Walking down a ally way you notice a vine dancing on the fence beside you, it has such beautiful flowers and such bright coloured berries. You wonder to yourself, “I wonder what this pant could be used for?” Well…..it’s for your acne!

Solanum dulcamara//

Bittersweet Nightshade

It has been used in folk medicine across Europe for Thousands of years.  The Latin name dulcamara refers to the flavor of the berries, which are first bitter, then unpleasantly sweet. The woody nightshade was known to Theophrastus the ancient Greek physician and was in use in the Middle Ages, and has, over the centuries been used as a supposed remedy for many ailments. Bittersweet nightshade has been used traditionally to treat cancers, tumors, skin conditions and warts since ancient times. Although the plant has long been recognized as being highly toxic if ingested, it has been used as an external remedy for skin abrasions safely without much concern.

Bittersweet is used as a external remedy for skin abrasions and inflammation with surprising effects. It could be used to treat chronic eczema, reducing the redness and preventing resulting symptoms. Just don’t go eating the berries; Ingesting too many of the seeds could cause your heart to stop. Like most nightshades, the plant is best used with caution.

Find It // Use It

This plant is not hard to find. Bittersweet grows as a vine and can span some serious ground. It is a perennial and some plants you find will have a wooden stem, which is how it earned its other name “woodly nightshade”.  The name nightshade will also help you identify this plant, its fruits resemble that of tomatoes. The berries can be a range of colours from green to red.

The plant fairs best in areas that are neglected, since most casual gardeners consider it as an invasive weed. Take a look along fences where it can avoid lawn mowers and foot traffic. The pant seems to enjoy even the toughest soils and I usually run into him every day. Keep Your eyes peeled and your bound to spot it!

My preferred method of using the plant is its fruits, which are always in abundance all summer and fall.  The berries are simply pressed on the area you which to treat. Let the juice sit there for a bit and then wash it off, you will begin to see the inflammation fade away. With this much of the plant in supply it is easily a free natural acne treatment.

 

Message From Germ: Hey hope this helps ya. This is another great prime example of yet another overlooked super plant.  This kind of knowledge changes a ‘weed’ to a ‘free natural acne treatment’; and this revelation could have a profound impact our collective future. We need your help in realizing that dream. By simply liking this GreenGold posts you are voting to see more of this in future blogs.

For those with the eyes to see, the world is overflowing with abundance, anxiously waiting for us to take her up on the offer.  This series looks to share some of nature’s mysteries in hope to empower the individual.  The knowledge of the world around us and its infinite gifts is worth more than gold.— This is Green Gold.

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