It's both a blessing and a blight. The chickweed plant confers health benefits, despite its reputation as a garden nuisance. Common chickweed or Stellaria media is native to Europe, but naturalized in temperate zones worldwide. The herb produces tiny, white flowers year-round and yields thousands of seeds per plant. Chickweed is valued for its medicinal properties and as a nutritious food. Consult your physician first before using chickweed as an herbal remedy.
Nutrients
The edible leaves, stems and seeds of chickweed are added raw to salads or cooked and served as greens. Chickweed contains vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, omega-6 fatty acid, magnesium, niacin, omega-9 fatty acid, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, thiamine, biotin, choline, copper, inositol, PABA, phosphorus, potash salts, vitamin B-12 and zinc. When cooked, chickweed stems and leaves taste like spinach.
Medicinal Benefits
Chickweed tea makes an external or internal herbal remedy. It features diuretic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, expectorant and laxative properties. For centuries, herbalists have made chickweed infusions by boiling dried leaves in water.
Tinctures are comprised of dried or fresh chickweed soaked in gin, vodka or brandy.
External Applications
Chickweed treats a variety of skin disorders. Cuts, wounds, dry itchy skin, eczema and psoriasis respond to poultices made with chickweed tea or fresh leaves. Chickweed poultices are soothing, cooling and healing. Poultices prevent or fight infection. Chickweed is also an ingredient in topical creams and ointments.
Other Uses
Chickweed contains rutin, a bioflavinoid that works with vitamin C to improve and maintain capillary structure and integrity and fight free radicals. Rutin may lower LDL cholesterol, reduce platelet aggregation, reduce pain in bruise and strengthen the body's immune system.
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