Jackass bitters
Neurolaena lobata
Herbs & Roots. Caribbean and Latin American & Amazon.
Also called Jackass bitter
Limited safety dataJackass bitters is a shrub from Central America and the Caribbean. Its very bitter leaves are brewed as a folk tea.
Did you know? It belongs to the daisy family, the same plant family as sunflowers and chamomile.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Infections. Lab and mouse studies show activity against malaria parasites, and some lab reports show antibacterial effects. Good human trials are missing.See the research: No trials in people found yetTraditional proof
- Fever. Used in folk tea for fevers and malaria. No good human trials exist.See the research: No trials in people found yetTraditional proof
- Blood sugar. Folk use for diabetes and lab results on blood sugar, but no good human trials exist.See the research: No trials in people found yetTraditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Healers in the Caribbean and Central America have brewed the leaves for fevers, malaria, dysentery and wounds. Some folk uses also include diabetes and inflammation.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Bitter, Anti-parasite, Anti-inflammatory. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Usually simmered as a bitter tea from dried or fresh leaves. No standard dose has been tested in people.
Tea and decoction.
Where to get it
Grows wild on forest edges and disturbed land in Central America and the Caribbean. It is sold locally in some markets and is not common in Western stores, so be wary of unlabeled products.
Be careful
Its leaves are known mainly for sesquiterpene lactones, compounds that can irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions. No human safety studies exist, so the effects of regular use on the liver are not known. Its chemical content also varies between plant populations, so doses are hard to standardize. Avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and avoid long-term use without medical advice.
Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; liver disease; diabetes medicines.
Mixing with other things
- Use cautionDiabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
Lab and animal studies suggest it may lower blood sugar, so it could add to diabetes medicines.
Adds up with others that may lower blood sugar: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 54 more.
The honest take
Jackass bitters has a long folk use in the Caribbean and Central America, and lab work has found some activity against germs and malaria parasites. Nearly all of that work is in test tubes and animals, and no good human trials exist. Its leaves are known for sesquiterpene lactones, and with no human safety studies, regular use calls for caution.
Sources
Each “See the research” link opens PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's index of medical studies, showing only trials and reviews done in people. The number tells you how much a use has been tested, not whether it worked. The proof rating tells you that.
Study counts checked October 2026.