Lobelia's therapeutic uses
Lobelia, derived from the Lobelia inflata plant, has been utilized for various therapeutic purposes, primarily focusing on smoking cessation. Historically used by Indigenous Americans and later popularized by Samuel Thomson, lobelia has several proposed applications. It is believed to aid in conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, anxiety, insomnia, and muscle relaxation, among others. The primary active ingredient, lobeline, was once thought to be chemically similar to nicotine, leading to its promotion as a smoking cessation aid, although recent evaluations indicate this is a misconception.
While some animal studies suggest potential benefits for memory enhancement, pain reduction, and nausea control, the evidence supporting these claims in humans remains limited. Safety concerns exist, particularly regarding high doses or prolonged use, as lobelia contains toxic alkaloids that may lead to side effects like nausea and dizziness. Furthermore, its effects on dopamine regulation raise questions about its suitability for individuals with specific neurological conditions. Overall, interest in lobelia's therapeutic uses continues, but further research is necessary to validate its efficacy and safety.
Lobelia's therapeutic uses
- DEFINITION: Natural plant product used to treat specific health conditions.
- PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USE: Cigarette addiction
- OTHER PROPOSED USES: Asthma, bronchitis, chemical dependency, depression, enhancing memory, insomnia, pain reduction, muscle relaxation, nausea and vomiting, skin conditions
Overview
The herb Lobelia inflata was originally used by Indigenous Americans in the New England region of the United States. It was subsequently popularized by Samuel Thomson, the founder of an idiosyncratic form of medicine that came to be called Thomsonianism. The enduring popularity of lobelia is one of the legacies of this nineteenth-century enthusiasm. (Goldenseal is another herb popularized by Thomson.)
The herb's traditional names capture its traditional uses: wild tobacco, asthma weed, gagroot, and pokeweed. Dried lobelia tastes and smells somewhat like tobacco, so it was sold as a tobacco substitute. Lobelia was also used to treat asthma and stimulate vomiting.
The Thomsonians additionally claimed that lobelia could relax muscles and nerves. On this basis, they used it for anxiety, epilepsy, kidney stones, insomnia, menstrual cramps, muscle spasms, spastic colon, and tetanus.
Therapeutic Dosages
Lobelia is generally sold as a vinegar tincture. The typical dose is twenty to sixty drops, taken three times daily.
Therapeutic Uses
The primary active ingredient of lobelia is a substance called lobeline. It is widely stated that lobeline is chemically similar to nicotine, and on this basis, it has been marketed as a smoking cessation treatment. However, this belief is a type of urban legend because lobeline is not chemically similar to nicotine.
Chemists investigating the lobeline-nicotine myth found that lobeline may diminish certain effects of nicotine in the body, specifically nicotine-induced release of the substance dopamine. Because dopamine is believed to play a significant role in drug addiction, these findings can be taken as hinting that lobeline might be useful for treating drug addiction. Potential benefits have been found for addiction to amphetamines.
Dopamine also plays a role in cigarette addiction. For this reason, despite lobeline’s lack of similarity to nicotine, lobelia could be helpful for people who wish to stop smoking. However, despite the widespread marketing of lobelia for this purpose, there is little meaningful evidence that it works. Studies that have been conducted on lobelia for smoking cessation have shown little to no benefits.
Other proposed uses of lobelia also lack supporting evidence, though an investigation into lobelia’s benefits continued to expand in the twenty-first century. For example, although studies in horses have found that injected lobeline causes the animals to breathe more deeply, it is a long way from a finding like this to the widespread claims that lobelia is helpful for asthma in humans. Similarly, animal studies hint that lobeline might enhance memory and reduce pain and that beta-amyrin palmitate, another constituent of lobelia, might have antidepressant and sedative properties. Other proposed therapeutic uses for lobelia undergoing increased study in the twenty-first century include using lobelia for its muscle relaxant properties to treat muscle spasms and tension and helping to control nausea and vomiting when taken in small doses. Applying lobelia topically to the skin may help with conditions like bruises, poison ivy, and ringworm.
One small human study indicated that lobelia may be an effective natural treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Lobelia’s potential to treat depression symptoms and enhance the effectiveness of depression medication also provided further mental health benefits. However, most of these findings relied on animal and test-tube studies that examined dopamine, so more human clinical studies are needed.
Safety Issues
It was widely stated that lobelia is a dangerously toxic herb. However, herbalist Paul Bergner reviewed published literature on the subject. He discovered that each author who described lobelia as toxic quoted another, going back nearly to the early nineteenth century. The original published reference on which this sequence of hearsay reporting appears to have been based is a note in the American New Dispensatory of 1810, in which an “eminent physician” is quoted as stating that if a person consumes lobelia and does not vomit, death will follow. The ultimate origin of this warning may have been the claims made by the prosecution in a widely publicized trial of Samuel Thomson, in which he was accused of committing murder through the use of lobelia.
There have been no reported cases of death caused by Lobelia inflata in animals or humans. Considering how widely lobelia was used under the Thomsonians and subsequently, the concern that it causes death appears to be a significant overstatement. Lobelia may present health risks, but if it does, these risks have not been documented. It is important to note, however, that lobelia does contain toxic alkaloids. When taken in high doses, used for a long period, or not used under the advice of a healthcare professional, lobelia can be dangerous.
Short-term side effects reported in association with lobelia include stomach pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Lobelia also appears to trigger coughing and a sense of choking for reasons that are unclear.
That lobelia restricts dopamine release suggests that lobelia might worsen symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (in which dopamine levels are low) and could interfere with the action of drugs used for schizophrenia or attention deficit disorder (which also act on dopamine). These concerns are, however, purely theoretical. Also, safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established.
Bibliography
Butler, J. E., et al. "Changes in Respiratory Sensations Induced by Lobeline After Human Bilateral Lung Transplantation." Journal of Physiology, vol. 534, 2001, pp. 583-593.
"Lobelia Information." Mount Sinai, www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/lobelia. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Miller, D. K., et al. "Lobeline Inhibits the Neurochemical and Behavioral Effects of Amphetamine." Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol. 296, 2001, pp. 1023-1034.
Raj, H., et al. "How Does Lobeline Injected Intravenously Produce a Cough?" Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology, vol. 145, 2005, pp. 79-90.
Streit, Lizzie and Megan Soliman. "What Is Lobelia, and How Is It Used?" Healthline,26 Sept. 2024, www.healthline.com/nutrition/lobelia. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Zheng, Qinfang, et al. "Beyond Alkaloids: Novel Bioactive Natural Products From Lobelia Species." Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 12, 2021, p. 638210, doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.638210. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.