Lobelia
also known as Indian tobacco
A small North American plant historically called 'puke weed' for good reason — it causes vomiting at modest doses. Used traditionally as a respiratory herb and smoking-cessation aid, but lobelia's narrow safety window makes it inappropriate for casual self-use. This is a herb for trained practitioners, not the supplement aisle.
- Traditional use as a respiratory herb — antispasmodic action on the lungs
- Lobeline, the main active, weakly stimulates the same nicotine receptors as tobacco — historically used for smoking cessation
- FDA reviewed lobelia for over-the-counter smoking cessation products and rejected it for lack of efficacy
- Long history of use by trained herbalists at carefully measured doses
Related literature · not reviewed for these claims
These papers were imported by topic. They may concern plants, laboratory work, or different preparations. Inclusion here does not establish a human health benefit or support the claims above. How to read our sources →
- Interplay Between Traditional and Scientific Knowledge: Phytoconstituents and Their Roles in Lung and Colorectal Cancer Signaling Pathways.
- Latitudinal trends in mating system traits in the highly self-fertilizing Lobelia inflata revealed by community science.
- From cis-Lobeline to trans-Lobeline: Study on the Pharmacodynamics and Isomerization Factors.
- The use of babosa (Aloe vera) in treating burns: a literature review.
- Delusions of grandeur: Seed count is not a good fitness proxy under individual variation in phenology.
Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs · EMA Herbal Medicinal Product Monographs · American Botanical Council HerbMedPro · Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs · EMA Herbal Medicinal Product Monographs · American Botanical Council HerbMedPro