What Is Ignatia Amara?

If you search the Internet for homeopathic remedies for anxiety, grief or depression then you may come across the herb ignatia amara. Although vendors purport that ignatia amara can help with medical symptoms, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not vouch for the safety or efficacy of the product.

Ignatia Amara

• Ignaria amara is a flowering tree that is a member of the Loganiaceae family. The plant's name is derived from St. Ignatious of Loyola, a seventeenth century clergyman who introduced the plant to Western culture from its native Phillipines. St. Ignatious introduced the common usage of the plant as a natural sedative.

Homeopathic Properties

• The bean of the ignatia amara tree is marketed as a homeopathic remedy for use in both human and animal patients. Marketers primarily recommend ignatia amara as a treatment for grief and depression. Other purported uses of the plant include remedies for gout, epilepsy and cholera. Two of the active ingredients in ignatia amara are strychnine and brucine, which are alkaloids that are toxic to the human body. These ingredients contribute to the sedative effects that are purported to occur when taking ignatia amara.

FDA Position

• The United States Food and Drug Administration recognizes that ignatia amara is currently marketed as a homeopathic sedative. However, the FDA considers the product to be an unapproved homeopathic substance whose safety profile has yet to be evaluated. The FDA also indicates that it is unaware of any scientific evidence that suggests that ignatia amara is an effective medical treatment for either humans or animals.

Online Availability

• Ignatia amara is available online from several vendors of homeopathic goods. The National Institutes of Health recognizes 37 different brand names under which ignatia amara is sold. None of these 37 brands has been recognized as effective or safe by the Food and Drug Administration.