It has accompanied people for thousands of years and never ceases to amaze. “The tree of life” - Muslims call it, “gives youth and health” - the Chinese echo them. All organs of this plant are medicinal; it is not for nothing that unabi is one of the five most effective on Earth. Let's try to figure out what jujube is, what its beneficial features and are there any contraindications to its use?
Did you know? The scientific name "ziziphus" comes from the Greek word "ziziphon", which the Greeks, in turn, borrowed from the Persians. It means " edible fruit". Concerning various options names of jujube, then it can be called a record holder, since it has more than thirty names (for example, “Judas apple”, “Ilan jida”, “female plum”, “yanap”, etc.).
Jujube: calorie content, composition and nutritional value
100 g of jujube fruit contains 79 kcal. This allows you to safely use jujube in dietary nutrition. Unabi fruits have a unique chemical composition and a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, acids, oils and other substances. The vitamin composition of jujube includes:
- vitamin C (its content exceeds lemon by 15 times);
- vitamin P (rutin) - from 0.29 to 0.95%;
- vitamin PP (nicotinic acid);
- retinol (A);
- tocopherol (E);
- B vitamins (pantothenic and folic acids, riboflavin, thiamine, pyridoxine).
- lead;
- copper;
- mercury;
- iron;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- calcium;
- cobalt;
- titanium, etc.
Benefits of jujube for the body
The beneficial properties of unabi and its unique vitamin and mineral composition determined the use of the plant in. Like ginseng or eleutherococcus, unabi:
- tones the central and peripheral nervous systems;
- rejuvenates and regenerates cells;
- strengthens the immune system;
- normalizes metabolic processes in the body;
- disinfects;
- removes free radicals;
- gives a diuretic effect;
- removes bile;
- acts as an antioxidant (removes heavy metals, toxins, bad cholesterol, etc.);
- weakens toxicosis;
- has an anesthetic effect (especially effective in helping with toothache and headaches).
The use of jujube in folk medicine
The healing properties of unabi have not gone unnoticed. There is even a saying in China that those who eat unabi fruits do not need doctors. All the “organs” of jujube have found their application.
Jujube has thick gray or black bark and cherry-colored branches. The young bark has no cracks and is smoother. The bark is used for medicinal purposes. It acts as a tonic, helping to get rid of diarrhea. A decoction is prepared from 10 g of crushed bark. Pour a glass of boiling water over it and place in a water bath (up to 45 minutes). Drink 2 tbsp. l. 30 minutes before meals. 
Leaves
Jujube leaves are leathery, elongated-ovate, located on small petioles. They have a hypotensive effect, promote expectoration of sputum (for diseases of the lungs and bronchi), stabilize blood pressure and heart rate (for hypertension). To prepare the infusion, use 2 tablespoons of dry leaves per 300 ml of boiling water. It is necessary to insist for 1 - 2 hours. Drink - three tablespoons three times a day.
A decoction of the leaves can be used to wash out ulcers on the mucous membranes.
Did you know? Jujube leaves contain an anesthetic. If you chew a fresh leaf, the anesthetic in it has a temporary paralyzing effect on the taste buds of sweet and bitter. The taste of sour and salty is still felt.
Jujube is ovoid, 6 cm long. Unabi berries are eaten fresh and dried; in addition, their beneficial properties do not disappear from heat treatment. It is recommended to take fruits:
- For hypertension- 20 berries three times a day (consume for three months, then take a break).
- For toxicosis and breastfeeding- Take fresh or dried.
- For anemia- berry compote (it is better to use dried jujube). Boil berries (10 pieces per half liter of water) for 20 minutes, leave for one hour, take 100 ml three times a day.
- For various types of inflammation- Boil 15 overripe berries (per 300 ml of water) and simmer over low heat. The volume of the decoction should be reduced by three times - to 100 ml. Cool, strain. Take the decoction for 15 days (a tablespoon three times a day).
Important! When consuming jujube berries or taking medications based on it, you need to monitor the level blood pressure to prevent hypotension.
The benefit of jujube seeds is their sedative effect on nerve cells. Preparations from unabi seeds are used in the treatment of depression, dizziness, as well as stress and insomnia. To prepare the product, you should:
- grind the seeds (100 g);
- fill them with half a liter of water;
- boil and simmer for ten minutes;
- add 200 ml of alcohol and leave for eight hours.
Important! Pregnant womenacceptunabi seed productscategoricallyprohibited.
How unabi is used in cosmetology
Chinese date actively used in cooking. The benefits of jujube are especially great in caring for hair and facial skin.
