Andrographis

Uses

• What Is Andrographis Used for Today?
• What Is the Scientific Evidence for Andrographis?
• Dosage
• Safety Issues
• References

Andrographis is a shrub found throughout India and other Asian countries that is sometimes called "Indian echinacea." It has been used historically in epidemics, including the Indian flu epidemic in 1919 during which andrographis was credited with stopping the spread of the disease. 1

What Is Andrographis Used for Today?

Over the last decade, a proprietary extract of andrographis (currently sold in combination with eleutherococcus) has become popular in Scandinavia as a treatment for colds. It is beginning to become available in the United States as well. Reasonably good evidence tells us that either form of this extract can reduce the severity of cold symptoms. It may also help prevent colds.

Although we don't know how andrographis might work for colds, preliminary evidence suggests that it might stimulate immunity, 2 potentially making it useful for general immune support.

Andrographis combined with eleutherococcus , licorice , and schisandra has shown promise for a genetic disease called familial Mediterranean fever. 24,25

Researchers have also studied andrographis as a potential treatment for ulcerative colitis , a type of inflammatory bowel disease. In one trial, 120 people with ulcerative colitis were randomized to andrographis extract (400 mg, 3 times daily) or the standard drug mesalazine (1,500 mg, 3 times daily). 30 After 8 weeks of treatment, the two groups had similar results.

In a randomized trial of 224 patients with ulcerative colitis, patients were randomized to 1,200 mg or 1,800 mg of andrographis a day, divided into three doses, compared to placebo. Significantly more patients taking the higher dose showed a clinical response, but not a clinical remission, compared to patients taking the placebo. Patients on the lower dose of andrographis showed no significant benefit.31

Preliminary studies in animals weakly suggest that andrographis may offer benefits for preventing heart disease. 3,4,5 In addition, highly preliminary studies suggest that andrographis may help protect the liver from toxic injury, perhaps more successfully than the more famous liver-protective herb milk thistle. 6,7,8 It also appears to stimulate gallbladder contraction. 9

Andrographis does not appear to have any antibacterial effects. 10

What Is the Scientific Evidence for Andrographis?

Dosage

A typical dosage of andrographis is 400 mg 3 times a day. Doses as high as 1,000 to 2,000 mg 3 times daily have been used in some studies. Andrographis is usually standardized to its content of andrographolide, typically 4% to 6%. Note that virtually all published studies of andrographis have involved a single proprietary product. It is not clear that the results of these studies apply to products using different andrographis sources, or different methods of extraction.

Safety Issues

Andrographis has not been associated with any side effects in human studies. In one study, participants were monitored for changes in liver function, blood counts, kidney function, and other laboratory measures of toxicity. 18 No problems were found.

However, some animal studies have raised concerns that andrographis may impair fertility. One study found that male rats became infertile when fed 20 mg of andrographis powder daily. 19 In this case, the rats stopped producing sperm and showed physical changes in some of the testicular cells involved in sperm production. Researchers also detected evidence of degeneration of other anatomical structures in the testicles. However, another study showed no evidence of testicular toxicity in male rats that were given up to 1 g per kilogram body weight daily for 60 days, so this issue remains unclear. 20 Furthermore, a human trial using the widely tested andrographis-eleutherococcus combination found no adverse effect on male fertility measurements such as sperm quality and number. 29

One group of female mice also did not fare well on high dosages of andrographis. 21 When fed 2 g per kilogram body weight daily for 6 weeks (thousands of times higher than the usual human dose), all female mice failed to get pregnant when mated with males of proven fertility. Meanwhile, of the control females, 95.2% got pregnant when mated with a similar group of male mice. Another study found a potential explanation for this in evidence that androphraphis relaxes the uterus. 23 While andrographis is probably not a useful form of birth control, these results are worrisome regarding the use of androphraphis by pregnant women.

Finally, if androphraphis does indeed stimulate the immune system, this would lead to a whole host of potential risks. The immune system is balanced on a knife edge. An immune system that is too relaxed fails to defend us from infections, but an immune system that is too active attacks healthy tissues, causing autoimmune diseases. A universal immune booster might cause or exacerbate lupus , Crohn’s disease , asthma , Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis , multiple sclerosis , and rheumatoid arthritis , among other illnesses.

Safety in young children, nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease has also not been established.

Also, because andrographis may stimulate gallbladder contraction, it should not be used by individuals with gallbladder disease except under physician supervision.

References

• EBSCO CAM Review Board
• 201207
• 20130321