Pueraria Mirifica

Pueraria Mirifica: What is it?

Pueraria Mirifica (PM) is a natural medicine for many problems, such as high cholesterol, menopause symptoms, osteoporosis, and dryness in the vagina. PM is unique from other herbs because it’s the only herb with miroestrol. The Thai names for Pueraria Mirifica (PM) are “Kwao Krua” or “White Kwao Krua”. It is part of the Papilionoideae subfamily, which is a branch of the Leguminosae family. The word Pueraria Mirifica comes from two Latin roots: puer and mirificus. Given this etymology, PM is known as the miracle plant. The plant can be found in the woodlands of Northern, Western, and Northeastern Thailand. Its tuberous roots possess the active chemicals.

Pueraria Mirifica: The Benefit Beyond Borders

Scientists around the world have given their attention to PM because it has been a “rejuvenating” plant for over a century. The rejuvenating power of Pueraria Mirifica was discovered in 1932 by Dr. A.F.G. Kerr. In addition to Thailand, other Asian countries are benefiting from Pueraria consumption. Western cultures have been searching for Pueraria Mirifica. Luckily, Pueraria products are presented to the global market. In response to the benefits of Kwao Krua, demand for the herb has increased. Unlike surgery, PM is a good alternative since it is pain-free and cost-effective. Women over the world have used various forms of this plant (i.e. pills and creams).

The benefits of taking Pueraria Mirifica are listed below:

• Alleviation of sleep problems- By taking Pueraria Mirifica, you can get a good night’s sleep after working hard all day. Accordingly, you will feel relaxed during the day and not get tired.
• Better vaginal health- Vaginal tightness and elasticity are improved by PM supplements. 85 percent of women using a PM supplement noticed increased lubrication and sterilization in their vaginas. As a result, they got better sex drive after taking a PM supplement. Thus, there is an increase in libido.
• Breast enlargement- 70 percent of women using PM have reported breast size growth. One experiment in Thailand demonstrated that PM creams improve the size of breasts by 80 percent. Also, stretch marks became less apparent. Amino acids in PM help in the growth of fat and breast tissue.
• Eye issue treatment- New studies suggest that PM prevents blurry vision and cataracts.
• Healthy skin- Collagen production is stimulated by PM. Collagen helps hydrate your skin. As hormones are increased in the body, the skin surface feels less oily. Acne and melasmas fade away.
• Menopause offset- Women lose estrogen during menopause. Hence, PM acts as an imitator of estrogen. Symptoms of menopause (e.g. hot flashes and night sweats) are alleviated.
• Osteoporosis prevention- When Pueraria Mirifica is taken with calcium, it fights osteoporosis as proteins grow in the body. Phytoestrogens in PM aid in the restoration of lost bone density.
• Weight loss- Appetite is reduced by PM. Overeating and cravings become less likely common.

Pueraria Mirifica: Solving the Aging Problem

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can mitigate any changes associated with aging. Phytoestrogens in Pureraria Mirifica can be a more effective alternative than HRT. The binding of estrogen receptors, occurring when Phytoestrogens circulate the body, helps bring back normal body functions. Consequently, estrogen deficiency is corrected and post-menopausal symptoms are mitigated.
Cardiovascular disease risk is decreased when Phytoestrogens are consumed. According to a study, Phytoestrogens in soybean could lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride, while increasing HDL cholesterol levels.
Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s Disease is decreased by Pueraria Mirifica. With PM, hair graying is decelerated and hair growth is increased. Energy and circulation are increased. Pueraria Mirifica demolishes old skin debris that causes baldness.

Pueraria Mirifica: Chemical Composition

Miroestrol and Deoxymiroestrol are compounds exclusive to Pueraria Mirifica. They are more active than soy Isoflavones. As stated in the Journal of Natural Products, Deoxymiroestrol is readily oxidized to Miroestrol. So, it has been isolated and identified by German chemists in 1940 as the real chemical element of PM. The chemical composition of Miroestrol and Deoxymiroestrol resemble that of estradiol. Pueraria Mirifica has four soy Isoflavones: Genistein, Daidzein, Daidzin, and Genistin. Coumestrol and Mirificoumestan are in the Coumestan group of Phytoestrogens.

