Health Benefits
Fumitory is not used to great extent in modern day herbal medicine but it still has some medicinal applications. Fumitory has diaphoretic (sweat-inducing), diuretic and blood purifying properties, which makes it excellent for fevers and cleanses.
It is used both externally and internally.
Skin – External Use
Digestive system and gallbladder – internal use
Skin – External Use
Fumitory has for a long time been used to treat skin ailments such as rash, chronic eczema, psoriasis, scabies and acne.
Traditionally, the herb has been used in combination with Walnut leaves as an external treatment for wounds, cuts, and scrapes.
The herb is sometimes recommended as a remedy for hemorrhoids by adding the dried herb in the bath water, as a sitz bath or as an eyewash for conjunctivitis.
Digestive system and gallbladder – internal use
Animal studies support some of the traditional use in humans and have shown that the herb may have a certain blood pressure lowering, slight diuretic, and laxative effect.
The herb is used as a tonic to increase appetite, and it is believed to stimulate the smooth muscles of the intestines which helps with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and stomach cramps. It is also used as a tea as an herbal remedy for intestinal parasites.
Additionally, the herb promotes the function of both the liver and the gallbladder and have an antispasmodic effect thus normalizing the bile flow.
Therefore, it is sometimes used internally as a remedy for biliary colic (pain due to a gallstone temporarily blocking the bile duct) and migraine associated with digestive problems.
In Germany, fumitory is approved for the treatment of biliary colic.
The herb is taken as a tea for indigestion, and can be supportive in treating gallbladder and liver conditions.
