Dosage: Commission E recommends 1.5 grams per day of the root, either plain or in a tea.

Name

Saponaria officinalis L. (Caryophyllaceae), commonly called Soapwort, Bouncing Bet, Fuller's herb, burisewort, and sheepweed. In French, it is Saponaire officinale or Savonniére. In German, it is Rote Seifenwurzel and Seifenkraut.

Source

Remedies are made from the dried roots of the plant which grows wild along the roadside and fields in Europe and America.

History

The herb got its name in 1548 when a British herbalist named William Turner first described it in his book, The Names of Herbs. It was probably used as a detergent by the ancient Romans. Extracts were used during the Middle Ages to clean wool before it was dyed.

Traditional Support Uses

Antirheumatic, diuretic, depurative and expectorant.

Commission E Recommendations

Soapwort can be used to help support catarrh of the upper respiratory tract.

Possible Effects

Controlled clinical trials have never been done. Some interesting laboratory studies with one of the chemicals found in the roots, called saporin 6 (S06), suggests that it supports healthy immunity levels. Commission E recommends that the roots can be used as an expectorant. Soapwort contains saponins and some saponins, to a greater or lesser degree, cause respiratory tract and digestive issues. Sometimes, respiratory tract irritation can be helpful because it causes a more forceful cough and aids in sputum production. Whether this supportive is any better than any other (OTC) cough syrup is not known.

References

Gasperi-Campani A, Zauli G, Roncuzzi L, Valvassori L, Vitale L, Gaggioli L, et al. Differential activity of saporin 6 on normal and leukemic hemopoietic cells. Exp Hematol 1989;17(7):755-9.

Sidhu GS, Oakenfull DG. A mechanism for the hypocholesterolaemic activity of saponins. Br J Nutr 1986;55(3):643-9.

This plant is regarded as a tonic, depurative, diaphoretic and softening agent. It is used in the form of tea, extract or syrup, in skin problems, syphilitic concerns, jaundice and abdominal congestion.

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TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.

TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.

ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to 1-844-449-0444.

Soapwort is traditionally used to help support cough, coughs and other respiratory tract issues. In traditional health, the herb or root is used as diuretic, antirheumatic and topically for skin complaints. The dried rhizomes or herb (or extracts thereof) are ingredients of a few commercial cough suppresantss but are no longer very popular. In former times, soapwort can be used as a household detergent and soap substitute. Saponaria is derived from the Latin for 'soap' (sapo).

Soapwort
Saponaria officinalis L.

Family: Caryophyllaceae.

Other Names: Red soapwort; saponaire (French); Gewõhnliches Seifenkraut (German); saponaria (Italian); hierba japonera (Spanish).

Description: Soapwort is a perennial herb (up to 0.5 m), with leafy stems arising from thin, underground rhizomes. The bright green leaves are borne in opposite pairs and the attractive, tubular pink flowers occur in clusters at the tips of the stems.

Origin: Europe and Asia (naturalised in North America); a popular garden ornamental, commercially grown mainly in China, Iran and Turkey.

Parts Used: Dried roots and rhizomes (Saponariae rubrae radix), less often the herb.

Therapeutic Category: Expectorant.

Preparation and Dosage: A tea can be made from 0.4 g of the dried rhizomes (slightly higher doses of the aboveground parts). The recommended daily dose of rhizomes is 1.5 g.

Active Ingredients: All parts are rich in saponins (triterpene glycosides); up to 8% of dry weight. The main compound is quillaic acid but saponarosides, saponasides A,D and gypsogenin has also been reported.

Health Effects: Soapwort is thought to exert an expectorant action through irritation of narvus vagus in the gastric mucosa and in a reflectory way by stimulating water excretion in bronchial tissues. Saponins might exert their anti-inflammatory activity via a corticomimetic effect.

Notes: Another rich source of saponins is soap bark, obtained from Quillaja saponaria (family Rosaceae). It contains so-called quillaja saponin, a mixture of complex acylated triterpenoid saponins. Extracts are included in shampoos and skin care products because of itch-supporting and emollient activity. It lowers blood cholesterol levels but is suspected of being poisonous.

Status: Traditional health; Comm. E+ (root only).

Medicinal Usage

Soapwort, also known as Bouncing Bet, has a long history as a useful plant, taken internally as a diuretic, laxative, and expectorant and administered externally for the potential to help support symptoms of skin eruptions such as psoriasis, irritated skin, acne, and boils. A decoction, or extract, of the crushed roots is still a popular home supportive for poison ivy - effective probably because it thoroughly cleanses the skin.

Once used internally as diuretic, expectorant, and laxative and externally to help support skin eruptions, Bouncing Bet has no health value attributed to it by scientists or even by most herbalists.

General Herb Information

Many of this plant's old folk names, such as latherwort and soapwort, come from its best-known characteristic - the ability to form a soaplike lather. Popularly called Bouncing Bet in America, the plant is rich in saponins, which are natural cleaning agents.

The early colonists, who brought Bouncing Bet with them from England, used the lather to clean everything from handmade lace to pewter vessels. New England textile workers cleaned and thickened newly woven cloth with it - a process called fulling, which accounts for another of its names, fuller's herb. The Pennsylvania Dutch had yet another use for the lather - to give beer a foamy head-and commercially produced saponins are still used for this purpose.

Habitat: Pastures, roadsides, along railroads and city streets, in old gardens.

Range: Native to Eurasia, Bouncing Bet now grows wild throughout the United States and southern Canada.

Identification: A perennial with a single upright stem rising to 2 feet or more, Bouncing Bet grows in clumps. Oval opposite leaves have pointed tips and smooth edges. Five-petaled flowers (July - September), whitish pink to rose, about 1 inch across, grow in thick clusters at the top of the stem.

Caution: Internal use may cause severe vomiting and diarrhea.

Uses: The leaves and rhizomes boiled in pure water make a highly effective soapy lather for cleaning and brightening delicate fabrics.

TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.

TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.

TerraVita is packed in tamper-proof, food-grade, recyclable containers.

ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to 1-844-449-0444.