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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.

	Browse Sections:
	Summary Other Names Description Traditional Internal Uses Indications Actions Constituents / Nutrients		Pharmacological Summary Research Precautions / Contraindications Interaction with Medications Possible Side Effects Dosage References

	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	Indications
	Primary Indications: Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Anal Fissures Primary Indications: Bloating, Flatulence Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	Actions
	Alterative (Restorative), Bitter Tonic, Cathartic, Diuretic, Eliminative, Hepatic, Laxative, Peristaltic, Purgative, Stool Softening Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	Research
	"Invasive Buckthorn Reduces Forest Leaf Litter" Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	Interaction with Medications
	None documented. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products
	References
	1. Lust J. The Herb Book. New York: Bantam Books, 1974:138-40. 2. Evans WC. Trease and Evans' Pharmacognosy, 13th ed. London: Bailli�re 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. Browse Sections \| View Buckthorn (Alder) products