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Botanical illustration of Cardiospermum Halicacabum
MedicinalSourced entry

Cardiospermum Halicacabum

Cardiospermum halicacabum

Balloon vine, a climbing plant with papery, balloon-like seed pods, eaten as a leafy vegetable in India and used in traditional Indian medicine for rheumatism, pain, coughs and skin diseases.

What is Cardiospermum Halicacabum?

Plant family
Sapindaceae, the soapberry family
Parts used
The leaves and whole plant; the leaves are eaten as a green vegetable in India
Where it grows
Found on almost every continent
Genus
Cardiospermum
Species
halicacabum

Also called

Balloon Vine, Love in a Puff

Traditionally used for

  • Rheumatism (traditional)
  • Pain (traditional)
  • Cough (traditional)
  • Skin diseases (traditional)
  • Leafy vegetable

Traditionally described as

  • Antioxidant (in lab studies)
  • May help reduce inflammation (in lab and animal studies)

Health topics

Where Cardiospermum Halicacabum appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

  • Joint Discomfort

    Used in traditional Indian medicine for rheumatism. Not tested in people.

Traditions that use it

  • Ayurveda

    Used in traditional Indian medicine for rheumatism, belly pain, back pain, coughs, skin diseases and fever.

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Balloon vine is a well-known leafy green vegetable in India. In traditional Indian medicine it's used for:

    • Rheumatism and lower back pain
    • Belly pain
    • Swelling of the testicles and fluid build-up (dropsy)
    • Skin diseases
    • Coughs
    • Nervous complaints and fever
    [1]

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In lab and animal studies, balloon vine extracts have shown antioxidant activity, may help reduce inflammation, and have protected nerve cells from damage.[2]

In short

Not studied in people.

Sources

  1. [1] Ethnomedical, phytochemical and pharmacological insights on an Indian medicinal plant: The balloon vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn.) · DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115143Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Cardiospermum halicacabum: A Scoping Review on its Phytoactives, Neuroprotective, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antioxidant Potential · DOI: 10.2174/0118715249382675251026140404Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.