Boldo

Native to Chile and Peru, Boldo leaves are traditionally used in those countries as a diuretic and cholagogue (cholagogues increase the production of bile). Because of the wide-ranging effects that diuretics and liver-stimulants have, Boldo's main applications are numerous. Traditional and modern uses for Boldo therefore include fluid retention, gallstones, liver and gallbladder pain, cystitis and rheumatism. The routes by which most waste products leave the body are the urinary (kidneys, bladder) and biliary (liver, gallbladder) systems. According to the principles of natural medicine, good function of both the urinary and biliary systems both of which are helped by boldo, are often seen as cornerstones to general health. If either of these systems functions inefficiently, waste products may accumulate, causing problems in the urinary or biliary systems themselves, or a build up of toxins in the body. In addition to its liver-stimulating effects, Boldo has recently been shown to act as an antioxidant, and therefore may offer protection against free-radical related oxidative damage to liver cells during disease.