Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1

Hellebore (referring to various species in the genera Helleborus or Veratrum) has a long history of use in traditional medicine, including applications for neurological disorders such as epilepsy. In ancient Greek and Roman medicine, hellebore was sometimes prescribed for “melancholy” and convulsions, and the root was considered a potent purgative and remedy for madness or “divine frenzy,” which some historical sources associate with epilepsy. Hippocrates and other ancient physicians described hellebore as a drastic treatment for such conditions, although its use was risky due to its known toxicity. Despite this historical precedent, modern scientific evidence does not support the efficacy or safety of hellebore for epilepsy. The plant contains toxic alkaloids (such as protoveratrine and helleborin) that can cause severe poisoning, including cardiac arrhythmias and neurological symptoms. There are no well-conducted clinical studies confirming any beneficial effect of hellebore for epilepsy; rather, its use is now considered unsafe and obsolete. The traditional use rating is low (1 out of 5) because, while hellebore was indeed used historically for epilepsy, this was based on the humoral theory of disease rather than empirical evidence, and the significant toxicity far outweighs any speculative benefit.

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