Traditional methods of combating alcoholism include rehabilitation, medication, psychotherapy, and 12-step programs. Nonetheless, given the limited success of these options, alternative medicine is gaining traction. For example, herbal supplements, or botanical medicine, or phytotherapy, are the oldest form of healthcare known to man. Herbs have been integral to medicine and healing in nearly every culture throughout history. How to buy ibogaine hcl online.
The term drug is derived from the old Dutch word droog, which means “to dry,” as pharmacists, physicians, and ancient healers frequently dried plants for use as medicines. Even today, about 25% of all prescription drugs are still derived from trees, shrubs, or herbs. According to the World Health Organization, 74% of 119 plant-derived pharmaceuticals are used in modern medicine in ways that correspond directly to their traditional uses as plant medicines by native cultures.
The Chinese wrote the earliest known texts with instructions on how to use herbs as medicines around 2800 BC. Shen Nung is thought to have written The Great Herbal (Pen Ts’ao) around this time. He mentions 350 plants in this text, many still used today. The first Sanskrit medical texts, Caraka Sambita and Sushrata Sambita, similar in age to the Chinese texts, describe the use of 700 plants in India. Three primary herbs have been studied for alcohol addiction and are listed here.
Many conventional medicines, including aspirin, codeine, ephedrine, morphine, and quinine, are derived from herbs. The Mexican yam was even used to create the contraceptive pill. An estimated 250,000 to 500,000 plants are on the planet today, but only about 5,000 have been extensively researched for medicinal applications.
One reason for the scarcity of herbal medical studies could be that herbs, by definition, cannot be patented. As a result, drug companies cannot have the exclusive right to sell a specific one and are thus unmotivated to invest in testing or promoting them. On the other hand, herbs are widely available, and many have been studied for their effectiveness in alcohol addiction.
Kudzu (Pueraria Lobata) is a Chinese herb used in cooking and traditional Chinese medicine. Its use can be traced back to an ancient Chinese text called Ben Cho Gang Mu (Li, 1590—1596 AD). It is a naturally growing weed with three major isoflavones in its root: puerarin, daidzin, and daidzein. Kudzu was first introduced to North America in the southeastern United States in 1876. It was initially used to prevent soil erosion, but it quickly spread, engulfing farms and buildings.
According to preliminary research, heavy drinkers who take kudzu extract consume less beer when allowed to drink. So, by reducing total alcohol intake and binge drinking patterns, kudzu may reduce the likelihood of a slip resulting in a full relapse. However, kudzu does not appear to reduce the desire for alcohol.
Hormonally sensitive women should avoid kudzu. Breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids are a few of these conditions. In addition, when combined with other drugs with antiplatelet or anticoagulant properties, kudzu may increase the risk of bleeding.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is another promising herb used for centuries in Europe to treat liver problems. This herb has a unique ability to protect the liver from damage caused by alcohol and other poisonings. Milk thistle protects the liver and stimulates bile secretion. It has been used to treat hepatitis, jaundice, and conditions where the liver is stressed due to infection, excessive alcohol consumption, or chemotherapy.
Milk thistle is also known for its ability to cleanse and rejuvenate a liver that has been damaged. As a result, it’s commonly used to treat alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, liver poisoning, and viral hepatitis, as well as to protect the liver from the effects of liver-toxic medications.
Silymarin, a substance found in the seeds, is the active ingredient in milk thistle. Milk thistle may be beneficial for lowering mortality and improving liver function tests in patients with alcoholic liver disease, according to clinical research. Silymarin has successfully opposed alcoholic cirrhosis in baboons and was found to be effective against various liver injuries in rodents. In addition, Silymarin was studied in primates under controlled conditions and found to counteract alcohol-induced oxidative stress and delay the development of alcohol-induced hepatic fibrosis.
Controlled trials with silymarin in human patients with alcoholic liver disease revealed beneficial effects such as improved survival. Silymarin has been studied most exhaustively in alcohol-induced liver diseases. Total mortality was lower in silymarin-treated patients than in placebo-treated patients. As a result, it could be helpful as an adjuvant in treating alcoholic liver disease.
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