Chickweed or Stellaria media:Tradition and History.
Article Content:
- .Basic Botanical Info:Stellaria media,Chickweed.
- .Chickweed Botanical Description.
- .Phytochemical and Constituents of Stellaria media.
- .Chickweed Gernal Uses and Medicinal Uses.
- .Uses in History registration and Ancient Lore of Chickweed.
- .Administration and Application Guide:Stellaria media.
- .Research Update:Chickweed or Stellaria media.
Administration and Application Guide:Stellaria media.
Preparations:
Gather chickweed from young plants before or during flowering and throughout the year. Snipping the stems will encourage growth of new branches for later harvest. The freshly harvested herb will keep for several days if refrigerated. The fresh herb may be eaten in salads, or very, very lightly steamed as a potherb. Chickweed has a somewhat bland taste, so other edible greens may be added to the pot to enhance the flavor.
Infusion: Place 2 oz of fresh chickweed leaves and stems in a warmed glass container. Bring 2.5 cups of fresh, nonchlorinated water to the boiling point, and add it to the herbs. Cover and infuse the tea for about 10 minutes. Strain and drink warm. The prepared tea will store for about two days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Chickweed tea may be enjoyed by the cupful up to three times a day. A strong infusion may be used as a skin wash or bath additive to soothe itching and inflamed skin.
Poultice: Chop fresh chickweed leaves and stems in sufficient quantity to cover the area being treated. Sprinkle the herb with water and place over the area. Cover the herbal mass with a strip of wet cotton gauze to hold the poultice in place. When gathering the older, tougher plant, the herb may be simmered either in water alone or in a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar for about five minutes. Apply to the skin after the mixture has sufficiently cooled.
Tincture: Combine four ounces of finely-cut fresh or powdered dry herb with one pint of brandy, gin, or vodka, in a glass container. The alcohol should be enough to cover the plant parts. Place the mixture away from light for about two weeks, shaking several times each day. Strain and store in a tightly-capped, dark glass bottle. A standard dose is 1~4 ml of the tincture three times a day.
Precautions:
Historically, small amounts of chickweed have been used for food with no apparent bad results. It contains varying amounts of chemicals known as nitrates, however, which may be associated with causing birth defects or miscarriages when consumed in large amounts by pregnant women. Even though the amounts of chickweed that are used as food or dietary supplements are not likely to contain enough nitrates to present a danger, the oral use of chickweed is not recommended during pregnancy.
High nitrate levels are dangerous for children under the age of 6 months. Although a nitrate overdose in an infant from a mother using chickweed is very unlikely, breast-feeding women should also avoid using it.The wind-blown pollen of chickweed may aggravate hay fever. Chickweed is considered safe for all external applications. There was a report in 1980 of "temporary paralysis" after ingestion of large amounts of the infused herb, however there are no other documented reports of toxicity. The PDR For Herbal Medicines reports no health hazards when this herb is taken "with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages."
Possible side effects:
Although no side effects have been associated with taking chickweed, the nitrates it contains may result in nitrate poisoning especially among infants younger than 6 months of age.
Major Side Effects:
In the past, isolated case reports of muscle paralysis have been attributed to eating or taking very large amounts of chickweed. No study evidence proves this effect, no recent instances have been documented, and the chickweed involved may have been contaminated with pesticides or mixed with other plants.
Chickweed is known, however, to contain chemicals called nitrates. Cattle and other large animals that have eaten quantities of chickweed far in excess of what a human could practically consume have had symptoms of nitrate poisoning. Although no human cases of nitrate poisoning have ever been associated with taking or eating chickweed, very rare cases of nitrate poisoning have been reported in humans ?particularly in infants who are less than 6 months old. Because the first sign of nitrate poisoning is a bluish coloration of the fingers and lips, nitrate poisoning in infants may be known as blue Baby Syndrome? It is a serious condition that could cause death, brain damage, or other severe consequences if it is not treated immediately.
Possible Interactions:
No interactions between chickweed and prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, other herbal products, or foods have been reported. However, because few reliable studies of chickweed have been conducted in humans, its possible interactions are not understood completely.
Should I take it?
