Blackjack is used as a medicinal plant in many regions of Africa.
Benefits of Blackjack
The blackjack plant has been used in traditional medicines for many years. It’s said to be able to treat more than 40 disorders.
The plant has been reported as useful in treating illnesses such as:
Headache
Diarrhea
Arthritis
Scientific research on the blackjack plant has been mostly animal and test-tube studies. More research is needed to find out the benefits of Bidens pilosa on humans.
Diabetes. Bidens pilosa has been traditionally used as an herb for diabetes. Early studies have found that the compounds in the plant may have an anti-diabetic effect on animals. Research is still in its early stages, and it’s not clear if these findings apply to people.
Antioxidants.Antioxidants are substances that may delay or prevent some cell damage. This damage is caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules created when oxygen is metabolized.
An antioxidant-rich diet may help lower your risk of many diseases, such as:
Certain cancers, like stomach and bowel cancers
Heart disease
Liver disease
Plants are rich in antioxidant compounds. Over 200 naturally occurring compounds have been identified from the blackjack plant. These include.
60 flavonoids
25 terpenoids
13 aromatics
So far, the bioactivity of these compounds haven’t been fully investigated. More research is needed to find out the benefits of these compounds.
Anti-inflammatory properties. Another Bidens pilosa benefit is that it may have anti-inflammatory activities. Acute inflammation is your body’s response to injury or illness. This helps start the healing process. But when you’re not sick or injured, and your body continues to send inflammatory cells, this is known as chronic inflammation.
Experts say that chronic inflammation is associated with various diseases like:
Cancer
Heart disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Type 2 diabetes
Alzheimer’s disease
Early studies show that Bidens pilosa extract may be able to reduce inflammation and help reduce immune response.
High blood pressure. Early research has shown that the compounds in Bidens pilosa may be potentially useful in the prevention of high blood pressure (hypertension). But like many of the benefits of the blackjack plant, more research is needed to find out how this affects people.
Malaria. Scientists say that some of the naturally occurring compounds in the blackjack plant have the potential to be useful against malaria. Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that infects mosquitos. The use of drugs has resulted in drug resistance in these malaria-causing parasites.
Antibacterial activity. Blackjack plant extract and its compounds may have antibacterial uses. One study found that essential oils of blackjack flowers and leaves had moderate levels of antibacterial activities. Another study found that a compound in the blackjack plant was highly effective against several bacteria, such as the drug-resistant bacteria Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Antifungal use. Bidens pilosa has been used in traditional medicine to treat bacterial infections. Scientists say that the essential oils of the plant have more anti-fungal activity than the extracts.
Healing wounds. In countries such as Venezuela, Brazil, and Cameroon, the blackjack plant has been traditionally used to treat wounds. Early research found that applying blackjack plant extract may help close wounds faster.
Skincare. Bidens pilosa extract may have benefits for your skin. An early lab-based study found that some of the components of Bidens pilosa, such as phytanic acid, may have effects on your skin that are similar to retinoids. Topical retinoids that are currently used to treat skin problems may cause side effects such as dryness, burning, and photosensitivity.
The study found that Bidens pilosa may help to maintain the elastin and collagen fibers in your skin. This means it has the potential to be an ingredient in skin-repair and anti-aging skincare products.
