Annual sunflower: growing features, description and types. Sunflower - cultivation, beneficial properties and contraindications For what purposes is annual sunflower not used?

Annual sunflower or sunflower oil (sunflower) is an annual herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family with large flower heads. Belongs to the honey-bearing species. It grows in countries with warm, temperate climates. Sunflower is widely cultivated for use in cooking, folk medicine and homeopathy, as well as several other applications.

Preparation and storage

The following medicinal raw materials are used: rhizome, stem with leaves, marginal flowers (yellow “petals”) and annual sunflower seeds. The roots are harvested in the fall: dug up, cleared of soil and dried in an electric dryer at a temperature of 40-50°C. Flowers are harvested at the beginning of the plant's flowering: they are carefully torn off, trying not to damage the baskets, and dried in a well-ventilated area away from sunlight. Sunflower leaves are harvested in the summer, when they have grown to 5-7 cm: they are picked without petioles and dried outdoors in the shade or in an electric dryer at temperatures up to 50°C. The sunflower stem is harvested when the caps have already been removed: the stems are cut, cut into pieces of approximately 2 cm and dried. The seeds are collected as they ripen.
Dried sunflower raw materials are stored for two years in fabric or paper bags.

Composition and properties

The leaves, stems, and marginal flowers of sunflower are rich in: flavonoids, sterols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, saponins, choline and phenolcarboxylic acids.

The seeds of the plant contain: carotenoids, tannins, sterols, fatty oil and fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins E and PP, lecithin and phospholipids. Sunflower root is rich in potassium salts and alkaline alkaloids. Unrefined sunflower oil contains vitamins A, E, F and D. Thanks to its composition, annual sunflower has: anti-inflammatory, astringent, expectorant, diuretic, choleretic and laxative effects. This plant also regulates salt metabolism.
In folk medicine, sunflower is recommended for:

• flu;
• malaria;
• cough;
• catarrh of the upper respiratory tract;
• bronchial spasms;
• thyroid disease;
• atherosclerosis;
• diseases of the heart muscle;
• poor appetite;
• colic in the stomach and intestines;
• urinary and gallstone diseases;
• hepatitis;
• diseases of the biliary tract;
• arthritis, polyarthritis, osteochondrosis and other diseases associated with salt deposition;
• neuralgia;
• oncology;

• diseases of the genitourinary system;
• pemphigus vulgaris;
• diabetic ulcers;
• burns, neurodermatitis, eczema.

Recipes

Infusion for appetite:

• 1 tbsp. marginal sunflower flowers;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Pour boiling water over the flowers and let it brew for an hour. Strain. Drink 1/3 glass three times a day before meals.
This infusion is also recommended for oncology as a diuretic: 1/2 glass three times a day for 10 days, then a break of 5 days and again for 10 days.
Antipyretic infusion:

• 2 tbsp. marginal sunflower flowers;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Pour boiling water over the petals, let it brew for 10 minutes and strain. Drink at night if you have a cold.

Another recipe for antipyretic infusion:

• 1 tsp chopped fresh sunflower stem;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Pour boiling water over the stems, let it brew for an hour and strain. Drink 1/2 glass 2-3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Infusion for high blood sugar:

• 1/2 tbsp. sunflower seeds;
• 1 liter of boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the washed black seeds in a thermos overnight. Strain in the morning. Drink throughout the day between meals. Recommended course of treatment: 14 days of admission, 14 days - break, 14 days of admission, again a break for 14 days and repeat the course of administration a third time.
Decoction for bronchitis and bronchial asthma:

• 1 tbsp. fresh marginal sunflower flowers;
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh sunflower leaves;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Pour boiling water over the plant material, boil for 10 minutes over low heat, and then let it brew for an hour. Strain. Add the resulting broth with boiled water to the original volume. Drink warm 2-3 tablespoons 3-4 times a day before meals. This decoction will also help with malaria and whooping cough.

Decoction for cough, bronchitis, whooping cough and tonsillitis:

• 3 tbsp. crushed sunflower seeds;
• 500 ml water.

Pour water over the seeds and simmer over low heat until the liquid has evaporated by a quarter. Then strain the broth. Can be sweetened. Take 1 tablespoon three times a day for 10-14 days.
Decoction for prostatitis:

• 4/5 cup dried sunflower root;
• 3 liters of water.

Pour water over the roots and boil, and then let the broth brew for 3-4 hours. Drink 1 liter per day.
Decoction for kidney disease:

• 2 handfuls of dried sunflower stems;
• about 3 liters of cold water.

Place the stems in a three-liter jar and fill with water. Let it sit for an hour, then drain the water, boil it and pour it back over the stems in the jar. Cover the jar with gauze and leave to infuse for a day. Then strain. Take half a glass three times a day. Recommended course of treatment: a month of admission, a week off and repeat the course. In total you should take 3-4 courses.

Decoction for salt deposition:

• 1 tbsp. crushed dry sunflower roots;
• 3 liters of boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the roots and boil for 10 minutes over low heat. Strain. Drink 2/3 cup of decoction 2-3 times a day. Store the decoction in the refrigerator - it must be consumed within three days. The recommended course of treatment is 1 month.
Decoction for arthritis (for external use):

• 1 tbsp. crushed sunflower root;
• 1.5 liters of water.

Pour water over the sunflower root, bring to a boil and boil for 10-15 minutes, and then let the broth brew for 2 hours. Strain. Use for compresses and rubbing.
Tincture for psoriasis:

• marginal sunflower flowers;
• 70% alcohol or vodka.

Fill any glass jar 2/3 full with flowers and fill with vodka to the top. Let the product sit for 14 days. Strain. Use to wipe areas affected by psoriasis.

This tincture can also be used for colds: 1 tablespoon three times a day 20 minutes before meals - no more than 3 days!
Tincture for pneumonia: Fill a glass bottle with sunflower petals and top it with vodka. Let it brew for 14 days. Strain. Take 1 teaspoon three times a day.

Tincture for neurosis, neurasthenia:

• 3 tbsp. crushed marginal sunflower flowers;
• 1 tbsp. vodka.

Pour vodka over the flowers and place in a dark place for 7 days. After a week, strain. Take 35-40 drops, diluted in a small amount of water, twice a day 20 minutes before meals.
Tincture for gout:

• 1 sunflower flower;
• vodka.

Take a small sunflower flower (without root), chop it and place it in a liter jar, filling 1/3 of its volume. Then fill the jar with the flower to the top with vodka. Let it brew for two weeks. Shake the container with the mixture periodically. After 14 days, strain. Take 1 tablespoon twice a day 20 minutes before meals. Also use the tincture as a rub at night.

For herpes, apply a sunflower flower, previously scalded with boiling water, to the rash.
For the treatment of heel spurs take the sunflower pulp remaining after removing the seeds, boil it and apply it hot to the heel. Secure the sunflower pulp on top with polyethylene and a warm bandage.
Annual sunflower oil is also used in folk medicine: it is taken orally as a laxative, used for rubbing for joint pain and for healing wounds (compresses are made from boiled oil).

Contraindications

Treatment with annual sunflower is contraindicated for:

• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• individual intolerance.

