Supplement
Butterbur is a shrub whose root extract contains petasins, compounds that block histamine receptors and slow the body's production of inflammatory leukotrienes. People mostly look at it for hay fever, and trials found seasonal allergy symptoms eased about as much as with cetirizine, without sedation. The evidence is strong overall but moderate for symptoms specifically, and one migraine trial also found fewer attacks than placebo.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 7 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 2
- Graded outcomes
- 0200
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Migraine Frequency RCT (n=245, PMID: 15623680): 75mg twice daily reduced migraine attacks by 48% vs 26% placebo. AAN/AHS guidelines previously rated it Level A for migraine prevention. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 400 people |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allergy Symptoms Multiple RCTs: Butterbur comparable to cetirizine (Zyrtec) for seasonal allergy relief without sedative effects. 8mg petasin 4x/day effective. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 500 people |
Key findings
- Migraine FrequencyImproves (the measure goes down)
- Allergy SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Butterbur products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
7 studies from PubMed
- Practice guideline update summary: Pharmacologic treatment for pediatric migraine prevention
- Evidence-based guideline update: Pharmacologic treatment for episodic migraine prevention in adults
- Hepatotoxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids
- Butterbur root extract and petasin for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized controlled trial
- Petasites hybridus root (butterbur) is an effective preventive treatment for migraine
- Comparing the efficacy of Petadolex, a butterbur-based extract, to cetirizine, a H1-antihistamine, in the treatment of intermittent allergic rhinitis
- Efficacy of Petasites hybridus extracts in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial