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Botanical illustration of Ewe Taba
MedicinalSourced entry

Ewe Taba

Nicotiana tabacum

Tobacco, called taba in Yoruba. In southwestern Nigeria the leaf is used for nosebleeds and many other ailments, and as snuff.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • Toxicity2 notes →

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Ewe Taba?

Plant family
Solanaceae, the nightshade family
Parts used
The leaves
Where it grows
The Americas; now grown worldwide
Genus
Nicotiana
Species
tabacum

Also called

Tobacco

Regional names

Taba

Traditionally used for

  • Nosebleeds
  • Snuff (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Contains nicotine

Traditions that use it

Natural compounds

Nicotine

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • Tobacco damages nearly every organ in the body, causing cancer, heart disease, stroke and lung disease, and kills more than 7 million people a year. All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure. Nicotine is highly addictive.[1]Health agency

  • Handling fresh, green tobacco leaves can cause poisoning through the skin, known as green tobacco sickness, with nausea, vomiting, headache and stomach cramps. About 8 million people worldwide are affected, including women and children.[2]Study

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Among the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria, tobacco leaf is gently squeezed and put in the nose to stop nosebleeds. It's also used for many other ailments, including gonorrhea, thrush, typhoid fever and hemorrhoids, as a snake repellent, and in body creams and hair products. The dried leaves are ground for snuff or made into local cigars.[3]Study

In short

All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and nicotine is highly addictive.

Sources

  1. [1] Tobacco (fact sheet) — World Health OrganizationGovernment health agency
  2. [2] Green tobacco sickness: mecamylamine, varenicline, and nicotine vaccine as clinical research tools and potential therapeutics · DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2019.1570844Peer-reviewed study
  3. [3] Wandering through southwestern Nigeria: An inventory of Yoruba useful angiosperm plants · DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08668Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.