Caribbean Bush Medicine and Bush Teas: Tradition, Evidence and Safety

What this page covers

"Bush medicine" and "bush tea" are everyday terms for home herbal remedies in the Caribbean. Practices differ between islands, families and communities, and this page cannot speak for all of them. Most of the research we could read comes from Jamaica, so that is where the numbers come from. Faith-based and spiritual healing is a separate topic: see Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin spiritual traditions. For the wider region, see Latin American and African herbal traditions.

Evidence labels: established, promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, preclinical, traditional use only.

How common is herbal use in Jamaica?

A household survey of 372 adults found 72.6% (270 people) had treated themselves with herbs in the previous year, most often for respiratory and stomach complaints and as tonics. [1] About 27% of those users (72 people) also took pharmaceutical medicines, and the authors noted that physicians had limited awareness of this. [1] In western Jamaica, among people with high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, 98% used alternative treatments, mainly herbal. [2] Family elders and religious faith played key roles. [2] Many people (76-90%) did not tell their healthcare providers, and about one-third believed herbal medicines should always be used instead of prescription medication. [2]

Herbs are part of family and community care, and they are worth talking about openly with a clinician or pharmacist. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own: see talking with a health professional.

Cerasee (Jamaican bitter melon)

Cerasee is the Jamaican name for Momordica charantia, also called bitter melon. [3] Research on blood sugar is mixed:

Safety: Memorial Sloan Kettering says bitter melon cannot be recommended as a replacement for insulin or diabetes drugs, and it may add to their effect. [6] Animal studies suggest it may cause birth defects, so avoid it in pregnancy. [6] Case reports include severe kidney injury. [6] If you take diabetes medicine, low blood sugar is the practical worry: ask your pharmacist.

Soursop (graviola) leaf tea

Soursop leaves and stems are used in traditional medicine for inflammation and infection, and in some Caribbean countries graviola is a common herbal remedy among people with prostate, breast and colorectal cancer. [7] Memorial Sloan Kettering found no proof of benefit for cancer patients. [7] Lab alkaloids caused movement disorders, and a Guadeloupe study linked related fruit and herbal tea to atypical parkinsonism, which is an association needing a larger study. [7][8] It may lower blood sugar and blood pressure. [7] Details: Amazonian plants in traditional use.

Sorrel (hibiscus)

Sorrel is the name for Hibiscus sabdariffa. [9] A meta-analysis of 13 trials found hibiscus lowered blood pressure compared with placebo in people with mild-to-moderate hypertension, but it was not better than blood pressure drugs. [10] If you take blood pressure medicine, ask before using it regularly. See hibiscus tea.

Quality: what is in the bush

A Jamaican study tested bush teas from high-cadmium soil areas. Cup-level exposure was well below the WHO weekly limit, but some plant samples exceeded the WHO guideline for medicinal plants. [11] Plants grown in soil high in metals can carry some of them into the tea. See product quality and contamination.

Safety checklist

• Name the plant exactly when asking a pharmacist; local names vary between islands.
• Check medicines for diabetes, blood pressure and blood thinning first.
• Pregnancy, children and kidney or liver disease: ask a clinician first. See pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Chest pain, confusion, fainting, repeated vomiting or very low blood sugar are reasons for urgent care. In the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222; see poison help by country.