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Nov 01, 2023

Clubmoss: Harmonious remedy for digestive disorders

2nd March 2023 Club moss – Lycopodium clavatum, family: Lycopodiaceae. Other names include; groundpine, clubfoot moss, foxtail,ground pine, lycopodium, vegetable sulfur, wolf’s claw and (kujekuje in

2nd March 2023

Club moss – Lycopodium clavatum, family: Lycopodiaceae. Other names include; groundpine, clubfoot moss, foxtail,ground pine, lycopodium, vegetable sulfur, wolf’s claw and (kujekuje in Yoruba).

Club moss is a low-growing,creeping, evergreen plant. It has dense spirals of bright, yellow-green leavesand a one meter long stem that sprawls on the ground. Spores are produced intwo to three cylindrical cones and are best when collected either in July orAugust. It is available in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere andgrows on higher altitudes, on grassy areas in highlands.

The phytochemical components of thisplant which attribute to its diuretic, carminative, anti-alcoholic,antispasmodic, anti-poison, anti-cirrhotic, and purgative propertiesinclude-alkaloids, radium, lycopodin, resin, gum, flavonoids, polyphenols andtriterpenes.

Parts used are the spores (wholelichen).

Club moss tea is prepared byinfusing one teaspoon of club moss in 150 mls of boiled water for 15 minutes. Acup per day is consumed slowly in the morning, on an empty stomach or at leasthalf an hour before breakfast. You may take another cup, 2 hours after dinner.

Equal amounts of club moss can also be combined with other plants like- dandelion, parsley, corn (styles) and chickweed. A quantity of 200 ml of the mixture is consumed 2 to 3 times perday, between meals, sweetened with honey, if desired. Please note that dosagesof different preparations made from club moss may differ and depend on theindividual.

Clubmoss is a plant used in treating andlessening various diseases of the body:

For digestive disorders-accompanied by too much bloating and formationof gas in the gastro-intestinal tract, club moss tea is recommended. Anacquaintance of mine, a victim of sickle-cell anemia suffered for years from abdominal bloating which is one of the symptoms of the disease. The stomach wasso bloated and very hard that nothing she wore fitted her and she always lookedpregnant. On recommendation, she got some club moss which she took daily andthis helped her very quickly.

The result gotten from this therapy was so amazing that I have ever since then recommended it to many people with bloatedabdomens and shapeless figures.

For muscle complaints: club moss is used for calming muscle cramps,thanks to its analgesic properties. If you are suffering from muscle cramps andgout, stuff up a small cotton pillowcase or cotton cloth bag with club moss andthen wrap the affected area in lengths of the club moss.

Other herbalsrecommend the pillowcase be placed over the liver or under the pillow while one sleeps. This may greatly help as an anti spasmodic.

Weakness and numbness of the limbs: onetablespoon used in decoction is topically applied 2-3 X daily.

For menstrual pain and other related problems associated with menstrualperiod- club moss helps with cramps and mood disorders, which are two thingssome women are said to go through in their monthly circle.

Foot baths and sitz baths with clubmoss infusions are respectively recommended for leg cramps and cramps in theother parts of the body.

For eczemaas well as wound healing – Its spores, dusted into powderand applied on the skin could ease skin irritation and itching. I have used itsuccessfully on open sores, bed sores and weeping eczema. I would add half a teaspoonof menthol crystals or camphor to a handful of club moss and apply as dustingpowder on skin diseases and skin eruptions. It can also be included in babypowders. You can add the club moss powder to shea butters and apply on cracksin the finger and also chronic eczema of the hands and fingers.

For hair manageability: add 10 drops of the tincture to water meant for washing hair to strengthen the hair and make it less friable, thuspreventing hair loss. It is noted to even promote fast hair growth.

Club moss is also said to be usefulin curing emotional disorders, anxiety, nervousness, intolerance, insomnia,night and day fears as well as talking and laughing during sleep.

Other uses of club moss includearthritis, chronic constipation and piles, urinary complaints, shortness ofbreath, food poisoning, hepatitis, infections in the chest and pneumonia. Itcan also be used to treat irritability, as well as alcoholism and eatingdisorders, inflammations of the testes, problems of the kidneys as well as theprostate, headaches, fevers, sore throats, exhaustion owing to flu, chronic drycoughs, chronic fatigue syndrome, erectile dysfunction, and ear ache among manyothers.

Safety: club moss can be toxic iftaken in high doses. Always use the plant under the supervision of aprofessional. It is recommended that people suffering from diarrhea use thisherb with caution, so that it doesn’t cause intestinal spasms.