Neurogenesis: Nerve Growth Or Regeneration with Herbs and Food Plants
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J A H G Volume 11 | Number 2 Journal of the American Herbalists Guild 71 R educti on ist ’ Neurogenesis: S R A n Nerve Growth or Regeneration T with Herbs and Food Plants James Duke, PhD Thanks to Kevin Spelman, PhD, and Alan Tillotson, PhD, for constructive criticisms and suggestions. y reliable Dorland’s Illustrated base it on some challenging assumptions: In his distinguished career, Medical Dictionary (25th edition, James Duke served the US Department of Agriculture 1974) defines “neurogenic” 1. All food plants contain thousands of different for over 30 years. Before first as “forming nervous biologically active phytochemicals familiar retiring, he developed tissue, or stimulating nervous to our genes from when our ancestors his ethnobotanical and energy”; but I define it as first ingested plants containing such phytochemical database M online at www.ars-grin.gov/ “stimulating nerve growth or regeneration.” phytochemicals possibly millions of years ago. duke. It is one of the most Dorland’s didn’t define the word “neuritogenic” frequently consulted areas back in 1974, but I define it as “stimulating 2. When chemically out of balance (diseased), of the USDA website. Duke growth or regeneration of small nerves called our bodies try to achieve health by getting grows hundreds of plants on axons or neurites.” Doctors have prescribed or in balance homeostatically, mostly his six-acre Green Farmacy suggested many medicines and modalities for sequestering needed (phyto)chemicals Garden with his wife, Peggy. progressive neuropathy (in Dorland’s defined as and voiding unneeded or contraindicated Since retiring from the USDA, Dr. Duke has served for a “disturbance of the nerves”). In the 83 year-old (phyto)chemicals. It is my questionable five years as Senior Science me, it’s catastrophic, causing tingling feet and assumption, after compiling data for 30 Advisor to Nature’s Herbs and creaking knees. In other words, I have arthritic years, that probably all edible plants contain with allherb.com. Since 2001, and wobbly knees that creak as I climb the stairs. both some neurogenic and antineurogenic he has been a distinguished Below the knee, my legs are numb and tingly. phytochemicals. Ingesting plants that contain herbal lecturer at Tai Sophia Healing Institute (now Your reductionistic ranter, senile senior greater quantities of needed chemicals Maryland University of Jim Duke, suffers serious neuropathy, possibly can help bring the body back to health. Integrative Health). He has caused by one or more of the following: most written over 30 books on likely spinal stenosis and spondylosis; cryptic 3. My public domain USDA database already has medicinal plants. Lyme disease for nearly a decade; possibly identified many of the chemicals in many food pesticides (many of my USDA colleagues seem plants that might help preserve, protect, or to have suffered pesticide poisonings, but not even generate new nerves or neurites. Queried many of them worked with Agent Orange as did intelligently, the database can identify the I); alcohol (my liver tests have never fingered my most promising food “farmaceuticals” to help generous consumption of alcohol); or diabetes the body heal itself. And that is why, in this (my tests have never indicated diabetes). rant, I list some of the phytochemicals and I seek a “food farmacy” approach that herbs that offer hope for neuropaths who are might reduce neuropathic suffering, but it too old to go the surgical route (like me). If I do may be more expansive than reductive. I an equally intense review of antineuritogenic 72 J A H G Volume 11 | Number 2 Journal of the American Herbalists Guild T n A R S ’ ist on and antineurogenic phytochemicals, we acupuncture and meditation, can generate NGF can better identify edible food farmacy which makes the neuritogenic phytochemicals “prescriptions” for various neuropathies more active. Thus there is an apparent educti and related diseases. Some studies refer to synergy between our NGF and neuritogenic R the herb itself or the extracts of the herb; in foods, supplements or phytochemicals. my opinion, better studies refer to both. Neurogenic Spices Most of the PubMed research on this topic is Some spices contain neurogenic compounds: done on tissue culture (PC12D cells), cultures angelica, anise, applemint, basil, bay, caraway, derived from animal cells, most often rats, cayenne, celery, citrus, clary sage, clove, and some tissue cultures called astrocytes or coriander, fenugreek, ginger, horseradish, stellar cells. In these cultures, nerve growth lavender, marjoram, orange peel, onion, oregano, factor (NGF) increases the proportions of nerve parsley, pennyroyal, rosemary, sage, spearmint, cells called neurites (hence “neuritogenic” or summer