Irga Ordinary

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Nowadays, in summer cottages, you can often find a tall bush (rather even a small tree), the fruits of which are black round berries, slightly larger than black currants. Some people mistakenly call it chokeberry (such a plant also exists, but we will talk about it a little later). In fact, this is an ordinary Irga

In general, several types of irga are distinguished: common irga, canadian irga, spiked irga, and so on. But on the territory of Russia, the common irga is most common. This is a small, low shrub (tree), according to the garden guide, from half a meter to two and a half meters high, in reality, the height reaches five to five and a half meters. The crown is spreading with round, even rather ovoid, foliage. The branches are upright. Blooms, depending on the region of growth, from May to early July. The fruits ripen from late June to early August, this, again, depends on the region where the shrub grows.

In the southern part of our country, flowering and fruiting occurs earlier, in the northern part - later.

Any irga, regardless of the type, is undemanding to the soil and frost-resistant, so it can be grown in almost any corner of our country. Irga is propagated by dividing the bush, planting seeds or root shoots.

But what is it grown for, what is the use of this shrub?

Irga is a real pantry. It contains a lot of different useful substances (useful substances mean not only vitamins), such as organic acids, monosaccharides, disaccharides, tannins, pectin, fiber, tannins, trace elements, various vitamins, including ascorbic acid (vitamin C), B vitamins and vitamin P.

In addition, the game is very rich in carotene, from which the body gets the much needed vitamin A. By the way, carotene is a very powerful antioxidant, which, as you know, helps to alleviate painful conditions, raises and strengthens the immune system, helps fight Alzheimer's disease, and also helps to overcome depression and coping with stress. Antioxidants have another important quality that is especially relevant today - they prevent the development of cancer.

In addition to all of the above, irgu and irgi juice are used as medicines. For example, for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, various colitis, enteritis, irgi juice is used. It has an enveloping and astringent property that helps in healing. Also, irgi juice is often used as a diet drink.

Fresh irgi juice is used for sore throat (purulent) and stomatitis. Thanks to its astringent properties, it helps to heal abscesses and accelerates recovery. To do this, with the above diseases with freshly squeezed juice, it is necessary to rinse the mouth (with stomatitis) or throat (with purulent sore throat).

Irgi berries are used as a tonic, sedative. They are great at helping adults and children cope with insomnia, as well as with restless sleep, for this, shortly before bedtime, it is enough to eat a handful of fresh berries.

But that is not all. Irgi berries help with night blindness, improve vision, treat cataracts. This is due to the high content of carotene.

In addition to berries, bark with leaves is also used for medicinal purposes. A decoction is made from them in the following proportions: for 1 part of the raw material, we take 10 parts of water, bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes, cool. Helps with bleeding gums and stomatitis (rinse the mouth), with sore throat (gargle).