9 Powerful Jamaican Guinea Hen Weed Tea Benefits
Using Guinea Hen weed tea as medicine is a centuries old Jamaican tradition. But you may be asking, What is Guinea Hen weed tea good for?
In Jamaica, people drink Guinea hen weed tea to help with digestion. And they drink the tea to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
Jamaicans also drink Guinea hen weed tea to help them sleep better. And this herbal tea is also used for common ailments such as the cold, congestion, coughs, and the flu.
But Jamaica is not the only place where Guinea hen weed tea is used as medicine.
In sections of Central America women who are in labor drink the tea to help lessen those labor pains.
And wherever the herb grows, natives use it for medicinal purposes.
But what is Guinea Hen Weed? And what is Guinea hen weed tea good for?
Continue reading to learn more about Guinea hen weed. Also find out what the Experts say about this incredible herb.
Guinea Hen Weed Tea
How do you make Guinea Hen Weed Tea?
The plants roots, leaves,and stems can be used to make Guinea hen weed tea.
Sections of the herb are either cleaned and used fresh or cut and sun dried and used to make tea.
Simple few fresh Guinea hen leaves for a couple tablespoon of dried crushed Guinean weed for about 10 minutes.
Strain the tea and serve warm. You may add your sweetener of choice.
Jamaican Dr.Tony Vendryes offers some guidance on how to consume the tea.
- Relieve Pain
- Reduce Fevers
- Kill Fungi
- Retard Bacteria
- Boost Immunity
- Aid Digestion
- Promote Sleep
- Ease Anxiety
- Treat Convulsions
What Is Guinea Hen Weed?
What Is Guinea Hen Weed? The plant’s scientific name is Petiveria Alliacea. It is a member of the Petiveriaceae plant family.
Guinea hen weed is a native shrub of the Amazon rainforest, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Besides its botanical name, Petiveria Alliacea it has many local names.
For example, in Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico the plant name is Anamu. The Peruvians call it Mucura.
In Trinidad and Tobago the plant’s local names are Mapurite And Gully root.
And in Jamaica Petiveria Alliacea is generally called Guinea hen weed. However, because the herb has a strong garlic odor, some people refer to it as Garlic weed.
And since it tends to grow on hillside, some Jamaicans also call Petiveria Alliacea Gully root or Guinean weed.
Plant Description
This perennial shrub t grows to about 3 feet tall. The dark green leaves are close to the ground. Guinea Hen weed has long slender stems.
The shrub blooms small white flowers. Guinea hen weed smells like garlic.
The root, leaves and stems of the plant are all used as herbal medicine in the different locations where the weed grows.
Guinea Hen Weed Benefits
Research shows that Guinea Hen contains many useful bioactive compounds. They include flavonoids, triterpenes, steroids and sulfur.
Coumarin is one of the phytochemicals identified in the weed. Coumarin is reported to have antitumor properties.
In addition, The University of Illinois at Chicago, evaluated some 1400 plants in a plant screening program.
Guinea hen weed was of only 34 of those plants determined to have active anticancer properties.
“Our results validate in partly, the traditional use of Petiveria alliacea in breast cancer treatment, revealing a new way of envisioning Petiveria alliacea biological activity.
Source: Journal of ethnopharmacology
Guinea Hen Weed Health Benefits
In addition, these are some health benefits of Guinea hen weed:
Flavonoids: These are plants chemicals found in fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids provide anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits.
So they can help prevent cardiovascular diseases and some cancers. Some flavonoids fight viruses too.
Lipids: They play various roles in normal body function. They are important to cell structure. Lipids are a source of fuel to the body.
Triterpenes: These are plant chemicals that been studied to verify their effect on different diseases.
They are recognized for having anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. So,they help the body fight diseases.
Segments of these chemicals have shown potential to be used as treatment for some cancers.
Sulfur: The Sulfur identified in Anamu is similar to that found in garlic.
Sulfur helps the body to build and repair DNA. It is also protects the human body from serious diseases.
Reaseachers identified four major bioactive chemicals in the Petiveria Alliacea plant. These compounds give Anamu its benefits. The compounds include:
Guinea Hen Weed Uses
Early records show that indegenous people in Nicaragua used the leaves to make tea for treating coughs, colds, aches and pains.
Other reports indicate that Carib Indians in Guatemala crushed Anamu roots and inhaled it to treat sinusitis.
In other areas Guinea Hen weed is used as treatment for some cancers, boosting the immune system, and stabilizing blood glucose levels.
Guinea Hen Weed Tea Side Effects
- Guinea Hen weed contains Coumadin which is a blood thinner. Drinking too much Guinea Hen weed tea may prevent your blood from forming clots. And so persons with bleeding disorders or who take blood thinning medications should extreme caution when using Guinea hen weed.
- Some Chemicals identified in Guinea Hen weed acts on the Central Nervous System (CNS). tThey may cause extreme drowsiness or sedation. Users of Anamu products should keep this in mind..
- Guinean tea has been linked to lowering blood glucose. So drinking too much of the herbal tea may cause people with diabetes to experience dangerously low blood sugar levels.
Guinea Hen Weed and Pregnancy
Some known risks for pregrant women associated with the use of Anamu.
Reports indicate that Guinea hen weed consumption has been linked to uterine contractions which can lead to miscarriages or abortions.
So, pregnant women as well as those trying to get pregnant shoud avoid using Guinea hen weed.
Buy Guinea Hen Weed
Guinea Hen weed teas are available for purchase in many health food stores across the United States.
They are available as Loose leaf teas and in powdered and capsule and supplemnts forms. These can be found online marketplaces such as Etsy.com and Amazon.
Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. Nothing on this site should be viewed at medical advice. Please speak with a professional medical provider regarding your medical care.