Jewelweed
OTHER NAME(S): Alegria del Hogar, Balsam-Weed, Balsamine du Cap, Balsamine des Jardins, Balsamine Orangée, Feng Xian Hua, Garden Balsam, Herbal Impatiens Balsamihal, Impatiens, Impatiente, Impatiente Biflore, Impatiente du Cap, Impatiente Orangée, Jewel Balsam Weed, Jewel Weed, Quick-In-The-Hand, Silverweed, Slipper Weed, Speckled Jewels, Spotted Touch-Me-Not, Tou Gu Cao, Touch-Me-Not, Wild Balsam, Wild Celandine, Wild Lady's Slipper, Zhi Hin Nonxe Thionbaba, Impatiens pallida, Impatiens balsamina, Balsamina foemina, Impatiens giorgii, Impatiens capensis, Impatiens biflora, Jewel Weed, Impatiente Du Cap, Alegria Del Hogar
Overview
Jewelweed is a plant. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Be careful not to confuse jewelweed with potentilla, since both are known as silverweed.
People take jewelweed by mouth to treat mild digestive disorders, as well as rashes caused by poison ivy. Some people also apply jewelweed directly to the skin for poison ivy.
Jewelweed contains a chemical that is said to help improve itching and rash after you touch poison ivy, but there is limited scientific information to back these claims.
Jewelweed contains a chemical that is said to help improve itching and rash after you touch poison ivy, but there is limited scientific information to back these claims.
Uses
Insufficient Evidence for
- Poison oak and poison ivy dermatitis (rash). Some small studies shows that applying jewelweed extract or juice to the skin does not help treat or prevent rashes caused by poison ivy, but applying a jewelweed mash directly to the skin may help.
- Mild digestive disorders.
- Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of jewelweed for these uses.
Precautions
Jewelweed is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth or applied directly to the skin. No significant side effects have been reported.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking jewelweed if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Interactions
We currently have no information for Jewelweed overview.
Dosing
The appropriate dose of jewelweed depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for jewelweed. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
References
- The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
- Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
- Guin, J. D. and Reynolds, R. Jewelweed treatment of poison ivy dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 1980;6(4):287-288.
- Long, D., Ballentine, N. H., and Marks, J. G., Jr. Treatment of poison ivy/oak allergic contact dermatitis with an extract of jewelweed. Am J Contact Dermat. 1997;8(3):150-153.
- Zink, B. J., Otten, E. J., Rosentha, M., and Singal, B. The effect of jewel week in preventing poison ivy. J Wilderness Medicine 1991;2:178-182.
- Abrams Motz V, Bowers CP, Mull Young L, Kinder DH. The effectiveness of jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, the related cultivar I. balsamina and the component, lawsone in preventing post poison ivy exposure contact dermatitis. J Ethnopharmacol 2012;143(1):314-8.