This thunder god vine monograph provides basic information about thunder god vine—common names, usefulness and safety, and resources for more information.
Thunder god vine is a perennial grown in China and Taiwan. It has been used for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese medicine to treat swelling caused by inflammation.
Currently, thunder god vine is used orally (by mouth) as a dietary supplement for autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and lupus. It is also used topically for rheumatoid arthritis.
Extracts are prepared from the roots of thunder god vine.
Thunder God Vine in Health Research
A small number of studies have evaluated oral thunder god vine for rheumatoid arthritis. Very little research has been done on thunder god vine for other health conditions or on topical use of this herb for rheumatoid arthritis.
Thunder God Vine Research Summary
There have been only a few high-quality studies of oral thunder god vine for rheumatoid arthritis in people. These studies indicate that thunder god vine may improve some rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Results from a small 2009 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 drug (sulfasalazine) for rheumatoid arthritis, found that participants’ symptoms (e.g., joint pain and swelling, inflammation) improved significantly more with thunder god vine than with the drug.
A study from China, published in 2014, compared thunder god vine to a conventional drug (methotrexate) and found that both were comparably helpful in relieving rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, and that the combination of the herb and the drug was better than either one alone.
There is not enough evidence to show whether thunder god vine is helpful for any health conditions other than rheumatoid arthritis or whether its topical use in rheumatoid arthritis has any benefits.
Thunder God Vine Safety
Thunder god vine may have side effects, including decreased bone mineral content (with long-term use), infertility, menstrual cycle changes, rashes, diarrhea, headache, and hair loss. Because some of these side effects are serious, the risks of using thunder god vine may be greater than its benefits.
Thunder god vine can be extremely poisonous if the extract is not prepared properly.
Thunder God Vine References
Cameron M, Gagnier JJ, Chrubasik S. Herbal therapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011;(2):CD002948. Accessed at https://www.thecochranelibrary.com(link is external) on April 28, 2015.
Thunder god vine. Natural Medicines Web site. Accessed at naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/ on April 28, 2015. [Database subscription].
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Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic endocrine/metabolism disease characterized by hyperglycemia arising from defects in insulin action, insulin secretion, or both. Diabetes mellitus is often complicated by visceral lesions, which can lead to serious complications and death. A variety of new agents are in development for the treatment of the disease. Astragalus polysaccharides are monomer components extracted from the Traditional Chinese Medicine, Huangqi (Radix Astragali Mongolici), which have been studied widely for treating diabetes mellitus with promising effects in recent years. This paper reviews recent advances in experimental studies on the effects of Astragalus polysaccharides in treating diabetes mellitus. The effects of Astragalus polysaccharides on the etiology and complication of diabetes mellitus including insulin resistance and secretion, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, diabetic foot, and infection complicated by diabetes mellitus are discussed.
To conduct an ethnobotanical survey and document the traditional anticancer and antidiabetic plants used by the local tribes of Mizoram, Northeast India.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with the progression of cognitive dysfunction. Physical activity benefits cognition, but no evidence from randomized clinical trials has shown whether tai chi chuan has better long-term benefits than fitness walking in cognitive function for patients with T2D and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for >90% of the cases of diabetes in adults. Resistance to insulin action is the major cause that leads to chronic hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. T2DM is the consequence of activation of multiple pathways and factors involved in insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. Also, the etiology of T2DM involves the complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors. This interplay can be governed efficiently by lifestyle modifications to achieve better management of diabetes. The present review aims at discussing the major factors involved in the development of T2DM that remain unfocussed during the anti-diabetic therapy. The review also focuses on lifestyle modifications that are warranted for the successful management of T2DM. In addition, it attempts to explain flaws in current strategies to combat diabetes. The employability of phytoconstituents as multitargeting molecules and their potential use as effective therapeutic adjuvants to first line hypoglycemic agents to prevent side effects caused by the synthetic drugs are also discussed.
Obesity and diabetes are closely related metabolic disorders that have become major public health concerns worldwide. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have explored the underlying mechanisms of these disorders and identified various risk factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been increasingly recognized for its potential to manage obesity and diabetes. Weight loss is difficult to sustain, and several diabetic therapies, such as sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and insulin, might make it harder to lose weight. While lifestyle changes should be the primary approach for people interested in lowering weight, drugs are also worth investigating. Since some of the newer glucose-lowering medications that cause weight loss, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), are additionally utilized or are under consideration for use as anti-obesity drugs, the frontier between glucose-lowering medication and weight loss drugs appears to be shifting. This review provides an overview of the literature on the underlying mechanisms of obesity and diabetes and the prospect of TCM in their management. We discuss the various TCM interventions, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary therapy, and their effects on metabolic health. We also highlight the potential of TCM in regulating gut microbiota, reducing inflammation, and improving insulin sensitivity. The findings suggest that TCM may provide a promising approach to preventing and managing obesity and diabetes. However, further well-designed studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action.
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Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
