This Wild Plant Is Nature’s Pain Killer
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If you’re looking for a natural way to relieve pain without becoming reliant on pharmaceutical drugs, consider turning to wild lettuce, nature’s pain reliever. According to Rodale’s Organic Life, it was known as an opium substitute in the nineteenth century.
Wild lettuce is a tall, leafy plant that has small yellow buds. Steven Gundry, MD, author of The Plant Paradox, told Rodale, “There’s a milky, bitter white substance in the stem of the plant that contains two active compounds, lactucin and lactucopicrin, which attach to opioid receptors and produce pain relief.”
You can take wild lettuce in herbal supplement form or in extract form. A recent study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that a 30-milligram dose of lactucopicrin (a compound found in wild lettuce) is comparable to a 60-milligram dose of ibuprofen.
Wild lettuce is a cousin to the regular lettuce plant we see in the grocery store, and it’s most commonly found in North America and England. People also refer to it as bitter lettuce or opium lettuce.
Should you take wild lettuce supplements over pain meds?
Most importantly, consult your doctor, but it ultimately depends on your symptoms and health problems, and every individual is different. Wild lettuce has calming effects and is used to treat conditions like whooping cough, asthma, urinary tract problems, insomnia, painful menstruation and joint pain.
Since current research is limited, you shouldn’t pop wild lettuce supplements like candy. It’s important to take it under the guidance of a medical practitioner because side effects could be severe depending on the person. WebMD lists potential side effects that include breathing difficulties, dizziness, fast heartbeat, vision changes and ringing in the ears if you apply large amounts directly to the skin.
But it’s pretty cool to know that there are natural alternatives to pain medications out there. Plus, traditional pain medications contain chemicals that may trigger side effects that can be harmful to your body, too. According to Rodale’s Organic Life, “Painkillers, like ibuprofen and naproxen, for example, can damage the gut wall and cause leaky gut syndrome.” Leaky gut syndrome is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, which makes it difficult for your body to filter needed nutrients and other biological substances. Let’s avoid that one, please.
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