ZEDOARY: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Zedoary is a plant. The underground stem (rhizome) is used to make medicine.

Traditional methods for preparing zedoary involve washing it with lots of water to remove most of the protein and water-soluble nutrients. The rinsing is also supposed to remove a poison that is yet to be identified.

Zedoary is used for stomach pain, loss of appetite, indigestion, as a mosquito repellant, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence for

High cholesterol. Early research shows that drinking tea prepared with zedoary root lowers total cholesterol and may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol in men with high cholesterol. More research is needed to confirm.
Anxiety.
Cancer.
Cough.
Diarrhea caused by rotavirus.
Fatigue.
Improving appetite.
Indigestion (dyspepsia).
Mosquito repellent.
Stomach pain.
Stress.
Swelling (inflammation).
Swelling (inflammation) of the liver (hepatitis).
Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of zedoary for these uses.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if zedoary is safe or what the side effects might be.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if zedoary is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It is LIKELY UNSAFE to take zedoary if you are pregnant. There is concern that it might cause a miscarriage.

It's also best to avoid zedoary if you are breast-feeding, since there isn't enough scientific information to know how it might affect a nursing infant.

Abnormally heavy bleeding during menstrual periods (menorrhagia): Some experts suggest that zedoary should not be used by women who have heavy menstrual periods.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with ZEDOARY
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Zedoary might change how quickly the liver breaks down these medications. This could change the effects and side effects of these medications.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of zedoary depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for zedoary. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

View References

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