Useful properties of grape leaf
Many people like to feast on grape berries. Moreover, the grape leaf also has an exquisite taste and benefits for the body. Grape leaves are successfully used in cooking, medicine and cosmetology.
Useful properties of grape leaf
For good health
The benefits of grape leaves are based on their rich composition and the presence of a large proportion of plant fibers. Consuming leaves for food, we stock up on vitamins C, A, E, K, PP, as well as choline and beta-carotene. Vitamin A and fatty acids in the product are excellent antioxidants. Getting them from grape leaves, the body is better able to resist cancer and premature old age.
Calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper and other minerals are obtained from the grape leaf. The health of bones, joints, internal organs depends on these minerals. Grape leaves are beneficial by improving blood circulation and cardiovascular function, boosting immunity, and promoting proper metabolism. They have an antiseptic effect: they help the healing of wounds, counteract caries, and promote the separation of sputum in bronchial diseases.
For slimness
Grape leaves have beneficial properties for weight loss and help relieve swelling.
With a rich vitamin and mineral composition, a grape leaf has a low calorie content - only 93 kcal per 100 g.
The abundance of plant fiber contributes to normal digestion and metabolism, and also creates a feeling of fullness for a long time.
Puffiness and varicose veins are problems that often accompany excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle. Including dishes with grape leaves in the diet and making compresses from them, it will be possible to significantly improve blood circulation, reduce swelling and pain (there are also special pills, ointments and creams with grape leaf extract for varicose veins). It improves metabolism and promotes healthy weight loss.
For beauty
Grape leaves have the properties of strengthening nails, giving a healthy look to the skin and hair. To improve the condition of the nails, you can drink a decoction or tea with the product. Also, crushed grape leaves are added to trays or nail masks. To make the hair shiny, soft and elastic, they are rinsed with a special infusion (dry grape leaves are poured with boiling water, allowed to brew for a quarter of an hour and filtered through cheesecloth). If the hair is oily, wine vinegar is added to the infusion (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of liquid).
Beauticians recommend using grape leaves when preparing homemade face masks. The simplest mask for softening the skin is chopped young leaves mixed with natural honey. Such a gruel is applied to the skin and left for a quarter of an hour, and then washed off with warm water. The mask helps smooth out wrinkles, nourishes and tones, renews skin cells and creates protection from ultraviolet radiation.
In cooking
Delicious dishes using the leaf
The most famous dish with grape leaves belongs to the cuisine of several countries at once. The so-called "dolma" or "tolma" is a variety of small cabbage rolls in which grape leaves are used instead of cabbage leaves. Cooking in Turkish, Armenian or Azeybardjan differs in the type of spices and some peculiarities of the recipes, but in fact the dish is minced meat with rice, wrapped in leaves of young grapes. Asian cooking involves the use of lamb in dolma, but minced chicken fillet is quite suitable for a lighter dietary dish.
This product is used not only in dolma. It is often added to grated soup, sweet pilaf, stuffed not only with meat, but also with mushrooms, vegetables, legumes, rice with raisins. Grape leaf tea has a wonderful aroma, interesting taste and extreme health benefits. Its medicinal properties help in the fight against hepatitis, thrush, tooth decay, gum and vision diseases, hemorrhoids and other diseases.
Contraindications
The benefits and harms of grape leaves depend on their correct use. The basic principle here is keeping a sense of proportion. Once or twice a week, a dish with grape leaves will not harm the body, but it will significantly enrich the diet. Abuse will lead to stomach problems, especially if the digestive system is weak and often malfunctions. If you have an ulcer or chronic diseases of the digestive system, it is better to refuse this product.
Contraindications also apply to people with diabetes (grape leaves contain a lot of sugar). To the same extent, contraindications apply to obese people and women during pregnancy.
How to choose and procure
For cooking, it is recommended to use white grape leaves: they have a more delicate taste and a convenient shape with smooth edges. A prerequisite: the leaves must be young, therefore, when choosing a product on the market, pay attention to the color - it must be soft green, not dark.
The price of fresh grape leaves is not too high - 300-400 rubles. for 1 kg. Canned leaves cost from 150 to 200 rubles. for a half-liter jar. When purchasing a canned product, it is important to study the description on the label. Pay attention to the supplements used, calorie count, and shelf life.
Blank
It makes sense to harvest grape leaves for future use, the berry grows in the country. The easiest way to determine the appropriate size is by putting your palm to the leaf: it is in such a "container" that it is most convenient to wrap the dolma. A simple way is to freeze the product in a bag or jar, having previously washed, dried and rolled up.
In the same way, the folded leaves are salted in a jar, first scalded with boiling water, and then filled with brine or tomato juice. To prepare dried leaves, use a special dryer or an ordinary oven. In the latter case, the oven is heated to 65 ° C, and then turned off and the leaves spread out on baking sheets are placed in it, leaving the door ajar.
Warning
Only a healthy leaf will be beneficial for the human or animal body. By how the plant looks, they judge the state of its health and the presence of any infection. Pay attention to everything: color, structure of the leaf, petiole, change in shape and venation. So, if the edges of the leaves of grapes are wrapped or the leaf "rusts", it should not be eaten.
Sometimes the diseased plant becomes covered with spots and takes on a darker color already at the beginning of summer, although this is characteristic of its condition in the fall. White bloom is also dangerous: this is the result of the activity of parasites, which can be seen only under a microscope.
Timely treatment of the bush, when the 5th leaf appears on the plant, helps to prevent diseases.If the disease does occur, it is important to correctly identify it and use the appropriate treatment measures. The use of leaves from such a bush at this time is contraindicated.
Helpful hints
- The product is useful not only for people: it is recommended to feed rabbits with grape leaves. Just a few a day will help provide your pets with essential minerals and vitamins. Do not feed your rabbits too much of this food so that the excess sugar does not harm them.
- The use of grape leaves for preserving vegetables deserves special attention. Such a leaf in a jar with tomatoes or cucumbers gives the pickles a special taste and aroma. They try to choose the youngest leaves for pickling.
- Do not use non-thermally processed leaves (for example, for salads), so as not to harm digestion. One well-washed fresh leaf is recommended to be chewed once a day. This is the prevention of caries and periodontal disease.
- Grape leaves help not only with physical ailments. They also help to eliminate psychological depression, depression, anxiety and melancholy. The omega-3 fatty acids they contain reduce the level of cytokines that increase the susceptibility to depression and disorders of the hormonal axis of stress.
Conclusion
The beneficial properties of grape leaves have shown themselves in cooking, beauty and cosmetology. The advantages of the product include a budget price, versatility, simple methods of preparation and preparation. Correctly used grape leaves (taking into account the sense of proportion and contraindications) will be an excellent help for a healthy lifestyle, help diversify the menu, give beauty, vigor and emotional stability.