Shepherd’s Purse - Capsella bursa-pastoris

Capsella bursa-pastorisis a “weed” from the mustard family, Brassicaceae. It originated in the Mediterranean region but today is found in most temperate regions of the world. Capsella bursa-pastoris occurs throughout the U.S.A. and Canada It is rich in polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory and antioxidative. It is antimicrobial, and anticancer, antibiofilm, hepatoprotective and mildly sedative. It is being studied for use against Alzheimer’s disease, and cervical cancer.¹It is hepatoprotective and may lower cholesterol. I use the entire plant in my tincture.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is considered a contraceptive. It is hemostatic, diuretic and antipyretic. It is used traditionally to treat edema, and hypertension. A tea is used as antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, hemostatic, and hypotensive. It has been used for minor internal hemorrhages of all kinds. A homeopathic remedy can be made from the fresh plant to be used in the treatment of nosebleeds and urinary calculus.²

The alkaloids in this plant are antimicrobial against P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, Streptococcus mutans, S. sanguis, Actinomyces viscosus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerogenesis, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. It is antifungal against C. albicans, C. dupliniensis, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis.³

Suggested dosing: Tincture 30 drops in water 3x day for a maximum of 3 weeks.

Possible side effects: Allergy. Interaction with blood thinners. Speak to your doctor if you are taking blood thinners or have thyroid disease.

Contraindications:Do not use it if you are pregnant.

¹Łukaszyk, Aleksandra, Inga Kwiecień, and Agnieszka Szopa. 2024. "Traditional Uses, Bioactive Compounds, and New Findings on Pharmacological, Nutritional, Cosmetic and Biotechnology Utility of Capsella bursa-pastoris" Nutrients 16, no. 24: 4390. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16244390

²THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CAPSELLA BURSA-PASTORIS- A REVIEW Ali Esmail Al-Snafi Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Thiqar University, Nasiriyah, PO Box 42, Iraq.

³In Vitro Anticandidal and Antibiofilm Activities of Capsella bursa pastoris Root Against Candida Species Yusuf Dadaş1* Güler Tuba Buğdacı1,2, Şeymanur Çobanoğlu1, Ayşenur Yazıcı1,2 *1Erzurum Technical University, Molecular Biology and Genetic Department, Erzurum, Turkey 2Erzurum Technical University, High Technology Research and Application Centre (YUTAM), Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Erzurum, Turkey

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose or treat any medical conditions.