It's time for Christmas and New Year's holidays - the most favorite time of the year for the inhabitants of our country. Traditionally, on these holidays, a liquid sweet delicacy - uzvar appears on the tables. The very name of this drink speaks about the method of its preparation - brewing.
Uzvar is not only a delicious ritual dish, but also a healthy drink for the whole family. It can be drunk both warm, like tea, and cold, like compote. You should not perceive uzvar as a drink prepared according to the classic recipe for the Christmas table. It can be prepared from dried or seasonal fresh fruit any time of the year.
Uzvar composition
Uzvar is prepared according to a variety of recipes: from dried fruits, candied fruits, fresh or frozen fruits and berries, and various combinations of these ingredients. For the preparation of the traditional uzvar use the so-called "drying" (dried fruits and berries growing in the area) [1]
- Uzvar composition
- Beneficial features
- Indications for use
- Contraindications to use
- How to cook
Dried fruits (or drying) are a storehouse of useful substances [2] apples, pears, plums, apricots, cherries. However, overseas delicacies are also dried fruits: raisins, dates, figs, bananas, pineapples. The difference between exotic dried fruits (or candied fruits) is the way of their preparation - drying the fruits processed in sugar syrup. They are high in calories and not entirely healthy. Whether it's our dried fruits.
The benefits of dried fruits can hardly be overestimated [3] fiber (cellulose, lignin, pectin), organic acids, a huge amount of vitamins and minerals (micro- and macroelements). Such a method of harvesting as drying extracts moisture from the fruits, and all the useful compounds are collected in the remaining dry matter, and even in a concentrated form [4]
The water-insoluble fiber (cellulose and lignin) contained in dried fruits swells when cooking uzvar, absorbing water. This is the main beneficial property of water-insoluble fiber - to accumulate and remove toxic substances, toxins and water from the body. The water-insoluble fiber that has accumulated water multiplies in volume, thereby irritating the intestinal walls and stimulating its peristalsis.
Water-soluble fiber (pectin), unlike water-insoluble fiber, is able to dissolve and be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. In the stomach, pectin compounds quickly swell and give a person a feeling of fullness, and then they are absorbed in the small intestine. In the blood, its function remains the same as in lignin and cellulose: absorption of toxic substances and toxins, but not in the intestinal lumen, but in the blood. Pectin-related toxic substances from the blood enter the liver, where they are rendered harmless [5]
Organic acids in dried fruits improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and promote better absorption of nutrients from other foods.
Vitamins are not destroyed when fruits are dried, so most of them “survive” in dried fruits until the next harvest. Dried fruits are considered a source of vitamins of group B, C, PP, provitamin A (carotene) [6]
Dried fruits and berries contain many minerals:
- macronutrients that the body needs in large quantities (more than 200 mg per day): potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus;
- trace elements that the body needs in small doses (less than 200 mg per day): iron, iodine, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, selenium.
When preparing an uzvar, most of these substances useful for the human body come from dried fruits into a drink, therefore, a properly prepared uzvar has many properties useful for the body [7]
The only harmful ingredient in uzvar is sugar. Uzvar with sugar is not a healthy drink, but an ordinary sweet compote. However, this shortcoming of uzvar is very easy to get rid of by simply not adding sugar when cooking.
Beneficial features
Uzvar is a favorite medicinal drink of doctors. Anyone who has ever been inpatient treatment in a hospital remembers that almost every day an uzvar is given out in the menu of patients as a drink after a meal. It, of course, does not look like homemade, but it is still very tasty.
Uzvar is included in the recommended dishes of all therapeutic diets and even therapeutic diet No. 0, which is intended for postoperative patients. Uzvar has earned such respect for itself due to its beneficial properties and minimal side effects. So what are the useful properties of uzvar [8]
The useful properties of the Uzvar include:
- is a multivitamin, which is especially valuable in the cold season;
- provides the body with macro- and microelements;
- gently promotes the production of digestive juices and bile;
- prevents the thickening of bile and the loss of calculi in the bile ducts and bladder;
- stimulates intestinal motility;
- normalizes intestinal microflora;
- binds and removes cholesterol from the intestines;
- increases the elasticity of blood vessels by binding cholesterol in the blood;
- has an antioxidant effect, because it binds free radicals [9]
- improves heart function, as it contains a lot of potassium and magnesium;
- increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood;
- increases sweating;
- relieves puffiness, because it has a diuretic property;
- improves cerebral circulation due to the content of B vitamins;
- improves immunity, because it contains a lot of vitamin C;
- improves purine metabolism;
- promotes the dissolution of uric acid salts in the kidneys;
- normalizes blood glucose levels if cooked without sugar;
- improves metabolism;
- promotes weight loss;
- makes the skin soft and elastic, as it cleanses the body of toxins and toxic substances.
