Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that results in the gradual loss of the myelin sheath of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Hydrangea is a herb traditionally used for facilitating the elimination of kidney or bladder stones. As of September 2011, there is no evidence showing that hydrangea has any effect on multiple sclerosis. Consult your doctor before taking hydrangea root for any medical condition.
About Multiple Sclerosis
The damage to the myelin sheath in the nerve cells in multiple sclerosis results in slower communication between the brain and different parts of the body. Common symptoms include visual, cognitive and memory problems, fatigue, muscle weakness, poor coordination and balance and loss of bladder control. The cause of multiple sclerosis is not known, but it is probably caused by a combination of genetic, environmental and viral factors. Multiple sclerosis affects women more than twice as often as men, and Caucasian people are more likely to develop it than people of other races. If someone in your family has multiple sclerosis, you have a greater risk of developing it, too.
Dietary Support
A study in the journal “Complementary Therapies in Medicine” reports that nutrition could be one of the environmental factors playing an important role in multiple sclerosis. In fact, many multiple sclerosis patients suffer from various forms of malnutrition. Independent studies suggest that vitamin D may have a protective role against the development of multiple sclerosis. A study published in the journal “Multiple Sclerosis” reports that intake of vitamin D is correlated with lower incidence of multiple sclerosis, while a review in the journal “The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society” confirms that vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher rates of multiple sclerosis, among other autoimmune diseases.
About Hydrangea Root
Hydrangea is used in traditional alternative medicine, along with several other herbs, as a diuretic and for bladder or kidney stones. Although there is no evidence for these actions, proponents of hydrangea claim that the root creates a coat around the fragments of the stones so they can be eliminated painlessly. Herbalist Simon Mills states in his book "The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism" that diuretic herbs can also increase blood flow to the kidneys and could treat and reduce the symptoms of urinary tract infections.
Dosage
You can consume hydrangea root in the form of dry powdered root or preparations made from it, such as syrup, tincture and tea. Typically you drink a tea made of 2 to 4 grams of dried hydrangea rhizome and root three times per day or simply add the powder to your food. If you prefer it as a syrup or tincture, the equivalent dose is 1 teaspoon of syrup or 2 to 10 milliliters of hydrangea tincture three times per day.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Bladder Stones: Alternative Medicine; January 15, 2011
- “The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society”; Vitamin D and Immune Function: An Overview; Hewison M.; August 2011
- “Multiple Sclerosis”; Multiple Sclerosis and Nutrition; Schwarz S., et al.; February 2005
- “Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery”; Nutrition in Multiple Sclerosis; Habek M., et al.; September 2010
- "The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism"; Simon Y. Mills M.A., M.N.I.M.H.;1988
- RealFoodco.com: Hydrangea
