Maple leaf: healing properties and use in folk medicine

Many inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic joint pathologies are characterized by a relapsing course. After relief of acute symptoms and transfer of the disease to the stage of stable remission, treatment continues. Patients are recommended to take chondroprotectors for a long time, exercise, and visit a massage room. Medicines made according to recipes from traditional healers help prevent the exacerbation of pathology. Treating joints with maple leaves collected in early autumn has proven successful. Plant raw materials contain many biologically active substances that improve the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. An infusion or aromatic tea made from maple leaves has pronounced anti-inflammatory, decongestant, and analgesic properties.

Composition and natural properties

Maple leaves have healing powers not due to folk beliefs of mystical origin, but due to their chemical composition, rich in vitamins and minerals. Main components:

• fiber, which lowers cholesterol levels in the blood, preventing the appearance of atherosclerosis;
• carbohydrates, which are a source of energy;
• organic acids that improve the digestion process and remove toxins from the body;
• alkaloids that normalize blood circulation, reduce the excitability of the nervous system and eliminate joint pain;
• lipids that produce the synthesis of hormones responsible for the normal functioning of the central nervous system;
• fatty acids involved in energy balance;
• tannins that eliminate the influence of microorganisms;
• carotene, which suppresses the production of free radicals, thereby being a natural immunostimulant;
• vitamin B, which stabilizes blood pressure, prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, expands the lumen of blood vessels, helping to improve blood flow;
• vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant;
• vitamin E, which normalizes the reproductive system, accelerates the healing of wounds and burns, and prevents the formation of blood clots.

Medicinal properties and widespread use in folk medicine are a consequence of the chemical composition. It affects the body:

• antibacterial;
• antiseptic;
• immunomodulatory;
• tonic;
• diuretic.

Natural properties determine the scope of application in the treatment of diseases.

How to prepare

To always be able to use maple leaves to prepare remedies for joint pain, you should prepare them in advance. To do this, you need to know certain rules for collecting and storing plant materials.

It is best to collect maple leaves in the summer season. You can also do this in late autumn. It is recommended to harvest Norway maple leaves, as it is considered more useful in treating joints.

The easiest time to harvest leaves is in the fall, since during this period leaf fall begins and there is no need to climb trees. During collection, each leaf should be carefully inspected. Those that are limp or damaged by insects should be thrown away immediately. You should not collect even heavily contaminated leaves.

It is recommended to wither young maple leaves a little in the sun. Afterwards you can start drying them according to the standard plan. All collected leaves need to be spread out in a thin layer on sheets of paper. It is best to place them in a well-ventilated area. The attic is ideal for this purpose. It is necessary to ensure that the raw materials are not exposed to direct sunlight.

If the leaf drying technique was carried out correctly, then as a result the maple raw material will retain its original color and shape.

Dried foliage can be stored in a dry place in a suspended state. You can also put it in a cardboard or wooden box. But in this case, the shelf life of the raw materials will be reduced to 1 course of therapy. In a suspended state, maple leaves do not lose their beneficial properties for 2 years.

Indications for use

The leaves can be useful for humans in the treatment and prevention of the following diseases:

• arthrosis, arthritis, osteochondrosis, gout and other joint pathologies;
• urolithiasis disease;
• hypovitaminosis C;
• acute and chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, ARVI;
• radiculitis;
• impotence and prostatitis;
• gastritis of various origins, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
• herpes.

Due to its healing properties, the list of diseases is not limited to these items, since the beneficial substances contained in the plant generally strengthen the body and help improve adaptation to unfavorable conditions.

Chicken croquettes with birch leaves

Ingredients: minced chicken – 250 g, birch leaves (finely chopped) – ⅓ cup, egg – 1 pc., breadcrumbs, oil for frying, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation: mix birch leaves with minced meat and egg, mix well, add salt and pepper to taste. Form small balls from the prepared minced meat, roll them in breadcrumbs and fry in a large amount of fat. Serve with mashed potatoes or vegetable salad.

Recipes for joint diseases

Anesthetic infusion

To relieve pain and reduce swelling, an infusion is effective, which must be taken orally for a course of four months. To prepare the infusion you will need:

• 3 dried leaves of medium size, without visible defects;
• 300 ml of boiled, preferably purified water.

The leaves are filled with water and infused for an hour. You need to prepare the infusion every day in the morning and under no circumstances prepare it for future use - after standing for several days, it loses its healing properties. You need to drink it every day 10-15 minutes before meals for a month, then take a two-week break, and then continue taking it. After another two-week pause, you should complete the course of treatment by taking the infusion for a month.

