Bittersweet nightshade

The bittersweet nightshade is a vine-like plant that grows in North America, Canada and parts of Europe and Asia. The plant belongs to the same family as tomatoes and potatoes. The stem of the plant is used to make medicine. The leaves and berries of bittersweet nightshade are poisonous. Bittersweet nights hade is used for skin problems including eczema, itchy skin, acne, boils, brittle skin and warts. Other uses include rheumatic joint pain and other types of pain, as well as water retention. In addition, bittersweet nightshade is also used as a sedative to calm the mind. Some people apply bittersweet nightshade directly to the skin for eczema.

How does bittersweet nightshade work?

It is not known how bittersweet nightshade might work.

How effective is bittersweet nightshade?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of bittersweet nightshade for acne, itchy skin, boils, brittle skin, warts, eczema (taken orally or applied to the skin), rheumatic joint pain and other pains, as well as for promoting fluid elimination in cases of water retention and for calming nervous agitation. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of bittersweet nightshade in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Using the stem of bittersweet nightshade may be safe and harmless for most adults. However, the leaves and berries of bittersweet nightshade are highly toxic and should not be used. Symptoms of poisoning include a raw throat, headache, drowsiness, enlarged pupils, trouble speaking, low body temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding around the stomach and intestines, convulsions, slowed blood circulation, slowed breathing and death.

Precautions and warnings

Children: Bittersweet nightshade is not safe for children. Children have died after eating the unripe berries of bittersweet nights hade.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: It is not safe to consume bittersweet nightshade during pregnancy. Some chemicals contained in this plant have been linked to birth defects in animals. It is also not safe to take bittersweet nights hade while breastfeeding.

Not enough is known about the safety of applying bittersweet nightshade to the skin during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so pregnant and breastfeeding women should not use bittersweet nightshade in this way either.

Diseases of the stomach and intestines such as peptic ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome: You should avoid bittersweet nightshade if you suffer from one of these diseases, as bittersweet nightshade can irritate the stomach and intestines and aggravate these diseases.

Interactions

There is currently no information on interactions.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of bittersweet nightshade depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for bittersweet nightshade. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.