Eden Apothecary · Herb Profile
Andrographis paniculata
Also known as Kalmegh, King of Bitters
Pronounced Kalmegh: kal-MEG. Andrographis paniculata: an-droh-GRAF-iss pan-ick-yoo-LAH-tah.
Cold, dry, and intensely bitter: the King of Bitters that drains toxic heat, breaks an infective fever, and clears damp-heat from the lungs, gut, and liver.
Avoid. Andrographis has shown antifertility and possible abortifacient or anti-implantation activity in animal studies, and reduced plasma progesterone in pregnant rats, although the evidence is mixed (one rat study at 2 g/kg during early gestation showed no pregnancy loss). On the strength of the reproductive concern, the WHO monograph and the AHPA Botanical Safety Handbook advise against use in pregnancy, and it is conventionally contraindicated. Do not use. Sources: WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants Vol. 2 (Herba Andrographidis, 2002); AHPA Botanical Safety Handbook; Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs; Mills and Bone.
Insufficient data; avoid. There are no reliable human lactation data (no NIH LactMed monograph), and given the herb's hormonal and antifertility activity in animals and the absence of safety data, use during breastfeeding is not recommended. Sources: AHPA Botanical Safety Handbook; WHO Monographs Vol. 2; NCCIH (insufficient data).
Limited data; short-term use only under supervision. Standardized Andrographis combination products (for example the Kan Jang studies) have been trialed for acute uncomplicated colds in older children, but stand-alone pediatric safety data are limited. Avoid in infants and toddlers; in older children use only short-term for acute uncomplicated respiratory infection and under professional guidance. Sources: Mills and Bone; NCCIH (limited data); Memorial Sloan Kettering About Herbs.
Very bitter; large doses commonly provoke gastric discomfort, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, or loose stools, and the bitter cold can irritate an existing gastric ulcer. Allergic reactions have been reported, ranging from rash and urticaria to, rarely, anaphylaxis; lymph node swelling and, uncommonly, reversible elevation of liver enzymes have followed high doses. Acute kidney injury has been reported with intravenous andrographolide preparations (not with oral use). Animal studies suggest an antifertility effect, so avoid when trying to conceive. Because it is cold and draining, it is unsuitable for the cold, weak-digestion, or debilitated constitution, and it is intended for short courses in acute conditions rather than prolonged use.
Pregnancy (see safety fields); known hypersensitivity or allergy to Andrographis or other Acanthaceae; active bleeding disorder or the immediate perioperative period (theoretical bleeding risk); the cold, deficient, debilitated constitution and cold spleen and stomach. Discontinue at once if signs of allergy (rash, swelling, wheeze) appear.
A fast-growing annual that is easily and widely cultivated across India, China, Thailand, and Southeast Asia, so it is not a wild-at-risk species and does not appear on the United Plant Savers at-risk list. Global demand rose sharply after its use in respiratory and pandemic contexts, which raises the risk of adulteration and of substandard cultivated material. Source verifiably identified, cultivated, contaminant-tested herb standardized for andrographolide, and avoid unverified bulk supply.
Not in canonical biblical texts and unknown to the ancient Mediterranean world. Native to South Asia (India and Sri Lanka) and cultivated widely across South and Southeast Asia and southern China. It is central to Ayurveda as Kalmegh or Bhunimba, a foremost bitter febrifuge and liver remedy, and to Traditional Chinese Medicine as Chuan Xin Lian. Grieve records it in A Modern Herbal (1931) under the Anglo-Indian name Kariyat.
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