Benefits for hair
Decoctions of unabi (especially roots, bark and leaves) effectively help in the fight against dandruff, blockage of the sebaceous glands, but above all, against hair loss. Decoctions regenerate hair follicles and strengthens hair. Rinsing with a decoction of the roots also helps rapid growth children's hair.
Benefits for the face
Unabi effectively eliminates acne, abscesses, pimples, irritations and other similar diseases on the skin of the face. The ointment is prepared from freshly picked leaves and vegetable oil(preferably from olives) in a ratio of 1:5. The mixture is heated to +90 °C. Then you need to remove it from the heat and leave to infuse (10 days). Store the composition in the refrigerator so that, if necessary, lubricate the problem area on the skin with it.
Use in cooking: unabi preparations
Although jujube berries are somewhat reminiscent of dates in taste, they are quite specific and not everyone likes them (especially children). Connoisseurs claim that the most delicious unabi are sun-dried, since it is very difficult to properly bake jujube in the oven - it can easily be overdried. Although if it’s too dry, that’s also okay. You can make flour from the dried fruits and add it to regular wheat flour when baking. In oriental cuisine, jujube is used to make fillings for pies, sauces, added to rice, and made. 
Did you know? In China, in order to properly cook Peking duck,in the ovenThey use exclusively unabi wood.
Preparations such as jams, syrups, etc. are very popular. Jujube retains all the healing qualities in them, and recipes tested by generations allow you to prepare delicious dishes. Unabi jam:
- boil the syrup (you will need 1 kg of fruit, 800 g of sugar and 1 liter of water);
- unripe
This is a subtropical fruit crop ( Latin name Chinese date “Zizifus jujuba Mill”), belongs to the buckthorn family, which has about 80 species. The Chinese date among them is most widespread as a fruit, medicinal, melliferous and ornamental plant, known in both wild and cultivated states.
Unabi - beneficial and other properties
Its fruits are especially valued for their high nutritional, dietary and medicinal properties. They contain: sugars 25-30%, pectins 6%, proteins 2.9%, that is, the same as in potatoes, fat - as in milk, acid - 0.3-0.8, vitamin C - 500- 900 mg%, while in lemon and orange it is only 35-70 mg%, vitamin P (rutin) - up to 150 mg%, 14 amino acids (including 7 essential), a lot of potassium, iron, cobalt and iodine. This allows them to be used not only as a delicacy, but also as food product high calorie content, equal to the calorie content of bread products.
Unabi fruits are used to make flour, bake bread, biscuits, boil with rice, stew, and bake. They are also used in the dried fruit and canning industries for the preparation of high-vitamin jams, juices with pulp, compotes, jams and other products. Dried fruits, pre-cooked with sugar syrup or honey, acquire a beautiful appearance and pleasant taste.
Due to the high content of biologically active substances, the fruits, leaves and shoots of the Chinese date are effective means for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. It is used in the form of infusions and decoctions (fruits, leaves) for colds, coughs, anemia, as a tonic and diuretic, for cardiovascular diseases, neurasthenia, diabetes, in the treatment of liver diseases, kidneys, tuberculosis.
These medicinal properties of the plant have been widely used since time immemorial. folk medicine. Among the twelve plants tested by the famous Arab physician of antiquity Avicenna in the treatment of nephritis, anemia, nervous diseases, the Chinese date ranks fifth. Infusions from the fruits and leaves of this plant are good remedy from hypertension.
The bark and roots contain a large number of tannins (more than 9%), they are used for dressing and dyeing hard leather. Chinese date flowers are very fragrant. They have a lot of nectar and are an excellent honey plant for bees for two months.
Chinese date wood is also valued for its hardness, strength, original bright yellow color, and suitability for manufacturing. musical instruments, boxes, inlays.
The homeland of this plant is China, where it has been cultivated over large areas since ancient times. More than 50 of its species grow in Afghanistan, India, and Iran. The wide distribution of the Chinese date in these countries is associated with its outstanding economic and biological properties, such as undemanding soil, early ripening, resistance to pests and diseases, high annual yield.
In our country, wild small-fruited forms of the Chinese date have long been cultivated by amateur gardeners on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. However, due to the low taste and marketability of the fruits, these forms did not spread. They are propagated mainly to obtain rootstock material.
Large-fruited varieties and forms of Chinese dates were first brought to Russia in small quantities only in the mid-50s - to Sochi experimental station. But only in the late 80s began the study of the biological characteristics of the cultivation of this crop in various zones of the region.
