Yarrow

Description

Commonly found in fields and near roadsides, yarrow grows in temperate zones worldwide. This thick-stalked plant with finely dissected leaves presents a large corymb of small white, pink, or yellow flowers (Newcomb 1977).

History

Yarrow has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments, but is most commonly known for its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to staunch blood flow from slow healing wounds (Foster 2006). The Greek hero, Achilles, is purported to have used yarrow leaves to stop bleeding wounds for his soldiers (Duke 1985).

Many Native American tribes also used yarrow. The Iroquois, Gosiute, and Okanagan used yarrow for joint and rheumatic pain. The Blackfoot tribe used a decoction of yarrow as an eyewash to treat ocular infections, while the Winnebago used an infusion poured into the ear canal to treat ear aches (Lewis 2003). The Micmac used a yarrow decoction taken with warm milk as an antiviral remedy for colds.

Yarrow, along with German chamomile, is still used in many herbal hair products to maintain the color and strength of blond tresses and is sometimes used to prevent baldness. Swedish beer that was brewed with yarrow, or “field hop,” is reported to have been more intoxicating than beer brewed with traditional hops (Duke 1985).

Current medicinal uses

Yarrow is still used by modern herbalists to treat wounds. A clinical trial of a combination of yarrow, Eleutherococcus, and Lamium album found no benefit of the therapy over placebo in treating atopic dermatitis (Shapira 2005). A traditional Indian multi-herb remedy containing Achillea millefolium compared to placebo significantly decreased ascites, improved Child-Pugh scores, and improved several liver function tests (serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) in cirrhotic patients (Huseini 2005). No significant change in these measures was seen with placebo. Besides Achillea millefolium, Liv-52 also contains Capparis spinosa, Cichorium intybus, Solanum nigrum, Terminalia arjuna, Tamarix gallica and Mandur basma, so it would be premature to assume that hepatoprotective effects were due to Achillea millefolium.

An extract of a related species, Achillea wilhelmsii, was found to significantly improve blood lipids and blood pressure while raising HDL levels when patients were given 15-20 drops twice a day for six months (Asgary 2000).

Adverse effects

Yarrow is not generally considered toxic, but can cause fatalities in cattle that graze on it. People sensitive to other members of the Asteraceae family may have cross-sensitivity to yarrow (Fugh-Berman 2003). Yarrow has been approved by the FDA for use in alcoholic beverages, but the final product must be thujone free. Sufficient data has not been acquired to approve the use of yarrow in cosmetic products (Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel 2001).

References

Asgary S et al. Antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic effects of Achillea wilhelmsii. Drugs Expt. Clin. Res. 2000; 26(3): 89-93.

Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Final report on the safety assessment of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) extract. International Journal of Toxicology. 2001; 20(2): 79-84.

Duke JA. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2001. (p. 9-11).

Fugh-Berman A. The 5-Minute Herb and Dietary Supplement Consult. Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins, Baltimore, 2003: 346-47.

Huseini HF et al. The efficacy of Liv-52 on liver cirrhotic patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled first approach. Phytomedicine. 2005; 12(9): 619-24.

Lewis WH and Elvin-Lewis MPF. Medical Botany: plants affecting human health. John Wiley and Sons Inc.: Hoboken, 2003.

Newcomb L. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1977. (p. 220)

Shapira MY et al. Treatment of atopic dermatitis with herbal combination of Eleutherococcus, Achillea millefolium, and Lamium album has no advantage over placebo: A double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005 Apr; 691-693.

Disclaimer 

Information on this website is for educational purposes only. Many herbs historically used for medicine are considered too toxic to use today; some of these herbs have caused deaths. Do not ingest these herbs based on information on this website. We have not provided sufficient information for the safe medicinal use of any of these herbs, nor sufficient information for treatment of poisoning. All recreational use of these herbs is dangerous.