Yarrow

Yarrow

Common Names: Milfoil, Nosebleed, Soldier’s Herb, Woundwort, Bloodwort, Deadman’s Daisy, Knights Milfoil, and Staunchgrass

Botanical Names: Achillea millefolium L. synonyms Achillea borealis, Achillea lanulosa, Achillea magna

Family: Asteraceae (formerly compositae)

Descriptive Characteristics:  Yarrow is a short perennial plant with feathery dark green leaves and flat heads of white or pink flowers. It can be found along roadsides, meadows, and lawns though it can be found virtually worldwide. There are several species of Achillea that are used medicinally, and others that are grown as a garden plant1. Stem: simple, angular, rough, and hairy, erect: Grows 1 to 1 ½ feet high and it is grayish-green color. Leaves: both basal and alternate on stem, 2-6 in long, finely dissected with a feathery appearance. Flower: White (occasionally pink), small, 5, 3-toothed disk whitish flower, aromatic. Fruit: Small, dry, single-chambered, one-seeded fruit that does not split open when mature. Root: Horizontal creeping root with runner1,5

Harvesting: Leaves can be harvested any time of year but is most potent in spring and early summer. It should be picked in bright sunshine, since the volatile oils curative value are greater.

 Parts used:  Aerial parts 

Historical and current uses: Yarrow has been traditionally used for hemorrhage. It is reported that, fever, and “bitter tonic” to stimulate digestion, varicose veins.

  • Laceration, bruises, active hemorrhaging, and old hardened bruises
  • Fevers, or fever and chills
  • Heat and congestion in the digestive tract, portal vein, liver, and abdominal viscera
  • Uterine congestion with excessive or lack of bleeding
  • Fibroids, inflammation of the ovaries, prolapse of the uterus (sitz bath)
  • Neuritis in arms and legs (foot and arm baths)
  • Congestion in the head with pain, giddiness, nausea, running and weeping eyes sharp pain in the eyes and nose bleeding (Tea)
  • Epistaxis (gauze soaked in infusion or fresh juice and packed into the nostril)
  • Hemorrhoids (ointment, cleansing and baths)
  • Acne and eczema (topical application along with infusion)

Energetics: Cooling, drying, and constricting

Characteristic symptoms: Robust, sanguine persons, with red, full-blooded complexion; and sensitive persons, easily hurt. Complexion of skin red with blue veins showing through on the arms and legs; bruises are red and blue. Tongue elongated, pointed, red, blue in the center; dry toward the center, not heavily coated, wet toward the edges7.

Therapeutic Action: Antispasmodic, astringent, Bitter tonic, Diaphoretic, hemostatic, febrifuge, mildly diuretic and urinary antiseptic, stop internal bleeding, promotes menstruation, Anti-inflammatory

Constituents: Leaves and flowers contain a dark bluish-green volatile oil that contain azulene, cineol, borneol, trace of thujone, bitter alkaloids achillein and achilleic acid. It also contains tannin, choline, resin and asparagine, flavones: apigenin, luteolin, 5-hydroxy-3,6,7,4’-tetramethoxyflavone, artemetin, and casticin 4,5

Taste: Bitter, pungent, acrid, diffusive, astringent, aromatic

Typical Dosage Forms & Dosages 2

Infusion:  1 teaspoon dried herb to 250 milliliters of boiling water, cover to preserve oils, steep for 13 minutes (letting it stand longer can change the properties – Wood, 2008). Peppermint can be added to enhance taste. Dosage: 1-3 times per day in chronic condition; hourly in fevers.

Tincture: Fresh flower and leaf (1:2, 95% alcohol); dried flowers and leaf (1:5, 40% alcohol). Dosage: 5 drops to 2 ml (0.4 tsp) 3 times daily.

Glycerite: Fresh flowers (1:6, 80% glycerin sealed simmer method). Dosage: 0.25-1ml (0.05-0.2 tsp) 3 times daily; Dried flowers (1:6). Dosage: 1-3 ml (0.2-0.6 tsp) 3 times daily. Add a full dose to a cup of hot water for an instant diaphoretic tea.

Topical use: An infusion can be used as a soak or as a compress. The tincture can be applied to bites and stings or used as a wound wash (it burns).

Sitz bath: 100-gram yarrow (the whole herb) steeped in cold water overnight. Next day, bring to the boil and then add to the sitz bath water.

Cleansing and baths: infusion made with 30-40 grams of flower clusters per liter of water.

Herb-Drug interactions:  Theoretically, Yarrow can decrease the effectiveness of antacids, Proton Pump Inhibitors and H2-Blockers due to reports that it increases stomach acids. Yarrow has antiplatelets effects, so theoretically if used concomitantly with anticoagulants/antiplatelets drugs it could potentially increase the effects as well as adverse drug reaction. It could have a moderate effect on Barbiturates due to its sedative action. Concomitant use could prolong sedative effects of barbiturates. Due to its diuretic properties, theoretically, Yarrow might reduce excretion and increase Lithium levels. Dosing of Lithium might need to be decreased4.

