Ligustrum Usage

Ligustrum is currently marketed as a treatment for strengthening the immune system, and on this basis is often recommended for use by people undergoing treatment for cancer or HIV . However, there is no meaningful scientific evidence that ligustrum provides any benefit for these, or any other, conditions.

Very weak evidence from test-tube and animal studies hints that ligustrum might have anti-parasitic, ¹ anti-viral, ² liver- protective , ³ immunomodulatory (this means “altering” immune function, rather than, as commonly misunderstood, “strengthening” it), ⁴ and cancer-preventive ⁵ effects. However, this evidence is too preliminary to rely upon at all. Only double-blind, placebo-controlled studies can prove a treatment effective, and none have been performed on ligustrum. (For information on why such studies are essential, see Why Does This Database Rely on Double-blind Studies? )