Coleus is a member of the mint family of plants. It is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant due to the fact that its leaves are stunning! What’s more, coleus thrives all year round so any garden adorned with it can stay looking phenomenal regardless of the season.
However, don’t think that coleus is just eye candy. The truth is this very beautiful plant also offers a number of health benefits. What makes it very good at combating a variety of problems, according to experts, is the active compound in it called forskolin. Numerous studies done on it say that forskolin can relax muscles and blood vessels, regulate enzymes and hormones, reduce pressure in the eyes and even promote weight loss.
Indeed, coleus is not just lovely to look at but also highly beneficial, thanks to its forskolin content! So if you’re wondering what sort of perks coleus has to offer, read on.
It Promotes Lower High Blood Pressure
Because forskolin is capable of causing the walls of the blood vessels to relax, coleus which contains the said compound can be used to help in treating high blood pressure. However, those whose blood pressures are already low should refrain from taking any supplement with forskolin as their blood pressures may drop further.
It Offers Other Heart Benefits, Too
Due to the ability of forskolin to cause the dilatation of the blood vessels, it may also be used for managing angina — a condition characterized by pain in the chest and sometimes the shoulders, arms and neck due to the lack of blood supply to the heart muscles. Forskolin, based on studies, also helps lower bad cholesterol.
It Helps Control Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a gradual loss of vision because of an increase pressure in the eyes, or something referred to as increased intraocular pressure by medical professionals. Coleus is known to help control abnormal intraocular pressure, again thanks to the forskolin in it. These days, there are many glaucoma eye drops with forskolin as an ingredient.
It Also Assists in Regulating the Hormones
Forskolin in coleus is scientifically-proven to have favorable effects on hormone levels, and that’s why the compound is commonly employed to treat an assortment of hormone imbalance-related problems. For instance, forskolin is said to be very promising in treating hypothyroidism, a condition wherein the thyroid gland is underactive.
It Encourages Healthy Weight Reduction
Numerous researches found out that forskolin present abundantly in coleus helped in the synthesis of certain enzymes that promote the burning of fat cells. In addition, forskolin is said to have appetite-suppressing properties. Evidently, the active compound can help in promoting weight loss in a couple of ways, both of which are all-natural.
It Shows Superb Anti-Cancer Properties
Aside from forskolin, there are numerous other compounds present in coleus. Some of these compounds, according to experts, may help in preventing and even reversing cancer. Studies done on laboratory mice proved that the said compounds helped in controlling the growth as well as spreading of tumors.
It Helps Relieve Asthma and Upper Respiratory Allergies
The relaxing properties of forskolin in coleus make it beneficial for people who are suffering from asthma. That’s because it can help in keeping the airway dilated, thus warding off asthma symptoms. Also, researches revealed that forskolin has anti-histaminic properties, which means that it can be employed to combat respiratory allergies.
It Also Encourages Suppression of Inflammation
Studies say that forskolin present in coleus possesses anti-inflammatory properties. This explains why one of the uses of coleus in traditional healing is for the remedy of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions. Nowadays, scientists are trying to use forskolin in coming up with a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
