Lobelia

(Lobelia Inflata, Bladderpod, Indian Tobacco)

Evidence: Low
Possible Benefits: Very Low
Safety: Very Low

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is Lobelia?

Lobelia inflata, also known as Bladderpod and Indian tobacco, is an adaptogenic herb with a long history of use as a traditional medicine. Unfortunately, lobelia isn’t very safe and doesn’t have many benefits, which is why most people should avoid this herb. This article is about the main benefits of Lobelia inflata, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

Possible benefits

There are not many proven benefits of Lobelia if any.

Possible side effects

The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

  • Allergic reaction – Some people are allergic to this herb and may experience an allergic reaction after they start taking it.
  • Toxicity – As little as 0.6 grams of Lobelia can be toxic. 4 or more grams taken at once can be fatal.
  • Contamination – If growing or storing conditions are not adequately controlled, Lobelia inflata can be contaminated with bacteria, molds, and other potentially harmful microorganisms. Some growers also use pesticides and herbicides that can be unsafe. Another issue is that herbal supplements can get contaminated with other supplements and chemicals during the manufacturing process. Choose the brand you get herbs and herbal supplements from wisely. It is often best to use websites like Amazon, where thousands of users have reviewed and rated the products. You are less likely to buy something of lower quality there.

Who should not take Lobelia?

Lobelia is unsafe for the vast majority of people. Do not take the supplement unless you have a great reason to do so.

Who will benefit the most?

The only good reason to consider taking Lobelia is for a purpose of self-experimentation. Even then, it is best to take very low doses to avoid acute and chronic toxicity.

How much Lobelia should you take?

The best amount of this herb to take for the vast majority of people is 0 mg/d. The cons outweigh the pros in the vast majority of cases. As little as 0.6 grams can cause acute toxicity and anything above 4 grams might be a fatal dose for some people! Even doses much lower than 0.6 grams can cause chronic toxicity if you take the herb for a prolonged period.

Best time to take Lobelia

If you do decide to take lobelia, it’s better to take it with food to lower the potential for its toxicity.

Where to buy Lobelia?

Only consider buying this herb if you have a very good reason to do so and stick to very low doses!

In most countries, Amazon is the best option for ordering Lobelia inflata and other herbs and herbal supplements. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the Internet.

Some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

References

Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

You may also like:

We hope this guide has helped you determine if you should add Lobelia inflata to your supplement stack and how to do it right.

If you have any further questions or want to share your feedback, feel free to send us an email!

We may receive commissions for purchases made through the links in this post.

<- View All Supplements

Share this with your friends:
SuppleWiki