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Brickellia

Brickellia is a shrub that is native to California and whose leaves are used to make medicine.

Brickellia is used for diabetes, diarrhea, stomach pain and gallbladder disorders.

How does Brickellia work?

Recent research suggests that Brickellia may act as an antioxidant. In addition to this, Brickellia may lower blood sugar levels, which may be beneficial for diabetics.

How effective is Brickellia?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of Brickellia for diabetes, diarrhea, stomach pain and gallbladder disorders. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Brickellia in these applications.

Safety and side effects

It is not known whether Brickellia is safe and harmless, or what side effects Brickellia may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of Brickellia during pregnancy and lactation, so pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using Brickellia as a precaution.

Diabetes: New research conducted on animals suggests that some chemicals in Brickellia may be able to lower blood sugar levels. There is a possibility that Brickellia could interfere with blood sugar control and lower blood sugar levels too much. For this reason, diabetics using Brickellia should carefully monitor their blood sugar levels.

Operations: Brickellia could lower blood sugar levels. There are concerns that Brickellia could affect blood sugar control during and after surgery. For this reason, you should stop using Brickellia at least 2 weeks before surgery.

Interactions

Care should be taken when using Brickellia in combination with the following medications:

Diabetes medications

Brickellia could lower blood sugar levels. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar levels. Taking Brickellia in combination with diabetes medication could result in an excessive drop in blood sugar levels. For this reason, blood glucose levels should be carefully monitored. It is possible that the dosage of the diabetes medication may need to be adjusted.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of Brickellia depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for Brickellia. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Andrade-Cetto A, Heinrich M. Mexican plants with hypoglycaemic effect used in the treatment of diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;99:325-48.
  2. Goodwin RS, Rosler KH, Mabry TJ, Varma SD. Flavonoids from Brickellia glutinosa. J Nat Prod 1984;47:711-4.
  3. Meckes M, David-Rivera AD, Nava-Aguilar V, Jimenez A. Activity of some Mexican medicinal plant extracts on carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Phytomedicine 2004;11:446-51.
  4. Perez RM, Cervantes H, Zavala MA, et al. Isolation and hypoglycemic activity of 5, 7,3'-trihydroxy-3,6,4'-trimethoxyflavone from Brickellia veronicaefolia. Phytomedicine 2000;7:25-9.
  5. Perez RM, Vargas R, Martinez FJ, Cordova I. Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of 5,7,3'-trihydroxy-3,4,4'-trimethoxyflavone from Brickellia veronicaefolia. Phytother Res 2004;18:428-30.
  6. Rivero-Cruz B, Rojas MA, Rodriguez-Sotres R, et al. Smooth muscle relaxant action of benzyl benzoates and salicylic acid derivatives from Brickellia veronicaefolia on isolated guinea-pig ileum. Planta Med 2005;71:320-5.
  7. Rosler KH, Goodwin RS, Mabry TJ, et al. Flavonoids with anti-cataract activity from Brickellia arguta. J Nat Prod 1984;47:316-9.