What Are the Benefits of Aconite?

Aconite, deriving from the plant commonly known as "Monk's Hood," is highly controversial. It has been historically considered a deadly poison, and earlier times was used to poison the tips of arrows. However, modern herbalists such as the well-known French doctor Jacques Jouanny, M.D., are convinced that there are substantial therapeutic benefits derived from the chemical. Normally Aconite is ingested in an ointment or a tea. On occasion, it is taken as a tablet or injected as a liquid. While there is debate over whether Aconite is a viable and worthwhile treatment option given its poisonous qualities, authorities on Aconite agree that its effects are quick and lasting, and that it has a powerful effect on the body, for good or ill.

Older Viewed Benefits

• Nineteenth-century medical books, recently revived, hold that Aconite can be used as a diuretic and a diaphoretic (something that induces sweating). They also suggest that the chemical can be used to treat arthritis, pleurisy (lung pain) and lumbago.

Benefits in Pill Form

• Modern herbalists suggest that Aconite, if properly prepared and administered in pill form, has tremendous medical benefits. In general, writers such as Dr. Jouanny maintain that this chemical is an excellent, natural anxiety and stress reducer. It also can be used to treat all forms of aches and minor colds. Specifically, this chemical can be used to treat symptoms that appear suddenly and cause shock and fear in patients. In addition, it can also be used to treat headaches and problems affecting the eye.

Other Possibilities

• Even the highly critical Ayurvedic Medicines website suggests that there may be therapeutic uses for this chemical. The site mentions that in some tests, there are indications that the chemical can be used as therapy for headaches and inflammation, as well as hypertension. It also cites animal testing that suggests that Aconite has substantial anti-bacterial and anti-fungal qualities, but stresses that these qualities have not been used on humans.