benefits of chestnuts for women

Toasted nuts, if consumed during critical days, greatly facilitate the well-being of a woman.

They are useful for menopause: they improve the hormonal balance of women during this period. In gynecology, fetal-based preparations are used for uterine bleeding and edema, with stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs.

It is interesting why edible chestnuts are useful for women who prefer to walk in heels: how to prepare them for stressed joints of the feet and not only - a detailed description below.

The use of chestnuts

Are chestnuts useful? Of course, their use is not limited only to cooking, the fruits are used in medicine (folk and traditional), in cosmetology. It is even harvested for future use in order to have raw materials for the preparation of medicines or dishes.

In folk medicine

What are the health benefits of chestnuts from a medical point of view? Traditional medicine uses tinctures, decoctions and ointments based on this nut.

For the treatment of joints, a tincture of fruits is prepared, compresses, rubbing, in the absence of contraindications, is taken orally. For preparation, take 70 g of flowers, 10 g of chopped fruits and 0.5 l of vodka; insist a week. Inside take 20 drops before meals. This tincture is useful for varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, arthrosis, rheumatism and osteochondrosis. It is advisable to check the dosage in consultation with a doctor.

A similar tincture, with the exception of the colors in the composition, when taken orally helps with hypertension... For sore joints, an ointment is also prepared from nuts ground into flour, adding vegetable oil.

In pharmacology, horse chestnut is part of drugs for various diseases (gynecology, urology, gastrointestinal tract system, cardiovascular system, respiratory tract).

In cosmetology

Chestnut, due to its properties, is beneficial and is used in the care of skin, nails and hair. Many cosmetics: tonics, scrubs, creams and milk contain these fruits.

Walnut in cosmetology exhibits the following properties:

• stimulates the production of elastin and collagen;
• strengthens hair and nails;
• reduces pigmentation;
• relieves swelling and smoothes scars and scars;
• normalizes the function of the thyroid gland, which has a positive effect on the general condition of the skin and hair;
• helps relieve inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes;
• slows down the aging of the body.

What are the benefits of chestnut for skin? It is an effective antioxidant, in addition, products based on it regenerate and nourish, as well as moisturize the skin and cleanse the pores.

In cooking. How to cook chestnuts

From a culinary point of view, this is a multifaceted product: it is baked, boiled, fried, dried, ground into flour. Desserts (mousses, soufflés), salads are prepared from the fruits, added to second courses, to meat, seafood, added to baked goods.

How are chestnuts useful for the body, and how are they eaten? Vegetarians make up for the missing protein.

Since there is little fat in the product, it is valuable from the point of view of diets and rehabilitation measures after illness or surgery, as well as for weight loss.

The easiest diet salad is made with these nuts., any fresh vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes) and herbs, seasoned with olive oil.

When frying or baking fruits, the skin covering them must be pierced, otherwise they will explode. So that the fruits are not too tough, it is important not to overexpose them.

Harmful properties and contraindications for use

The fetus has contraindications for pregnant women: you should not eat them and use drugs based on them. You can not use the product during lactation, it will cause bloating in the baby.

It is forbidden to use the product and medications with it for the following diseases:

• urolithiasis disease;
• dysfunction of the kidneys;
• hypotension;
• liver disease.

Frequent use in large quantities can lead to gastrointestinal problems: bloating, diarrhea.

How to roast chestnuts at home, see the video:

As soon as overseas fruits appeared in our stores and restaurants, many questions arose about what chestnuts are useful for, what kind of fruit it is. It turns out that this is not only an interesting dish, but also a medicinal and dietary product.

From the point of view of botany, chestnuts are classified as nuts. Their fruits do look like large nuts, but when baked they taste more like potatoes. The ancient Aesculapians knew about the beneficial properties of chestnut. The "vegetable" taste makes the product very satisfying. Due to their relative cheapness, they gained unprecedented popularity among European residents in the Middle Ages. In those days, baked chestnuts were sold in almost every street stall. By the way, the product was used for food long before it was brought to the Old World. The French are especially fond of the fruit of the tree. A quivering love for the delicacy has survived to this day.

There are several varieties of wood that can be eaten. Edible or noble chestnut has a long shelf life.

Medicinal properties and application

Perhaps the most famous beneficial property of chestnut nuts is vaso-strengthening. Due to this ability, the fruits are used to treat a variety of diseases.

They are used for:

• Dilatation of the arteries;
• Resorption of blood clots;
• Strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
• Increasing the tone of the veins;
• Acceleration of blood flow;
• Decrease in blood clotting.

You will learn all the details about the medicinal properties of chestnut from the video:

Upper respiratory tract treatment

The anti-inflammatory medicinal property of chestnut helps against a common cold, sinusitis and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. For these purposes, a decoction is prepared from the fruits and leaves of the tree. It is advisable to collect the raw materials for the broth in the "juice itself", when the fruits have just begun to ripen, and the leaves do not turn yellow yet. During such periods (early October), the concentration of nutrients is at the "peak". Nuts and leaves are thoroughly washed and chopped. Then they are dried under the sun.

