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Buckthorn (Alder) | | |
Buckthorn, or alder, is a tall shrub native to northern Europe. The bark
of alder buckthorn is removed, cut into small pieces, and dried for one
year before being used medicinally.
Buckthorn has been used as a
cathartic laxative in Northern and Central Europe for centuries. It is
still widely used today for constipation and resulting conditions such as
hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Buckthorn stimulates contractions of the
colon (peristalsis) and increases water content during stool
formation.
A closely related shrub, cascara sagrada, is more widely
known in North America due to its origins and cultivation on the Pacific
coast of Canada and the United States.
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| Common Name | | | Buckthorn (Alder)
| | | Botanical Latin Name / Classification | | | Rhamnus frangula
| | | Parts Used | | | Dried bark of tree and branches.
| | | Other Names | | | Alder, Arrow Wood, Black Alder, Frangula Bark, Persian Berries, Glossy
Buckthorn, Black Dogwood.
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| | | Description | | | Buckhorn (alder) is a tall shrub, or small tree (7-10 feet in
height), native to northern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. The
bark of alder buckthorn is removed, cut into small pieces, and dried for
one year before being used medicinally. Fresh bark has an emetic or
vomit-inducing property and is therefore not used.
Most medicinal
preparations of buckthorn bark are made from the European buckthorn shrub,
also known as black dogwood (Rhamnus frangula), which is native to
Europe and western parts of Asia. The bark of the trunks and branches is
dried and seasoned.
A species of buckthorn grown throughout
northern California and British Columbia - California Buckthorn
(Rhamnus pursiana), also known as cascara sagrada - has chemical
and medicinal properties similar to the European buckthorn and is
sometimes used in healing as well.
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| | | Traditional Internal Uses | | | Buckthorn (alder) has been used as a cathartic laxative in northern and
central Europe, including England, for centuries.1 Despite its decline in
importance when the similar shrub Rhamnus purshiana or cascara
sagrada discovered in America,2 alder buckthorn is still used,
particularly in Europe.
Officially, buckthorn bark has been used
medicinally since at least the 1600s, when it was listed in a primary
medical reference called the London Pharmacopeia. Although most
herbs have had a wide variety of traditional uses, later refined to a
single or a few proven benefits, buckthorn bark throughout its history has
been consistently used to relieve one ailment: constipation and its
by-products (hemorrhoids and anal irritation).
There is
documentation that buckthorn may have been used as early as the thirteenth
century for its laxative effects. It is thought that Welsh physicans would
prescribe buckthorn juice for constipation. In the late nineteenth
century, buckthorn syrup was administered to children for its laxative
effects. Today, many people still take herbal preparations of buckthorn
for similar effects, and it is a commonly used laxative for dogs when
combined with equal parts of castor oil.
Those who've recently
undergone rectal surgery are sometimes prescribed formulations of
buckthorn due to its stool softening abilities. It has also been used as a
cleansing agent prior to diagnostic exams. In folk medicine, buckthorn is
used as
a diuretic to flush excess water from the body.
In addition to its
medicinal uses, the bark and leaves provide a bright yellow-red dye that
has been used for centuries to color textiles.
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| | | Indications | | | Primary Indications: Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Anal Fissures
Primary Indications: Bloating, Flatulence
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| | | Actions | | | Alterative (Restorative), Bitter Tonic, Cathartic, Diuretic, Eliminative, Hepatic, Laxative, Peristaltic, Purgative, Stool Softening
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| | | Constituents / Nutrients | | | Alder buckthorn is high in anthraquinone glycosides. Resins, tannins, and
lipids make up the bulk of the bark's other ingredients. Anthraquinone
glycosides have a cathartic action, inducing the large intestine to
increase its muscular contraction (peristalsis) and increasing water
movement from the cells of the colon into the feces, resulting in strong,
soft bowel movements.3 It takes six to ten hours for alder buckthorn to
act after taking it by mouth.
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| | | Pharmacological Summary | | | Buckthorn bark contains compounds called anthraquinones, which have a
strong purgative, laxative effect on the body. Because these compounds are
powerful, before being processed into laxative products the bark is aged
for a year, or heated and dried.
The compounds in buckthorn bark
increase the colon's ability to spontaneously contract. They also reduce
water absorption by the intestines, which means more liquid is left in the
colon. This produces larger volume and softer stools, which in turn eases
constipation.
