Cleavers Extract

Species name: Botanical-Galium aparine; Family-Rubiaceae, Madder Family

Also known as: Goose-grass, Cynghafen (Welch), Clivers, Catchweed, Sweet Woodruff

What is cleavers extract? Cleavers is a plant indigenous to Britain and most of Northwestern Europe, with its documented medicinal history beginning in Wales.

Cleavers is a coffee relative, and when the seeds are roasted an infusion can be made. This infusion is often used as a coffee substitute.

The young leaves of the cleavers can be eaten much like spinach but most prefer it in a soup due to its bitter taste.

According to the King's Dispensatory in 1898 it was a valuable refrigerant and diuretic, and was used in diseases of the urinary organs, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, and in purifying the urine of gonorrhea.

In 1919 the American Materia Medica published it to be a sedative remedy in acute inflammation or irritation of the urinary tract as well as being a good tonic for the fever of these diseases.

Modern herbalists and homeopaths, according to Grieve's classic: A Modern Herbal, still values it as an herb for skin diseases and general eruptions.

Research indicates Cleavers active constituents include coumarins, iridoids and glycosides such as acumin, citric acid, gallotanic acid and tannins.

Its properties are impressive including being a diuretic, depurative anti-inflammatory, astringent, appetite depressant for the obese and can be used as an infusion, decoction, tincture or salve.

Aerial parts can be dried or juice can be freshly extracted.

It is most notably used as a wash for eczema, psoriasis and is being studied for its benefits in treating skin cancer.

It is helpful in the treatment of edema and head colds and conditions of the urinary tract such as cystitis and prostatic irritation in older men.

Home Remedies using Cleavers Extract:

Benefits of Cleavers Extract:

Herbalists have long regarded cleavers as a valuable tonic for the lymph system which is the body's mechanism to wash toxins from the tissues and get them back into the bloodstream where they can be taken to the liver and kidneys to be cleared out of the body.

Conditions like psoriasis and arthritis benefit from this cleansing action as cleavers is useful in purifying the blood.

A tea from the dried herb or extract can be made for skin problems to be applied daily and allowed to dry on the skin.

Skin salves can be made by mixing the herb with olive oil as well and Cleavers is popularly used in Europe to aid in the healing of scrapes, wounds and sores.

A tea can also be used for the treatment of dandruff.

Because cleavers is a refrigerant (has the ability to alleviate fever-including scarlet fever, or reduce body heat) and has sedative properties, it is effective on most acute diseases; this includes high blood pressure.

It has been recommended in scorbutic cases (involving scurvy) and those relating to the nerves.

Cleavers has been used successfully for the removal of urinary stones, gallstones and gravel.

It is used with other botanicals such as broom, buchu, peach bark and marshmallow.

Cleavers is not only a diuretic but an astringent and stimulant as well.

Side effects of Cleavers Extract:

Cleavers is considered a safe herb when taken as directed.