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Patchouli

Also known as: Pogostemon cablin, Patchouly, Patchy

Overview

Pogostemon cablin, also known as patchouli, is an herb used in aromatherapy, perfumes, and other fragrances. Patchouli is often used to induce relaxation, but studies have found this effect to be unreliable. When it does work, patchouli supplementation reduces central nervous system activity. Preliminary evidence suggests patchouli can alleviate influenza. It has a moderate effect on most strains of flu, and a powerful effect on the H1N1 strain. Animal evidence suggests patchouli supplementation may also have an anti-depressant effect. The main bioactive of patchouli is called patchouli alcohol. It can be used to synthesize Taxol, an anti-cancer medicine. Though patchouli may be an effective anti-flu herb that makes it easier to relax, much more research is needed to confirm these effects.

Benefits

Patchouli is thought to work primarily through its bioactive compound, patchouli alcohol, which may influence central nervous system activity and immune response. The exact mechanisms are still under investigation, but preliminary studies suggest it may help reduce symptoms of influenza and exhibit anti-depressant effects.

How it works

Patchouli has several potential benefits, including: - Alleviation of influenza symptoms, particularly effective against the H1N1 strain. - Possible anti-depressant effects, as suggested by animal studies. - Induction of relaxation, although this effect is not consistently reliable.

Side effects

The standard dose for patchouli supplementation is based off of animal doses. Approximately 40mg/kg of bodyweight of patchouli, given to rats, is associated with anti-depressant effects. This translates to the following human dosages: • 440mg for a 150lb person • 580mg for a 200lb person • 730mg for a 250lb person A dose of 40-80mg/kg of bodyweight, given to mice, is associated with an anti-flu effect. The estimated human dose equivalent is 3.2-6.4mg/kg of bodyweight.