Birch is perhaps the most praised tree in poetry and music. However, they admired not only its unusual color of bark or dangling fluffy ear rings - our ancestors knew about the value of birch leaves, sap, bark and buds. Let's talk about birch buds and their medicinal properties today.
What is rich and what is contained in
- Vitamins: A, carotene, C, PP;
- minerals: magnesium, calcium, iron, copper;
- fatty acid;
- alkaloids;
- tannins;
- saponins;
- phytoncides;
- glucose;
- resins and essential oils;
- flavonoids: hyperoside, quercetin.
Did you know? In 2001 in Germany, the Faberge egg was first exhibited, which, according to many versions, was made in 1917 and was intended for Maria Feodorovna, the wife of Emperor Alexander III. The egg itself is made of Karelian birch wood and is called "Birch".
What is useful that treat
As a medicinal raw kidney have the following properties:
- antibacterial;
- diuretic;
- choleretic;
- expectorant;
- diaphoretic;
Anemone, canoper, bird cherry, fragrant pectinus, dogwood, graviatat, northern bed-dead, cocklebur, sow thistle, ash, barberry, anise also possess diaphoretic properties.
- blood purification;
- vasodilator;
- pain medication;
- antiseptic;
- wound healing.
Phytoncides in the composition of the kidneys are able to destroy pathogens - these volatile substances are effective even against bacteria resistant to antibiotics. This ability is used in the treatment of intestinal infections, mastitis, peritonitis. 
Alcohol tincture on raw materials will help to cleanse the body of worms. Saponins and alkaloids are involved in the metabolic processes of cells, ensure the integrity of cell membranes, improve blood circulation.
Thanks to the action of these substances, the endocrine and reproductive systems function better, hormones are normalized, and the overall tone of the body rises. The diuretic effect of the product helps to get rid of edema caused by diseases of the liver, kidneys, disorders of the lymphatic system, heart disease.
Bioflavonoids quercetin and hyperoside have a vasodilating effect, including on the coronary vessels. Substances reduce blood viscosity, reduce cholesterol levels, strengthen blood vessel walls, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
To strengthen the immunity should use royal jelly, perga, blackberries, yucca, safflower, amaranth thrown back, peppermint, apples, cherries, Crimean iron, Tibetan lofant, pumpkin and viburnum.
In addition, these elements have antioxidant properties, help strengthen the immune system. Tannins together with vitamins help fight colds, sore throat and respiratory tract, creating an unacceptable environment for bacteria and viruses. 
Renal preparations have astringent and expectorant effects, helping to remove sputum from the lungs and bronchi. Birch medicine is also used in the treatment of the digestive organs: it has an enveloping, softening effect on irritated mucous membranes, relieving pain symptoms and helping to restore the microflora.
Wound healing and antiseptic properties are used in the treatment of skin diseases: a complex of substances in the composition accelerates the healing process, helps to clean the affected areas from microorganisms. For diseases of the joints birch medicine is used as an anesthetic compress.
Familiarize yourself with the beneficial properties of birch for the human body.
Preparation of medical raw materials
Ready-made raw materials can be purchased at the pharmacy, but it is more useful to collect the medicinal material yourself. In this case, you can be confident in its purity and quality. 
Where, when and how to collect
Harvest raw materials needed in clean areas: away from highways, industrial zones. The collection time is from January to April, the most useful buds are those that have swelled, but did not have time to open up. It is desirable that the day of collection was dry weather. Collecting the kidneys themselves is a tedious and time consuming task, so they cut off the raw materials along with part of the branches.
How to dry
Collected branches are dried in a ventilated area or in a dryer. It is not advisable to dry at high temperatures: the dryer is set at a maximum of 30 ° C, no more. At high temperatures, the kidneys can germinate. Natural drying lasts about two to three weeks.
Where and how much can be stored
Properly dried raw materials retain their properties for up to two years, provided that they store it in glass containers, cloth or paper bags. 
Use in traditional medicine
In folk medicine, decoctions, tinctures, tea, ointment are prepared from medicinal raw materials.
Did you know? A syrup is brewed from birch sap that is not inferior to maple in taste and healthy qualities. The product after evaporation is obtained in a light amber color, with a rich honey-grass taste. Producing countries include the USA, Russia, Canada, Belarus and some European countries.
Alcohol tincture
Alcohol tincture is used both internally and externally.
