Alegria del Hogar, Balsam-Weed, Balsamina foemina, Balsamine du Cap, Balsamine des Jardins, Balsamine Orangée, Feng Xian Hua, Garden Balsam, Herbal Impatiens Balsamihal, Impatiens, Impatiens balsamina, Impatiens biflora, Impatiens capensis, Impatiens giorgii, Impatiens pallida, 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.
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.
How does it work?
Jewelweed is said to aid digestion and increase the loss of body water through the urine (diuretic effect), but there isn't scientific information to back these claims. It is not known how jewelweed might work as a medicine.
SLIDESHOW
Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? See SlideshowPossibly Ineffective for...
- Poison oak and poison ivy. Some early research suggests that applying jewelweed extract or jewelweed juice to the skin does not reduce skin inflammation caused by poison ivy or poison oak.
Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...
- Mild digestive disorders.
- Other conditions.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).
QUESTION
Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See AnswerLithiumInteraction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.Talk with your health provider.
Jewelweed might have an effect like a water pill or "diuretic." Taking jewelweed might decrease how well the body gets rid of lithium. This could increase how much lithium is in the body and result in serious side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider before using this product if you are taking lithium. Your lithium dose might need to be changed.
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.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Guin, J. D. and Reynolds, R. Jewelweed treatment of poison ivy dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 1980;6(4):287-288. View abstract.
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. View abstract.
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.