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Datura Herb

Other Names of Datura:

  • Datura stramonium
  • Jimson weed
  • Stinkweed
  • Mad apple
  • Apple thorn
  • Stramonium
  • Dhatura tatula
  • Black datura

Useful Parts of the Plant:

  • Leaves
  • Seeds
  • Flowers

Datura is a self-growing plant that grows in temperate and tropical climates. Although it is widely cultivated, it is found to grow naturally in the foothills of the Himalayas. Growing datura is not very difficult as it requires little or no tending. There are some medicinal uses of datura, which account for its use in Ayurvedic medicine. The plant has a woody stalk with white or purple colored flowers. However, not using the seeds, leaves or flowers properly can lead to datura poisoning. The flower of this plant is very fragrant and blooms only at night. The plant also has fruits, but these are neither edible nor medicinal.

Nutritional Information and Properties of Datura:

Datura leaves contain alkaloids that are the source of all its therapeutic and healing properties. Cultivated plants have a higher amount of alkaloids than naturally growing datura. Chemically, the datura plant contains chemical properties very similar to those of belladonna. Dried parts of datura are largely used as a sedative or an anti-spasmodic. Certain parts of the plant have hallucinogenic properties and can be toxic. Therefore, extreme caution must be practiced before consuming any part of the plant. The plant has a long history of causing severe discomfort, delirium, stress, and even death, and is therefore not used very extensively.

Health Benefits and Therapeutic Uses of Datura

Datura effects can improve your health and that is why it is used in Ayurvedic medicine. However, since most parts of the plant are toxic, they should be ingested with extreme caution. In case of poisoning from datura plant, immediate medical assistance should be sought. Always consult a doctor before consuming any part of the plant, especially if you are pregnant.

  • Datura is ideal for the treatment of asthma. The leaves are burnt and the fumes are inhaled to take in the antispasmodic properties of datura. Traditionally, datura leaves were rolled and smoked to improve the symptoms of asthma.
  • Datura fruit can be used to treat specific types of malarial fever. Since the fruit is not considered edible, only specific parts of it are used for treatment. The fruit is burnt before consumption.
  • The leaves of a datura plant can be used for relieving the various heart problems. They can be used for treating palpitations, hypertension, distress, and various aortic disorders.
  • The juice extracted from the leaves of the datura plant can be used to treat earaches. You can extract the oil from datura leaves at home, or you can purchase commercially prepared salves and oils. Putting a few drops of the oil in your ear can help suppress ear infections.
  • Traditionally, datura effects have been useful for the treatment of impotency. The seeds from ripe datura fruits are removed and dried. These are then added to cow's milk and boiled to obtain the extract of the datura seeds. These can help improve the blood circulation to the genital organs, thus helping in the treatment of impotency to some extent.
  • Datura seeds can also be used to make a preparation for the treatment of baldness. The oil extracted from the datura seeds can be applied on the bald patches to stimulate growth of hair. However, this juice is highly poisonous and should not be consumed in any way.
  • Women who have a problem with secreting sufficient breast milk can use this herb for treatment. Accumulation of breast milk in the breasts may cause a lot of discomfort, and the warmed leaves of the plant can be used to improve milk production and release without pain.
  • Parts of the datura plant can be used to intoxicate and sedate a person in pain, helping them relax. This is a very effective pain reliever and is used for patients battling chronic disease or severe physical injuries.

Precautions/ Side Effects/ Warnings

As mentioned earlier, some parts of the datura pant are extremely poisonous and may cause eventual fatality. Hence, caution must always be practiced when using this plant for treatment purposes.