Birthwort Health Benefits, Properties, and Uses

Birthwort is the Aristolochia plant, a medicinal herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has traditionally been used both externally and internally. However, its internal ingestion has been associated with urinary tract and kidney cancers.^1,2

Birthwort Health Uses and Health Benefits

Traditionally, birthwort has been used for external applications such as applying it to skin wounds, bites and burns. It can also be applied topically to arthritic joints to help alleviate pain and inflammation. It’s also been used to alleviate chest congestion and lung inflammation. The FDA warns against using birthwort internally due to its association with kidney and liver diseases.^1,2 

References

1. https://www.bimbima.com/ayurveda/indian-birthwort-aristolochia-indica-information-uses-and-side-effects/37/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5341512/