savory, tarragon, thyme, turmeric, and “generating nerves”) and increases the length of wasabi. It is easy to say that these spices contain the nerves. The Japanese studied Verbena littoralis neurogenic compounds, but I am trying to (Paraguayan beach verbena), and their extracts figure those which have more neurogenic than barely changed the neurites in the absence of antineurogenic phytochemicals. Big Pharma is Cannabis sativa plant. NGF at rather high dosages. But in the presence not going to do that; clinical herbalists can. Image by Petr Brož (CC- of very low levels of NGF (2 nanograms per BY-SA 3.0). Source: http:// milliliter), the regrowth of nerves was much more Cannabis sativa (Marijuana) commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ dramatic (Li, Matsunaga et al 1999; Li, Ishibashi We have plenty of marijuana, mostly illegal, but File:Cannabis_sativa_plant_(4). JPG et al 2003). The human immune system, like soon to be legally grown, in the nation’s capital. There will be political roadblocks to using this medicinal plant; “grass” ain’t GRAS (generally regarded as safe by the FDA). We dare not plant it in our Green Farmacy Garden, even though it is very promising in neuropathy. I suspect it is still illegal in Maryland, but in my woodland rambles near the Middle Patuxent River just north of my garden, I have stumbled on three small clandestine plots. Larger plots are often booby- trapped, making wandering through the woods dangerous. Some chronic users anecdotally claim it can expand the mind. German scientists advise that long-time Cannabis use may increase innate NGF. On the downside, it may increase risk of schizophrenia (Jockers-Scherübl 2003). There are hundreds of PubMed citations on cannabinoids and multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Current pharmaceutical treatments are sometimes ineffective and may have noteworthy side effects. Hence, some MS patients may resort to Cannabis, anecdotally believed to help some symptoms like bladder dysfunction, pain, spasticity, and tremors. Animal research shows cannabinoids to be J A H G Volume 11 | Number 2 Journal of the American Herbalists Guild 73 R educti Neurogenic: on ist helpful with spasticity and tremor. Phase III Onjisaponins A, B, E, F and G, major stimulating ’ clinical trials may rationalize cannabinoids saponins in Polygala, strongly S nerve growth or R for MS (Croxton & Miller 2004). increased NGF level, much more A n Cannabidiol (CBD) is currently used for than the ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 regeneration T MS spasticity and pain. (Karmaus, Wagner et al (Yabe et al 2003). Another study 2012). A 1:1 mix of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol found that Asian goldthread (Coptis) plus cannabidiol, oromucosally introduced, extracts neuritogenically enhanced has been approved in some countries, reducing the activities of NGF in tissue culture. Neuritogenic: traditional psychotropic Cannabis actions. No Weaker activity was demonstrated by tolerance, abuse or addictive issues were found berberine and even less by coptisine stimulating (Oreja-Guevara 2012). Germany approved a and palmatine, alkaloids present in Cannabis extract in 2011 to treat refractory goldthread, but also in American growth or spasticity in MS, but it is often used off-label barberries, goldenseal, goldthread for anorexia, nausea, and neuropathic pain and yellowroots (Shigeta et al 2002). regeneration (Grotenhermen & Müller-Vahl 2012). Syracuse scientists studying the of small nerves The endogenous cannabinoids, anandamide important hepatoprotective Silybum and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, interact with the marianum (milk thistle) extract called axons or G-protein coupled cannabinoid (CB) receptors found it also to be neuritogenic CB(1) and CB(2). The CB system is emerging as and NGF-genic (Kittur 2002). neurites a key regulator of neuronal cell fate, conferring neuroprotection. Many poor neurological Legumes conditions are associated with excitotoxicity, Wake Forest scientists found that estradiol was oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Some nearly twice as active as soy phytoestrogens CB molecules inhibit these events and slow or at stimulating NGF (Pan, Anthony et al stop the neurodegeneration. Such may offer 1999). Notice that the authors specify soy hope in Alzheimer’s disease, MS, and cerebral phytoestrogens, most of whose phytoestrogens ischemia (Gowren, Noonan et al 2011). are shared by many other edible legumes much more pleasing to my occidental palate. (I Various Familiar and Obscure Herbs suspect that most soy-sponsored phytoestrogen A Finnish study showed that two of 10 policemen studies will have “soy” specified in their title, who volunteered to be sprayed with crowd- even though genistein is genistein is genistein.) control pepper spray (Capsicum or its capsaicins)