Sunflower seeds are not recommended for consumption by patients with gastritis and stomach ulcers, as well as by overweight people.
Attention: pain in the joints when treated with infusions and decoctions of sunflower signals that they are being cleansed of salts.

Compositae family

Sunflower was brought to Europe from North America, which is considered its homeland. Once in Russia under Peter I, this plant was grown only for decorative purposes for several decades. Currently, sunflower has become the main Pancake week crop in Russia.

Description

Annual sunflower is a herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, up to 2.5 m high.

The stem is dense and erect. Stem annual sunflower usually simple, rough, with a loose white core, hard rough, from (20)50 to 250(300) cm (or more) in height.

The leaves are heart-shaped-ovate (upper ovate), alternate, large, acuminate (to acute) at the apex, finely serrate-toothed along the edge, with three longitudinal veins, rigidly and short bristly on both sides.

The baskets are heterogamous, large (from 6-10 to 50 cm in diameter), drooping, solitary at the tops of the stems or among several, then the main basket is the largest, which turns towards the sun. The involucre leaves are imbricate, ovate, pointed, green, and coarsely hairy; reed flowers are usually yellow, sometimes fawn or reddish, sterile, numerous, oblong to oblong, large (5-10 cm in length); the middle flowers are tubular, bisexual, sometimes pistillate, brown, yellow or fawn, less often reddish; receptacle almost flat or slightly convex; achenes obovate or wedge-shaped, often laterally compressed, more or less ribbed and hairy, variously colored (white, gray, black, striped and others), at the apex with one or two (sometimes more) bristles or films, with a woody pericarp.

Blooms in July - August.

The fruit is an oblong ovoid achene, striped or black. Ripens in August - September

Spreading

Spreading: North America. Cultivated everywhere. Sunflower is widespread in Russia - in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part, less often in Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, Transcaucasia and semi-desert regions of the Southeast as a field oilseed crop.

Growing

It is demanding of intense sunlight, moisture and the presence of nutrients in the soil. In favorable conditions, it develops powerful roots, a thick stem, large leaves and produces a good harvest of seeds.

Agricultural technology

Reproduction

Varieties

Varieties

Chemical composition

Active ingredients

Flowers contain flavone glycoside, anthocyanins, choline, betaine, bitterness, phenolcarboxylic acids and alcohols.

The seeds contain fatty oil, protein, carbohydrates, phytin, tannins, carotenoids, phospholipids, citric and tartaric acids. Some enzymes are found in seed coats. The fatty oil contains glycerides of oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic, arquinic and lignoceric acids.

Application

All parts of the country's national economy are of technical importance: the green mass is used to feed livestock, the stems are used to produce fiber boards used in construction; Feed protein and organic compounds are obtained from the husks, which are used in the microbiological industry.

Food use

Sunflower is the dominant edible oilseed crop. Used to obtain vegetable oil. The oil is widely used to prepare a variety of dishes and culinary products; it is used in margarine, fish and vegetable canning. Pectin, as a gelling agent, is used to make original confectionery products. The seeds are eaten fried and used to make delicious oriental sweets with honey, such as kozinaki. In England, young sunflower baskets are used with hot seasoning to make salads.

Use in landscape design

Natural cosmetics

Medicinal use

Sunflower preparations relax the smooth muscles of internal organs, lower body temperature, and stimulate appetite.

Sunflower oil can lower blood cholesterol levels, making it an important component of a healthy diet. In addition, it can be used in home deep fryers, since its chemical composition is more stable when heated compared to other vegetable oils. According to the production method, sunflower oil is divided into press and extraction. Depending on the type of processing, the oil is divided into unrefined, hydrated, refined non-deodorized and refined deodorized.

There are two types of sunflower oil: unrefined and refined. The first has taste and smell, while the second has neither one nor the other. Unrefined oil containing more than 60% linoleic acid, the sediment of which forms during oil storage, is considered more useful. These are not harmful accumulations, but useful substances. The more sediment at the bottom of the bottle, the higher the healing properties of the oil. This oil is especially recommended for people prone to atherosclerosis and high blood cholesterol levels.
The color of unrefined oil ranges from light yellow to dark yellow. It is better to give preference to lighter ones, since dark oil is obtained from overcooked seeds. Therefore, its medicinal and nutritional value is lower than light.

Unrefined oil has only one drawback - it easily oxidizes under the influence of temperature and sunlight, forming oxidation products: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and other compounds that change its taste and smell. The accumulation of these products in the body leads to diseases. In Western Europe, unrefined sunflower oil is sold in dark glass bottles or sealed metal cans; in Russia, it is still sold in plastic bottles.

Refined oil can be hydrated, hydrated-frozen, deodorized and non-deodorized.

Hydration is the process of treating oil with water. Hydrated frozen food is also subjected to freezing. Refined oils are deeply refined products.

Refined deodorized oil comes in two grades - “D” and “P”. Oil with grade “D” is used for dietary nutrition.

Refined sunflower oil can be stored for more than a year without even putting it in the refrigerator, since it is not afraid of sunlight and heat.

Collection and processing of medicinal raw materials

The medicinal raw materials are the marginal flowers, leaves and mature achenes. The bright yellow flowers are collected at the beginning of flowering, carefully torn off without damaging the baskets. Dry immediately in a well-ventilated dark room. Green, healthy leaves are harvested in early summer. Dry in a dryer at a temperature of 40...50 °C. Store in fabric bags for 2 years.

Leaves, the inner part of the stem, petals, flower baskets, roots, and seed oil are used as medicinal raw materials.

Application in official and folk medicine

An alcohol tincture is prepared from the marginal flowers and leaves of sunflower, which is used as a bitter to enhance the secretion of gastric juice and improve appetite, for the treatment of malaria, and as a choleretic agent. For malaria, they also drink an infusion of dried sunflower stems (1:10) a tablespoon every 2 hours during fever and 3-4 times daily between attacks. It is used for influenza, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, and as an antispasmodic for bronchial spasms.

Purified (refined) sunflower oil is prescribed for diseases of the liver and biliary system, as it enhances the motility of the gallbladder (a tablespoon in the morning on an empty stomach). Oil is prescribed as a laxative, as well as for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. It is included in the mixture for oil-alkaline inhalations for diseases of the nasopharynx, in the composition of oil solutions of liniments, patches, ointments, bleached oil, and the anti-atherosclerotic drug "Linetol". Fresh sunflower seeds are popularly recommended for allergies (urticaria), malaria, and bronchitis. The polysaccharide pectin is obtained from threshed baskets.

Experiments have proven that sunflower polysaccharides inhibit the growth of sarcoma by 29.2%, i.e., they have antitumor activity. Sunflower pectin is used in medicine as a detoxifier to bind heavy metal salts (cobalt, strontium, etc.) in the gastrointestinal tract in case of corresponding poisoning.

Cleansing the body with sunflower oil is used for headaches, thrombophlebitis, chronic diseases of the stomach, intestines, heart, lungs, liver, encephalitis, toothache and women's diseases.