Currently, work on collecting various forms and varieties of Chinese dates, both introduced and created as a result of selection, preserving and propagating valuable material is carried out by the department of subtropical crops of VNIITSIK and the laboratory of rare crops of SKZNIISIV.
Growing Chinese date
The Chinese date is grown in the form of a bush (most often a seedling) or a tree (grafted) with a low trunk and a wide-spreading or pyramidal crown.
The growing season of the Chinese date begins in late April - early May, but in some years, depending on external conditions The timing of the beginning of the growing season varies greatly. It blooms late - in mid-June, so it is never damaged by late spring frosts. Flowering is long lasting, about 4-8 weeks. The flowers are small, yellowish-green, bisexual, cross-pollinating, formed on growth current year and on perennial ringlets (more than 80% of the main crop is formed on the latter).
It begins to bear fruit in the 2-3rd year after planting in the garden (yield reaches 10-16 c/ha), at the age of 5-6 years (beginning of full fruiting) plants produce up to 20-60 c, and from 15-20 years - 150-300 centners per hectare.
Fruitful varieties of Chinese dates
Among the most productive and large-fruited varieties are the unabi varieties Vakhsh, Khurman, Yuzhanin, Finik, the medium-fruited Burnim, Chinese 60, 93, and the small-fruited productive form Sochi 1.
Every year, high productivity in the conditions of, for example, the Temryuk region was shown by the medium-fruited form Temryuksky 1 and small-fruited forms 2/16, 3/44 and 4/22.
In the conditions of Moldova, the yield promising varieties with very low agricultural technology (two cultivations, one mowing in rows, plowing) in the 3rd year it reached 16 c/ha, in the 5th year - 63.3 c/ha.
The fruits ripen in September-October, 70-90 days after flowering. The ripening period lasts 2-3 weeks. During the period of fruit ripening, the Chinese date presents increased requirements to heat and moisture.
The fruits of unabi are an elongated rounded drupe, 3-4 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter. Average weight fruit 10-18 g, maximum - up to 40 g. The skin is thin, red or yellow, glossy, often spotted with scattered lentils. The pulp is light green, white, thick, after drying the fruit is separated from the stone, sweet, crispy.
Ripe Chinese date fruits can remain on the tree for 2-4 weeks, which will allow them to dry out and improve their flavor. Fruits to taste and appearance resemble dates. The fruits are quite transportable; in a refrigerator (at a temperature of +4 degrees) they can be stored for up to two months.
Mass leaf fall occurs immediately after harvest (October). Length growing season ranges from 160 to 190 days. The lifespan of the plant reaches 120-150 years.
The Chinese date has a powerful, widely branched, deepening 5-6 m root system, and is often used in the fight against soil erosion and landslides. Although it is undemanding to soils, it does not tolerate heavy clays and strong salinity.
The bulk of the roots are located in a layer of 20-80 cm.
Due to its high drought resistance and heat tolerance (+50 degrees), it grows and bears fruit normally in arid areas with precipitation of 300-400 mm per year, on dry slopes where grapes do not grow. But with a lack of moisture, watering and fertilizers significantly increase the yield and quality of the fruit.
In the conditions of southern Russia, the Chinese date is more frost-hardy and winter-hardy than grapes (although in some winters the air temperature dropped to -28 -30 degrees in the foothills of the Tuapse region), and regularly bears fruit. In case of freezing (damage to the buds and individual tissues of annual growth), due to its high regenerative ability, it restores the crown during the growing season and produces average or even good harvest. It can be cultivated with great success in areas where peaches often freeze from spring frosts.
The Chinese date is a heat-loving and light-loving crop. In shaded areas it produces virtually no harvest.
Reproduction of unabi
The Chinese date is propagated by seeds, root suckers, green cuttings, and grafting. Best results obtained by grafting by cuttings, their survival rate reached 85%; when budding with an eye, this figure was 20% lower.
An experienced gardener can grow seedlings on his own plot. To do this, seeds from small-fruited fruits used as a rootstock are best sown in the ground before winter. Then they will be provided natural conditions their germination. To increase the percentage of seed germination and the yield of seedlings, the area in the spring (March) is covered with plastic film.
Next year you can graft with cuttings. You can vaccinate in April-May and August. The advantage of spring grafting is that unabi seedlings can be grown by autumn - by this time the grafts reach 40-60 cm in height and are quite suitable for transplanting into the garden. From cuttings grafted in August, shoots 15-20 cm high grow by autumn. They do not have time to become woody before frost, and in winter some of them die.
