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Tormentil Herb - Uses And Side Effects

The Tormentil herb is a member of the Rose family. It can be found all over Europe, growing wild in woods, moors and grassy pieces of ground. It is a small plant with yellow flowers. The root is thick and red on the inside, giving rise to its common name Bloodroot.

In ancient Athens, Hippocrates used tormentil to treat malaria. Nicholas Culpeper, the 17th-century British herbalist, recommended packing tormentil root into a painful tooth. Before the discovery of dental plaque, the herb was used to dry up the "flux of humors" thought to cause toothaches. Today, some people use tormentil to treat inflammation and diarrhea.

Common doses of Tormentil

Tormentil comes as rootstock, tincture, and powder.

Some experts recommend the following doses:

• As a powder, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon taken orally three times daily.
• As a tea, place I tablespoon of rootstock in 1 cup of water, steep for 30 minutes, strain, and drink during the day in "mouthful" doses.
• As a tincture, 20 to 30 drops taken orally two or three times daily.
• As a gargle, boil 2 ounces of bruised rootstock in 50 ounces of water until it's reduced by one third. Strain the cooled liquid and use as gargle.
• For diarrhea, mix 1 ounce each of powdered tormentil, powdered galangal, and powdered marshmallow root with 240 grains of powdered ginger and 1 pint of boiling water. Strain the mixture, and take 5 to 10 milliliters (3 teaspoons) orally two or three times daily for no more than 4 days.

Uses of Tormentil herb

In modern herbal medicine it is used extensively as an astringent in diarrhea and other discharges, operating without producing any stimulant effects. It also imparts nourishment and support to the bowels. Specifically, tormentil may help to :-

• Burns
• Diarrhea
• Mouth and throat inflammation
• Skin rashes
• Sunburn
• Wounds

Side effects of Tormentil

Call your health care practitioner if you experience unusual symptoms when taking tormentil. Using large amounts of this herb may cause:

• abdominal pain
• nausea
• constipation (with possible fecal impaction)
• gastroenteritis symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea)
• vomiting

Tormentil also can cause liver damage.

Are there any interactions?

Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Don't use tormentil while taking:

• alkaloids such as Quinaglute Duratabs or ephedrine
• Antabuse
• digitalis drugs used to treat heart failure or certain irregular heartbeats.

Important points to remember

• Don't use tormentil if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
• If you're taking Antabuse, avoid tormentil tincture that contains alcohol because you may experience a reaction.

What the research shows

Some preliminary studies hint that tormentil may stimulate the immune system, but little scientific evidence supports any therapeutic claims for this herb. Because researchers know little about its toxic effects, medical experts caution against using it. They emphasize that you can find safer and more effective remedies for treating diarrhea and skin problems.

Other names for Tormentil

Other names for tormentil include biscuits, bloodroot, earthbank, English sarsaparilla, ewe daisy, five-fingers, flesh and blood, septfoil, seven leaves, shepherd's knapperty, shepherd's knot, and thormantle.