ECLIPTA (Eclipta alba, E. prostrata)
Latin: Eclipta alba, Eclipta prostrata
Sanskrit: Bhringaraja (alba)
Chinese: Han lian cao (prostrata)
WHAT IT DOES: Eclipta is
cooling in action. Ayurvedic eclipta (bhringaraja) is bitter in
taste, while Chinese eclipta (han lian cao) is sweet and sour in
taste. Both reduce inflammation, obstructive swelling and pain
from the liver and blood. They also calm stress and nourish the
hair roots.
RATING: yellow, due to limited applications.
SAFETY ISSUES: None known.
STARTING DOSAGE: dried powder, dried decoction or fresh leaf juice
• Dried powder: two grams two times per day
• 4:1 dried decoction: 500 mg two times per day
• Fresh leaf juice: one to two teaspoons three times per day
Two distinct species of eclipta are differentiated by my Ayurvedic
teacher in Nepal, one with white flowers, and one with yellow flowers
(Bajracharya, 1979). TAM doctors use eclipta to treat liver
cirrhosis, infectious hepatitis, and liver and spleen
enlargement. They boil the leaf juice with sesame or coconut oil
and apply it topically, both to retard graying of the hair and to make
the hair more luxuriant. Hair oils made with eclipta are available in
many Indian grocery stores. Doctors in Nepal use eclipta drops
dissolved in sesame oil to treat sinusitis, migraine headache, and
inflammation of the eye, nose, and ears.
TCM doctors use a similar species (milder in taste) internally to treat
dizziness, blurred vision, vertigo and premature graying of hair,
especially in cases of Yin deficiency. The simple combination of
ligustrum fruit (nu shen zi / Ligustrum lucidum) and eclipta is a
well-known and effective Yin tonic.
In 1996, I created a treatment by adding Ayurvedic eclipta to some of
the standard TCM herbs for hair loss. I soon had a regular
clientele of men and women using the formula. After an average of
three months of use (it takes time to grow hair), they reported better
results than we had previously experienced with the TCM formula
alone. I remember in particular a young African-American woman
who was so ashamed of her severe hair loss (complete with bald patches)
that she wore a cap at all times. After a year or so she came
back to show me her lush hair, all in beautiful braids.
Research Highlights
• In one study, topical application of fresh eclipta leaf juice mixed
with neem oil reportedly stimulated hair growth, and in some cases
changed gray hair to black (Chandra K, 1985).
• Seven pharmacological and histological animal studies reported in
India by the Central Council for Research on Ayurveda and Siddha have
shown strong protective effects on the liver. Histopathlogical
studies showed significant reduction in elevated liver enzymes and
alkaline phosphate, and healing of liver tissues, within four weeks
following chemical insults (reported in Pandey, 1996).
• The liver protective effects of eclipta (alba) seem to result from
its ability to regulate levels of drug metabolizing enzymes in the
liver (Saxena et al., 1993).
• Researchers have also reported a calming hypotensive effect (reported
in Pandey, 1996, Gupta, 1976), as well as anti-bacterial and anti-viral
activity (reported in Pandey, 1996).
• Additionally, eclipta (prostrata) and some of its constituents were
shown in animal experiments to neutralize toxicity and bleeding caused
by snake venom and mushroom toxins (Melo et al., 1994, Mors,
1991).
references