cascara sagrada Extract
What Is It? Cascara
sagrada is a natural laxative made from the reddish-brown bark of a tree
(Rhamnus purshiana) native to the Pacific Northwest. It was used by
various Native American tribes, who also passed their "sacred bark" on
to Spanish explorers (cascara sagrada means sacred bark in Spanish).
Other European settlers
were also quick to adopt this traditional remedy for constipation and
other discomforts. But it was not formally used in western medicine
until 1877, when the pharmaceutical producer Eli Lilly & Company
introduced "Elixir Purgans," a popular product containing cascara as
well as several other laxative herbs.
Today, numerous over-the-counter laxatives
feature cascara sagrada as a key ingredient. Because it's so mild, the
herb is frequently combined with stronger laxatives, such as aloe vera
latex. To work properly, the bark must be carefully prepared--cured for
at least one year or heated and dried to speed up the aging process.
Aging is essential because the fresh bark is very irritating to the
gastrointestinal system, causing vomiting and intestinal spasms.
Cascara sagrada is
recognized as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. It
appears in the national formularies of most countries, and has been in
the United States Pharmacopoeia since 1890.
Health Benefits
There have been a limited number of clinical
trials on cascara sagrada that have explored its value for cleansing the
colon before bowel examinations and similar diagnostic tests. Its value
is clear for easing constipation--when it's taken properly and at a safe
dosage. In fact, cascara is such a mild laxative that it can safely be
used by the elderly, and for the mild constipation that can occur
following anal or rectal surgery.
Specifically, cascara sagrada may help to:
Control occasional constipation. Early plant chemists identified the
active laxative constituents in cascara sagrada bark: anthraquinone
derivatives. These compounds stimulate peristalsis, the vigorous
wavelike contractions of the large intestine that keep food moving
through the digestive system. When cascara speeds the process up, the
body produces a softer, quicker bowel movement because the intestine has
had less chance to absorb the liquid from the stool. Several studies
have shown that cascara sagrada is effective in easing chronic
constipation in elderly people.
Treat hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Combined
with conventional measures to soften the stool (plenty of dietary fiber,
water, and exercise), occasional use of cascara sagrada preparations
makes sense for preventing the pressure and pain associated with
hemorrhoids and anal fissures (cracks in the skin near the anus). In
fact, by speeding up bowel movements, hemorrhoids are also less likely
to develop.
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