Preparation of cuttings is carried out in autumn or spring during spring pruning trees and before grafting, store them in a cool place (refrigerator) in damp sawdust.
The grafting technique is simple for unabi seedlings.
On the stem of the rootstock at a height of 5-7 cm from the ground, the wild wood is cut into a stump using pruning shears. Then, on one side (preferably from the north), an incision 1.5-2 cm long is made in the bark towards the base of the stump, into which a cutting with one bud is inserted, and then the grafting site is tied with plastic wrap. The upper cut of the cutting is covered with garden varnish. The grafted plant is covered with loose soil to one third of its length.
Propagation by green cuttings is also effective. When carrying out work in optimal timing(the first ten days of June) up to 80% of the cuttings take root.
Growing Chinese dates is not difficult. Possessing high productivity, it does not require special agricultural technology. In home gardens, Chinese dates are often planted densely - 3 × 2-2.5 m; in industrial gardens, the distance is increased to 6 × 3.5-4 m. The trees are thickened in a row, the row spacing is increased.
Chinese date plants in cultivation are usually grown in a standard form with 7-9 skeletal branches. Seedlings grown from root shoots or grafting are formed with a stem of 60-70 cm.
More often, they form the most accessible, voluminous, freely growing crown with a main leader trunk, which should rise 10-20 cm above the main branches and suppress the growth of the underlying ones. The formation of the crown of the future tree begins with laying a trunk in the garden at a height of two years of 80-100 cm. The central conductor is cut off at a height of 80 cm. Two tiers of main branches are laid in the crown: in the first - 3-5 branches in a spiral, evenly spaced in space, on at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other, in the second tier - up to 4 branches, placing them singly, 30-40 cm from one another.
When laying the main branches, it is necessary to take into account biological feature Chinese date, which is as follows: from the lateral buds of the central stem, as a rule, small fruiting branches develop, and those that are left to form the skeleton are cut into 2-3 buds (to obtain growth shoots), the remaining branches are cut into ring. On branches of the first order, branches of the second order are laid.
The laying of skeletal branches is completed 3-4 years after planting.
With the beginning of fruiting of the tree, thinning is intensified to lighten the crown, since in the middle of it, when it thickens, the fruits set worse and their ripening period is delayed; if necessary, reduce the height of the tree. If the tree grows normally and bears fruit, then only maintain the dimensions and sufficient illumination of the crown. Next, when the crown thickens and growth weakens to 10-15 cm, severe pruning (partially rejuvenating) is carried out on 2-3-year-old wood on the side branching.
Jujube (unabi date)
Jujube is a special plant that also has the following names - unabi, jujube, French breastberry, Chinese date. In Latin it sounds like this - Ziziphus jujuba.
Description
This plant is a true deciduous bush with thorns. This is a small tree that can reach 5 meters in height. It belongs to the Zhosterova and Krushinaceae families.
They have a spreading pyramidal crown.
Jujube is a plant with a powerful root system, the roots of which grow in a vertical direction; in addition, they can penetrate to a depth of 3 meters.
The bark of jujube is quite dense and has a dark gray tint.
The young branches of the plant consist of many small joints, they have a brown and red crown, and there are spines at the nodes.
The leaves of this species are alternate, leathery and wide, they can also be entire and ovate. Their length can reach 3-6 cm in length, as well as 1-3 cm in width.
Date branches are bisexual and quite small. They have a white-green tint and can be collected in bunches of two.
Each flower can live a little more than a day. If during all this time it has not had time to pollinate, then it begins to fall off. The flowers of the plant are adapted to frost. In our climate, unabi grows all summer from June to August.
Date fruits ripen unevenly, namely from September to October. The fruit is small and round, they have an ovoid shape and a long stone around which the pulp is located. The length of the fruits can reach from 2 to 6 cm, and as for their weight, it varies between 3-20 grams. Unripe fruits are green in color, and as they ripen, dates turn dark red or yellowish brown. Indicators such as weight, color and shape of fruits directly depend on the time of ripening of the variety.
Habitat
Jujube is unusual plant, originally from the tropics. It first appeared in China. Afterwards, it was cultivated in Transcaucasia and Central Asia. Growing unabi is possible only in temperate climates. In order to get a good harvest, you need to grow varieties adapted to certain climate conditions. The most successful for growing in our regions are Ta-Yan-Zao, Sinit, Chinese 2A, Chinese93, as well as Yuzhanin, Ya-Zao, Vakhsh, Koktebel.
