Lovage
Botanical Description & Habitat
Levisticum officinale
Family
Umbelliferae
Common names
| Cornish lovage | European lovage |
| Italian lovage | Lavose |
| Old English lovage | Sea parsley |
Habitat
Native to the Mediterranean region and southwest Asia. It flourishes in moderately moist soil with adequate sunlight.
Description
Can reach three to six feet in height. It has a short, thick rootstock which produces dark green hollow stems. The basal leaves are dark green, long, and petioled, with incised ovate leaflets; the stem leaves are less divided and are sessile. Tiny, pale yellow flowers grow in compound umbels at the ends of the stems, blooming from June to August.
Medicinal parts
Rootstock - dried
Historical Properties & Uses
Lovage is used traditionally as a diuretic and antiflatulent; research has confirmed the strong effect of the herb's extracts and essential oil. The essential oil imparts some carminative, expectorant, stimulant, and stomachic properties as well; these are some of the herb's common uses. Lovage is also said to be an effective emmenagogue.
Lovage root has approval status by the German Commission E for urinary tract inflammation (i.e. Urethritis).
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Method of Action
Lovage contains some interesting chemicals, including phthalides (please see Celery Seed for properties), carvacrol, coumarins (including bergapten, coumarin, and psoralen), and beta-sitosterol, all of which have potential physiological effects. However, the herb's properties have not been thoroughly investigated.
Lovage extracts and oil are strongly diuretic in rabbits and mice.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Known Interactions
Insofar as lovage's diuretic action increases the renal excretion of sodium and chloride, the herb may potentiate the hyperglycemic and hyperuricemic effects of glucose elevating agents.
Diuretics in general may potentiate the action of antihypertensive drugs, peripheral adrenergic blocking drugs, tubocurarine, and norepinephrine.
It should be noted the effects of dopamine and diuretic agents are additive.
Possible Interactions
The anti-arrhythmic agent, quinidine, may increase the hypoprothrombinemic effect of lovage. Conversely, vitamin K, menadione and menadiol sodium diphosphate may antagonize the anticoagulant effects of coumarins. Allopurinol has been tentatively shown to increase the half-life of anticoagulants.
This diuretic herb is more prone to produce hypokalemia when used in conjunction with corticotropin (ACTH) or corticosteroids. The use of diuretics in general may require dosage adjustments of antidiabetic drugs, and the diuretic action of lovage in particular may reduce renal clearance of lithium.
It should be noted an initial dose of the antihypertensive captopril may cause a severe drop in blood pressure within three hours if a strong diuretic such as lovage is also being used.
Comments
Prolonged use of this diuretic may affect certain laboratory test results such as electrolytes, especially potassium and sodium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, glucose, and protein bound iodine (PBI).
The strong diuretic action of lovage may produce digitalis toxicity if digitalis glycosides are being used. In conjunction with aminoglycoside antibiotics, it may also produce ototoxicity; combined with ethyl alcohol, barbiturates or narcotics, it may produce orthostatic hypotension.
Strong diuretics may, in conjunction with indomethacin, produce natriuretic effects. In addition, lovage may enhance the nephrotoxicity of cephaloridine.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
No toxicity data is available, except that some dermatitis reactions have been recorded in mice. Because the plant is a member of Unbelliferae, it is probably phototoxic due to its coumarin content.
Herbalists agree lovage should not be used by persons with kidney damage, or during the first trimester of pregnancy.
This herb has approval status by the German Commission E.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Preparation & Administration
Three times a day
Dried root
0.5-2 grams
Tea
made from 1/2 tsp of dried herb
Fluid extract
1:1 in 45% alcohol, 0.5-2 ml
This herb has approval status by the German Commission E.
Recommended daily dosages in Germany are as follows:
4 - 8 g of the herb.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Note: This Herbal Preparation information is a summary of data from books and articles by various authors. It is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals.
References
Am Hospital Formulary Service. Am Soc of Hosp Pharm. Wash, D.C.
Ashwood-Smith, M et al., Contact Dermatitis, 1992, 26(5):356-357.
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Bressler, R., M.D. Bogdonoff & G.J. Subak-Sharpe. 1981. The Physicians Drug Manual. Doubleday & Co, Inc. Garden City, NY. 1213 pp.
