Food for Health
Food for Health
Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum)
Ingredients

Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum)

Explore the available health information, treatment context, and integrative evidence for Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum).

Background
  • Labrador tea is a small, aromatic shrub with a narrow, leathery leaf. It is also known as Hudson Bay tea and is used as a spice for meat.
  • Native American tribes used labrador tea to treat a variety of ailments including headaches, asthma, colds, stomachaches and kidney ailments. It was also used topically as a wash for burns, ulcers, pruritus (severe itching), dry skin, dandruff, and lice. The plant is also said to have mild narcotic properties and was used by Native women before childbirth.
  • Theoretically, if too much tea is ingested it may be cathartic (produces bowel movements) and may cause intestinal problems. Currently, no scientific studies in humans or animals are available involving labrador tea.