The Consumer Guide to Osha
In this guide... Osha (Ligusticum porteri) Traditional uses Do scientists know how it works? Safety
Traditional Uses
Modern Uses
Recent findings
Do scientists know how it works?
Types of products
Safety
References
Osha Abstracts
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Osha is a Native American plant in the parsley family that grows at very high altitudes (usually over 10,000 feet) from Idaho to northern Mexico. Herbal preparations are made from the dark brown root; other parts of the plant have been used as a cooking spice. Early settlers of the western U.S. who were introduced to osha by Native Americans dubbed it Colorado cough root. It was also called bear medicine because people thought that sick bears would forage for it. A related plant sometimes called love root (L. grayi) is native to the northern Rockies and has similar uses. A species native to China, chuan xiong (L. wallichii), has traditionally been used there to treat heart problems, relieve headaches, and induce uterine contractions. Osha's relative scarcity, its growing popularity as an immune tonic and cold-and-flu remedy, its slow growth rate, and the challenges growers face in trying to cultivate it have caused concern for the plant's future.
Native American and Hispanic cultures have traditionally used osha to treat sore throats, coughs, and colds. Topically it was used to prevent infections on cuts and scrapes. Another folk use is to drink osha tea to prevent a hangover.
Osha is becoming increasingly popular for its apparent antiviral and immune boosting properties. Its primary use is to alleviate sore throats, colds, and coughs. Herbalists report that osha tends to induce sweating, promote the expulsion of mucus from the lungs, and eliminate toxins. It may have applications in the treatment of bronchial inflammations, pneumonia, and upper respiratory infections. Some people take osha to help counter viral infections including herpes, AIDS, and the flu. Osha may also help prevent or treat:
Recent findings
Research into osha remains in its infancy. No Medline-listed studies that specifically mention osha have been published since the mid-1980s.
Osha contains a volatile oil as well as an alkaloid, sterols, and saponins. Which components are most responsible for its therapeutic effects has yet to be determined, although one of the major ingredients is thought to be a lactone called ligustilide. Studies done on other Ligusticum species suggest that ligustilide has anti-asthmatic action. Chemists at Colorado State University recently determined that ligustilide has broad biological activity, including weak anti-viral and anti-microbial properties.
Osha root is available dried and as a liquid extract. It may be included in formulas for:
Not much is definitely known about osha's safety, although it has apparently been used for quite some time without causing reports of toxicity, and related species are considered relatively nontoxic. Because large doses may induce uterine contractions, osha should not be used by pregnant women.
Abstracts
Title: Pharmacological aspects of selected herbs employed in Hispanic folk medicine in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, USA: I. Ligusticum porteri (osha) and Matricaria chamomilla (manzanilla)
Author: Appelt GD
Source: J Ethnopharmacol, 13(1):51-5 1985 Mar
Abstract: Interviews with Hispanic families in the San Luis Valley of Colorado delineated several medicinal herbs that are popular in Hispanic folk medicine, including Ligusticum porteri (osha) and Matricaria chamomilla (manzanilla). A search of the scientific literature reveals that related species of Ligusticum and Matricaria chamomilla contain compounds that possess significant pharmacologic activity. This combined information is now being used as a basis for further investigation at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy in an effort to detect pharmacologic activity in osha and manzanilla preparations.
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