IT`S NOT JUST A WEED 5 (The healing properties of shepherd`s purse)

IT`S NOT JUST A WEED 5

(The healing properties of shepherd`s purse)

Capsella bursa-pastoris, also known as Shepherd’s purse is a small annual flowering plant from the Brassicaceae family. It is native to Eastern Europe and Asia but now you can see it all over the world and is often regarded as weed.  It is the second most common weed in the world. 

Shepherd`s purse leaves (in salads) and seeds were used as food for centuries, also it is the essential herb for making Nanakusa-Gayu (traditional Japanese soup).  In traditional medicine the tea from shepherd`s purse was used as a remedy for sore throat and urinary tract infections. In Chinese medicine it is used as a treatment for high blood pressure and excessive bleeding after birth. 

In today`s medicine it is used to stop external bleeding (speed up the healing of minor wounds, cuts and scrapes) and internal bleeding (used for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding, bleeding after child birth and when there is blood present in urine, stool, and vomit).  This is because the plant has a protein that acts like the hormone oxytocin (simulates contraction of the muscles that surround blood vessels). 

Shepherd`s purse is also used to:

- treat varicose veins and hemorrhoids
- treat diarrhea
- accelerate the coagulation of the blood
- regulate blood circulation
- stimulate bowel movement
- improve eyesight
- treat menstrual cramps 
- treat headache


Caution: Shepherd`s purse is safe for external and internal use in small doses. An overdose (excessive use) can be very damaging to your health to stay on the safe side consult with your doctor before use. If you breast-feed, are pregnant, have a heart condition, have kidney stones, have thyroid conditions or you about to have surgery do not use shepherd`s purse. 

If you like to know more about healing plants that are considered to be weeds, you may also like:

IT`S NOT JUST A WEED (The healing properties of dandelion)
IT`S NOT JUST A WEED 2 (The healing properties of greater burdock)
IT`S NOT JUST A WEED 3 (The healing properties of purslane)
IT`S NOT JUST A WEED 4 (The healing properties of common mallow)