Epasote - Lambsquarter - (Chenopodium)

Warning: the remedies and preparations listed below come from oral traditions and are not clinically proven. Do not attempt self diagnosis or self treatment with any of these uses without first consulting your doctor.

Parts used: Stems and leaves before the plant bolts in growth to make a flower stalk. It is used for colic, gas or stomach cramps, earache, sinusitis, and tapeworm in humans and animals. DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT. It is also good as a food, with a flavor mildly like spinach when cooked.

Preparation for colic in newborn babies: Take three leaves and the stem of the size that bears the three leaves, and make a tea. Give them ½ cup with a little sugar if necessary.

Preparation for gas or stomach cramps: Make a tea with a handful of leaves or a small plant to one liter of water. Drink a cup of the tea as needed for pain in the stomach. It is also good for menstruation. It can also be made with chicken broth and a little salt, or it can be mixed with black beans and one piece of pork for stomach cramps and helping get rid of worms.

Preparation for earache remedy: Fry a sprig of the plant in a pan with oil or rendered chicken fat over a low fire. Heat slowly, stirring, until juice has evaporated. Remove from heat. Cool, and place in sterile container. Place drops in ear to relieve pain.

Preparation for sinusitis: Pick the plant and dry it. Then crush it to a fine powder (use the blender for a large amount of plant material) and snuff it up into your nose. It will work its way around to the throat and clear the sinuses.

Preparation for getting rid of tapeworm in humans and animals:  For five days give a tea made of epasote and pomegranate rind. Make the tea very strong. After five days give the person a laxative.

Epasote is also good as a food. It can be cooked with a few beans and chopped onion and meat, or as a vegetable cocktail with tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and summer squash. It can also be cooked with chicken and roasted chilies, onion rings, garlic, salt and oregano, to mention a ways of preparation. It has a mild spinach flavor. It helps to stimulate milk for breast-feeding, but also stimulates menstruation. Do not use without help for these purposes.

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