Take 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil into your mouth and start sucking it like candy for 15-20 minutes. The oil first becomes thick, then becomes liquid like water. This liquid should be spat out. It should be white, like milk. If the liquid is yellow, the sucking process has not been completed. The spit out fluid is infected and should be sent to the bathroom.
This procedure should be done once a day, preferably on an empty stomach, or in the evening before bed. Along with the fluid spit out from the mouth, waste, infection and decay products leave the body. The most dangerous breakdown product is uric acid, which is formed as a result of the oxidation of nitrogenous bases in the body. Excess of this acid, as well as sodium salts in joints and muscles causes rheumatism and gout, in the brain - headaches and decreased mental abilities, in the blood - thickening, increased blood pressure, as well as various diseases of the legs. Stones form in the urinary tract. Excess uric acid weakens the functioning of the heart and leads to premature aging. During sucking, the body is freed from harmful microbes, toxins, uric acid, and gas exchange is also enhanced, metabolism is activated and improved.

It should be borne in mind that when using this method there may be temporary complications, especially in people with many diseases, this is the result of relaxation of the foci of the disease. The decision about how many times this procedure can be used is made by the person himself, based on the state of his own health. Acute diseases are treated easily and quickly, within two weeks. Treatment for chronic diseases can take much longer.

A decoction of leaves and flowers is used as an appetite-stimulating bitter, in the treatment of malaria and whooping cough, and as an antipyretic. An infusion of the plant gives a good effect in the treatment of gastrointestinal colic and spasms of bronchial smooth muscles.

To prepare a decoction of leaves and flowers, pour 1 tablespoon of crushed raw material into 1 glass of hot water, boil in a closed enamel container in a water bath for 15 minutes, cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, filter through two or three layers of gauze and bring the volume to the original volume with boiled water. Take 1-2 tablespoons 2-3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

An infusion of leaves and flowers is prepared at the rate of 1 teaspoon of raw material per 1 glass of boiling water. Leave for 20-30 minutes and filter. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day before meals.
Sunflower oil is widely used as a basis for the preparation of oil solutions, plasters and ointments, and is used as a laxative and choleretic agent in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and cholelithiasis and for the prevention of atherosclerosis. Prescribe it 1-2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day. Topically boiled sunflower oil is recommended as a healing agent for fresh wounds and burns in the form of oil dressings.

Recipes for various diseases

Atherosclerosis

Take 1 teaspoon of sunflower oil 2 times a day.

Insomnia, irritability

Collection 1. Pour 1 tablespoon of a mixture of sunflower flowers and meadow clover flowers with 1 cup of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour, take throughout the day, on an empty stomach.

Stomach diseases

Collection 1. Take 3 parts of crushed sunflower roots and 2 parts of fennel seeds. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a glass of boiling water and leave for about an hour. Strain. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day 1 hour before meals. To speed up the desired result, you can add 2 parts of plantain seeds and leaves to the prepared mixture, while maintaining the preparation order and dosage of the medicinal product.

Hypertension

Collection 1. Take equal parts of dried sunflower leaves and marsh grass, pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water and leave for an hour. Strain, take 1/3 cup of the solution 20-30 minutes before meals. This composition is also useful for stomach diseases.

Collection 1. Stir 10 g of sunflower oil in 1 glass of kefir and drink the entire portion in small sips before bed. With regular use of the mixture, the frequency is normalized and the ease of bowel movements returns. If the medicine does not work well, double the amount of oil stirred.

Difficulty urinating

Collection 1. Take 5 tablespoons of the inner layer of the stem, add 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and boil in a water bath for 2 minutes. After infusion, strain the solution and drink during the day in 4-5 doses half an hour before meals. The course of treatment is 3-4 weeks. The number of courses is selected individually with a break between them of 10-14 days. The color of urine changing during treatment indicates the beginning of dissolution and release of slag accumulations from the body.

Toothache, burning in the stomach

Pour 1 tablespoon of dried sunflower flowers with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 30-40 minutes. Drink the infusion 3 times a day, 1/2 cup, half an hour before meals.

Exhaustion of the body after illness

The inclusion of sunflower seeds in the diet increases appetite and supports the strength of an organism exhausted by diseases.

It is useful for people of any age who are weakened after illness to eat 1-2 handfuls of sprouted sunflower seeds per day. To do this, soak the seeds (1 cup) for 20 minutes in lightly salted water, then rinse thoroughly and transfer them to a two-liter jar. Pour the seeds with filtered water at room temperature, so that the water level is 10-15 cm above the seeds, close the neck of the jar with one layer of gauze and secure it. Place the jar with seeds in a dark place for 10-12 hours. Then drain the water without removing the gauze, rinse the seeds with water and put the jar back in a warm, dark place, but without water. You need to rinse the seeds 2 times a day without removing the gauze from the neck of the jar. After 1-2 days, sprouts will appear. They should be used. To slow down the growth of sprouts, the jar must be placed in the refrigerator, but the sprouts must be washed at least 2 times a day. For those who cannot simply eat sprouted sunflower seeds, we recommend grinding them in a coffee grinder and eating them together with butter and cheese, and using them in salads.

Collection 1. Take 2-3 tablespoons of the core of a sunflower stem, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, boil over low heat (with stirring) for 2 minutes and leave until cool. Use the resulting decoction for oral administration and also for gargling. Take the decoction internally in small portions per day.

Collection 2. Pour 2 tablespoons of dried sunflower flowers with 200 ml of 70 percent alcohol. Infuse for 7 days, use as an expectorant, 25-30 drops 3 times a day.

Collection 1. Grind pre-baked sunflower seeds. Then pour 3 tablespoons into 0.5 liters of sweetened water and cook until the amount of liquid is 400 ml. Strain the mixture and drink 1 tablespoon for children with whooping cough 2-3 times a day.

Bloody diarrhea

The condition of patients improves after regularly taking small portions of sunflower seeds.

Collection 1. Grind the lower leaves of the sunflower and mix with its chopped young petals. Fill 1/3 of the bottle with the mixture, then fill it to the top with vodka, seal tightly and leave for 2-4 weeks in the sun or in a warm place. Pour 1/4 cup from the resulting tincture, mix with 1/4 cup of water and take 1 hour before the expected attack.

Collection 2. Pour 1 tablespoon of the edge petals of flower baskets with alcohol and leave for a week in a dark place. Drink 30-40 drops diluted in water 3 times a day before meals for 2 weeks.

Collection 3. When the sunflower fades and the yellow petals begin to fall off, you should cut the flower, finely crumble it, put the pieces in a glass bowl and fill it with water. Cover the neck of the jar or bottle with gauze and expose it to the sun for a month. Take 20 drops before an attack of malaria or drink one glass three times a day half an hour before meals.

Collection 4. For 8 parts of vodka, take 1 part of a dry sunflower stem, leave for 6-9 days and drink during an attack, 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals for three days.

Collection 5. Pour 200 g of fresh sunflower roots into 1 liter of boiling water and boil them for 20 minutes, leave for 2-3 hours and strain through gauze folded in four. Take 1/2 cup 3 times a day for 2-3 weeks.

