Skullcap

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Skullcap is an alternative mental health herbal remedy for anxiety, nervous tension and convulsions. Learn about the usage, dosage, side-effects of Skullcap.

Botanical Name: Scutellaria lateriflora
Common Names: Mad-dog skullcap, scullcap

Overview

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is native to North America, but is now widely cultivated in Europe and other areas of the world. It has been used for over two hundred years as a mild relaxant and has long been hailed as an effective therapy for anxiety, nervous tension, and convulsions. Because of its calming effects on the nervous and musculoskeletal system, it was also at one time considered to be a remedy for rabies, thus it's name "mad dog weed."

Plant Description

Scutellaria lateriflora is one species of skullcap that is used in herbal preparations. The plant derives its name from the caplike appearance of the outer whorl of its small blue flowers. Skullcap is a slender, heavily branched plant that grows to a height of two to four feet and blooms each July.

Parts Used

The parts of the skullcap plant used for medicinal purposes are the leaves. These are harvested in June from a three- to four-year-old skullcap plant.

Medicinal Uses and Indications

While scientific studies have not been conducted on the medicinal properties of Scutellaria lateriflora, its current uses, based on traditional and clinical practice, include:

Treatment of muscle spasms
Calming of the nerves

It has also been used to treat symptoms associated with:

Tension headache
Anorexia nervosa
Anxiety
Fibromyalgia
Restless leg syndrome and other causes of insomnia
Mild Tourette's syndrome (a disorder characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics)
Seizure disorders.

Chinese Skullcap
A closely related herb, Chinese skullcap (Scuterllaria baicalensis) has actually been the subject of a number of studies, including those on animals and people. It has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antihistamine properties, which can help treat allergies such as hay fever (called allergic rhinitis), particularly when used with other herbs, including stinging nettle.

Cancer
Chinese skullcap is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat tumors. Early laboratory studies investigating this traditional use are emerging and showing preliminary promise for combating bladder, liver, and other types of cancers, at least in test tubes.

In terms of clinical studies on people, skullcap is also one of the eight herbs that make up PC-SPES, an alternative treatment for prostate cancer. (It is important to note, however, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] recently issued a warning to consumers that PC SPES may contain undeclared prescription drug ingredients that could cause dangerous side effects.)

Other
Chinese laboratory research has isolated an element present in skullcap that may prove useful in treating hepatitis B and has suggested that the antioxidant properties of Chinese skullcap may prove beneficial for preventing heart disease or limiting the damage following a heart attack. Much more research needs to be done in these areas before conclusions can be drawn.