Other Phytoestrogens include:

• Beta-sitosterol
• Campesterol
• Estriol
• Estrone
• Kwakhurin
• Mirificin
• Mirificoumestan
• Spinaestrol
• Stigmasterol

Pueraria Mirifica: The Side Effects

The following side effects can occur when taking Pueraria Mirifica:

• Body fat increase
• Bowel irritation
• Breast tenderness
• Constipation
• Diarrhea/flatulence
• Fatigue
• Increased blood circulation in periods
• Late menstrual cycles
• Libido loss in male
• Spotting between periods
• Vomiting

Late menstrual cycles, fatigue and libido loss are caused an overdose of PM. Gastrointestinal problems are the effects of estrogen, which produces hormones.
Pueraria Mirifica shouldn’t be taken during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Also, patients with breast tumors, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer should avoid taking Pueraria Mirifica. Lastly, women with high sensitivity to the strongest estrogen hormone (i.e. estradiol) should not take Pueraria Mirifica.
Pueraria Mirifica’s effects are similar to those of estrogen. Therefore, patients with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, migraine, and lupus must be careful when using Pueraria Mirifica. Furthermore, individuals with abnormal triglycerides and hypercalcemia should take precautions. The herb could be toxic for individuals taking anticoagulants, thyroid medication, diabetes medication, birth control pills, or tamoxifen. Other Phytoestrogenic natural herbs should not be mixed with Pueraria Mirifica.

Pueraria Mirifica: Clinical Information

Various methods were used for test of Pueraria Mirifica with the accepted standards. BAM (2013) was the methods used for finding micro-organism criteria. The JAOAC (2007) method was utilized to create the pesticide test report. AOAC (2012) was used for the creation of the heavy metal test report. Other ingredient criteria were determined by the HPLC method.
Clostridium Perfringens, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus Aureus, and Coliform have not been found in Pueraria Mirifica. The Escherichia level is less than 3 MPN/g. Levels of yeast and mold are less than 10 CFU/g.
No pesticides have been detected in Pueraria Mirifica. The Pesticide Test Report indicated a detection limit of 0.001.
A 100-gram portion of Pueraria Mirifica has 320 calories. Pueraria has 15.5 of its calories from fat. There are two vitamins in Pueraria: A and C. Pueraria has a high carbohydrate content of 65.0 grams. The amount of dietary fiber, 53g, is included in the carbohydrate content. Ash and moisture quantities are 5.19g and 6.0g respectively. Pueraria Mirifica is not a source of saturated fat and cholesterol.
Calcium and magnesium are the two main metals in Pueraria Mirifica. The metals lower than 1 ppm are arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Levels of copper and iron are 3.14 ppm and 258 ppm respectively. For Miroestrol and Puerarin, the respective levels are 795.00 mg and 446.00 mg. The Daidzin content is 164.00 mg/100gm, while Daidzein is 28.00 mg and Genistin is 52.00 mg.

Pueraria Mirifica: Official Researches

The safe dosage was determined by a study done on rats. In this study, rats were able to take a maximum Pueraria Mirifica amount of approximately 100 mg/kg/day and found safe.
An experiment about the effect of Pueraria Mirifica on serum PTH and calcium levels was done on monkeys. The monkeys were given three doses of PM: 10, 100, and 1,000 mg/day. PTH levels were low for two weeks after Pueraria Mirifica treatment. Serum PTH and calcium levels were steady when a monkey was a given a dose of 100 mg/day. Serum PTH and calcium levels declined in monkeys when they were treated with 1,000 mg/day PM dose. This means that Pueraria Mirifica is a remedy for bone loss induced by estrogen insufficiency.
A study found that Pueraria Mirifica could cause teat and vagina development in female pigs. Moreover, PM’s other effects were hair shedding and regrowth. The ovarian weights of female pigs treated with Pueraria Mirifica were lower than the one of the untested group. The pig’s body weight gained was not affected by Pueraria Mirifica. After PM treatment ended, teat length remained long and undeveloped. The pig’s vagina was still large. Vaginal mucus and flaked skin epidermis stopped. Ovarian development is hindered by Pueraria Mirifica, but oviductal, uterine and mammary gland development are caused by PM.
Rabbits in the OVX+PM group had no major variation in serum cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride, HDL, ALT, AST, ALP and lipid peroxidation. Pueraria Mirifica greatly decreased in maximum contractile responses to norepinephrine, but EC50 remained stable. PM had no effect on lipid panel, liver enzymes, and ALP activities.
Pueraria Mirifica greatly reduced the number of dead neuronal cells. The result of PM was major neuroprotection against toxicity caused by beta-amyloids, dioxidanes, and glutamates.