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Sunflower

Useful properties, cultivation and recipes use sunflower


Botanical characteristics of sunflower

Sunflower – a tall, annual, powerful, Compositae plant. The taproot of the plant goes into the soil at 2-4 meters. From taproot lateral roots extend by 1 meter to the side. The sunflower stalk is thick and strong, it is not branched and has a loose core. One sunflower is 15-35 leaves, rough and tapered at the top. At the top of the stem has a large inflorescence basket, which bottom is surrounded by a wrap of green leaves. The outside of the basket are barren of Golden flowers.

In addition to sterile flowers, sunflowers are also bisexual flowers are yellow or orange in color. The fruit of a sunflower is an achene, in which a core consisting of embryo, cotyledons (2 pieces) and peel. Depending on the plant variety peel is of different colors, starting with white and ending with black.

Sunflower flowering begins in July and lasts until the end of the summer. The fruits of the plants ripen in September. While the sunflower is the disclosure, his basket is always on the Sunny side, and as soon as the basket opens, it no longer rotates and is located on the East side.

Homeland sunflower – Peru and Mexico. And from these places, the plant was introduced to Russia. Sunflower growing in the countries where it is always warm climate. It grows on fertile soil and in full sun.


Grow and care for sunflower

For the cultivation of sunflower it is necessary to prepare the soil. For this you need to make the treatment of the soil to a depth of 25 cm, and make mineral and organic fertilizers. Sunflower seeds sown in spring in rows, closing up them into the soil at 5 cm For the seedlings need to do the thinning, therefore, remains the strongest and most sturdy plants.

Along with the need to conduct thinning and weeding between rows. During thinning should be to make fertilizer. Once again fertilize the soil during the formation of the baskets. To increase the sunflower yield, early flowering plants need to bring the sunflower bees. Clean sunflower in a time when 85% of the baskets will become brown.

Water the plant 3 times: first after thinning of sunflower seeds, then watering is carried out during the formation of baskets last watering produce early flowering plants.


Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil has amazing healing properties. It contains a large numberfat-soluble vitamin E. sunflower Oil is an excellent antioxidant that protects the body from atherosclerosis and other heart disease. This oil gives the body aging, it is useful for liver function and immune system. Vitamin E contained in sunflower oil, has a positive effect on sexual function and the function of the endocrine glands.

Sunflower oil is involved in the process of the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins. People who use sunflower oil, I feel better memory. This oil contains vitamin F, which is important for the function of the liver cells, nerve fibers and blood vessels.

But how would it have been useful, this oil cannot be taken in large quantity. Due to its excessive use can cause aggravation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.


Useful properties of sunflower

Preparations made from sunflower, stimulate appetite, reduce body temperature, are relaxing on the smooth muscles of internal organs. Sunflower has expectorant properties. Tincture of leaves and flowers of the plant are used as remedy against malaria. Sunflower cooking tea, which has diuretic, astringent and expectorant action.

The leaves of the plant are crushed and make them into poultices that treat tumors, wounds, bites of spiders and snakes. The roots of the plants used in the treatment of rheumatism.

A decoction of the flowers of the plant are used in diseases of the heart, treat jaundice, malaria, influenza, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. Tincture on alcohol is used as an effective remedy in neuralgia, and signs of fever. Decoction of leaves and flowers of sunflower helps with diarrhea.

Fresh seeds plants will help with allergies and urticaria. The seeds have expectorant action, therefore them apply for colds and cough. Sunflower prepare an ointment that can help with bronchitis.

The use of sunflower

Sunflower seeds are used in folk medicine fresh, in decoction, infusion, tincture, tea, ointment. For example, tea from ligulate flowers of the plant are used for bronchitis, colitis and asthma. Tincture of sunflower to reduce the body temperature, stimulate the appetite. Sunflower oil is used for a cholagogue action with inflammation of the intestine, and this oil is used for holding an oil-baseinhalations in the treatment of diseases of the nasopharynx. With the help of oil make wraps that are used in pneumonia and bronchitis.

A decoction of sunflower for the appetite. For its preparation you need to take 1 tablespoon of crushed leaves and ligule and pour it with 200 ml of boiling water. Now you need to put the structure on fire in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. Strain the finished broth, brought it to the original volume. Take sredsvto need 2 tablespoons three times a day before meals.

Tea sunflower, reducing the temperature. Take 1 tablespoon of dry flowers of the sunflower and fill it with 250 ml of boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes to infuse. Add a little honey and 200 ml twice a day.

Tincture of sunflower in nervous disorders. To prepare this tincture easily. To do this, take 100 grams of ligulate flowers and fill them with two glasses of vodka. Put the tool in a dark place for 14 days, not forgetting from time to time to shake. Take a tincture of 30 or 40 drops three times a day before meals.

Medicine from sunflower gastric cancer. To make it, take 3 tablespoons chopped ray flowers and plants pour 1 liter of fresh milk. Put the composition in a water bath until until the volume is reduced by exactly half. Strain the finished medicine, it is taken three times a day for 1 tablespoon before eating. Drinking 2 litres of this decoction, treatment is stopped and after 20 days, repeat the treatment.

The infusion of sunflower. For its preparation you need to take the core and roots of the plant and mix them in equal amounts. Now, take 5 tablespoons of prepared mixture and fill it liter of boiled water. Put in a water bath for 2 minutes. The prepared broth, you need to take per day, no more than 5 doses during the day. The course of treatment is 1 month. This medicine brings out toxins from the body. If necessary, repeat course of treatment should take a break for 2 weeks and again treated in this facility.


Contraindications to the use of sunflower

To the use of sunflower there are no contraindications, the only thing you can't forget, it's about the right dosage of the drug.