In autumn, in the markets of the Crimea, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, you can often find maclura fruits - large (up to 15 cm in diameter) balls with green wrinkled skin, which acquires an orange-light green hue as it ripens. People call these fruits Adam's apples, Chinese or Indian oranges. The flesh of Adam's apples is yellow, with an abundance of seeds.
In fact, the orange maclura, brought from Central America, belongs to the mulberry family, its closest relative is the mulberry. Adam's apples, although they have a pleasant smell (similar to cucumber) and contain many useful substances, are inedible and slightly toxic. Even when picking Chinese oranges, it is recommended to wear gloves to avoid thorns and not to burn the skin with the milky juice. However, in folk medicine, the fruits of maclura are used very widely; the plant was even nicknamed the tree of God for its healing powers.
Adam's apple - what is it?
Medicinal maclura is more familiar to traditional healers, like Adam's apple. Tinctures and ointments are made from it, and used as a medicine for external and internal use. Adam's apple - what is it? This is the name of the fruits of a tree from the mulberry family, widespread in America, China, India and found in warm regions of Europe and Russia.
The maclura fruit, which is used to make the tincture, has an unusual appearance. The photo shows that it looks like an unripe orange - it has a lumpy peel and a yellowish color. But you can’t eat it - the fruit is poisonous, and even in folk recipes it should be handled very carefully. The fruit has other names:
- False orange;
- Indian orange;
- Gift of God's tree.
The smell of the fruit is reminiscent of cucumber, the taste is very bitter. The use of the Adam's apple is justified not only in medicine - furniture is made from the wood, paint is obtained from the roots, and the beautiful plant itself is used in landscape design.
In what dosage forms is it taken?
The most in demand for the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis are external agents with maclura. These are oils, rubbing, compresses, alcohol tinctures, applications, homemade ointments. They are used not only to eliminate pain and inflammation, but also to increase range of motion in joints, quickly eliminate morning stiffness and swelling. External agents are also used for preventive purposes. If, after hypothermia, you rub alcohol tincture into your knee or ankle, you can avoid the painful manifestations of another relapse.
Despite the fact that maclura is poisonous, products for oral administration are also prepared from it. You need to take them exactly according to the plan. Otherwise, there is a high probability of gastrointestinal disorders and even poisoning.
Maclure composition
Adam's apple, also known as maclura, contains a lot of useful substances. The composition of the fruit is similar to mulberry, but contains many more bioflavonoids. The latter are recognized as natural, natural antioxidants and strong immunostimulants. Kaempferol especially stands out among them - this substance has powerful antitumor properties. Some flavonoids have the qualities of vitamin P and serve as anti-inflammatory, anti-infective components of drugs.
Also, the Adam's apple has medicinal properties due to the presence of other substances that are found in the sticky concentrated juice:
- Essential unsaturated fatty acids;
- Phytosterols;
- Saponins;
- Pectin substances;
- Citric and a number of other organic acids;
- Triterpenes;
- Sahara;
- Isoflavones;
- Vitamins A, D, E, K.
Of these elements, soy isoflavones should be noted - this substance is capable of strengthening small blood vessels and normalizing metabolism at the cellular level. A number of other isoflavones are hormone-like substances (analogs of steroid hormones), but are completely harmless to the body, unlike synthetic ones.
In treatment, Adam's apple is not combined with alcohol in large quantities - its composition is so active and rich that the combination with ethanol in the body can cause unpredictable consequences. But consumption in the form of a tincture will not harm, because it is drunk literally drop by drop.
Adam's apple - medicinal properties
The most famous is maclura in the form of a tincture. It is Adam's apple tincture prepared with alcohol or vodka that can treat sore joints. The main effect of the drug is anti-inflammatory; after administration and external use, pain, swelling decreases, and redness disappears. Adam's apple tincture for joints is suitable for such pathologies as:
- Arthrosis;
- Rheumatoid arthritis;
- Infectious arthritis;
- Bursitis;
- Synovitis;
- Tendinitis and others.
The remedy will help no less well with osteochondrosis of the spine - the pain syndrome goes away quickly, inflammation and muscle spasms stop (tincture of maclura is usually used for rubbing).
Fruits help fight tumor diseases - they are especially good at resolving benign tumors. Maclura has proven itself in the treatment of mastopathy, which is combined with the appearance of cysts and fibroadenomas. According to reviews, preparations with maclura are also used for:
- Fight excess weight;
- Treatment of viral and bacterial diseases;
- Thinning mucus when coughing;
- Improving liver activity;
- Increasing immunity, for general strengthening and toning the body;
- Optimizing the functioning of blood vessels and the heart;
- Reducing the consequences of stroke.
