Lee Swanson Research Update

Butterbur Extract Effectively Treats Allergies

October 2005

butterbur

Environmental allergies can turn a good day into a bad one in a hurry. Now there's new hope with an extract of butterbur leaf, according to a study published in the Archives of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery.

In the study, 186 people with seasonal allergies were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group was treated with one tablet three times per day of butterbur leaf extract, a second group was treated with one tablet two times per day of the same butterbur extract, and a third group received placebo. The butterbur preparation used in the study was standardized to contain 8 mg of petasin, an anti-inflammatory component of butterbur.

The severity of four major symptoms of seasonal allergies (runny nose, itchy eyes, itchy nose, sneezing and nasal congestion) was evaluated at the beginning of the study and after two weeks. Both of the groups using butterbur had significantly more improvement in symptoms than the placebo group. Furthermore, the group taking the higher amount improved significantly more than the group taking the lower amount. Butterbur "is an effective treatment for intermittent allergic rhinitis symptoms and is well tolerated," the study concluded.

Archives of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery 130(12):1381-1386, 2004

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