Butterbur contains chemicals that relieve allergic rhinitis, decrease swelling (inflammation) and relieve pressure on the blood vessels. Butterbur has been used as a herbal remedy for inflammation and allergies for hundreds of years.
According to a scientific study report published in the British Medical Journal in January 2002, butterbur works as well as a conventional treatment for hay fever. A team of Swiss researchers compared butterbur to the antihistamine cetirizine (Zyrtec) in a double blind trial that included 125 patients. A report, from the Integrative Medicine Clinic at the University of Arizona, indicated that one very allergic patient seen in has reported dramatic improvement on butterbur.
Several clinical trials have been conducted on commercial preparations of butterbur to evaluate their efficacy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Mechanisms of action for butterbur in allergic rhinitis relate to a role in leukotriene activity rather than an antihistaminic effect.
Please note: Butterbur is not recommended for children, pregnant or people with liver disease.
