Herbal Butterbur and cholesterol

Butterbur, found in wet, marshy, damp land, including wetland, riverside, forest, etc., is a creeping underground plant, genus Petasites of 15 -20 species, belonging to the family Asteraceae, native to Northern Hemisphere. It has been used in herbal medicne used as an pain reliever in digestive system, including stomach, bile ducts, and duodenum, etc.
Cholesterol is needed for our body to build cell walls, make hormones and vitamin D, and create bile salts that help you digest fat. However too much of it can be dangerous because cholesterol cannot dissolve in your blood. The special particle called lipoprotein moves this waxy, soft substance from place to place. If you have too much low density lipoprotein LDL that is known as bad cholesterol, overtime cholesterol can build up in your arterial walls causing blockage and leading to heart attack and stroke.

The Ingredients
The chemical constituents of Butterbur include Petioles, petasitene and pethybrene,  quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-beta-D-6''-O-acetylglucoside, and rutin, caffeic acid, alkaloids, S-petasin and iso-S-petasin, etc.

The benefits
The Butanol fraction from the methanol extract of butterbur (Petasites japonicus Max.) (BMP) is examined for its effects on the plasma lipid profiles and oxidative damage of liver in mice in compared to monosodium l-glutamate (MSG), the fraction from the herb showed to be more effective to decreased total cholesterol, atherogenic index, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol than the MSG-treated group. Other in the study to investigate of an extract (PJET) of Petasites japonicas in mice fed with high fat diet, showed PJET lowered the body weight gain and visceral fat tissue accumulation, and ameliorated the plasma cholesterol concentration of that P. japonicus might be an effective food against obesity.

Side effects
1. Butterbur may be liver-toxic to liver and cause cancer due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids(a)
2. If you are pregnant please do not use Butterbur with out the permission of the related special field specialist
3. Allergic effect to certain people who are allergic to ragweed, marigold, daisy, etc.
4. Overdoses may cause indigestion, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
5. Etc.


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References
(1) Butterbur (Petasites japonicus Max.) extract improves lipid profiles and antioxidant activities in monosodium L-glutamate-challenged mice by Park CH, Kim MY, Sok DE, Kim JH, Lee JH, Kim MR.(PubMed)
(2) Suppression of murine preadipocyte differentiation and reduction of visceral fat accumulation by a Petasites japonicus ethanol extract in mice fed a high-fat diet by Watanabe T, Hata K, Hiwatashi K, Hori K, Suzuki N, Itoh H.(PubMed)