Agave - Benefits, Uses and Side Effects

Botanical Name of Agave: Agave americana L.

Other Common Names: Century plant, American agave, American century plant, maguey, flowering aloe, American aloe, metl, spiked aloe.

The name agave comes from the Greek word "agauos", which means proud. It is also known by the name American aloe but agave is not related to aloe vera which is an entirely different plant that belongs to the aloe family and has its origins in Africa.

Habitat: Agave americana has its origin in the wild desert areas of Central America, particularly Mexico. Agave is now grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The plant has also been naturalized in India, Africa and Southern Europe.

Description: Agave americana is a large succulent plant of the Asparagaceae family. It has a powerful leaf rosette with gray-green or gray-blue leaves that can in tropical areas grow to be up to 1.75 meters long and 20 cm wide. The leaves end in a long, sharply pointed blade tip that can be 3 inches long. The up to 3 meters long inflorescence has horizontal branches and sits on top of a 6-12 meters high stems. The flowers are pale yellow and pollinated by butterflies and bats. In the tropics agave americana flowers after 10-15 years and in colder climates it can take up to 50 years to bloom.

Plant Parts Used: Leaves and roots.

Agave Plant
(Agave americana)
(Click on image to enlarge)
Attribution:Marc Ryckaert

Agave Herb

Agave Nectar by Now Foods

Therapeutic Uses, Benefits and Claims of Agave americana

• The juice made from the agave plant contains estrogen-like isoflavonoid, alkaloids, coumarins and vitamins B1, B2, C, D and K, and provitamin A.

The Herb Agave
(Agave americana)
Jacob Sturm, Johann Georg Sturma
Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen
1796.
• Agave americana has antiseptic, wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties which explain its uses externally as a medicinal herb to treat burns, bruises, minor cuts, injuries and skin irritation caused by insect bites. In Central America the juice from the agave plant has, for a long time, been used as a treatment for wounds. The Aztec and Mayans used agave juice and egg whites to make a poultice which was then laid on wounds to speed healing.
• Internally it has been used traditionally to treat ulcers, stomach inflammation, tuberculosis, jaundice and other liver diseases, syphilis and menstrual problems. Additionally it is used as a treatment for high fever by inducing sweat.
• A poultice made from the root and the leaves is often used to treat toothache.
• Agave americana has been used as an herbal remedy for weak digestion, intestinal gas and constipation. The juice has antibacterial properties and can be used internally to control the growth of decay bacteria in the stomach and intestines. Although agave seems laxative, the herb can also be used as a treatment for diarrhea and dysentery.
• This medicinal herb is the source for hecogenin, a compound used in the production of many steroidal drugs.
• Agave has also its uses as a food source. The flower stalks and the base leafs of agave americana can be roasted and consumed. A sweet juice which is tapped from the flower stalks can be drunk as juice or used to make an alcoholic beverage such as Pulque. Other agave species are also used to make traditional alcoholic drinks such as mescal and tequila, which is made from Agave angustifolia and Agave salmiana. The leaves from both agave americana and the sisal agave (Agave sisalana) are used to make woven mats and also to make paper. The sharp thorns at the tip of the leaves of Americans agave can be used as needles and nails.
• An extract of the leaves or the roots of agave is used to make soap. The plant contains saponins which have the properties to form a lather in water that can be effective for cleaning. The leaves or roots are cut into small pieces and then simmered in water for extraction of the saponins.

Dosage and Administration

All parts of the plant can be harvested as needed then dried for later use. Dried roots and leaves can keep for a long time. As of today there is no proven safe or effective dose for agave as an herbal medicine but as with most things moderation is always a good thing.

Potential Side Effects and Interactions of Agave

Agave americana should not be used internally by pregnant women. Large quantities of agave can cause irritation of the digestive system and even liver damage. The plant is known to be allergenic to some people and cause irritation and rashes. Caution is advised when the herb is collected and handled due to the sharp blades at the tip of the leaves.

Supporting References

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