Download the appMore options
PisaczekSearch
文AEN-US
PolskiEnglish (UK)English (US)EspañolPortuguês (Brasil)DeutschFrançaisItalianoУкраїнська中文（简体）한국어Bahasa IndonesiaРусскийالعربيةहिन्दी
Herbs and plants

Egyptian Ammi — an ancient herb that gave rise to medicines for heart disease and asthma?

Sources: 4 · Article: 6 814 characters

The fruit of Egyptian Ammi is used for shortness of breath and bronchial spasms, heart conditions, and problems with the urinary and bile ducts.

  • Fruit extracts are said to relax smooth muscles, widen the bronchi and coronary vessels, and act as diuretics.
  • Listed uses include asthma, angina, high blood pressure, kidney stones, low urine output, swelling, and disorders of the bile ducts.
  • Ammi has also been described as a remedy for cough with shortness of breath, whooping cough, biliary colic, and difficulty urinating.
  • Do not sunbathe while taking Ammi preparations.

What the authors write

Henryk Różański

Alcohol extracts of Ammi relax smooth muscles in the respiratory, urinary, and digestive systems, and relieve bronchial spasms and angina.

„Alcohol extracts of Ammi have a relaxing effect on smooth muscles in the respiratory, urinary, and digestive systems. They also have an antispasmodic effect on the uterus. They stop attacks of spasms in the bronchi and bronchioles, relieving asthma attacks. They widen the airways, easing shortness of breath and the feeling of being “unable to catch your breath.” They also widen the coronary vessels, relieving angina attacks.”Wyciągi alkoholowe z aminka działają rozkurczowo na mięśnie gładkie układu oddechowego, moczowego i pokarmowego. Wpływają też spazmolitycznie na macicę. Przerywają ataki skurczu oskrzeli i oskrzelików, znosząc atak dychawicy oskrzelowej (astmę). Rozszerzają drogi oddechowe łagodząc zadyszkę i objawy “niemożności złapania tchu”. Rozszerzają też naczynia wieńcowe, usuwając atak dusznicy bolesnej.
Fructus Ammi visnagae – owoc aminka egipskiego
Henryk Różański

Fruit extracts have been described as diuretic, antispasmodic, anti-asthmatic, and blood-pressure-lowering; their use has also been mentioned for swelling, stones, and bile duct disorders.

„Water and water-alcohol extracts of Ammi fruit have diuretic and antispasmodic effects on smooth muscles, help with asthma, and lower blood pressure. They widen the coronary vessels and prevent angina. They widen the bronchi and bronchioles. They relax the smooth muscles of blood vessels, the intestines, the stomach, and the urinary system. In traditional medicine, Egyptian Ammi was recommended for bronchial asthma, angina, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, swelling and dropsy, low urine output, kidney stones, and disorders of the bile ducts.”Wodne i wodno-alkoholowe wyciągi z owoców aminka wpływają moczopędnie, rozkurczowo na mięśnie gładkie, przeciwastmatycznie i hipotensyjnie. Rozszerza naczynia wieńcowe, zapobiega dusznicy bolesnej. Rozszerza oskrzela i oskrzeliki. Rozkurcza mięśnie gładkie naczyń krwionośnych, jelit, żołądka i układu moczowego. W medycynie dawnej aminek egipski zalecano przy astmie oskrzelowej, dusznicy bolesnej, chorobie wieńcowej, nadciśnieniu, obrzękach i puchlinie wodnej, skąpomoczu, kamicy moczowej i dyskinezach dróg żółciowych.
Nefrol – płyn doustny jako klasyczne i efektywne urotropicum.
Henryk Różański

Ammi preparations have been described as helpful for bile stasis, small deposits and biliary colic, as well as kidney stones, prostate enlargement, cough with shortness of breath, and whooping cough.

„Preparations made from Egyptian Ammi prevent bile stasis. They help remove small gallstones and stop biliary colic. Ammi is useful in treating kidney stones and enlargement of the prostate gland. It improves the flow of urine, helps prevent urinary retention, and reduces involuntary spasms of the urethra. Ammi also helps with cough accompanied by shortness of breath and with whooping cough.”Przetwory z aminka egipskiego zapobiegają zastojom żółci. Pomagają w usuwaniu drobnych złogów żółciowych. Przerywają kolkę żółciową. Aminek jest przydatny w leczeniu kamicy moczowej oraz przerostu gruczołu krokowego. Poprawia strumień wydalanego moczu, przeciwdziała zatrzymywaniu moczu i niekontrolowanym spastycznościom cewki moczowej. Aminek sprawdza się również przy kaszlu połączonym z dusznością oraz przy krztuścu.
Fructus Ammi visnagae – owoc aminka egipskiego
Henryk Różański

Pure khellin was given for high blood pressure, asthma, angina, whooping cough, and biliary and urinary colic.

