Squill | vital.ly

Squill

Scientific names: Urginea indica, Drimia indica, Scilla indica, Urginea maritima, Drimia maritima, Scilla maritima, Urginea scilla

Family: Liliaceae

Alternate names: Cebolla Albarrana, Charpentaire, European Squill, Indian Quills, Indian Squill, Jacinthe de Mer, Jangli Pyaj, Jungli Plyaz, Mediterranean Squill, Oignon Marin, Red Squill, Scilla, Scille, Scille Blanche, Scille Maritime, Scille Mort-aux-Rats, Scille Officinale, Sea Onion, Sea Squill Bulb, Squille, Urginée Fausse-Scille, Urginée Maritime, Vanpalandu, White Squill, Wild Onion

Actions: Cardiac, Gastrointestinal, Other

Scientific names: Urginea indica, Drimia indica, Scilla indica, Urginea maritima, Drimia maritima, Scilla maritima, Urginea scilla

Family: Liliaceae

Actions: Cardiac, Gastrointestinal, Other

Background

Squill is a plant native to Africa, India, and the Mediterranean. Despite serious safety concerns, the bulbs of the plant are sometimes used to make medicine.

Some people use squill for conditions such as asthma, patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), heart disease, and many others, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Using squill can also be unsafe and may lead to irregular heartbeat and other serious and life-threatening heart problems.

In manufacturing, squill is used in pest control as rat poison.

Safety Safety definitions

When taken by mouth: Squill is UNSAFE when taken by mouth. It can cause stomach irritation, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, vision changes, depression, confusion, hallucinations, irregular heartbeat, and skin rash. More serious side effects such as seizures, life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms, and death have occurred.

When applied to the skin: Squill is POSSIBLY SAFE when applied to the scalp as a 2% solution for 12 weeks or less.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

It is UNSAFE for anyone to take squill by mouth, but people with the following conditions have even more reasons not to use it:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's UNSAFE to take squill by mouth if you are pregnant. It might cause a miscarriage. It's also UNSAFE to take squill if you are breast-feeding.

Heart disease: Do not use squill if you have heart disease. It is unsafe and can cause serious adverse effects.

Low potassium levels: It's unsafe to use squill if you have this condition. Avoid use.

Stomach and bowel problems: Squill can irritate the stomach and intestines. Don't use it if you have any stomach or bowel conditions.

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.

Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions

Patchy hair loss (alopecia areata). Early research shows that applying squill 2% solution to the scalp for 12 weeks might improves hair regrowth better than clobetasol 0.05% lotion.
Asthma. Early research shows that taking a squill syrup might improve breathing by a small amount in people with moderate to severe asthma.
Fluid retention (edema).
Heart disease.
Inducing vomiting.
Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
Long-term swelling (inflammation) of the airways in the lungs (chronic bronchitis).
Thinning mucus.
Whooping cough.
Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of squill for these uses.

Dosing & administration

The appropriate dose of squill 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 squill. 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.