The Orchid That Renovates Your Gut (Gently)

Dendrobium officinale is an orchid that’s made its way from Traditional Chinese Medicine into modern science.

Read: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Quality Control of Dendrobium officinale

To summarize its benefits, we’ll quote from Dr. Paharia’s article featured in our “what’s happening in the health world” section all so recently:

❝Gut microbes process Dendriobium officinale polysaccharides (DOPs) in the colon, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and oligosaccharides that alter gut microbial composition and improve human health.

DOPs have been shown to decrease harmful bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus while promoting beneficial ones like Bifidobacterium.❞

Source: The future of functional foods: leveraging Dendrobium officinale for optimal gut health and disease prevention

We don’t stop at secondary sources, though, so we took a look at the science.

Dr. Wu et al. found (we’ll quote directly for these bullet points):

• DOPs have been shown to influence the gut microbiota, such as the abundance of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, Bacteroides, and Prevotella, and provide different benefits to the host due to structural differences.
• The dietary intake of DOPs has been shown to improve the composition of the gut microbiome and offers new intervention strategies for metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as inflammatory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and colitis.
• Compared to drug therapy, intervention with DOPs is not specific and has a longer intervention duration

Source: Structure, Health Benefits, Mechanisms, and Gut Microbiota of Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharides: A Review

This is consistent with previous research on Dendrobium officinale, such as last year’s:

❝DOP significantly increased benign intestinal microbe proportion (Lactobacillus, etc.), but reduced harmful bacteria (Escherichia shigella) (P < 0.05), and significantly increased butyric acid production (P < 0.05)❞

Source: Dendrobium officinale Xianhu 2 polysaccharide helps forming a healthy gut microbiota and improving host immune system

In summary…

Research so far indicates that this does a lot of good for the gut, in a way that can “kickstart” healthier, self-regulating gut microbiota.

As to its further prospects, check out:

Dendrobium as a new natural source of bioactive for the prevention and treatment of digestive tract diseases: a comprehensive review with future perspectives

Very promising!

Where can I get it?

We don’t sell it, but for your convenience here’s an example product on Amazon

Be warned, it is expensive though!

A Chasteberry, By Any Other Name…

Vitex agnus castus, literally “chaste lamb vine”, hence its modern common English name “chasteberry”, gets its name from its traditional use as an anaphrodisiac for monks (indeed, it’s also called “monk’s pepper”), which traditional use is not in the slightest backed up by modern science.

Nor is its second most popular traditional use (the increase in production of milk) well-supported by science either:

❝Its traditional use as a galactagogue (i.e., a substance that enhances breast milk production) is not well supported in the literature and should be discouraged. There are no clinical data to support the use of chasteberry for reducing sexual desire, which has been a traditional application❞

~ Dr. Beatrix Roemheld-Hamm

Source: American Family Physician | Chasteberry

Both of those supposed effects of the chasteberry go against the fact that it has a prolactin-lowering effect:

❝It appears that [chasteberry] may represent a potentially useful and safe phytotherapic option for the management of selected patients with mild hyperprolactinaemia who wish to be treated with phytotherapy.❞

~ Dr. Lídice Puglia et al.

Source: Vitex agnus castus effects on hyperprolactinaemia

Prolactin, by the way, is the hormone that (as the name suggests) stimulates milk production, and also reduces sexual desire (and motivation in general)

• In most women, it spikes during breastfeeding
• In most men, it spikes after orgasm
• In both, it can promote anhedonic depression, as it antagonizes dopamine

In other words, the actual pharmacological effect of chasteberry, when it comes to prolactin, is the opposite of what we would expect from its traditional use.

Ok, so it’s an unchaste berry after all…. Does it have any other claims to examine?

Yes! It genuinely does help relieve PMS, for those who have it, and reduce menopause symptoms, for those who have those, for example:

❝Dry extract of agnus castus fruit is an effective and well tolerated treatment for the relief of symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome.❞

~ Dr. Robert Schellenberg

Source: Treatment for the premenstrual syndrome with agnus castus fruit extract: prospective, randomised, placebo controlled study

❝That [Vitex agnus castus] trial indicated strong symptomatic relief of common menopausal symptoms❞

~ Dr. Barbara Lucks

Source: Vitex agnus castus essential oil and menopausal balance: a research update

Is it safe?

Generally speaking, yes. It has been described as “well-tolerated” in the studies we mentioned above, which means it has a good safety profile.

However, it may interfere with some antipsychotic medications, certain kinds of hormone replacement therapy, or hormonal birth control.

As ever, speak with your doctor/pharmacist if unsure!

Where can I get some?

We don’t sell it, but here for your convenience is an example product on Amazon

Enjoy!