Boldo Usage

Germany's Commission E has approved boldo for "spastic gastrointestinal complaints and dyspepsia." ¹ Dyspepsia is a rather vague term that corresponds to the common word "indigestion," indicating a wide variety of digestive problems including stomach discomfort, lack of appetite, and nausea.

In Europe, dyspepsia is commonly attributed to inadequate flow of bile from the gallbladder. Although this connection has not been proven, boldo has been used as a treatment for dyspepsia based on how it affects the gallbladder. Boldo does not seem to increase bile production, but it may cause gallbladder contraction. ² Boldo taken alone has not been well evaluated as a treatment for dyspepsia; however, a combination herbal treatment containing boldo (along with other herbs thought to stimulate the gallbladder) has been studied. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial , 60 people given either an artichoke leaf/boldo/celandine combination or placebo found improvements in symptoms of indigestion after 14 days of treatment. ³ How this combination might be effective for treating dyspepsia is unclear.

Note:Celandine may present significant risk of liver toxicity. ⁴ Studies on animals have found that boldo may have some ability to protect the liver from toxins, ⁵ perhaps due to the antioxidant effects of a boldo constituent called boldine. ⁶ Boldo also has anti-inflammatory properties, ⁷ and, in addition, may act as a laxative . ⁸ Finally the essential oils found in boldo have antimicrobial properties; ⁹ this is true of many essential oils, however, and does not indicate that boldo can act as an antibiotic.