Unabi date is a heat-loving plant. It tolerates drought and heat well, in addition, it is easily susceptible to severe frosts and sudden temperature changes. Plants can be planted in sunny places, well protected from winds. Despite how drought-resistant jujube is, in order to get a good harvest, the plant needs to be given plenty of water. The unabi date begins to bear fruit quite early, however, it does so regularly and in large quantities.
Procurement of raw materials and application
Very often, jujube is used for medicinal purposes. In order to make medicine, you can use not only the leaves and fruits, but also the roots and bark of jujube. The fruits are prepared after they are ripe. As for the leaves, they are harvested during the fruiting period. Jujube leaves can be dried in the shade or outdoors indoors. It is important that there is good ventilation. Dried leaves can be used for medicinal purposes for one year.
The roots are harvested in the fall, and the bark is harvested in the spring, when sap flow occurs. In order to prepare the bark, it is worth using three-year-old branches. Dried bark should be consumed within two years.
Unabi fruits can be consumed fresh as they are medicinal. They can also be dried, dried, made into marinades, juices and compotes, and also used in confectionery production. Fresh fruits collected from room temperature, can be stored for about 5 days. In the refrigerator they retain their medicinal properties for no more than a month.
Medicinal date fruits are often dried after the enzymes have been removed. To do this, they are soaked in boiling water for no more than two minutes. Afterwards they are laid out on cloth to dry thoroughly, and then they are placed on a baking sheet. The dates are dried in the oven for 7 to 10 hours. You can also use a dryer to dry fruits.
If unabi fruits need to be dried, then the drying time will not be so long, and the shelf life of such fruits is no more than two years.
Composition of jujube
The leaves and fruits of jujube contain resinous and tannin substances, as well as flavonoids, organic acids, carotene, sugars, vitamin P, coumarins, and ascorbic acid. Fresh fruits contain a large amount of ascorbic acid, and after enzyme inactivation occurs, its amount decreases significantly. Also, one unabi date contains fatty oil, pectins, phosphorus and potassium salts. The leaves also have anesthetic agents.
Jujube (unabi date) beneficial properties
Jujube fruits have anesthetic, sedative, diuretic, hypotensive and antimicrobial effects. They promote expectoration and help get rid of cough in a couple of days. But most importantly, such fruits will relieve you of constant sclerosis, ensure normalization of metabolism and help your body get rid of heavy metals and toxins.
Fresh and dried jujube fruits contain a lot of vitamin C, which has a good effect on the walls of blood vessels. It makes them stronger and more elastic, and this is an excellent prevention for cardiovascular diseases.
The presented variety of date is excellent and effective medicine which will help you get rid of hypertension. According to experiments conducted by scientists, it was found that it is useful to take a third of a glass of unabi fruit decoction 4 to 6 times a day. If you want to eat fresh or dried berries, you should count on 3-4 meals, during which you need to eat 8-10 fruits. All this will help you lower your blood pressure.
If you decide that the proposed doses are too high for you, the hypotensive effect will be somewhat smaller and not as noticeable. By taking a decoction of jujube fruits orally, you will notice how constant headaches, tinnitus, and rapid heartbeat relieve you. Your performance will be increased, your mood will improve, and quality sleep will help you become a completely different person.
In folk medicine, a decoction of unabi dates is taken as an anti-inflammatory medicine, as well as for inflammation of the respiratory tract, intestinal infections, fever and ulcers, as well as for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia. The benefits of such a tool cannot be described in words.
Ripe unabi berries will be very effective for constipation, and as for unripe ones, they should be taken for dysentery and diarrhea. An infusion of unabi leaves will relieve inflammation of the respiratory tract and also help cure gastritis. It can be used to rinse for inflammation of the mouth, and lotions are also excellent for healing ulcers and wounds. Fresh leaves of the plant are suitable for making ointment. In addition, such funds will not cause harm, since they do not have any contraindications.
Treatment with jujube
For health purposes, jujube fruits are taken 8-10 pieces 2 times a day. The course of treatment is 3 months. You can also use other dosage forms:
A decoction of fruits for hypertension.
Tincture of jujube leaves.
Infusion of leaves for external use.
A decoction of the bark of branches and roots.
Breast collection.
Lumps of greenish jujube inflorescences located in a row along the pagon are unattractive, but the sweetish pulp of the fruit actually tastes like dates, but they ripen not on a palm tree, but on a bush.
