Butterbur has been used by generations of herbalists as a potent way of treating the itchy eyes and runny noses of hay fever sufferers. Doctors have frequently dismissed such remedies as “old wives tales”. Now scientists have discovered that butterbur is as effective as the widely used antihistamine drugs, but has none of the nasty side-effects.

“Up to 20 per cent of antihistamine users suffer from drowsiness as a side-effect,” says Dr Andreas Schapowal, the scientist who led the team of researchers in Davos, Switzerland. “There are no specific side-effects with butterbur. It’s a safe and effective treatment.”

Over the past few years Dr Schapowal’s team has conducted a series of medical experiments using the plant. His latest investigation, a comprehensive “double-blind” trial of the type widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, has conclusively proved the effectiveness of the herb.

“About 90 percent of patients benefited from butterbur, which is more or less the same proportion of patients who gained relief using antihistamines,” says Dr Schapowal.

But more importantly for hay fever sufferers, Dr Schapowal’s work shows that butterbur may be as effective as the extremely potent steroid containing nasal sprays. These are widely used by hay fever sufferers but can have serious side-effects. Nose bleeds, dry eyes and even glaucoma have been reported. In severe cases, the sprays can ‘rot’ the lining of the nose so badly that the two nostrils fuse into one gaping hole.

Butterbur has been used as a herbal remedy for the last 2,000 years. The Romans used it to treat wounds and to stop infection and swelling. In the middle-ages it was used to treat tuberculosis and asthma.

The herb was also one of the few treatments available for bubonic plague. In Germany it is still known as pestilenzenwurt or plagueweed. More recently it’s been used to treat colitis and abdominal cramps and pain. Until refrigeration came along, the large leaves of the herb were used to wrap up butter to stop it going rancid in the summer, hence its name.

Butterbur came to the attention of modern herbalists when vets in Poland discovered that it was a useful treatment for asthmatic horses. From there, scientists were quick to investigate its effectiveness for treating similar ailments in people.

Dr Schapowal expects butterbur to be useful for many illnesses besides hay fever. His team is now conducting trials to see whether it’s good for treating eczema and dermatitis. He also thinks it may help people with asthma.

Herbalists have welcomed Dr Schapowal's work but warn that people should not use fresh butterbur to treat themselves.

Simon Mills, a herbal medicines expert at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, says: “Fresh butterbur from a hedgerow is not entirely safe. You shouldn’t make butterbur tea to combat hay fever as it contains potentially toxic materials.”

Dr Schapowal’s team used a variety of butterbur that had been specially bred to be low in toxins. It was also purified to remove the remaining poisons.

“It wasn’t the same stuff you find in hedgerows,” says Simon Mills.

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