The Consumer Guide to Usnea
Consumer Guide To Usnea In this guide...Traditional Uses
Modern Uses
Recent findings
Do scientists know how it works?
Types of products
Safety
References
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Usnea (Usnea barbata)
Also known as old man's beard, usnea is derived from various species of tree lichens, especially the U. barbata native to Europe and North America. Unique plantlike organisms formed by the marriage of a fungus and algae, lichens grow on rocks, trees, and other hard surfaces in cool places around the world. Usnea species are classified as fruticose or stalked lichens. They typically hang from trunks and branches of trees in shaggy, green-gray strips. Usnea is sometimes referred to as a "natural antibiotic" because of its activity against bacteria such as those that can cause strep throat. Preparations are made from the entire lichen.
Traditional uses
Usnea and other lichen species have apparently been used for medicinal purposes for millennia. Traditional healers of ancient China and possibly elsewhere gathered usnea and formulated remedies for coughs, bronchitis, and lung infections. The ancient Egyptians, the Greeks, and the early Arabs employed lichen species (exactly which ones is sometimes unclear) to make dyes as well as remedies for uterine complaints and urinary tract infections. In the 1700s some enterprising, albeit ghoulish, herbalists managed to cultivate lichens on human skulls and promote the potion as a treatment for conditions such as epilepsy. The lichen known as Iceland moss is a traditional Scandinavian remedy for respiratory and urinary ailments. A species of usnea is used as a folk remedy for colds in Malaysia. Other cultures have used lichens to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and other conditions.
Modern uses
Usnea remains relatively unknown in North America but in Europe it is considered a useful antibiotic and antifungal remedy. It can be applied topically to stop bacterial skin infections and alleviate athlete's foot and ringworm. Taken as a tea or a diluted extract usnea is an immune stimulant. It can help alleviate infections in the urinary and respiratory tracts. Many people find it useful for treating colds, the flu, and sinus infections. Usnea may also help to prevent or treat:
- sore throat
- strep throat
- cough
- inflammations of the mouth
Recent findings
Researchers in Saudi Arabia isolated a lichen acid from a species of usnea (U. articulata) and found it to have anti-infective properties in tests on mouse-liver cells.
Do scientists know how it works?
Lichen research is still in its infancy. Studies have identified a wealth of potentially therapeutic compounds, including acids, polysaccharides, and mucilage. Lichen acids such as usnic acid are known to be antibiotic. Usnic acid may counter bacteria not by being incorporated into the bacteria's cell walls (as penicillin is) but by disrupting the cell's metabolism. The polysaccharides may be immune-boosting while the mucilage can soothe mucous membranes and relieve a cough, for example.
Types of products
Usnea is available as a liquid extract. It is sometimes combined with other substances such as the herb uva ursi. Usnea is also an ingredient in formulas for immune enhancement, energy, anxiety, and joint and bone For more information on the features and benefits of the various dosage forms of herbal products (dried herb, extracts, teas, etc.), click here.
Safety
With a few exceptions (such as wolf moss) lichens are relatively safe to consume. The Japanese eat certain lichens as a delicacy and in Scandinavia Iceland moss is mixed into breads and cereals. Usnea is not a culinary lichen but it has low toxicity and average doses are not associated with side effects. Large or undiluted doses may cause minor gastric upset. Usnea is considered safe for children.
References
- Jia, M., et al., "Morphology and histology of Usnea longissima Ach,Chung Kuo Chung Yao Tsa Chih (1992), 17(9):522-3, 574
- Abo-Khatwa, A.N., et al., "Lichen acids as uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation of mouse-liver mitochondria," Nat Toxins (1996), 4(2):96-102