Pill-Bearing Spurge - Asthma Weed - Euphorbia hirta

You may have noticed this tough, flat weed growing in paving cracks and your tilled garden beds and made sure this was dug up and destroyed.  It spreads easily from its tiny little seeds and most of us do not realise that it has exceptional medicinal properties.    Commonly found in cultivated fields and open grasslands. It like moist open spaces. 

An interesting plant which should not be disregarded but should be used with care and caution.  Well worth more researching.

This is a cosmopolitan weed from the tropics and subtropics    Euphorbia hirta (Asthma Weed) it seems is native to India,  but it is recorded in many herbal pharmacopoeias and its almost impossible to source its beginnings.  It is recognised as a NEW HERB of the future,  especially in Africa and appears to have the potential capacity to bring relief to many communities.  

Euphorbia hirta has been widely used for centuries in folk and traditional medicine and is still widely used and researched in particular in the Philippines where it is consumed to this day as a tea  (tawa tawa).   But there is interest from all over the world and Africa should be looking at this closely.  

Considered a famine food - the young leaves and shoots can be cooked as a vegetable but this is only ever consumed when people are truly desperate and not something we would recommend without doing a lot more investigation.  

Asthma Weed has been reported to assist with the treatment of both Malaria and Dengue fever.  It is believed this has been successful because of the plants antimicrobial, anti parasitic and antispasmodic properties. It is also a diuretic.

Many euphorbias are potentially too toxic to be used in medications.  Their white latex is highly irritating to the skin.  However, Euphorbia hirta is ester free and regarded as a safe herb that can help ease debilitating illnesses.   For this reason it is important to make sure you are using the correct plant and careful identification is important.   There are over 2000 different euphorbias in this genus so caution is key.  When in doubt rather do not use it. We suggest that if you want to make use of this new herb and propagate this, so that it can be shared with our people and communities, source your initial seeds from a reputable seed provider.  Once you know you have the right plants then its well worth using and sharing. 

The seeds grow really easily and once the little plants have grown can easily be transplanted.  It will also seed itself prolifically.

Used fresh,  this plant is at its most beneficial and powerful especially if using this for the treatment of warts, but it can be dried for teas.  

Medicinal Uses:

Asthma weed tea  (Tawa Tawa in some countries)  is an ancient remedy still used in China, the Philippines and India today.  Leaves with a dark green and reddish hue normally grown in the sun,  are considered the best for the strongest action. 

Asthma weed contains melissic acid which helps calm coughing and stressed breathing, It is an anti spasmodic and its choline and phenolic acid content,  most likely accounts for the relaxing effect on the respiratory and digestive systems.  It seems to have the effect of quickly relaxing the bronchial tubes in cases of severe bronchitis and emphysema.  

Asthma weed tea is a most effective way of stopping a tight cough and coughing spasms.  A sip of asthma weed tea soothes and relaxes immediately and the tea is actually pleasant and palatable. 

TO MAKE A TEA:    

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1/2 cup of dark green and red leaves and stir well to release the healing compounds.   Let this brew for +_ 5 mins.  and then strain.   Sip slowly to relieve the tight heavy mucus, asthma, difficult breathing, coughing, chronic phlegm in the throat and nasal passages, hay fever, and streaming colds.  

It is believed that health cannot be restored until phlegm is completely cleared and from

 experience  this is true. 

This tea can also be used in the case of amoebic dysentery.   Half a cup of the tea taken 4-6 times a day, for two days running along with your other medication should do the trick. 

It is also worth noting that when cattle, horses or dogs have severe diarrhoea, the same dose can be used. Squirt the tea gently into the animals mouth with a small syringe, four times a day.  

Please note that you should not use this tea for extended periods and in heavy doses.   The information provided here is for educational purposes and you should do your own research and testing.  There is lots about Asthma Weed available and it really is interesting and worth finding out as much a you can. 

If you exceed the suggested dose of a herb and in particular in the case of asthma weed, you will cause digestive irritation, nausea and vomiting - so please be cautious and rather use less than more.

Doses suggested for medicinal purposes:   No more than 1 - 2 cups of the tea daily.   Divide this into half cup doses  1-3 times a day in really acute cases.   

It is best to administer this tea, with the support of your doctor or the vet in the case of animals.   This is a very powerful herb and we suggest erring on the side of caution, but this has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb and it definitely works. 

 

Another use for Asthma weed is the white latex in the stems when freshly picked.  This can be used successfully for treating warts.   It will gently ease off the top layer of the skin.  Consistent application will soon flake off the offending wart.  Try not to scratch this area as this can cause infection.  Simply let the milky sap do its work.    This is a remedy that has been proven over centuries of use,  but apply it cautiously as the latex is a powder irritant and you do not want this in your eyes or onto tender skin.  

Apply the latex directly onto the affect area (the wart) only.     The latex should be applied 2/3 times a day over several weeks in order to yield results.

 

Asthma weed  - the entire plant can be made into a decoction ( this is basically a tea) and used successfully to treat athlete's foot and other skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. 

This New Herb  ( Euphorbia hirta) while requiring caution and to be used with extreme care preferable under the direction of a herbalist, doctor or vet, does appear to have strong possibilities to assist with numerous ailments in particular those related to the chest, skin and digestion. Amoebic dysentery, malaria and dengue fever being of prime importance in Africa.   

I have personally tired the latex on a wart on the underneath side of my wrist.  This was successfully removed after applying the latex for +_ 4 weeks  - 2 times a day. This was +_ 5 years ago and the wart has not shown any signs of returning.   The wart simply dried up and fell off without making any festering sore, as often the case with other prescribed medications and there is no scaring whatsoever. 

Comments, experiences and suggestions are always welcome and i hope this will be of interest, including to our soap makers and stimulate more interest and research.   

Suggestion:   The tea decoction can be used as the water element when making a batch of cold process soap and this will assist with skin ailments. The anti microbial anti parasitic properties should also be beneficial for detracting mosquitos if this is included in a soap or body wash.     Guidelines are provided above for safe use of this plant when making into a tea.