Useful properties of bracken fern and contraindications. Beneficial properties of fern Fern calorie content per 100 grams
Fern, young shoots rich in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin A - 20.1%, beta-carotene - 40.8%, vitamin B2 - 11.7%, vitamin C - 29.6%, vitamin PP - 24.9%, potassium - 14.8%, phosphorus - 12.6%, manganese - 25.5%, copper - 32%
What are the benefits of Fern and young shoots?
- Vitamin A responsible for normal development, reproductive function, skin and eye health, and maintaining immunity.
- B-carotene is provitamin A and has antioxidant properties. 6 mcg of beta carotene is equivalent to 1 mcg of vitamin A.
- Vitamin B2 participates in redox reactions, helps to increase the color sensitivity of the visual analyzer and dark adaptation. Insufficient intake of vitamin B2 is accompanied by impaired condition of the skin, mucous membranes, and impaired light and twilight vision.
- Vitamin C participates in redox reactions, functioning immune system, promotes iron absorption. Deficiency leads to loose and bleeding gums, nosebleeds due to increased permeability and fragility of blood capillaries.
- Vitamin PP participates in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Insufficient vitamin intake is accompanied by disruption of the normal condition of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.
- Potassium is the main intracellular ion that takes part in the regulation of water, acid and electrolyte balance, participates in the processes of conducting nerve impulses and regulating pressure.
- Phosphorus takes part in many physiological processes, including energy metabolism, regulates acid-base balance, is part of phospholipids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, necessary for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Deficiency leads to anorexia, anemia, and rickets.
- Manganese participates in the formation of bone and connective tissue, is part of enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, catecholamines; necessary for the synthesis of cholesterol and nucleotides. Insufficient consumption is accompanied by slower growth, disturbances in the reproductive system, increased fragility of bone tissue, and disturbances in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
- Copper is part of enzymes that have redox activity and are involved in iron metabolism, stimulates the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates. Participates in the processes of providing oxygen to the tissues of the human body. Deficiency is manifested by disturbances in the formation of cardio-vascular system and skeleton, the development of connective tissue dysplasia.
A complete guide to the most healthy products you can look in the app
Fern - in cooking, young shoots of one of the varieties of the herbaceous plant of the same name, usually the male fern (male fern). It grows and is grown as an agricultural crop in temperate regions. It is popular in cooking due to its original taste, which is both similar to asparagus and green beans.
Calorie content
100 grams of young fern shoots contain about 34 kcal.
Compound
Chemical composition young fern shoots are characterized by a high content of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins (A, B6, C), minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium) and phytonutrients (beta-carotene).
How to cook and serve
As noted earlier, young shoots of fern are used for food purposes. Thanks to their taste, which is simultaneously reminiscent of green beans and asparagus, they have found quite wide application in cooking. This is preceded by a not too complicated preparatory process. First, the surface of the fern shoots is cleared of superficial brown scales, while the lower part of the climbing stem is cut off. After this, they are washed under cold running water and then placed in boiling salt water for 1-2 minutes. This procedure makes the taste less bitter, so it is recommended to repeat it 2-3 times.
Young shoots of fern are eaten exclusively in cooked form. They are prepared in exactly the same way as asparagus and green beans. Most often, fern shoots are stewed and served as a side dish, either separately, seasoned with melted butter, salt and pepper, or together with vegetables for meat, poultry and fish dishes.
How to choose
When choosing young fern shoots, you should take into account the period of their collection, which lasts from April to June. The highest quality ones are clearly distinguished green and leaves pressed tightly against each other.
Storage
IN fresh Fern shoots should be stored in the refrigerator, after placing them in a tightly closed Plastic container, and then consumed for 2-3 days.
Beneficial features
The unique appearance of young fern shoots is surprisingly combined with their chemical composition, which is extremely rich in a number of vital minerals and vitamins, which gives them a lot of beneficial properties. In particular, their consumption improves vision, increases resistance to infectious, inflammatory and oncological diseases, and also normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract.
Restrictions on use
Not all wild fern species are suitable for food use. Consumption of shoots of some of them significantly increases the risk of cancer due to the increased content of carcinogenic substances in them.
Description
Fern - herbaceous plant, representative of the Osmundov family. Scientists consider Northern China, Korea, and the Far East to be its homeland. The fern is found in the forests of Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Central Asia, and Mexico. The plant is green stem with pinnately dissected leaves (see photo). Fern is considered one of the most ancient plants on the planet, originating in the Devonian period. According to scientists, compressed fern wood became a material for coal.
In order to understand what this plant is, it is necessary to trace the stages of its development: the stem of the fern grows underground, in the spring young leaves called fronds begin to form, then the leaves grow and most resemble a huge snail, the leaves unfold and become like a hook . The fern does not bloom, but reproduces using spores.
Yours scientific name Pteridium aguillinum (bracken fern) was obtained by the plant due to its resemblance to the wing of a huge bird (preton is translated from Greek as “wing”, aqulia means “eagle”).
