In fact, this plant is known in most areas as decorative, as only such kind of physalis grows there, but about other people and do not guess. In fact, you can find different types of physalis, decorative, for example, incredibly elegant and beautiful. It is a berry that is hidden in a bright red shell that resembles a Chinese paper lantern. The name of the physalis comes from the Greek "fizza", which means "bubble".
There is an uncomplicated but beautiful legend about this plant. The terrible dragon swallowed the sun, it was suddenly dark all over the world, and all life began to perish, but there was such a daredevil who wished, by all means, to defeat the dragon and return the sun to the world. So he went to look for a monster and took a lantern with him. Soon he found and killed the dragon, thus freeing the sun, which began to ascend to heaven. The light that radiated the sun was so bright that the hero closed his eyes with his hand, dropping the lantern on the ground. He remained intact, but turned into a set of bright red flashlights that hung from one stem. So, the legend says, and the physalis appeared in the world.
There is also berry and vegetable physalis. It is customary for us to call vegetables something edible, as it can be cooked in various ways, and it is perfectly combined with many dishes. The berry physalis is also pretty good, but it is quite sweet. Decorative physalis, in turn, is not good for eating because it tastes bitter and is grown exclusively for beauty and, it must be said, does its job well: physalis can perfectly decorate any place where it grows, whether it's a garden , garden or room.
It is commonly believed that edible varieties of physalis came to us from America, as, indeed, other vegetables belonging to the family of nightshade, for example, tomatoes. It can not tolerate frosts, but it grows very well in most regions of Russia, even in the Far East.
Now about the benefits and properties of physalis. Traditional medicine has long been proven that physalis is very useful, but it has no economic significance in our country, as, for example, in South and Central America, where it is one of the main food products all year round.
Useful properties of physalis, like many other plants, lie in its composition. It has a lot of natural clean water. There are proteins, fat, carbohydrates and fiber, there are vitamins C and A, as well as many minerals: phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, zinc and a large amount of potassium.
In fizalis there are few calories, no more than thirty kcal per 100 grams, but, besides the above, there are a lot of useful properties. And, first of all, these are organic acids: lemon, apple, wine, amber, coffee, ferulic and synapic; pectins, sugars, mucus, tannins, carotenoids, quercentin, steroids and dyes.
In addition, in physalis contains lycopene - a natural substance that gives fruits such a vivid color. Lycopene differs its antioxidant effect, which allows it to be used to prevent cancer. In addition to lycopene, the physalis contains the alkaloid fizalin. It tastes bitter and is contained in fruit in small quantities, but it is thanks to him in the people that the plant has received the name of sleepy grass.
Because of this property of physalis in folk medicine, it is actively used as an analgesic, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and choleretic agent. Fizalis fruits are used as a common restorative, with cholecystitis, hypertension and gastrointestinal diseases.
Due to the fact that the pheasant contains large amounts of pectin, this plant can also be used in dietary nutrition. Pectin can remove heavy metals, radionuclides, and excess cholesterol from our body.
Physalis is also used to treat various diseases. With dermatitis and diathesis, for example, make a compress with decoction of physalis, also decoction of this plant is used and with toothache as a rinse.
Phisalysis ointments are used for various skin inflammations. To make it, the dried fruits are burned, and their ash is mixed with vegetable oil.
Ointment can be prepared in another way. Ten fizalis fruits should be crushed, pour 40 ml of olive oil, insist for twenty days, and then strain. In the future, this ointment can be used as a wound-healing remedy, with rheumatic and other pain.
The use of physalis is common in the medicine of the peoples of many other countries. In Central Asia, for example, with its help, treat anemia, hypertension and constipation in elderly people. With hypertension, tea, which is brewed from dried covers, or shells, leaves and fruits of the plant, also helps.
In Bulgaria, decoction from this plant is treated with intestines and stomach, jaundice and hemorrhages, and if problems with urination and hemorrhoids are used as a diuretic.
In Tajikistan, from the juice of the physalis, it makes a medicine for stomatitis and angina in children. Kashitza fruits with their fresh juice for this boil with milk on low heat, and then give the children. Healers of this country assure that laryngitis can be cured in 4-5 days, giving the patient 4 tablespoons of this mixture four times a day. Recovery after this will be complete, and for prevention it is periodically recommended to continue taking this mixture.
Avicenna advised to use the fruits of this plant to apply externally, for the treatment of ulcers and in bronchial asthma.
In the official medicine, physalysis is not used at all, but its pharmacological studies were carried out, after which it was established that its fruits actually have a diuretic effect and the oil infusion of its calyx perfectly heals the tissues.
Doctors advise patients in medical nutrition to use the ripe fruits of this plant: with diabetes, hypertension, chronic cholecystitis, ulcer of the 12-типертной gut and stomach, and also with hypoacid gastritis.
Large fizalisa fruit consumes 4-8 pieces, small - 10-15, 10 minutes before eating. In case of increased acidity of the stomach, the dosage should be reduced by half with a gradual increase, using fruits only before meals. In that part of the plant that grows above the ground, there are alkaloids, which are considered toxic, so it's impossible to apply them at home, because it can be dangerous.