Pushkarmool Root Powder (Inula racemosa) 8 oz: B
Traditionally used as a tea, decoction and extract. Inula is an Ayurvedic herb. It grows in the hilly regions in the northwestern Himalayas. Medicinal Parts Used: Root Contains: Sesquiterpene lactones alantolactone isoalantolactone inunal isoalloalantolactone essential oil Action: antispasmodic [an agent which relieves or eases muscular spasms, cramps or convulsions] beta-blocking hypotensive [an agent that lowers blood pressure] antianginal Inula is used for: Cardiovascular Conditions angina pectoris heart disease ischemic heart disease, especially combined with Commiphora mukul lowers diastolic blood pressure Liver Conditions decreases cholesterol Respiratory Tract Conditions asthma bronchial disease chest (precordial) pain chronic bronchitis with cardiac complications cough dyspnea protects against bronchospasm induced by histamine, serotonin and pollens Inula was studied in combination with Guggul (Commiphora mukul) using a 1:1 mixture. 200 patients with ischemic heart disease were used in the trial. Approximately 80 percent experienced dyspnea (abnormal or uncomfortable breathing, usually associated with heart trouble), and all 200 subjects had chest pain, with positive indications of myocardial ischemia. Guggul (Commiphora) is known for its lipid-lowering qualities. It may partially explain the lowering of total cholesterol by 39-percent in these patients. There was also a 51-percent decrease in triglycerides and 32-percent decrease in total blood lipids. The other results were also equally remarkable. At the end of the six-month study period, 26 percent of the subjects had a complete restoration of normal ECG. Another 59 percent showed improvement in the ECG. Twenty-five percent of the subjects had no chest pain, and patients experiencing dyspnea fell from 80 percent at the beginning of the study to 32 percent. 2 In another trial, the efficacy of Inula was compared to nitroglycerin for the prevention of anginal symptoms. Nine subjects with ischemic heart disease was used in the study. All patients experienced chest pain and showed positive for myocardial ischemia by their ECG ST-segment depression on exertion. The Inula group received 3 grams root powder 90 minutes prior to testing. The controls were given nitroglycerin. All nine subjects had improvement in ST-segment depression on ECG. However, the improvement was greater for those who were given inula. 3 1. Patel V, Banu N, Ojha JK, et al. Effect of indigenous drug (Pushkarmula) on experimentally induced myocardial infarction in rats. Act Nerv Super 1982; Suppl 3:387-394. 2. Singh RP, Singh R, Ram P, Batliwala PG. Use of Pushkar-Guggul, an indigenous antiischemic combination, in the management of ischemic heart disease. Int J Pharmacog 1993; 31:147-160. 3. Tripathi SN, Upadhyaya BN, Guptha VK. Beneficial effect of Inula racemosa (Pushkarmoola) in angina pectoris: a preliminary report. Ind J Physiol Pharmac 1984; 28:73-75.