What is Amor seco (tick clover, desmodium)?

Amor seco is a low, sprawling legume whose seed pods stick to clothes and animal fur. Its botanical name is Desmodium adscendens. In Ghana it is known in Twi as koseakosee.

It grows across West Africa, and also in the Caribbean and South America. The parts above ground are dried and brewed as a tea. Healers used it for wheezing, coughs, cramps, loose stools and liver trouble.

Here is the honest verdict. Human evidence is very thin, and most findings come from animals and test tubes. Long traditional use does not prove that a remedy works, and it does not prove that it is safe.

How does Amor seco (tick clover, desmodium) work?

No one has shown clearly how amor seco acts in the human body.

In animal airway tissue, extracts relaxed smooth muscle. That is the muscle that tightens around the airways in an asthma attack. Whether a cup of tea does this in a human lung is not known.

In test tubes, saponins from the plant blocked some of the signals that make that muscle contract. This is a lab finding only. It has not been matched by a proper trial in people.

In rodents given liver poisons, extracts lowered blood markers of liver damage. Cell studies suggest the flavonoids mop up some reactive molecules. These are early signals, not proof of a liver benefit in humans.

What forms does Amor seco (tick clover, desmodium) come in?

Amor seco is sold and used in a few simple forms.

- Dried aerial parts (leaves and stems) for a tea or decoction - Loose powder, sometimes in sachets - Capsules or tablets of dried, powdered plant - Liquid extracts and tinctures in alcohol or glycerine - Fresh plant poultices, used in some village practice

In West African markets it is most often sold loose and brewed at home. In Europe and North America it is sold mainly as capsules or a liquid extract, often marketed for the liver. Labels rarely state how much saponin or flavonoid the product holds.

Where it comes from:

Amor seco has a long record in West African home and herbal practice, and it is widely known in Ghana as koseakosee.

Healers brewed the leaves and stems for asthma, coughing and chest tightness. The same tea was given for stomach cramps, loose stools and painful periods. Washes and poultices were applied to sores, boils and aching joints.

The plant travelled with people across the Atlantic. In the Caribbean and the Amazon it picked up the name amor seco and similar uses. From the 1970s, French herbal practice took it up for the liver, especially after hepatitis.

None of this history tells you how well it works today.

What does Amor seco (tick clover, desmodium) help with?

• Asthma and wheezing: This is the best known traditional use, and the best studied in the lab. Guinea pig and human airway tissue relaxed when exposed to extracts. That work was done on tissue in a dish, not on people breathing. There is no good trial showing fewer attacks or better lung function in humans. Amor seco is not a rescue treatment and cannot replace an inhaler.
• Cough and chest tightness: Healers brewed the tea for coughs and a tight chest. Any effect may simply be the warm fluid and the rest, which help most coughs. No human trial has tested amor seco for cough. If a cough lasts more than three weeks, get it checked.
• Liver complaints and recovery after hepatitis: This is the main selling point of European products, and the claim runs ahead of the data. In rodents, extracts lowered liver enzyme levels after chemical injury. Human reports are small, uncontrolled and old. There is no randomised trial showing it clears a viral infection or repairs a damaged liver. Treat liver disease with a doctor, not with tea.
• Stomach cramps and colic: Tradition used the tea for gripey pain in the belly. Lab work shows extracts relaxing smooth muscle, which is the same muscle that cramps in the gut. That is a plausible link, not a proven one. No human trial supports it.
• Diarrhoea: Village practice used strong decoctions for loose stools. Plant tannins can firm stools in general, but amor seco has not been tested for this in people. Fluids and salts matter far more. Blood in the stool, or diarrhoea lasting over two days, needs medical care.
• Joint and muscle pain: Washes and poultices were applied to sore joints and strains. Evidence is limited to traditional reports and some antioxidant activity in cell studies. No human trial has measured pain relief.
• Skin sores and boils: Crushed fresh leaves were laid on sores and boils. Laboratory tests show mild activity against some bacteria. Whether that happens on human skin is not established. A spreading, hot or painful skin infection needs a doctor, not a poultice.

What are the side effects of Amor seco (tick clover, desmodium)?

• Nausea
• Loose stools or mild diarrhoea
• Stomach ache or bloating
• Headache
• Drowsiness
• Skin rash or itching in people allergic to it

Good to know:

Reported side effects are mild and uncommon, but the record is weak. No large safety study has been done in people.

The gut effects are the ones users report most. Allergic rash is rare and is more likely if you react to beans, peas or peanuts.

We cannot rule out rarer harms, including liver effects, because nobody has looked properly. Stop and get advice if anything new or odd starts after you begin taking it.

How much Amor seco (tick clover, desmodium) should you take?

• Recommended daily: This page gives label ranges only, not advice for you. Capsule labels commonly state 500 mg to 1 g of dried plant, once or twice a day. Tea packs often suggest 1 to 2 g of dried aerial parts per cup. Liquid extract labels vary widely, so the bottle is the only guide. Products are not standardised, so the same gram weight can differ in strength. Ask a pharmacist or doctor before you add it to any medicine you take.
• Best time of day: Time of day does not appear to matter. No study has compared morning with evening use. Some people find the tea mildly settling, so they drink it in the evening. Pick a time you will remember.
• With or without food: Either is fine. There is no evidence that food changes how it works. If it upsets your stomach, taking it with a meal usually helps.
• Time to effect: Be honest with yourself here: it may do nothing at all. Traditional reports describe easing of cramps or chest tightness within hours. Those reports are not measurements. For liver claims, products suggest weeks, and no trial backs that timeline.
• How long to take it: There is no tested safe length of use. Trials long enough to answer that question have not been done. Traditional use was mostly short, for a bout of illness, not for years. Most labels suggest a few weeks at a time. If you feel no change after a few weeks, longer use is unlikely to help.