Chinese sage may provide alcoholism cure

July 27, 2007

The active ingredient in Chinese medicinal sage could help alcoholics beat their addiction, Italian researchers said.

The National Research Council's institute in Cagliari says the herb, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, has been used for centuries in China to treat blood diseases, heart disorders and insomnia, ANSA said Thursday.

Researcher Giancarlo Colombo said Chinese sage reduced alcohol consumption in mice and eliminated a "customary spike in drinking seen when mice go back on the bottle after being on the wagon for a while," ANSA said.

Scientists said the herb may help turn alcoholics into moderate drinkers.

"It's been working brilliantly in mice and we're about to start on our human guinea pigs, once we're sure it's entirely safe," Colombo said.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International


print this article email this article download pdf blog this article bookmark this article     Stumble it Digg this share on Facebook retweet share on Reddit add to delicious
Rate this story - 4 /5 (8 votes)


July 27, 2007 all stories

Comments: 0

4 /5 (8 votes)
  • Stumble this up

  • Digg this

  • share this

  • hide
  • Related Stories

  • Smart rat 'Hobbie-J' produced by over-expressing a gene that helps brain cells communicate
    created Oct 19, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Paleontologists discover a new Mesozoic mammal
    created Oct 08, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • China lifts blockade around plague-stricken town
    created Aug 09, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Plague patient 'near death' in remote Chinese town
    created Aug 05, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Stem cell research: From molecular physiology to therapeutic applications
    created Jul 29, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0



  • hide
  • Relevant PhysicsForums posts

Other News

New cancer target for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created 13 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a molecular mechanism that may prove to be a powerful target for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects lymphocytes, ...


Surface bacteria maintain skin's healthy balance

Medicine & Health / Research

created 14 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

On the skin's surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the ...


Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants

Medicine & Health / Genetics

created 13 hours ago | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Ge ...


New understanding about mechanism for cell death after stroke leads to possible therapy

Medicine & Health / Research

created 14 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists at the Brain Research Centre, a partnership of the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, have uncovered new information about the mechanism by which ...


Cancer metabolism discovery uncovers new role of IDH1 gene mutation in brain cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created 13 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that its scientists have established, for the first time, that the mutated IDH1 gene has a novel enzyme activity consistent with a cancer-causing gene, or oncogene. This breakthrough ...