The list goes on and on. The more correctly the medical uzvar is prepared, the more benefits it will bring to the body.
Indications for use
With so many useful properties, uzvar cannot but be used as a home remedy and prophylaxis for:
- seasonal hypovitaminosis;
- deficiency of macro- and microelements;
- chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- acute infectious diseases;
- gallstone disease;
- liver failure;
- constipation;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- atherosclerosis;
- ischemic heart disease;
- arrhythmias;
- cardiovascular insufficiency;
- memory and attention disorders;
- deterioration of vision;
- urolithiasis;
- kidney failure;
- fever;
- gout;
- diabetes mellitus;
- endocrine pathologies.
Consuming uzvar without sugar daily is beneficial for pregnant women and nursing mothers. During the diet, it has a mild diuretic effect. The regular use of this drink has a good effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails.
Contraindications to use
Uzvar is an excellent preventive and curative remedy that has practically no contraindications. Contraindications to the use of Uzvar are:
- individual intolerance to some components of the drink;
- allergic reactions to certain dried fruits;
- exacerbation of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer;
- obesity, diabetes mellitus (if there is sugar in the uzvar) [10] [11]
That's the whole list of contraindications to enjoying a tasty and healthy drink. In essence, these contraindications are not absolute, which means that by changing the recipe of the drink, it can be consumed by everyone, without exception.
How to cook
Uzvar can be prepared according to the classic recipe or with some modifications. The classic recipe makes the drink very rich and tasty, but at the same time deprives it of its healing properties.
Traditional Uzvar
For its preparation, take dried fruits and berries in equal quantities: apples, pears, plums, cherries. Rinse under running water and pour warm water for 10-15 minutes so as to cover the dried fruit. After that, add cold water so that the ratio of dried fruits to water is 1: 5. Put on fire, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about an hour. Then add honey or sugar to taste, cover with a lid, wrap it with a warm blanket and let it brew for a couple of hours.
The calorie content of this drink is quite high and depends on the amount of sugar in it. It can be 20-30 kcal per 100 ml of drink [12]
If desired, the recipe for a traditional uzvar can be diversified by adding candied fruits, citrus zest, cinnamon, spices and spices.
Uzvar "Healing"
For uzvar to become a healing drink, it must be properly prepared:
The ratio of dried fruit to water should be 1: 5. Sort dried fruits, rinse under running water, pour warm water for 10-15 minutes. Then add the rest of the water. In this case, the water should be very warm. Bring to a boil over high heat, after boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, wrap with a warm blanket. It is best to do this before bed. Then the uzvar will be infused all night.
Everything! The health drink is ready. Minimal heat treatment allows you to preserve all the nutrients in such a drink. The absence of sugar makes the drink dietary and antidiabetic. You need to drink such an uzvar together with the pulp, which enters the glass along with the liquid.
The calorie content of this drink is low and amounts to 15 kcal per 100 ml, depending on the sweetness of dried fruits.
The uniqueness of the curative "Curative" is that it can be included in the medical menu for gastritis with any acidity:
- with increased acidity of the stomach, uzvar is prepared from pears and apples. The addition of plums, cherries or other sour fruits and berries should be discarded;
- with low acidity, no changes need to be made to the recipe for the medicinal uzvar.
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You can drink the drink hot, warm or chilled. The temperature of the drink depends on the purpose of its intake as a therapeutic agent.
Hot uzvar is drunk to speed up the metabolism in the body, in case of acute infections, fever. In warm form, the drink is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in order to avoid excessive stimulation of the digestive glands with hyperacid gastritis, duodenitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, hepatitis. Chilled uzvar can be drunk while losing weight: the body spends calories to heat the liquid to its own temperature. When using the broth for this purpose, care must be taken that it is not cold. The temperature of the drink should not be lower than room temperature.
How to cook and how to use uzvar, everyone must decide for himself. Whether uzvar is a sweet compote or a healing drink of health depends on the recipe and method of preparation. Only correct dietary preparation, together with its daily use, will allow the drink to show all its beneficial properties.