Chickweed

Chickweed is a plant whose leaves are used to make medicine. Chickweed is used for constipation, stomach and intestinal problems, blood disorders, asthma and other diseases of the lungs, obesity, a severe vitamin C deficiency known as scurvy, psoriasis, rabies, itching and muscle and joint pain. Chickweed is sometimes applied directly to the skin for skin problems including boils, abscesses and skin ulcers. Chickweed is also eaten as a salad or served as a cooked vegetable.

How does chickweed work?

There is not enough information to be able to judge how chickweed might work. Although some people try chickweed for the vitamin C deficiency disease scurvy, the amount of vitamin C contained in chickweed is too small to be effective.

How effective is chickweed?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of chickweed in treating constipation, asthma, stomach and intestinal problems, obesity, psoriasis and muscle and joint pain, as well as applied to the skin to treat boils, abscesses and skin ulcers. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of chickweed in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Chickweed is considered safe and harmless for most adults when taken orally, but the potential side effects are not yet known. It is not known whether chickweed is safe to apply to the skin and what side effects such use may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of chickweed during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid chickweed.

Interactions

At the present time there is no information on interactions of chickweed with medications or supplements.

Dosage

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