To prepare the broth you will need:

• 500 grams of water;
• 25-30 grams of nuts;
• 25-30 grams of leaves.

Raw materials are poured with water and brought to a boil. Chestnut "elixir" is insisted for about 2-4 hours. Filter it before use. Drink for inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx or respiratory organs 2-3 times a day before eating, 1 tbsp. spoon. Concentrated chestnut medicine for sinusitis is instilled into the nose. The dosage for an adult is approximately 0.5 tsp in each nostril.

From hemorrhoids

For the treatment of hemorrhoids, a decoction of the fruits and bark of the tree is used.
For cooking, you need to take:

• 10-20 grams of a mixture of dried bark and nuts;
• 400 gr of boiling water.

Raw materials are poured with boiling water and insisted for about an hour. Then the broth is decanted, and the reduced volume is replenished with boiled water. Take a folk drug three times a day for 1 tbsp. spoon.

Chestnut for rheumatism

Chestnut benefits the human body and rheumatism. The fruits are collected and dried, and then they are crushed into powder, which is added to antirheumatic ointments. The product increases the effectiveness of the medicine.

You may be wondering that with rheumatism, you can also improve the condition with the help of lentils. Read all the details

How to cook?

As you know, you can prepare not only medicines from nuts. The most "delicious" recipe is considered to be the classic culinary method. Before the process, the chestnuts must be cut so that there is no big "explosion" during heating. You really run the risk of decorating the oven or the area adjacent to the fire pit with pieces of pulp.

It is best to cook the dish outdoors over charcoal. They are simply "buried" in burnt wood and baked like potatoes. The internal heat of the coals and the light aroma of haze make the delicacy incredibly tasty.

If there is no way to make a fire on the street, then you can bake the dish on a baking sheet or frying pan in the oven. The temperature must be set to 180 degrees. Cooking time will be 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chestnuts. Finished nuts are peeled and served with butter or.

You will learn all the intricacies of cooking chestnuts in the oven from the video:

The benefits of baked chestnuts for the body are invaluable: a person receives a "dose" of vitamins and minerals. For weight loss, such a dish is ideal: it is low in calories and delicious. You can pamper yourself with chestnut pulp almost every day. You don't have to bake them. Peeled young nuts are eaten raw or cut into salads. Boiled marron fruits are used as a full-fledged dish, a side dish for red meat or an ingredient in soups.

The healing properties of tree flowers

Chestnut flowers help with varicose veins. They make baths and compresses for the feet - the most problematic area in this disease. The main indication for a bath can be not only varicose veins, but also chronic fatigue of the legs, and a contraindication is hypotension or an allergy to the product. These procedures are ideal for people who spend all day on their feet. The product in combination with warm water will help tone the veins with blood vessels and relax the muscles.

Walnut baths are also good for those who suffer from eczema, fungus, cracked feet or chronic calluses. Any non-healing wounds can be healed with a compress or a chestnut flower bath.

By the way, fragrant chestnut "baskets" should be picked in late May or early June. It was during this period that the flower “pyramids” of the tree were revealed. The beneficial properties of edible chestnut flowers are doubled when used in combination with leaves, bark and nuts. The action of such a mixture will be versatile, and you can kill several ailments at once with one shot.

Benefits and harms for men

The fruits of the tree benefit the male body with a minimum of harm. The tool has become popular for the treatment of "male" diseases relatively recently. The ability to restore blood circulation plays the most important role in this case. Erectile dysfunction is often caused by circulatory problems.

A decoction of walnut fruits is effective not only for the treatment of impotence, but also as its prevention. It is especially recommended to use folk medicine for men at risk: after 40-45 years. Saponin, which is found in fruits, helps to increase the production of hormones, and testosterone is no exception. In addition, chestnuts, in combination with leaves and bark, treat prostate diseases.

Afterword

The useful properties and contraindications of chestnut can be found in any manual on traditional medicine. In our country, unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find edible chestnuts. Noble varieties are grown only in private gardens, and the product is not as popular as in Europe and Asia. There are outlets where you can buy quality fruits.

According to statistics, over the past decade, about 40% of the total amount of chestnuts consumed for food has been eaten by the Chinese. Moreover, in China they are not only eaten, but also fed to livestock. The meat of animals fed on chestnuts tastes extraordinarily delicate. But in France, the Christmas table is decorated with a traditional dish - candied nuts. An unusual dessert is becoming one of the main dishes served to guests and households.

Edible chestnut is able to benefit a person, and harm from it can be easily excluded if you familiarize yourself with the contraindications ahead of time. An incredibly tasty product will make the treatment enjoyable, which in itself is rare. Before the course of "self-therapy" it is recommended to consult with your doctor.

Similar materials