Want to learn about the health benefits of green walnuts, how to make green walnut medicine and how to use green walnut remedies at home? Continue reading this article and find out.
The walnut tree is the most popular and beloved nut tree in Eastern Europe, especially in Romania, where it is also protected by law, which is why the walnuts are also called Romanian nuts. In Romanian folk medicine, the walnut has so many uses that I could write a small volume solely about the health benefits, and medicinal and magical properties of walnut, with recipes that have been collected so far by Romanian ethnologists. But for now, I’m going to talk to you about the health benefits of green walnuts, which are in season right now. And of course, simple ways to make medicine from green walnuts and how to use green walnuts for various health illnesses.
In This Article You Will Find:
The Health Benefits of Green Walnuts
The green shells of the walnuts that cover the fruits until maturity are very rich in iodine and tannins, and have proven anti-infective, purifying, and stimulating effects for the thyroid gland. Hence, the most important health benefits of green walnuts are related to the thyroid. Green walnut peels are used in various medicinal recipes (as you will see below) to treat some of the most popular health conditions of this century, given their powerful cleansing, anti-parasitic and depurative properties for the entire body. Hence, the most important health benefits of green walnuts are the following:
- regulate thyroid functions – hypothyroidism
- cleanse the lymph – rheumatism & gout
- kills intestinal pathogens – diarrhea, acute gastrointestinal infections (adjuvant in dysentery)
- fights intestinal parasites
- urinary incontinence
- stomach problems
- relapsing stye
- soothes skin problems – warts, acute eczema
- wounds disinfectant
- alleviates mouth and throat inflammation – oral thrush
- respiratory tract infections (early stages) – asthma
How to Harvest Green Walnuts for Remedies
The green walnut shells are harvested in early to mid-September when the green walnuts start falling off the tree. They usually start to fall with the green outer shells that protect them until the nuts reach full maturity. Pick only the healthy-looking green walnut peels (leave the ones that have already turned yellow or brown). Separate the green peels from the walnuts. Layer the green walnut peels in a single layer with the hollow facing up onto a clean table, so as to allow for the optimal evaporation of the water, and help them dry faster naturally. When they are perfectly dry and brittle, store the now-dried green walnut peels in canvas bags for later use.
4 Medicinal Recipes with Green Walnuts
1. Green Walnuts Tincture Recipe
It is the most active preparation obtained from green walnuts, as it is very rich in natural iodine, flavonoids, and tannins. Here is how you can prepare green walnut tincture at home. Put 20 tablespoons of green walnut peel powder in a jar, and pour two cups (500 ml) of 50° food alcohol over the powdered green peel. Seal the jar and leave it aside for two weeks, in a warm spot. Strain the green walnut tincture and pour it into small, amber bottles with a dropper.
Health benefits of green walnuts tincture: hypothiroidism, rheumatism, gout, urinary incontinence, disinfect wounds, lymph detox, blood detox, etc.
2. Green Walnuts Combined Tea Recipe
Put 4 teaspoons of chopped green walnut peels in a cup of water (250 ml) at room temperature and leave for 8 hours to soak. Strain the cold maceration and put it aside. Simmer the remaining chopped walnut shells on low heat for 5 minutes, in another cup of boiling water. Leave aside to cool and then strain the warm decoction. Combine the cold maceration with the warm decoction together and you have approximately half a liter of combined green walnut shells tea. Can be used internally or topically, as you will see below.
Health benefits of green walnuts combine tea: diarrhea, acute intestinal infections, adjuvant in dysentery, intestinal parasites, canker sores, etc.
3. Green Walnuts Wine Recipe
For this recipe use only whole unripe green walnuts harvested at the begining of July. Put 25 whole green walnuts (with the green shells) quartered in a large, 10-liter (2.6 gallon) glass bottle/container. On top of the walnuts put 1.25 or 1.5 kilograms of sugar (or raw honey) and 7.5 liters of boiled and cooled water. Mix very well, until the sugar/honey is fully dissolved. Then add 10 g of fresh cake yeast dissolved in a little lukewarm water.
