Butterbur has long been used as a medicinal herb to treat wounds, stomach pain, whooping cough, asthma and other respiratory ailments. You can take butterbur extracts to treat allergies, asthma and migraine headaches. Before taking butterbur, however, you should talk with your doctor to discuss any potential dangers, side effects or drug interactions.
Description
Two different species of butterbur are used for medicinal purposes, Petrasites hybridus and P. frigidus. Butterbur typically grows along marshes and stream- and riverbanks throughout parts of Asia, Europe and North America, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The plant tends to produce large, heart-shaped leaves that resemble those of the rhubarb plant. All parts of the butterbur plant are used in medicinal preparations, including the roots, leaves, rhizomes and flowers.
Medicinal Uses
You can take butterbur remedies to treat allergies, specifically hay fever or allergic rhinitis, migraine headaches and asthma. Butterbur may also help to ease muscle pain and prevent ulcers, notes UPMC. You can take one or two capsules three times daily of butterbur extract, standardized to contain 7.5mg of petasine in each capsule. Or take 50mg to 75mg twice daily of butterbur extract with pyrrolizidine alkaloids removed.
Function
Butterbur contains sesquiterpene compounds known as petasins, which inhibit histamine and leukotriene actions in your body, explains the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. These actions are what give butterbur its allergy-fighting and anti-inflammatory benefits. Petasins also have calcium channel-inhibiting actions that help to treat migraine headaches, Sloan-Kettering adds. The petasins in butterbur act to relax the smooth muscles in the lungs and uterus, as well as the blood vessels.
Scientific Studies
A 2002 human study found that taking butterbur extract provides anti-inflammatory effects for treating allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, states the University of Michigan Health System.
A 2004 double-blind study of 186 individuals found that butterbur significantly reduced allergic rhinitis symptoms over the course of just two weeks, notes UPMC. Another 2005 double-blind study of 330 people found that taking butterbur extract was just as effective in relieving symptoms as the commonly prescribed medication Allegra.
A 2004 three-month-long, double-blind study of 202 people with migraines found that taking 75mg of butterbur extract twice daily reduced the frequency of migraine headaches substantially better than placebo, reports UPMC.
Yet another open clinical trial published in 2004 found that taking an extract of butterbur root helped to treat asthma, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Warnings
Butterbur contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause severe liver damage when you take the raw herbal extract, warns the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. You should therefore avoid taking butterbur extracts that contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids to prevent liver damage, liver failure or even death, cautions the University of Michigan Health System. You may experience the mild side effects of gas and gastrointestinal upset after taking butterbur.
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