Infusion for polyarthritis

For the complex treatment of polyarthritis of the joints, an infusion of green, young parts of maple leaves is used:

• 100 grams of green leaves;
• 1 liter of purified filtered boiling water.

You need to infuse the drug for 12 hours, or better yet, a day. Take orally according to the same scheme as described above.

Tincture for complex treatment

Particularly effective for gout, this tincture is used simultaneously internally and externally, which provides a complex effect on sore joints. You need to take:

• 20 grams of crushed maple leaves;
• 100 ml 96% alcohol.

After infusion for forty-five days, the alcohol tincture should be taken three times a day in a dosage of ten drops, preferably before meals. The resulting drug can also be used to rub joints during an exacerbation, since maple has an analgesic effect.

Lotion for sore joints

A lotion for external use copes well with swelling, relieves pain and removes redness.

You need to take:

• a dozen maple leaves, washed under cool water and thoroughly chopped (or more, depending on which joint the lotion is needed for);
• sterile bandage.

The bandage is placed in one layer on the sore joint, and the medicinal pulp is carefully and evenly distributed over the bandage. The lotion is securely fixed with several layers of bandage. It is not advisable to keep the lotion on a sore spot for more than two or three hours.

Carrot and maple salad

Ingredients: fresh carrots – 1 pc., young maple leaves – 0.5 cups, garlic – 1 clove, mayonnaise, parsley – 1 tbsp. spoon, nuts - 2 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation: cut the carrots on a Korean grater or grate them coarsely, add salt, add a pinch of sugar and grind thoroughly until soft.

Drain off the released juice. Cut young maple leaves. Crush the garlic into the mayonnaise. Mix carrots and maple leaves, season with mayonnaise, sprinkle with nuts and chopped parsley.

Recipes for other diseases

Tea for colds

To prepare this tea you will need:

• several dried and crushed maple leaves;
• 200 ml boiling water or cold water.

Prepare tea in the same way as regular tea and drink it warm. It will help the upper respiratory tract cleanse and restore the mucous membrane, and will also have a mild sedative and hypnotic effect. And if you drink this tea every day for at least two weeks, you can count on relief and recovery from pneumonia and chronic bronchitis.

Decoction for urolithiasis

Maple perfectly removes kidney stones by first crushing them to the consistency of sand, making this method of treatment completely painless. To prepare the decoction you should take:

• one tablespoon of dried and crushed leaves without defects;
• 250 ml filtered boiling water.

The mixture should be simmered over low heat, without boiling, for 30 minutes, after which the drug should be cooled and taken two tablespoons three times a day after meals. Continue treatment until a positive result is achieved.

Tincture for impotence

Maple has great effectiveness against prostatitis and its consequence - impotence. To treat with this folk remedy you will need:

• about one hundred and fifty young maple leaves, which are best collected in June or July;
• 30 ml medical alcohol.

Juice is squeezed out of the collected leaves, which should yield an average of 70 ml. Alcohol is added to the juice so that the total volume of the resulting tincture is 100 ml. You need to take the medicine daily for a month, 5-10 drops half an hour before meals.

Harvesting, drying, storage, when to collect

Maple is found naturally in North America and in Eurasia. For harvesting as a medicinal raw material, preference is given to Norway maple. You can collect foliage in the summer and autumn seasons.

It is easier to carry out this operation after leaf fall. Select clean sheet plates without damage. They should be washed and gently wiped with a soft cloth. Dry in a well-ventilated room. You can use an electric dryer at 50 degrees.

Green summer leaves are first dried in the sun and then transferred to the shade. The dried raw materials are placed in linen bags. It is more convenient to store them hanging in a dark place. The shelf life on average reaches two years.

An ancient Slavic decoction recipe

Our ancestors were well aware of the healing properties of the maple leaf. They consumed decoctions from it as a pleasant addition to refreshing and warming drinks, while simultaneously preventing the most common diseases - acute respiratory viral infections, gastritis, and other digestive disorders. From ancient times a recipe for a decoction has come down to us, which uses the following ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons dried and crushed maple leaves;
• a glass of hot water.

The dry part of the future decoction must be poured with a glass of hot water, brought to a boil and simmered over low heat for ten minutes, without allowing the decoction to boil a second time. After removing the potion from the heat, you need to leave it for an hour, then strain and put it in a dry, dark place. Take a tablespoon several times a day before each meal, add to tea or use as an external lotion, soaking bandages and gauze in it.

Helpful information

Maple, like oak, can be used almost completely . The bark, stems, flowers, and fruits are also used for treatment. Maple sap and maple syrup are healthy but rare drinks. Maple syrup is used in cooking, as a component of various dishes or a sugar substitute, and is also used as a vitamin and medicinal drink.

