Wood Betony
- Stock #740-6 (100 capsules)
Wood betony herb has been used throughout history, dating back to ancient Egypt, for its sedative effects on the nervous system. Wood betony acts as a relaxant and tonic for the nervous system, helping to calm nervous tension and soothe pain, especially nerve pain. Wood betony has been indicated for a variety of health problems, including arthritic conditions, gout, hypertension, menstrual pain, migraines, neuralgia, nervous disorders, rheumatism, sciatica, and headaches stemming for poor circulation and nervous tension. Wood betony has even been used topically as a poultice for bruises and wounds.1-11
Although few scientific studies have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals, Russian researchers have identified substances in wood betony that possess anti-inflammatory and hypotensive (blood pressure-lowering) actions. For example, wood betony contains the iridoid glycoside, harpagide, which demonstrates analgesic, antiarthritic and anti-inflammatory properties. Wood betony also contains betaine, a substance that has been shown to lower plasma homocysteine—homocysteine has been shown to elevate blood pressure and increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Such findings may help explain many of the herb’s traditional uses.1,3,12-16
It is important to note that large doses of wood betony can cause stomach irritation and vomiting. In addition, since wood betony has been used as a uterine stimulant for difficult or painful labor, it is not recommended for use during pregnancy.4,6-8,12
1Mowrey, D. The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publ., 1986.
2—. “Valerian root, passion flower, and ginkgo are top \’neurotonic\’ herbs.“ Better Nutrition; January 1997. . Accessed July 2006.
3PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2nd Ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, 2000.
4Chevallier, A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. NY, NY: Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
5Gormley, J.J. “White willow bark is a gentle, effective pain-reliever.“ Better Nutrition; March 1996. . Accessed September 2006.
6Bown, D. Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. NY, NY: Dorling Kindersley Inc., 1995.
7Miller, L. & Murray, W. Herbal Medicinals. Binghampton, NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1998.
8Ody, P. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. NY, NY: Dorling Kindersley Inc., 1993.
9Rowland, B. “Migraine headache.“ Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine; 2001. . Access July 2006.
10Peirce, A. Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. NY, NY: The Stonesong Press, Inc., 1999.
11McIntyre, A. Flower Power. NY, NY: Henry Holt and Co., 1996.
12Foster, S. & Tyler PhD, V.E. Tyler’s Honest Herbal, 4th Ed. Binghampton, NY: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.
13Colas, C., et. al. “Proton and sodium cation affinities of harpagide: a computational study.“ Journal of Physical Chemistry A: Molecules, spectroscopy, kinetics, environment & general theory; 2006, 110(23):7503-7508.
14Duke, J.A. “Biological Activities of harpagide.“ Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. Accessed September 2006.
15Lim, U. & Cassano, P.A. “Homocysteine and blood pressure in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.“ American Journal of Epidemiology; 2002, 156(12):1105-1113.
16Bots, M.L. “Homocysteine, atherosclerosis and prevalent cardiovascular disease in the elderly: The Rotterdam Study.“ Journal of Internal Medicine; 1997, 242(4):339-347.
