Before There Were Pharmacies, There Was Pharmacology in Nature.
| Natural substance | Modern comparison / similar therapeutic target | Studied for |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ง Garlic | BP & cholesterol medications | Blood pressure, LDL cholesterol |
| ๐ซ Ginger | NSAIDs / anti-nausea drugs | Menstrual pain, nausea, osteoarthritis |
| ๐ฟ Berberine | Metformin / glucose-lowering therapy | Glucose, A1c, insulin resistance, lipids |
| ๐ก Curcumin | NSAIDs | Osteoarthritis pain & inflammation |
| ๐ฏ Honey | Cough suppressants | Acute nighttime cough |
| ๐พ Psyllium | Bulk laxatives / cholesterol therapy | Constipation, LDL, glycemic control |
| ๐ฟ Peppermint oil | Antispasmodics | IBS pain & global symptoms |
| ๐บ Hibiscus | BP-lowering approaches | Mild hypertension |
| ๐ฑ Flaxseed | BP/lipid-lowering approaches | Blood pressure & cholesterol |
| ๐ Red yeast rice | Statins | LDL cholesterol โ contains monacolin K, chemically identical to lovastatin |
| ๐ณ Willow bark / salicylates | Aspirin | Pain/inflammation; historically connected to aspirin development |
| ๐ธ French lilac (Galega officinalis) | Metformin | Historical origin of guanidine compounds that helped lead to biguanide drugs |
| ๐ Fungal compounds | Statins | Natural fungal HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors led to statin development |
| ๐บ Foxglove | Digoxin | Source of cardiac glycosides; digoxin was developed from Digitalis compounds |
| ๐ธ Opium poppy | Morphine | Natural source of morphine and other opiate alkaloids |
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References
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Garlic โ blood pressure
Ried K, Frank OR, Stocks NP, Fakler P, Sullivan T. Effect of garlic on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2008;8:13. doi:10.1186/1471-2261-8-13.
PubMed: Garlic and blood pressure -
Ginger โ menstrual pain / comparison with ibuprofen
Ozgoli G, Goli M, Moattar F. Comparison of effects of ginger, mefenamic acid, and ibuprofen on pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea. J Altern Complement Med. 2009;15(2):129-132. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0311. The trial compared ginger directly with 400-mg ibuprofen and mefenamic acid.
PubMed: Ginger vs. ibuprofen -
Berberine โ blood glucose / comparison with metformin
Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2008;57(5):712-717. doi:10.1016/j.metabol.2008.01.013. This pilot study included a randomized comparison of berberine with metformin.
Study: Berberine and type 2 diabetes -
Honey โ acute cough
Kuitunen I, Renko M. Honey for acute cough in childrenโa systematic review. Eur J Pediatr. 2023;182(9):3949-3956. doi:10.1007/s00431-023-05066-1. The review included 10 studies and found low-quality evidence that honey may reduce cough symptoms and improve sleep compared with placebo/no treatment or cough medicines.
PubMed: Honey for acute cough -
Psyllium โ LDL cholesterol
Jovanovski E, et al. Effect of psyllium (Plantago ovata) fiber on LDL cholesterol and alternative lipid targets: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018. The analysis included 28 trials and found significant reductions in LDL, non-HDL cholesterol and apoB.
PubMed: Psyllium and LDL cholesterol -
Peppermint oil โ IBS
Black CJ, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis: efficacy of peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2022. Ten RCTs involving 1,030 patients found peppermint oil superior to placebo for global IBS symptoms and abdominal pain, although evidence quality was rated very low.
PubMed: Peppermint oil and IBS -
Hibiscus โ blood pressure
Ellis LR, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of Hibiscus sabdariffa on blood pressure and cardiometabolic markers. Nutr Rev. 2022;80(6):1723-1737. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuab104.
PubMed: Hibiscus and blood pressure -
Flaxseed โ blood pressure
Ursoniu S, et al. Effects of flaxseed supplements on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Clin Nutr. 2016;35. Fifteen trials involving 1,302 participants showed modest reductions in systolic and diastolic BP.
PubMed: Flaxseed and blood pressure -
Oats / beta-glucan โ LDL cholesterol
Ho HVT, et al. The effect of oat ฮฒ-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2016. The analysis included 58 trials and 3,974 participants.
PubMed: Oat beta-glucan and cholesterol -
Red yeast rice โ statin connection
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Red Yeast Rice: What You Need to Know. Red yeast rice can contain monacolin K, which is structurally identical to lovastatin. Its content varies substantially between products, and products containing significant amounts can have statin-like adverse effects and interactions.
NIH/NCCIH: Red Yeast Rice -
Willow bark โ aspirin history
Desborough MJR, Keeling DM. The aspirin storyโfrom willow to wonder drug. Br J Haematol. 2017;177(5):674-683. The medicinal history of willow and salicylates ultimately contributed to aspirin's development.
PubMed: The aspirin story -
French lilac / goat's rue โ metformin history
Bailey CJ. Metformin: historical overview. Diabetologia. 2017;60(9):1566-1576. doi:10.1007/s00125-017-4318-z. The history of metformin is linked to Galega officinalis, which contains the glucose-lowering compound guanidine.
PubMed: Metformin historical overview -
Foxglove โ digitalis/digoxin
Wade OL. Digoxin 1785-1985. I. Two hundred years of digitalis. J Clin Hosp Pharm. 1986;11(1):3-9. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2710.1986.tb00822.x.
PubMed: Foxglove and digitalis history -
Opium poppy โ morphine
Norn S, Kruse PR, Kruse E. History of opium poppy and morphine. Dan Medicinhist Arbog. 2005;33:171-184. Morphine was isolated from opium in the early 1800s.
PubMed: Opium poppy and morphine