Healers and healers have known about the healing properties of shiksha for a long time. This plant, similar to a small herringbone, has taken a fancy to the marshy hillsides and taiga forests of the Far East and Siberia. Decoctions, teas and infusions from the leaves and fruits of shiksha help to get rid of many ailments. The uniqueness of the plant is also in the fact that it has a therapeutic effect in case of neuropsychic pathologies.
Shiksha is a low shrub with leaves in the form of coniferous needles and blue-black pea berries. Its berries are sour and very juicy. Both the herb and the fruits of the plant are used as medicinal raw materials. The leaves are harvested during the flowering period, when pink or burgundy flowers appear on the shrub, and the berries are harvested during full ripeness, a sign of which is a whitish bloom on the hard skin of the fruit.
Shiksha contains biologically active substances, vitamin C, essential oils, anthocyanins, tannins, carbohydrates, as well as andromedotoxin - an important trace element for humans.
The people of the north know many recipes for consuming shiksha. They eat it with yogurt or milk, wet it, make jam and marmalade, prepare drinks and wines. Dried shiksha leaves are used as a seasoning for fish dishes. Due to the content of benzoic acid, this berry is well stored, therefore it is available for consumption almost all year round. It is used to prepare the traditional for northern regions dish "tolkusha" - a mixture of shiksha, chopped fish and seal fat.
It has been noticed that northerners who eat shiksha do not suffer from neuropsychiatric diseases, have good health and a stable immune system.
In folk medicine, the use of shiksha is very wide. Traditional healers treat headaches and insomnia with infusions of plant leaves, use them as a remedy for fatigue and depression. Shiksha is indispensable for metabolic disorders, edema, gastritis, diarrhea. Its uniqueness also lies in the fact that, due to its composition, it is able to defeat such a disease as epilepsy. An infusion of berries and leaves, used for a long time, relieves convulsive syndrome and relieves seizures.
Traditional medicine of Tibet uses shiksha as a remedy against alcoholism and drug addiction, it has a beneficial effect on the psyche, relieves hallucinations and relieves cravings for alcohol.
A cosmetic effect is also achieved with the help of shiksha. The plant is effective in treating scars, abrasions, scars, ulcers and acne. The pulp, squeezed from the berry, is applied to the skin and, after drying, is washed off with water. And the twigs of the plant, briefly steamed in warm water and applied to a wound or burn, tighten and heal damaged skin well. Due to its vitamin composition, shiksha helps with scurvy, hair loss and dry eye syndrome. For the treatment of eyes, an infusion of berries is used, which is instilled into the eyes, 1-2 drops. Northern berry also helps with allergic reactions.
A contraindication to the consumption of shiksha can only be an individual intolerance; the berry is not recommended for pregnant women either.
Shiksha is a unique berry. For its juiciness, it was given a second name - crowberry. The plant is also called Ariska, Voronika, Crimson, Marsh, Wilderness, Dove. The common name of the plant speaks for itself - an expensive herb, because there is nothing more valuable than health, and shiksha helps to return it to sick people.