Medicines with fruits have found use in atherosclerosis, hypertension, they remove waste and toxins, and externally treat heel spurs, varicose veins, eczema, dermatitis, and ulcers. For men, Adam's apple is indicated for prostatitis, glandular adenoma, for women - for inflammatory gynecological diseases and uterine fibroids.
Action
After taking the tincture orally, the active components quickly concentrate in the affected area and provide an anti-inflammatory effect. They relieve tissue swelling and reduce local temperature, which allows you to immediately relieve pain and stop the progression of the condition.
The antimicrobial effect is especially important for bursitis and arthritis, when microorganisms multiply in the joint capsule and pus forms. The tincture quickly destroys microbes and prevents deterioration of the condition. Due to the presence of valuable vitamins and minerals in the composition, metabolic processes in the affected area are normalized and blood circulation is stimulated.
The walls of blood vessels become more elastic, which reduces the risk of damage and hemorrhage into the joint cavity or under the skin. Essential oils help improve the patient’s overall well-being, and antioxidants stimulate cell renewal not only in the affected area, but throughout the body if the tincture is taken orally.
The warming effect of the tincture can improve the patient’s condition with radiculitis, as well as chronic arthrosis. Immediately after topical application of the product, the patient feels relief. Antibacterial properties promote rapid recovery and prevent the re-development of inflammation.
Tincture recipe and internal treatment
For ingestion of Adam's apple, tincture is most often used. Some healers prefer to make water extracts, but the beneficial properties of Adam's apple are more fully manifested with prolonged infusion. The scope of application of the tincture is very wide:
- Myoma and mastopathy;
- Reduced immunity;
- Severe joint damage;
- Intoxication, especially chronic;
- Diseases of the nervous system.
To prepare the tincture, you need to get maclura fruits, collected in October. They will be ripe, and the finished product will take on the shade of infused black tea. To prevent the tincture from oxidizing, you should not add liquid to the brim, but screw the lid very tightly.
How to prepare maclura tincture for internal use? Here is the prescription:
- Wash the Adam's apple fruit well.
- Cut the fruit into cubes approximately 1*1 cm.
- Place the prepared pieces into a clean jar.
- Pour vodka up to the shoulders.
- Close the lid and place in the dark.
According to the recipe for the tincture, you should drink it internally only after standing for a long time. The product is shaken daily, and its preparation period should be at least 2 months. Healers call the optimal period from 3-4 months to a year, but during infusion the remedy can already be taken.
In the first 7 days, drink 3 drops, diluted with 100 ml of water, only once a day. From the second week, it is not the number of drops that is increased, but the frequency of administration (up to 2). In the third week, they begin to drink 3 drops of the product three times a day. Further treatment is carried out as follows:
- Week 4 – 4 drops three times a day;
- 5-7 weeks – 5-7 drops three times a day, respectively;
- From week 8 – the dose is gradually reduced to 3 drops once a day, for a total of fourteen weeks.
Each time, the prescription tincture of maclura is taken before meals (half an hour before). Taking an antibiotic at the same time can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the drug. For oncology, the treatment procedure will be different. Usually, an infusion of Adam's apple vodka is drunk three times a day, 2 drops, dissolved in a tablespoon of water. Gradually, the intake is increased to 10 drops three times a day, the course of therapy is up to a year.
Adam's apple - external use
Adam's apple tincture is widely used in external therapy. It can be prepared in different ways, and infusion for external purposes can last 2-3 weeks. Be sure to keep the product in a dark place so that all valuable substances retain their properties.
How to make a tincture for external use from maclura? The difference from taking the product internally is that you need to use 70% alcohol, not vodka, and maintain the proportion - 1 part of fruit, cut into small cubes - 1 part of alcohol. To reduce the cooking time, you can grate the raw materials on a coarse grater. The medicine is ready after 10 days of keeping in the dark.
What is the cure for an Adam's apple prepared in this way? Recipes for use will be as follows:
- Osteochondrosis of any part. Pour a little liquid onto your hand and apply to the skin. Rub with gentle movements and let it absorb. Wrap the treated area with warm woolen cloth and leave for several hours (do not use polyethylene).
- Arthrosis. Maclura tincture for joints is best used in courses. It is necessary to moisten a cloth with a solution diluted with water 2:1 and apply it to the affected area. Secure with cellophane or a warm cloth and leave for 2-3 hours.
- Ulcers, boils. Wipe the sore spots of the body with the prepared Adam's apple tincture. Carry out this treatment up to 3-4 times a day.
Using rubbing, you can also carry out therapy against gout, radiculitis, bunions, and heel spurs.
Side effects
Adam's apple is used to treat joints by patients of different genders and ages, but sometimes therapy provokes side effects.
The most common complications are:
- Nausea and vomiting, indigestion.
- Headache and dizziness.
- Weakness, sleep disorders.
- Deterioration of memory and concentration.
