Traditionally, Lobelia inflata has been used as an antispasmodic, respiratory stimulant, relaxant, emetic, and euphoriant. The plant contains pyridine alkaloids, such as lobeline, lobelanine, and lobelanidine. Lobeline has nicotinic agonist properties (~5% to 20% of the potency of nicotine).
Does Lobelia have nicotine in it?
Although its ways are yet mysterious, Lobelia is thought to create a false feeling of nicotine consumption to the smoker's brain. On the other hand, this herb has nothing to do with nicotine, nor does it cause your body harm.
Can Lobelia inflata help you quit smoking?
Numerous people have discovered Lobelia Inflata, a herb which can help one quit smoking easily. For centuries, North American natives have used this herb in order to treat asthma, bronchitis and many other conditions. Its effectiveness is achieved through the same principle as cigarette smoking.
What are the alkaloids in Lobelia inflata?
Well-known alkaloids include caffeine, nicotine, and morphine ( 1 ). The most prominent alkaloid in Lobelia inflata is lobeline, which may protect against the following ailments — though more research is needed ( 1 ).
Is Lobelia inflata safe to take?
Studies suggest that compounds in Lobelia inflata may aid asthma, depression, and other health issues. However, high doses can be toxic and may cause serious side effects. This article provides a comprehensive review of lobelia, including its benefits, dosage, and side effects. What is lobelia?
How does lobelia help you quit smoking?
Lobelia contains an alkaloid called lobeline. Because of lobeline's similarity to nicotine, the herb is comonly used as an aid in quitting cigarettes. Lobeline binds to nicotine receptors in the brain, thus soothing tough smoking cravings.
What happens if you smoke lobelia?
Lobelia is considered a potentially toxic herb. It can cause serious side effects, such as profuse sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, rapid heartbeat, mental confusion, convulsions, hypothermia, coma, and possibly even death.
Does lobelia help with nicotine withdrawal?
Current evidence shows that lobelia is not effective for smoking cessation, asthma, or any other medical condition. The active compound in lobelia is lobeline, which has a similar activity in the body to nicotine. This explains its attempted use as an aid in smoking cessation.
Is lobelia a drug?
Lobelia is a plant that grows in Canada and the northern U.S. The above ground parts are used to make medicine. Lobelia is used for asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, quitting smoking, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Is lobelia good for lungs?
Asthma and other respiratory disorders Lobelia is sometimes used alongside conventional medications to help treat symptoms of asthma attacks, such as wheezing, uncontrollable coughing, and chest tightness. This is because lobeline may relax your airways, stimulate breathing, and clear mucus from your lungs (1, 5).
What does lobelia do for lungs?
LOBELIA'S EFFECT ON THE LUNGS: This effect can promote hyperventilation and hyperpnoea on occasion. At moderate dosages, it promotes expectoration, can help to free secretions, and can aid respiration. Lobeline is also reported to inhibit the release of catecholamines from adrenal glands.
Does lobelia make you sleepy?
Some people take lobelia as a sedative to help them relax. Other people use it to increase sweating.
How often can you take lobelia?
Traditional use of the leaf (eg, as an expectorant) suggests 100 mg of dry herb up to 3 times a day. However, there are no clinical trials to support this use. Doses of 0.6 to 1 g leaf are considered toxic, while 4 g of leaf is considered to be fatal.
What works best to help quit smoking?
Nicotine patch plus lozenge or gum is the most common combination.1) Using more than one medicine can help a lot.2) One non-nicotine medicine is especially effective.3) You can increase your chance of success when using quit- smoking medicine.4) Get quit-smoking medicines for free or reduced cost.More items...
Is Lobelia a sedative?
Lobelia became one of the most commonly used herbs by Thomsonians, who used it as an emetic, diaphoretic, expectorant, sedative, antispasmodic, and antiasthmatic.
Does Indian tobacco have nicotine?
Indian tobacco, pale spikes lobelia, and other lobelias contain several alkaloids similar to nicotine in composition—among them lobeline and lobelanine—and a volatile oil.
Is Lobelia good for COPD?
Also called Indian tobacco, lobelia has a long history of use as an herbal remedy for respiratory problems, including bronchitis. It is an effective expectorant, meaning that it helps clear mucus from your lungs. However, lobelia can be toxic and should not be used except under a doctor's supervision.
How much lobelia is safe?
Traditional use of the leaf (eg, as an expectorant) suggests 100 mg of dry herb up to 3 times a day. However, there are no clinical trials to support this use. Doses of 0.6 to 1 g leaf are considered toxic, while 4 g of leaf is considered to be fatal.
