Zedoary: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Zedoary is a plant. The underground stem (rhizome) is used to make medicine.

Traditional methods for preparing zedoary involve washing it with lots of water to remove most of the protein and water-soluble nutrients. The rinsing is also supposed to remove a poison that is yet to be identified.

Zedoary is used for stomach pain, loss of appetite, indigestion, as a mosquito repellant, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Uses & Effectiveness

Insufficient Evidence for

High cholesterol. Early research shows that drinking tea prepared with zedoary root lowers total cholesterol and may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol in men with high cholesterol. More research is needed to confirm.
Anxiety.
Cancer.
Cough.
Diarrhea caused by rotavirus.
Fatigue.
Improving appetite.
Indigestion (dyspepsia).
Mosquito repellent.
Stomach pain.
Stress.
Swelling (inflammation).
Swelling (inflammation) of the liver (hepatitis).
Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of zedoary for these uses.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if zedoary is safe or what the side effects might be.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if zedoary is safe or what the side effects might be.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It is LIKELY UNSAFE to take zedoary if you are pregnant. There is concern that it might cause a miscarriage.

It's also best to avoid zedoary if you are breast-feeding, since there isn't enough scientific information to know how it might affect a nursing infant.

Abnormally heavy bleeding during menstrual periods (menorrhagia): Some experts suggest that zedoary should not be used by women who have heavy menstrual periods.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with Zedoary
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Zedoary might change how quickly the liver breaks down these medications. This could change the effects and side effects of these medications.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of zedoary depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for zedoary. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

View References

REFERENCES:

McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

Robbers JE, Tyler VE. Tyler's Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. New York, NY: The Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.

Yoshioka T, Fujii E, Endo M, et al. Antiinflammatory potency of dehydrocurdione, a zedoary-derived sesquiterpene. Inflamm Res 1998;47:476-81.

Matsuda H, Ninomiya K, Morikawa T, et al. Inhibitory effect and action mechanism of sesquiterpenes from Zedoariae Rhizoma on D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 1998;8:339-44.

Gupta SK, Banerjee AB, Achari B. Isolation of Ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, the major antifungal principle of Curcumba zedoaria. Lloydia 1976;39:218-22.

Syu WJ, Shen CC, Don MJ, et al. Cytotoxicity of curcuminoids and some novel compounds from Curcuma zedoaria. J Nat Prod 1998;61:1531-4.

Latif MA, Morris TR, Miah AH, et al. Toxicity of shoti (Indian arrowroot: Curcuma zedoaria) for rats and chicks. Br J Nutr 1979;41:57-63.

Pitasawat B, Champakaew D, Choochote W, et al. Aromatic plant-derived essential oil: an alternative larvicide for mosquito control. Fitoterapia 2007;78:205-10.

Lai EY, Chyau CC, Mau JL, et al. Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of the essential oil of Curcuma zedoaria. Am J Chin Med 2004;32:281-90.

Wilson B, Abraham G, Manju VS, et al. Antimicrobial activity of Curcuma zedoaria and Curcuma malabarica tubers. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;99:147-51.

Kim DI, Lee TK, Jang TH, Kim CH. The inhibitory effect of a Korean herbal medicine, Zedoariae rhizoma, on growth of cultured human hepatic myofibroblast cells. Life Sci 2005;77:890-906.

Champakaew D, Choochote W, Pongpaibul Y, et al. Larvicidal efficacy and biological stability of a botanical natural product, zedoary oil-impregnated sand granules, against Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae). Parasitol Res 2007;100:729-37.

Tariq S, Imran M, Mushtaq Z, Asghar N. Phytopreventive antihypercholesterolemic and antilipidemic perspectives of zedoary (Curcuma Zedoaria Roscoe) herbal tea. Lipids Health Dis 2016;15:39. doi: 10.1186/s12944-016-0210-y.

Kim KM, Lee JY, Jeon BH, et al. Extract of Curcuma zedoaria R. prevents atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Nutr Res Pract 2021;15(3):319-328.

Rodseeda C, Yamanont P, Pinthong D, Korprasertthaworn P. Inhibitory effects of Thai herbal extracts on the cytochrome P450 3A-mediated the metabolism of gefitinib, lapatinib and sorafenib. Toxicol Rep 2022;9:1846-1852.

Niu LQ, Xiao L, Cai QH, et al. Comparative effectiveness of Chinese herbal injections treating for rotavirus enteritis in children: A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. Integr Med Res 2023;12(2):100944.

CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

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