Prickly Chaff Flower Health Benefits, Properties, and Uses

Prickly chaff flower is a perennial herb species, also known as Achyranthes aspera. Prickly chaff flower is from the family of Amaranthaceae, which includes over 2,000 species of flowering plants. Prickly chaff flower is recognized for its long and spiky greenish-white flowers. 1,2

Prickly chaff flower is native to the tropical regions of Asia as well as India. It has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicine system of India. Another common traditional name for Prickly chaff flower is latjeera. 

Traditional, healers would prepare a prickly chaff flower decoction or leaf paste to use in medicinal applications. All parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine, including the root, leaves, stems, flowers and seeds. ²

Prickly Chaff Flower Health Uses and Health Benefits

Traditional prickly chaff flower medicinal uses have been as a tonic for treating the circulatory, digestive and nervous systems of the body. It’s been used to help clear infections, like sexually transmitted diseases and leprosy. This is because prickly chaff flower has several health benefits from its natural phytochemical composition. ²

Prickly chaff flower health benefits include having natural antibacterial and antiviral properties. This is why it has also been used to treat skin wounds, snake bites and even toothaches. Prickly chaff flower health benefits have also been used to treat coughs, fevers, pneumonia, malaria, arthritis and even diabetes. ^1,2

Other prickly chaff flower medicinal uses include:

• Treating parasitic infections by killing the larvae
• Healing open skin wounds, such as hemorrhoids
• Boosting immune system function
• Treating water retention with diuretic effects

References

1. http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Prickly%20Chaff%20Flower.html
2. https://www.bimbima.com/ayurveda/herb-information-prickly-chaff/973/