Urolithiasis disease

Collection 1. Pour 1 cup of crushed sunflower roots into 3 liters of water, boil for 2 minutes, leave for 30 minutes. Drink in sips for 2-3 days. The general course of treatment is 30 days.

Neuralgic pain, diseases of the nervous system, bronchitis, articular rheumatism.

It is beneficial to eat fresh sunflower seeds. The norm for one-time internal consumption of raw seeds is 50 g. The number of doses during the day can reach three.

Nervous diseases

Collection 1. Pour 35 g of reed sunflower flowers with 1/2 cup of vodka, leave for 2 months. Take 40 drops 2 times a day.

Oncological diseases

Salt deposits

Collection 1. Pour boiling water over 1 cup of crushed sunflower roots and boil in an enamel kettle for about 1-2 minutes. Drink in large doses half an hour after meals. The tea must be drunk 2-3 days in advance. Then boil the same roots again, but for 5 minutes in the same volume of water and also drink them within 2-3 days. Having finished drinking tea from the first portion, proceed to the next, etc. Salts begin to come out only after 2-3 weeks, the urine will be rusty in color. Drink tea until your urine becomes clear like water. During this cleansing, you should not eat spicy, sour or salty foods. Food should be predominantly vegetable and lightly salted.

Prostatitis

Consume 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds daily. In addition, it is recommended to eat 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, sunflower or soybean oil daily.

Cold

Collection 1. Mix 250 g of sunflower oil, 1 glass of kerosene and 10 red pepper pods, ground in a meat grinder. Leave in a warm place for 10 days. Rub in overnight and put on woolen underwear in the morning.

Radiculitis, rheumatism, jaundice, neurological pain, stomach and intestinal colic, bronchospasms

Collection 1. Take equal parts of sunflower leaves and flowers: fill a bottle or jar 1/4 of the volume with the crushed mixture, fill to the top with vodka, seal tightly and leave for two weeks. Strain. Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Rheumatism

Collection 1. Pour 1 tablespoon of finely chopped sunflower head with 1 glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Strain and drink 2 tablespoons 3 times a day, diluted with sweet water.

Decreased appetite

Collection 1. Pour 20 g of sunflower leaves and marginal flowers (1:1) with 1/2 cup of vodka, leave for 3 weeks, strain. Take 30-40 drops 3 times a day to stimulate appetite 30 minutes before meals.

Cholecystitis

Collection 1. Mix 1/4 cup of sunflower oil with 1/4 cup of grapefruit juice and drink at night 2 hours after meals, after cleansing the stomach and doing an enema. After the enema and taking the mixture, lie in bed on your right side. Repeat the enema in the morning. The procedure can be repeated after 4-5 days as needed.

Joint pain

Collection 1. Sunflower baskets, cut at the beginning of seed ripening, cut into small pieces and pour vodka (1:5), then add 10 g of baby soap and place in the sun for 8-9 days, stirring occasionally. Rub the prepared ointment onto sore joints.

Collection 2. Mix 2 tablespoons of chopped wild rosemary herb with 5 tablespoons of sunflower oil, leave for 12 hours in a sealed container on a hot stove, stirring occasionally, and strain. Rub into sore spots, preferably at night.

Collection 3. Pour 0.5 liters of vodka into 3-4 pods of red pepper, leave for 14 days, strain and mix with 1.5 cups of sunflower oil. Rub on sore areas at night. Lubricate sore spots 1-2 times a day with a swab soaked in a mixture prepared from 1/4 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and the same portion of vinegar.

Pinched nerve after a fall

Spread a cotton cloth with a mixture of olive or sunflower oil, melted wax and foundation and apply this patch along the entire spine - from the neck to the tailbone. If necessary, repeat the procedure 3 times.

Skin diseases

Healer's ointment: 1 wax candle, 15 g of onion (1 head), 100 g of laundry soap, a little rosin. Grind everything, add 1/4 cup sunflower oil, stir and bring to a boil 5 times.

Crush freshly picked sunflower leaves and apply to the burned areas, periodically replacing the used pulp with freshly prepared one.

Beat three tablespoons of sunflower oil until it turns white. Separately beat the whites of three eggs. Combine the ingredients and continue to beat the protein-oil mixture for 15 minutes - only after this the medicine will be ready. Lubricate the burned areas several times a day, bandage at night, having previously generously lubricated the surface of the wound with the prepared product.

Salt deposits

Collection 1. Fill any container to a third of its volume with sunflower flowers, add vodka, seal and leave for two weeks with daily shaking. When the cooking time has expired, strain and use the liquid part for compresses on sore spots.

Periodontal disease, bad breath

Mix 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil with 1 teaspoon of salt and rinse your mouth with this mixture for 3-5 minutes. Carry out the procedure 2 times a day, morning and evening. After rinsing, refrain from eating for 30 minutes. Continue the procedures until the gums are completely healed and the bad odor disappears.

‹ Snowdrop genus

The annual sunflower is a plant that produces our favorite and healthy oil. It satisfies the daily need for vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Let's consider the main features of the plant, growing conditions, and beneficial properties.

Annual sunflower is a plant that produces our favorite and healthy oil.

Its name is interpreted from Latin as “sun flower”. And this is no coincidence, since it has large inflorescences bordered by yellow petals. Sunflowers resemble the bright sun. They have another rare feature, which is that its flowers turn to follow the sun. Sunflowers are usually annual, although there are perennial varieties.

The plant is characterized by thick and strong roots. The leaves are strong and rough, pointed at the top. Interestingly, there can be a different number of them on one plant, but usually does not exceed 35. The stem is strong and has a large basket (inflorescence) on top. At the bottom of the basket there are green leaves. But on top there are beautiful yellow sunflower flowers. Each flower contains 5 stamens, the anthers of which are fused.

Its name is interpreted from Latin as “sun flower”

The fruit is an achene. Depending on the variety, the skin of the fruit may be white or black. The sunflower family is Asteraceae, genus Sunflower. Refers to herbaceous plants.

The homeland of sunflower is Peru (South America). It was from here that it spread to other countries. It prefers warm climates. Sunflowers grow in fertile soils. That is why the most favorable conditions for growth are the southern regions of the country. If the plant has enough sunlight and warmth, it grows large, with strong stems and a powerful, developed root system.

Gallery: annual sunflower (25 photos)

Annual sunflower (video)

Cultural varieties and other features

There are such cultivated varieties of the plant:

1. Simple sunflower. It has a flat receptacle. There is one, or less often - several rows of reed flowers.
2. Tubular-terry. Its common receptacle, on the contrary, is convex. There are several rows of reed flowers. This type of oil sunflower has highly developed tubular flowers.
3. Reed-double sunflower. It has a slightly convex receptacle. All flowers have a reed color. There are also additional branches.
4. Sunflower helianthus. Rather, it is an ornamental plant used in home gardening and floriculture. Currently, many decorative varieties have been bred that are pleasing to the eye almost until late autumn.
5. Sunflower annus can also be used as a beautiful ornamental plant in the garden. A large number of original varieties have been bred.

Sunflower blooms in July or August. The total duration of the flowering process is a month. Pollination occurs with the help of bees, other insects and wind. The pollen has a golden hue.

