Spanish Needle

Other Names : Bidens pilosa
is a tall annual plant found in tropical areas throughout the world.

Special Precautions of Spanish Needle

Do not use Spanish needle if you are pregnant or have kidney or bladder problems. Consult a health care practitioner for dosage instructions, since high doses can irritate the urinary tract. Some constituents in the herb may be weak esophageal carcinogens.

Benefits and uses of Spanish Needle are

Hawaiian traditional healers use the aerial parts to treat colds, flu, indigestion, hepatitis, gout, bacterial infections, insomnia, bronchitis and urinary infections. In traditional Chinese medicine, the herb "clears heat" and is known as Gui Zhen Cao. Spanish needle is rich in flavonoids, triterpenes, sesquiterpenes and steroids, and the plant has antimalarial, hypotensive, anti-ulcer and hypoglycemic properties. A study by V. F. Andrade-Neto and colleagues published in the August 2004 issue of "Phytotherapy Research" tested the roots for antimalarial activity. The study found that the plasmodium parasites were as susceptible to the herb as they were to conventional drugs and the researchers attribute the strong antimalarial activity to the flavonoids.