Can you eat lobelia flowers?
You shouldn't go round the garden munching on everything either, as some flowers, such as foxgloves and lobelia, are poisonous (care should also be taken if you suffer from hay fever, asthma or allergies – either avoid eating flowers, or introduce them slowly and in small amounts).
What does lobelia smell like?
It is somewhat irritating to the nostrils and is possessed of a burning, acrid taste. The chief constituent is a volatile liquid alkaloid named lobeline. Lobeline is pungent, with a tobacco-like odour, and is very dangerous if swallowed.
What is lobelia inflata?
Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco) contains lobeline and other pyridine alkaloids. It has been used as an emetic, antidepressant, respiratory stimulant, an aid to smoking cessation, and a treatment for metamfetamine abuse [ 2 ].
How much lobeline is toxic?
Toxicity has been associated with ingestion of 50 mg of dried herb, 1 mL of a tincture, and 8 mg of pure lobeline. Clinical signs of intoxication include hypothermia, hypertension, respiratory depression, paralysis, seizures, euphoria, nausea, emesis, abdominal pain, salivation, tachycardia, and coma.
Is Lobelia inflata a nicotinic agonist?
The plant contains pyridine alkaloids, such as lobeline, lobelanine, and lobelanidine. Lobeline has nicotinic agonist properties (~5% to 20% of the potency of nicotine). Toxicity has been associated with ingestion of 50 mg of dried herb, 1 mL of a tincture, and 8 mg of pure lobeline. Clinical signs of intoxication include hypothermia, hypertension, respiratory depression, paralysis, seizures, euphoria, nausea, emesis, abdominal pain, salivation, tachycardia, and coma. The German Commission E does not recommend it for use, but the AHPA suggests that there is no substantiated evidence of severe signs or death following use of the plant. The AHPA does suggest that the plant not be used during pregnancy or taken in large doses.
When did botanicals become injectable?
Injectable Botanicals. Injection of botanical extracts by various routes has been practiced since at least the end of the nineteenth century, when intradermal or intramuscular injection of extracts of Lobelia inflata (lobelia), among other herbs, was popular among the Eclectic physicians in North America.
Does Lobeline inhibit MA?
Lobeline inhibits MA-induced dopamine release in vitro and reduces MA self-administration in rats presumably due to its effects at VMAT-2 and the dopamine transporter, but it has not been tested for AMP/MA dependence in human clinical trials.
Does Lobeline cause nausea?
Nausea, vomiting, coughing, tremor, and dizziness have been noted with an average dose of lobeline. It can also cause nausea, sweating, and palpitation when inhaled from a cigarette. View chapter Purchase book. Read full chapter. URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444537171009860.
Is Lobelia inflata a homoeopathic medicine?
The related western herb Lobelia inflata is obsolete: it was formerly used to treat asthma and dyspnoea. Contains piperidine alkaloids, among these, lobeline, which has a similarity to nicotine and is therefore used in homoeopathy for smoking cessation.
What is Lobelia inflata?
What it is. Benefits. Dosage & side effects. Bottom line. Lobelia is a genus of flowering plants, some of which have been harvested for herbal remedies for centuries . The most commonly used is Lobelia inflata, though several species may be beneficial for health. Studies suggest that compounds in Lobelia inflata may aid asthma, depression, ...
What are the alkaloids in Lobelia?
Lobelias contain several different alkaloids, or compounds that provide therapeutic or medicinal effects. Well-known alkaloids include caffeine, nicotine, and morphine ( 1 ).
Why is lobelia used for asthma?
This is because lobeline may relax your airways, stimulate breathing, and clear mucus from your lungs ( 1, 5 ).
What is lobelia used for?
The flowers, leaves, and seeds are used in various preparations. Lobelia inflata is a species of lobelia long utilized for medicinal purposes.
Where is Lobelia native to?
Lobelia is a group of flowering plants native to North America.
Is Lobelia inflata toxic?
However, high doses can be toxic and may cause serious side effects.
Does Lobelia help with asthma?
Even though lobelia is often recommended by both herbalists and physicians to treat asthma and related issues , no human studies have examined its effects on respiratory ailments.
What is Lobelia inflata?
This Lobelia (Lobelia inflata) monograph is an excerpt from the 1999, first edition of Dr. Sharol's book "Herbal Medicine From The Heart of The Earth." You can purchase the 2020, third edition of this book with an expanded materia medica/monograph section, herbal formulas and directions on making herbal products in Dr. Sharol's Book Store. You receive free shipping in the USA.
