Cuscuta Epithymum

Other Names: Atermoyer, Beggarweed, Chinese Dodder, Cuscuta, Cuscuta chinensis, Cuscuta epithymum, Cuscutae, Devil's Guts, Dodder of Thyme, Hellweed, Japanese Dodder, Lesser Dodder, Doddar, Scaldweed, Semen Cuscutae, Strangle Tare, Tu Si Zi, Tu Sizi, Tu Su Zi
Dodder is an herb. People use the parts that grow above the ground to make medicine.
See also : Cuscuta Reflexa

Special Precautions of Cuscuta Epithymum

Dodder might cause stomach pain in some people.

Benefits and uses of Cuscuta Epithymum are

Cuscuta, more commonly known as the Dodder plant, is a parasitic vine that invades other plants for sustenance. Cuscuta has a high level of flavonoids giving it strong antioxidant properties. It has been found to have positive effects on reproductive health, osteoporosis and alopecia, which is hormonal-induced baldness.

• Osteoporosis : In a June 2010 article appearing in “Phytotherapy Research,” drynol cibotinis, a newly developed botanical combination including Cuscuta chinensis was investigated for its therapeutic benefits for treating osteoporosis. Each of the botanicals in this mixture has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat osteoporosis. The researchers assessed the effects of drynol cibotin on cell growth, programmed cell death, calcium uptake and production of bone matrix proteins. The results showed that drynol cibotin significantly increased cell proliferation and inhibited cell death in osteoblasts, which are bone cells. In addition, the researchers found that drynol cibotin promoted calcium uptake and significantly increased production of two key extracellular matrix proteins in bone cells: collagen I and laminin B-2. The authors concluded that drynol cibotin either alone or in combination with amino acids and vitamins may have therapeutic potential for osteoporosis.
• Alopecia : Alopecia, or hair loss, is an androgen-driven psychologically distressing condition, which affects millions of men and women. In an article appearing in the September 2008 issue of the “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology,” researchers evaluated Cuscuta reflexa for hair growth activity in test animals with alopecia. The authors used a petroleum extract of C. reflexa on albino mice with testosterone-induced alopecia for 20 days. Its inhibitory abilities were evaluated by follicular density and microscopic observation of skin sections. The study found that the extract exhibited promising hair growth activity as reflected in follicular density and skin section observation. Inhibition of enzymatic activity suggested that the extract reversed androgen-induced alopecia by inhibiting conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone.
• Male Infertility : The March 2006 edition of the “Chinese Archives of Traditional Chinese Medicine” documented the damage caused by reactive oxygen species, ROS, to human sperm and the mechanism by which Cuscuta japonica can treat male infertility. Sperm cells with normal physiological function were selected and different concentrations of extract were incubated with sperm in the ROS environment. The cells’ integrity was calculated and the sperm structure was observed. The authors found that extract from C. japonica can significantly protect the sperm cell membrane, as well as its structure and the cellular function from the damage caused by ROS.
• Tonify kidneys and liver, strengthens yin, secures essence, reserves urine - impotence, nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation, tinnitus, frequent urination, sore painful back, vaginal discharge.
• improves vision - liver and kidney yin and yang deficiency patterns with dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, floaters, etc.
• Strengthen the spleen and kidneys - resolve diarrhea.
• Calms the fetus - important herb for habitual and/or threatened miscarriage.

References

• Phytotherapy Research: Effect of a novel botanical agent Drynol Cibotin on human osteoblast cells and implications for osteoporosis: promotion of cell growth, calcium uptake and collagen production
• Journal of Medicinal Food: Cuscuta chinensis extract promotes osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells
• Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology: Effect of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb on androgen-induced alopecia