Coccinia indica or ivy gourd, is a plant that grows wild in many places in India as well as Africa and Australia. In Ayurveda, a traditional form of medicine native to India that used herbs as medicine, coccinia indica has been used for thousands of years to treat diabetes. (Ivy Gourd is also used in Thai medicine.)
Juice from the roots and leaves of Coccinia indica is said to have insulin-mimetic properties, meaning that the herb acts similarly to insulin in the body. Naturally, this is particularly useful for diabetes patients. The leaves of the plant cocinia indicia have been shown to lower fasting glucose levels1 in magnitudes comparable to that of hypoglycemic agent drugs.3 Many studies published in the British Medical Journal, the Indian Journal of Medical Science, the Journal of Research in Ayurveda & Siddha, Diabetes Care and more are citing the beneficial effects of coccinia indica in the treatent of type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, there are very few, if any side effects when using this herb. However, since the herb is known to lower blood glucose levels, when it is taken in combination with other blood sugar lowering medications then blood glucose levels should be monitored closely. Theoretically, these medications and substance (especially if used in combination) have a small chance of causing hypoglycemia.
Ivy gourd also contains beta-carotene, a major vitamin A precursor from plant sources. It is also considered a good source of protein and fiber. The plant is also said to have laxative properties, has been used to treat gonorrhea, and is claimed to also treat skin eruptions in some areas of the world.
pelargonium sidoides
Pelargonium sidoidesis a plant in the geranium family that grows in South Africa. It has heart-shaped leaves and narrow flowers of deep, saturated red. It has a long history of traditional use in southern Africa for treatment of respiratory problems. The root is the part used medicinally.
A typical adult dose of the tested standardized root extract is 30 drops three times daily. For children 6-11, this dose is typically reduced to 20 drops three times daily. However, other products beside the tested formulation may vary in strength. Therefore, we recommend that you follow the instructions from your practitioner.
An alcohol extract made from Pelargonium sidoides has become popular in Germany as a treatment for various respiratory problems, including acute bronchitis, the common cold, sinusitis, pharyngitis (sore throat), and tonsillitis. Fairly large studies have been performed to substantiate some of these uses.
For example, in one double-blind , placebo-controlled study, 468 adults with recent onset of acute bronchitis showed a significantly greater improvement in symptoms in the treatment group who were given pelargonium sikoides as compared to the placebo group.
Given this and other evidence, Pelargonium appears to be effective for acute bronchitis.
Research has also shown Pelargonium as being useful for a nondangerous form of strep throat (technically, non-group A beta hemolytic strep tonsillopharyngitis). (However, only a medical test can distinguish between the relatively nondangerous form of strep throat studied in this trial and strep throat of the potentially very dangerous A form. For this reason, physician supervision is essential. )
Finally, a double-blind study of 133 adults who had just come down with the common cold found that use of a standardized pelargonium extract at a dose of 30 ml three times daily significantly reduced the severity and duration of symptoms as compared to placebo. It is not known how Pelargonium sidoides might work, but its action is hypothesized to involve both direct antibacterial effects and immune function modification. 7 8
In clinical trials enrolling a total of over 2,500 adults and children, use of the tested, standardized extract produced few side effects, other than the usual occasional allergic reactions or digestive upset. 1 However, comprehensive safety testing has not been completed. There is no reliable evidence regarding safety in children under the age of 6, pregnant or nursing women, or people with severe liver or kidney disease.
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