Cover the jar with a perforated lid. Insert a food grade plastic hose through the hole to allow the carbon dioxide to come out (put one end of the hose above the liquid in the jar, and the other end in a small jar filled with water). Keep the jar in a place away from sunlight, at a maximum temperature of 18°C, for ther following six to eight weeks. Then pour the green walnuts wine into amber glass bottles. Seal and leave the bottles in a cool and dark place for another two months, after which it can be consumed. Have one spoonful after the main meals of the day in long term cures.
Health benefits of green walnuts wine: anemia, diarrhea, rheumatism, high blood pressure, heart and liver conditions.
4. Green Walnuts Poultice
Macerate a handful of dried and finely chopped green walnut peels in some hot water (40-50°C/104-122°F) for 1-2 hours. Soak a piece of sterile gauze in this maceration and apply it directly to the affected area. Cover with another gauze and leave the poultice on for an hour.
Health benefits of green walnuts cataplasms: acute eczema.
14 Natural Remedies with Green Walnuts
1. Hypothyroidism
Very rich in iodine and other active substances that suport the good functioning of the thyroid, green walnut shells are the ideal natural thyroid stimulator. Green walnuts tincture is one of the best natural remedies for hypothyroidism. Have 4 tbsp/day of the homemade green walnuts tincture diluted in a cup of water.
2. Rheumatism & Gout
Green walnut shells have a strong purifying effect, supporting the elimination of toxins from the body. Amongst the health benefits of green walnuts we have to mention their tremendous aid in rhemumatic and gout pains. Have 2 tablespoons of the green walnut tincture diluted in half a cup of water, 3 times a day. The treatment lasts 40 days and is preferably done in late autumn and/or early spring.
Russian monks used green walnut baths to soothe rheumatic pains. The recipe goes like this. Simmer two handfuls of green walnut shells and walnut leaves in a pot filled with 5-6 liters of water, for half an hour. Pour the warm decoction into your bathwater in the tub, and bathe every 2-3 days, until the pain goes away.
3. Diarrhea & Gastrointestinal Infections
In the first phase, drink 1 liter of a combined green walnut shells tea (recipe above). This tea has a strong anti-infectious effect, eliminating the cause that caused the infection. Once all the harmful substances in the intestine have been eliminated through the stool, it is necessary to take a strong astringent, that is, the decoction made from inner membranes that separate the walnuts inside the nut. To make this decoction, simmer 3-4 teaspoons of the crushed inner peels in 300 ml of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain, sweeten with honey, and drink as hot as possible. This decoction quickly slows down intestinal transit. You can also try the green walnut syrup remedy for diarrhea. Recipe here.
4. Intestinal Parasites (Pinworms)
One of the most effective Romanian folk remedies for pinworms is made using green walnut shells. For this, drink half a liter to a liter a day of the combined green walnut shells tea over the course of 12 days. In the case of oxides, sitz baths are made in parallel with the same decoction. For pinworms, take daily sitz baths with this decoction alongside drinking the tea.
5. Asthma
Wash 25 very young green walnuts (the size of medium olives, as those used to make green walnut jam), scald them for 1 minutes, strain and leave aside. Separately, in another saucepan, bring 1 kg of liquid honey to boil (when the honey boils, it starts to foam). At the first boil, add the green walnuts and simmer them in the honey for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the fire and leave it aside to cool down. Put the delicious preparation in a sterile jar.
Have one teaspoon after each of the main meals and do not eat anything afterwards. Continue until you finish the entire jar. Follow this natural remedy for asthma only once a year. Stir the content before each use. After the first days of treatment, you will see the mucus in the airways start to thin out, making it easier to breathe.
6. Stomach Infections
This delicious and powerful bitter syrup made with green walnut shells is an elixir for stomach infections. The recipe goes like this. Cut 2-3 handfuls of freshly picked green walnut shells into small pieces and simmer them in 1 liter of water with 3 cloves for 10 minutes. Strain the hot decoction and mix with 1 kg of honey (the original recipe uses sugar). Pour the sweet decoction into amber bottles. Sterilize the bottles on a double boiler, then seal them. Have 3 teaspoons of green walnut syrup a day, one after each meal. Green walnuts are also an amazing remedy for stomach pain. Read more about it here.
