Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria (40 page)

The bone marrow, and to some extent the thymus, manufactures other types of white blood cells that fight infections. Two of the most important are phagocytes and neutrophils. Phagocytes exist in three forms (monocytes, macrophages, and granulocytes). As macrophages they rove the body looking for foreign bodies, engulf invading bacteria, and help clean up residues of white blood cells and bacteria during and after infections. They also alert the neutrophils, which attack and destroy bacteria and viruses, of the presence of disease organisms.

All these various parts of the immune complex can be supported and kept healthy. A strong immune system means that infections are less frequent and healing is quicker.

A number of herbs stand out when it comes to strengthening, rehabilitating, or enhancing the immune system. All of them can be used long term; few have any side effects. Though some of these herbs are active against specific disease organisms, their strength lies in enhancing various aspects of the immune system, offering protective activity against toxins or disease for specific organs in the body, antitumor activity, and/or tonic and restorative activity for general debility in the body or immune system. Many of these plant medicines are also considered to be antistressors and adaptogens. They protect the body from the effects of stress and stimulate the body, and especially the immune system, to more effectively deal with adverse events—internal or external.

Family:
Solanaceae

Common Names:
Ashwagandha • Indian ginseng • winter cherry

Species Used:
After intense fisticuffs it was decided that there are six species in this genus.
Withania somnifera
is the species most commonly known as an immune herb. However, two other
Withania
species,
Withania obtusifolia
and
W. coagulans
, are used in much the same manner.
W. obtusifolia
has a long history of use in the Sudan while
W. coagulans
(especially the fruit) has long been used in Pakistan and India.
W. coagulans
is so termed because it is a powerful coagulating agent and is used in place of rennet by Indians to make cheese. (
Obtusifolia
is so named because its leaves are obtuse, that is, “lacking in insight or discernment,” and is used in place of aware perception by taxonomists.)

The root is almost exclusively used in Western practice (a few people are starting to use the berry), the whole plant in the rest of the world.

Dry root:
1:5, 70% alcohol, 30–40 drops up to 3x daily.

Fresh leaf:
1:2, 95% alcohol, 10–30 drops up to 3x daily.

Dry seed:
1:5, 65% alcohol, 15–30 drops up to 3x daily.

Fresh fruit:
1:2 (grind the whole mess well), 95% alcohol, 15–30 drops up to 3x daily.

Take 500–1,000 mg daily, though in Ayurvedic practice 3–6 grams are used daily.

Some people, sigh, are standardizing the root capsules to 1.5 percent withanolides. Others are producing both 1:4 and 1:2 tinctures. All may be stronger than the whole, not-altered root and root tinctures … but maybe not.

Avoid high doses in pregnancy, as it may be abortifacient in large doses. May cause drowsiness. Take the herb after dinner to find out just how sleepy it makes you before using it during the day. In rare instances: diarrhea, GI tract upset, vomiting at large doses.

May potentiate barbiturates (anecdotal); don't use with sedatives and anxiolytics.

Ashwagandha is native to the dry regions of India and is now fairly prolific throughout northern Africa and the Mediterranean, essentially your warm, semi-arid climates that get some good rain during the rainy season. It's a small, perennial, bushy, woody shrub to about 2 feet tall, though with a lot of care, water, and fertilizer it can grow to 6 feet. The plant produces orange-red fruits looking much like cherries (hence that common name) that are enclosed in a papery husk. Ashwagandha is similar in appearance to both ground cherry and Chinese lantern. The roots are long, tuberous, and brown.

The plant is little grown (or known) in the United States but is a rather common agricultural plant in its region. It does well in warm, semi-arid to arid climates as long as it gets some water now and then. Perfect for parts of Arizona and Southern California—good in zones 8 and warmer. It is a hardy evergreen perennial to temperatures to just above freezing (and can survive occasional drops to as low as 15°F) but does well as an annual pretty much anyplace it is warm enough. It needs at least a 200-day growing season to reach maturity but will produce a decent root system in 100 days if that's all you've got.

Actions

Root

Alterative

Amphoteric

Antibacterial

Antifatigue

Anti-inflammatory

Antioxidant

Antipyretic

Antistressor

Antitumor

Anxiolytic

Astringent

Chondroprotective

Collagenase inhibitor

Diuretic

Hematopoietic

Immune tonic

Immunomodulant

Insomnia reliever (especially stress- or disease-induced)

Nervine

Neuroprotective

Leaf and stem

Antibacterial

Antimicrobial

Antipyretic

Antitumor

Astringent

Bitter

Diuretic

Febrifuge

Nervine

Seed

Coagulant

Diuretic

Hypnotic

Fruit

Alterative

Antibacterial

Astringent

Immune tonic

Ashwagandha is propagated by seed and it grows easily. Sow in early spring indoors. Germination is in about 15 days. Plants really like full sun and fast-draining soil with some limestone in it (alkaline soil lover). The plants are intolerant of wet soils. Harvest the roots just after the cherries become ripe. Dry the cherries for use the next year as new seed stock. Cut the roots into smallish pieces, and dry out of the sun. Store in plastic bags when well dried, in plastic tubs in a cool, dark location. The leaves can be harvested at any time.