Herbalists prepare the raw materials themselves and make fermented tea. Brew it like regular tea and drink it with honey or simply as a separate drink. For taste and benefit, you can add: leaves of apple, cherry, chokeberry, strawberry or strawberry, black currant. If you serve healing honey from kandyk with tea, the drink will become just a vitamin bomb.

Maple foliage has also found its use in cooking. In Japan, they are deep fried to create an exotic golden snack. The beautiful shape of the leaves is often used to make cookies, gingerbread cookies and painted gingerbread cookies. Although in terms of the number of healthy dishes, maple is unlikely to beat cabbage.

Making tincture at home

Tincture is fundamentally different from infusion or decoction, because ethyl alcohol is used for its preparation, which enhances some of the beneficial properties of maple, for example, the immunostimulating effect. It’s easy to prepare at home – you’ll need:

• 20 grams of green maple leaves, collected in June;
• 100 ml vodka.

The medicine is infused for three days, after which it is put away in a dry, dark place. The tincture should be taken daily, 30 drops before each meal. In addition to increasing appetite, within a week there will be a noticeable improvement in the body’s defenses and their ability to respond to the negative influences of the external environment. It is recommended to start preventing colds in October.

For wrinkles

The presence of various useful elements in maple leaves allows this raw material to be used to solve cosmetic problems.

Can be used at any age. At the age of 20, masks with this raw material will help maintain youthful skin for a long period. After 30 years, it will be possible to eliminate the first age-related changes. After 40 and 50 years, cosmetic procedures based on maple leaves help make the skin more elastic and youthful.

It is necessary to use red maple leaves collected in the autumn. After washing, they are crushed and the pulp is applied directly to cleansed skin. This one-component mask lasts for 25-30 minutes. This raw material is included in other anti-aging masks.

You can purchase a ready-made anti-aging mask from the Arsenal for 189 rubles, made from red maple extract. It is used every two days, spreading a thin layer over the skin, except for the area around the lips and eyes.

After 25 minutes, remove any remaining product with a soft textile cloth. You can use cotton pads. No need to rinse off. With systematic use of the mask, the oval of the face gradually tightens, the skin becomes more elastic, smooth and fresh.

Methods of application

The range of uses of leaves is wide and varied. They can be taken in the following forms:

• decoction;
• infusion;
• tincture;
• syrup;
• lotion;
• collection;
• ointment or paste;
• suspension or suspension;
• extracts – liquid, thick or dry.

Each of these dosage forms has both its advantages and disadvantages. The most balanced in terms of ease of preparation and preservation of medicinal properties are considered to be decoctions, tinctures and infusions of maple leaves.

Hawthorn

The leaves of the common hawthorn (prickly) have long been used as the first salad greens. True, they do this in England, where hawthorn, as a rule, turns green by Easter. By the way, hawthorn flowers, despite their medicinal effect, are not applicable in the kitchen - they smell strongly of herring brine.

In addition to vitamins and plant acids, the hawthorn leaf contains, although not very large, but a noticeable amount of the same substances as fruits and flowers, which have a very beneficial effect on the heart muscle. European doctors consider it a specific medicine for a tired heart.

Recipes

The benefits and harms of maple leaves

The entire article is devoted to the undeniable beneficial effects of this folk remedy, but it is worth paying attention to the possible negative effects on the human body. These include:

• dysbacteriosis with hereditary predisposition;
• irritable bowel syndrome;
• imbalance of lipids in the blood;
• mild hypotension.

The frequency of side effects is relatively low, however, before using traditional medicine, it is recommended to consult with a general practitioner who can competently assess the likely risks.

Contraindications

There are no serious contraindications to taking products based on maple leaves. With a doctor's permission, they can be used by nursing women and children. But it is important not to exceed the dosage, since constipation may occur due to the tannin content in the composition.

Particular care should be taken during pregnancy, since the alkaloids present in the structural formula of maple raw materials can cause contractions of the uterine muscles.

It is necessary to begin medical procedures using the amazing variety of useful elements of maple leaves after receiving medical recommendations.

This is important despite the absence of obvious contraindications, since exceeding the proportions or dosages can cause unwanted side reactions.

People's opinion

Reviews about maple leaf treatment:

As he grew older, my father developed problems with his joints, but the doctors just shrugged their shoulders and made a vague diagnosis of “polyarthritis,” prescribing many expensive medications. There was no positive effect; my father suffered from severe pain that made it difficult to sleep. I read on the Internet about the beneficial properties of maple leaf tincture and decided to try it, being disappointed in official medicine. Within a month, the father reported that the joint pain had gone away, the joy of life had returned, and now he could again walk for several hours with his beloved dog, as before.

