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American pokeweed

American p okeweed is a plant whose berries and roots are used to make medicine. The use of American pokeweed is not safe and harmless. Nevertheless, American pokeweed is used for aching muscles and joints, swelling of the nose, throat and chest, tonsillitis, laryngitis, swelling of the lymph nodes, inflammation of the mammary glands, mumps, skin infections including scabies, tinea, sycosis, bark lichen and acne, water retention, skin cancer, menstrual cramps and syphilis. In food, American pokeweed is used as a food coloring and coloring for wine. In industrial production, American pokeweed is used in the manufacture of inks and paints.

How does American pokeweed work?

There is not enough information available to say how American pokeweed might work as a medicine.

How effective is American pokeweed?

There is not enough scientific data to say how effective American pokeweed is for rheumatic joint pain, tonsillitis, hoarseness, mumps, swelling of the lymph glands, scabies, acne, skin cancer and painful menstruation. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of American pokeweed in these applications.

Safety and side effects

The use of American pokeweed is not safe or harmless. All parts of the plant and especially the root are toxic. There have been reports of severe poisoning after drinking tea made from the leaves and root of American pokeweed. The consumption of wine and pancakes made from American pokeweed berries has also resulted in poisoning. The consumption of just 10 berries can be toxic to adults. The green berries appear to be more toxic than the ripe red berries.

American pokeweed can cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, stomach pain, diarrhea, low blood pressure, incontinence, thirst and other serious side effects. American pokeweed should not be touched with bare hands. Chemicals contained in the plant can pass through the skin and affect the blood. For this reason, protective gloves should be used when handling American pokeweed.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: American pokeweed is not safe or safe for anyone, but pregnant women have additional reasons not to take American pokeweed orally or apply it to the skin. American pokeweed can cause contractions of the uterus and this could lead to a miscarriage. Breastfeeding women should also avoid American pokeweed.

Children: American pokeweed is not safe for children. Even a single berry can be toxic to a child.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of American pokeweed with medications or supplements.

Dosage

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

References

  1. Barker BE, Farnes P, LaMarche PH. Haematological effects of pokeweed. Lancet 1967;1:437.
  2. Furbee B, Wermuth M. Life-threatening plant poisoning. Crit Care Clin 1997;13:849-88.
  3. Jaeckle KA, Freemon FR. Pokeweed poisoning. South Med J 1981;74:639-40.
  4. Kell SO, Rosenberg SA, Conlon TJ, Spyker DA. A peek at poke: mitogenicity and epidemiology. Vet Hum Toxicol 1982;24:36.
  5. Lewis WH, Smith PR. Poke root herbal tea poisoning. JAMA 1979;242:2759-60.
  6. Roberge R, Brader E, Martin ML, et al. The root of evil-pokeweed intoxication. Ann Emerg Med 1986;15:470-3.