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Lady's Mantle Herb - Uses And Side Effects

Lady's mantle is extracted from the roots, leaves, and flowers of Alchemilla mollis,
A. vulgaris, and other members of this species. Native to Europe, the plant also grows in the northeastern United States and Canada.

Now used in some herbal cleansing creams and other cosmetics, lady's mantle is rich in folklore. The plant's name, comes from the word "alchemy" because people believed the herb could produce miraculous cures. It has also been linked with the Virgin Mary because the lobes of its leaves resemble the scalloped edges of a cloak.

The Common Lady's Mantle is generally distributed over Britain, but more especially in the colder districts and on high-lying ground, being found up to an altitude of 3,600 feet in the Scotch Highlands. It is not uncommon in moist, hilly pastures and by streams, except in the south-east of England, and is abundant in Yorkshire, especially in the Dales. It is indeed essentially a plant of the north, freely found beyond the Arctic circle in Europe, Asia and also in Greenland and Labrador, and only on high mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas, if found in southern latitudes.

Common doses of lady's mantle

Lady's mantle comes in compounded extracts and teas. Some experts recommend the following dose:

• As an infusion or tea, steep 2 teaspoons of dried herb in 1 cup of boiling water. Take the tea (2 to 4 milliliters) orally three times daily.

Uses of lady's mantle

The Lady's Mantle has astringent and styptic properties, on account of the tannin it contains. It is 'of a very drying and binding character' as the old herbalists expressed it, and was formerly considered one of the best vulneraries or wound herbs. Specifically, lady's mantle may help to :-

• Diarrhea
• Menstrual bleeding, cramps, and irregularity
• To aid blood clotting
• Wounds

Side effects of lady's mantle

Call your health care practitioner if you experience unusual symptoms when using lady's mantle. Tannins in this herb may lead to liver damage.

Interactions

Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Tell your health care practitioner about any prescription or nonprescription drugs you're taking.

Important points to remember

• Don't use lady's mantle if you're breast-feeding or pregnant.
• Know that little information about this herb is available.
• If you use lady's mantle, report weakness, fatigue, or jaundice to your health care practitioner.

What the research shows

Clinical studies don't support the use of lady's mantle for any condition. Human studies must be done to determine if the herb is safe or effective.

Other names for lady's mantle : -

Other names for lady's mantle include Alchemilla, bear's foot, dewcup, leontopodium, lion's-foot, nine hooks, and stellaria.

Various manufacturers sell products containing this herb under the name Lady's Mantle.