The Health Benefits Of Mulberry

Well, is mulberries one of your favorite fruit? Frankly, I never come across mulberries until my friend picking them from the "bush" which she planted in front of her house that I always regard it as an unknown wild bush…and of course, neither I know any of its information nor knowledge, a kind of fruits that taste so great and full of nutrition as well.

That makes me wanted to share it here with you about mulberries so much. But before I start off the wide range of its health benefits, let me have a short brief about what mulberry is…

Well…mulberries, which also known as Morus fruits, is actually considered an important food remedy in Chinese medicine. Historically, mulberry was planted in Europe and Asia Minor. It was then introduced to England from Italy by the Romans for the soldiers actually.

I never know that it is the tree which used to raise silkworms where the worms feed off the plant’s leaves until I did my research. The fruit looks similarly to blackberry and it is an aggregate fruit that is composed of many smaller fruits called drupes.

It is a multiple fruit that roughly about two to three centimeters long. Immature fruits are green and red…however, they turn dark purple to almost black in color and have a sweet taste when they are ripen. You can always mix them with other fruits, or may be...says add them to smoothies, put them in salads or just…like what I do always...eat them as they are, yes, raw and fresh!

Now, it’s time for me to share with you the healthy benefits of the mulberry offers…

Let’s start then…pick them right from the trees if you are lucky enough to have them or buy them straight away from the supermarket, you are not going to regret it as the health benefits it offers are abundant.

1. Cancer – a good source of resveratrol, a potent phytonutrient which also can be found in grapes that researches believe can prevent cancer and aid in the fight of existing cancer. Yes, the credit goes to resveratrol which kills cancer cells.
2. Life extension – besides preventing and fighting the cancer, research also shown it is a tool in one’s life extension arsenal. It has shown in several studies to extend the life of mice.
3. Kidney stone – whichever the stone is, be it the calcium oxalate stones, uric acid stones, struvite stones or cysteine stones, all can be prevented by daily consumption of mulberries which help strengthening the kidneys.
4. Constipation – because of the quantity of vitamins and minerals which aid in assimilation of nutrients that stimulates digestion. It helps in solving the problems associated with bowel movements. In Turkey, a treatment for constipation is to eat white mulberries on an empty stomach with a glass of water. It also helps in preventing certain types of colon cancers.
5. Muscle energy – because of the potassium it contains; it helps to control heartbeats, regulates fluid levels in the body and provides muscle energy.
6. Anemia – This happen when the number of the red blood cells or concentrations of hemoglobin are low. Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. Mulberry, the iron-rich fruit which is a rare feature among berries is then a great food to use in the treatment of anemia.
7. Diabetes – An important discovery indeed which is found to balance the blood sugar.
8. Thyroid gland functions – because of the copper it contains, it regulates the thyroid gland functions as well.
9. Better hearing and vision – in China, tea made with mulberry paste is believed to strengthen one’s hearing and vision. It is also thought to provide antioxidant and protective light filtering functions in the retina of eyes. So, if you are one of those who use eyes a lot during work, regular consumption could strengthen your eyesight.
10. Chronic diseases – presence of nutritious elements such as minerals and vitamins helps in curing chronic diseases.
11. Enhances appetite – it is not only enhances the appetite, but also improves the ability for digesting and assimilating.
12. Liver and lung – consider the mulberry leaves, which are known as a cooling remedy to treat the liver and lung heat. If you do have the symptoms of lung heat such as fever, sore throat and cough or the liver heat which have the symptoms of dry, painful and watery eyes, count on mulberry then, it would remove them all.
13. Healthy skin and hair – so, we are finally here for the beauty parts…if you have the skin disorders like acne, or hair loss, mulberry won’t disappoint you as it is rich in high vitamin C. If you have ever paid any attention, mulberry is a common ingredient in many skin care creams due to its antioxidant powers. It clears dark spots from the face and brighten the skin as well…So if you are convinced with the mulberry, instead of rubbing costly creams filled with chemicals onto your skin, jump onto the fresh mulberries then.
14. Gray hair – Premature graying of the hair may be stopped with mulberry and even increasing low libido is possible with its fruits. It can be benefited by regular intake of mulberry and by applying directly on head also promotes healthy growth of hair and blackening.
15. Obesity – so, could this interest you the most? Okay then, consider white mulberry which regulates the lipid metabolism. It could shed you excessive pounds.
16. Cardiovascular health - It lowers bad cholesterol levels, thus helping to avoid the development of cardiovascular disorders.
17. Stroke risk – resveratrol, another polyphenol flavonoid antioxidant, has been found to be protective against stroke risk by alteration of molecular mechanisms in blood vessels, reducing susceptibility to vascular damage through decreased activity of angiotensin and increased production of the vasodilator hormone, nitric oxide.
18. Cold and flu treatment – in Turkey, mulberry molasses is used as a treatment for colds and flu due to their high vitamin C content.
19. Blood circulation – it could be our blood tonic actually. They cleanse the blood and increase its production and strengthen the entire system.
20. After surgery – intake of mulberry juice after any surgery is restorative.
21. Women’s health – consumption of mulberry after childbirth is good for women’s health.
22. Excessive yellowness of the urine - it could be controlled by consuming mulberry juice to which sugar has been added.

