Herbs & Supplements:
Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon californicum
Principal Proposed Uses
•
Oral Uses, Respiratory Diseases (Asthma, Bronchitis, Etc.), Topical Uses, Rash (Poison Ivy)
Yerba santa is a sticky-leafed evergreen that is native to the American
Southwest. It was given its name ("holy weed") by Spanish priests impressed with
its medicinal properties. The aromatic leaves were boiled to make a tea to treat
coughs, colds, asthma, pleurisy, tuberculosis, and pneumonia, and a poultice of
the leaves was applied to painful joints.
Unlike most medicinal herbs, yerba santa actually has a pleasant taste. It
has been used as a general food flavoring and in cough syrups to disguise the
bad taste of other ingredients.
What Is Yerba Santa Used for Today?
Some modern herbalists regard yerba santa as one of the most effective natural treatments for chronic respiratory problems such as bronchitis and asthma. Unfortunately, scientific studies of this herb have not been carried out. About the most that can be said is that one of its constituents, eriodictyol, appears to be a mild expectorant.1
Yerba santa is occasionally used topically as a treatment for poison ivy.2
Dosage
Yerba santa tea may be made by adding 1 teaspoon of crushed leaves to a cup of boiling water and steeping for half an hour. However, because many of its resinous constituents do not dissolve in water, alcoholic tinctures of yerba santa may be more effective. Such tinctures should be taken according to the directions on the label. Drink 3 cups a day until symptoms subside.
Yerba santa is often combined with the herbs osha and grindelia.
Safety Issues
Yerba santa is on the FDAs GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list for use as
a food flavoring. There have been no reports of significant side effects or
adverse reactions,3 except for the inevitable occasional allergic
reaction. Nonetheless, safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or
those with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established.
View References
Last reviewed March 2002 by Medical Review Board
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