The Science 
Behind Mulungu

What is Mulungu (Erythrina Mulungu)?

Mulungu, also known as the Coral Tree, is part of a family of trees in the genus erythrina. The bark of Erythrina Mulungu is the primary ingredient in our blends. It is native to South America and has been used medicinally for hundreds of years despite being relatively unheard of in North America. 

Mulungu has sedative, tranquilizing and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties, traditionally made into tea. In Brazil, Mulungu also treats those suffering from seizures (2). Alongside Mulungu's calming effects, it has potent antibacterial and hepatoprotective properties (1,3). 

Anxiolytic and Sedative Properties

Mulungu is growing in popularity as a natural sedative-hypnotic with minimal side effects. Many users compare the anxiety relief from Mulungu to scheduled prescription anti-anxiety medications without the risk of severe withdrawal and side effects. 

Unlike typical over-the-counter anti-anxiety medications and supplements, Mulungu's effects are quickly noticeable and profound. For example, in a recent double-blind study, patients took Mulungu before undergoing a dental procedure. Mulungu showed a dramatic advantage over the placebo regarding patient anxiety and feelings of tranquility without impacting heart rate, blood oxygen, and other physiological parameters (4). 

The ability to ease anxiety without causing dangerous side effects such as slowed heart rate shows a dramatic advantage over other prescription anxiolytics notorious for their severe risk of central nervous system depression and hypoxia.

Although numerous botanicals offer some form of anxiety relief, many rely on passive methods that provide inadequate and mild effects. Although still being researched, the active alkaloids in Mulungu responsible for its sedating properties directly impact nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Typical anxiolytics rely on the modulation of GABA and glutamate, which is why they have a high risk of dependency and side effects. Mulungu's action method is incredibly unique and compelling and potentially offers a new and safe approach to managing chronic anxiety and sleep disorders. 

The receptors impacted with Mulungu differ from antihistamines like "Benadryl," which impact muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (5). The primary alkaloids responsible for Mulungu's most noticeable effects are (+)-erythravine and (+)-11á-hydroxyerythravine. In animal studies, these two alkaloids compare potency to the commonly prescribed drug Valium (diazepam) for anxiety management. (6,7) 

Antiepileptic, Cardioprotective, Cognitive, Pain Relief, and Other Benefits

Mulungu not only helps as a natural sleep aid and anxiolytic; it has also shown promise as a potential aid in seizure management. Mulungu has been administered in Brazil and surrounding areas to help patients suffering from epilepsy for hundreds of years. Mulungu helps with symptoms by lessening the severity and frequency of attacks. 

Alongside traditional usage, scientists have recently confirmed Mulungu's efficacy for seizure management in animal studies. For example, in one study, the alkaloids (+)-erythravine and (+)-11α-hydroxy-erythravine were shown to increase drug-induced seizure latency (the amount of time before seizing) by up to 300%(8). 

Post-seizure sleep duration also increased, showing potential action in the glycine system(9). With nearly 20-30% of patients with epilepsy unable to control their symptoms through conventional medication, the research on Mulungu could provide more insight into seizure management and potentially offer a natural treatment (10).

In addition, Mulungu has been shown to improve memory and learning performance in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (11). Another benefit of Mulungu is that despite its potent anxiolytic properties, it has not been shown to impact behavior, unlike other anxiety medications, negatively. This difference could benefit those who struggle with anxiety to perform their required tasks (studying, work) without worrying about the behavior-altering side effects of conventional anxiety prescriptions(12,13).

Mulungu may offer some benefits to those struggling with chronic pain. In a recent animal study, mice administered with a Mulungu extract had fewer stomach contractions and showed fewer pain markers than those treated with a placebo (14). 

Alongside Mulungu's pain-relieving aspects, it has also shown anti-inflammatory properties. In one study, drugs induced peritonitis and then treated with a Mulungu extract. The Mulungu extract dramatically inhibited inflammation by up to 56% regarding cell migration (15). Mulungu can achieve these analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects independent of opioid receptors. 

Animals pretreated with naloxone did not lose the analgesic benefits of Mulungu, showing that Mulungu is not reliant on the opioid system. Mulungu could offer a non-addictive natural alternative to opioid pain medication (16). 

Research on Mulungu is continuing, and new exciting data is constantly being made available such as the following:

  • Mulungu has recently been shown to be effective in treating some forms of asthma. Mulungu inhibits bronchial hyperresponsiveness and significantly reduces the number of leukocytes, eosinophils, and lymphocytes in asthma-prone individuals after exposure to allergens. Mulungu also reduced cellular inflammatory infiltration in the lung tissue (17). 

  • Mulungu has been used traditionally for cardiovascular ailments and shows some therapeutic benefits in reducing blood pressure. It has also been used for normalizing arrhythmias; however, more research is needed. (18)

  • Mulungu has been traditionally used as a hepatoprotective agent for those with liver disease. Studies have shown that Mulungu may help protect the liver and reduce inflammation by significantly increasing cellular glutathione levels(19). Glutathione is a key antioxidant and has many benefits, including:
    • Reduces oxidative stress(20)
    • May help with psoriasis (21)
    • Reduces cell damage in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(22,23)
    • Improves insulin resistance (24)
    • Reduces symptoms of Parkinson's disease (25)
    • May aid against autoimmune disease (26)
    • May help with uncontrolled diabetes (27)
    • May help with respiratory disease symptoms (28)

Reduction in Nicotine Cravings

One study has shown that Mulungu dramatically reduces cravings for nicotine (29). Mulungu's action on nicotinic receptors may aid in the cessation of nicotine-containing products, including tobacco and vape products.