The fruit, as already noted, is an achene. It is slightly grained, slightly compressed. Length - 0.8 to 1.5 cm, width - from 0.4 to 0.8 cm, pericarp - leathery. The seed (kernel) is white, with a high oil content. The achenes are not damaged by the moth, as they have a protective armor layer.

What does the plant contain?

Sunflowers contain the following beneficial substances:

1. Carotene. Known as a powerful immunostimulant. It increases the body's defenses as it neutralizes free radicals.
2. Betaine activates fat metabolism, normalizes the amount of triglycerides, promotes energy production, and normalizes the acidity of the stomach contents.
3. Choline helps reduce the amount of fat in the body, reduces cholesterol, and stimulates the activity of the cardiovascular system. This substance has been proven to prevent the development of premature aging.
4. Resins have bactericidal, bacteriostatic, astringent, and anti-putrefactive effects.
5. Flavonoids strengthen the elasticity of capillaries and the walls of other blood vessels, neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals, and regulate the functioning of the central nervous system.
6. Organic acids increase appetite, activate metabolic processes in the body, improve immunity and remove toxins.
7. Tannins have a bactericidal effect and accelerate the healing process of wounds.
8. Glycosides have a diuretic, sedative, mucolytic, disinfectant and antimicrobial effect.
9. Bitters stimulate appetite, normalize digestion processes, and restore the body during loss of strength and general exhaustion.
10. Vitamins A, E, F, D. Even a small amount of oil can replenish the body's daily need for vitamin E. Thanks to the vitamin F content, sunflower oil strengthens the walls of blood vessels and prevents the development of myocardial infarction. And since the product also contains vitamin D, sunflower is recommended for people with a deficiency of this useful substance in the autumn-winter season, when the intensity of sunlight is minimal.

Application area

First of all, sunflower is used to produce tasty and nutritious vegetable oil. It is not only an important raw material in the food industry, but also a main component of technical processes.

Its application in the food industry is very diverse. Delicious seeds are widely used in our country. Sweets are made from them - kozinaki and halva. Sunflower is the most important honey crop providing honey production. Sunflower honey has a bright color, sometimes with a greenish tint. After crystallization it acquires an amber color.

Waste from sunflower oil production is also used in industry. Thus, cake or meal is widely used as livestock feed (contains large amounts of proteins). The cake is also used in the production of sweets, primarily halva. Green mass is used as raw material for silage.

Sunflower stems are a raw material for the production of fiber, paper and fiber. Sometimes these parts of the plant can also be used as fuel. Seed husks (waste after oil production) can be used to produce environmentally friendly biofuel.

Annual sunflower blooms in July or August

Sunflower in folk medicine

The sun flower is widely used in folk medicine to treat a large number of diseases. What are the specific uses of this plant?

1. Seeds. They need to be raw. In this case, they normalize blood pressure, facilitate the removal of mucus from the upper respiratory tract, and improve the functioning of the central nervous system. The seeds are widely used for the treatment of bronchopulmonary pathologies.
2. The root is used to remove excess salts from the body. Used to treat atherosclerosis, arthritis, arthrosis and osteochondrosis.
3. Flowers are included in medications for the treatment of heart disease, hepatitis, diarrhea, rheumatism, nervous exhaustion, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, malaria, salt deposits in the joints and herpes.
4. The inflorescence is used to treat pathologies of the liver, stomach, duodenum, and pancreas. Good results from the use of inflorescences in the treatment of manifestations of rheumatism.
5. The leaves are indispensable in the treatment of fever, hemicrania, neuralgia, urticaria, psoriasis, colds, and abdominal pain. The effectiveness of using these parts of the plant in the treatment of psoriasis has been proven.
6. The petals are used internally for malignant neoplasms. Externally, such a plant can be used to treat pemphigus. The product slightly reduces glycemic levels.
7. The stem is used to treat pathologies of the kidneys and urinary tract, kidneys, and thyroid gland. The stem has a pronounced diuretic effect, and therefore its use may be associated with joint pain. This means that the joint capsules are gradually cleared of harmful deposits.

In folk medicine, sunflower oil is often used as a remedy. It can be used internally as a mild laxative. The external use of such a product as a rubbing agent is also known. After boiling, it is an excellent wound healing medicine. For bronchitis and pneumonia, it can also be used for inhalation.

Some recipes for folk remedies

For the treatment of diseases, decoctions, tinctures and infusions are made. In folk medicine, a decoction of flowers is often used. To do this, a sunflower flower is crushed and filled with boiling water. After this, it must be put on low heat and boiled for 10 minutes, then removed from the heat and allowed to brew. The liquid is used in strictly prescribed dosages before meals.

Petals are most often used for infusion. They need to be crushed and poured with boiling water. Infusion time is 10 minutes. After this, the resulting drug must be drunk. It is advisable to carry out this procedure at night.

You can also make a tincture from the leaves and flowers. It is useful to drink for disorders of the digestive tract, lung diseases, and neuralgia. It improves appetite well. Crushed flowers are used to prepare the tincture. They need to be filled with vodka and left to infuse in a dark and cool place for one week. Then the product is used twice a day.

Before starting such treatment, you must consult a doctor so that he can determine the advisability of taking the tincture and prescribe a dose individually.

Decorative sunflower varieties (video)

Uses of sunflower honey

This is not only a tasty treat, but also a useful medicine. Experienced beekeepers know that if sunflowers grew nearby, they will always have a lot of honey. It has an interesting tart taste. Connoisseurs value this product for its exceptionally subtle aroma.

It has been proven that honey contains a rich set of healthy amino acids. They are necessary for the formation of proteins. This product also contains antioxidants: they help fight free radicals that cause premature aging and cancer pathologies.

Honey is used in folk medicine to get rid of the following pathologies and conditions:

• heart diseases;
• diarrhea;
• colic in the digestive tract;
• bronchitis;
• symptoms of dyspepsia or decreased bowel activity;
• atherosclerosis;
• osteoporosis;
• liver pathologies;
• all kinds of colds.

This honey contains a large amount of pollen. And, of course, if a person has a tendency to allergic reactions, then taking such honey is prohibited.

When is it prohibited to use sunflower for medicinal purposes?

Some patients decide to use sunflower, the medicinal properties of which are quite diverse. However, self-medication is still not recommended. In therapeutic doses, it does not cause side effects, but the seeds are not recommended for use for gastritis and stomach ulcers. Overweight people are not allowed to consume seeds in large quantities: they are very high in calories and contain a significant amount of fat.

If you are intolerant to such a plant, any part of it is strictly prohibited for consumption. An allergic reaction to a plant often manifests itself in the form of high sensitivity to pollen. It is able to enter the bronchi and cause a specific immune response. In severe cases, a person may develop bronchial asthma. In this case, severe shortness of breath and cough are observed. An allergist will be able to determine whether a person has an allergic reaction to this plant.

As a result of hay fever, a person may develop rhinitis. Its symptoms are:

• itching in the nose area;
• very frequent and sharp sneezing;
• feeling of severe congestion;
• decreased sense of smell, and in some cases its complete absence;
• pain in the ears.

