The Greek physician and botanist of the first century, Dioscorides, highlighted the knotweed benefits for people who coughed up blood and women suffering from excessive menstruation. Due to its hemostatic effect (capable of stopping hemorrhages), the Romans called the plant sanguinaria (bloody), which lives on in many places.
In the 19th century, when tuberculosis decimated the population of unhealthy towns, knotweed was the object of a profitable business. It was recommended and sold to fight tuberculosis; its hemostatic effect stopped the bronchial and lung hemorrhage of people suffering from tuberculosis. This is a sad example of the mistakes a badly employed phytotherapy may lead to. Fighting the symptoms (bronchial bleeding) was intended to heal the disease (tuberculosis).
We now know the chemical composition and properties that make knotweed and many other plants beneficial. However, if treatments, whether with medicinal herbs or pharmaceutical medicines, are not correctly applied, there is the risk of mistaking the symptoms of the disease.
Knotweed contains tannins, flavonoids, silicon, mucilage, and essential oil. Its hemostatic action, which promotes blood coagulation, is mainly due to its high tannin content, which has the property of coagulating proteins. Besides, flavonoids increase the resistance of the cells forming the walls of the blood vessels (especially the capillaries), thus stopping internal bleeding.
The maximum combined effect of both substances is mainly achieved in the digestive system. Thus, knotweed benefits especially suit any inflammation with bleeding that is produced in the intestine and the stomach:
Due to its essential oil content and other active components, knotweed also has a mild diuretic effect (increases urine production).
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Last update on 2025-04-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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