Galega Officinalis: The Plant Behind Metformin Galega officinalis, commonly known as goat's rue or French lilac, is a perennial herb native to temperate regions and serves as the natural source for the antidiabetic drug metformin through its active compounds like galegine and guanidine. Traditionally used in medieval Europe for conditions such as plague, snake bites, and diabetes, the plant's aboveground parts contain alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, and tannins that contribute to its medicinal properties. Galega Officinalis | © Vexplorehealth Botanical Properties This herb features white, blue, or purple flowers and grows widely in Europe and other temperate areas. Key phytochemicals include galegine, which lowers blood glucose by promoting peripheral tissue uptake and delaying intestinal absorption, and guanidine derivatives that inspired synthetic metformin. It also exhibits diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and diaphoretic effects, aiding in fluid retention, b...
| Why is Smoking So Hard to Quit? Hey there! I’m Vishnu, a homeopathy practioner and researcher, always curious about how natural healing can make a difference. Smoking is one of the toughest habits to quit A transient surge of endorphins in the reward circuits of the brain causes a slight, brief euphoria when nicotine is administered. This surge is much briefer than the "high" associated with other drugs. However, like other drugs of abuse, nicotine increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in these reward circuits , which reinforces the behavior of taking the drug. Repeated exposure alters these circuits' sensitivity to dopamine and leads to changes in other brain circuits involved in learning, stress, and self-control. For many tobacco users, the long-term brain changes induced by continued nicotine exposure result in addiction, which involves withdrawal symptoms when not smoking, and difficulty adhering to the resolution to quit. We all know smoking is har...