POKEWEED AS A FOOD & MEDICINE

Taboo Treatment

Most people in the united states are very familiar with the pokeweed plant (Phytolacca americana). It is a large plant, with tropical looking leaves, a bright purple stem and dark purple berries.

As children, many of us were warned to steer clear of this plant due to its poisonous properties, although many of us enjoyed throwing the berries at our siblings, which would stain their skin for days! These dark purple berries have been used for centuries by many indigenous tribes as a natural dye for clothing, baskets, weapons, and other craft items. This plant was also used as a traditional medicine.

Pokeweed’s Toxicity

The entire pokeweed plant is considered toxic, with the the root being the most toxic and the ripe berries the least toxic. The leaves, stems and root should never be consumed raw, and consuming the raw berries requires special precautions.

The active toxic compounds of pokeweed include phytolacca toxin (and related triterpene saponins) and mitogens, which can cause significant gastrointestinal irritation and produce a “foamy” diarrhea. Other GI symptoms such as burning of the mouth, vomiting, or diarrhea are the most common symptoms following raw pokeweed ingestion.

Less commonly reported symptoms include headache, salivation, visual disturbances and possibly seizures, which are most likely actually resulting from untreated dehydration.

To date, there have been several reported incidents of death involving consumption of pokeweed. One in particular is a story of a 19-year-old landscaping employee took a bite out of a raw pokeweed root after misidentifying it for parsnip. His employer said he ate the entire root, then died later that evening. You can find the full story here.

Now, despite its toxicity and the fear that surrounds it, people have been consuming and using pokeweed for generations!

Poke Sallet

Poke sallet is a popular dish throughout the south and appalachian regions. It is made from leaves of the young poke plant and requires a particular process to render them safe to consume.

First, the leaves must be boiled in clean water for 5-10 minutes. Then they are strained, rinsed, and placed back in fresh boiling water for another 5-10 minutes. Most people repeat this process at least three times, although I do know a few people that can tolerate consuming after only two boils.

Once the leaves have been boiled to reduce the toxins, they are mixed in with bacon, eggs, and red onions for a traditional Poke Sallet!

Although this seems like a lot of work, many people still enjoy making this historical dish, as it has now become a tradition.

It’s important to remember that even preparing this dish properly, some people can still experience digestive issues. If you have never consumed poke sallet before, start with a few bites and see how your body feels before consuming more.

As the plant matures, so does it’s toxicity. Only consume leaves from young small plants, found during spring.

Medicinal Benefits

Believe or not, many plants that are considered toxic can be used therapeutically in the proper doses, and pokeweed is one of those plants. It offers powerful medicinal actions that herbalist use for a wide variety of disorders.

Anti-inflammatory: Used for swollen glands, rheumatism, and arthritis.

Immune system stimulation: Pokeweed mitogen, a protein found in the plant, has been studied for its ability to stimulate cell division, including lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell involved in the immune response). In simpler terms, it cleanses the blood and drains the lymphatic system.

Antiviral: Pokeweed antiviral proteins (PAPs) have shown activity against a range of viruses in lab studies, including herpes simplex virus and HIV.

Antifungal: Extracts from pokeweed have demonstrated antifungal activity in laboratory settings.

Anticancer: Pokeweed extracts have been investigated in research for their potential to inhibit cancer cell growth. In fact, many people use pokeroot as an alternative treatment for cancer.

Topical Applications: Pokeweed has been used topically for skin ailments, bruises, rheumatic pain and to dissolve lumps, bumps or alleviate sore lymph nodes.

Other Uses: The root has been used for conditions like tonsillitis, mumps, and swollen glands. The berries have been used to treat cancer, hemorrhoids, and tremors.

Pokeweed Uses

It’s easy to see that pokeweed offers a lot of benefits, therefore, it is used for many different reasons.

One of pokeweed’s main uses is to invoke lymphatic drainage for decongested lymph glands. This alone can help many different disorders.

The lymphatic system plays an important role in providing immune responses to harmful micro-organisms and toxins that enter the body. It also is plays a key role in the body’s ability to fight off chronic illness and disease such as cancers. Many people actually use pokeweed root tincture as an alternative, cancer remedy or as complementary therapy to other treatments.

Another popular use for pokeweed is for managing symptoms of arthritis. Because it’s anti inflammatory and helps to improve lymphatic function, it can ease pain and inflammation for people with arthritis.

Pokeweed is used topically for cysts, fibroids, lumps and bumps and sore lymph nodes. It can also be used for mastitis, as long as there is no baby nursing during use.

Suggested Uses

There are 4 main ways to use pokeweed:

• Swallow one berry

• Pokeberry tonic

• Pokeweed root tincture (used with extreme caution)

• Pokeroot Oil or Salve

Although I’ve heard of other methods such as pokeberry wine, jams and so on, these are the typical preparations.

Many people swallow one whole berry daily for issues such as arthritis, viruses, cancer and for lymphatic drainage. This is possible because the toxic part to the berry is actually the seed. As long as you don’t chew and crush the seed, it will be excreted out whole, the same way it went in.

Lots of people freeze the fresh berries so they can consume them throughout the year. With this being said, there is still a chance of gastric distress when you swallow a seed, so keep this in mind.

Alternatively, you can make a tonic using the fresh berries that will not only be a safer choice, but will also have a shelf life of over one year.

