Psoralea

Psoralea corylifolia

Babchi Seeds Bu Gu Zhi Psoralea Psoralea Fruit Scurfy Pea Uses Considerations

Psoralea is a climbing bean found throughout China. Psoralea seeds, which are harvested in the fall when they have ripened, should be large, solid, and black. Unlike garden beans, psoralea seeds are pungent and bitter.

USES

Psoralea is one of the main herbs in traditional Chinese and Japanese herbal medicine for the treatment of skin conditions. It has been used in the treatment of eczema and hair loss. In addition, it acts against staph infections and helps stimulate the heart. The Chinese name of this herb, bu gu zhi, means "tonify bone resin." Psoralea is used to promote bone calcification, making it useful for treating osteoporosis and bone fractures. Psoralens, components in psoralea, are active principles for inducing pigmentation of the skin. They cause residual pigmentation when applied on hypo-pigmented skin, together with increased blood flow and melanin-producing activity in the affected area.

Benefits of psoralea for specific health conditions include the following:

• Cancer. Psoralea contains bavachinin, corylfolinin, and psoralen, all of which inhibit the multiplication of osteosarcoma and lung cancer cells.
• Psoriasis. Psoralea is a natural source of psoralens, a group of chemicals that includes the active ingredient of a conventional psoriasis medication called methoxsalen (8-MOP, Oxsoralen-Ultra). Psoralens make ultraviolet-light therapy for this disorder more effective.
• Vitiligo. Psoralea helps fight vitiligo, a disorder in which patches of skin lose their pigmentation. In one study, forty-nine patients underwent six months of psoralea treatment. Of these patients, 14 percent were cured and another 19 percent regained pigmentation on at least two-thirds of the affected skin.

Other medical uses - Bone cancer.

CONSIDERATIONS

Psoralea is available in capsules under the names psoralea seed capsule, scurfy pea, and bu gu zhi. Psoralea is unusual in that it can sensitize the skin to both healing and harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. Unless this herb is being used to treat a light-sensitive disorder, use sunscreen or avoid sun exposure when taking it. If mild stomach upset occurs when using psoralea, take a ginger tea.

You should not take psoralea with licorice root. In a few cases, local application may irritate the skin and cause blistering.