What is Pipsissewa?

Pipsissewa is a small evergreen plant that grows low in pine woods. Herbalists use the dried leaves and stems. Almost all of its old use is aimed at the bladder and the flow of urine.

People drank it as a tea for burning or stinging when they passed urine. It was also taken to help the body shed extra water, and for stiff, sore joints. Old root beer makers used the leaf for its taste.

This is a single herb, not a blend. Its Latin name is Chimaphila umbellata. You may also see it sold as prince's pine, ground holly, or king's cure.

Here is the plain verdict. The tradition behind it is long, but no human trials back these uses. Long use in the past does not prove that a herb works.

How does Pipsissewa work?

The leaves hold a compound called arbutin. In the body, some arbutin can turn into hydroquinone, which can slow the growth of germs in urine.

That idea is the base of the old bladder use. It comes from lab dishes and from work on related plants, not from trials in people.

No one knows how much hydroquinone reaches your bladder, or whether that amount helps. Hydroquinone can also be hard on the liver and kidneys in large or long doses. This is why short use is the rule.

What forms does Pipsissewa come in?

Dried loose leaf for tea is the most common form. One cup is made by steeping the leaf in hot water for ten to fifteen minutes.

You can also find it as a liquid tincture (an alcohol extract) and in capsules. It shows up in mixed bladder and kidney blends, so read the label to see how much is really in there.

A cooled, strong tea was once used as a wash for sore skin. It is rarely sold on its own today.

Where it comes from:

Pipsissewa grows across North America, Europe and northern Asia. Many Native American nations used it long before settlers arrived, and the name itself comes from a Cree word.

Western herb doctors took it up in the 1800s. It was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1820 into the early 1900s as a bladder and kidney remedy.

It also flavoured old root beer and candy. Today it is a minor herb, and it is protected or slow to regrow in some places.

What does Pipsissewa help with?

• Mild bladder irritation (burning or stinging when you pass urine): This is the main old use, and it rests on tradition alone. Lab work shows arbutin and chimaphilin can slow some germs. No human trial has tested pipsissewa for a bladder infection. A true infection can move to the kidneys, so see a doctor rather than treat it yourself.
• Fluid retention (holding extra water in the body): Herb books call pipsissewa a mild diuretic (water pill), meaning it makes you pass more urine. This has not been measured in people. Swelling can be a sign of heart or kidney trouble, so it needs a check-up, not a tea.
• Aching joints and muscles: One old name for it was rheumatism weed. It was drunk as a tea for stiff, painful joints. There is no trial evidence for this use, and lab findings on ursolic acid do not prove anything about people.
• Sore skin, as a wash: A cooled tea was dabbed on blisters, sores and rashes. Reports here are old and informal. Note that direct contact with the fresh plant makes some people's skin red and blistered, so this can backfire.
• Folk use for kidney stones: Some old texts list it for gravel and stones. There is no human study of this, and no reason to think it breaks stones up. Stone pain needs medical care.

Which foods are rich in Pipsissewa?

1. Old-style root beer: some early recipes used pipsissewa leaf for flavour, in tiny amounts
2. Old-style birch beer and boiled sweets: the same leaf was used for taste

Practical Tips:

These are flavour amounts only and are not a source of any herbal effect.

What are the side effects of Pipsissewa?

• Upset stomach or nausea (feeling sick)
• Passing urine more often
• Green or brown tinted urine
• Red, itchy or blistered skin after touching the fresh plant
• Rash or itching after drinking it, in people who are sensitive
• Ringing in the ears, headache or vomiting with large doses
• Strain on the liver or kidneys with long or heavy use

Good to know:

Most reports of short, normal use are mild, and stomach upset is the usual one. The serious worries come from hydroquinone, the compound arbutin turns into.

High or long use of arbutin herbs is linked to liver and kidney strain. Hydroquinone is also under review for cancer risk after long exposure. Stop at once if you feel sick, itch, or notice a rash.

How much Pipsissewa should you take?

• Recommended daily: No safe dose has been set by research. Old herb books suggest 1 to 2 grams of dried leaf as a tea, up to three times a day. For tincture, older sources give 2 to 4 mL, up to three times a day. Treat these numbers as history, not as advice. If you do try it, start at the low end.
• Best time of day: Spread the doses through the day. Take the last cup well before bed, since it may make you get up at night to pass urine.
• With or without food: Take it with food or a full glass of water. The tannins (dry, bitter plant compounds) can upset an empty stomach.
• Time to effect: Unknown. Old use assumed some relief in a day or two, but no trial has ever measured this.
• How long to take it: Keep it short. Herbalists limit arbutin herbs like this one to about one week at a time, and only a few times a year. If your symptoms are no better after two days, stop and see a doctor. Do not use it week after week.