(NaturalNews) Agrimony is a plant that is closely related to the rose family and grows in the temperate regions of Asia, Europe and North America. Starting with the early Greek civilization, agrimony has accumulated a long history of being used to treat a wide array of illnesses. The Greeks recommended using it in order to strengthen the liver and cure ailments such as jaundice. By the 17th century, herbalists such as John Gerard would openly claim that not only was agrimony able to revitalize the liver but it could also facilitate the assimilation of food in the digestive tract. This general idea was later made popular and promoted through several books by a certain Dr. Hill.

Generally speaking, agrimony has shown through history to be an all around, dependable kind of herb. It is now more specifically studied and therefore recognized for its anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective qualities as much as its hepatoprotective properties. It's also important to note that just a few years ago researchers from a Chinese College in Guangzhou were able to isolate and validate specific chemical elements within agrimony in order to comprehend and confirm its innate ability to lower blood sugar levels.

Agrimony can help increase your HDL levels

At the Medical University of Varna in Bulgaria, researchers analyzed the effects generated on humans after consumption of agrimony tea. Not only was the antioxidant capacity elevated but so were the good cholesterol levels, more specifically known as high density lipoproteins.

The Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology have divulged some promising results showing that agrimony extracts may have inhibitory effects on the hepatitis B virus.

Once again in South Korea, tests involving agrimony water extracts were performed on ethanol-induced rats suffering from damaged livers. The herbal extracts were clearly able to reduce the chronic effects on the liver by somewhat suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation in the process. These experiments now lead scientists to admit that agrimony has certain hepatoprotective abilities.

Back in 2012 the Journal of Ethnopharmacology reported how research from South Korea was able to demonstrate that agrimonia pilosa extracts should be considered an interesting option when faced with different inflammatory ailments.

In China after scientists used an agrimonia pilosa extract on various forms of test tumors, they noted repeated inhibitory responses caused by the agrimony extracts, with its effectiveness ranging anywhere between 36 and 65 percent depending on the tumor and location in the body.

It's quite a safe herb but it should be taken for short periods of time. Diabetics should be careful when combining it with their own prescription drugs because agrimony does have the ability to diminish blood sugar levels. It's probably best to drink it in the form of an occasional herbal tea.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.medicalhealthguide.com/herb/agrimony.htm

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://www.dewsworld.com/Fherb_Agrimony.html

About the author:
After spending several years working in property management, P. Simard is now focusing on being a naturopath in Quebec.