Chambers, G., R.J. Kerry & G. Owen. 1977. Lithium used with a diuretic. British Medical Journal, 2. pp. 805-806.
Chiles, V.K. 1968. Drug interactions and the pharmacist. Canadian Pharaceutical Journal. 101(7). pp. 241-247.
Committee on Pharmocopaeia of the Am Institute of Homeopathy, The Homeopathic Pharmacopaeia of the United States. 8th ed., Vol 1. Otis Clapp and Son, Agents, Boston, l981.
De Martinis, M., et.al. 1980. Milk thistle (silybum marianum) derivatives in the therapy of chronic hepatopathies. Clin Ter. 94(3).
Dodds & Foord. 1970. Enhancement by potent diuretics of renal tubular necrosis induced by cephaloridine. Brit Jnal of Pharmacology, 40. p. 227.
Drug package insert (FDA approved official brochure) and other labeling based on sponsored clinical investigations and New Drug Appli. data.
Facts and Comparisons. The Lawrence Review of Natural Products. Apr, 1997.
Goldner, M.G., H. Zarowitz & S. Akgun. 1960. Hyperglycemia and glycosuria due to thiazide derivatives administered in diabetes mellitus. New England Journal of Medicine, 262(Feb 2). pp. 403-405.
Goodman, L.S. & A. Gilman. 1975. Pharm Basis of Thera. MacMillan, NY.
Hansten, P.D. 1968. Antidiabetic drug interactions. Hospital Form. Management, 4(2). pp. 30-32.
Hansten, P.D. 1975. Personal observations of patients. Drug Interactions, 3rd ed. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia. pp. 25, 213.
Hansten, P.D. 1979. Drug Interactions, 4th ed. Lea & Febiger, Phila.
Hurtig, H.I. & W.L. Dyson. 1974. Lithium toxicity enhanced by diuresis. New England J of Med, 290(Mar 28). pp. 748-749.
Hyde. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. British Herb Med Assoc: England, 1983
Indocin. 1978. Product Information. Merck Sharp & Dohme.
Kastrup, E.K., ed. 1981. Drug Facts and Comparisons, 1982 edition. Facts and Comparisions Division, J.P. Lippincott Co, Phila(St. Louis).
Koch-Weser, J. 1968. Quinidine-induced hypoprothrombinemic hemorrhage in patients on chronic warfarin therapy. Ann of Intrnl Med, 68(3).
Lewis, Walter H. and Elvin-Lewis, Memory P.F. Medical Botany: Plants Affecting Man's Health, John Wiley and Sons. New York, l977.
List, P. & L. Hoerhammer. 1969-1976. Hagers Hanbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, vols. 2-5. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Lutz, E.G. 1975. Lithium toxicity precipitated by diuretics. Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey, 72(5). pp. 439-440.
Martin, E. Drug Interactions Index, 1978/79. J.B. Lippincott Co., Phila.
Miller, R.D., et.al. 1976. Enhancement of d-tubocurarine neuromuscular blockage by diuretics in man. Anesth, 45. p.442.
Miller, L. & R. Lindeman. Red Blood Cell and Serum Selenium Concentration as Influenced by Age and Selected Diseases. J Of Am Coll Nutri. 2. 1983.
Mowrey, Daniel B., Ph.D. Exper. Psych., Brigham Young University. Director of Nebo Institute of Herbal Sciences. Director of Behavior Change Agent Training Institute. Director of Research, Nova Corp.
Nagata, R. 1969. Drug interactions -- digitalis glycosides and kaliuresis. Hospital Form Management, 4(8). pp. 30-32.
Scientific Committee, British Herbal Pharmocopaeia, British Herbal Med Assoc, Lane House, Cowling, Na Keighley, West Yorks, Bd Bd220lx, l983
Tuttle, C.B. 1969. Drug interactions. Can J of Hosp Pharm, 22(5-6).
Udall, J.A. 1968. Quinidine and hypoprothrombinemia. Annals of Internal Medicine. 69(8). pp. 403-404.
Vessell, E.S., et.al. 1970. Impairment of drug metabolism in man by allopurinol and nortriptyline. New England J of Med, 283. p. 1484.
Multimedia
Levisticum officinale
Lovage 2.
© Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
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