* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Shepherd's Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris L.
Family: Brassicaceae.
Other Names: Capsella; bourse-à-pasteur (French); Hirtentäschel (German); borsa del potare (Italian); bolsa de pastor (Spanish).
Description: This well-known weed is a small annual or biennial herb with a rosette of oblong, deeply lobed leaves directly on the ground. Small, white flowers are borne on a single central stalk that may be up to 0.4 m in height. The characteristic heart-shaped fruit resembles a traditional shepherd's purse (hence the common name).
Origin: Europe; now a cosmopolitan weed. Raw material for medicinal use is wild-harvested in eastern Europe and Asia.
Uses and Properties: The herb is traditionally used to stop bleeding and to treat heavy periods (menorthagia), diarrhoea and cystitis. In Chinese medicine it is used for unspecified eye diseases and dysentery.
Active Ingredients: The plant contains numerous flavonoids (rutin, diosmin, hesperidin), amino acids (proline), monoterpenoids (camphor) and glucosinolates (sirilgrin). The presence of various amines (acetylcholine, choline, tyramine) and saponins has been reported and details need to be verified.
Pharmacological Effects: Despite animal studies showing anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, diuretic, hypotensive and other effects, the traditional uses of shepherds purse are not well explained. It is thought that a peptide with oxytocin-like activity is responsible for the antihaemorrhagic action. When injected, extracts show muscarine-like effects (dose-dependent decreases and increases in blood pressure), positive inotropic and chronotropic effects on the heart and increased contraction of the uterus.
Notes: The archaeological record shows that Capsella seeds have been used by man since ancient times.
Status: Pharm.; Comm. E+.
Preparation and Dosage: The herb is traditionally taken as a tea (mostly in combination with other herbs). For internal and external use, about 3 - 5 grams of finely chopped material is added to a cup of boiling water. As a styptic, it is applied to bleeding injuries of the skin and instilled in the nose to treat nosebleeds. Of the tincture, take 10 - 30 drops.
Also known as Besom Weed, Thiaspi Bursa pastoris Bastard Cress, this plant is used in popular medicine as a vulnerary and astringent.
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Cautions
Not to be used during pregnancy or lactation. Excessive or prolonged use is not recommended.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease.
