{"id":4447,"date":"2021-05-26T15:46:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T14:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/?post_type=herb&p=4447"},"modified":"2025-11-08T10:03:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T10:03:17","slug":"henbane","status":"publish","type":"herb","link":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/herb\/henbane\/","title":{"rendered":"Henbane"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":4451,"parent":0,"menu_order":-211,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"47224","beyondwords_content_id":"71b27440-336d-4d13-b714-e8af68f07068","beyondwords_preview_token":"fb75adb8-fc3f-42a9-b95b-7f5b21dc137f","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"tags":[384],"conditions":[685,696,695,697],"sustainability":[1576],"sense":[18,17,27],"western_action":[990,997,1019],"chinese_action":[],"ayurvedic_action":[],"energetics_action":[1498,1381,1494],"region":[1893],"class_list":["post-4447","herb","type-herb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-henbane","conditions-digestive-system","conditions-nervous-system","conditions-respiratory-system","conditions-urinary-system","sustainability-green-sustainability-status","sense-bitter","sense-aromatic","sense-sweet","western_action-analgesic","western_action-antispasmodic","western_action-sedative","energetics_action-bitter","energetics_action-neutral","energetics_action-sweet","region-western-herbs"],"acf":{"last_reviewed":"20210526","herb_author":null,"banner_text":"Henbane is a practitioner-only herb for antispasmodic conditions","latin_name":"Hyoscyamus niger<\/em>","pseudonym_name":"","family_name":"Solanaceae","herb_summary":"Henbane contains tropane alkaloids that are used in conventional medicine.","key_benefits":"Acute spasm in the digestive and urinary tracts\r\nFor the relief of symptoms of Parkinson's disease\r\nAsthma and whooping cough","how_does_it_feel":"Henbane has a bitter and acrid taste due to the alkaloids. The odour of the fresh plant is pretty revolting. Some describe it as like rotting flesh or fish, others say it is like bad body odour or mouldy potatoes. It is a sticky and malodorous plant!","hdif_image_1":4450,"hdif_image_2":4451,"hdif_image_3":4452,"hdif_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kejCLncDD40","sense":[31,18],"what_can_i_use_it_for":"\"\"This is a poisonous plant and thus in the UK it is legally restricted for use only by qualified herbalists and medical doctors.\r\n\r\nIt acts on the autonomic portion of the nervous system and is used for the relief of spasms, in particular within the urinary tract but also of use in cases of colic within the digestive tract and for bronchial spasm within the respiratory tract. It has been used in excessive salivation and tremor such as in Parkinson\u2019s disease.\r\n\r\nThe alkaloid hyoscine is used widely in conventional medicine in various formulations including for spasms in the gut, for nausea, an overactive urinary bladder, as a pre-operative medicine and in palliative care for excessive respiratory secretions or bowel colic.","into_the_heart_of":"The tropane alkaloids within henbane and other members of the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family such as Datura and Belladonna have an anticholinergic effect on the nervous system \u2013 in other words they dampen down the activity of the parasympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system, which activates and monitors those involuntary activities that take place within the body such as heart and breathing rate, blood pressure, digestion and urination. Hence this plant\u2019s traditional and modern day use for relaxing acute spasm and for the symptoms of Parkinson\u2019s disease.","tradtional_uses":"\"\"Henbane has a long history of use across our herbal medicine traditions. It was often used as an anaesthetic, analgesic, spasmolytic or sedative and was sometimes given to women in childbirth in combination with opium poppy to bring relief in the form of a \u2018twilight sleep\u2019 a practice noted on records from Wiltshire (5).\r\n\r\nPain-relieving necklaces were made from the root and placed around the necks of children to ease teething or prevent fitting (5).\r\n\r\nHenbane was one of the plants used in soporific sponges or\u00a0spongia somnifera<\/em> and pomanders or \u2018sleeping apples\u2019 used prior to anaesthesia back in the Middle Ages (6).\r\n\r\nIn Tibetan medicine the seeds have been used as a remedy against intestinal worms, tumours, toothache and inflammation of the lungs (7).\r\n\r\nA paste of the seeds is used in Ayurvedic medicine to be applied over painful joints, including for gout and also for neuralgic or dental pain. It is also prescribed for tremor in cases of Parkinson\u2019s disease and for spasm within the smooth muscle.\r\n\r\nIt has a tradition of use traceable back to the Babylonians and a long association with soothsaying, witchcraft and magic.","what_practioners_say":"[caption id=\"attachment_4453\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Henbane Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nCaution is key, and practitioners will only ever use such a herb if no other will suffice. Drop doses of this herb are usual and are prescribed when such circumstances arise, with a very gradual increase if required and never exceeding a maximum daily dose.\r\n

