Library of Nature: Lomatium
Lomatium – botanical name Lomatiumdissectum – is native to North America.
Also known by its various common names, such as fern-leaf biscuitroot, desert parsley, cough root, and Indian balsam, Lomatium is a long-living, tap-rooted, semi-arid perennial flowering plant. The plant has a slow growth but a lasting one. It is found abundantly in the Great Plains, high mountains, and deserts of North America’s Pacific North West, as noted by Buhner[1], Tilley[2], and Meilleur[3] in their respective research bodies.
The plant has nearly 80 different species, and most of them are used for medicinal purposes, the most famous of which is Leptotaeniadissecta. Today, you can get your hands on this herb in the form of lomatium tincture and make use of its many benefits.
What Does Lomatium Contain?
Research tells that Lomatium has antiviral properties.[4] Thetetronic acids and glucoside present in Lomatium are considered to be strong contenders against certain viruses. Various other research bodies also support the findings that Lomatium might contain furanocoumarins, ichthyotoxic tetronic acids, flavonoids, Zligustilide, terpenes, sesquiterpenes, ascorbic acid, and compounds of essential oil.[5]
A Brief History of Lomatium Herb
Lomatium goes back hundreds of years in the culture of Native Americans who’d use it for culinary, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes. Lomatium was considered a panacea and used to get relief from a wide range of health issues.
Numerous Native American tribes used the roots of Lomatium for various types of infections, especially those impacted on the lungs. Lomatium became a household name during the 1917 influenza pandemic, during which it was generously used for its effective outcome.[6] It came to light when a US physician working with the Northern Nevada Washoe people noticed a great reduction in their mortality rate compared to the population elsewhere.
Benefits of Lomatium Herb
The antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, expectorant, and immune properties of Lomatium were discovered a long time back by Native Americans. Later, various bodies of research also supported their findings.[7]Based on these studies, Lomatium can help with the following health issues:
· Viral Conditions
In his 2013, Buhner publication declared Lomatium to be the primary antiviral herb of the US herbal community.[8] While it can be used for various viral conditions, Lomatium has been found especially effective against respiratory infections and urinary tract infections. It has also shown apparent efficiency against the slow infection caused by cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, and Epstein Barr virus.
It is believed that the strongly aromatic, oily, and bitter characteristics of the mature roots of Lomatium signify its antiviral activity. Compounds found in Lomatium have been noted to inhibit ribonucleoprotein complex, helping to break down the virus.
· Health Issues Caused by Microbes
Coumarins in Lomatium have a unique chemical combination that makes the herb potent against microbial conditions. A study conducted in 1948 and 1949 observed Lomatium’s effectiveness against a wide range of gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. Molds and fungi were also reported to reduce through the use of Lomatium.[9]
Now that you know all about Lomatium, you can keep a tincture in your homes to benefit from its antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Get your hands on organic lomatium tincture to get the most out of this useful herb!
References:
[1]https://thenaturalfarmer.org/article/herbal-antivirals-natural-remedies-for-emerging-resistant-viral-infections/
[2]https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/idpmstn10073.pdf
[3]https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brien_Meilleur2/publication/344380278_LOMATIUM_DISSECTUM_APIACEAE_MULTI-PURPOSE_PLANT_OF_THE_PACIFIC_NORTHWEST/links/5f6e39b3299bf1b53ef438b7/LOMATIUM-DISSECTUM-APIACEAE-MULTI-PURPOSE-PLANT-OF-THE-PACIFIC-NORTHWEST.pdf
[4]https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2672.2003.02026.x
[5]https://www.phytomed.co.nz/site/phytomed/Lomatium%20Herb%20Profile.pdf
[6]https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=hn-1221006#hn-1221006-need-to-know
[7]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88925/ , https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16444670/
[8]https://thenaturalfarmer.org/article/herbal-antivirals-natural-remedies-for-emerging-resistant-viral-infections/