There is a lot to do with ferns interesting legends. People were very wary of this plant because it looked very mysterious. Our ancestors did not understand how this plant reproduces if it never blooms. People looked forward to the flowering of the fern as a special holiday. According to a well-known belief, a person who finds a flower of this plant on the holiday of Ivan Kupala will be able to get incredibly rich, since on this night the earth itself opens up and shows hidden riches. In Rus' they believed that this plant could open any lock and that you couldn’t hide a single secret before a fern. According to ancient legend, the fern appeared thanks to the goddess of love Venus, supposedly she dropped her beautiful hair, and this grew from it amazing plant. Another legend says that a girl fell from a cliff, and a spring appeared in that place, and her hair became a plant similar to a bird’s wing.
Calorie content: 34 kcal.
Energy value of the Fern product:
- Proteins: 4.55 g.
- Fat: 0.4 g.
- Carbohydrates: 5.54 g.
The beneficial properties of fern are due to its valuable chemical composition. The plant is rich in alkaloids, starch, essential oils, flavonoids, and tannins. Fern shoots contain carotene, tocopherol (vitamin E), riboflavin, or vitamin B2. The presence of alkaloids makes the plant an excellent pain reliever.
Fern contains a large number of proteins similar to grain protein, which is easily digestible and has a positive effect on the body. With regular use, the plant has a positive effect on growth processes.
Fern has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system and tones the body. There is evidence that the plant helps remove radionuclides from the human body.
The rhizome of the plant, which is harvested in September, is used for medicinal purposes. Fern is effective for varicose veins, inflammation of the sciatic nerve, and for seizures calf muscle. For these diseases, the course of treatment is 3 weeks.
Use in cooking
Fern has been used in cooking since ancient times. Only two types of ferns are used for food purposes: bracken and ostrich. The so-called rachis, or shoots of the plant, are edible. And its young leaves are added to salads, fried, pickled, and used as a seasoning. Fern shoots taste like mushrooms. Due to the high presence of proteins, the plant is loved by residents of Japan, Korea, Far East. The calorie content of this product is 34 kcal per 100 grams.
There are two types of fern preparation: boiling and canning. In any case, before preparing the plant, its shoots must first be boiled. You should not neglect this stage and fry fresh rakhis: this will ruin the dish, because the fern will taste bitter. The leaves are washed in salted water. When the water boils, after a few minutes it is drained, the plant is washed and again filled with salted water. Next, the fern is cooked until tender. The shoots should not break; it is enough to bring them to a state where they bend easily. The cooked plant is placed in a colander and used according to culinary recipes.
A popular option for preparing fern is pickling it. Thanks to salting, the product can be stored long time, besides, you get an excellent “semi-finished product” that can very quickly be turned into an amazing tasty dish. The plant is washed thoroughly, then placed in glass jar and covered with salt, the ferns are folded in layers, sprinkling them table salt. Next, the container with the plant is pressed down on top with something heavy and placed in a cool place for 14 days. After two weeks, it will be necessary to drain the brine and transfer the shoots to another container. Moreover, the plant is again folded in layers with the difference that the layer that was on top should be at the very bottom. The fern is again filled with brine with a minimum salt content of 22%. In this form, the fern can be stored for several years.
There is specially prepared fern for sale for food purposes. The purchased product must be soaked in clean water for several hours to remove excess bitterness and salt. During this time, it is better to periodically drain the water and fill the plant with new water. After two hours, the fern is transferred to a pan and cooked for about 15 minutes without adding spices. At the same time, you need to chop the onion and meat. Next, the meat and onions should be fried in vegetable oil. After heat treatment, the fern is cut into small pieces and fried along with the rest of the ingredients. At the end of cooking, add 1 tbsp to the dish. l. soy sauce. The dish is served hot.
A well-known recipe for preparing this plant is “Korean-style fern.” Onions and carrots, cut into strips, are stewed on olive oil until golden brown. Add fern sprouts to the vegetables in the pan and mix thoroughly. The resulting mass is thoroughly mixed again and seasoned with seasoning for cooking carrots in Korean. Next, the vegetables are simmered until tender for 15 minutes.
Fern benefits and treatment
The benefits of the plant have long been known folk medicine. Fern is used as a pain reliever for joint pain and headaches. For rheumatism, it is recommended to take warm baths with fern decoction. Also, decoctions of the plant are effective for jaundice, diseases of the intestines and spleen. Externally, the plant is used for eczema, abscesses, and scrofula. Fern root powder relieves congestion in the intestines and spleen.
A decoction of fern rhizomes can be prepared at home. To do this, boil 10 grams of crushed rhizome for 10 minutes in 200 ml of water. Take the decoction 1 tsp. along with bee honey. Sometimes the broth is mixed with flour and taken by dividing the “dough” into 10 parts. Fern is a potent remedy, preparations based on which should not be taken without medical indications. After taking the plant, be sure to give an enema and take a saline laxative. Taking other types of laxatives is strictly prohibited.
Externally, fern decoction is used as a bath or rubdown. In order to prepare a bath with a decoction, you will need 50 grams of rhizome per 3 liters of water. The broth is infused for several hours and then poured into a cool bath.
