Black nightshade - medicine in the garden

An annual from the family of the nightshade black nightshade is rarely cultivated by gardeners, more often it grows like a weed. The plant reaches a height of 70 cm, blooms from July to October, fruits - black berries ripen, respectively, from August to late autumn. the plant is extremely unpretentious and is found in almost all of Eurasia, including the northern regions and Siberia. The berries of this plant have been eaten since ancient times. True, fresh fruits have an unpleasant smell, so they are used as a filling for pies, and jam is made. Only ripe berries can be used for food, green fruits contain toxic substances that are destroyed when ripe.

All aerial parts of the plant contain carotene, sugars, vitamin C, organic acids, tannins, saponins, glycosoids. Black nightshade has an analgesic and sedative effect, therefore it is widely used in folk medicine. Neuroses, spastic pains, bladder spasms, convulsive seizures are reduced and weakened by taking decoctions and infusions of herbs, juice of ripe berries. Infusions of leaves are instilled with a cold, applied to abscesses and swellings. Nightshade flowers have an expectorant, diuretic and laxative effect.

Ripe fruits help cure diphtheria and sore throat, insomnia, and abdominal dropsy. Rheumatism, gout, arthritis, osteochondrosis are also treated with drugs based on black nightshade. For hypertension, ripe nightshade berries are useful, they help lower blood pressure. It should be remembered that they cannot be taken uncontrollably, since the plant is poisonous, it can cause nausea, vomiting. Remember that "there is medicine in the drop, poison in the cup."