Our Mulungu is ethically sourced directly from Brazil. All supplements are packaged, measured, and mixed in the USA. Our Mulungu extract is created using only ethanol and water. 

brightbotanics

Study Sources

1. (Garín-Aguilar et al., 2000)Garín-AguilarM. A.LunaJ. E. R.Soto-HernándezM.Valencia delToro. G.VásquezM. M.2000Effect of crude extracts of Erythrina Americana Mill. on aggressive behavior in rats. J. Ethnopharmacol; 69189196

2. VasconcelosS. M.LimaN. M.SalesG. T.CunhaG. M.AguiarL. M.SilveiraE. R.RodriguesA. C.MacedoD. S.FontelesM. M.SousaF. C.VianaG. S. 2007 Anticonvulsant activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina Mulungu. J Ethnopharmacol; 1102271274

3. Hepatoprotective activity of Erythrina × neillii leaf extract and characterization of its phytoconstituents
https://scholar.cu.edu.eg/sites/default/files/elfishawyahlam/files/hepatoprotective_riham_erythrina.pdf

Riham O. Bakra,Marwa A.A. Fayedb,Ahmed M. Fayezc,Salma K. Gabra,Ahlam M. El-Fishawyd,Taha S.El-Alfy https://scholar.cu.edu.eg/sites/default/files/elfishawyahlam/files/hepatoprotective_riham_erythrina.pdf

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192578/

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3862643/

6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24349349/

7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11960198/

8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21277832/

9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17070003/

10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5068473/

11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31751584/

12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22381390/

13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17268084/

14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12843615/

15. https://www.scielo.br/j/rbfar/a/c4qrnghPy3Smhwb4tv5Q7HJ/?lang=en

16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12843615/

17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30102994/

18. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1016564217719

19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4991120/

20. https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01595.x

21. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24155989/

22. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7569285/

23. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28789631/

24. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33740389/

25. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)62019-3/fulltext

26. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19393193/

27. https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/34/1/162/27362/Glutathione-Synthesis-Is-Diminished-in-Patients

28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129149/

29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3862643/

29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3862643/

© Copyright 2022 - Bright Botanics - All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how your personal information is collected, used, and shared when you visit or make a purchase from brightbotanics.com (the “Site”).

PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and information about how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as “Device Information.”

We collect Device Information using the following technologies:

  • “Cookies” are data files that are placed on your device or computer and often include an anonymous unique identifier. For more information about cookies, and how to disable cookies, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
  • “Log files” track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps.
  • “Web beacons,” “tags,” and “pixels” are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Site.

Additionally, when you make a purchase or attempt to make a purchase through the Site, we collect certain information from you, including your name, billing address, shipping address, payment information (including credit card numbers and other payment types listed on the shopping cart, email address, and phone number. We refer to this information as “Order Information.”

When we talk about “Personal Information” in this Privacy Policy, we are talking both about Device Information and Order Information.

HOW DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We use the Order Information that we collect generally to fulfill any orders placed through the Site (including processing your payment information, arranging for shipping, and providing you with invoices and/or order confirmations). Additionally, we use this Order Information to:

Communicate with you;

Screen our orders for potential risk or fraud, and ship your order to you in an efficient manner.

When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services.

We use the Device Information that we collect to help us screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address), and more generally to improve and optimize our Site (for example, by generating analytics about how our customers browse and interact with the Site, and to assess the success of our marketing and advertising campaigns).

SHARING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We share your Personal Information with third parties to help us use your Personal Information, as described above. For example, we use WooCommerce to power our online store–you can read more about how WooCommerce uses your Personal Information here: https://docs.woocommerce.com/document/marketplace-privacy/

We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use the Site–you can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant, or other lawful requests for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights.

BEHAVIOURAL ADVERTISING

As described above, we use your Personal Information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications we believe may be of interest to you. For more information about how targeted advertising works, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) educational page at http://www.networkadvertising.org/understanding-online-advertising/how-does-it-work.

You can opt-out of targeted advertising by:

FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads

GOOGLE – https://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous

BING – https://advertise.bingads.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/policies/personalized-ads

BRIGHT BOTANICS – Send an email to support@brightbotanics.com stating your desire to opt-out of any direct marketing or advertising

Additionally, you can opt-out of some of these services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal at: http://optout.aboutads.info/.

CALIFORNIA CONSUMER PRIVACY ACT (CCPA)

The California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) requires us to provide California residents with some additional information about the categories of personal information we collect and share, where we get that personal information, and how and why we use it.

The CCPA also requires us to provide a list of the “categories” of personal information we collect, as that term is defined in the law, so, here it is. In the last 12 months, we collected the following categories of personal information from California residents, depending on the Services used:

  • Identifiers (like your name, contact information, and device and online identifiers);
  • Commercial information (your billing information and purchase history, for example);
  • Characteristics protected by law (for example, you might provide your gender as part of a research survey for us);
  • Internet or other electronic network activity information (such as your usage of our Services, like the actions you take as an administrator of a WordPress.com site);
  • Geolocation data (such as your location based on your IP address);
  • Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information (such as your profile picture, if you uploaded one);
  • Professional or employment-related information (for example, your company and team information if you are a Happy Tools user or information you provide in a job application); and
  • Inferences we make (such as the likelihood of retention or attrition).

DO NOT TRACK

Please note that we do not alter our Site’s data collection and use practices when we see a Do Not Track signal from your browser.

DATA RETENTION

When you place an order through the Site, we will maintain your Order Information for our records unless and until you ask us to delete this information.

MINORS

The Site is not intended for individuals under the age of eighteen.

CHANGES

We may update this privacy policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons.

CONTACT US

For more information about our privacy practices, if you have questions, or if you would like to make a complaint, please get in touch with us by email at support@brightbotanics.com or by mail using the details provided below:

BRIGHT BOTANICS
10400 Overland Rd
#172
Boise ID 83709

 

 

usercartcrossmenu