- Pain in the stomach and intestines.
- Increased gas formation.
- Blood pressure surges.
- Cardiopalmus.
- Irritation on the skin.
- Stool disorders.
Among the most common adverse reactions are allergies to the product. It manifests itself in the form of a rash and itching of the skin, irritation and peeling. In this case, symptoms appear immediately or a few days after the start of treatment. It is worth noting that adverse reactions may occur if the instructions are followed or if they are not followed.
If the first negative symptoms appear, you should immediately stop using it and seek help from a specialist.
How to prepare the ointment?
It is believed that Adam's apple ointment has more gentle, but no less effective properties. The ointment will penetrate deeply into the tissue and remain there longer than the tincture, while not irritating the skin. How to prepare maclura ointment? Here's the basic recipe:
- Take the fruits of the plant, rinse thoroughly;
- Grind the fruits in a meat grinder or chop with a blender;
- Set aside 200 g of the mass, add 100 g of softened pork fat;
- Beat the mixture thoroughly with a mixer until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
The ointment should be stored in the refrigerator. It is lubricated with the affected areas of the body three times a day. Indications include inflamed lymph nodes, mastopathy, joint pain, back pain, heel spurs, and salt deposits. You can also apply the product to scars and scars - they will gradually dissolve.
In the Adam's apple recipe, when preparing the cream, you can use not pork fat, but beeswax, cocoa butter, and olive oil. Some recipes indicate other options for making the product - you need to combine the twisted fruit with an oil base 3:1 and simmer in the oven, covered, for 2 hours. Then apply in the same way.
Factors that affect shelf life
The preservation of the healing properties of the Adam's apple is influenced by the following conditions:
- Quality . Fruits with damage and other defects cannot last long.
- Temperature . The storage location should be cool.
- Humidity . It must be above average, otherwise the fruit will quickly lose moisture.
- Illumination . Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
- Ventilation . To prevent the formation of mold, the room must be well ventilated.
Other remedies with fruits
In folk medicine there are other recipes for preparing maclura for treatment. It can be used as an oil tincture. Finely chopped pieces of fruit should be placed in a jar, filled with any cold-pressed oil (ideal option - grape seed oil, olive oil). The product must be infused in the dark for 1.5 months. Then it is used for massaging, rubbing the sore back in courses or as needed.
Adam's apple can be used to make a joint treatment according to a different recipe. You should combine equally pieces of fruit and chopped leaves, the knees of the golden mustache plant. Place half of the container in a jar and fill it to the top with vodka. Leave for a month in the dark, then use the tincture as a rub.
You can also squeeze the juice from an Adam's apple, combine 1 part of it with 3 parts of butter. Store the ointment in the refrigerator. It can be used to treat hemorrhoids, anal fissure, lubricating the affected area twice a day for 10 days. Also, for rhinitis, acute and chronic sinusitis, you can lubricate the nasal passages with the same remedy 3-4 times a day until complete recovery.
Why is it useful?
If you cut the fruit, a milky juice is released from it, which permeates all the structures of the fruit.
The wide range of uses of maclura in informal medicine is largely due to this milky juice. It contains a huge amount of fatty acids that are beneficial for all internal organs. Although these fruits are inedible, they provide all their benefits in tinctures and other medicinal products. The chemical composition of these fruits is very similar to mulberries, which is why they received another name - dye mulberries. The pulp contains up to 10% pectin components, the seeds consist of 30% essential oils, and the leaves of maclura are rich in citric acid. When the fruit ripens, its milky juice contains the most valuable component - flavonoid compounds. These substances are powerful antioxidants; a separate group of them – isoflavones – are indispensable for strengthening blood vessels and heart muscle.
Traditional medicine identifies the following main properties of this plant:
- bactericidal;
- anticarcinogenic (protection against cancer);
- healing;
- antisclerotic;
- painkiller;
- anti-inflammatory.
Ointments, tinctures, and oils are prepared from the leaves and fruits at home. The root is rarely used for infusions, which is also not eaten. Such drugs are used for almost any disease: externally or internally, as monotherapy or as a collection, for treatment and prevention. Thanks to the beneficial properties of false orange, wounds heal quickly, fatigue goes away, fungi and viruses are neutralized. Let's find out in more detail what can be prepared from maclura.
Contraindications to treatment with fruit
For internal use, the fruits have several contraindications. These are diabetes mellitus, especially in its decompensated form, severe heart and kidney failure, allergies and intolerances. Children, pregnant women and lactating women should not be treated with fruits due to toxicity.
It is unacceptable to get the product into the oral cavity - the caustic juice can cause a burn. If juice or pulp is accidentally ingested, gastric lavage should be performed to avoid poisoning. If we are talking about using the ointment externally, the only contraindications will be allergies, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.