One of the first plants to appear in the spring, chickweed is a very common weed that invades lawns throughout North America, Europe, and most other mild climate zones. A chickweed plant consists of stringy stems that can make new roots if the ends touch the ground. Eventually, low clumps of interconnected plants can extend over large areas, choking out grass and other vegetation. The low-lying stems directly produce small, oval leaves covered with fine hairs. Large quantities of small, white, five-petaled flowers bloom from early spring until the first hard frost. Although chickweed is an annual plant (it dies at the end of its growing season), each plant makes a profusion of seeds that resist cold weather and grow aggressively as soon as the weather becomes warm enough in the spring.
In the past, chickweed was used as a vegetable ?either cooked or raw. The leaves and, sometimes, the stems and flowers of chickweed have also been used in medicine. For oral use, these above ground" or aerial parts of chickweed typically are dried and made into tea or packaged commercially as capsules, extracts, or tinctures. Extracts are concentrated liquid preparations usually made by soaking chopped or mashed plant parts in a liquid such as alcohol, and then straining out the solid parts. Tinctures are less concentrated than extracts, but they are prepared in similar ways. None of these oral dosage forms are proven to have medical value. Either fresh or dried chickweed may be used topically.
No scientific study results support the oral use of chickweed for any medical condition. It may relieve skin conditions when applied topically, however.
Risks: Because chickweed contains uncertain amounts of nitrates, which may be responsible for miscarriage or birth defects, chickweed should not be taken by pregnant women. Due to a very small risk of nitrate poisoning, chickweed is also not advised for breast-feeding women or small children.
Dosage and Administration:
Dosage recommendations for chickweed: vary considerably according to the type of product used. Keeping in mind that no medical benefits have been proved for any oral chickweed preparation, the directions on the package should be followed if chickweed is used for medical purposes.
For use as a topical solution: any amount of fresh chickweed leaves and stems may be washed to remove possible pollutants and then placed into a heatproof, non-metallic container. Cover the chickweed completely with boiling water, let it stand until the liquid has cooled, and strain out the solid particles. The resulting solution may be added to bathwater or it may be used undiluted as a soak for irritated feet or hands.
Although formerly used as a tea, chickweed's main use today is as a cream applied liberally several times each day to rashes and inflammatory skin conditions (e.g., eczema) to ease itching and inflammation. As a tincture, 1 - 5 ml per day can be taken.
Applications:
Aerial Parts:
Decoction: Use the herb fresh, if possible, for a cleansing, tonic mixture to relieve tiredness and debility. Also helpful for urinary tract inflammations, such as cystitis.
Tincture: Add to remedies for rheumatism.
Poultice: Apply the fresh plant to boils and abscesses; also to painful rheumatic joints.
Compress: Soak a pad in the hot decoction, or tincture diluted in hot water, and apply to painful joints.
Cream: Apply to eczema, especially if it is itching. Use to draw insect stings or splinters, and on burns and scalds.
Infused Oil: Follow the hot infusion method, and apply the oil as an alternative to creams for skin rashes, or add 1 tbsp to bathwater for eczema.
Root:
Decoction: Use for hot fevers related to weakness in chronic illness.
Aromatic and Diuretic Marinade:
1/2 Cup (125 ml) water
1 cup (40 g) raw chickweed
1 fresh celery stick
1/2 cup (125 ml) apple cider vinegar
1/2 t (2 g) dill seeds
1 pinch salt
Pour the boiling water onto the chopped chickweed. Thinly slice the celery and blanch separately. Add the blanched celery, the vinegar and the dill seeds. Sterilize or refrigerate. Consume within 1 month as a garnish on chickpeas or pate, or in a salad.
How to make chickweed bread?
Chickweed has a very mild taste but can be quite stringy; so cut the stems in short lengths and enjoy a fresh wild salad rich in iron and Vitamin C. It can also be cooked or used to make a chickweed bread
2 cups of chopped chickweed leaves and stems.
2 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons honey or fruit juice concentrate
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups wheat flour
2 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
Saute onion and chickweed until tender (not brown). Dissolve honey and yeast into the warm water and then the salt. Mix the yeast mixture with the sauteed chickweed and onions and slowly add the flour until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers Form into a ball and let it rise to twice its volume. Shape into loaves and let rise again. Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes.
Reference:
1.Chickweed or Stellaria media:Tradition and History.
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