ASH

Uses & Effectiveness

Overview

Ash is a tree. The seeds are used to make medicine.

People use ash for diabetes, arthritis, constipation, bladder problems, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Don't confuse ash with manna ash, northern prickly ash, or southern prickly ash.

Vitamin A, found in abundance in fish, liver, and carrots, is essential for maintaining healthy vision, as it helps produce a light-absorbing pigment in the eyes which allows us to see in low light conditions.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Taking ash seed/fruit extract is POSSIBLY SAFE when used in doses of up to 1 gram daily for up to 3 months. No side effects have been reported in clinical research. But some people might be allergic to ash.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

• Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with ASH

  Ash might lower blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking ash along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

  Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

• Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interacts with ASH

  Ash might lower blood pressure. Using ash with drugs that lower blood pressure might increase the effects of these drugs and lower blood pressure too much.

  Some medications for high blood pressure include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.

Special Precautionsand Warnings

When taken by mouth: Taking ash seed/fruit extract is POSSIBLY SAFE when used in doses of up to 1 gram daily for up to 3 months. No side effects have been reported in clinical research. But some people might be allergic to ash. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if ash is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Cross-allergies: Some people are allergic to chemicals in the pollen in ash. Since similar chemicals are found in other pollens, people allergic to other pollens might also be allergic to ash pollen.

Diabetes: Ash might affect blood sugar levels. Watch for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have diabetes and use ash.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of ash depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for ash. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.