Helps ease
inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism and arthritis.
Acts as a diuretic
Helps reduce fevers
by promoting sweating
Helps ease some skin
disorders such as eczema and psoriasis.
Acts as an
expectorant and is often recommended by herbalists for coughs
and colds.
Side
Effects No major side effects are known
at this time. At high doses stomach upset and a burning sensation in the
throat and mouth can occur.
Safety
Issues
No interaction with other drugs is known at
this time, however chemicals called saponins that are found in
sarsaparilla can quicken the absorption of some drugs.
History
of Sarsaparilla Sarsaparilla is a
perennial climbing vine. It has green flowers and prickly stems and is
native to tropical areas of America and the West Indies.
Native Americans used
Sarsaparilla to treat a wide variety of complaints including skin
diseases, stomach problems, rheumatism, fevers and venereal diseases.
In China, traditional healers
use plants from the same family to treat similar problems.
At the turn of the century
Sarsaparilla root beer became a popular drink. It's popularity was not
only for it's taste. For many years it was believed that Sarsaparilla
was a "blood purifier" - this was a polite way of saying it
was a remedy for syphilis. In fact for more than 150 years it was listed
as a remedy for syphilis in both the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and the
National Formulation.