Besides the above mentioned, mulberries do increase bone strength and fight osteoporosis in the same time. It does benefit in gastritis, hepatitis dizziness and insomnia as well; and it also relieves tiredness and fatigue, and, it can even control excessive thirst, relieve phlegm and purify the blood.

Take a small note here also that when in mouth ulcers and enlarged glands happen, gargle with a solution of mulberry sherbet. Add 1 teaspoon of mulberry sherbet to a cup of water to make this water solution.

Well, don't you think they are so amazing?

Okay, I think it’s quite enough for benefits of the fruit. I mean let’s talk about some uses of leaves and root of the mulberry as well.

Uses of leaves

The taste of the mulberry leaf is bitter yet it is considered to have calming properties according to the Chinese medical tradition. It can be made by infusing the mulberry leaves in a pot of hot water for a half hour. Not only it is good for the skin, but mulberry tea is also used to treat colds, fevers, dry itchy eyes and sore throats.

Extreme caution should be taken though as the old leaves have tranquilizing properties and may cause hallucinations, headache and upset stomach.

So, whenever you feel the need to cool and soothe your body heat, be it after eating certain foods or during hot weather, especially under the hot sun…gather some fresh leaves from the mulberry tree and brew them in a mug of hot water for about 10 minutes. Add a cube of sugar if you prefer. Gargle for throat infections.

Make mulberry-infused oils by steeping mulberry leaves in olive oil or coconut oil for several days. Use the oil in lotions or salves for dry, irritated skin. Mulberries can also be used in baths in the form of bath salts or soaps.Traditional Chinese medicine includes mulberry leaves in a hot bath or sauna. The leaves help open skin pores and detoxify the body while the steam enhances sweating and regulates metabolism.

In India, the leaves serve as food for cattle and goats.

Uses of woods

You may have surprised enough even the wood of mulberries can offer us.

Well, it is used in making scaffolding, furniture, paneling, plywood, toys. It can be used for sporting goods, building houses and making paper. Some parts of the wood are used to make carriages and carts. The branches are used to make baskets, and the pruned shoots are used as firewood.

And to your surprise may be, the root bark can be used as purgative and anthelmintic and the juice of the root itself can be used to treat high blood pressure.

How about the latex? Any uses of it you might wonder, right? Yes, it can be used as plasters for sores and in skin creams.

Amazing huh?

Hey, what’s in your mind now?

Let me make a guess! Well, are you considering to plant this very useful mulberry tree for your garden or on a commercial scale?

I bet you are not going to know before I tell you this…yes, I love picking fruits. And I am eagerly looking forward to pick the mulberries from the tree that I have planted. I planted it just two months ago and it’s germinating now.

I wonder if you have been tempted to try the mulberries out, a fruit that has a rich source of many health promoting compounds, minerals and vitamins that are essential for optimum health. If you are creative enough and good in cooking or love to bake, well…consider these then…make it the juices, sauces, muffins, cakes, cookies, tarts, pies, cordial, jam, yogurt, or may be ice cream etc.,

What else?

Wines? Of course!