MEDICINAL PLANTS

The hazel is a large shrub, branches brown somewhat flexible. It has alternate leaves, wrinkled and oval-shaped, often losing in the autumn to spring back to retrieve them. It has male flowers, collected in yellow catkins. The fruits are the nuts, so well known and appreciated by all. Vegeta in some places mountainous peninsula, especially in Galicia, Asturias, Extremadura, Valencia and Catalonia.

FLOWERING

The hazel blooms in late winter and early spring before the leaves open. Interested in harvesting the nuts first, highly prized in baking and as high caloric food. Also interesting from the therapeutic point of view, leaves and bark, the leaves are pulled out of the bush, with dry weather, and the bark is collected in the spring. They are dried in the open or in drying at a maximum temperature of 40 grados CelsiusC.

APPLICATIONS

Hazelnuts contain up to 65% oil, which makes them a great food, but some experts discourage this nut in the elderly because they say it raises blood pressure. The bark contains tannin substances, oils and alcohols is particularly recommended, especially for its astringent-cutting principles bleeding and diarrhea. The leaves are also tannins and flavonoids, phlebotonics effect, astringent, and antiedematous venotonic. Are sometimes used as a substitute for the witch hazel. In summary, the hazel is used for their astringent, antipyretic and antiedematous and is especially useful in varicose veins, hemorrhoids, influenza, and injuries. In some towns used hazelnut shell and tea-cooked-for cases of urinary retention, but paradoxically has also been used popularly to prevent children wet the bed.

ADMINISTRATION

Infusion of pollen. Hazel pollen can be used in infusion as sudorific, for it gets a bit of pollen in boiling water and cold when taken in small cups.
Infusion of leaves. A liter of boiling water, add 25 gr. Hazel leaves, is quenched and filtered for later use in cleaning wounds and sores.
Decoction of bark. 35 gr. Bark are added to a liter of water, simmer for 20 minutes, then filtered and sweetened to taste of each. It can take several cups throughout the day. This decoction is used as an astringent and gives better results with the root bark. In any case, the best way to eat this tree is leveraging its delicious fruits, nuts: raw, roasted, in the form of horchata or simply mashed with sugar and water.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Betulaceae
HABITAT: Mountains
FLOWERING: Winter and spring
PART USED: Leaves and bark
CASTILIAN: Avellanero, ablano
CATALAN: Avellaner
BASQUE: Urraitz, urritz
GALICIAN: Avelaneiro

USES

Antipyretic Moderate, Astringency, Mild antiedematous.