The genus Jujube of the buckthorn family, according to various sources, includes from 40 to 53 species of thorny shrubs and small trees, distributed throughout the globe in warm temperate latitudes and subtropics. The oldest of plants, jujubes were cultivated approximately 7-8 thousand years ago and are remembered in many historical documents, literary monuments, myths and fairy tales. The plants are truly long-lived - they live and bear fruit up to a hundred years of age.
The leaves of jujubes are arranged alternately on thin brownish-green shoots, which often end in a cone-shaped prickly point, turning the bushes into ruffly tangles with a circumference of 3-4 m. The leaf blades are entire, up to 2-7 cm in length, with three pronounced main veins. Some species are deciduous, others are evergreen. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, similar to yellow-green stars. The fruits are edible drupes of yellow-brown, red or black color, round or oblong in shape with sickly sweet and medicinal pulp, reminiscent of date palm fruits in texture and taste.
Types and varieties of jujube
Real, or jujube, unabi, Chinese date (jujuba) - a shrub or tree from 3-5 to 10 m high with cranked red-brown branches, on the bends of which thorns up to 3 cm in length are formed. The fruiting stems are thin and greenish. The fruits are pear-shaped or spherical drupes, from light terracotta to dark brown, weighing from 20 to 50 g.
The most popular varieties among gardeners:
- Chinese 2A - with large elastic fruits weighing 10-20 g, used for preparations;
- Chinese 93 is a mid-early variety with small fruits weighing 5-10 g, oblong, slightly curved;
- Candy - an early ripening shrub with small, very juicy and sweet berries up to 4-8 g;
- Koktebel is a late-ripening variety with large fruits weighing up to 52 g.
Florida(celata) – small thorny bush about 2 m tall, endemic to central Florida. The species was first discovered in 1948 near the town of Sebring on the County plateau. In place of inflorescences, very fragrant tiny flowers form bunches of yellow-orange fruits. Listed as an endangered plant in the United States.
Lotus(lotus) is a deciduous shrub native to the Mediterranean region, including Morocco and the Sahara. It reaches a height of 2-5 m, multiple thin branches are covered with shiny bright green oval-shaped leaves about 5 cm long. The fruits are dark yellow spherical drupes up to 1.5 cm in circumference. It is believed that this particular plant is mentioned in the famous Homer's Odyssey as the lotus tree.
coined(nummularia) - native to the Thar Desert, the species is distributed in Western India, Southeast Pakistan and Southern Iran. A shrub up to 2 m high with rounded, pubescent leaves on the upper side, it forms dense thickets. Used in sand dune reclamation. The fruits are affected by the larvae of a small butterfly, Tarucus balkanicus, which lives in Central and Western Asia, India and North Africa.
Parry(parryi) - grows in the Colorado Desert and the southern edge of the Mojave Desert, on the eastern slopes of the ridges in Southern California. Shrub with many intricate branches forming a thorny tangle up to 4 m high. Olive green sheet plates are absent most of the year, and the plant stands bare, entirely consisting of numerous grayish or brownish branches, at the ends pointed to a prickly thorn. Inflorescences are bunches of miniature star-shaped yellowish or light green flowers. The fruit is a dry drupe with one seed.
Care and cultivation of jujube
Gardeners with experience in cultivating jujube in southern regions in temperate latitudes, it is advised to plant the plant in places protected from northern winds: on the southern slopes of hills, on the southern side of buildings, although the plants are quite winter-hardy and can withstand temperatures down to 25 degrees below zero, however, fruiting in such conditions is not abundant, and the bushes often freeze to root collar.
Varietal jujube is early in fruiting - the harvest ripens the very next year after planting - and is drought-resistant; in hot weather conditions, cultivation is much more effective than in a humid climate, since the fruits crack from moisture and rot.
The shrub is undemanding to soil and grows in ordinary garden soil. Add a little humus to the holes located at a distance of at least 2-3 m from one another and mineral fertilizers, water and place the seedling in the center, burying it 10 cm into the soil. Cover it with earth and compact it. Jujube planted in early spring. Autumn planting much more vulnerable to low winter temperatures. Since the plants are cross-pollinated, it is advisable to plant several seedlings in the garden.
Caring for jujubes consists of timely removal of weeds and periodic addition of organic matter; regular watering is not necessary - the shrub reacts negatively to excess moisture, but during the period of ovary and fruit ripening, the shrub needs watering, which turns out to be prophylactic protection from insect pests. The formation of the crown by pruning is carried out 1-2 years after planting.
Reproduction of jujube
The shrub is propagated by seeds, layering, root shoots, and grafting. Cuttings are also acceptable, but this method of propagating jujubes is rarely practiced among gardeners, except perhaps for the sake of experiment.
