Releva: Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) and Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmara)
- Anti-inflammatory in rheumatic disorders especially in diabetic patients and those with cardiac abnormalities, for tendinitis,
- Sprains, and arthritis.
- It is an analgesic for joint disease, back pain, and headache.
- It also is a mild COX-2 inhibitor and inhibits TXB2 release.
Various parts of this plant have been used medicinally for centuries, primarily for relief of pain and fever. Other uses have included relief of gastrointestinal complaints, including peptic ulceration and diarrhea. Its anti-inflammatory effects can be accounted for by the fact that all parts of the plant contain several salicylate compounds, including salicylic acid itself. In 1897, when Felix Hoffmann produced acetylsalicylic acid, he used salicin produced from meadowsweet plants. This led to the development of the brand name Aspirin, which was derived from the botanical name at the time for meadowsweet, Spiraea ulmaria.
Because of the high levels of salicylates, preparations containing meadowsweet extracts are contraindicated in patients taking warfarin or other anticoagulants, and also in those already taking NSAIDs. High doses of extracts of the plant have been known to cause bronchospasm, therefore caution is advised in its use by asthma sufferers.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
