PLANT OF THE DAY brings you easy to digest information exploring science backed plants for health and medicine. Written by scientists, it aims to increase understanding of how effective plant medicine is as well as encourage simple dietary interventions to increase health and prevent disease. Plant of the day promotes the scientific research on select plant medicines and thereby helps bridge the gap between the worlds of plant medicine and general medicine.
DID YOU KNOW? While you can take, for example, a cup of chamomile tea to aid relaxation and sleep anytime, to treat a condition with a plant medicine it is important to take the correct dose and plant medicine for your individual needs – and in that case always first consult a NIMH medical herbalist and inform your healthcare provider before giving to a child, if you are pregnant, have any medical condition or are taking any medication.
Respiratory and antimicrobial plant medicines – Common (English) Ivy
Supporting immunity
Among many approaches to supporting the immune system, inflammatory responses and treating respiratory disease, are a range of effective plant medicines.
We can also help boost our innate immunity by simple lifestyle changes such as regularly eating a rainbow diet, getting outdoors daily to boost vitamin D (which helps boost immunity), exercising which also helps lymphatic circulation (a crucial part of our immune response), ensuring relaxation time to help prevent chronic stress (which can lower immunity) and ensuring we rest and sleep well.
Respiratory Plant Medicine
Different plant medicines are used to support immunity and treat respiratory disorder in different parts of the world, such as elder berry in Europe, echinacea in North America, and astragalus in Asia. We have explored thyme in a previous post and will explore others in upcoming blogs.
Here we look at common ivy leaf (not the flower or berry). Ivy leaf is a plant medicine widely used in Europe, and one with significant clinical science behind its efficacy in treating respiratory disorders. It is also antibacterial and antiviral.
Ivy leaf extract – ‘a valuable option for the treatment of respiratory diseases’ Lang et al, 2015
Scientific sources
Hong EH, Song JH, Shim A, et al. Coadministration of Hedera helix L. Extract Enabled Mice to Overcome Insufficient Protection against Influenza A/PR/8 Virus Infection under Suboptimal Treatment with Oseltamivir. PLoS One. 2015;10(6):e0131089. Published 2015 Jun 22. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0131089
Lang C, Röttger-Lüer P, Staiger C. A Valuable Option for the Treatment of Respiratory Diseases: Review on the Clinical Evidence of the Ivy Leaves Dry Extract EA 575®. Planta Med. 2015;81(12-13):968‐974. doi:10.1055/s-0035-1545879
Maidannik V, Duka E, Kachalova O, Efanova A, Svoykina S, Sosnovskaja T. Efficacy of Prospan application in childrenʼs disease of respiratory tract. Pediatr Tocol Gyn 2003; 4: 1-7
Rai A. The Antiinflammatory and Antiarthritic Properties of Ethanol Extract of Hedera helix. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2013;75(1):99‐102. doi:10.4103/0250-474X.113537
Rehman SU, Kim IS, Choi MS, Kim SH, Zhang Y, Yoo HH. Time-dependent Inhibition of CYP2C8 and CYP2C19 by Hedera helix Extracts, A Traditional Respiratory Herbal Medicine. Molecules. 2017;22(7):1241. Published 2017 Jul 24. doi:10.3390/molecules22071241
Schmidt M, Thomsen M, Schmidt U. Suitability of ivy extract for the treatment of paediatric cough. Phytother Res. 2012;26(12):1942‐1947. doi:10.1002/ptr.4671
Song J, Yeo SG, Hong EH, et al. Antiviral Activity of Hederasaponin B from Hedera helix against Enterovirus 71 Subgenotypes C3 and C4a. Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2014;22(1):41‐46. doi:10.4062/biomolther.2013.108
Schmidt M, Thomsen M, Schmidt U. Suitability of ivy extract for the treatment of paediatric cough. Phytother Res. 2012;26(12):1942‐1947. doi:10.1002/ptr.4671