Bitter Orange as anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and more

[Guest guest]

Bitter Orange has a long history as an herbal remedy in many cultures, european and asian for two. It is purported to be a better alternative to ephedra with fewer scary side effects (but not zero). I'm intrigued however because many of its known pharmacological actions are relavent to our symptoms (see below). I'm also wondering if it's anti-spasmodic vascular properties could help with migraines. Bodybuilders apparently use something called “ECA†which stands for ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin. Since the U.S. has banned ephedra from supplements, some products are replacing the Ephedra with Bitter Orange. Has anyone used or investigated Bitter Orange?

Uses of Bitter Orange

Pharmacological actions for C. aurantium include the following: antispasmodic, sedative, tranquilizer, cholagogue, demulcent, eupeptic, tonic, and vascular stimulant; as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal agent; and for reducing cholesterol; however, clinical data is limited. Most medical literature focuses on the safety and efficacy of its use in over-the-counter weight-loss supplement formulations. Studies examining this use have used small sample sizes and often focus on combination products.

More detailed pharmacological analysis with references here:

http://www.drugs.com/npp/bitter-orange.html

I'm also interested in White Willow Bark, which is the basis of aspirin/nsaid type products which are still the best anti- inflammatories out there. Ephedra, when combined with NSAIDs like ibuprofen or aspirin, used to be effective on my migraines, but the stimulant properties of ephedra were problematic, and nsaids began to cause severe stomach pain. Possibly combining bitter orange with white willow bark would be an alternative for people who can't take NSAIDs and/or ephedra but find those drugs beneficial for headaches or other symptoms.

Another analysis of Bitter Orange with a weight loss focus:

Bitter Orange Extracts More Effective than Ephedra,Fewer Side Effects than Ephedra

http://www.nutritionreview.org/library/bitter.orange.php