The seed method is not used if it is necessary to obtain seedlings of large-fruited varietal jujubes. As a rule, many characteristics of a particular variety are lost when growing plants from seeds. However, species of jujubes from seeds are often germinated using scarification and stratification for at least 60 days.
Scarified planting material They are buried 3-4 cm into warm soil. The crops are covered with plastic film. After 20 days, shoots appear; they are carefully moved with a lump of earth into individual containers for growing. On permanent place The plants are replanted the following year.
Propagating jujube by root shoots is perhaps easier than other methods - carefully, without damaging the roots, dig up the young plant and replant it in another place, observing the basic rules of planting.
Overgrown pagons over 20-30 cm in length are used as layering. They are bent to the ground and covered with soil, constantly moistening and enlarging the mound, which spreads during watering. Spring cuttings are cut off from the mother plant in the fall and transplanted to a permanent place in the garden.
In the reproduction of jujubes experienced gardeners They practice grafting: in July-August - with a dormant bud, in May - sprouting behind the bark or into a side cut with an oblique wedge.
Diseases and pests
The main condition for protection against the unabia fly is, first of all, compliance with the agricultural techniques for growing jujube: regular watering during the ripening of the fruit, as well as before the flight of adult specimens of the fly, digging up the circle around the trunk in the spring in order to destroy false cocoons overwintering in the soil. In case of mass destruction, jujubes are treated chemicals– actellicom, sumition, zolon.
Medicinal properties and uses of jujube
People have known about the healing qualities of jujube fruits for a long time. The dry pulp of the berries contains pectin, carbohydrates, protein, acids - malic and succinic, and tannins. Together, they have a beneficial effect on the body of elderly people, have a therapeutic effect on patients with gallstones and urolithiasis, liver problems, reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients, remove toxins, excess cholesterol and heavy metals from the body. As an aid, jujube fruits are used for diseases of the respiratory system.
In cooking, Chinese date berries are used to make marmalades, jams, candied fruits, compotes, sweets, purees, and also as additives to porridges and bread.
Jujube in photographs
Nov-16-2016
What is unabi?
What is unabi, the beneficial properties and contraindications of unabi, and does it have any medicinal properties? These questions often arise among those who care about their health and are interested in traditional methods treatment, in particular to treatment with medicinal plants. And this interest is understandable. Maybe in this article, to some extent, you can get an answer to these questions.
Unabi is probably the record holder among fruit crops by... number of name options. This plant is also known as jujube, Chinese date, jojoba (or jujuba), jujube, anab, chilion, choylon, jilan jida, zao, yanap, arnap, ilan jida and breastberry.
Unabi is not yet a familiar guest on our table, but its popularity is steadily growing. In many ways, this is a merit medicinal properties unabi. The taste of the fruit also attracts more and more fans to it. As with everything unknown, many people treat unabi with caution, fearing to harm their health. This is completely in vain, the main thing is to eat unabi correctly.
Unabi is one of the five best medicinal plants in the world.
Unabi (jujube) is a tree of the buckthorn family with a high hemispherical crown and a highly branched trunk.
Often unabi branches from the base, forming a shrub up to 4 m high.
The leaves are ovate or oval, bluntly serrated along the edges; flowers are bisexual. Flowering begins in May and lasts for two months.
The fruits are red oval drupes 3-4 cm long and up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Their flesh is light green or white, and the seed is small.
There are two opinions about the origin of unabi: according to one, its homeland is northern China, and according to the other, Tunisia.
At the beginning of our era, the Greeks and Romans brought it to them, and from here it came to Spain and then to France.
Currently, unabi is widespread in many countries with warm and subtropical climates.
Cultivated in Russia, Transcaucasia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Crimea (Nikita Botanical Garden).
Unabi can also be grown in other areas where subtropical crops grow. It grows wild in Afghanistan, Japan, Northern China, and here in Central Asia and Transcaucasia.
Grows on sunny slopes of mountains and hills.
Unabi fruits are very sweet and tasty. They are eaten fresh or dried; compote, jam, and marshmallows are prepared from them.
Composition and beneficial properties:
Unabi fruits contain up to 30% sugars, up to 2.5% organic acids, up to 3.7% fatty oil, up to 3% proteins and up to 10% tannins, but unabi also contains other important substances:
- carotene (provitamin A), thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), nicotinic (vitamin PP) and folic (vitamin B9) acid;
- tocopherols, catechins;
- pectin, which removes mercury, lead, copper salts, bacterial toxins and radioactive isotopes from the body;
- potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron;
- vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin P, which protects vitamin C from oxidation.
