Using Herbs to Support Lyme Disease Therapies
According to the NY State Department of health, active tick season starts in March for adult ticks and May for nymph ticks. With a milder winter this year, it is likely that some have already had encounters with ticks. Both adult and nymph ticks can carry multiple infections referred to as tick borne Illness. These illnesses include Lyme disease caused by the bacteria borrelia burgdorgeri, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and others. The treatment for Lyme disease is antibiotic therapy such as doxycycline or cefuroxime and is often adequate if caught early. However, caught in late stages, it can be more difficult to treat. Different types of antibiotics and herbs have been studied to find the most effective agent that can kill or eradicate all forms of the bacteria. In subculture studies, single antibiotic therapies are often found to be ineffective at complete eradication. However, there are herbs that have been studied and tested in vitro that have been found to be effective in eradicating all forms of borrelia bacteria.
One such herb is Cryptolepis Sanguinolenta. In a 2020 study, Crytoplepis was found to eradicate all forms of the Lyme bacteria. The authors concluded, “1% Cryptolepis S. extract caused complete eradication” as after 21 days in subculture no active bacteria were visible. The authors found that Cryptolepis was highly effective at eradicating both active and stationary phases of Borellia bacteria. Many herbs have multiple mechanisms of action and this includes Cryptolepis. Cryptolepis is anti-microbial and has activity not just against bacteria, but also against fungal and parasitic organisms.
In a 2017 review on Cryptolepis, the active constituent cryptolepine was also found to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and even anti-diabetic properties4. Other herbs commonly used to support Lyme therapies such as Japanese Knotweed, Cat’s claw, and Chinese Skullcap have not only been shown to have anti-microbial properties but also anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune stimulating properties.
Combining multiple herbs can often creates a synergistic effect which may increase overall effectiveness of therapies. Herbal therapies can have interactions with medications and many are contraindicated during pregnancy. Herbs may also cause mild side effects. Therefore it is highly recommended that for proper dosing and precautions, you should consult with a provider who is familiar with herbal therapies and their possible interactions with medications.
If you are interested in starting any herbal or supplemental therapy, please call the Stram Center today as all of our providers are trained in the use of nutrient and herbal therapies.
References
1. https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2825/
2. Persisting atypical and cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi and local inflammation in Lyme neuroborreliosis. Miklossy J, Kasas S, Zurn AD, McCall S, Yu S, McGeer PL. J Neuroinflammation. 2008 Sep 25
3. Feng J, Leone J, Schweig S, Zhang Y. Evaluation of Natural and Botanical Medicines for Activity Against Growing and Non-growing Forms of B. burgdorferi. Front Med (Lausanne). 2020 Feb 21;7:6. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2020.00006. PMID: 32154254; PMCID: PMC7050641.
4. Newman Osafo, Kwesi Boadu Mensah, Oduro Kofi Yeboah, "Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) Schlechter", Advances in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 2017, Article ID 3026370, 13 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/302637
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