Can Forskolin Help Glaucoma?
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye condition where the pressure inside the eye increases slowly over time. This raised pressure damages the nerve cells at the back of the eye that help you see. It usually causes a gradual and painless loss of vision, starting with your side (or peripheral) vision. The most common type is called primary open-angle glaucoma. This happens when the fluid in your eye doesn’t drain properly, causing pressure to build up.
How Forskolin Might Help
Forskolin is a natural compound found in the root of the Coleus forskohlii plant. This plant has been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine to treat various health problems, especially heart issues. More recently, forskolin has been studied for its potential to help people lose weight and to lower the pressure inside the eye in glaucoma.
What Does the Research Say?
One clinical trial looked at 97 people who already took the strongest available medications for glaucoma. They were given a supplement containing 15mg of forskolin, 200mg of rutin, and B vitamins. The results suggested that this supplement might help lower eye pressure after just three weeks. But the researchers couldn’t say for sure whether the benefit came from forskolin alone or from the other ingredients.
Side Effects to Watch Out For
Some people may get diarrhoea or softer stools, especially if they take higher doses of forskolin.
When Not to Take Forskolin
Kidney cyst: People who have kidney cysts should avoid forskolin. This is because forskolin is similar to a molecule that naturally occurs in kidney cysts, and it might make the cysts grow larger.
What About Other Health Situations?
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: As with most supplemnts, forskolin has not been studied enough in pregnant or breastfeeding women, or in children. So it’s best to avoid it in these groups until more research is done.
Medication Interactions
Forskolin can increase the activity of an important liver enzyme called CYP3A. This means it can change how your body processes certain medications — possibly making them less effective. This includes some drugs used for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and seizures. You can find the full list of drugs affected by this enzyme here .
Final Thoughts
Right now, the evidence is too limited to recommend forskolin for treating glaucoma. If you are already taking medications or looking for a supplement to help with eye pressure, you may want to try other options first. If you are not on any medications and want to explore forskolin, do so cautiously and with professional advice. Remember, if your health challenge relates to this topic and you require personalised naturopathic advice and assessment, you can book a free call with me to discuss your situation further.
Disclaimer
The information above is for education and awareness only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information above does not cover all interactions, adverse effects, precautions and uses. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before taking any supplement, herb or therapy or changing your medications.
References
Vetrugno M, Uva MG, Russo V, Iester M, Ciancaglini M, Brusini P, Centofanti M, Rossetti LM. Oral administration of forskolin and rutin contributes to intraocular pressure control in primary open angle glaucoma patients under maximum tolerated medical therapy. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Oct;28(5):536-41. doi: 10.1089/jop.2012.0021. Epub 2012 Jun 25. PMID: 22731245. Link
Putnam WC, Swenson SM, Reif GA, Wallace DP, Helmkamp GM Jr, Grantham JJ. Identification of a forskolin-like molecule in human renal cysts. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007 Mar;18(3):934-43. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2006111218. Link
Pateraki I, Andersen-Ranberg J, Jensen NB, et al. Total biosynthesis of the cyclic AMP booster forskolin from Coleus forskohlii. Elife. 2017 Mar 14;6:e23001. doi: 10.7554/eLife.23001. Link
Ding X, Staudinger JL. Induction of drug metabolism by forskolin: the role of the pregnane X receptor and the protein kinase a signal transduction pathway. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2005 Feb;312(2):849-56. doi: 10.1124/jpet.104.076331. Link
Kamohara S, Terasaki Y, Horikoshi I, Sunayama S. Safety of a Coleus forskohlii formulation in healthy volunteers. Pers Med Universe. 2015;4:63–5. doi: 10.1016/j.pmu.2015.01.001. Link
Vaz F, Mehta N, Hamilton RD, editors. Ear, nose and throat and eye disease. In: Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Elsevier; 2020. p. 899-925.
