Sheep Sorrel as an Herb

(Rumex acetosella)

Sheep's Sorrel is much smaller than either French or Garden Sorrel, and is often tinged, especially towards the end of the summer, with a deep red hue. It is an herbaceous perennial in the buckwheat family.

Sheep Sorrel grows in pastures and dry gravelly places in most parts of the globe, except the tropics, penetrating into Arctic and Alpine regions, and is abundant in Britain, where it is sometimes called Field Sorrel. It is usually found in meadows and can be picked in the summer for medicinal use.

Medicinal Uses for Sheep Sorrel

The whole herb is employed medicinally, in its fresh state.

Sheep Sorrel is high in oxalic acid, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, phosphorous, beta carotene, and vitamin C. It is a mild diuretic, mild antiseptic, and a mild laxative.

The juice extracted from the fresh plant is of use in urinary and kidney diseases.

Sheep's sorrel has been used in Native American medicine as an anti-cancer plant. It is an ingredient in essiac, the name of the concoction that is used. While it's been used for this purpose for many years, scientific evidence has yet to prove its efficacy in fighting cancer.

Sheep's sorrell is especially good for use long term to treat chronic bowel problems.

Sheep's sorrell may be taken as a paste, decoction, powder, juice or soup.

Cautions

Causes hay fever.

Do not take sheep's sorrell if you have problems with kidney stones.

---

DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Some plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals. Some plants used for illness in the past have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.