Why birch sap is the new elixir of youth

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The birch sap collection season begins in April. This underrated natural drink is a source of nutrients. It's time to appreciate not only the pleasant sweet taste of birch sap, but also its beneficial properties.

What are the benefits?

Birch sap is a real elixir of health and youth. It contains B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, calcium, saponins, betulin, essential oils, more than 10 organic acids and phytoncides that help improve immunity.

Birch sap blocks the absorption of cholesterol and, accordingly, helps cleanse the blood. The drink has this effect because it contains saponin (an organic compound of plant origin).

Birch sap is useful for those who want to lose weight. One of the common causes of excess weight is excess fluid retention in the body, and the juice has a diuretic effect. It contains a lot of potassium (about 25 mg per 100 ml). This substance helps to remove excess fluid from the body. At the same time, the water-salt and pH balances in the body will not be disturbed, since the juice contains many minerals. Due to this effect, blood pressure decreases.

Birch sap stimulates the acid-forming function of the stomach. It also contains enzymes. These properties of the juice make it a great drink for those who want to improve digestion. By the way, this drink does not irritate the gastric mucosa at all, unlike fruit juices.

The calorie content of birch sap is low: only 25 calories per 100 grams.

Who should not drink birch sap?

Birch sap should not be drunk by people who are allergic to birch pollen. People who have large kidney stones (more than 3 mm) should also be careful with birch sap. The fact is that the diuretic effect of the drink can make the stones move, and they can get stuck in the urinary tract.

What to do with birch sap?

Fresh birch sap can be drunk. But, firstly, it is not so easy for those who live in the city to get it. Secondly, since it contains only 2% of natural sugars, it cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, birch sap is canned. Some add various additives to it, for example, lemon, mint and other herbs, to make the taste of the drink more interesting. If you evaporate birch sap for a while, it will become an excellent alternative to maple syrup. The resulting syrup will have a golden hue and a pleasant sweet taste with woody notes and a slight sourness.