The sea poppy has a long history of use in European homemade medicine, serving to treat gallstones and ailments of the liver and stomach. Presently, Glaucium flavum is being studied in an attempt to isolate beneficial properties of its alkaloids, focusing especially on cancer treatment. Effects currently understood include: the inhibition of cancerous cells (in rabbits), significant antiviral and antibacterial power (in mice), and use as a cosmetic (pigmentation) treatment. In advanced doses, this plant is known to take the form of a depressive inebriant and - in even heavier doses - as a toxin.