Fig: properties, use, contraindications

Fig ( Ficus carica ) is a plant of the Moraceae family . Rich in calcium and vitamin A, it is useful against anemia and as a digestive and anti-inflammatory . Let's find out better.

Fig property

The bud-derived of the fig plant obtained from meristematic extracts, acts in acute or chronic psychosomatic type of the gastrointestinal system. This activity is to be attributed to the digestive enzymes contained in the buds. Furocumarinic compounds, sugars, mucilages have also been isolated.

Its intake regulates gastric motility and normalizes the secretion of digestive juices, exerting an anti-inflammatory action on the mucous membranes. It is therefore used in the treatment of gastroduodenal ulcers, colitis gastritis, in neurovegetative dystonias, and as an adjuvant for digestive problems affecting the stomach (digestive difficulty due to high protein diets, postprandial drowsiness and epigastric heaviness).

The fresh fruits are rich in calcium, an essential mineral in the formation of bones, because it increases the density and facilitates its correct development; and iron, useful in people with anemia.

Figs also contain very high concentrations of potassium and traces of vitamin A. The presence of vitamins and mineral salts make them good remineralizers. and it is possible to integrate them into the diet of children, the elderly, pregnant women and athletes, for their excellent energy contribution.

Figs also have a laxative action, due to the high fiber content, including lignin, which is very effective in combating intestinal disorders or chronic constipation.

Method of use

INTERNAL USE

The glycerine macerated gems : 40-50 gc in two daily administrations, far from meals

Contraindications of fig

The fruits are a food not recommended for those who suffer from diabetes and for obese people, respectively due to the high presence of sugars and the high caloric intake.

Discover also the properties and benefits of figs

Description of the plant

It is a tree with a short and branchy trunk that can reach heights of 6 - 10 m; the bark is finely wrinkled and gray-gray in color; the branches are rich in marrow with sharp terminal gems covered by two green or brownish scales.

The leaves are large, rough, oblong, roughly lobed to 3-5 lobes, dark green on the upper part, lighter and covered by a slight down on the lower one.

What is commonly believed to be the fig fruit is actually a large fleshy infructescence, called " siconio ", pear-shaped, rich in sugars when ripe, varying in color from green to reddish to bluish-purple, hollow.

The Sicilian flowers contain the tiny unisexual flowers ; a small apical opening, called ostiolo, allows the entry of the pollinators; the real fruits, which develop inside the inflorescence, are very many small achenes. The pulp surrounding the fruits is succulent and sweet, and constitutes the edible part.

The fig habitat

If by definition it is called " Mediterranean fig ", it is also considered historically a native and common of the Caucasian regions, and of the Black Sea. Only after the discovery of America the fig tree spread in that continent, following contacts with the East was widespread in China and Japan.

Background

The appellative botanical name refers to its origins that are traced back to Caria, a region of Asia Minor. Evidence of its cultivation is already found in the first agricultural civilizations of Mesopotamia, Palestine and Egypt, from which it subsequently spread throughout the Mediterranean basin.

In Greek mythology the titan Sykèus, (from syke, fig ), to escape Zeus who was chasing him, would take refuge with his mother Gaea, the earth. This would then make the tree rise from his lap, which took the name of the son.

In antiquity it was forbidden to export these fruits, considered a product of first necessity. If you used to eat figs belonging to votive trees, you were punished for sacrilege. Sacred species for Hindus and Buddhists who consider a symbol of knowledge and truth.

In the Old Testament it is reported that Adam and Eve, to cover their nakedness due to the shame that sin caused, broke some fig leaves; subsequently together with the vine, it became a symbol not only of fertility, but also of joyful life in the Messianic kingdom.

According to popular medicine, the latex contained in the leaves is an excellent remedy for the treatment and elimination of warts. The shape of its fruits, once opened, is reminiscent of the stomach and uterus, so following the criteria of the Theory of Signatures, it was used in the treatment of gastric disorders and to ensure fertility.