Herb Profile: Spilanthes

Spilanthes, Spilanthes oleracea

All parts of spilanthes have medicinal properties, including the root, stem, leaf, young flower bud, and flower. Spilanthes has an immune enhancing effect which is useful in the beginning-phase of infections (viral and bacterial), including earaches and colds. One bite of a spilanthes bud and you’ll find that it stimulates salivation, which is useful for treating dryness of mouth and poor appetite. It is known as the “toothache plant” for its ability in treating various dental woes, including swelling, gum diseases, decay, and mouth sores (cankersores, herpes and cold sores). A mouth rinse with spilanthes penetrates gums and abscesses. Spilanthes strongly inhibits the yeast organism Candida albicans and is a valuable adjunct therapy in treating diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria and viruses.

 

Preparations

As an immune enhancer, spilanthes synergizes well with echinacea. It can be tinctured fresh or with the recently dried herb and used on the onset of a cold or other infection. You can chew fresh flowers or buds for toothache relief or make a mouthwash. The plant can also be dried for later use as a tea or for tincture.

Make an infused spilanthes oil for a numbing trauma oil, helps with dispersing and moving blood for injuries like a twisted ankle and bruises.

 

Cautions

Daily internal use or daily chewing may reduce the entire load of intestinal bacteria (both pathogenic and probiotic).

 

Disclaimer

The information on this page has not been approved by the FDA. Please consult your healthcare practitioner before using herbal products. We do not endorse the websites linked to in the resources and have not extensively reviewed all the information on external pages for accuracy. Everyone reacts differently to herbs and we do not attempt to be completely inclusive in the information and contraindications for each herb.

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