Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia and A. peruviana).Plant Part Used: Leaf, aerial parts.Dominican Medicinal Uses: The leaf is traditionally prepared as a tea and taken orally for arthritis, delayed menses, diarrhea (in children and adults), infections, kidney ailments, menstrual pain, postpartum cleansing and stomach ache. It is also used externally as a poultice for menstrual pain and as a bath for energetic cleansing, good luck and spiritual protection.Safety: The pollen of Ambrosia species is a common allergen and may cause symptoms of hayfever in hypersensitive individuals. Plant material should be washed thoroughly before use to remove pollen. Cases of contact dermatitis, eczema, allergic conjunctivitis and other adverse effects have been associated with this plant.Contraindications: Due to lack of available safety information, avoid use during pregnancy or lactation and in children under 5 years of age.Drug Interactions: Synergistic interactions may occur with medications that share similar biological activities to those demonstrated by this herb (see “Clinical Data” and “Laboratory & Preclinical Data” below).Clinical Data: The following effects of Ambrosia artemisiifolia have been investigated in human clinical trials: allergenic, immunotherapeutic and irritant.Laboratory & Preclinical Data: Ambrosia species have shown the following biological activities in laboratory or preclinical studies using in vitro or animal models: analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimycobacterial and cytotoxic.* See entry for Altamisa in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.
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