Chickweed (Stellaria media) is a prolific plant you can find in your gardens and yard. This plant is easily spotted with its white star flowers and sprawling stems creeping low to the ground. Chickweed loves the cool weather of spring and fall.This is a valuable medicinal plant that is taken as an infusion, tincture or as a poultice or salve. Any kind of hot inflamed tissues benefit from chickweed’s cooling properties.
Health Benefits
Chickweed contains plant compounds called saponins, soapy substances that emulsify and increase the permeability of cell membranes. The saponins help us absorb nutrients and minerals, dissolve cysts, benign tumors, bacteria and mucus in the digestive and respiratory systems.
Coughs,Colds & Flu
The saponins alleviate inflamed mucus membranes and acts as a mild expectorant, that loosens mucus and helps you cough it up. It acts as a demulcent and expectorant, helping to clear mucus and ease congestion in the lungs. It can soothe and bring moisture to dry and inflamed tissues, including those in your lungs. Using it for dry and spasmodic coughing can be beneficial, since it will calm the irritated tissues that are causing the problem.
Chickweed helps to relieve inflammation in your nose, sinuses and respiratory tract while helping to eliminate the underlying cause of infection.
Weight Loss
Chickweed is a natural appetite suppressant, it contains lecithin which specifically aids in fat metabolism. The saponins emulsify the fat cells and flush them from your body. This versatile herb also supports healthy thyroid function which is essential in the smooth running of your body’s metabolism.
Controls Inflammation
The compounds carrageenan and allantoin have anti-inflammatory properties that help treat joint pain caused by inflammation. This herb is one of the best natural medicines for osteoarthritis, chronic inflammatory conditions and rheumatism.
Lymph Cleanser
Chickweed is a gentle lymph cleanser and helpful for a stagnant lymphatic system. Good lymphatic circulation is needed for your body to move out waste products and have a strong immune system.
Lymph nodes throughout your body, contain lymph fluid and various kinds of immune cells, like lymphocytes, help to filter out waste byproducts and toxic substances.
A secondary effect of lymphatic cleansing is better skin health. Your skin can become an exit route for accumulated toxins your body is unable to get rid of. This can lead to skin eruptions and other issues, so taking chickweed internally will benefit your skin, too.
How To Use Chickweed
Poultice
As a poultice, chickweed gets rid of bacterial infections. Place a small amount of the crushed plant on the infected area and cover with a towel. When the poultice heats up replace with fresh plant material. Apply twice a day for several days and the infection will be gone.
Infusion
Drinking chickweed infusion helps break up fat cells, drink up to a quart a day to lose weight. Weight loss is possible because the infusion emulsifies fat cells resulting in more fat being burned in addition to detoxing your system.
For women who are dealing with bladder issues such as interstitial cystitis, chronic cystitis or a bladder irritated by childbirth or abdominal surgery will benefit from drinking chickweed infusion. I do have to say this infusion does not taste good without sweetening it with honey. This plant tastes great eaten fresh or steamed.
Tincture
Chickweed tincture taken by the dropperful 2-3 times a day for 2-16 months dissolves cysts and benign tumors even ovarian tumors. For this to occur you have to be consistent as this is a slow process.
Chickweed is full of nutrition, chlorophyll, minerals, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, phosphorus and potassium, vitamins C, A, B, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin and thiamine.
You can steam the leaves, or add them raw to a salad to gain all of the nutritional benefits of chickweed. Eaten straight up, its flavor is similar to sweet corn.
This herb is valuable as a food and as a medicine. The most important chickweed health benefits include its ability to heal the skin, relieve gastrointestinal distress, aid in weight loss efforts, eliminate inflammation, soothe respiratory problems, and speed up healing.
