Desmodium
This perennial herbaceous plant that only grows in the tropical regions of the world is known to be the ally of our liver, which is too often attacked by alcohol, tobacco or medication.
What does this plant contain? How does it work? What are all its benefits? We tell you everything!
Photo Aleksey Kutsar on Pixabay
Origin
The desmodium is a climbing plant whose particularity is to wrap around oil palms or cocoa trees, which is why it is called desmodium (desmos =link) ascendens (ascent) in Latin.
About fifty centimeters tall, the desmodium’s leaves resemble those of a clover and its tiny purple flowers turn into small, hair-covered beans (called primos) that cling to animals or the pants of walkers to scatter on. nature.
Originally from West Africa, its cultivation spread to Latin America probably with the arrival of the first slaves, then to the humid equatorial zones and the Pacific, where it is widely used in traditional medicine.
While in Cameroon it is used to treat liver disorders, in Ghana desmodium is known to be used to treat skin problems (eczema).
Likewise, respiratory allergies, and in Latin America it is part of the basic treatment of seizures, malaria and epilepsy.
It was only in the 1970s that desmodium was introduced to France by Dr. Pierre Tubéry and his wife Anne-Marie Tubéry, arousing the enthusiasm of scientific researchers. They quickly highlighted its hepatoprotective properties.
Active principles
The various active ingredients found in the aerial parts (stem, leaves) of Desmodium and in phytotherapeutic treatments are: flavonoids (including vitexin), isoquinoline alkaloids, fatty acids, saponosides, anthocyanosides and tryptamine derivatives.
Benefits and virtues
Hepato-protective
It is for its action on the liver that it is best known, and this is what earned it the nickname of «allied liver plant».
It works by increasing the resistance of liver cells in toxic (drug poisoning) or infectious (acute or chronic viral infection) inflammations or in cases of liver failure.
Then it allows transaminases to return to normal (enzymes whose level increases during cell injuries) and finally acts on the regeneration of damaged liver cells.
It is often proposed as an adjunct to chemotherapy to reduce side effects.
The plant is recognized by the French National Agency for Food Safety (ANSES) as hepatoprotective, but it is not yet registered in the French pharmacopoeia.
In a 2003 Belgian study1 the antihepatotoxic activity of desmodium on liver damage in rats was investigated and the following conclusion was reached: «The aqueous decoction of D. adscendens showed a protective effect in rats against liver damage induced by D-galactosamine and ethanol».
Anti-asthmatic and anti-allergic
While Ghanaian doctors have used desmodium leaves for centuries to combat asthma, desmodium has since been shown to inhibit the action of histamine on smooth muscles and reduce constriction in the airways and lungs.
Several studies have shown that desmodium has a relaxing effect on lung tissue and improves bronchoconstriction.
Finally, it is said that desmodium also helps to treat sudden allergy attacks such as asthma attacks, angioedema and certain food allergies.
Relaxing
Its action on smooth muscles makes desmodium useful in case of contractures, painscramps or muscle spasms. It is also used during labor or postpartum to reduce the force of uterine contractions or during seizures or epilepsy.
Dosage
The prescribed dose of desmodium depends on how it is consumed.
The usual dose for an average adult person (60 kg) is:
8 to 10 g of dried plant in an aqueous decoction (in 1 to 1.5 L of boiling water for 15 minutes) 10 g of dried plant in concentrated extract 1350 mg per day of dry aqueous extract of the total plant 20 ml/day of liquid extract at 50/1
In the case of liver disorders, the usual dose it should be taken for 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the return to normal biological parameters.
In the treatment of asthma or allergies, the recommended dose can be increased up to 20 g of dry plant per day or equivalent and maximum effectiveness is only reached after 3 weeks of treatment, so care must be taken not to stop before.
Lastly, to avoid chemotherapy-related side effects, desmodium intake should begin 2 days before and continue for at least 10 days after the session.
Side effects and contraindications
No serious side effects have been reported from taking desmodium.
Only occasional mild digestive disorders (nausea, diarrhea) have been reported. However, as a precaution, desmodium is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women.
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