Common Name: |
Cowhage |
Other Names: |
Cowage, Couhage, Cowitch, Kiwach, Velvet Bean, benguk |
Botanical Name: |
Mucuna pruriens var. utilis syn. M.deeringiana, M. pruriens Utilis Group, M. utilis, Stizolobium deeringianum |
Genus: |
Mucuna |
Family: |
Fabiaceae/Papilionaceae |
Cultivation: |
Well-drained, moist, rich soil in sun or partial shade. Remove crowded branches in winter and cut back flowered shoots to within 5-8cm (2-3in) of the base. Spider mite and whitefly may attack plants indoors. |
Propagation: |
By seed sown at 18-24°C (64-75°F) in spring. |
Harvest: |
Roots are lifted as required and dried for decoctions and powders. Pods are collected when ripe and scraped to remove hairs, which are powdered and mixed with honey or added to ointment. Seeds are removed from ripe pods, cooked, and ground into a paste. |
Native Location: |
Tropical Asia, widely naturalized. |
Height: |
4m (12ft) |
Warning: |
Pods, hairs, and powders are irritant to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. |
Hardiness: |
Z10 |
Parts Used: |
Roots, pods, hairs from pods, seeds. |
Properties: |
An irritant, rubefacient herb that destroys intestinal parasites (hairs), and acts as a diuretic (roots), hallucinogen, and aphrodisiac (seeds). |
Medicinal Uses: |
Internally for nervous and kidney complaints, and paralysis (roots), roundworms (hairs); externally for elephantiasis and fluid retention (roots). Internal use of hairs is highly irritant; excess may prove fatal. Extracts are used internally to control involuntary movements in Parkinsonism (seeds). To treat worm infestation, muscle pain, and rheumatism. |
Typical Dose: |
A typical dose of cowhage has not been determined. |
Possible Side Effects: |
Cowhage's side effects include itching, burning, headache, and sweating. |
Drug Interactions: |
Taking cowhage with these drugs may reduce the effectiveness of the drug: |
Acetophenazine, (Acetophenazine) |
Aniracetam, (Ampamet, Draganon) |
Aripiprazole, (Abilify) |
Benperidol, (Anquil, Glianimon) |
Bromperidol, (Impromen, Tesoprel) |
Chlorpromazine, (Largactil, Thorazine) |
Clozapine, (Clozaril, Gen-Clozapine) |
Droperidol, (Inapsine) |
Flupenthixol, (Fluanxol) |
Fluphenazine, (Modecate, Prolixin) |
Haloperidol, (Haldol, Novo-Peridol) |
Loxapine, (Loxitane, Nu-Loxapine) |
Mesoridazine, (Serentil) |
Molindone, (Moban) |
Olanzapine, (Zydis, Zyprexa) |
Perphenazine, (Apo-Perphenazine, Trilafon) |
Pimozide, (Orap) |
Pipamperone, (Dipieron, Piperonil) |
Piracetam, (Geram, Piracetam Verla) |
Prochlorperazine, (Compazine, Compro) |
Quetiapine, (Seroquel) |
Risperidone, (Risperdal) |
Thioridazine, (Mellaril) |
Thiothixene, (Navane) |
Trifluoperazine, (Novo-Trifluzine, Stelazine) |
Ziprasidone, (Geodon)used for schizophrenia |
Zuclopenthixol, (Clopixol) |
Taking cowhage with these drugs may increase the risk of a hypertensive crisis (excessively high blood pressure): |
Phenelzine, (Nardil) |
Tranylcypromine, (Parnate) |
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Lab Test Alterations: |
- May cause false decrease in glucose oxidase test (e.g., Clinistix)
- May cause false increases in cupric sulfate test (e.g., Clinitest)
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Disease Effects: |
- May worsen cardiovascular disease because the herb contains L-dopa, which can cause irregular heartbeat and other problems.
- May push blood sugar too low in diabetes or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
- May worsen psychiatric diseases due to its L-Dopa content.
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Supplement Interactions: |
- May increase blood glucose-lowering effects and risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when used with herbs and supplements that lower glucose levels, such as alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, Devil's Claw, Panax Ginseng and Psyllium.
- Kava-Kava and vitamin B6 may reduce cowhage's effects by counteracting the L-dopa in cowage.
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Culinary Uses: |
Seeds are boiled in milk, decorticated, fried, and made into a confection with honey; also fermented in miso (Japan) and in Indonesian foods, such as tempeh benguk. Immature pods and young leaves are cooked as vegetables. |
Bibliography: |
Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown. Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited. pg 283 The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide by Geo. T. Grossberg,MD and Barry Fox,PhD Copyright©2007 Barry Fox,PhD. Pp.171-172
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