# Plant Monograph: Epazote
**Name of plant:**
Epazote
**Catch phrase (Carmina Gadelica or traditional invocation if available):**
No Carmina Gadelica or Gaelic invocation is associated with epazote. Its medicinal traditions belong principally to Indigenous and mestizo cultures of Mexico and Central America. A fitting traditional theme is the cleansing and expelling of what does not belong within the body.
**Family:**
Amaranthaceae
**Genus and species:**
*Dysphania ambrosioides* (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants
**Other names:**
* Epazote
* Wormseed
* Mexican tea
* Jesuit's tea
* Paico
* Herba sancti Mariæ
* Apazote
* Pazote
* Ipasote
* *Dysphania ambrosioides*
* *Chenopodium ambrosioides* — former botanical name
* *Teloxys ambrosioides* — former botanical name
* Epazotl — Nahuatl, commonly interpreted as referring to an unpleasant or skunk-like odor
**Brief introduction:**
Epazote is an aromatic annual or short-lived perennial herb native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, particularly Mexico and Central America. It has strongly scented, serrated leaves and inconspicuous green flowers. It has been used both as a culinary herb and medicinal plant for centuries. In Mexican cooking it is traditionally added to beans and other foods, while Indigenous medicinal traditions employed it principally for digestive complaints and intestinal worms. Its essential oil contains ascaridole, a powerful but potentially toxic compound that makes concentrated epazote preparations substantially more hazardous than the herb used in ordinary culinary quantities.
**Traditional uses:**
* Expelling intestinal worms and other parasites
* Relieving intestinal gas and bloating
* Supporting digestion, particularly with beans and other legumes
* Traditional treatment of menstrual discomfort
* Traditional treatment of respiratory and gastrointestinal complaints
**Historical use:**
* Indigenous peoples of Mexico used epazote medicinally before European contact
* The herb was traditionally employed as an anthelmintic against intestinal worms
* Epazote was incorporated into traditional Mexican cuisine, particularly bean dishes, both for flavor and its reputed digestive properties
* Colonial-era herbal medicine continued the use of epazote for intestinal parasites and digestive complaints
* Traditional midwifery used epazote preparations to stimulate menstruation and, historically, to induce abortion
**Parts used and method of use:**
* Fresh or dried leaves
* Seeds and flowering tops
Used as:
* Culinary herb
* Infusion or tea
* Decoction
* Traditional antiparasitic preparation
**Use in healing (modern herbal practice):**
* Culinary digestive aid for gas and bloating
* Traditional herbal treatment for intestinal parasites
* Traditional support for menstrual discomfort
* Investigated for antimicrobial and antiparasitic activity
* Used externally in some traditional practices for inflammatory or infectious skin conditions
**Pharmacology and biochemistry:**
* Ascaridole
* p-Cymene
* α-Terpinene and related monoterpenes
Mechanisms:
* Ascaridole and related essential-oil constituents demonstrate anthelmintic activity against several intestinal parasites
* Essential-oil constituents exhibit antimicrobial activity in laboratory studies
* Volatile compounds may influence gastrointestinal smooth muscle and digestive secretions
Overall profile: Epazote has genuine traditional and experimental antiparasitic activity, largely associated with its volatile oil and especially ascaridole. However, the same chemistry responsible for its antiparasitic effects can produce significant toxicity at medicinal or concentrated doses. Culinary use of the leaves is substantially safer than therapeutic use of essential oil or concentrated extracts.
**Common dosage:**
* Fresh culinary leaves: Small amounts used as a food seasoning
* Dried culinary herb: Approximately 0.5–1 g as a seasoning
* Infusion: 1–2 g dried aerial parts per cup of water, traditionally used occasionally
* Essential oil: **Not recommended for self-medication or internal use**
**Safety factors (including side effects):**
* Culinary quantities are generally considered considerably safer than concentrated medicinal preparations
* Large doses can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, or nervous-system toxicity
* Epazote essential oil is potentially toxic because of its high ascaridole content and should not be taken internally
* Pregnancy is a contraindication to medicinal doses because traditional use to stimulate menstruation or abortion may produce uterine effects and toxicity
* Long-term or repeated medicinal use is not recommended because of the toxicity associated with concentrated volatile constituents
**First aid / adverse reaction response:**
* Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain after excessive ingestion: Stop use and contact a poison centre or healthcare professional
* Dizziness, weakness, confusion, or loss of coordination: Seek urgent medical assessment
* Suspected ingestion of epazote essential oil: Contact a poison centre immediately; do not induce vomiting unless specifically instructed
* Seizures, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, or severe neurological symptoms: Seek emergency medical attention immediately
**Drug interactions:**
* Theoretical additive toxicity may occur with other substances that affect the central nervous system
* Concentrated preparations may theoretically interact with medications metabolized by hepatic enzymes
* Medicinal use alongside pregnancy-related medications or agents affecting uterine activity should be avoided
* General interaction considerations: Clinical interaction data are sparse; culinary use is unlikely to produce significant drug interactions, whereas concentrated extracts and essential oil warrant substantial caution
**Horticultural requirements:**
* USDA / Canadian zone: Zones 8–11 as a perennial; grown as an annual in colder Canadian climates
* Soil pH: 5.5–7.5
* Light requirements: Full sun
* Moisture: Moderate; prefers well-drained soil and tolerates relatively dry conditions once established
* Other notes (growth habit, harvest timing, etc.):
* Growth habit: Upright, strongly aromatic annual or short-lived perennial, commonly 30–120 cm tall
* Flowering/fruiting: Small green flowers occur in elongated clusters during summer and produce numerous tiny seeds
* Harvest timing: Young leaves are harvested throughout the growing season; flowering tops may be harvested before or during flowering
* Habitat: Roadsides, disturbed ground, fields, gardens, and warm open habitats
* Propagation/cultivation notes: Easily grown from seed; sow after the danger of frost. It prefers warm conditions, full sun, and moderately fertile well-drained soil and can self-seed readily
**Sampling of clinical reports / studies:**
* Modern clinical evidence for epazote as an anthelmintic is limited, and traditional efficacy should not be assumed to equal proven clinical treatment
* Pharmacological studies demonstrate antiparasitic activity of epazote essential oil and ascaridole against several helminths and protozoan organisms
* Phytochemical studies consistently identify ascaridole as a major volatile constituent, together with p-cymene, α-terpinene, and other monoterpenes
* Ethnobotanical evidence strongly documents the use of epazote among Indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America for parasites, digestive complaints, menstruation, and other conditions
* Overall assessment of evidence: Epazote has unusually strong ethnobotanical evidence for an American medicinal herb and compelling laboratory evidence for antiparasitic activity, but its therapeutic window is narrow. **It should be regarded primarily as a culinary herb rather than a self-administered antiparasitic medicine; concentrated preparations, especially essential oil, can be toxic.**
Educational Use Only: The information presented on this page is provided for educational, historical, and informational purposes only. ArdNemeton na Tuatha and Bhùth Draoi do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician and pharmacist before using any herb, mushroom, supplement, or botanical product for medicinal purposes. Traditional uses described herein do not constitute medical claims.