Shepherd’s bag (Capsella bursa pastoris): properties, uses and contraindications

Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is a common plant in the fields of the Iberian Peninsula. It belongs to the cruciferous family, barely 60 cm tall, with an upright and slightly branched stem and white flowers. It blooms almost all year round and from it, for medicinal purposes, the flowering tops and leaves are collected.

Properties of the shepherd’s bag

In its biochemical composition, the presence of choline, tyramine, acetylcholine, diosmin, alkaloids such as bursine, vitamin C, tannins, an essential oil, flavonoids, saponosides and minerals in abundance stands out.

Calming, healing, diuretic and astringent properties are attributed to the skin, mainly.

What is the shepherd’s bag for?

One of the major uses of this plant is as skin balmas it soothes skin irritation, chapped skin, scratches and tears. The shepherd’s purse is also considered one of the best herbal options for stop the bleeding nasal, buccal or uterine. is an excellent healing in superficial skin wounds with moderate bleeding and has been shown to be useful in preventing heavy menstruation and regulate the period.It also has an effect tonic for states of hypotension and it’s a good diuretic and antidiarrheal, with mild vasoconstrictor action. Due to its power astringenthas also been shown to be very effective in the treatment of varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

How to take shepherd’s purse

The shepherd’s purse is mainly used topically, although it can also be taken, with due precautions and for specific uses, orally. It is used in infusion, tincture, fluid extract drops and decoction for baths and foot baths.
Combining shepherd’s bag with some plants or others we will achieve benefits by enhancing certain properties. Here we present four herbal formulas for different conditions in which shepherd’s purse is used:

For skin irritation. To soothe chapped or chapped skin, prepare a decoction to apply to the skin with a mixture of shepherd’s purse, calendula, trinitaria and witch hazel in equal parts. How to prepare it: Two tablespoons of the mixture are taken per half liter of water, the mixture is boiled for 5 minutes and left to infuse for 10 more minutes. After that time, it is strained and applied in warm or cold compresses on the damaged area for 15 minutes.For the treatment of hemorrhoids: An effective remedy is to make sitz baths based on shepherd’s purse, chamomile, yarrow, horsetail and bearberry in quantities of 20 g. How to prepare the bath: 50 g of the mixture are taken per liter of water and infused. After filtering the decoction, the bath is practiced for twenty minutes.For nosebleeds: An effective formula is the one obtained by combining shepherd’s bag, horsetail, cypress and green anise in equal parts. How to prepare it: Take a tablespoon of the mixture per cup of water and boil for two minutes. Then it is left to infuse for 10 more minutes and when it is warm it is applied with gauze or cotton to the bleeding nostril, keeping the head back. This operation must be repeated several times, changing gauze.To regulate heavy menstruationwhich can end up causing weakness and even anemia: Shepherd’s bag, horsetail and green nettle are combined in equal parts to make an infusion.How to prepare it: Four level tablespoons per liter of water are taken from the mixture. Boil for 5 minutes and leave another ten at rest. The decoction will be drunk in small doses throughout the day, being the first taken on an empty stomach and the rest after having eaten something.

contraindications

The shepherd’s purse should not be taken During pregnancy and is contraindicated in patients who continue antidepressant treatments with MAOIsas well as in hypertensive people.

It is also recommended not to consume bag of Shepherd in prolonged periods.

Jordi Cebrian. Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist at “El Manantial de Salud”