We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are the Medical Uses of Phytolacca Americana?

By Canaan Downs
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 8,821
Share

Although Phytolacca americana is rightfully considered to be poisonous, it also has a rich history of use as a salad herb, a cleansing spring tonic, and a member of a class of powerful medicinal plants known as alteratives. Phytolacca americana is known by a wide variety of names that reflect the ubiquity of its use in all parts of the early United States; these include poke root, pocan bush, pokeweed, redweed, red ink plant, pigeon berry, garget, coakum, inkberry and American nightshade. It is still used cautiously by herbalists and wildcrafters, particularly in the southern United States and Appalachia, after being carefully processed to remove its toxic components. While the plant was used historically to treat serious conditions like cancer, syphilis, and diptheria as well as less serious conditions like conjunctivitis and scabies, in 2011 it is used predominantly in the treatment of cancers and other disorders of the blood, lymph, skin and liver. Due to the potential risks associated with the use of Phytolacca americana, it should only be used under the guidance of an experienced practitioner.

Contemporary research into the pharmacology of Phytolacca americana's many biologically active constituents has focused for the most part on its lectins, triterpenoid saponins, phytolaccosides and anti-viral proteins. In a study by the Parker Hughes Institute, the combination of an antibody (B43 or anti-CD19) with pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) achieved unheard of levels of success as a B-cell specific cytotoxin used in the treatment of childhood leukemia. A similar line of research has been conducted for use as a treatment for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Schistomiasis, or infection by a parasitic snail species, has been historically difficult to treat with conventional medicines, but has also been responsive in some studies to treatment with derivitaves of Phytolacca americana. None of the drugs developed during the course of these studies have as of 2011 been approved for use by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

When the plant is used medicinally, great care must be taken with dosage. High doses of the plant reliably produce diarrhea and vomiting, and may require medical intervention. Phytolacca americana should not be used during pregnancy. Despite these facts, the plant still remains one of the most popular and powerful of botanical medicines for the treatment of cancer, chronic nerve pain, autoimmune diseases, lymphatic congestion and chronic sinus or bronchial congestion. It is also helpful for treating mumps, glandular fever, tonsilitis, lymphatic congestion, bronchitis, tumors and the complications of a compromised immune system.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-the-medical-uses-of-phytolacca-americana.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.