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Yarrow

Also known as: Achillea millefolium, Milfoil, Thousand leaf, Soldier's woundwort, Nose bleed plant, Devil's nettle, Sanguinary, Old-man's-pepper, Stenchgrass

Overview

Yarrow, a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae), has one of the oldest documentations of human use throughout a variety of cultures worldwide. Many of these cultures share common threads of yarrow being used to heal wounds and treat inflammation, gastrointestinal distress, and menstrual concerns. The common name “yarrow” is sometimes used for a group of plants including other species of Achillea, so attention to full scientific names is advised. The genus name (Achillea) originates from Greek mythology: Achilles used yarrow to remedy wounds. Yarrow can be taken internally as a tea, while external applications usually take the form of lotions and ointments. The leaves and flowering tops are the parts most often used medicinally, but there are ethnobotanical records of traditional medicinals employing the entire plant.

Benefits

While it may not have the same degree of mechanistic evidence behind it as some other herbs, the active components found in yarrow may provide some support for its traditional uses. Yarrow is known to contain the compounds apigenin; luteolin; camphor; borneol; centaureidin; quercetin; 5-hydroxy-3’,4’,6,7-tetramethoxyflavone; thujone; dicaffeoylquinic acid; 1,8-cineole; and chlorogenic acid (among many others). The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, estrogenic, pain-reducing, hepatoprotective, and vasodilatory effects of the individual constituents of yarrow are already known, and may explain some of the herb’s purported effects. Further mechanistic studies are needed to further understand the biological activity and bioavailability of these components when taken together in the whole herb or in an herbal extraction.

How it works

The strongest evidence for yarrow exists in topical applications for wound healing and, to some degree, reductions in localized irritations or infections. Though there are some promising clinical studies regarding the use of yarrow (either alone or in combination with other herbs) for menstrual or gastrointestinal distress, among other chronic concerns and conditions, further research should be conducted to confirm these findings.

Side effects

Yarrow can be taken internally as a tea, while external applications usually take the form of lotions and ointments. The most common dosage for yarrow tea is 4 g of dried flowers taken three times a day during the first three days of the monthly cycle for dysmenorrhea.

Dosage

Since yarrow is a member of the Asteraceae family, anyone with allergies to other plants in that family (e.g., marigolds, ragweed, daisies) has a higher risk of having an allergic reaction to yarrow. Yarrow contains thujone, which is responsible for some of its antibacterial properties, but also runs the risk of neurotoxicity when consumed in doses greater than 3–7 mg of thujone per day. More clinical evidence is required to better understand the safety of consuming thujone-containing products. While skin rashes are the most frequently reported adverse response to yarrow (and are believed to be due to guaianolides), the majority of the few clinical studies have excluded participants who might experience herb-drug interactions, which would reduce the number of reported adverse reactions.

FAQs

What is yarrow?

What are the known traditional, historical, and cultural uses of yarrow?

Traditional cultures spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia have reported using yarrow to treat conditions or distress of the gastrointestinal system, menstruation, skin, blood (diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, infection, varicosity), respiratory system, and rheumatism. Over 76 different Indigenous peoples of the Americas (notably the Paiute, Thompson/Ntlakyapamuk, Iroquois, Shoshoni, and Cheyenne tribes) have used yarrow as a traditional treatment for over 50 different conditions and ailments. The most frequently cited uses for yarrow among First Nations are as a dermatological aid, analgesic, cold remedy, fever reducer, and antidiarrheal, and to aid in gynecological, gastrointestinal, or rheumatic conditions.

What are yarrow’s main benefits?

Does yarrow aid in wound healing?

Yarrow has been explored most prominently as a treatment for wounds and general skin/membrane inflammation. More specifically, yarrow has been studied for healing in oral mucositis produced as a side effect of chemotherapy, episiotomy, leishmaniasis lesions, vaginal irritations/infections, gingival inflammation, tonsillitis, nipple cracking during breastfeeding, and atopic dermatitis. In these studies, yarrow was most often applied topically, but whenever it’s applied to mucosal membranes (i.e., when applied orally or vaginally) it could potentially have systemic effects too.

Does yarrow help reduce skin/mucosal irritations or infection?

In instances of skin or oral/vaginal membrane inflammation and infections, yarrow is frequently combined with other herbs, such as calendula, St. John’s wort, juniper, nettle, marshmallow root, chamomile, and panax ginseng. In studies using yarrow plus mixed herbs for a variety of conditions (vaginitis, gingivitis, tonsillitis, and atopic dermatitis), only one trial concluded that yarrow combination therapy was more effective than the control/standard-of-care comparator (acute tonsillitis; proprietary combination extract BNO1030; 4 drops administered orally, 3-4x per day for 10 days). When yarrow ointment was compared to a standard-of-care ointment (5 g ointment applied directly to site, nightly, for 7 days), standard of care was found to be superior to yarrow in reducing the signs and symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Does yarrow help with menstrual concerns?

Though yarrow has a tradition of use for menstrual and reproductive concerns, there aren’t many clinical studies on the subject. The most promising clinical evidence found that the use of yarrow tea (4 g dried flowers) may help reduce the pain associated with dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) when taken three times a day during the first three days of the monthly cycle. Preclinical evidence from rat trials may also support the idea that other achilleas (not A. millefolium, but A. biebersteinii and A. cretica) could aid in management of endometriosis symptoms, but these conclusions should not be applied directly to humans without further clinical support.

Does yarrow help with gastrointestinal function?

A study that included yarrow as a component of a multi-herb capsule (in combination with Boswellia and ginger) for irritable bowel syndrome found that, when this combination was taken once every 8 hours over a month, male participants saw statistically significant improvements in quality-of-life scores; however, overall reductions in average symptom severity, anxiety, and depression scores were not strong enough to recommend yarrow for this condition. Beyond this, only preclinical evidence exists to suggest that achilleas (A. Millefolium and A. nobilis) administered to rats could aid in reducing both peptic ulcers and stomach cramping. Again, clinical studies are needed before these results may be translated to human use.

What else might yarrow help with?

Clinical trials have considered yarrow as a potential therapy (used both topically and systemically, as well as alone or in combination with other treatments) for chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis, chemotherapy-related fatigue, and multiple sclerosis. When used alone, those with chronic kidney disease taking 1.5 g of powdered yarrow flower (3 days a week over 2 months) saw a marginal reduction in plasma nitrite and nitrates, while those taking a placebo saw increases in the same biomarkers. Liver compresses containing yarrow are sometimes used in integrative medicine; however, metastatic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy saw no substantive reductions of self-reported fatigue and psychological distress when liver compresses containing yarrow were applied externally over the liver.