Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Alchornea glandulosa is a South American tree, used in Brazilian folk medicine for stomach pain and sores. The leaves and bark are the parts people used. It is not a mainstream supplement, and most readers will never see it on a shelf.
The tree grows in Brazil, Paraguay and nearby countries. Local names include tapiá and tanheiro. Healers made water-based preparations from the fresh or dried leaves.
Here is the honest verdict. There are no good human trials of this plant for any use. Long folk use is not proof that it works, and it is not proof that it is safe.
Almost everything that is "known" about it comes from test tubes and from rats. That work is interesting, but it does not tell you what the plant does in a person. Treat it as unproven.
No one has shown how this plant acts in the human body, because it has not been tested that way.
Most of the proposed action centres on the stomach. In rats, leaf extracts reduced the size of stomach sores caused by alcohol or by painkiller drugs. Researchers linked this to mucus in the stomach lining and to antioxidant effects.
In test tubes, extracts slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Lab work has also looked at effects on herpes virus in cell cultures. Whether any of this happens in a living person is not known.
The plant is rich in tannins, which bind proteins and feel dry in the mouth. Tannins can tighten raw skin surfaces, which may explain its old use on wounds. That is a plausible idea, not a tested one.
So the short answer: the mechanism is a laboratory story. No step of it has been confirmed in people.
This plant is mostly used where it grows, not sold as a packaged product.
Forms reported in use:
- A water decoction of dried leaves or bark, simmered and drunk. - A simple infusion (tea) of the leaves. - A washed or crushed leaf preparation placed on skin sores.
- Alcohol tinctures made by small local producers. - Rare capsule or powder products from specialist online sellers.
There is no official quality standard for any of these. Online products are not tested by any regulator. Misidentified plant material is a real risk with uncommon tropical species.
Alchornea glandulosa has a documented place in Brazilian folk medicine, mainly in rural and forest communities.
Recorded past uses included stomach complaints, poor digestion and ulcers. Healers also applied leaf preparations to wounds, boils and skin infections. Some accounts list it for aches described as rheumatic.
Brazilian university groups began studying the plant in the 1990s and 2000s. That interest came from the folk reputation, not from any trial result. The research stayed in the lab and animal stage.
This page records that history. It is not a suggestion to copy it at home.
Stop and see a doctor if you get black or tarry stools, blood in vomit, or severe stomach pain. These can be signs of bleeding in the stomach, and they need urgent care. Also see a doctor if your skin or eyes turn yellow, if your urine turns dark, or if you feel unusually tired, as these can point to a liver problem. Get help for any rash, swelling of the lips or face, or trouble breathing after use. And see a doctor if a wound looks worse, smells bad, or spreads red streaks.
No country licenses Alchornea glandulosa as a medicine. In Brazil it is a folk plant, not a registered herbal product. In the United States it could appear as a supplement ingredient, but it is not reviewed for safety or effect before sale, and in the United Kingdom and the European Union there is no approved herbal registration for it.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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