Hydrangea

Hydrangea is a genus of nearly 75 species of flowering shrubs of ancient origin. In fact, evidence exists that hydrangea thrived in Asia as long as 25 million years ago and in North America more than 70 million years ago. The herbal preparation referred to as hydrangea root is derived from smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), which is native to the eastern United States. Also known as seven barks, this species of hydrangea has a long history of use by Native Americans and early European settlers that is now backed up by modern science.

The Cherokees used hydrangea root to address skin irritations, burns and wounds, as well as bladder and kidney stones. In fact, the traditional “kidney stone tea” consists of hydrangea root, cramp bark, plantain leaf and Joe Pye weed. In Chinese medicine, hydrangea root has also been used for centuries to treat stones of the bladder and kidneys and to counter malaria. Japanese scientists have recently found that there may be merit to using this herb to encourage the passing of small kidney stones. Hydrangea root appears to have a protective effect on the liver as well. In fact, a study published in the Japanese medical journal Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry (BBB) in 2003 reported that hydrangea root extracts deliver more antioxidant value to the liver than milk thistle and turmeric extracts combined.

In the June 5, 2009 issue of Science, a team of researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute at Children's Hospital Boston and another from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine announced that hydrangea root may play a role in the treatment of a number of autoimmune disorders, including eczema, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Of particular interest is halofuginone, a molecule isolated from hydrangea root. In this particular study, the researchers found that halofuginone blocked the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals collectively referred to as cytokines. This substance also inhibited the production of Th17, a specialized immune system helper cell thought to be involved in triggering an inflammatory response that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue.