Have you heard of the plant Coleus forskohli? If you’ve lived in Asia, you have probably heard of its medicinal properties. This plant has been used traditionally to alleviate and treat certain conditions. A few examples are asthma, psoriasis, eczema, hypertension, angina or chest pains, and congestive heart failure. Due to its history, Forskolin has become a subject of interest for research in in-vitro and animals. There are also existing clinical studies on humans.
Allergies and Asthma
If you are highly allergic, or asthmatic, you probably know that the drugs in asthma can inhibit the enzyme called phosphodiesterase. This enzyme is responsible of breaking down cAMP . To simplify it, your body simply needs more cAMP for you to feel better. Forskolin has the ability to increase cAMP directly.
Unlike other drugs which contain so many mixtures, Forskolin can be used alone. This helps you increase your ability to fight off allergies and reduce the incidence of asthmatic episodes. Most people who have severe allergies and asthma take forskolin supplements together with their phosphodiesterase-inhibiting drugs.
There are many studies that prove that forskolin is a smooth-muscle relaxer. This is why it is a great bronchodilator for those who have trouble breathing because it decreases resistance in your airways. Forskolin is great for pulmonary function. It is also antispasmodic therefore is relieves intestinal colic, painful urination and uterine cramps.
Cardiovascular Effects
People who are prone to heart diseases suffer from hypertension, chest pains and light headedness. Treating these conditions is among the many benefits of taking forskolin. One of the basic actions that forskolin does to our heart is it lowers our blood pressure, at the same time, increasing the heart’s contractility.
This is due to the ability of forskolin to elevate cAMP levels thereby relaxing the arteries and increasing the force of contraction. There was even a study of 7 patients with a very serious condition called dilated cardiomyopathy. After consistent forskolin administrations, the patients’ left ventricular function and overall cardio performance dramatically improved.
Psoriasis
Many people in the US suffer from a skin condition called psoriasis. Psoriasis is caused when there is a rapid rate of skin cell division – about 1000x faster than the normal rate. This rapid rate of cell division is due to the relative decrease of cAMP therby disrupting the homeostasis of cAMP-cGMP enzyme.
Forskolin acts on it by normalizing the ratio of cAMP/cGMP. Although there are many treatments for psoriasis, you may consider forskolin and evening primrose oil in your skin regimen to treat this skin disease.
Weight Loss
In order to lose weight, you must facilitate lipolysis (the process of breaking down fats) in your body. It’s undeniable that exercise is the best way to do it, but not everybody can exercise like other people can.
Anyone can get a little bit of boost in order to lose unwanted weight, and using forskolin is one. A study conducted in Penn State University College of Medicine found that obese individuals have lower cAMP production. These findings were based on in vitro studies these researchers conducted.
In fact, this study was taken into action through a clinical studies conducted to 6 overweight women. These women were tasked to drink 2 250mg capsules of forskolin per day for 2 months. This experiment showed that the women lost an average of 10 pounds! Aside from the weight loss, their body fat percentage have significantly decreased to 8%. During the trial, their blood pressures were also monitored and they were lower throughout the duration of the study. Based on these results, forskolin is considered safe to use in losing body fat.