Unabi is absolutely not sour compared to lemon, and the vitamin C content in unabi fruits is 20 times higher than in lemon.
Unabi fruits taste like dates; they can be used both fresh and processed, but it is believed that they become most delicious after a short drying in the sun (by the way, after this they can be stored for a year). Dried fruits can be used to make flour.
Contraindications:
Despite the obvious benefits of unabi, there are also contraindications to its use:
- The hypotensive properties of dates cause contraindications for use for people with low blood pressure.
- Contraindications also exist for pregnant women. Despite the fact that dates help get rid of toxicosis, excessive amounts of them can provoke uterine tone.
- The sugars that make up unabi are a clear reason to be careful for people with diabetes mellitus.
- People who are driving should not eat dates due to their hypnotic effects.
- Unabi is a difficult product to digest (due to the carbohydrates it contains). Therefore, you should not eat dates before bed.
Unabi leaves contain an anesthetic substance that, when chewed, temporarily paralyzes the perception of sweet and bitter tastes, as a result of which the ability to perceive sweet taste is lost for some time: a piece of sugar feels like a pebble, tasteless. However, the ability to taste salty or sour is completely preserved.
Healing properties:
The medicinal effects of unabi are due to the many beneficial properties of this plant.
- The fruits of unabi restore strength after severe infectious diseases.
- They are prescribed for stomach diseases, inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and bladder, ulcerative stomatitis and other inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.
- Unabi is recommended for toxicosis during pregnancy, and is also given to nursing mothers as a means to enhance lactation.
- These fruits are a good remedy for lowering blood pressure. At the same time, blood pressure normalizes, blood cholesterol levels decrease, and pain in the head and heart disappears.
- A decoction of leaves, bark and branches has antibacterial and bacteriostatic effects. Therefore, it is used to treat purulent wounds, abscesses, gastritis, tuberculous lymphadenitis, bone tuberculosis, tuberculosis of the skin and eyes, and as a diuretic.
- A decoction of dried unabi fruits as an antitussive and anti-inflammatory agent is widely used for bronchitis, shortness of breath, whooping cough, and dizziness.
- A decoction of unabi roots is indicated for enhancing hair growth in children and as a remedy against hair loss in adults.
Treatment of hypertension:
The most famous property of jujube is its reduction in blood pressure. That is why it is recommended for hypertension, but the fruits must be consumed in a course.
It has been experimentally established that a 10% decoction of unabi fruits, taken in a third of a glass 4-6 times a day, or eaten fresh or dried fruits 8-10 pieces 3-4 times a day, exhibits the greatest therapeutic effect for lowering blood pressure. If the doses are reduced, then the hypotensive effect will be less.
You just need to remember to monitor your blood pressure and be sure to consult a doctor.
Diabetes treatment:
The southern plant unabi is known for its positive properties on the human body, as well as its widespread use in various serious diseases. Due to its nutritional value, it can replace foods that cannot be consumed if you have diabetes. After all energy value 100 g of fruit contains from 60 to 100 cal, so it is very useful for patients debilitated by the disease.
The fruits of this unique tree help restore metabolism, reduce the toxicity of medications used for diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, and thus have a general strengthening effect.
It is known that due to the content of the substance ceomertillin in fruits, unabi can not only not raise sugar, but help regulate its level in the blood. The experiments of scientists, which were carried out with two groups of patients with diabetes, showed good results. In the group where patients took one glass of fresh unabi fruits daily for a week, by the end of the week's intake the sugar level was completely normalized.
Same chemical element- keomertillin - also found in blueberries. It is deservedly called “plant insulin”.
It is better to eat unabi fruits fresh, as dried or processed fruits increase the carbohydrate content. And this negatively affects the blood sugar level of a sick person, since it depends on the carbohydrate content in fruits.
And, of course, do not forget to consult your doctor first.
In weight loss diets:
Chinese dates are a very low-calorie product. The calorie content of unabi fruits is not high - 79 kcal - due to the minimal amount of saturated fats included in the product.
We can conclude that in minimal quantities, the fruits of the Chinese date are an excellent dietary remedy for those who want to lose weight.
Nevertheless, it contains almost all the substances necessary for normal life. Therefore, for those who are on a diet to lose weight, these fruits are simply irreplaceable. In the recommendations of nutritionists you can often find unabi, the beneficial properties of which help control and maintain normal metabolism.
