Tweet

What is Cascara Sagrada? Cascara Sagrada is deciduous tree that is native to Western Northern Americas. It was banned for use by USFDA due to toxic and carcinogenic substances….(more)

Cascara Sagrada Preparation Cascara Sagrada infusion is extracted from the dried and aged bark and is also available commercially in capsule forms…(more)

Scientific Name : Rhamnus purshiana

Common Names : Cascara Buckthorn, Cascara, , Sacred bark, Bearberry, Chittam or Chitticum bark

Cascara Sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana) also known as Cascara Buckthorn, Cascara, Bearberry, Chittam or Chitticum bark, is a species of buckthorn native to western North America. Cascara Sagrada which is the Spanish term for “sacred bark” is an evergreen tree, the largest species of buckthorn, growing up to 10 to 15 m tall.

Cascara Sagrada has thinly fissured dark red brownish bark with silvery-gray lichen. The leaves are deciduous, alternate, wavy-edge with fine irregular toothed margins. Cascara Sagrada leaves are broad, oval in shape, dark green on top and pale green at the other side. Cascara Sagrada has tiny bell shaped flowers that bloom briefly during summer and bears a red berrylike fruit about 6 to 10 cm in diameter that turns deep purple to black as it matures.

aloe-emodin, aloe-emodin-O-glycoside, barbaloin, casanthranol, cascara, cascaroside, cascarosides: A, B, C and D. Cglycosides, chrysaloin, chrysophanol, dianthrones, diasteroisomers, emodin oxanthrone, Hydroxyanthraquinone, glycosides, mono-anthrone-O-glycosides, Linoleic acid, Myristic acid and syringic acid

Cascara Sagrada has been traditionally used by native Americans as laxative for constipation. Dried and aged cascara Sagrada barks are used as tea infusion to treat chronic constipation.

The barks are harvested, dried and aged to minimum of one year to dry and mollify toxic constituents. Aside from being a mild laxative, other traditional health benefits included treatment of jaundice, hemorrhoids, liver problems and digestive ailments.

Recommended dosage for treatment of constipation:

1 teaspoon of liquid extract three times a day;

1 to 2 capsules at bedtime or as directed in the product label.

Should be taken with a lot of water.

Cascara sagrada is available from most health stores and likewise online such as Cascara Sagrada (100 caps) in amazon.

Prior to 2002, Cascara Sagrada was widely accepted by medical practitioners in the United States and was a common ingredient in many commercial, over-the-counter laxatives.

However the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) issued a ruling in 2002, banning the use of Cascara Sagrada as laxative ingredient in over-the-counter drug products. Use of Cascara Sagrada has been found to contain potentially toxic and carcinogenic substances that can cause bloody diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pains, and loss of body fluids, hepatitis and even rectal and colonic cancer.

Cascara Sagrada herbal infusions and capsules should only be taken with close supervision by a competent medical practitioner.

Prolonged usage of more than 7 days is considered unsafe.

Unsafe for pregnant and breast feeding women.

Unsafe to use if there are undetermined intestinal problems.

blog comments powered by Disqus