7. Urinary Incontinence
Follow a 30-day cure with green walnut shells tincture by taking 4 teaspoons of tincture a day. The exact mechanism by which this tincture tones the urinary sphincters and helps regain control over them is not known, but the results are promising. This is one of the less-known health benefits of green walnuts tincture.
8. Kidney Cysts
Combine equal amounts of green walnuts and raw honey in a large jar. Seal the jar and leave it to macerate for a month in a dark place in the pantry. Have one tablespoon 3 times a day, between meals. Add 15 drops of echinacea tincture to each tablespoon before taking this remedy. This cure lasts for 6 months.
9. Blood & Lymph Cleanse
In the morning and in the evening, before meals, take 30 drops of green walnut tincture in a glass of water. The tincture is prepared in the season of fruit formation.
10. Warts
An extremely effective natural remedy for warts is to rub them with the fresh green shells of the walnut. Do this 2-3 times a day, for five minutes each, and the results will show in a maximum of a month. This is one of the less-known health benefits of green walnuts.
11. Acute Eczema
Apply on the affected areas the poultice made with dried green walnut shells that we’ve described above. Keep the poultice on for 1-2 hours, then remove. Repeat the application daily until complete healing.
12. Wounds
Wash/pad the wounds with the green walnut tincture. This tincture has disinfectant properties, similar to that of iodine tincture (as walnut shells are very rich in iodine) and on top of that, it helps in the rapid and scarless healing of injuries.
13. Oral Thrush
Rinse your mouth and gargle with the combined walnut shells tea (recipe above). The combined tea has strong anti-infectious and cicatrizing effects and is amazing for oral and throat inflammations, including canker sores.
14. Natural Brown Hair Dye
In addition to the fantastic health benefits of green walnuts, these miraculous nuts can also be used for cosmetic purposes. If you’ve already read our article on natural ways to dye hair brown with walnut leaves and green walnuts, this is a different recipe with the same fantastic results. Here is how to dye hair brown with green walnut peels.
Crush a handful of green, unripe walnuts in a mortar together with a handful of fresh walnut leaves. Cover everything with water, add a pinch of salt and leave the mixture to soak for three days. Put everything in a pot, add 5 cups of water, and simmer for 5 hours, on very low heat. In the end, you will have at least one cup of green walnut decoction. Strain the decoction and pour it warm over the washed and rinsed hair. Leave it in.
The dark green walnut decoction can even dye gray hair in brown shades. For maximum results, at the end rinse your hair with a very concentrated sage infusion. Sage infusion will strengthen the effect of the green walnut decoction. To make the concentrated sage infusion scald two tablespoons of dried sage in half a liter of boiling water and steep for ten minutes. Green walnut shell juice is also a fantastic remedy for alopecia and hair loss.
Green Walnuts Side Effects & Recommendations
The green walnut remedies presented should be used with caution by those suffering from hyperthyroidism, IBS (irritable colon), and acid gastritis. If you suffer from insulin-dependent diabetes, monitor your blood sugar very strictly when using any of the natural remedies with green walnuts.
Read Also: Natural Remedy for Hemorrhagic Rectocolitis with Green Walnuts
The ancestors of Romanians, Dacians knew and worshiped the walnut as a magical tree, a source of food, and medicine. The walnut tree is a curiosity of the botanical world, as it secretes an impressive amount of iodine, and its nuts are pure energy bombs and the most valuable nuts amongst all nuts, from a nutritional and medicinal point of view.
If you’ve enjoyed learning about the health benefits of green walnuts and how to prepare natural remedies with green walnuts at home for different health conditions, please share this article on social media. Let us know how you use green walnuts as medicine by leaving a comment below. Thank you for stopping by, and stay healthy, naturally!
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