Ash
OTHER NAME(S): Bird's Tongue, Common Ash, European Ash, Franc Frêne, Frêne d'Amérique, Frêne Blanc, Frêne Blanc d'Amérique, Frêne Commun, Frêne Élevé, Frêne Franc, Fresno Americano, Fresno Blanco, Grand Frêne, Lissan Ettir, Weeping Ash, White Ash, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus excelsior, Fraxinus, Fresno, Frêne
Overview
Ash is a tree. The seeds are used to make medicine.
People use ash for diabetes, arthritis, constipation, bladder problems, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don't confuse ash with manna ash, northern prickly ash, or southern prickly ash.
Certain chemicals in ash might help to lower blood sugar.
Certain chemicals in ash might help to lower blood sugar.
Uses
Insufficient Evidence for
- Obesity. Taking ash extract doesn't seem to boost weight loss or improve blood sugar control in people who are already dieting. But it might help reduce fat by a small amount.
- Fever.
- Arthritis.
- Bladder problems.
- Constipation.
- Increasing urine production to relieve water retention (as a diuretic).
- Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of ash for these uses.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Taking ash seed/fruit extract is POSSIBLY SAFE when used in doses of up to 1 gram daily for up to 3 months. No side effects have been reported in clinical research. But some people might be allergic to ash.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Taking ash seed/fruit extract is POSSIBLY SAFE when used in doses of up to 1 gram daily for up to 3 months. No side effects have been reported in clinical research. But some people might be allergic to ash.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if ash is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Cross-allergies: Some people are allergic to chemicals in the pollen in ash. Since similar chemicals are found in other pollens, people allergic to other pollens might also be allergic to ash pollen.
Diabetes: Ash might affect blood sugar levels. Watch for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have diabetes and use ash.
Interactions
Moderate Interaction
Be cautious with this combination
- Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with AshAsh might lower blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking ash along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed. Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
- Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interacts with AshAsh might lower blood pressure. Using ash with drugs that lower blood pressure might increase the effects of these drugs and lower blood pressure too much. Some medications for high blood pressure include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.
Dosing
The appropriate dose of ash depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for ash. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
References
- Ji, W., Zhu, X. X., Tan, W. F., and Lu, Y. Effects of Rebixiao granules on blood uric acid in patients with repeatedly attacking acute gouty arthritis. Chin J Integr.Med 2005;11(1):15-21.
- Zulet MA, Navas-Carretero S, Lara y Sánchez D, et al. A Fraxinus excelsior L. seeds/fruits extract benefits glucose homeostasis and adiposity related markers in elderly overweight/obese subjects: a longitudinal, randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled nutritional intervention study. Phytomedicine. 2014;21(10):1162-9.
- Montó F, Arce C, Noguera MA, et al. Action of an extract from the seeds of Fraxinus excelsior L. on metabolic disorders in hypertensive and obese animal models. Food Funct. 2014;5(4):786-96.
- Flanagan J, Meyer M, Pasamar MA, et al. Safety evaluation and nutritional composition of a Fraxinus excelsior seed extract, FraxiPure. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013;53:10-7.
- Visen P, Saraswat B, Visen A, et al. Acute effects of Fraxinus excelsior L. seed extract on postprandial glycemia and insulin secretion on healthy volunteers. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009;126(2):226-32.
- Mas S, Garrido-Arandia M, Batanero E, et al. Characterization of profilin and polcalcin panallergens from ash pollen. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2014;24(4):257-66.