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Common Name: thunder god vine, lei gong teng

Latin Name: Tripterygium wilfordii

Thunder god vine is a perennial vine native to China, Japan, and Korea.

Thunder god vine has been used in China for health purposes for more than 400 years.

What Is Thunder god Vine Used For?

• Thunder god vine has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for conditions involving inflammation or overactivity of the immune system.
• Orally, thunder god vine is taken for excessive menstrual periods or autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and lupus.
• Thunder god vine preparations are also applied to the skin for rheumatoid arthritis.

How Thunder god Vine Is Used

Extracts are prepared from the skinned root of thunder god vine.

What the Science Says

Laboratory findings suggest that thunder god vine may fight inflammation, suppress the immune system, and have anti-cancer effects.

Although early evidence is promising, there have been few high-quality studies of thunder god vine in people. Results from a small study funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) suggest that an oral extract of the herb may improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in some patients. A larger NIAMS-funded study is comparing thunder god vine with a conventional medicine for rheumatoid arthritis.

A small study on thunder god vine applied to the skin also found benefits for rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

• Thunder god vine can cause severe side effects and can be poisonous if it is not carefully extracted from the skinned root. Other parts of the plant, including the leaves, flowers, and skin of the root, are highly poisonous and can cause death.
• The extract of thunder god vine used in the NIAMS study was well tolerated. However, thunder god vine can cause diarrhea, upset stomach, hair loss, headache, menstrual changes, and skin rash.
• Thunder god vine has been found to decrease bone mineral density in women who take the herb for 5 years or longer. This side effect may be of particular concern to women who have osteoporosis or are at risk for the condition.
• Thunder god vine decreases sperm count and so may be associated with male infertility.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

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