The major constituents are steroidal alkaloids and steroidal lactones: withanine, somniferine, somnine, somniferinine, withaninine, pseudo-withanine, tropine, pseudo-tropine, ashwagandhanolide, cuscohygrine, anferine, anhydryine, sitoindoside 7 and 8, a lot of other stuff, and a bunch of steroidal lactones in the leaves called withanolides. Withaferin A in the leaves has tremendous antitumor activity.

The primary traditional uses of the herb have all been in the Ayurveda system in India.

A major plant in India for at least three thousand years, ashwagandha is considered to be tonic, alterative, astringent, aphrodisiac, and a nervine sedative. It has been used for TB, emaciation in children, senile debility, rheumatism, general debility, nervous exhaustion, brain fog, loss of memory, loss of muscular energy, and spermatorrhea. Its primary use is to restore vigor and energy in a body worn out by long-term constitutional disease or old age.

Unknown as far as I can determine.

A recent plant to the West, almost an herb-of-the-day.

There have been an increasing number of studies on ashwagandha since 2000; there are about 400 of them on pubmed as of 2011. Here's a sampling:

Clinical trial, antistressor activity:
100 men and women in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. The herb significantly reduced stress in all who took the herb.

Clinical trial, hemoglobin effects:
A double-blind study with 60 healthy children age 8 to 12 years. There was a marked increase in level of hemoglobin at the end of 30 days and in packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, serum iron, and hand grip at the end of 60 days.

Clinical trial, hemoglobin effects:
A double-blind study with 101 healthy men age 50 to 59 years. Each took 3 grams per day of ashwagandha for 1 year. All showed significantly increased hemoglobin and RBC count, improvement in melanin, and decreased SED rate, and three-quarters of them reported increased sexual performance.

In vitro, antibacterial action:
Ashwagandha does have some antibacterial actions; whole-plant extracts have been found active against
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Salmonella
spp.,
E. coli
, and
Bacillus subtilis
.

In vitro/in vivo, rats/mice, antineoplastic activity:
There have been over 50 studies on the antineoplastic actions of the plant, primarily using the leaves. Tumor growth is retarded, tumor cell proliferation is reduced, side effects of radiation and chemotherapy are reduced, and life expectancy is increased.

In vivo, mice, pain relief:
Withaferin A, a constituent of ashwagandha, has been shown to be analgesic and antipyretic.

In vitro studies, cartilage effects:
Found the root extract to be highly chondroprotective of damaged human osteoarthritis cartilage matrix. It also was significantly inhibitive of the gelatinase activity of collagenase type 2 enzyme.

In vivo, rats, central nervous system effects:
Showed the herb to have anxiolytic and antidepressant actions. Strong antioxidant.

In vivo, mice, central nervous system effects:
Showed the herb to correct scopolamine-induced memory loss in mice.

In vitro, central nervous system effects:
Root extracts induce neurite extension and outgrowth in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y. Stimulate neuritic regeneration and synaptic reconstruction in damaged cortical neurons. Completely inhibit dendritic atrophy.

In vivo, rats, central nervous system effects:
Treatment for 14 days significantly improved nitropropionic-acid-induced cognitive dysfunction and oxidative damage in rats. (Note: There have been at least 30 studies finding cognitive improvements in various animal species from the use of the root.)

In vivo, rats, anti-inflammatory:
Strongly anti-inflammatory in various rheumatological conditions.

In vivo, dogs, cardiac effects:
Hypotensive, bradycardic, respiratory stimulant actions.

In vivo, mice, white blood cells:
Ashwagandha significantly reduced induced leukopenia in mice. White blood cell count significantly increased.

In vivo, mice, thyroid enhancement:
Significantly increased thyroid production of T3 and T4.

Family:
Leguminosae

Common Names:
Astragalus (English) • huang-qi (Chinese)

Species Used:
This is a huge genus of some three thousand species, prevalent throughout the world. The primary species used is
Astragalus membranaceus
, a.k.a.
A. membranaceus
var.
mongholicus
, a.k.a.
A. mongholicus
. Sigh … now that the number of species in this genus has been, almost, settled, the number of variants is in question. (
Yes
, this one is
Astragalus membranaceus,
but it looks funny. I found it in Mongolia; therefore …)

There is not much information on whether any of the other species in the genus can be used similarly.

Note:
Astragalus propinquus
is, in some circles, a synonym for
A. membranaceus
. However, a number of sources now insist (cue shocked expression) that
this
is the correct name for the plant. And of course,
Astragalus mongholicus
is just a rose by any other name.

The plant is a perennial with a long fibrous rootstock. The root, which is the part used for medicine, is often found thinly sliced and dried (a traditional preparation in Chinese medicine) and most closely resembles a yellow (medical) tongue depressor. Bulk quantities of the powdered or coarsely ground organic root are commonly available through herbal suppliers to Western botanic practitioners.

Actions

Adaptogen

Antibacterial

Antihepatotoxic

Antiviral

Cardioprotective

Diuretic

Enhances function in lungs, spleen, and GI tract

Hypotensive

Immune enhancer, modulator, stimulant, and restorative

Tonic

Astragalus is an immune potentiator and modulator. Increases interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 levels. Enhances CD4+ counts and balances the CD4:CD8 ratio. Astragalus is specific for immune atrophy and enhances function in the spleen and thymus.