Girasol: 9 useful properties

At this plant there are a lot of names: tuberiferous sunflower, Jerusalem artichoke, solar root, earth pear. Contrary to popular belief, it is not an exotic plant at all. The wild girasol grows in a midland of Russia practically everywhere: at the edges of roads, to slopes of ravines, on heathlands. Also several cultural versions different from wild plants are removed by larger and juicy root crops.

The girasol is vitamin-rich, useful cellulose, inulin, pectin and fructose, and also mineral salts of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, zinc and silicon. Edible and useful tubers in a raw state taste like potatoes and a garden radish. Also other parts of a plant are curative: stalks, leaves and flowers. Today medical influence of a girasol is recognized as official medicine. A number of dosage forms (a tablet, liquid extracts, etc.) which are on sale in drugstores is issued. We suggest readers to get acquainted with the main therapeutic properties of an earth pear.

Normalization of level of sugar

The inulin which is contained in tubers makes positive impact on pancreas cells. Its use promotes decrease in level of glucose in blood that is especially important for the people suffering from a diabetes mellitus. To such patients recommend to include regularly a girasol in a diet, replacing with it potatoes and other root crops rich with natural sugars.

Protection of a liver

The substances which are contained in tubers and leaves of an earth pear promote improvement of work of a liver and strengthen bile outflow. They stop processes of formation of stones and sand in a liver and a gall bladder.

It is proved that the use of a girasol in food helps to bring out of an organism toxins (including alcohol decomposition products) and radionuclides, to protect a liver from aggressive environmental factors. The pharmaceutical drugs made of various parts of a plant are applied at treatment of cirrhosis and viral hepatitis.

In house conditions the means helping at liver diseases is prepared from girasol leaves: the tablespoon of dry raw materials is filled in by 750 ml of boiled water and insist within 12 hours. The filtered infusion is accepted before food on 100 ml by three times a day.

Optimization of a condition of a digestive tract

The juice which is squeezed out of girasol tubers is used for treatment of digestive organs. It helps at gastritises and colitis, saves from diarrhea, locks and heartburn. For obtaining therapeutic effect it is necessary to accept 150 ml of juice a day within two weeks.

According to specialists, regular consumption of fresh tubers promotes creation in intestines of the Wednesday favorable for useful microflora.

The help at a joint pain

Inflammatory diseases of joints treat bathtubs with extract of an earth pear. Means is prepared from fresh leaves: 2 kg of raw materials cut, fill in with 5 liters of water and boil within 20 minutes. The infused and filtered broth is added to capacity with warm water in which immerse a sore joint for 15 minutes. This drug is used also for healing of wounds, by improvements of a condition of skin at dermatological problems, and also for disposal of calcaneal spurs and signs of burns.

Means for weight loss

The people who are going to get rid of extra kilos should use girasol tubers daily. It will help to normalize carbohydrate and a lipometabolism, to reduce cholesterol level in blood, to adjust work of intestines and to accelerate a conclusion of harmful substances from an organism. Pharmaceutical powder of a girasol is applied in official medicine to treatment of the patients having obesity.

Besides, an earth pear at the high content of vitamins (especially A and C) is less caloric, than beet and carrots. The girasol can quite replace them in fresh salads.

Kidney drug

The solar root possesses the expressed diuretic and antiinflammatory action. It is recommended to use at cystitis and risk of development of an urolithiasis. As the means strengthening removal of excess salts from an organism, the girasol is useful at gout, hypostases, osteochondrosis and polyarthritis.

Improvement of a condition of cardiovascular system

The earth pear contains the substances helping to reduce viscosity of blood and to improve a condition of walls of vessels. The use of a girasol is shown at a hypertension, atherosclerosis, tachycardia, stenocardia and coronary heart disease.

Increase in immunity

High content in tubers of a girasol of ascorbic acid promotes activation of protective forces of an organism. The people who are regularly eating this plant have seasonal infections easier and less often catch a cold.

Besides, tubers contain a large amount of phosphorus and arginine which help to increase endurance and resistance to exercise stresses, and the iron which is their part is necessary for maintenance of optimum level of hemoglobin in blood.

Use in cosmetology

The mask from a grated tuber of a girasol and several drops of olive oil has the tightening effect on skin and returns it elasticity. Means is capable to eliminate an inflammation of integuments, to heal small damages. For its preparation it is possible to use also the frozen raw materials.

The juice which is wrung out from fresh flowers of an earth pear remove warts. The gruel prepared from fresh tubers and applied on head skin saves from dandruff. The constant use of a girasol in food strengthens roots of hair, improves a condition of nails. It is established that this plant has the rejuvenating and tonic effect, helps to maintain physical and intellectual activity.

Inclusion of a girasol in a diet has practically no contraindications. The exception is made by the people having predisposition to a meteorism: they should be careful at the use of tubers.

It is simple to grow up an earth pear. She almost does not demand leaving, is not damaged by wreckers and frosts, actively expands in the territory allocated to it. The plant has only one shortcoming somewhat limiting its use: tubers are badly stored. The use of a fresh girasol in food is possible only in the fall (after drying up of stalks) and in the early spring, the tubers which when wintered, but not sprouted yet dig out of the earth. It is necessary to remember that the structure of autumn and spring vegetable is not identical: the inulin which collected in tubers in the summer during the winter passes into fructose. For use in the medical purposes of a part of a plant (tubers, leaves and flowers) usually dry up and store in a type of powder. Tubers can and be frozen, previously having cut.

The citizens having seasonal dachas are quite capable to provide the families with a girasol stock, having put the food tubers bought in shop. Those who are deprived of such opportunity can find a wild-growing earth pear: its tubers more small also have more acute taste, but on curative qualities wild plants concede nothing to cultivars. It is only important to organize collecting vegetable raw materials in the environmentally friendly place, far from big cities and the loaded routes.

The girasol can become successful addition of the daily menu. Its use helps to lift immunity, to normalize composition of blood, to bring slags and toxins out of an organism, to improve a condition of skin and hair. This useful plant of adequately our attention and appreciation.