Japanese Knotweed for Lyme Disease, other benefits

 excerpt from an interesting and well written blog:

http://herbalisl.blogspot.com/2009/10/japanese-knotweed-in-treatment-of-lyme....

Japanese Knotweed in the Treatment of Lyme Disease

Japanese Knotweed

(Polygonum cuspidatum)

Lisl Meredith Huebner, Dipl.CH (NCCAOM), RH (AHG), CMA

…Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete, a microorganism carried by ticks and other biting insects such as mosquitoes, biting flies, mites and fleas. A spirochete is a gram-negative bacterium that “screws” itself into tissue -particularly collagen- and can encapsulate quickly under adverse conditions, going dormant until its environment becomes more hospitable. Spirochetes are notably clever, and easily adapt to elude antibiotics; they can then exchange resistance information within their community and to other co-infections, making treatment ever more difficult. A close cousin of this spirochete is one that causes syphilis, and consequently there is strong evidence that Lyme can be transmitted sexually as well as through mother’s milk, saliva and in utero.

 

Japanese Knotweed is a native of Asia, but was introduced in Britain in the nineteenth century. The clones introduced in Europe reproduce through their rhizomes, not via seeds so all the plants there (and likely here in the US also) are in essence, one giant female. Known as the King of Weeds (Let’s change that to Queen, shall we?), the hardy Japanese Knotweed is the best known source of resveratrol and trans-resveratrol, naturally occurring compounds that are antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anti-spirochetal and have a myriad of other health benefits as well.

Plants like Knotweed produce resveratrol in order to combat disease and to become more tolerant to environmental extremes. Not long ago, red grape skins were the primary source of resveratrol in supplements, and the impetus behind the theory of the “French Paradox” which implied that the generous inclusion of red wine with a high fat diet prevented heart disease. Research has found that Polygonum cuspidatum, abundant and readily available, contains much more concentrated resveratrol and trans-resveratrol than grapes, making Knotweed a much preferred commercial source of this valuable antioxidant. It’s unlikely that the French predilection for pinot noir will be replaced by Knotweed anytime soon, so don’t throw away your wine glasses just yet.

Resveratrol can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure and has shown promise for the treatment of certain cancers, breast cancer in particular; as a complimentary treatment it can raise white blood cell levels during chemotherapy and radiation. During menopause and senior years, resveratrol can help protect bone density levels and increase the mineral content in bone tissue.

 

What makes Knotweed so valuable when it comes to treating Lyme disease is that it not only inhibits the spirochetes, it is also markedly anti-inflammatory, reducing joint pain, swelling and fever. The anti-inflammatory effect helps to regulate the immune system and prevents it from being over burdened; its modulating effect makes it useful for many autoimmune ailments. Knotweed supports the central nervous system and protects the heart, making it especially valuable in the treatment of Lyme-related carditis.

Lyme disease affects more than the joints; symptoms can range from pronounced fatigue, fever and aches to foggy thinking, memory lapses, muscular spasms, rashes and vision problems. The spirochetes that cause Lyme make a meal of collagen tissue, and their favorite restaurants include your joints, skin, eyes and brain. Knotweed has a strong ability to protect those tender areas, stimulating microcirculation and directing other herbs to otherwise difficult to treat regions of the body. The constituents in Knotweed are also able to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), protecting delicate cerebral tissue and harmonizing blood flow. Regular supplementation of Polygonum cuspidatum during or after an active infection will help sharpen mental function and relieve pain throughout the body.

During effective treatment of Lyme disease, patients frequently experience what is known as a Herxheimer reaction. A “Herx” response is a healing crisis of exacerbated overall symptoms; fevers spike, joint pain becomes more pronounced, fatigue may increase –basically the patient feels absolutely awful. The reason for the aggravated symptoms is a massive die-off of the pathogenic spirochetes creating a high volume of toxicity in the blood. Believe it or not, this is a good sign: the treatment is working. It doesn’t seem like good news to anyone experiencing it however, and this is another instance where Japanese Knotweed can come to the rescue by reducing Herx symptoms and aiding in systemic detoxification.

Lyme expert and Master Herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner recommends a core protocol of four to five herbs in the treatment of Lyme disease: Japanese Knotweed, Andrographis, Cat’s Claw, Smilax and Astragalus. Since the publication of his book, Healing Lyme in 2005, thousands of people have reported significant improvement if not complete relief from their Lyme symptoms using this basic protocol. Treatment works best when an experienced herbalist adjusts their healing strategy according to each individual’s needs and be aware that Knotweed is contraindicated with pregnancy and blood-thinning medications...more

See also:

http://www.HerbaLisl.com/

http://www.HerbaLisl.com/Modus_Operandi.html

Effective Protocols for 
Lyme Disease

Lisl has had tremendous success treating patients previously diagnosed with Lyme disease since she began her private practice 15 years ago. She draws on her own professional experience, as well as incorporating treatment methods pioneered by Stephen Harrod Buhner, Dr. Zhang, Matthew Wood, and Lady Barbara Telesco. Safe, anti-spirochetal and immune-enhancing herbs are carefully prescribed for the individual, and address each stage of a patient's recovery.

Chronic Lyme symptoms such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, visual impairments, inflammation, skin issues, headaches, brain fog, and palpitations are persistent and often difficult to remedy with antibiotics alone. When treating people that have been dealing with Lyme disease, Lisl employs powerful strategies such as herbal medicine, auriculotherapy, medicinal aromatherapy, and even Reiki and dietary guidance. Lisl’s patients have experienced great improvement with their range of symptoms and when maintaining a protocol for preventative health care, rarely experience any recurrence.

 

Liberation from
Migraines & Fibromyalgia

In our modern culture, people frequently ignore problems or take suppressive drugs until serious illness becomes inevitable. Serious pain issues like Migraines and Fibromyalgia can develop when the subtler signs of imbalance go unnoticed for a long time. To get to the root of a problem, Lisl conducts a thorough interview as part of a differential diagnosis, as well as an in depth examination of the tongue and pulse. - both ancient and extremely accurate methods of discerning the condition of the interior organs and metabolic systems according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. With herbs, diet and auriculotherapy, Lisl’s patients achieve significant pain relief in a short amount of time!

"...To my utter astonishment less than a minute and a half into the treatment my stomach was no longer flipping.  When Lisl was done I felt 95 percent better.  What was left went away within the hour.  A full blown migraine attack had been avoided.

Lisl used a combination of Auricular Therapy and Chinese Herbal Medicine to balance my system and stop the migraines.  Since I have worked with her the migraines have stopped!"  -D.H.; New Hartford, CT