South African geranium fights everything from sinusitis and throat infections to acute bronchitis

For hundreds of years, the Zulu and other indigenous South African people have used a wild plant remedy called �umckaloabo� for coughs, colds, upper respiratory tract irritations and gastrointestinal problems. Today, we know this plant better as the South African geranium (Pelargonium sidoides) � a herb that recent scientific research has shown to have potent anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and immune-boosting properties.

Back in 1897, an Englishman named Charles Stevens went to South Africa, hoping to cure himself of tuberculosis. He consulted a tribal healer, who gave him a decoction of a local medicinal plant. Fully recovered, Charles Stevens returned to England with supplies of his mysterious remedy, which became popular throughout Europe as �Stevens� Consumption Cure�.

But with the introduction of synthetic tuberculosis drugs, Stevens� remedy became largely forgotten in Western medicine, until its recent �rediscovery� by European researchers.

What the tribal healer gave Charles Stevens was a traditional remedy made from the roots of Pelargonium sidoides, a species of geranium unique to South Africa, which in the last few years has gone from being an obscure herbal remedy to become one of Germany�s top new medicines. While most other cough, cold and sinus medications simply mask outward symptoms, pelargonium can actually shorten the duration of illness and reduce the severity of respiratory irritations.

South African Geranium: Pelargonium succeeds in treating acute cases of bronchitis where antibiotics fail

The clinical evidence for pelargonium is impressive, particularly its ability to treat acute bronchitis � a condition for which there is no effective conventional treatment, despite the fact that it is one of the most common reasons why people seek medical care.

The condition causes the tissue lining the bronchi (the main air passages in your lungs) to become irritated and inflamed, stimulating increased secretion of mucus and a narrowing of the airways � this in turn produces the characteristic cough. Because in 95 per cent of cases it is caused by a virus, acute bronchitis does not respond to antibiotics� although this does not always stop doctors from prescribing them!

A recent large, multi-centre study involving more than 2,000 adults, children and babies with acute bronchitis, was carried out at 440 separate sites located in Germany. The researchers found that pelargonium root extract reduced the severity of symptoms from an average �Bronchitis Severity Score� rating of 6.3 to just 0.9 at the end of the seven days treatment period � a really remarkable improvement. Side effects from the treatment were mild and rare (less than one per cent) (Ref. 1). The researchers concluded that pelargonium extract is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for acute bronchitis.

In a separate clinical trial, involving 205 patients with acute bronchitis, pelargonium reduced symptoms of cough, chest pain and wheezing. More than 60 per cent of the patients taking pelargonium in this trial described their condition as �much improved� after just one week (Ref. 2).

Unlike some other herbal treatments, pelargonium appears to get to work really fast. In an earlier Russian study, almost 70 per cent of acute bronchitis patients reported that pelargonium had a positive effect on their symptoms within the first four days of treatment (Ref. 3).

South African Geranium: �Strep throat� and sinusitis are no match for the plant�s potent antibacterial properties

Pelargonium is also an effective treatment for throat infections. Severe sore throat in children is often due to the Streptococcus bacterium (Streptococcal pharyngitis or �Strep throat�). In a double-blind clinical trial carried out in the Ukraine, children aged 6 to 10 with acute Streptococcus throat infections were treated with pelargonium root extract or a placebo. Pelargonium resulted in much greater improvements than placebo, reduced the severity of symptoms and shortened the duration of illness by two days on average (Ref. 4).

Laboratory experiments have shown that pelargonium acts to prevent Streptococcus bacteria from sticking to cells in the upper airway and from invading those cells to start an infection (Ref. 5).

Pelargonium could also spell an end to the miserable, �bunged up� feeling of acute sinusitis, which is usually due to a bacterial or fungal infection after a cold. A recent study in Germany, involving 361 people with acute sinusitis who were treated with pelargonium root extract, found that at the end of the four week treatment period an amazing 80 per cent of patients became symptom-free or experienced a clear improvement in their symptoms (Ref. 6).

South African Geranium: Boosts immunity and protects against food poisoning, thrush and stomach ulcers

Pelargonium root contains many bioactive ingredients, including coumarins, polyphenols and flavonoids. One particular group of coumarins, called gallic acid and its methyl esters, has been identified as the major immune-boosting ingredient (Ref. 7). Laboratory studies have shown that the plant enhances a wide range of immune functions, including increasing the number of phagocytes � immune cells that devour invading organisms (Ref. 8).

The properties of this amazing herb don�t stop there. In laboratory tests, pelargonium has been found to be active against antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus � a common cause of food poisoning (Ref. 9). It also kills off Candida albicans � a yeast that causes thrush and is often involved in irritable bowel syndrome (Ref. 10).

Not only that, it also reduces the ability of Helicobacter pylori bacteria to adhere to the stomach lining � H. pylori is believed to be a major cause of stomach ulcers (Ref. 11).

South African Geranium: What to take for best results

Be sure to get a supplement of the real South African geranium root, Pelargonium sidoides, which should not be confused with Pelargonium graveolens � the scented-leaved geranium that is a popular garden plant.

The recommended dosage is 20mg of the root extract, three times a day, or 800mg of dried, powdered root, taken twice a day. A 10-day course is recommended to relieve symptoms and shorten infections and you can also take pelargonium to ward off infection if you are exposed to a family member or work colleague with a sore throat or cough.

Contraindications: Although pelargonium is well tolerated, as a precaution it is recommended that you do not take it if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

References

1. Phytomedicine 2007; 14 (Suppl 6): 69-73
2. Phytomedicine 2007; 14 (Suppl 6): 65-68
3. Explore (NY) 2005; 1(6); 437-445
4. Altern Health Med 2003; 9(5): 68-79
5. Phytomedicine 2007; 14 (Suppl 6): 52-59
6. Z Phytother 2007; 28: 58-65
7. Phytother Res 2001; 15(2): 122-126
8. Phytomedicine 2007; 14 (Suppl 6): 46-51
9. Phytomedicine 2003; 10 (Suppl 4): 18-24
10. Phytomedicine 2007; 14 (Suppl 6): 65-68
11. Phytomedicine 2007; 14(4): 285-288