Pokeweed Berry Tonic for Lymphatic drainage

Items & ingredients

• 30-40 dark ripe pokeweed berries

• Apple cider vinegar with the mother (unpasteurized) about 1 1/2 cup

• Raw honey, preferably from your local beekeeper

• 2 glass pint jars

• Wooden spoon

• Cheesecloth & strainer

Instructions

Start by washing off your berries to remove any insects, dirt and debris.

Add the berries to your clean pint jar and add enough vinegar to fill it about halfway.

Take the blunt end of the wooden spoon and gently smash the berries up. Your vinegar liquid should begin to turn bright pink or purple. Try not to crush up any seeds during this process.

At this point, strain out the berries and seeds using your cheesecloth and strainer, and place the liquid in the other clean glass pint jar.

Fill the jar the rest of the way full with the raw honey and place a secure fitting lid. Shake the jar well until all of the honey is mixed.

Keep jar in your refrigerator and use as needed.

We take 1/2-1 ounce of pokeberry elixir, mixed into a beverage such as lemonade, once daily. It’s important to listen to your body as some people can tolerate more, and some people require less.

Do not take more then 1 ounce daily.

Pokeroot Oil/Salve

Pokeweed it’s amazing when used topically and it is the root specifically that we use for this.

Pokeweed root it’s typically harvested in early spring or early fall. During the summer, the toxic components are at their peak, so it’s recommended not to use roots from summertime plants.

Once harvested, it can be used fresh or dried to make an herbal infused oil.

Although it’s usually recommended not to use fresh herbs when making infused oils, pokeweed is extremely powerful when fresh, so harnessing these properties is worth the risk.

If you do decide to use the fresh root, it’s recommended to chop it up well and allow it to dry overnight, allowing most of the excess water to evaporate.

At this point, you’re ready to make a pokeroot oil, which then can be used to make pokeroot salve!

To use for bumps, lumps, fibroids and cysts, rub the oil directly on the effected area once daily until gone.

You can also double the strength by incorporating castor oil into the recipe, which is great for dissolving cyst. You can find our Pokeroot Castor Oil here.

Items & Ingredients

• Pokeweed root

• Oil of choice (I prefer organic olive oil). You can do half castor oil and half olive, if desired

• 1 Quart mason jar

• Cheesecloth & strainer

• Amber dropper bottles

Add your chopped pokeroot to the mason jar filling it about half way full. Fill the jar with oil and place a secure fitting lid.

Allow the jar to sit 4-6 weeks, shaking daily.

After 4-6 weeks, strain out your oil using the cheesecloth and strainer and place it in a clean glass jar.

At this point you can use the oil as is, when needed, or make it into a salve. If you’re not familiar with this process, you can follow our step-by-step guide here.

Pokeweed Root Tincture

The root of pokeweed is the most toxic part of the plant but it’s also the most medicinally potent. Extreme caution needs to be taken when using this remedy and should only be consumed by people that are well aware of the risk.

Items & Ingredients

• pokeweed root

• 100 proof alcohol

• quart mason jar

• Cheesecloth & strainer

• Amber dropper bottles

Add your root to a mason jar filling about half way and fill to the top with your alcohol solvent.

Place a secure fitting lid and allow this jar to sit 4-6 weeks, shaking daily.

After this duration, strain out the roots using your cheesecloth and strainer and then pour the liquid into clean, amber dropper bottles. The shelf life on this is long as the shelf life of the alcohol.

Use as needed.

Poke root tincture it’s extremely powerful and is not taken like typical tinctures. Pokeweed tincture is taken by the drop, not dropperfull and it’s vital that you remember this. Your life literally depends on it.

Begin with one to three drops. Wait 24 hours. If symptoms don’t improve, add one drop per day to the dosage.

Every individual is different when it comes to their tolerance. Some people can’t handle more than 2 drops per day, while others can take 30 or 50 drops with no adverse effects.

The side effects of poke include mental unclarity, spaciness and out-of-body feelings. If you experience these symptoms, you have reached your tolerance level, so back off to a lower dosage.

If you take too much, you may experience severe side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, so it’s important to listen to your body.

Safety Considerations

Referencing the extensive pokeweed monograph in Kerry Bone and Simon Mills’ text Principles and Practices of Phytotherapy, the safe use range for adults of the liquid extract of poke is 0.7 milliliters (700 mg) per day, and no more than 0.2 grams (200 milligrams) of the dried root.

Remember, using this plant does come with potential risk, including death. It should only be consumed with extreme caution.

This herb should not be used on children. People who have prior health concerns or take medication should do their own research or speak to a doctor first before using. Pregnant and nursing women should avoid. The information shared in this article is for educational purposes only. View our disclaimer here.

Final Thought

In conclusion, we can certainly recognize pokeweed’s importance in the decongestion of lymph and overall immune support. When used properly, this plant can become a useful tool, helping to assist us in the healing process.

If you decide to use pokeweed as a food or medicine, make sure to do your own research so that you can make the best informed decision for you and your own health.

Stay Wild

Kayce Heister

Kayce is an Author, Clinical Herbalist, Naturopathic Practitioner (HHP), Active Forager, Wild Food Chef and Mother of three. She has spent the last 20 years practicing herbalism and natural health, and spends most of her time educating others on the amazing potential the natural world can offer.

Sources Below

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4344624/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4379523/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0041010122003130

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/pokeweed

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-220/pokeweed

https://indiananativeplants.org/images/resources/Gordon%20Mitchell%20Articles/GM_pokeweed.pdf

https://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/principles-and-practice-of-phytotherapy-9780443069925.html