We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Diet

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Eleuthero Root?

By Deborah Walker
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 16,550
Share

Eleutherococcus senticosus, or eleuthero root, is a woodland plant in the Araliaceae family. It is native to southeastern Russia, northern China, Korea, and Japan, but now grows in British Columbia, Canada, Washington state, Oregon, and northern California. Since at least 190 A.D., Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has used the rhizome and the roots of this plant to treat a variety of diseases. Research to determine which conditions eleuthero root can successfully address shows that it is possibly effective for viral infections; many of the other curative claims made about this plant have insufficient evidence to substantiate them, however.

Eleuthero root is also known as Siberian ginseng, touch-me-not, Ussurian thorny pepperbrush, Wu Jia Pi, Ci Wu, Jia, and Devil's bush. This plant should not be confused with American or Panax ginseng, which is a plant with a different chemical makeup. The U.S. banned the use of the name Siberian ginseng when with the passage of the Ginseng Labeling Act of 2002. This law was an attempt to reduce confusion between panax ginseng and eleuthero root.

In TCM, eleuthero root is often used as an adaptogen, or tonic, for the entire body. It is available in capsule, tea, or tincture form. This herb has been used in TCM to treat atherosclerosis, kidney disease, and viral infections. Research into the effectiveness of eleuthero root has shown mixed results, however. The common cold appears to have less severe symptoms and a shorter duration if the plant is taken within 72 hours of symptom onset. It was found to work best when combined with andrographis, another herb.

A study about the effectiveness of this herb on the herpes simplex 2 virus indicated that when the patient was treated with a standardized eleuthero root extract containing 0.3% eleutherosides, the virus had a shorter duration and created less severe symptoms. Preliminary research has shown that this herb may be helpful in long-term treatment of HIV. Results indicate that T4 lymphocytes increase when healthy people take eleuthero root. More human trials need to be done to confirm how useful it will be in HIV treatment. Insufficient research has been carried out to determine if or how well eleuthero root treatment might help heart disease, fatigue, flu, kidney disease, or other conditions.

There are some side effects, such as diarrhea, insomnia or pounding heartbeat, associated with this herb. It may also act like estrogen and worsen conditions that are hormone sensitive, such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, or breast cancer. Eleuthero may also make mania or schizophrenia more severe. There are also reports that this plant interacts with several different medications, including digoxin, lithium, haloperidol, and cyclobenzaprine. Those who suffer from any of these conditions or who take medications may want to consult with a professional healthcare provider prior to using eleuthero.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Related Articles

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-eleuthero-root.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.