Digestive system<\/h3>\r\nHenbane can be a valuable remedy for severe spasm in the gut where other, milder herbs may not be as effective, including for use in biliary colic(gall bladder spasm). It can significantly slow down the transit time of the gut and reduce the secretory ability so has sometimes been used in cramping associated with severe bouts of diarrhoea.\r\n

Respiratory system<\/h3>\r\nDatura is sometimes thought to be more indicated for asthma, however henbane is also useful here and can also be helpful in cases of whooping cough.\r\n

Nervous system<\/h3>\r\nHenbane can be indicated in Parkinson\u2019s disease, for use in tremors or excessive salivation. In Ayurvedic medicine it is often used in a combination therapy for this condition (8). It is also of use in neuralgia and myalgia and can help with the symptoms of Meniere\u2019s disease and motion sickness.\r\n

Externally<\/h3>\r\nIt has been used topically in the form of an oil for neuralgia including sciatic pain and myalgia and gout.","research":"\"\"The different alkaloids have slightly different properties, however as a whole, henbane inhibits the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and thus has a dampening down effect on the parasympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system. Henbane causes a decrease in sweat, salivary, gastric and bronchial secretions, lessens the tone and motility of smooth muscle in the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts and increases the pulse rate.\r\n\r\nThere is a paucity of quality human trials data on henbane however, a recent small randomised clinical trial was carried out on the effects of propolis combined with henbane for clinical symptoms in patients with acute respiratory syndrome associated with Covid-19. The formulation was given to 50 patients of mixed sex between the ages of 18 and 75 in the form of a syrup. A significant improvement was observed in the intervention group on a number of symptoms including reduction of cough, shortness of breath and chest pain, compared to those on placebo. \u00a0These improvements became more pronounced with the increasing number of days of treatment. These initial findings are promising and call for larger studies (9).","did_you_know":"\"\"The genus name Hyoscyamus comes from the Greek hyoskyamos, \u2013\u00a0hys<\/em>\u00a0meaning pig and\u00a0kyamos<\/em>\u00a0meaning bean. Hog bean is also one of the herb\u2019s common names, perhaps because pigs can eat henbane without being poisoned, although other livestock don\u2019t have this protection.\r\n\r\nGerard the herbalist (1545-1612) says of henbane: \u2018The leaves, the seeds and the juice when taken internally cause an unquiet sleep, like unto the sleep of drunkeness, which continueth long and is deadly to the patient. To wash the feet in a decoction of henbane, as also the often smelling of the flowers causeth sleep\u2019 \u2013 referring to the potency of the plant, which can exert such effects even via the skin and respiratory system.\u2019\r\n\r\nIn the middle ages it was known as \u2018Witches herb\u2019, being made into an ointment along with other alkaloid-containing herbs and applied topically, giving the hallucinatory sensations of flying and bypassing the digestive tract to afford being able to take higher doses, although still very much risking death!\r\n\r\nThis anonymous individual summarised the danger of messing with Henbane: \u2018If it be used in sallet (salad) or in pottage (soup\/stew), then it doth bring frenzie, and whoso useth more than four leaves shall be in danger to sleepe without waking\u2019.","additional_information_right":{"illustration":237954},"additional_information_left":{"botany":"This striking-looking plant is one of 15 species within the Hyoscyamus genus. A member of the Solanaceae family to which belong tomatoes, tobacco, potatoes, peppers, aubergines and the medicinal members Deadly nightshade and Datura. There are annual and biennial forms of henbane, the biennial being thought to be superior for medicinal use (1).<\/span>\u00a0It can grow up to a height of around a metre. Thought to be native of a broad region of Eurasia, it has naturalised in many regions globally and whilst not considered a common plant, it has a reputation as a noxious weed in North America. It prefers disturbed or cultivated habitats but also thrives in wild coastal areas and relishes hot summers (2).<\/span>\r\n\r\nHenbane has pale green, coarsely-toothed leaves up to 30 cm long and burgundy-veined, creamy-yellow bell-shaped flowers, with a deep burgundy throat that appear from spring to autumn. The fruit is described as <\/span>pyxis<\/span><\/i> in shape \u2013 an urn-shaped capsule with a lid-like top that when opens spills the seeds. It has a certain sinister beauty about it. The entire plant is hairy, sticky and has a strong and unpleasant odour to entice the blowflies that are its main pollinators.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe fresh or dried leaves or flowering tops are used medicinally, occasionally the seeds.<\/span>","common_names":"