Wood Anemone: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions

Other Name(s):

Anémona de Bosque, Anémone des Bois, Anemone nemorosa, Anémone Sylvie, Crowfoot, Fleur de Vendredi Saint, Flor del Viento, Olor de Zorro, Pâquette, Smell Fox, Sylvie des Bois, Wind Flower.

Overview

Wood anemone is an herb that has been used in traditional Russian folk medicine. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine.

People take wood anemone for stomach pains, delayed menstruation, gout, whooping cough, and asthma.

How does work?

There isn't enough information to know how wood anemone might work.

Uses

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

Stomach pains.
Delayed menstruation.
Gout.
Whooping cough.
Asthma.
Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of wood anemone for these uses.

Side Effects

Fresh wood anemone is UNSAFE to take by mouth or apply to the skin. It contains a chemical that can severely irritate the stomach and intestines. Eating freshly harvested plants can be fatal. Skin contact can cause slow-healing blisters and burns.

There isn't enough information to know if the dried plant is safe.

QUESTION

Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See Answer

Precautions

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's UNSAFE for anyone, including pregnant and breast-feeding women, to take fresh wood anemone by mouth or apply it to the skin. Not enough is known about the safety of using dried wood anemone. It's best to avoid use.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of wood anemone depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for wood anemone. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

References

Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.

Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.