For external use
500 ml of alcohol and 100 g of dry raw materials insist twenty days. Alcohol wipes are used to heal wounds, disinfect bedsores and treat skin diseases. 
For internal use
20 g of kidney pour 100 ml of alcohol, insist three weeks, strain well. For edema, liver disease, headaches, as an anthelmintic take 20 drops, diluted with a tablespoon of water, three times a day for half an hour before meals.
Ointment
To prepare the ointment will need lanolin - can be purchased at the pharmacy. Dried buds pour boiling water, then filtered. Lanolin must be melted, add the kidney infusion to it and leave to cool.
After the lanolin hardens, there will be liquid on its surface that needs to be drained. The remaining mass is used as an ointment for joint pain and skin diseases (eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis).
Decoction
10 grams of raw material is poured with a glass of water, boiled for about fifteen minutes, filtered. Broth rinse the throat with infectious diseases and oral cavity with dental problems, treat colds, upper and lower respiratory tract diseases, gastrointestinal tract diseases. 
The diuretic and choleretic effect helps with diseases of the liver, kidneys, pancreas. Take half a cup of broth inside three times a day, after meals.
Slimming tea: myth or reality
It is impossible to lose weight with just one use of birch tea. Tea can improve the processes of digestion and intestinal peristalsis, accelerate metabolic processes, the breakdown of fats and, accordingly, reduce their deposition.
In this case, it is desirable to observe the correct diet (healthy food, a minimum of flour, sweet, etc.), as well as to lead an active lifestyle (visiting the gym, gymnastics at home). The following recipes are used for weight correction:
- A teaspoon of raw material is poured with a glass of boiling water, put in a water bath for about seven minutes. Then you need to remove from heat, cover with a lid, insist two hours. Strained broth drink twice a day for half a cup.
Important! Herbal preparations take the course (about a month), you can not drink them all the time: you can cause a side effect from an overabundance of any active substances in the composition.
- Each 100 grams of birch buds, St. John's wort, immortelle and chamomile are poured with boiling water (300 ml), allowed to infuse for half an hour, filter. Take twice a day on an empty stomach and before bedtime.
- A teaspoon of kidney, mint and lime blossom pour a glass of boiling water. Insist about an hour, filter, drink twice a day.
Application in home cosmetology
Vitamins, minerals and other useful elements of the composition of birch buds make them useful not only in medicine, but also in cosmetology. Remedies based on kidneys help fight early wrinkles, inflammations and irritation on the skin, nourish the upper layers of the epidermis and saturate them with oxygen.
In industrial cosmetology, raw materials are used in the manufacture of hair care products: firming masks, shampoos, and balsams.
Hair strengthening
To strengthen the hair bag and restore damaged hair make alcohol infusion. 10 grams of kidney insist in a hundred milliliters of alcohol for about two weeks.
Aloe vera, cloves, onions, cornflowers, nettles, bergamot, bitter pepper and nasturtium are also used to strengthen hair.
Before applying to the hair roots, the tincture is diluted one to ten with boiled water or decoction of herbs (chamomile, nettle).
Important! The undiluted product can burn the scalp and cause it to peel.
Face mask
A tablespoon of decoction of birch buds, a teaspoon of honey and blue cosmetic clay (1-2 tsp.) Are mixed into a thick mush. Apply on the face with a thin layer for twenty minutes, then wash off with warm water and apply a nourishing cream. The mask will help clean the pores, improve blood circulation in the upper layers of the epidermis, give a healthy look and tighten the skin.
Wellness bath
Baths with birch decoction are useful for both children and adults. They moisturize and soothe the skin, help eliminate rashes; babies decoction will remove possible diaper rash, help calm the nervous system. 
For the procedure, 300 grams of raw material is poured with a liter of boiling water. The bathroom is added at the rate of - one part decoction and ten parts water. The procedure lasts up to half an hour.
Can I use pregnant
One of the contraindications to receiving funds from birch buds - the period of pregnancy. In the composition of too many substances (essential oils, resins, alkaloids, etc.) that can have a negative effect on the development of the fetus, the same applies to the lactation period.
Contraindications
It is not advisable to take as a medicine for people with an acute form of urinary tract disease, renal failure. Alcohol tinctures are extremely undesirable for children up to the age of fourteen.
Birch earned the respect and admiration for good reason: sap, bark, buds — everything is useful in it, even a fungal growth called “chaga”. However, it must be remembered that any medicine has its own contraindications and can be harmful if it is used excessively, without the advice and advice of a doctor.
