Description of the shrub and the chemical composition of the boldo. What nutritional value does it have? Does it have healing properties? Risk of excessive eating. List of contraindications for use. Cooking recipes. Interesting facts about boldo. In addition, boldo helps to cleanse the skin of congestion and acne, relieves inflammation, helps to cope with dandruff, whitens age spots and smoothes wrinkles.
Harm and contraindications to the use of boldo
Despite the voluminous list of useful properties of boldo, you must remember that everything is good in moderation. With the uncontrolled inclusion of the plant in dishes, it is possible to provoke disruptions in the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, an allergic reaction, impair the digestion process and increase the tone of the bladder.
Consequences of boldo abuse:
- Increased urge to use the toilet … The components of the leaves stimulate the production of urine, accelerate metabolic processes and, as a result, can begin to flush calcium from bone tissue. At the same time, restful sleep is disturbed, irritability increases, and there is a likelihood of cystitis.
- Manifestation of allergic reactions … Due to the high percentage of vitamins, irritation of the epidermis, stool disturbances, and swelling of the mucous membranes may appear. There is nausea, accompanied by vomiting, profuse sweating, gas formation increases, heart rate increases, and the body's protective function weakens.
- Deterioration of brain activity … Dizziness, general weakness, apathy, drops in blood pressure appear, and the transfer of information by neurons of the central nervous system worsens. The body becomes dehydrated, loss of consciousness is observed, and less oxygen enters the brain.
- Visual and auditory hallucinations … Boldo essential oils can provoke a disturbed perception of reality, delirium, imaginary tactile sensations, "voices" and noises in the head, loss of working capacity. When eating food, its taste characteristics change, deceptive smells of rot or pus are felt.
- Toxic shock … Dizziness accompanied by vomiting, skin necrosis, apathy, muscle aches, absent-mindedness, dry eyes, dehydration and disruptions in the functionality of the central nervous system.
Before adding boldo to your diet, you need to make sure it doesn't cause pain. You should be examined by a specialized doctor and find out if you have an individual intolerance to certain components of the plant.
Absolute contraindications for boldo:
- Children under 12 years old … The components provoke indigestion, cause nausea, vomiting, bloating, colic, muscle cramps, heart palpitations, sleep disturbances. Fever, fever, undigested food debris in the stool, and profuse salivation may occur.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women … Lactation deteriorates, the quality of milk deteriorates, the digestion process is interrupted, the fetus receives an insufficient amount of vital minerals. The plant also has abortifacient properties.
- Diabetes … Due to the high percentage of carbohydrates in boldo, blood sugar levels can rise. Dry mouth, tingling sensation in the fingers, frequent urination, changes in blood pressure, sudden weight loss or gain will occur.
- People taking drugs that promote blood clotting … The risk of internal hemorrhage increases, post-hemorrhagic anemia, pallor, tachycardia, hemothemesis, bleeding gums, and stomach discomfort. Liver functions are impaired, allergic dermatitis is observed.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract … The components of the plant can damage the mucous membrane, impair the process of digestion and assimilation of nutrients. A pathogenic microflora appears, appetite disappears, gas formation increases, the body becomes dehydrated.
In case of boldo poisoning, you must immediately call an ambulance. The patient should be drunk with salted water and given a laxative. It is important that all toxins and toxins are eliminated from the body.
Boldo recipes
Boldo leaves are dried and used as a condiment. They are added to traditional dishes of Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Vietnam, and herbal tea is brewed. They are often replaced by bay leaves. Boldo goes well with fish, poultry, eggs, corn, flour products, vegetable marinades, sauces and mushrooms. There are the following boldo recipes that are characterized by rich aroma, nutritional value and ease of preparation:
- Boiled pork … One and a half kilograms of pork neck is washed and dried with paper towels. It is important that the meat is the correct shape and the same thickness. Carrots are chopped into strips. The head of garlic is removed from the husk and cut into 3 parts. The other two heads are passed through a press and combined with 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper, a teaspoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of boldo powder. Stir until gruel. In pork, punctures are made and garlic and carrots are placed inside. On top of the meat is rubbed with spices. The oven is heated to 190 degrees and the boiled pork is placed there for 15 minutes. Then it is taken out, wrapped in several layers of foil and set to bake for another 2 hours.
- Chicken noodle soup … Boil chicken breast in 2 liters of water. Then they take it out, chop it into small slices and throw it back into the broth. Onions and carrots are passed through a grater. Then it is fried in an oiled frying pan and added to the broth. Next, peel 4 potatoes, chop them into cubes and throw them to the rest of the ingredients. A teaspoon of boldo powder is combined with a teaspoon of ground black pepper, salt, sugar, 2 teaspoons of rosemary and a teaspoon of basil. Everything is added to the broth. 15 minutes before the end of cooking, they throw half a kilogram of noodles. Before serving, the soup should be infused for 20 minutes.
- Chimichurri sauce … 3 cloves of garlic, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a pinch of ground paprika, a teaspoon of oregano, thyme to taste, a pinch of dried boldo and cinnamon, a teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 jalapeno pepper are squeezed into a mortar. Mix thoroughly. Then lemon is squeezed there, 100 ml of dry white wine and 100 ml of olive oil are poured. After that, onions and chillies are chopped. 2 tomatoes, peeled, cut into cubes. All ingredients are combined and placed in the refrigerator for several hours.
- Cutlets with mustard sauce … In a container, combine 200 grams of mayonnaise, 10 grams of mustard, 50 grams of chopped pickled cucumbers, a pinch of dried boldo, 20 ml of lemon juice, half of the chopped onion, salt and pepper at your discretion. The sauce is placed in the refrigerator. Then mix 100 grams of mayonnaise, eggs, mustard seeds, 30 ml of Worcestershire sauce, salt, chopped herbs and the seasoning mixture. Then add half a kilogram of crab meat, 150 grams of bread crumbs and begin to form cutlets. They are placed on a baking sheet covered with foil and placed in the refrigerator for an hour. Heat the frying pan, pour it abundantly with olive oil and begin to fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Due to its specific aroma and appearance, boldo is used to decorate dishes. It can also be subjected to any heat treatment.
Interesting facts about boldo
Before the advent of Columbus, the natives of the Mapuche tribe actively used boldo leaves, added them to the pipe of peace, applied to festering wounds. They had a sedative effect and relieved inflammation.
In Europe, boldo was originally used as a healing agent. Later it was used as a spice.
The plant was used by sages in ancient Greece. According to one of the legends, the nymph Daphne turned into a boldo when she was hiding from Apollo, who was hopelessly in love with her.
About a century ago, Chilean shepherds discovered that by eating boldo fruit, their sheep became more active and healthier. They got rid of diseases of the internal organs.
Boldo leaves, characterized by a bright camphor aroma, are added to herbal tea by the people of South America. They are also used as a condiment.
Since the wood of the bush has a high density, it is often used in the coal industry. It is a sturdy material that is also used in construction.
Boldo essential oil is produced by steam distillation. It has antiseptic, tonic and choleretic properties, helps with rheumatism, cystitis and liver diseases. But the oil is very toxic, therefore, it must be taken internally and externally only according to the special prescriptions of a doctor.
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The wide popularity of boldo is due to its special taste characteristics, rich chemical composition and pleasant aroma.