What is Shepherd's Purse?

Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is a small wild plant in the mustard family. It grows as a weed across Europe and much of the world. The dried leaves and stems are used on their own as a tea or as drops.

This is a single herb, not a blend. Folk healers in Europe used it mainly to slow bleeding. The most common uses are heavy periods, nosebleeds, and small cuts and grazes.

Here is the short verdict. The plant has a long, clear place in Western folk use, but good human trials are thin. Long use does not prove that a herb works, so read the rest of this page with that in mind.

One more point before you read on. Bleeding is a sign, not a diagnosis. If you bleed a lot, or bleed at odd times, you need a doctor to find the cause first.

How does Shepherd's Purse work?

No one has proved how shepherd's purse acts in the body, and the honest answer is that it is not settled.

The old idea was that it makes small blood vessels narrow and makes the womb squeeze. A tighter womb sheds less blood. Lab tests on animal tissue do show some squeezing action, but tissue in a dish is not the same as a person.

The plant also holds tannins. These make surface tissue draw tight and feel dry, which may be why the crushed plant was pressed on cuts and grazes.

Other effects have been seen in lab and animal work. These include small drops or rises in blood pressure, mild water loss through the kidneys, and changes in heart rate. None of this has been shown to be useful or safe in people.

What forms does Shepherd's Purse come in?

Most people meet shepherd's purse as a dried herb tea or as a tincture, which is an alcohol extract taken as drops.

Other forms you may see are capsules of powdered herb, liquid extracts in glycerine, and fresh pressed juice. The fresh young leaves are also eaten as a salad green in some places, including parts of East Asia.

Injected forms were used in the past in hospitals. They are not used today and have no place in home use.

Where it comes from:

Shepherd's purse has been named in Western herb books for close to two thousand years.

Greek and Roman writers listed it, and it turns up in European folk medicine right through the Middle Ages. Midwives and country healers used it for heavy periods and for bleeding after birth.

It is also used as food and medicine in China, Japan and Korea, where it is known as a spring green. In the First World War, European doctors used it as a stand-in when supplies of stronger bleeding drugs ran out.

What does Shepherd's Purse help with?

• Heavy periods (heavy menstrual bleeding): This is the main reason people reach for shepherd's purse today, and it is the only use with any human research behind it. A few small trials have been reported, but we could not confirm a published trial we can name and cite. So the fair summary is that the evidence is weak and unproven. Heavy periods can come from fibroids, thyroid problems, clotting disorders or cancer. Get a diagnosis before you try any herb.
• Nosebleeds: Traditional use is strong here, and modern proof is absent. Herbalists soaked a plug of cotton in the tea or tincture and placed it in the nostril. No human trial supports this. Simple pressure on the soft part of the nose for ten minutes works and costs nothing.
• Minor cuts, scrapes and grazes: The crushed fresh plant or a cooled strong tea was pressed on small wounds to slow oozing. The tannins in the plant do make tissue draw tight, which fits the old use. There are no human trials. Clean the wound first, and never put plant material into a deep or dirty wound.
• Bleeding after childbirth (traditional use only, under medical care): This is a historical use, and we list it so you know why the herb has its reputation. It is not a home remedy. Bleeding after birth can become life-threatening within minutes. It needs a hospital, not a tea. Do not use this herb in place of urgent care.
• Blood in the urine linked to mild urinary irritation: European folk books list shepherd's purse tea for this. There is no human trial evidence at all. Blood in the urine always needs a doctor. It can come from infection, stones or cancer, and treating it at home wastes time.
• Mild diarrhoea: The tannins that make tissue draw tight are the reason the tea was used for loose stools. This use is minor even within tradition, and no human study backs it. Fluids and rehydration salts matter far more.

Which foods are rich in Shepherd's Purse?

1. Young shepherd's purse leaves: eaten as a spring salad green or potherb in Europe and East Asia
2. Nazuna, a shepherd's purse green used in the Japanese seven-herb rice porridge eaten in early January

Practical Tips:

Food amounts of the young leaves are much smaller than medicinal doses, but the same cautions apply if you are pregnant or on blood thinners.

What are the side effects of Shepherd's Purse?

• Upset stomach or nausea
• Drowsiness or feeling dull
• Headache
• Heart flutters or a racing heartbeat (palpitations)
• A rise or fall in blood pressure
• Skin rash or itching, especially if you react to mustard-family plants
• Heavier bleeding masked, so a real problem goes unnoticed

Good to know:

Most people who take normal amounts for a few days report nothing worse than mild stomach upset or sleepiness.

The more serious concerns are not common, but they matter. Reports and lab work point to effects on the womb, on blood pressure and on heart rhythm (the beat of your heart).

The biggest real-world risk is delay. Using this herb to quiet heavy bleeding can hide a condition that needs treatment.

How much Shepherd's Purse should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no officially established dose, because the herb has not been studied well enough to set one. Amounts used in Western herbal practice are roughly: 1 to 4 grams of dried herb steeped as a tea, up to three times a day; or 1 to 4 millilitres of tincture, up to three times a day. Product strengths vary a lot. Follow the label on the product you buy, and do not stack several forms at once.
• Best time of day: Take it during the days you are actually bleeding, spread across the day. There is no evidence that morning or night matters.
• With or without food: Either. Taking it with food may help if the tea or tincture upsets your stomach.
• Time to effect: Nobody knows, because this has not been measured properly in people. Traditional books describe an effect within hours to a day or two. If heavy bleeding has not settled within a day, seek care.
• How long to take it: Short-term use only. Most herbalists use it for the few days of bleeding, not every day of the month. If you are using it for heavy periods, stop and rethink after two or three cycles. If your bleeding has not changed, the herb is not helping and something is being missed. Do not use it for weeks on end without medical advice.