Safety & Contraindication: Yarrow is considered likely safe when used in amount commonly found in foods. Yarrow contains thujone, therefore, use of products containing thujone might not be safe. It is considered possibly safe when use orally and appropriately for medicinal purposes. Pregnancy: Yarrow is believed to be an abortifacient and affects the menstrual cycle, it is considered unsafe to be used orally during pregnancy. Lactation: There is insufficient reliable data to support the use of Yarrow during lactation, therefore excessive amounts should be avoided4. People with known hypersensitivity to Asteraceae family should avoid Yarrow.

Research:

  1. Wound healing activities: In animal studies aqueous extract of A. kallenesis is shown to have wound healing properties8.
  2. Protective activity: The natural antioxidants in achillea species may be potential for treatment or prevention of related diseases9.
  3. Estrogenic activity: A crude extract of the aerial parts of A. millefolium showed estrogenic activity in in vitro assay, based on recombinant MCF-7 cells10.
  4. Anti-diabetic activity: specie santolina have demonstrated a high hypoglycemic activity probably from its antioxidative properties11.  
  5. Antispasmodic activity: millefolium extract has demonstrated antispasmodic activity on smooth muscle of ileum in animal study12.
  6. Antispermatogenic: Animal study using millefolium extract showed antispermatogenic activity13.
  7. Antiulcer activity: Extract of millefolium have demonstrated effectiveness in protecting the gastric mucosa against acute gastric lesions caused by ethanol and indomethacin as well as in the healing of chronic gastric lesions14.

References:

  1. Burton-Seal, J & Seal M. (2009). Backyard Medicine. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing.
  2. Easley, T. & Horne, S. (2016). The Modern Herbal Dispensatory a Medicine-Making Guide. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books
  3. Mills, K. & Bone, K. (2005). The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone
  4. Natural Medicines (2019). Yarrow. National Medicine Comprehensive Database. Retrieved from: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=151
  5. Petersen, D. (2018). Yarrow. 503 Advanced Herbal Materia Medica II. Retrieved from: https://achs.instructure.com/courses/1936/pages/chapter-1-etextbook-reading?module_item_id=228967
  6. Treben, M. (2009). Health Through God’s Pharmacy. Steyr, Austria: Ennsthaler
  7. Wood, M. (2009). The Earthwise Herbal Volume II a Complete Guide to New World Medicinal Plants
  8. Pirbalouti, A. G., Koohpayeh, A. & Karimi, I. (2010). The wound healing activity of flower extracts of Punica granatum and Achillea kellalensis in Wistar rats.Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica Drug Research, 67(1): 107-110. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20210088m:
  9. Konyalioglu, S & Karamenderes, C. (2005).The protective effects of Achillea L. species native in Turkey against H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative damage in human erythrocytes and leucocytes.J Ethnopharmacol. 102(2):221-7. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16118043
  10. Innocenti, G., Vegeto, E., Dall’Acqua, S., Ciana, P., Giorgetti, M., Agradi, E., Sozzi, A., Fico, G. & Tomè, F. (2007). In vitro estrogenic activity of Achillea millefolium L. Phytomedicine. 14(2-3):147-52.
  11. Yazdanparast, R., Ardestani, A. & Jamshidi S. Experimental diabetes treated with Achillea santolina: Effect on pancreatic oxidative parameters. J Ethnopharm. 112:13–18.
  12. Moradi, M-T., Rafieian-Koupaei, M.,  Imani-Rastabi, R.,  Nasiri, J.,  Shahrani,M., Rabiei, Z. & Alibabaei, Z. (2013). Antispasmodic Effects of Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium L.) Extract in the Isolated Ileum of Rat. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 10(6): 499–503. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v10i6.19. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3847392/
  13. Takzare, N., Mortazavi, S., Hosseini, M-J.,Safaie, S., & Moradi, R. (2011). The effect of Achillea millefolium extract on spermatogenesis of male Wistar rats. Human & Experimental Toxicology 30(4):328-34. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44643021_The_effect_of_Achillea_millefolium_extract_on_spermatogenesis_of_male_Wistar_rats
  14. Cavalcanti, A.,Freitas, C., Baggio, C.,Rieck, l., Sousa, R., Mesia-Vela, S., Da Silva-Santos, J., & Marques, M. (2006). Safety and antiulcer efficacy studies of Achillea millefolium L. after chronic treatment in Wistar rats.Journal of Ethnopharmacology 107(2):277-84. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.03.011. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7134576_Safety_and_antiulcer_efficacy_studies_of_Achillea_millefolium_L_after_chronic_treatment_in_Wistar_rats