If natural health solutions are your jam, you’ve likely heard of staphysagria. This plant-based remedy is all the rage in homeopathic circles for the healing superpowers folks claim that it has.
But is staphysagria all that it’s cracked up to be? Probably not.
The 411 on staphysagria
Staphysagria is a homeopathic remedy that’s made from the highly toxic stavesacre plant.
It’s most commonly used to soothe pain, reduce inflammation, and heal wounds. There have been some test tube and animal studies, but there isn’t any scientific evidence that it’s an effective treatment in humans.
Staphysagria is a homeopathic remedy that’s used to treat cuts and surgical wounds. It’s made using the stavesacre plant (aka Staphysagria macrosperma) which is toxic to humans if it’s ingested.
In order to turn that dangerous plant into a natural remedy, small amounts of stavesacre are heavily diluted in either water or alcohol. As long as it’s properly prepared, there’s little risk in taking it (whew!).
But just because it prob won’t hurt you, doesn’t mean it’s going to help. While staphysagria is popular in homeopathic circles, there’s little scientific research available to prove that it’s effective for treating, well, *anything.*
Homeopathy in the hot seat
Homeopathy follows the philosophy that “like cures like.” This thinking assumes that if a large amount of something can cause a problem, then a small amount of that same thing should be able to cure the problem.
But there’s a lot of controversy surrounding the practice of homeopathy.
There’s very little science to back up the benefits of staphysagria. There aren’t any human studies available, but there has been some animal and test tube research that looks promising. Here’s what we know so far.
May work as an anti-inflammatory
Homeopathic practitioners often tout staphysangria’s ability to fight inflammation.
In a 2015 study on rats with injured paws, staphysagria was found to reduce inflammation as well as ibuprofen did. Keep in mind that the sample size was extremely small, though. Only 10 of the 50 rats used in the study were given staphysagria for their inflammation.
Might help reduce pain
Some folks suggest staphysagria can help you kick pain to the curb. This potential pain-relieving power — coupled with its possible anti-inflammatory abilities — might be why staphysagria is sometimes used to heal cuts and other wounds.
But what does the science say? Not much. While a 2014 study on mice suggests that staphysagria may help relieve pain, no human studies exist to support these claims.
Other uses with less evidence
While there’s little evidence to support them, other potential benefits of staphysagria include improving:
- Surgical wounds. With its potential as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, staphysagria is often used to treat cuts and surgical wounds. But there’s no scientific evidence to support this use.
- Depression. Some folks report that staphysagria has helped ease their symptoms of depression, but there’s little science to back this up. One animal study found the remedy to be effective in rodents, no human studies exist to support this claim.
- UTIs. Lots of folks use staphysagria to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), but there’s very little evidence to support its UTI-busting abilities. A 1974 study found that staphysagria may be able to reduce bladder inflammation after sex, but a more recent test-tube study suggests that staphysagria isn’t able to stop the spread of UTI-related bacteria.
- Hair loss. One test tube study found that staphysagria seeds might help with hair growth. However, no other research has been done to confirm these findings.
- Immune support. A 2013 test tube study suggests that a protein extract found in staphysagria could possibly support a healthy immune system. This study used undiluted protein extracts, however, which have a higher potency than the typical, highly-diluted staphysagria remedy.
Remember, the staphysagria plant is toxic, so it should never be consumed directly.
Staphysagria that’s sold as a remedy is typically so heavily diluted that it’s unlikely to cause any serious problems. It’s still important to take it properly, though. Follow the manufacturer’s directions closely.
If you do decide to use staphysagria, keep in mind that there isn’t any science to back up its effectiveness.
Staphysagria is often available as quick-dissolving pellets. Simply put it under your tongue to dissolve.
Staphysagria tablets most commonly come in doses of 6C, 30C, and 1M, but are also available in other amounts. What do these dosages mean? Let’s break it down:
- The “C” represents the number of times the key ingredient (aka staphysagria or stavesacre) is diluted by a factor of 100.
- The number is *how many times* the dilution process is repeated.
That means a 2C dilution is one that’s been diluted *twice* in 100 parts of water or alcohol, and so on with 3C, 4C, 5C, etc… The more times it’s diluted, the less of the key ingredient is present. By the time it reaches 12C, a remedy likely won’t even have a single molecule of the OG ingredient left!
Anyone can take staphysagria… but that doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone.
There aren’t any human studies to back up its effectiveness, and only a few studies that have found it helped relieve pain and reduce inflammation in mice.
Staphysagria is a homeopathic remedy often recommended to treat pain or inflammation. It’s made from the stavesacre plant, which is highly toxic.
While a few animal and test tube studies exist, there aren’t any human studies on this substance.
Because the products available are extremely diluted, taking staphysagria probably won’t harm you. But it’s also unclear how effective this remedy is at this time. Always have a chat with your doctor before taking any homeopathic remedies or supplements to make sure they’re right for you.
