Supplement
Asafoetida is a pungent, sulfur-rich resin from the roots of Ferula plants, used in cooking and traditional remedies. The evidence is limited, but in small trials symptoms improved: a Ferula capsule did better than metronidazole on clinical symptoms, and in a placebo-controlled trial most people reported better overall symptoms and quality of life. Those studies involved only 43 to 70 people, and for irritable bowel syndrome the evidence is very limited.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 8 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 5
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0023
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
Functional Dyspepsia
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Symptom Score Double-blind RCT: 250mg twice daily for 30 days; 81% showed significant improvement (p<0.01) vs placebo in overall score and quality of life | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 43 people |
Trichomonas Vaginalis Infection
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Symptom Improvement Ferula capsule showed improved clinical symptoms compared to metronidazole over 7 days; potential replacement therapy | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 70 people |
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Global Improvement: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Improvement Cochrane review: very low quality evidence; one study showed improvement vs placebo, another showed no difference vs dicyclomine | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 129 people |
Irritable Colon
- Anti-inflammatory Effect: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-inflammatory Effect Ethanolic extract administered to 2 groups of 50 patients; results significant at p<0.001 | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 100 people |
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Hormonal Parameters: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hormonal Parameters Double-blind RCT compared asafoetida 1g/day vs low-dose oral contraceptive; preliminary data | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 30 people |
Key findings
- Overall Symptom ScoreImproves (the measure goes up)
- Clinical Symptom ImprovementImproves (the measure goes up)
- Global ImprovementImproves (the measure goes up)
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Third-party tested Asafoetida products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
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Studies cited
8 studies from PubMed
- Anticancer potential of Ferula assa-foetida and its constituents, a powerful plant for cancer therapy
- Molecular mechanism of Ferula asafoetida for the treatment of asthma: Network pharmacology and molecular docking approach
- Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Ferula assafoetida Oleo-Gum-Resin (Asafoetida) against TNF-α-Stimulated Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
- Network pharmacology used to decode potential active ingredients in Ferula assafoetida and mechanisms for the application to Alzheimer's disease
- Safety and Efficacy of Ferula asafoetida in Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study
- Biological activities and medicinal properties of Asafoetida: A review
- Ferula asafoetida: Traditional uses and pharmacological activity
- Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Asafoetida (Ferula assa-foetida oleo-gum-resin): A review