In the 1960s, Dr. Pierre Tubéry and his wife Dr. Anne-Marie Tubéry Crauzes were doctors in a dispensary in Cameroon. Several testimonies report healings of hepatitis of Europeans following the intake of alocal plant prescribed by traditional healers: it was desmodium. Explanation ofthis liver-protecting plant.

Botany

Desmodium, Desmodium adscendens, comes from the Greek desmos "the bond" and adscendens which refers to the stems of this plant that climb up the trunk of oil palms. It is found mainly in damp, shady places. Its flowers are small and white to light purple in color and will bear green pod-like fruits. In phytotherapyThese are the leaves that will be used.

This medicinal plant is found in the traditional pharmacopoeia of tropical American, African and Indian regions. It is, moreover, often used to relieveasthma in Ghana and hepatic problems in Cameroon.

Composition of the leaves of Desmodium

The leaves are rich in flavonoids, triterpene saponosides and tryptamine derivatives.

Main pharmacological properties of Desmodium leaves

• Hepato-protective
• anti-anaphylactic, anti-asthmatic and anti-spasmodic
• Action on the central nervous system

Focus on the hepato-protective properties of Desmodium

In 1973, in France, the first recorded case of a cure was that of an 18-year-old girl suffering from severe viral hepatitis who was relieved in 8 days with a decoction of desmodium. Indeed, jaundice, nausea, and headache disappeared, and transaminases decreased from 700 units to 36 . From then on, desmodium was recognized as the phytotherapeutic remedy for all forms of hepatitis whether acute or chronic viral, toxic, drug-induced, autoimmune, as well as for alleviating nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis. In addition, it is very important to add that this plant is also recommended to protect the liver during chemotherapy and allergy.

Due to its triterpene saponiside content, desmodium is hepatoprotective.

A study* of 50 patients with viral hepatitis showed that after 45 days of treatment with desmodium, significant improvement was noted in myalgias, jaundice, transaminases, bilirubin, and HbS antigen negativation in half of the cases for those with viral hepatitis B.

The liver is the largest organ in the human body. It weighs nearly 1.5kg on its own and is involved in more than 300 vital functions. It is the onlyorgan capable of regeneration if it has been damaged.

Inadequate lifestyle (diet too rich in fat, protein or sugar, alcohol, lack of sports, etc...) demand to the liver extra effort to not only digest and assimilate correctly the nutrients but also to satisfy all the metabolic functions for which it is responsible, including filtration and purification of the blood from chemical residues contained in food, cigarettes, cosmetics (pesticides, dyes, additives, petrochemical derivatives) as well as drugs (the contraceptive pill included) before being eliminated in the feces or urine.

Thus, overworked, it ends up getting fatigued leading to digestive but also physiological disorders (fatigue, acne, migraines, etc... for the most common).

Desmodium does not help detoxify the liver per se. It helps to protect liver cells and promote their regeneration.

Dosage and contraindications 

In aqueous, dried or capsule extract, the dose depends on your issue and the manufacturer's data. Please refer to the advice of your doctor, pharmacist or naturopath. In case of chemotherapy, it is strongly recommended to consult your doctor before starting any naturopathic protocol.

In the absence of serious data,desmodium is not recommended for children under 12 years of age and for pregnant or nursing women.

Desmodiumis the natural remedy advised by naturopaths to help the liver to regenerate during severe hepatic fatigue due to extreme demands on its functions. If you wish to benefit fully and safely from its benefits, it is essential to be accompanied by a naturopath for a global and personalized program.

*ATTIVI ASSIONGBONVI D. , Contribution to the marketing authorization of Desmodium Ascendens. Thesis of doctorate in pharmacy, Poitiers; 1999

LO ROSCIO E. Desmodium Ascendens (Sw.) D.C.: botany, chemistry and therapeutic interests. Thesis of doctorar in pharmacy, Lyon; 2002.