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Therapeutic properties of organic acids.

Organic acids are substances of the plant world that play a role in the metabolic processes of plants. Organic acids in the form of bound chemical compounds and in a free state are found in all parts of plants (above-ground green shoots, flowers and fruits, as well as in the root part of plants: in roots and tubers). Particularly interesting are those types of organic acids that are found in the free state in the fruits of plants, which allows access to them without resorting to complex chemical reactions. Such organic acids in the form of salts or in free form are easily consumed, digested and assimilated to the extent that a person needs it for his health. Many organic acids have therapeutic properties and plays a huge role in maintaining healthy metabolic processes in the human body.

Nutritionists quite reasonably recommend eating plant foods in large quantities, since organic acids have a very wide range of beneficial biological effects. The most familiar organic acids, whose action has been tested and described by pharmacists, are found in plant fruits and green leaves. These organic acids are named after those plants in which their amount predominates. But these same organic acids are also found in other plants, and it is useful to know this in order to use these types of plants for food, according to their chemical composition.

The most famous organic acids whose therapeutic properties are well studied by science:

Malic acid,
Citric acid,
Wine acid,
Oxalic acid,
Salicylic acid,
Benzoic acid,
Caffeic acid,
Shikimic acid,
Quinic acid,
Uronic acid
and other organic acids that can, under certain conditions, turn into various types of acids of organic origin, as well as into organic derivatives of compounds of organic acids, which are no less useful in the composition of food to maintain the health of the human body.

Interest in organic acids and their derivatives is growing every year, as natural substances with a potentially preventive effect. For example:

Citric acid helps to reduce the processes of carcinogenesis, reduces inflammation in tissues, and has an antiseptic effect. This type of organic acid is often used as a preservative in the manufacture of perishable foods. Citric acid is important in medicine and industry, where it is used as a blood preservative.

Malic acid is responsible for the absorption of iron by the body and for the synthesis of hemoglobin. It is Malic acid that regulates the amount of Iron in the body, converting its excess into hemoglobin, and removing Iron from hemoglobin when it is deficient in blood cells. Malic acid is found in almost all fruits of berry and fruit plants, but it can be found in the greatest amount in the fruits of Dogwood, Barberrya and Rowan (in addition to Apples).

Caffeic acid and its derivatives are used as anti-inflammatory, choleretic and diuretic agents. This acid and its derivatives are found in significant quantities not only in coffee beans or tea leaves - it is abundant in the composition of the leaves of such medicinal plants as the leaves of plantain and coltsfoot plant, as well as in the shoots of the artichoke.

Uronic acid and organic acids of its series, as well as derivatives of Uronic acids (pectins, dextrans, alginates) are found in large quantities in the pulp of plant fruits (as well as in the cake of berries and fruits). These organic compounds have a detoxifying effect, are able to remove heavy metal compounds and radionuclides from the body, and reduce the effect of ionizing radiation. Uronic acid derivatives are responsible for preventing atherosclerosis and normalizing metabolism.

Oxalic acid promotes the absorption of calcium, which improves the contractility of the smooth muscles of internal organs (for example, smooth muscles of the intestines, myocardium), but if the metabolism is not correct, salts of this acid (calcium oxalate) can settle in the tissues of the body, forming deposits, and lead to a number of diseases. In addition to Sorrel and Spinach, this organic acid is found in unripe gooseberries, grapes, and nettle leaves.

Salicylic and Benzoic acids are found in the essential oils of flowers, seeds and bark of many medicinal plants. These organic acids have a pronounced antiseptic effect, reduce foci of inflammation caused by microbes, and promote the processes of rapid healing of tissues. These organic acids are included in large quantities in the composition of Chamomile and Calendula flowers, Willow bark and Oak bark, Kalanchoe leaves.

Many organic acids are contained in the form of complex chemical compounds in the composition of plants, which requires their synthesis from plant materials in industrial production. Such organic acids are obtained synthetically, but this does not diminish their role as biologically active plant substances. Synthesized organic acids include: Ascorbic acid, Nicotinic acid, Folic acid, as well as a number of freely available organic acids, which are not enough for industrial scale pharmaceutical and food production (for example, Citric, Benzoic, Salicylic and other types).

For home preparation of infusions and decoctions with the participation of organic acids, vegetable raw materials of medicinal plants and their collections are also widely used. You need to know that homemade infusions and decoctions from dry raw materials rich in organic acids are prepared in the ratio of volumes: 0.7 ounces of dry vegetable raw materials per 7 ounces of water.