Dorothy FarrarBrechwurzel
The ingredient in ipecac (emetine) has an expectorant effect and, in higher doses, causes severe nausea. Therefore, the tropical plant is processed into various medicines (e.g. cough syrups and emetics). Incidentally, alternative medicine ascribes the opposite effect to ipecac in lower doses, namely alleviating the urge to vomit.
Definition and Occurrence
The ipecac is a knee-high shrub native to the tropical lowlands of Central and South America. Because the largest occurrence is in Brazil, it is also called “Brazilian root” in Europe. Locally they are called “ipecacuanha root”. However, it also grows in other countries in the region, namely Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, southeastern Nicaragua and the Ecuadorian province of Napo.
Because the ipecac does not grow particularly quickly, cultivation on plantations does not make particularly good economic sense. Nevertheless, it was tried again and again (e.g. in India, where there is no natural occurrence). However, plantation cultivation has never led to great success. The ipecac is a highly poisonous plant. Botanists call them “Carapichea ipecacuanha” and place them in the blush family. A syrup containing the pharmaceutically relevant active ingredient emetine can be obtained from its robust rootstock. This is used in cough syrups and emetics.
The shrub also produces fruits, namely reddish and bluish berries, which, however, are completely meaningless from a pharmaceutical point of view. In Europe, ipecac and its effects have been known since the 17th century. In 1672, a traveler brought some specimens of the plant from South America to France. A few years later, the famous scholar Johann Friedrich Schweitzer discovered its healing effect on dysentery, which was very common at the time.
Ingredients, effect and dosage
For medicine, the ipecac is very interesting because it contains an active ingredient called emetine, which irritates the stomach lining. In low doses, this substance has an expectorant effect . In respiratory diseases, it promotes expectoration. In higher doses, it triggers nausea . This effect finally gave the ipecac its name.
Don’t forget, it’s a powerful poison. The wrong dosage or patients with intolerance can lead to severe side effects. These range from bloody diarrhea to dizziness and fever to an allergy shock. Scientists have even described cases in which patients have fallen into a coma . General allergic reactions such as itchy rashes and swelling have also been observed in susceptible patients.
For this reason, extreme caution is required with the ipecac. In Germany, preparations containing the active ingredient emetine are therefore not freely available, but require a prescription. In Switzerland, no medications containing emetine are commercially available anymore. The effects on pregnant women, mothers who are breastfeeding, children and adolescents have never been sufficiently researched. Therefore, medicines derived from ipecac are generally not given to these patients.
In much lower doses, the ingredient in ipecac is also used in alternative medicine. Homeopaths attribute the opposite effect to it. Alternative medical remedies that are obtained from the ipecac root are said to relieve nausea and vomiting. However, there are no scientific studies that prove this effect.
What does ipecac help against?
- Chronic Darmentzündung
- menstrual cramps
importance to health
The expectorant and expectorant effect of ipecac benefits patients suffering from respiratory infections, asthma or bronchitis. Cough syrups that contain emetine, which is extracted from the ipecac root, trigger a coughing stimulus, which subsequently frees the airways. However, the active ingredient played a more important role in the past than it does today. In the meantime, new active ingredients have become known that are much better suited for this purpose, since they cannot lead to the large number of side effects described above.
However, sometimes it is necessary to induce vomiting in a patient immediately. In such cases, ipecac preparations are still very useful today. This is primarily the case with poisoning . The patient excretes the poison quickly by vomiting. In some cases, this can even be life-saving.
The homeopathic preparations of ipecac are also administered to patients suffering from cough disorders. They should also make it easier to cough up and allow you to breathe freely. Because of the very low dosage, the homeopathic preparations are also well tolerated by children and babies.
However, homeopaths also administer the globules made from the ipecac (the small globules commonly used in alternative medicine) to patients who suffer from nausea, migraines or chronic intestinal inflammation, as well as to women who complain of menstrual cramps. The globules are intended to alleviate these symptoms.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.