Due to an allergic reaction, a person may develop inflammation of the conjunctiva. In this case, redness in the eyes, itching, and the release of a large number of tears appear.

If the patient is allergic to sunflowers, it is necessary to refuse sunflower oil, replacing it with other types of vegetable fats. The same applies to medicines based on sunflower oil.

Sunflower is not only a beautiful plant, a source of tasty and healthy oil and honey, but also a cure for a huge number of diseases. Like any other medicinal plants, it should be used with caution and only as prescribed by a doctor. Self-use of drugs based on this flower can cause great harm to the body, especially if there are contraindications.

Sunflower valued in folk medicine for its oil and seeds. Sunflower root is used for treatment in folk medicine; the seeds and oil have high nutritional value.

Latin name: Helianthus annus.

Synonym: oilseed sunflower.

English name: Sunflower.

Family: Asteraceae - Asteraceae.

Common names: sunflower.

Pharmacy name: sunflower flowers - Helianthi flos, sunflower oil - Helianthi oleum.

Parts used: reed flowers, leaves, seeds (seeds), roots.

Photo of the medicinal plant Sunflower annual (sunflower)

Botanical description: Sunflower is one of the largest plants among the Asteraceae and, perhaps, the most beloved. There are no vegetable gardens in rural areas where this giant does not show off among other plants. Despite its size, it is an annual plant. A stem extends from the fibrous root, which can reach a height of 3 m. The leaves are heart-shaped, triangular, pointed, coarsely pubescent, petiolate, located alternately on the stem. A powerful stem with a hollow core is crowned by a giant basket-shaped inflorescence with a diameter of 10 to 35 cm. Below, the inflorescence is surrounded by a wrapper of green tiled-like leaves. The flowers in the central part of the basket are small, and the bright yellow ligulate ones are much longer. By the beginning of flowering, the baskets droop. Blooms from July to September.

Habitat: Sunflowers are grown in gardens and fields. There are many cultivated varieties; they differ from each other in the size of the baskets and the oil content in the seeds. Individual specimens sometimes “escape” to freedom, and then wild sunflowers appear on railway embankments, compost heaps and vacant lots. But they should not be collected. For medicinal purposes, only flowers of cultivated plants are used.

Collection and preparation: medicinal raw materials are reed flowers, leaves and mature achenes. The bright yellow flowers are collected at the beginning of flowering, carefully torn off without damaging the baskets. Green, healthy leaves are harvested in early summer. Dry at a temperature of 40 -50 °C. Store in fabric bags for 2 years.

Chemical composition: Flavonoids (quercimeritrin), coumarin glycoside scopolin, triterpene saponids, sterols (sitosterol glycoside), carotenoids (β-carotene, cryptoxanthin, taraxanthin), phenolcarboxylic acids (chlorogenic, neochlorogenic, caffeic), and anthocyanins were found in the leaves and flowers.

Sunflower seeds contain fatty oil (about 40%, sometimes up to 50-52%), proteins (up to 20%). carbohydrates (up to 25%), sterols, carotenoids, organic acids, phospholipids.

Sunflower - beneficial properties and applications

In folk medicine, annual sunflower seed oil is especially valued. It is used to massage sore joints and to treat poorly healing wounds with oil dressings. Sunflower oil is given orally as a mild laxative, while it acts as an emollient. In some cases, tea from reed flowers is used together with as an anti-influenza remedy.

Sunflower oil, is part of the dietary supplement NSP Total Nutrition Today (Complete nutrition for every day), produced according to the international GMP quality standard for medicines.

Complete nutrition for every day

Nutritional value table for 100 grams of sunflower seeds

100 grams of peeled sunflower seeds fried in a dry frying pan contains 19.33 grams of protein, 24.07 grams of carbohydrates, 11.1 grams, calorie content = 582 kcal.

Self-medication is dangerous! Before treating at home, consult your doctor.

Sunflower root treatment

• Heart arythmy. Pour 200 g of sunflower roots into 2 liters of water and boil for 5 minutes. Drink during the day. Pour 2 liters of water over the same roots again, boil for 10 minutes, also drink during the day, pour 2 liters of water over the same roots a third time and boil for 15 minutes. Drink the decoction throughout the day, discard the roots. This decoction also normalizes blood pressure.
• Arthritis. Pour a full glass of crushed sunflower roots into 3 liters of water and boil for 5 minutes. Cool, strain, put the roots in a cool place, or put them in the refrigerator. Drink the decoction 2 days before. Pour 3 liters of water over the roots again and boil for 10 minutes. Drink the decoction 2 days before. Pour 3 liters of water over the same roots again and boil for 15 minutes. After this, throw away the roots. Also drink the decoction for 2 days. You can take the decoction at any time, regardless of meals.
  This decoction helps get rid of joint pain, osteochondrosis, arthritis, radiculitis, relieves headaches, fatigue, treats hypertension, impaired hearing and vision, helps with nervous overload, and also perfectly cleanses and rejuvenates the body, removes stones from the kidneys and gall bladder .
• Arthritis. Pour a glass of crushed sunflower roots into 1.5 liters of water, boil for 10-15 minutes, leave for 2 hours. Rub or apply compresses to sore joints.
• Kidney pain. Place half a glass of crushed sunflower roots in a thermos and pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave overnight. Take the resulting product 1 glass 2 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
• Kidney pain. Three times a day, pour a small pinch of sunflower petals into a glass of boiling water, steep like tea for several minutes and drink warm.
• Bronchial asthma. As soon as the sunflower blooms and the seeds appear milky ripe (milk instead of grains), take 600 g of them, mince them, add 300 g of May honey and 0.5 liters of alcohol. Mix everything well and put it in a dark place for a week. After this, strain and take 1 tablespoon of the tincture 3 times a day 15 minutes before meals.
• Malaria(treatment). Wash the sunflower down to the very root (with flower, leaves and trunk), cut into large pieces, place in an enamel pan (or tank, if the sunflower is very large), add water to completely cover the raw material, bring to a boil, and keep on low heat for 20 minutes. Drink the decoction without the norm at any time. It may take several days to heal.
• Metabolic disease. Tincture recipe: 20 g of sunflower flowers and leaves, pour 160 ml of vodka, leave for 9 days, strain. Take 15 drops 3 times a day.
• Salt deposits(kidney stone disease). Pour 1 cup of crushed sunflower roots into 3 liters of water. Boil for 5 minutes. Strain and drink the decoction for 3 days. Pour the used roots again with 3 liters of water and boil for 10 minutes. Also drink 3 days in advance. Pour the raw material again with 3 liters of water and boil for 15 minutes. Drink the decoction again within 3 days. You can drink at any time. Then throw away the used roots.
• Pneumonia(pneumonia). Fill the bottle with sunflower flowers and add vodka, leave for 2 weeks, strain. Drink 1 teaspoon of tincture 3 times a day.
• Elevated blood sugar. Rinse 0.5 cups of black sunflower seeds well, pour into a liter thermos and pour boiling water. Leave overnight, strain. Drink the infusion throughout the day, take before and after meals. The course of treatment is to take the infusion for 2 weeks, take a break for 2 weeks. To reduce sugar levels, carry out 3 such courses of treatment.
• Prostatitis(prostate adenoma). For prostate adenoma, enemas at home from the sediment of unrefined sunflower oil can help. They need to be done for 10 days, taking 100-150 g of oil with sediment into a heated enema.
• Prostatitis(prostate adenoma). Wash, peel and dry the sunflower roots. Take a little less than a glass of dried roots and boil in 3 liters of water in an enamel pan. Leave for 3-4 hours and drink 1 liter of infusion per day.
• Heel spur. Cut the cotton pulp of a ripe sunflower (what remains from the head after removing the greens and seeds), boil and apply the hot pieces to the heel. Cover with cellophane and wrap your leg with a warm scarf.
• Senile cough. 1 part marginal flowers to 5 parts 70% alcohol, leave for 10 days, strain. Drink tincture 40-80 drops 30 minutes before meals 3 times a day.
• Angina pectoris(angina pectoris). Pour 1 cup of sunflower edge flowers into 1 liter of water, boil for 5 minutes, leave until cool, strain. Drink the infusion over 2 days in 6 doses.
• Fibroma. Pour 100 g of yellow sunflower petals into 3 liters of vodka, leave for 14 days, strain. Take tincture 2-3 tablespoons 30 minutes before meals, until all the tincture is gone.

