Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) and asthma:
Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) root powder is a supplement that contains petasins, a group of anti-inflamatory compounds. In a German prospective, non-randomized, open trial, 80 asthma sufferers (64 adults and 16 children/adolescents) who took 50 mg butterbur extract (Petadolex) 3 times a day (children: 50-150 mg daily, depending on age) saw the number, duration, and severity of their asthma attacks decrease during an eight-week study period. During the first two months the patients were treated with the extract, followed by two months during which the intake of the extract was optional. Patients were permitted to continue with their regular asthma medications for the entire duration of the study. At the end of the study, measure of lung function (peak flow, forced expiratory volume [FEV1]) and asthma medication use improved. The average improvement for peak flow was 28.5% and for FEV1 it was 11.3%. Of the patients taking inhaled asthma medication in addition to butterbur extract, 43% reduced the amount of medication used while they were taking butterbur extract. The study authors speculated that butterbur extract might be effective both as a stand-alone asthma treatment and in combination with other asthma medications. The flaw of the study was that it was not a randomized or blinded design. (10)