Blood leaf / bloodroot

What is Blood leaf / bloodroot?

Blood leaf is a soft shrub, Justicia secunda, from West Africa and tropical America. In Igbo it is called ogwu obara, which means "blood medicine". The leaves make a deep red tea that people drink to "build blood".

Most people use it for tiredness and low blood counts. It is also taken for sickle cell disease, heavy periods and recovery after childbirth. You will find it as fresh or dried leaf, juice, powder and capsules.

Here is the plain verdict. Nearly all the research is in rats, mice and test tubes. Good human trials are missing, so the blood-building claim is not proven.

Long use in a tradition is not proof that a plant works. It is also not proof that it is safe.

One warning about the name. "Bloodroot" is also a common name for Sanguinaria canadensis. That is a different North American plant that can burn the skin and is harmful if swallowed.

So check the Latin name on any product. This page is about Justicia secunda only.

How does Blood leaf / bloodroot work?

No one has shown how blood leaf acts in the human body. The research so far is early.

In rats given drugs that destroy red blood cells, leaf extracts helped haemoglobin recover faster. Haemoglobin is the red protein that carries oxygen. These were small animal studies, not human trials.

In test tubes the red pigments act as antioxidants. That means they mop up reactive molecules that can damage cells. Whether this happens in your blood is not known.

The leaf does hold some iron, calcium and folate. The amount in a cup of tea is small. That alone is unlikely to fix a true iron shortage.

In animal studies, extracts also lowered blood sugar and blood pressure a little. These effects have not been confirmed in people.

Some plants in the Justicia family contain lignans that kill cells in lab dishes. This is lab work only. It is not a reason to drink the plant, and not a cancer treatment.

What forms does Blood leaf / bloodroot come in?

Fresh or dried leaf, steeped or boiled into a red tea, is the usual form.

Fresh leaf juice is pressed and drunk in parts of West Africa and the Caribbean. Crushed leaves are sometimes laid on cuts and sores.

Dried leaf powder and capsules are sold in markets and online. Some packaged "blood tonic" mixes add blood leaf to other herbs, iron or vitamins.

Mixed products are the hardest to judge. You often cannot tell what else is in them, or how much.

Quality control varies a lot. Labels rarely state extract strength, and mislabelled plants do turn up.

Where it comes from:

Blood leaf has a long record in West African home medicine. Igbo healers knew it as ogwu obara, the blood medicine.

It was given for weakness, pale skin and "poor blood". Women were also given it after childbirth and for heavy periods.

Healers in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon used it during sickle cell crises. Leaves were also laid on wounds and boils in some areas.

The same plant travelled to the Caribbean and Latin America. There it was drunk as a red tea for tiredness and "thin blood".

Most written records come from the last century, through plant surveys and interviews with healers. This page describes those past uses. It does not suggest you copy them.

What does Blood leaf / bloodroot help with?

• Anaemia (low red blood cells) and "low blood": This is the main traditional use. Healers gave the red tea to people who looked pale and tired. Rat studies show faster haemoglobin recovery after the blood is damaged by a drug. Human trials of good quality are missing. Anaemia has many causes, such as iron loss, bleeding, infection or inherited disease. Each needs a different treatment, so it needs a blood test first.
• Tiredness and weakness: Tradition linked blood leaf with energy and strength. The claim grew out of its use for "poor blood". No human trial has measured energy or tiredness with this plant. Long-lasting tiredness deserves a check for anaemia, thyroid problems and other causes.
• Sickle cell disease support: In Nigeria the tea was given during painful crises and between them. Some lab work suggests extracts slow the sickling of red cells in a dish. That is test-tube work. It does not show fewer crises in people. Sickle cell disease needs medical care. Do not drop hydroxyurea, folic acid or pain treatment for this tea.
• Recovery after childbirth: The tea was commonly given to new mothers to replace lost blood. There is no human trial behind this. Bleeding after birth can be serious. Heavy bleeding needs urgent medical care, not a home tea.
• Heavy or painful periods: Tradition used blood leaf for heavy monthly bleeding. No clinical study supports this use. Heavy periods are a common cause of iron shortage. A doctor can test your iron and look for a treatable cause.
• High blood pressure: Some West African healers used the leaf for "hot blood" and headache. In animal studies, extracts lowered blood pressure a little. This has not been shown in people. It also means the tea could add to the effect of blood pressure drugs.
• High blood sugar: Folk use for diabetes is reported in several countries. Rat studies show a modest drop in blood sugar. No human trial has confirmed it. If you take diabetes medicine, the combined effect could push your sugar too low.
• Minor wounds and skin sores: Crushed leaves were pressed onto cuts and boils. Lab tests show some activity against bacteria. Whether that works on real skin is not established. Deep, dirty or spreading wounds need proper care.
• Fever and malaria symptoms: The leaf appears in some local fever mixtures. Lab screens of related plants show weak activity against malaria parasites. There is no human evidence here. Malaria is dangerous and needs tested drugs, fast.

What are the side effects of Blood leaf / bloodroot?

• Nausea or stomach upset
• Loose stools or constipation from tannins
• Dizziness or light-headedness, especially if your blood pressure is low
• Low blood sugar signs such as shakiness or sweating, if you take diabetes drugs
• Skin rash or itching (allergy)
• Reduced iron uptake from meals
• Harmless red or dark colour in urine or stool

Good to know:

Reported side effects are mostly mild and settle when people stop.

But safety has never been tested in a proper human trial. So rare or long-term harms would not yet be known.

The bigger risk is not the tea itself. It is using it in place of tests and treatment for a real blood problem.

How much Blood leaf / bloodroot should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no agreed dose, and none has been tested properly in people. Labels on dried leaf often suggest about 1 to 2 grams brewed as a tea, once or twice a day. That is a label figure, not advice for you. Strength varies between batches, brands and brewing times. Mixed "blood tonic" products may also contain iron, which carries its own risks.
• Best time of day: Timing is not likely to matter much. Tradition favoured the morning. The tea is high in tannins, which can block iron from food. Many people keep it away from meals and iron pills for that reason.
• With or without food: Taking it with or soon after food is gentler on the stomach. The tannins can upset an empty stomach. But those same tannins cut iron uptake from a meal. If you take iron tablets, keep them well apart from the tea.
• Time to effect: No honest answer exists, because the effect itself is unproven. Real anaemia takes weeks to improve, even with correct treatment. If a few weeks of tea change nothing, that is a common outcome. It may do nothing at all. Feeling better is not the same as a rising blood count.
• How long to take it: Traditional use was short, often a few days to a few weeks. Nothing is known about taking it for months or years. If you are using it for a blood problem, the sensible step is a blood test. A trial of any herb should not replace that.