Pasuchaca

Geranium ayavacense en Geranium sessiliflorum

Low, rosette-forming cranesbills with a thick root. They contain tannins. Whether the tea lowers blood sugar has not been properly studied in people.

Safety notes

What is sold as pasuchaca is not always the same species. Diabetes needs long-term treatment: never replace medication and have your blood sugar checked. The plants grow in a small area and are collected from the wild. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.

Cautions by tradition (1)

Curanderismo of northern Peru: What is sold as pasuchaca differs from stall to stall. Never replace medication.

Preparation

The dried herb as a tea, often together with other plants used for diabetes.

Use in traditions

On the markets of northern Peru and Lima one of the best-selling remedies for diabetes; healers mix it with walnut leaf and culén, among others. It is also used for inflammation of the kidneys, liver and urinary tract. In 2013 researchers bought herbs sold as pasuchaca or hercampuri at the Mercado Aviación in Lima and found several species under the same name, each with different advice on the amount.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Curanderismo of northern Peru

Attributed effects

For diabetes, and for inflammation of the kidneys, liver and urinary tract.

Preparation and amount

Boil the dried herb briefly, often with walnut leaf and culén.

Caution: What is sold as pasuchaca differs from stall to stall. Never replace medication.

Ways to prepare herbs: Tea (infusion)

Sources

All herbs from South America →