Who don’t now black nightshade? In some society, this fruit is a common fruit moreover for fresh vegetables lover. Commonly, black nightshade is eaten as a complementary food. The shape of black nightshade is rounded, small, and green. If you didn’t used to it, it will taste a little bitter. Black nightshade will be red when it is ripe.
Black nightshade (Solanum Nigrum L) is a plants from Solananceae that comes from Europe and West Asia, and after that spread to America, Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In javanese, it is called as Ranti, in Ternate it is bobose, and black nightshade in Europe. Black nightshade grow approximately until 120 cm. Black nightshade is a vascular plants with less than 5 cm diameters. (See also Health Benefits of Vegetable Salad)
Black Nightshade Content
Though has small size, black nightshade also has high nutrients content. Black Nightshade also containts some nutrients, such as Calcium, Solasodine, Samak, Saponine, Antropine, Diosgenine, Titogenum, bush oil and shrubs. These substances is really important for health so it is not surprising that black nightshade being a favorite fresh vegetable for its lover.
Look at the following table about the nutrients contents of black nightshade.
| Nutrients Contents | Counts |
| Calories | 45 cal |
| Protein | 4,7 gram |
| Fat | 0,5 gram |
| Carbohydrate | 8,1 |
| Calcium | 210 mg |
| Phosphor | 80 gram |
| Ferrum | 6,1 mg |
| Vitamin A | 1.900 SI |
| Vitamin B1 | 0,14 mg |
| Vitamin C | 40 mg |
Unfortunately, not all black nightshade is consumable. Only them from cultivar that has less toxins level is safe to be consumed. Young black nightshade has high level of alkaloid, but that’s not a big problem and safe to be consumed. In contrary, old black nightshade or the purple black nightshade has less toxins, but its leaves has high number of glycoalkaloid solanine and its dangerous as it contains high number of toxins.
Thus, it is recommended for you to be careful to consume black nightshade. Or it is suggested to boil the black nightshade first before you eat them because it will decrease the toxins. Don’t eat them in raw state. (See also Health Benefits of Babaco)
Benefits of Black Nightshade
In Indonesia black nightshade is used as a fresh vegetables, but in fact this vegetable is also used as a herbal in the past 2000 years. Here are the health benefits of black nightshade.
- Prevention of Cancer
Cancer is the most scariest disease for many people. Sometime, it took long time to free from cancer. One of the benefit of black nightshade is as a prevention of cancer because this black nightshade contains solasonine, solasodine, solamargine, and solanine that prevents uncontrollable cancer cell. Solasodine plays role to relieve pain, to decrease your temperature, anti-inflammation, and anti-shock. Solamargine and solanine as antibacteria, and solanine as anti-mitosis. Those substances handles various type of cancer such as breast cancer, cervix, stomach, and respiratory tract cancer. - Anti-Inflammation
It is not surprising that our body is susceptible from any various of disease, like inflammation. But, if you are a black nightshade lover, you don’t need to worry because this black nightshade has anti-inflammation so you will free from inflammation. Moreover in China, it is populer to cure kidney inflammation. - As Analgetyc
Black nightshade also benefits to relieve pain and headache. Just like in Mexico, black nightshade is used as a herbal to relieve headache. - As Antipyretic
If you feel like you are in fever but you don’t want to eat any medicine from the drugstore, then it is recommended to eat black nightshade to cure your fever. Black nightshade has an antipyretic that is to cure your fever. - As Diuretic
Urinary tract disorder is a disease that will infect anyone from any ages or any gender. If you’re infected, it is suggested to consume black nightshade as a traditional herbal. This is possible since black nightshade has diuretic to shed and launch the urinary tract.
Black nightshade is useful to cure urinary tract infection. This infection mostly happen to woman than man, because woman’s urethra is susceptible to the contamination of bacteria. The most symptoms appear is the feel to take a pee that comes often than before, pain in urinary tract, and also itchy during pee. - As an Antitussive and Expectorant
Though it is often consumed as a fresh vegetable, in fact, black nightshade is also beneficial as an expectorant to releive cough and breathe, and also to thin spuctum. - Prevention to Hypertention
If you have high blood pressure risk, then it is recommended for you to consume black nightshade frequently. It is not only a fresh vegetable, but also benefits to prevent hypertension and high blood pressure. - Improve Liver Function
Another benefits of black nightshade is to improve liver function so that it is useful to neutralize and release toxins inside your body. - Antimicrobes and antibiotics
It turns out that black nightshade also useful to kill microbes and weaken the virus. Thus, it is also useful to cure gonorrhea. - Skin Care
In skin care view, black nightshade is also cure some skin disease like herpes and ulcers. It is also known to cure measles and variola. - Cure Rabies
In India, black nightshade is also use as a traditional herbal to cure rabies. - Relieve Back Pain
Another beneficial of black nightshade is to relieve back pain, sore, muscle pain, stiff waist and gout. And for you who suffer from rheumatism, black nightshade is also useful to cure rheumatism and all the symptoms. Nigeria has used black nightshade as a herbal to cure rheumatism and also uric acid. You may also read Health Benefits of Chinese Black Dates - As Antipruritic
The next benefits of blacknightshade is to relieve itch on skin (antipruritic). It is also useful to cure warts that appear on skin. - For Dry Eyes
Though black nightshade is not a main menu, it is a helpful vegetable to cure dry eyes in the right portion by daily use. Dry eyes will be healthier if you eat black nightshade routinely. Thus, there are many health benefits of black nightshade. - As Men Contraception
Another benefits of black nightshade that also powerful is as a natural contraception for men. Black nightshade will improve the production of sperm and male genital fertility. - Cytoprotective
Black nightshade is also useful as cytopotective that helps you to prevents and cure from kidney disease. It is also supported by the activity of anti ulserogenic which is connected to central nerve system, stomach,and antineoplastic. (See also Health Benefits of Lagundi Leaves)
How to Consume Black Nightshade
To consume black nightshade as traditional herbal, Black nightshade is consumed by the following way.
- Alternative 1 – Mix 10 black nightshade to vegetable juice.
- Alternative 2 – Prepare 20 gram of dried black nightshade. Boil it with 800cc water (4 cups of water) until half of the water left. Drink the water left, twice a day, a cups in the morning and another cup in the evening.
- Alternative 3 – Directly consumed in fresh state.
That’s all the information about the benefits of black nightshade that you should know. May it is helpful for your healthy life. Thankyou.