Pine cones, source of health

For those who believe nature has so many to offer and is a great source of health, it is good to know that pine cones are benefic to many health issues, properly prepared and harvested in time.

I haven't been aware of the importance of health until the moment I've gave birth. Since then, I've realised that my children need to be treated naturally when getting ill, and only after exhausting all the resources, to be treated medically. I'm one of those mothers supporting the alternative medicine, and I'm not absurd to say that only natural cures can heal our children, but this is another story.

Anyway, I've recently found, when having a weekend escape in our countryside, in a heavenly place, where mountains could be seen from our backyard, that the surroundings are a great source of natural remedies. 

I realised that people in the area are so lucky to live right near the source of so many plants benefic to our children's health.

I've found from our neighbours that the PINE CONES are used as a remedy for various health issues. First of all, I didn't have a clue that they could be useful to anything. They could be found in pine trees on the river sides in the mountains, and the favourable time to harvest them is in June. 

Benefits: 

1. Immunity - it is known that the pine cone consists of aconsiderable amount of Vitamin C, essential for our immune system, stimulating the production of white blood cells and having antioxidant qualities.
2. Vision - it improves the vision health, consisting in a considerable amount of Vitamin A and carotenoids acting also as antioxidants, reducing the oxidative stress in the ocular system.

3. Skin and hair care - the Vitamin A in it also reduces the oxidative stress in your skin, and both vitamin A and C reduce hair loss and dandruff.

4.Pathogen protection - it has antiseptic qualities,preventing infections or pathogens from entering the body. It could be used mixed with oils directly on the skin, or consumed directly as a tea, to eliminate pathogens and microbes from the body.
5. Anemia and circulation - it increases the production of red blod cells, increasing the oxigenation of body's organ systems and preventing anemia.
6. Respiratory health - it is recommended for soothing the inflammation of the respiratory tract and helps to relieve caughing, sore throats and more serious respiratory conditions like asthma. It is good in expectoration, helping to eliminate excess mucus and neutralize bacteria and pathogens found in sinuses.

Attention: before using pine cone preparations for various health issues, please see your doctor if you are pregnant or have a baby who is too small to use this kind of remedies.

I prepared pine cones for my children, who love taking a spoon of something sweet like syrup in wintertime or when getting ill.

My recipe:

Pine cone syrup:

- 1 kg of fresh pine cones (harvested at the beggining of June)
- 1 kg of sugar (if you have honey, it is even better and healthier)
- vanilla (liquid or stick)
- 1 or 2 lemons

1. Wash the pine cones
2. Boil them (cover them with water) until they get whitish
3. Keep them in cold storage until the next day (in the pot you've boiled them, with the water inside)
4. The next day, filter the remained liquid and try to press them, so that the liquid be more concentrate
5. Keep the liquid on the simmer mixed with the sugar and lemon
6. Try it on a spoon to see when it gets thicker, and in the end add the vanilla.