„Khellin (Visamminum, Khellin) in pure form: 0.1–0.3 g daily, for high blood pressure, asthma, angina, whooping cough, and biliary and urinary colic. Although I grow Ammi in my garden, its fruits never ripen before winter.”Kelina (Visamminum, Khellin) w czystej postaci: 0,1-0,3 g dziennie, przy nadciśnieniu, dychawicy, dusznicy bolesnej, krztuścu, kolkach żółciowych i moczowych. Pomimo, że hoduję aminek w ogrodzie, to jednak jego owoce nigdy nie zdążą przed zimą dojrzeć.
Fructus Ammi visnagae – owoc aminka egipskiego
Henryk Różański

Khellin makes the skin more sensitive to light, so do not sunbathe while taking Ammi preparations.

„Khellin makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight, so you should not sunbathe while taking Egyptian Ammi preparations. A tincture made from crushed Ammi fruit, at a ratio of 1:10 in 70% alcohol, was given in a dose of 40 drops 3 times daily in a small amount of water. Dr. med. Gerhard Madaus (1890–1942) used Ammi in biological therapies as a remedy for stones (antilithiasis), clearing sand and deposits from the urinary tract.”Kelina działa fotosensybilizująco, stąd nie należy opalać się podczas zażywania preparatów z aminka egipskiego. Nalewkę z pogniecionych owoców aminka 1:10 na alkoholu 70% podawano w dawce 40 kropli 3 razy dz. w niewielkiej ilości wody. Dr med. Gerhard Madaus (1890-1942) w terapiach biologicznych traktował aminek jako środek przeciwkamiczy (antilithiasis), oczyszczający drogi moczowe z piasku i złogów.
Nefrol – płyn doustny jako klasyczne i efektywne urotropicum.

Research from PubMed · Europe PMC

We selected 2 studies with the best, positive results. This is a selection, not a full review of all research.

Total number of studies on this topic in PubMed: 25.

In a study on rats, Egyptian Ammi seed extract limited the formation of kidney stones and had a diuretic effect.

Aim of the study: We investigated the effect of Ammi visnaga seeds on experimentally induced kidney stones in male Wistar albino rats. Oxalate nephrolithiasis was induced by adding 3% glycolic acid to their diet for four weeks.

Results: Ammi visnaga seed extract showed a very strong diuretic effect. Treatment with Ammi visnaga prevented, to varying degrees, the weight loss, increase in kidney weight, increase in water intake, and decrease in urine output found in the glycolic acid control group; the values were no longer significantly different from those in the control group. Changes in the weights of the liver, heart, and lungs in the three groups were not significant. Uraemia and high bilirubin levels observed in the glycolic acid control group were improved by treatment with Ammi visnaga seed extract.

Inhibition of oxalate nephrolithiasis with Ammi visnaga (AI-Khillah). · Int Urol Nephrol 2001
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown
Type of studyanimal study

“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.

In a laboratory study, Egyptian Ammi extract completely dissolved a cystine stone after six weeks.

Aim of the study: Cystine stones account for 1% of urinary stones in adults and 10% in children, and are especially likely to recur and resist ESWL. Medical treatment is often effective but frequently poorly tolerated. In Morocco, various plants—Herniaria hirsuta, Opuntia ficus-indica, Zea mays, and Ammi visnaga—are used for kidney stones. We assessed the effect of plant extracts on the dissolution of cystine stones in vitro.

Results: After 8 weeks of the experiment, the stones had completely dissolved with all the herbal extracts. Dissolution occurred sooner with Zea mays (4 weeks) and Ammi visnaga (6 weeks), compared with only 18 ± 8% and 20 ± 1.5% for citrate and NaCl solutions, respectively. The herbal extracts studied were effective in dissolving cystine stones, probably because complexes formed between cystine and polyhydroxylated molecules in the extracts. These results, which need to be confirmed in vivo, point to the potential value of plant extracts in treating cystine stones.

[In vitro study of the litholytic effects of herbal extracts on cystine urinary calculi]. · Prog Urol 2011
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown
Type of studylaboratory study (on cells)

“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.

Pisaczek does not judge who is right. It shows what was written and where to read it. Every sentence above has its source.