Side effects There is no need to worry when using sunflower.

Contraindications. Sunflower has no contraindications.

Botanical characteristics of sunflower and the history of the introduction of sunflower into culture

Sunflower annual- Helianthus annuus L. - a powerful herbaceous plant from the family Compositae, or Asteraceae (Composifae, or Asferaceaej) with a height of 0.7 - 2.5 (up to 4) m. Despite its size, the sunflower is an annual plant. The root is taproot, penetrating depth 1.5 -2 (up to 4) m, with numerous lateral roots spreading to the sides by 100 - 120 cm. The stem is erect, thick, strong, not branched, with a loose core. Each plant develops from 15 to 35 leaves, the lower ones are arranged opposite, the rest are alternate.The leaves are large, oval-heart-shaped, pointed at the apex, serrate along the edge, rough with dense pubescence, with long petioles.
At the top of the stem there is a huge disc-shaped inflorescence-basket with a diameter of 10 to 40 cm, surrounded below by a wrapper of several rows of green tiled-like leaves. The outer row in the basket is formed by sterile ligulate golden flowers. All other flowers (and there are from 600 to 1200 of them in the basket) are tubular, bisexual, from light yellow to bright orange in color. The fruit of a sunflower is an achene with a core consisting of an embryo and two cotyledons and a dense, leathery pericarp (peel) that is not fused with the core. The color of the achene peel varies among different varieties: gray, black, striped, white.
The homeland of sunflower is North America. On the Californian coast of the United States and Mexico, thickets of wild sunflower ancestors are still preserved, but they are very different from the annual sunflower. The annual sunflower itself is not found in the wild; it was bred by the aborigines of the American continent a long time ago.
Sunflower came to Europe 500 years ago. Its seeds were brought from America by one of the expeditions of the famous Christopher Columbus. Together with other plants exotic for Europeans, brought by Columbus and his companions from the new continent they discovered, sunflower has been around since the beginning of the 16th century. began to be grown in the botanical garden in Madrid. The original appearance of the sunflower and its spectacular inflorescences attracted the attention of flower growers. Gradually it spread throughout Europe. Although it was known that American aborigines ate sunflower seeds and used the oil to lubricate their hair, in Europe it was bred only for decorative purposes. True, they sometimes gnawed the seeds (as we do now), some people fed the seeds to parrots, and in Germany they roasted them and used them instead of coffee. There is evidence that in Portugal, dried seeds were ground and added to flour. But until the middle of the last century, sunflower was not considered a true oilseed plant.
Oddly enough, sunflower has acquired a well-deserved reputation as an important food crop in our country, although it appeared in Russia relatively recently - at the beginning of the 18th century, during the time of Peter the Great. At first, it was also bred only by lovers of unusual plants in botanical gardens and flower beds. Since the 19th century. sunflowers often decorated front gardens in villages in the steppe regions of Russia. It was also grown in gardens for its seeds, which were consumed as a delicacy.

It is reliably known that in 1829, a peasant in the village of Alekseevka, Voronezh province, E. Bokarev, collected a fairly large number of sunflower seeds and squeezed out of them a fragrant oil of a beautiful golden color using a hand press. The excellent taste and aroma of this oil could not leave the enterprising peasant’s fellow villagers indifferent to it. Many villagers began to sow sunflowers on their plots of land. Things went uphill so quickly that in 1833, in the same village of Alekseevka, the world's first horse-powered butter churner was built, and in 1865, the first real butter mill was built. From the Voronezh province, sunflower oil began to be exported for sale to many cities in Russia, and soon abroad.
Later, sunflower cultivation became widespread not only in the Voronezh province, but also in the North Caucasus, the Volga region, and Ukraine. And by the end of the 19th century. Sunflower culture spread to other countries. It’s curious, but sunflower as an oilseed crop came to its “historical” homeland from Russia. It was from us that North American farmers purchased seeds of many varieties of oilseed sunflower. At the beginning of the 20th century, they bred mainly varieties of Russian selection, until they developed their own, better adapted to the conditions of America.
Over the century and a half history of culture, sunflower has been greatly modified by man. If earlier the oil content in its seeds did not exceed 10-15%, then at the beginning of the 20th century. it was about 30%, and currently the oil content of seeds of the best varieties of Russian selection exceeds 50% (a record of 59%) based on dry weight.

Economic use of sunflower

Sunflower is the main Russian oilseed crop. Sunflower oil is semi-dry, has an excellent taste, and is of great value to humans. It is used in food both in its natural form and in the form of margarine and cooking fats. It is in wide demand in the confectionery, baking, and canning industries. The cake remaining from the seeds after extracting the oil from them also has nutritional value. The cake contains a lot of protein containing essential amino acids. The cake is used for the production of halva, as well as for animal feed.


Low grades of sunflower oil are consumed by the soap and paint industries. It is used in the manufacture of linoleum, oilcloth, waterproof fabrics, stearin, insulating materials, etc. In Brazil, aviation fuel “prozene” was created with the properties of kerosene, but without an unpleasant odor. The raw materials for it were cotton, sunflower and soybean seeds. There was a report in the press that an airplane even flew on the new fuel.
The outer skin of sunflower seeds (husk), which accumulates in large quantities during the production of sweets, is a raw material for the production of ethyl alcohol, feed yeast, plastics, and artificial fiber. Sunflower stems are raw materials for the production of paper and cardboard. They are used in large quantities for fuel, since in the steppe regions, where sunflowers are mainly grown, firewood is in great short supply. The ash remaining after burning the stems of this plant is an excellent phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. In the 19th century Potash was obtained from the ash of stems and threshed sunflower baskets, which served as a raw material for the production of gunpowder.
Aboveground shoots of sunflower are used for silage for domestic animals. In terms of nutritional value, such silage is not inferior to corn silage. Sometimes young sunflowers are cut down for green fodder for cattle.
Sunflower is a cross-pollinated plant. Its flowers secrete a lot of nectar, so they are readily visited by bees. Beekeepers often take their apiaries closer to the fields of this crop during the flowering period of sunflowers. Sunflower honey is transparent, pleasant in appearance, excellent taste and aroma, it is highly valued by connoisseurs, and is often used for medicinal purposes. Sunflower is valued as a crop that absorbs engine emissions - in Japan it was found that on highways adjacent to the crops of this plant, the air is noticeably cleaner than where there is no sunflower.