Karina, 37 years old

I have suffered from urolithiasis since I was twenty, tried many remedies for pain relief, and was hospitalized three times with renal colic. Not counting on anything in particular, I decided to try taking a decoction of maple leaves. Two weeks later, I noticed sand in my urine, and the next preventive examination showed positive dynamics of my disease. I will continue to take this folk remedy - its effectiveness is comparable to drugs from the pharmacy, and there are no side effects.

Andrey, 41 years old

My child suffered from chronic bronchitis for a long time, and due to another exacerbation, he was unable to go to first grade with his peers on September 1st. After I started making maple leaf tea for him, the cough subsided, the child said that breathing became much easier. Now every morning, when I pack his backpack, I put a thermos with healing tea in it. The result is obvious!

Anastasia, 29 years old

My husband and I often went mountain hiking, but last year he was diagnosed with gout. Of course, this greatly affected our lifestyle and family relationships; my husband could no longer go hiking, became irritable, and exploded over trifles. In winter, I persuaded him to make maple lotions on his sore joints, and he agreed, grumbling... In July we are going to Altai! The pain has gone away, the protruding bones in my legs have retracted, and in my husband I again recognize the young man whom I once married.

Marina, 57 years old

Recently, my wife and I began to have problems in bed; doctors diagnosed prostatitis. Things were headed towards divorce, but one day my wife said that she had had enough and forced me to take a miraculous maple tincture every day, which the employees at work told her about. Three weeks later, we were surprised to note that the problems had disappeared, and my wife even called it her second wedding night.

Vyacheslav, 44 years old

Cabbage salad with birch leaves

Ingredients: cabbage – a third of a head of cabbage, birch leaves – 3 tbsp. spoons, garlic - 4-5 cloves, sour cream - 4 tbsp. spoons.

Preparation: Cut the cabbage into narrow strips. Wash young birch leaves, chop finely, add chopped garlic and sour cream, mix. Place the cabbage on a plate and pour a mixture of birch leaves, sour cream and garlic on top.

Collection of medicinal raw materials

Maple is a plant not included in reference books and textbooks on pharmacognosy. Since it is not recognized by official medicine, it is not possible to buy herbal raw materials in pharmacies. You'll have to prepare it yourself. What rules must be followed when collecting leaves:

• Harvesting should be done in early autumn, before the October leaves fall. At this time, the largest amount of bioactive substances accumulates in the raw materials;
• You can’t just pick leaves from a tree in the courtyard of a high-rise building. For high-quality medicinal raw materials, you should go outside the city, away from major roads, highways, processing factories and waste incinerators. Only the leaves collected in the grove and forest will not contain the entire periodic system of Mendeleev;
• spoiled raw materials must be rejected on site. Maple is often affected by pathogenic mold fungi, so you should get rid of leaves covered with dark spots;
• There is no need to pick off the petioles. They will help preserve the maximum amount of nutrients during drying.

Returning from the forest, the leaves need to be spread out on paper in a thin layer. The optimal place for drying is an attic with natural ventilation. If the weather is warm, you can place medicinal raw materials under an open canopy. During the drying process, maple leaves need to be constantly stirred and rotten specimens must be promptly disposed of. A properly harvested maple leaf should be dry and easily break into large pieces.

In folk medicine, a harvesting method similar to fermentation is practiced. Fresh leaves are rolled into tubes, laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and placed in a slightly heated (30-35°C) and slightly open oven. They begin to wilt, releasing juice with a large amount of organic acids. After a few hours, the tubes acquire a brown tint, but remain quite durable. Fermentation allows plant raw materials not only to preserve all vitamins and microelements, but also to improve its taste.

Dried maple leaves should be stored in cotton, linen or linen bags. And twisted tubes that have undergone fermentation should be placed in a non-oxidizing container and covered with a lid.

Description of the plant

The leaves of the sycamore maple have the greatest list of healing qualities. These trees are common in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, but can also grow further north - in Karelia. They bloom in April-May and are excellent honey plants. Some trees are up to 200 years old. During this time they manage to grow up to 30 meters in height.

Maple leaves contain:

• tannins;
• ascorbic acid;
• vitamin E, B vitamins;
• organic acids: acetic, succinic, phthalic, salicylic, gallic;
• nitrogen-containing compounds;
• flavonoids;
• anthocyanins;
• fatty acid;
• lipids;
• traces of alkaloids;
• carbohydrates;
• aldehydes.

But the chemical composition of the plant has not been fully studied.