Fern harm and contraindications
The plant can cause harm to the body if used uncontrolled. It is better to use fern under the supervision of a herbalist or attending physician, since the plant is poisonous.
Fern is contraindicated for pregnant women.
Contraindications to its use are also fever, anemia, tuberculosis, liver and kidney diseases, ulcers, and chronic diseases.
In case of overdose, the patient should rinse the stomach and immediately seek medical help.
Interesting Facts
Fern is one of the ancient plants on earth, preserved until today. Scientists believe that the compressed wood of ancient ferns became the main forming material of coal.
Everyone knows the belief that whoever finds a fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala will be able to find all the treasures and open all the hearts. This is just a legend - the fern never blooms.
Bracken Fern (Pteridium aguillinum)
Description
The scientific name of the plant comes from the following words: pteron is Greek for “wing”, and aquila is Latin for “eagle”. The leaves of this fern really resemble the wing of a huge bird.
The bracken stem grows underground. Young leaves - fronds - are formed in May and at first resemble a snail, and as they grow, they unfold and resemble a hook. The petiole of the leaf is called rachis. Ferns reproduce by spores.
Interesting Facts
Fern is one of the oldest plants on earth that has survived to this day. Scientists believe that the compressed wood of ancient ferns became the main forming material of coal.
Everyone knows the belief that whoever finds a fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala will be able to find all the treasures and open all the hearts. This is just a legend - the fern never blooms.
Compound
The rhizome of bracken fern contains starch, alkaloids, saponins, hydrocyanic and bracken-tannic acid, essential oils, flavonoids, fat, tannins. Young shoots are rich in vitamins, tocopherol, riboflavin, carotene, and nicotinic acid.
The proteins of bracken fern are similar in their properties and composition to the proteins of grain crops and are easily digestible. Fern has long been used as food by taiga dwellers in the Far East, as well as by residents of Korea and Japan. The use of fern has a beneficial effect on growth processes, helps the formation of the skeleton, metabolism, activity of the nervous system, increases efficiency, improves the condition of the endocrine system, and promotes the removal of radionuclides from the body.
Application
Fern is used in cooking different nations peace. Salads are prepared from young leaves, “snails” are boiled, fried, pickled and salted for the winter, and used as a seasoning for meat. Bracken fern rachis tastes like mushrooms. Ferns should not be consumed fresh!
Beneficial features
Fern has been used for medicinal purposes for a long time. A decoction of rhizomes and herbs is taken internally for diseases of the spleen and intestines, for aching joints, diarrhea, jaundice, headache and chest pain, for dry pleurisy, noise in the head and, as a laxative, diuretic, analgesic and anthelmintic.
Externally, a decoction of fern rhizomes is used for wounds, eczema, scrofula, and abscesses. The infusion can be used for ulcers and rheumatism in the form of baths.
Contraindications
Fern infusions and decoctions should be used very carefully, under the guidance of an experienced herbalist, since fern is poisonous.
You cannot use fern during pregnancy!
Overdose can lead to nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, convulsions, decreased blood pressure, respiratory depression, weakening of cardiac activity and even death.
Calorie content and the nutritional value fern
Fern calories - 34 kcal.
Nutritional value of fern: proteins - 4.55 g, fats - 0.4 g, carbohydrates - 5.54 g
fern with meat rich in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin A - 29.9%, beta-carotene - 31.5%, vitamin B2 - 11.9%, vitamin C - 21.2%, vitamin PP - 15.3%, cobalt - 28%, manganese - 17.7%, copper - 16.1%
What are the benefits of fern with meat?
- Vitamin A responsible for normal development, reproductive function, skin and eye health, and maintaining immunity.
- B-carotene is provitamin A and has antioxidant properties. 6 mcg of beta carotene is equivalent to 1 mcg of vitamin A.
- Vitamin B2 participates in redox reactions, helps to increase the color sensitivity of the visual analyzer and dark adaptation. Insufficient intake of vitamin B2 is accompanied by impaired condition of the skin, mucous membranes, and impaired light and twilight vision.
- Vitamin C participates in redox reactions, the functioning of the immune system, and promotes the absorption of iron. Deficiency leads to loose and bleeding gums, nosebleeds due to increased permeability and fragility of blood capillaries.
- Vitamin PP participates in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Insufficient vitamin intake is accompanied by disruption of the normal condition of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.
- Cobalt is part of vitamin B12. Activates enzymes of fatty acid metabolism and folic acid metabolism.
- Manganese participates in the formation of bone and connective tissue, is part of enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, catecholamines; necessary for the synthesis of cholesterol and nucleotides. Insufficient consumption is accompanied by slower growth, disturbances in the reproductive system, increased fragility of bone tissue, and disturbances in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
- Copper is part of enzymes that have redox activity and are involved in iron metabolism, stimulates the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates. Participates in the processes of providing oxygen to the tissues of the human body. Deficiency is manifested by disturbances in the formation of the cardiovascular system and skeleton, and the development of connective tissue dysplasia.
You can see a complete guide to the most useful products in the appendix.