What is lobelia specific for?
Mental picture and specific indications: Lobelia is for conditions of a spasmodic nature. It is specific for dyspnea increased with exertion and aggravated by exposure to cold.
What is lobelia used for?
Lobelia is a diffusive stimulant, best used where arterial action is strong. It equalizes the circulation of blood in the body. It is used for spasmodic coughs like croup, whooping cough, bronchial asthma, bronchitis and pleurisy.
Is Lobelia an antispasmodic?
It is used for spasmodic coughs like croup, whooping cough, bronchial asthma, bronchitis and pleurisy. It is used externally as well as internally as an antispasmodic. Internally it is given in small frequent doses. Too large of a dose will initiate vomiting. Externally, it is used as a liniment over the chest for spasmodic conditions of the lungs.
Can lobelia cause nausea?
It is also contraindicated during pregnancy due to similarity of lobeline to nicotine. An overdose can cause nausea and vomiting. Some sensitive individuals experience nausea and vomiting regardless of the amount consumed. Lobelia usually does not cause toxicity because the emetic effect produces vomiting and rids the stomach of the plant. But if an overdose is consumed and vomiting occurs but does not rid the body of all the lobelia, possible reactions include weakness, stupor, tremors, paralysis, rapid breathing and pulse, hypothermia, pinpoint pupils, sweating, prostration, unconsciousness, convulsions, coma and death. Contact with the leaves may cause dermatitis. The plant should only be used under the guidance of a qualified health care practitioner. Reports of toxicity due to lobelia are vague and have been questioned by the herbal community, where no one seems to have seen any side effects except nausea and vomiting. Note: For an excellent review of lobelia toxicity see Medical Herbalism 1998;10 (1):1-16.
Who is the herbal advocate for smoking tobacco?
Even today, herbal advocate David Wolfe has noticed indigenous tribal members in the Amazon and New Guinea smoking pure tobacco in their 80s while enjoying good health. The Department of Health and Human Services had approved 599 chemical additives to cigarettes by 1994.
How to heal lungs from smoking?
The Herbal Remedy to Kick the Smoking Habit & Repair the Lungs. Lobelia, or sometimes called Indian tobacco, has been used by herbalists to help get smokers off cigarettes and heal their lungs. Not necessarily by smoking it, but dispensed as tinctures, tablets, or “vaped” (inhaled through a vaporizer). This despite the fact that a stigma is ...
Did Indians smoke cigarettes?
American Indians’ natural tobacco didn’t have 600 chemicals additives that create a virtual freebasing of nicotine, ensuring they would be addicted forever to chain smoking while incredibly increasing their bodies’ toxic loads. Here’s the chemical additive list in today’s cigarettes – no wonder the effects of smoking can be so detrimental.
What is Lobelia?
Lobelia is actually an entire genus of flowering plants that are primarily found in tropical and temperate areas of the world. There are more than 400 species in this genus, all of which go by the common name of lobelias. One of the most popular varieties for its medicinal properties is Lobelia inflata, commonly called Indian tobacco. The aboveground parts of the plant can be used for many different treatments. [1]
What are the components of lobelia?
The components of lobelia, including alkaloids, calcium, vitamin C, potassium , and magnesium, as well as unique antioxidants lobeline and lobelanine, are the cause of this herb’s many benefits.
Is lobelia good for asthma?
Known as a powerful anti-spasmodic, lobelia is particularly effective for treating problems in the respiratory system. If you suffer from regular asthma attacks, drinking a tea made from this herb can soothe that inflammation and suppress the desire to cough, as well as problems with breathing. [2]
Does Lobelia help with sleep?
There are certain muscle-relaxing qualities of this herb, so when topically applied or internally consumed, lobelia can help ease muscle strain and tension, which can aid those who have sleep problems . [5]
Is lobeline the same as nicotine?
There is a key chemical in lobelia, known as lobeline, that has a similar effect on the body to nicotine. It can occupy the same chemical receptors in the brain and body but is not known as an addictive substance. As a result, moderate and careful use of this herb is commonly prescribed for people who want to quit smoking.
Is Lobelia a good herb for quitting smoking?
Rather than being addictive, however, this chemical can help people overcome their addiction to nicotine, so this herb is known as a good aid for quitting smoking. The components of lobelia, including alkaloids, calcium, vitamin C, potassium , and magnesium, as well as unique antioxidants lobeline and lobelanine, are the cause of this herb’s many benefits.