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EXTRA
VIRGIN PINE NUT OIL IS A POWERHOUSE OF HEALING AND HEALTH-PROMOTING
NATURAL COMPONENTS FROM THE "TSAR OF ALL TREES" - THE SIBERIAN
PINE
The powerful healing
and health-promoting
properties of extra virgin pine nut oil have been known in
Russia and Europe for a long time. Ever since the 16th century
Russia has been exporting Siberian pine nut oil to Sweden,
England, and other European countries. Dr. Peter Pallas, a
member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has written the
following about pine nut oil in 1894: "In Switzerland, they
use our pine nut oil in pharmacies. The oil is prescribed
to people suffering from gastric ulcers.
It is also used to treat respiratory disorders, as well as
burns and other skin problems."
Plantings of Siberian pines were
popular in Russian monasteries, where the oil was used by
monks as food and medicine. Russian Orthodox monks have to
follow a very strict dietary regimen, which prohibits them
from consuming any products of animal origin (including meat,
dairy, or fish) for more than 200 days out of every year.
At the same time, every monk has a lot of daily obediences,
many
of them requiring hard physical labor. For many centuries,
Russian monks have used pine nut oil to boost their stamina
and get the energy required to get through their work-filled
days.
In late 16th century, one of the largest and most famous man-made
plantings of Siberian pines was started at Tolgsky Monastery,
located on the river named Tolga near an ancient Russian city
of Yaroslavl. Because of the amazing longevity of Siberian
pines, this wonderful "cedar garden" (in Russia, Siberian
pines are also often called "Siberian cedars") is still very
much alive, and some of the trees (many of which are more
than four hundred years old!) continue to produce the hard-shelled,
fragrant kernels from which extra virgin
pine nut oil is made. The monastery, frequented by the
family of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, is still a prominent
center of Russian Christianity and a place of breathtaking
natural beauty.
The beautiful Siberian pine (Pinus Sibirica)
is truly a miracle of Nature. A typical Siberian pine is about
100 to 150 feet tall, reaching five to seven feet in diameter.
The seed-bearing cones would only grow at the top 4 to 5 feet
of the tree's total height. Siberian pine grows very slowly,
and its average life-span ranges from 300 to 550 years, sometimes
reaching up to 800 years.
Pine nut oil has been widely used by Russian
doctors internally for the treatment of peptic
ulcers and gastritis (inflammation
of the stomach lining), as well as a
metabolism enhancer and digestive aid. They also applied
it externally to  treat
burns and bruises and improve skin conditon, and used it for
therapeutic inhalations, baths, and massages. In recent decades,
extra virgin Siberian pine nut oil has drawn a lot of attention
from scientists and researchers. The latest
studies explain the health benefits of the oil from the
standpoint of modern science. Regular use of pine nut oil
provides the body with many vital nutrients, including good
fats, amino acids (building blocks for proteins), fat-soluble
vitamins and antioxidants, as well as essential macro- and
microelements.
Extra virgin Siberian pine nut oil is a rich
source of natural antioxidants,
such as vitamin E, carotenoids (including beta-carotene, used
by our bodies to produce vitamin A), niacin (vitamin PP),
magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, and sulfur-containing
amino acids. Lately, the problems of lipid peroxidation and
the antioxidant status of our bodies have become a focus of
major attention. Many metabolic and other physiological processes
in the human body lead to the production of so-called "free
radicals". These very active, chemically aggressive molecules
take part in the accumulation and biotransformation of energy,
detoxify and neutralize certain harmful substances, and participate
in the functioning of the immune system. |
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Under
normal conditions, the intensity of free radical-induced oxidative
processes in the body is maintained at the required level
by a sophisticated system of antioxidant defenses, the components
of which include a great number of vitamins, enzymes, microelements,
amino acids, and certain hormones (such as thyroxin and estrogens).
Physiologically, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection
form a dynamically balanced integrated system capable of self-regulation.
However, such factors as the deterioration of human environment,
toxic, emotional, and physical stress, as well as the consumption
of large quantities of refined carbohydrates, trans-fats,
and other processed foods leads to the weakening and exhaustion
of natural anti-oxidative mechanisms, causing a free radical
overload, also called oxidative stress. By aggressively engaging
in chemical reactions with other molecules, these excess free
radicals damage enzymes, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids,
disrupting the normal functioning of cells. Free radicals
are implicated in causing a variety of acute and chronic health
problems, including peptic ulcers and gastritis, atherosclerosis,
cardiovascular disorders, premature aging, and even cancer.
Therefore, the intake of additional natural antioxidants becomes
vital to the maintenance of the body's anti-oxidative defenses
at acceptable levels.
Extra virgin pine nut oil is an effective
natural concentrate of powerful antioxidants. Therefore, in
addition to its usage as a natural peptic
ulcer remedy, many doctors now recommend using it as a
daily antioxidant supplement and immune system enhancer. Due
to the delicate, pleasant taste of the oil, it is also an
easy way of adding an extra degree of antioxidant and immunity-boosting
protection to the diet of our children.
It is a fact: they love the taste! Here is a letter from a
mother of two in Vladivostok, Russia, who has achieved excellent
results in staving off colds and flu by adding pine nut oil
to her children's diet: |
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"One of the most popular ways of
using pine nut oil is to take it as a natural, completely
balanced "multivitamin". With this in mind, I have decided
to make it a daily part of the diet of my children. I was
all the more determined because we were in the midst of a
massive flu epidemic in my hometown.
Both of my children - a 7 years old daughter and a 1.5 years
old son - simply fell in love with pine nut oil. Having trusted
me in trying her first teaspoon, my boy kept asking for more
- he loved the taste!
My daughter took a more rationalist
approach: if Mom says it's good for me, then I have to take
it! But, after trying her first spoon, she was completely
hooked on the taste, too. She just kept saying: please, Mom,
give me some more of this sweet oil! She was very unhappy
that I did not always give her as much oil as she wanted.
Next time, to avoid disappointing
them by not giving them all the pine nut oil they wanted,
I decided to mix it into their hot cereal without telling
them anything. Pine nut oil added a wonderful nutty flavor
to oatmeal, rice, and buckwheat kasha. It tends to enhance
the natural taste of the cereal without overpowering it.
Although I could not afford to
use pine nut oil every day, and had to use it between 3 and
5 days a week, we were very happy with the results. For the
first time, our whole family has experienced a totally "flu-free"
winter season. Nothing, not even a single runny nose for the
entire winter!
Speaking about using pine nut oil
in the kitchen, I have to say that you have to experiment
and be creative. Use your imagination, and build on your experience.
I wish everybody good luck and plenty of new discoveries in
the use of pine nut oil!
Valentina Markova, Vladivostok, Russia
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