American dogwood
American dogwood

Background

American dogwood is a tree. Historically, people made medicine from the bark. American dogwood bark is still used today as medicine, but not very often.

People use American dogwood for headaches, wounds, fever, ongoing diarrhea, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Be careful not to confuse American dogwood with Jamaican dogwood.
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if American dogwood is safe or what the side effects might be.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if American dogwood is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if American dogwood is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Effectiveness

NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Likely effective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
Likely ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions
  • Headaches.
  • Fatigue.
  • Weakness.
  • Fever.
  • Ongoing diarrhea.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Malaria.
  • Boils and wounds, when applied to the skin.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of American dogwood for these uses.

Dosing & administration

The appropriate dose of American dogwood depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for American dogwood. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

It is not known if American Dogwood interacts with any medicines. Before taking American Dogwood, talk with your healthcare professional if you take any medications.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.

Action

American dogwood might have some effects against malaria.
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This monograph was last reviewed on 30/03/2023 11:00:00 and last updated on 09/09/2020 22:34:32. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
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