Organic Cut Sarsaparilla Root | 42 G

Smilax Sarsaparilla. Sarsaparillas

Sarsaparilla is the common name of a climbing plant genus called Smilax. Sarsaparillas grow well in warm and tropical regions, especially Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, and parts of the United States.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

Since sarsaparilla is extremely rich in iron, indigenous peoples of Central and South America have used it for centuries as a general tonic for physical weakness as well as for rheumatism, skin conditions, and sexual impotence. Due to the fact that sarsaparilla binds with endotoxins and flushes them through the lymphatic system and liver, disposing of endotoxins released from microbes during die-off, tribes in Peru and Honduras have long used it for headaches, joint pain, and to prevent the common cold. “Lymphatic fluid carries all that waste to lymph nodes, which act like garbage disposals to destroy it.”. Many shamans and medicine men in the Amazon use Sarsaparilla root internally and externally for leprosy and other skin problems (such as psoriasis and dermatitis.) In areas where armadillos carry the disease (and in the Amazon, armadillos are "on the menu" in indigenous diets), leprosy can be common. Sarsaparilla root was also used as a general tonic by indigenous tribes in South America, where New World traders found it and introduced it into European medicine in the 1400s.

European physicians considered sarsaparilla root a tonic, blood purifier, diuretic, and sweat promoter. A Smilax root from Mexico was introduced into European medicine in 1536, where it developed a strong following as a cure for syphilis and rheumatism. Since this time, Smilax roots have had a long history of use for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases throughout the world. With its reputation as a blood purifier, it was registered as an official herb in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a syphilis treatment from 1820 to 1910. From the 1500s to the present, sarsaparilla has been used as a blood purifier and general tonic and has also been used worldwide for gout, syphilis, gonorrhea, rheumatism, wounds, arthritis, fever, cough, scrofula, hypertension, digestive disorders, psoriasis, skin diseases, and cancer.

Flavonoids in sarsaparilla have been documented to have immune modulation and liver-protective activities. A U.S. patent was awarded in 2003 describing these flavonoids as being effective in treating autoimmune diseases and inflammatory reactions through their immunomodulating effects. Sarsasapogenin and smilagenin were subjects of a 2001 U.S. patent that reported that these Smilax steroids had the ability to treat senile dementia, cognitive dysfunction, and Alzheimer's disease. In the patent's animal studies references, smilagenin reversed the decline of brain receptors in aged mice and restored the receptor levels to those observed in young animals, reversed the decline in cognitive function, and enhanced memory and learning. These studies, however, have not been published in any peer-reviewed journals, only in the context of the patent, thus far.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

Clinical research has validated the traditional use of sarsaparilla for skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, and leprosy. In 1942, it was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine to improve the condition of psoriasis dramatically. There, the results of a clinical study with 92 patients were detailed, which reported that it improved psoriasis lesions in 62% of cases and completely cleared lesions in 18% of cases. One of the possible mechanisms of action in psoriasis is sarsaparilla's blood-cleansing properties. Individuals with psoriasis have been found to have high levels of endotoxins circulating in the bloodstream (endotoxins are cell wall fragments of normal gut bacteria). Sarsaponin, one of sarsaparilla's main steriods, was found to bind to these endotoxins and remove them, thus improving psoriasis.

This endotoxin-binding action is probably why the root has been used for centuries as a "blood purifier." Other health conditions associated with high endotoxin levels include eczema, arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Sarsaparilla's effective use in the treatment of leprosy has been documented in a 1959 human trial. The effectiveness of sarsaparilla in the treatment of adolescent acne caused by excessive androgens has received some experimental support as well.

Sarsaparilla has long been used in the treatment of syphilis. Clinical observations in China demonstrated that sarsaparilla was effective (according to blood tests) in about 90% of acute and 50% of chronic cases. In the 1950s, the antibiotic properties of sarsaparilla were documented; other studies documented its antifungal and antimycobacterial activities. Its anti-inflammatory activity has been demonstrated in several in vitro and in vivo studies, using different laboratory-induced models of arthritis and inflammation. One of these studies attributes the beneficial effect of sarsaparilla's immune modulatory action to its beneficial effect on arthritis. Sarsaparilla has also demonstrated liver-protective effects in rats, with researchers concluding that it is able to prevent immune-mediated liver injury. Improvement of appetite and digestion has been noted with sarsaparilla, as well as its diuretic actions in humans. The root has been reported to have stimulatory activity on the kidneys in humans, and in chronic nephritis, it was shown to increase the urinary excretion of uric acid.

Most of the sarsaparilla root comes from cultivation projects in Mexico and Latin America, as well as China. In naturopathic and herbal medicine, it is used mostly in combination with other herbs for its tonic, detoxifying, blood-purifying, and lymph-cleansing properties. We use it as an herbal remedy made for skin disorders, libido enhancement, hormone balancing, and sports nutrition formulas. No known toxicity or side-effects have been documented for sarsaparilla; however, ingestion of large dosages of saponins may cause gastrointestinal irritation, so please follow the protocols.

Traditional Preparation:

One-half (4 ounces) to 1 cup (8 ounces) 2–3 times daily with plenty of water due to being a diuretic tea.

How to make the tea hot: Use 12 ounces of water, add that to your pot and add 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of the Sarsaparilla Root. Simmer (stay just below the boiling point while being heated) for 15 minutes. Drink either 8 ounces or 4 ounces, twice daily. If you drink 4 ounces of tea, please store the remaining in the fridge and drink within 1–2 days.

Steep overnight in the fridge: 1 teaspoon (14 grams of Sarsaparilla root) for 8 ounces of water. Please drink plenty of water. This infusion is recognized and used traditionally to help maintain healthy kidney function. Its tonic, diuretic, and depurative properties make it ideal for helping circulation, maintaining clean skin, and maintaining natural and healthy hormonal balance.

Please do not leave the tea in the fridge for more than 2 days.

It is not recommended for women who are lactating and/or pregnant. This information is for educational purposes.