Because buckthorn bark is an effective stool
softener, it can make bowel movements more comfortable for people with
hemorrhoids or anal fissures, or who are recovering from recto-anal
surgery. Sometimes, buckthorn bark is also used to cleanse the colon in
preparation for gastrointestinal diagnostic procedures.
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| | | Research | | | "Invasive Buckthorn Reduces Forest Leaf Litter"
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| | | Precautions / Contraindications | | | Buckthorn is contraindicated for the following conditions: Intestinal
obstruction, acute intestinal inflammation, e.g., Crohn's disease, colitis
ulcerosa, appendicitis, abdominal pain of unknown origin.
Children
under 12 years of age; pregnancy.
Stimulating laxatives should not
be used over an extended period (1 - 2 weeks) without medical
advice.
Use of a stimulating laxative for longer than the
recommended application can cause intestinal sluggishness.
The
preparation should be used only if no effect can be obtained through
change of diet or use of bulk-forming products.
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| | | Interaction with Medications | | | None documented.
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| | | Possible Side Effects | | | In single incidents, cramp-like discomforts of the gastrointestinal
tract. These incidents require a dosage reduction.
With long-term
use/abuse: disturbances of electrolyte balance, especially potassium
deficiency, albuminuria and hematuria. Pigment implantation into the
intestinal mucosa (pseudomelanosis coli) is harmless and usually reverses
upon discontinuation of the drug. The potassium deficiency can lead to
disorders of heart function and muscular weakness, especially with
concurrent use of cardiac glycosides, diuretics and corticosteroids.
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| | | Dosage | | | Dried Extract: Buckthorn is typically available in strengths
that range from 100 mg to 500 mg, or even in smaller quantities like
25 mg or 50 mg if it is part of a blend.
Start with a low
dosage to avoid cramping (one 100 mg - 200 mg capsule before bedtime) and
adjust dosage to what is appropriate to your system.
For
constipation: Take 15 to 30 drops liquid extract at bedtime OR 1 or 2
capsules at bedtime.
For hemorrhoids and anal fissures: Take
15 to 30 drops liquid extract at bedtime OR 1 or 2 capsules at
bedtime.
It is important NOT to use fresh-cut buckthorn bark, which
is far too powerful. Only the dried and aged preparations are recommended.
These are typically made into a fluid extract.
The optimal dose is
the smallest one that generates a softer stool.
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| | | References | | | 1. Lust J. The Herb Book. New York: Bantam Books, 1974:138-40.
2. Evans
WC. Trease and Evans' Pharmacognosy, 13th ed. London: BailliŠre Tindall,
1989:408.
3. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al, eds. The
Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal
Medicines. Austin: American Botanical Council and Boston: Integrative
Medicine Communications, 1998:95-8.
Our thanks to the following
information resources: WholeheatlthMD.com, Medicinescomplete.com,
American Botanical Council (Herbalgram.org), VitaminsDiary.com,
Vitacost.com.
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| | 6 total products | | | Buckthorn (Alder) (Read all about Buckthorn (Alder).)
Botanical Latin Name: Rhamnus frangula
Plant Part: Dried bark of tree and branches. | |
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Buckthorn (Alder) - Health - Senna Cleansing Formula - Senna, Fennel, Ginger and More - Powder
4 oz / 114 g
14.89 US
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Buckthorn (Alder) - Health - Senna Cleansing Formula - Senna, Fennel, Ginger and More - Powder
1 oz / 28 g
8.76 US
More Info
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Buckthorn (Alder) - Health - Senna Cleansing Formula - Senna, Fennel, Ginger and More - Tea (Loose)
4 oz / 114 g
9.65 US
More Info
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Buckthorn (Alder) - Health - Senna Cleansing Formula - Senna, Fennel, Ginger and More - Tea (Loose)
8 oz / 227 g
13.70 US
More Info
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Buckthorn (Alder) - Health - Senna Cleansing Formula - Senna, Fennel, Ginger and More - Tea
25 tea bags
10.54 US
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Buckthorn (Alder) - Health - Senna Cleansing Formula - Senna, Fennel, Ginger and More - Tea
50 tea bags
15.60 US
More Info
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
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