Modern science has revealed a secret that lied in the roots of a common garden flower: it seems that hydrangea is much more than a beautiful ornamental shrub, but, turned into an innovative drug, it has the power to treat a raft of common diseases such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and some forms of diabetes and arthritis. If it doesn’t work, tough, blame it on the scientists!

Today’s discoveries
When the immune system is weak and unable to respond with enough anti-body cells to fight viruses, the hydrangea root could be a convenient response to combating common autoimmune diseases. Truth be told, nobody likes to be injected with expensive existing treatments that do not correspond to the biological cause of the problem. Concentrated drugs used to suppress the immune system may be used as an ultimate solution but leave patients at risk of infections and serious side-effects. Experts discovered that the new drug containing hydrangea roots as main ingredient blocked the formation of a type of white blood cell involved in autoimmune disease.

Also important to mention, the drug does not seem to cause side effects on other kinds of cells vital to the body's defense - meaning it does not otherwise inhibit the immune system. Experiments on animals showed that mice infested with MS-like disease responded far better and had a faster recovery when administrated low amounts of the hydrangea-based drug called halofuginone. As a basic component of Chinese herbal medicine, halofuginone inhibits the development of Th17 cells (the immune cells that are thought to be responsible for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders).  This drug is also used in treating a rare autoimmune disease that causes damage to the skin and internal organs.

It is yet unsafe for treating conditions like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, but researchers are very optimistic regarding the drug’s future purposes.

From our ancestors be told
A traditional use of the hydrangea root has been that of relieving inflammation and 'cleansing' the joints. An extract of hydrangea leaf is also said to have anti-malarial properties.
Hydrangea has its place in top fifty most common herbs of traditional Chinese medicine. For hundreds of years, hydrangea root extract has been used to treat bladder and kidney infections along other related problems. Claims have been made that by drinking hydrangea root tea, kidney stones are easier to dissolve in the organism and the back pain associated with having kidney stones can be considerably reduced. It is also recommended for the treatment of an enlarged prostate gland. Nonetheless, the staff at the Mayo Clinic has not admitted any adequate research to back up these claims.

Like the Chinese wizards, the North American Cherokee Indians are no strangers to this plant’s miraculous properties.
Therefore, next time you come across a beautiful, colored hydrangea bush, show some gratitude; who knows when you might need its help?