Home :: Khella

Khella Herb - Uses And Side Effects

Khella is an herbal medicine that has been used in the treatment of colic, painful menstruation, angina (chest pain), asthma, psoriasis, vitiligo (unpigmented white patches on skin), atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol levels. Externally, it's used on wounds, inflammation, and poisonous bites.

Active components of khella, including khellin, come from the fruits and seeds of Ammi visnaga. A member of the carrot family (Umbelliferae), this plant is native to Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.

Common doses of Khella

Khella comes as capsules, tablets, teas, and injectable preparations. Some experts recommend the following doses:

• Take an average daily dose of 20 milligrams of khellin.
• For angina, 30 to 300 milligrams. (Sources typically are standardized to 12% khellin content.)

Uses of Khella herb

Khella herb is used to improve the circulation of the heart muscle and alleviate spasms of the smooth muscles lining bronchial airways and other ducts and tubes. Specifically, Khella may help to :-

• Abdominal cramps
• Angina
• Gallbladder pain
• High cholesterol
• Painful menstruation
• Psoriasis
• To prevent allergic reactions
• To prevent bronchial asthma
• Vitiligo

Side effects of Khella

Call your health care practitioner if you experience any of these possible side effects ofkhella:

• allergic reactions (such as itching)
• mild sensitivity to sunlight
• sleeplessness.

This herb also can cause:

• elevated liver enzymes
• skin cancer in people predisposed to such cancer.

With prolonged use or overdose, khella may cause:

• constipation
• poor appetite
• headache
• vertigo
• nausea
• vomiting.

Interactions

Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Don't use khella while taking:

• blood thinners such as Coumadin
• heart drugs called calcium channel blockers (such as Calan and Procardia)
• other drugs that lower blood pressure.

Important paints to remember

• Avoid khella if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
• If you have liver disease, check with your health care practitioner before using khella.
• Before you take khella for angina symptoms, have your health care practitioner conduct a complete heart examination.
• Know that khella can dramatically enhance the effects of drugs that lower blood pressure.
• If you use khella while taking a blood thinner, watch for symptoms of bleeding (such as unex plained bruises, bleeding gums, or blood in the stool). Report these to your health care practitioner.
• Be aware that khellin applied to the skin increases the cancer-causing effects of ultraviolet light and sunlight.

What the research shows

Khella seems to expand blood vessels, working like such drugs as Calan and Procardia. The herb also may be valuable in preventing bronchial and allergic reactions and is being studied for other disorders. However, until these effects are tested on people, medical experts discourage khella use except under a health care professional's supervision.

Other names for Khella

Other names for khella include ammi, bishop's weed, khellin, visnaga, and visnagin.

A product containing khella is sold as Khella.