The bark contains anthraquinone glycosides. This acts as a cathartic or laxative. Cascara may help relieve constipation. This means they are not generally recognized as safe and effective for over-the-counter use. Manufacturers had not done the studies to show the safety of cascara sagrada. Cascara is used to treat constipation. Kombucha is a fizzy drink that's full of health benefits, but you may want to know whether it can help relieve constipation.
This article explains…. Flaxseeds are a source of fiber and can be used to treat and prevent constipation. Learn how to use, plus other home remedies to stimulate bowel…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Constipation and Cascara Sagrada. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. How it works Safety concerns Usage guidelines Share on Pinterest.
Treating constipation. Historically, it was used by Native Americans to treat a host of issues, including: constipation digestive problems joint and muscle pain gonorrhea gallstones dysentery.
How cascara sagrada helps constipation. Safety concerns. Guidelines for usage. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm. Unlike these counterparts, the effect of cascara sagrada tends to be gentler, resulting in fewer loose or watery stools. Even though it is no longer an FDA-approved laxative, cascara sagrada is still used by people who prefer "natural" laxatives to chemical ones.
Generally speaking, cascara sagrada will induce a bowel movement within eight to 12 hours of taking a dose. While cascara sagrada is believed by some to prevent or treat gallstones, liver problems, hemorrhoids, fissures, and even cancer, there is little to no evidence to support these claims. Cascara sagrada is intended for short-term use only.
In some cases, it may cause abdominal pain and cramping most commonly when used to treat severe constipation. The long-term use of cascara sagrada is another matter. The concerns stemmed primarily from the evidence that anthraquinones may be harmful if overconsumed. If taken for more than a week or two, cascara sagrada may cause severe dehydration and the rapid loss of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride.
This can trigger an array of potentially serious side effects, including:. Excessive doses of cascara sagrada can cause bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and the inability to urinate acute urinary retention. Call your healthcare provider or seek urgent care if you experience any of these symptoms.
If used regularly, cascara sagrada can lead to laxative dependence as the intestines begin to adapt to the anthraquinones and become less able to work on their own. The long-term use of anthraquinones has also been linked, albeit weakly, to the development of colorectal growths adenomas. Cascara sagrada should never be used for weight loss due to the high risk of side effects and complications. It should also be avoided in people with diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, severe hemorrhoids, congestive heart failure, cardiovascular disease, severe anemia, abdominal hernia, gastrointestinal cancer, recent colon surgery, liver disease, kidney disease, or suspected appendicitis.
Due to the lack of safety research, cascara sagrada should never be used by children, pregnant women, or nursing mothers. Cascara sagrada may interact with a class of drugs called cardiac glycosides used to treat heart failure, including digoxin , digitoxin, and digitonin.
It does so by depleting the body of the sodium and potassium it needs to stimulate heart contractions. Cascara sagrada may also reduce the efficacy of corticosteroids used to treat inflammation. These drugs work by decreasing potassium in the body, and taking cascara sagrada with one can further this effect, leading to severe hypokalemia.
Advise your healthcare provider if you take cascara sagrada or any other natural laxative to avoid potentially serious interactions or side effects. The processing of cascara sagrada bark can differ. It is typically removed, diced, and dried for up to one year to reduce its potency. The dried bark can then be powdered or boiled and distilled for herbal products. There is no recommended dosage of cascara sagrada, the effects of which can differ depending on a person's age, weight, health, and co-existing medical conditions.
Further complicating this is the fact that the herb comes in a multitude of formulations, including capsules, powders, tinctures, and teas, which can make it difficult to know how much or little of a product you need to achieve the desired effect. If you decide to use cascara sagrada, never exceed the dosage listed on the product label or use for more than three days.
Herbal supplements like cascara sagrada do not need to undergo the rigorous testing in the United States that pharmaceutical drugs do.
Because of this, the quality of the supplement can vary considerably, particularly if you buy it in its natural "wild-crafted" form. Taking cascara sagrada along with "water pills" might decrease potassium in the body too much. Some "water pills" that can decrease potassium include chlorothiazide Diuril , chlorthalidone Thalitone , furosemide Lasix , hydrochlorothiazide HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Microzide , and others.
Chromium-containing herbs and supplements Cascara sagrada contains chromium and could increase the risk of chromium poisoning when taken with chromium supplements or chromium-containing herbs such as bilberry, brewer's yeast, or horsetail.
Herbs that contain cardiac glycosides Cardiac glycosides are chemicals that are similar to the prescription drug digoxin. Cardiac glycosides can cause the body to lose potassium. Cascara sagrada can also cause the body to lose potassium because it is a stimulant laxative. As a result, food may not remain in the intestine long enough for the body to absorb minerals such as potassium. This can lead to lower than ideal potassium levels.
Using cascara sagrada along with an herb that contains cardiac glycosides can cause the body to lose too much potassium, and this can cause heart damage.
Herbs that contain cardiac glycosides include black hellebore, Canadian hemp roots, digitalis leaf, hedge mustard, figwort, lily of the valley roots, motherwort, oleander leaf, pheasant's eye plant, pleurisy root, squill bulb leaf scales, star of Bethlehem, strophanthus seeds, and uzara. Avoid using cascara sagrada with any of these.
Horsetail Horsetail increases the production of urine acts as a diuretic and this can cause the body to lose potassium.
If potassium levels drop too low, the heart may be damaged. There is a concern that using horsetail with cascara sagrada increases the risk of losing too much potassium and increases the risk of heart damage. Avoid using cascara sagrada with horsetail. Licorice Licorice causes the body to lose potassium.
There is a concern that using licorice with cascara sagrada increases the risk of losing too much potassium and increases the risk of heart damage. Avoid using cascara sagrada with licorice. Stimulant laxative herbs Cascara sagrada is a stimulant laxative. There is a concern that taking cascara sagrada along with other stimulant laxatives herbs can make potassium levels drop too low, and this can harm the heart.
Other stimulant laxative herbs are aloe, alder buckthorn, black root, blue flag, butternut bark, colocynth, European buckthorn, fo ti, gamboge, gossypol, greater bindweed, jalap, manna, Mexican scammony root, rhubarb, senna, and yellow dock. There are no known interactions with foods.
The appropriate dose of cascara sagrada depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for cascara sagrada.
Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using. Other names. Cirillo C, Capasso R. Constipation and botanical medicines: an overview.
Phytother Res ; View abstract. Nakasone ES, Tokeshi J. A serendipitous find: a case of cholangiocarcinoma identified incidentally after acute liver injury due to cascara sagrada ingestion.
Hawaii J Med Public Health ; Chang, L. A novel function of emodin: enhancement of the nucleotide excision repair of UV- and cisplatin-induced DNA damage in human cells. Biochem Pharmacol ; Chang, C. Oncogene signal transduction inhibitors from medicinal plants. In Vivo ; Chen, H. Food Chem Toxicol ; Petticrew, M. Systematic review of the effectiveness of laxatives in the elderly.
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