Medicinal value of sunflower and methods of medicinal use of sunflower

In medical practice it is used sunflower seed oil, marginal reed flowers of flower baskets and young leaves.
Leaves with petioles no longer than 3 cm or without them and marginal reed flowers 4 - 6 cm long, collected at the beginning of flowering, are harvested. The leaves have no odor and a bitter taste. The flowers have a weak, honey-like odor, a bitter taste with a mucous sensation. Carotene, rubber, resinous substances, and flavonoids were isolated from the leaves. From flowers - flavone glycoside, anthocyanins, choline, betaine, bitterness, organic acids, etc. The shelf life of reed flowers and leaves is up to 2 years.
Sunflower preparations relax smooth muscles
ru internal organs, lower body temperature, excite
appetite.

A decoction of leaves and reed flowers, taken in equal parts, is used as a bitterness that stimulates appetite, in the treatment of malaria and whooping cough, and as an antipyretic. To prepare the decoction, pour 1 tablespoon of crushed raw material into 1 glass of hot water, boil in a closed enamel container in a water bath for 15 minutes, cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, filter through 2 - 3 layers of gauze and bring the volume of boiled water to the original volume. Take 1 - 2 tablespoons 2 - 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals.

An infusion of leaves and reed flowers (taken equally) gives a good effect in the treatment of gastrointestinal colic and spasms of bronchial smooth muscles. The infusion is prepared at the rate of 1 teaspoon of raw material per 1 glass of boiling water. Leave for 20-30 minutes. and filter: take 1/3 cup 3 times a day for 15 - 20 minutes. before meals.

Traditional healers recommend drinking the infusion for bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and spastic colitis.
To reduce high fever caused by various reasons, folk healers recommend tea made from dried sunflower flowers. It is prepared as follows.
A full (topped) tablespoon of dried flowers is poured into 1/4 liter of boiling water and left for 10 minutes. After straining, the tea is ready to drink. Sweeten with honey and give feverish patients 1 glass of this tea 2-3 times a day.
There are known positive results from drinking tea from a mixture of reed flowers of sunflower with linden blossom as an anti-flu remedy. Tea should be prepared according to the same procedure as given above. The ratio of the mixture components is 1:1. It is useful to sweeten tea with honey. As a rule, the temperature drops very quickly.


Baskets of threshed sunflower are used to obtain pectin, which suppresses putrefactive intestinal flora and is used for enterocolitis, and also, according to the latest data, removes radionuclides and heavy metal salts from the body.
In Ukraine, sunflower seeds are used as a remedy for severe cough and whooping cough.
In the fall, collect ripe sunflower seeds, bake in the oven, and finely grind. Take 2 - 3 tablespoons of crushed seeds and boil in 500 ml of sweetened water. Boil the broth until the amount of liquid is reduced to 400 ml. Strain and drink the decoction for 10 - 12 days.
In folk medicine, there is an opinion that eating sunflower seeds causes leucorrhoea.
For nervous diseases, take vodka tincture of reed flowers.
For 1 part of reed flowers, take 5 parts of vodka, leave in a dark, warm place for 2 weeks, shaking occasionally; strain. Take 30 - 40 drops 2 - 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals.

For stomach cancer: in 1 liter of fresh natural milk, simmer 3 tablespoons of fresh crushed reed sunflower flowers in a steam bath until half the liquid remains, then cool and strain. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals. The course of treatment is 2 liters of this decoction, after which a break of 2 to 3 weeks is necessary (take other medications).
In folk medicine, boiled oil is used topically to treat burns, wounds, diaper rash and cracked skin. Sunflower oil is prescribed orally (40 - 60 g) as a laxative.
During the period of its ripening, an oil extract from the crushed “cap” of a sunflower is rubbed on sore joints.
Sunflower oil is also used as a choleretic agent in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and cholelithiasis and for the prevention of atherosclerosis.
Prescribe it 1 - 2 tablespoons 3 - 4 times a day.
Sunflower oil is used for oil-alkaline inhalations for nasopharyngeal diseases; it is included in plasters, oil-mustard wraps for bronchitis and pneumonia.


In cosmetology, sunflower oil is used to treat dry skin of the hands, face, and neck.
In modern medicine, purified (refined) sunflower oil is included in many ointments. Sunflower oil is a component of the anti-scleretic drug linetol. Sea buckthorn oil is also extracted from sea buckthorn fruits using sunflower oil.
We present a method for treating diseases such as headaches, frontal sinusitis, thrombophlebitis, chronic diseases of the stomach, intestines, heart, lungs, liver, women's diseases, encephalitis, toothache, etc. with sunflower oil. This method prevents the initial stage of a malignant tumor and consists of the following.
One tablespoon (no more) of vegetable oil (sunflower or peanut) is taken into the mouth (closer to the sublingual part) and sucked like candy (in no case should you swallow!) You need to suck sunflower oil for 10 - 20 minutes. easily and without stress. First, the oil becomes thick, then liquid, like water, and only after that the resulting liquid should be spat out into the toilet or into an unnecessary jar and then destroyed, since it contains a lot of pathogens. Then you need to rinse your mouth. The procedure is best done in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before bed. To speed up treatment, it can be performed several times a day. Treatment begins from the first moment of oil sucking.
It should be borne in mind that exacerbations are possible, especially in people with a “bouquet” of diseases. Sometimes after such a procedure the state of health suddenly worsens, this means that the source of the disease has begun to dissolve, which in the future can cause the disease again.
This method can be treated for many ailments without resorting to medications, and can also be used for prevention.
An acute disease is cured very quickly, within two days. Treatment of old, chronic diseases takes a long time, sometimes a year. At the same time, the human body throws out all unnecessary, harmful substances, and thus all its cells, tissues and organs are healed.
The mechanism for removing toxins from the body is as follows: the toxins contained in the body have a fatty base. Direct contact of the capillaries under the tongue with the fatty base of sunflower vegetable oil leads to the fact that tiny balls of toxins pass from the blood passing through these vessels into the oil solution contained in the mouth.
This method of treatment must be used until vigor, strength, and restful sleep appear in the body.
From ancient medical books:
“Plucked in August and wrapped in laurel leaves along with a wolf’s tooth, it saves the one who mows from slander, and when placed under the head of the head, it reveals thieves and drains the soil.”
Sunflower is a plant of the Sun.
Collect on the new moon, in the first phase of the Moon, on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd lunar days, in clear weather, when the Sun is in the sign of Leo. According to popular belief, sunflowers should be sown on Saturday, then there will be a large harvest.