Thunder God Vine Can Help Fight Inflammation
All about the herb thunder god vine, with information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM):
What Science Says
- Laboratory findings suggest that thunder god vine may fight inflammation, suppress the immune system, and have anti-cancer effects.
- Although early evidence is promising, there have been few high-quality studies of thunder god vine in people. Results from a large study funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), which compared an extract of thunder god vine root with a conventional medicine (sulfasalazine) for rheumatoid arthritis, found that participants' symptoms (e.g., joint pain and swelling, inflammation) improved more significantly with thunder god vine than with sulfasalazine.
- A small study on thunder god vine applied to the skin found benefits for rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
- There is not enough scientific evidence to assess thunder god vine's use for any other health conditions.
Side Effects and Cautions
- Thunder god vine can cause severe side effects and can be poisonous if it is not carefully extracted from the skinned root. Other parts of the plant-including the leaves, flowers, and skin of the root-are highly poisonous and can cause death.
- A number of participants in the NIAMS study experienced gastrointestinal adverse effects such as diarrhea, indigestion, and nausea, as well as upper respiratory tract infections. (The rate of adverse effects was similar in the thunder god vine and sulfasalazine groups.)
- Thunder god vine can also cause hair loss, headache, menstrual changes, and skin rash.
- There are no consistent, high-quality thunder god vine products being manufactured in the United States. Preparations of thunder god vine made outside the United States (for example, in China) can sometimes be obtained, but it is not possible to verify whether they are safe and effective.
- Thunder god vine has been found to decrease bone mineral density in women who take the herb for 5 years or longer. This side effect may be of particular concern to women who have osteoporosis or are at risk for the condition.
- Thunder god vine contains chemicals that might decrease male fertility by changing sperm.
From NCCAM.NIH.gov