Sarsaparilla has a vast history, historically some cultures have used it for its supposed
blood purifying benefits, but §there are many more benefits of this powerful herb.
Find out 4 key benefits of sarsaparilla and also some concerns
So, if you want to learn more about sarsaparilla, watch this video
Let’s go
Sarsaparilla, not to be confused with, Indian sarsaparilla is a category of plants all from
the Smilax family. Actually many smilax species fall into the category of sarsaparilla. The
root of Sarsaparilla is what is used in herbal medicine and it’s native to Central and
South America.
Many of you may recognise the name due to it being used as one of the first flavourings
in soft drinks and root beer. Brands such as Sarsaparilla popped out after makers experimented
with sarsaparilla in their drinks.
Fun fact, some of these sarsaparilla drink brands are now made with artificial flavours
and not the original herb.
Sarsaparilla was relatively unknown before the 15th century, before then it was used
for centuries by the Native Americans. They introduced the plant to the Spaniards, who
took the plant back to Europe and it has spread from there. Historically the leaves were eaten
and cooked with and the fruit was made into a jelly or wine whilst the root was used for
tea or tonic, at one point it had widespread use as a “cure for all '' tonic. Around
the 1400/1500s, it was introduced to Europe, European physicians considered sarsaparilla
root an alternative, tonic, blood purifier, diuretic, and diaphoretic, which means it
helps pass urine and helps you sweat.
Today, sarsaparilla is making a comeback. I was first introduced to this herb around
2015 and since then I’ve seen the increase in people asking me about this herb and its
powers. Well, So far, if this video has been beneficial for you at all, be sure to drop
a like and comment
And without further ado, let’s get into the benefits
The first benefit of sarsaparilla its blood benefits
Throughout history, sarsaparilla effect on the blood is one of the main benefits attributed
to this herb. It was widely used back then to help eliminate toxins from the blood. Before
we touch on this benefit, let’s briefly talk about blood. Firstly, the blood carry’s
nutrients and oxygen to the cells and it also removes waste products from these cells like
carbon dioxide but there is a lesser known benefit here and that’s to do with organs
like the brain. The brain uses 25 percent of the body’s energy and oxygen but it’s
also furthest away from the heart, so blood flow is very important. This is something
we need to be mindful of in general, especially if you’re black or african, issues like
stroke and heart attacks are twice as likely to affect this demographic. I know i'm going
off on a tangent here but i just want to touch on how important this is, it’s our lifeforce.
So, back to sarsaparilla, It's said that sarsaparilla is rich in compounds like saponins that bind
to endotoxins and help remove them from the body, this is where the purifying benefits
may come from but also, sarsaparilla is known to help increase blood flow. As we spoke about
before blood flow is important, especially for good brain health but it’s also important
for good sexaul health and this is a reason sarsaprilla is known to help boost sex drive.
Another blood use of sarsaparilla is blood sugar, In mice, sarsaparilla and its active
components lowered blood sugar and reduced insulin resistance, this shows promise.
Quick side benefits, sarsasprilla, bar sex drive has been said to be beneficial for hormonal
balances, old adverts of the sarsaprilla drinks tried to link the herb to bodybuilding benefits
from testosterone to body mass, the evidence here is very lacking but it's said it can
stiumate the release prduction of testostrone but also from a women pespetive, it's said
to also be beneficial in premenstrual problems. So this may be worth looking into further
if you're trying to bodybuild or are having issues associated with menopause.
But as I said, one concern is that Studies on this herb are unfortunately either really
old, lacking or mainly done on animals. So be sure to do your own research or consult
an expert before trying this herb.
The second benefit is liver and kidney health
Sarsaparilla is generally good for a few organs in the body, we spoke about the blood already
but there is some evidence to show it has benefits to the liver. As you know, one of
the jobs of the liver is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract and evidence
in rats shows that sarsaparilla can have a positive effect on the liver, thus another
reason why sarsaparilla may be beneficial for the blood. Research conducted in rats
with liver damage found that compounds rich in flavonoids from sarsaparilla was able to
reverse damage to the liver and help it function at its best. But, Studies in rats may not
be able to be extrapolated to humans but this shows promise. One day, god willing, I'm going
to get into conducting small studies myself but that’s a dream, and also sustainable
farming and local farming but that’s another video for another day.
Remember we’re focusing our optimising wellness, not healing per say and in terms of boosting
wellness and boosting organ health, sarsaparilla shows promise. It’s said that sarsaparilla
is a herb that can increase perspiration or sweating and also increase urination which
might mean it promotes the excretion of toxins via the urine or sweat. Its diuretic action
forces the excretion of toxins through urination which supports kidney health by clearing the
kidneys. This is very interesting stuff and it’s said this can help relieve fluid retention,
puffiness, swelling and bloating although there isn’t much evidence to gauge its effectiveness
for these fluid issues, there is some evidence of these are some benefits within these benefits.
If you’re liking these benefits so far, drop a like, especially for the benefits with
a benefit
One concern though is that because of the lack of modern research, not much is known
about the precautions people should have about this herb, for that reason, it’s advised
that pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid this herb
The third benefit of sarsaparilla is it increase bioavailability of over herbs
Firstly, what is bioavailability, well, simply put, bioavailability is the amount of a substance
that enters the bloodstream / cells when introduced into the body. A lot of foods or supplements
may have a high amount of nutrients but that doesn't mean it's what the body assimilates.
But Did you know that adding Sarsaparilla to your herbal tea can increase the bioavailability
of other herbs in the blend and enhance their benefits? Although sarsaparilla is powerful
by itself, it’s also as used as a “synergist”, aiding in absorption and bioavailability of
other herbs.
During our last fast with dungu, we used sarsparilly in the herbal blend for it’s blood benefits
but also for this same reason, to help absorption of the other herbs. This was for the brain
box we created. The feedback was good from mental clarity to sharpness, even me, my creativity
was up. If you want to learn more about herby, link it in description.
The fourth benefit of sarsaparilla is its compounds
Sarsaparilla is said to contain some powerful compounds concentrated into that root, some
of these compounds are anti inflammatory, some cell test tube studies have shown some
compound to anti-cancer, the plant sterols within it is said to be helpful for digestive,
gut and heart health and it's very high in saponins, it's actually 2 percent saponins.
Also, it has some good flavonoid antioxidants which may be good for skin health, eye health
and immune health.
The 2% saponin concentration is actually the highest concentration of all medical plants.
Due to this reason, there is some indication it's good for skin. It’s also rich in chromium
and iron.
Generally, this is a very interesting herb, I can see it becoming very popular in the
next few years. Personally, I only use the powder or dried root, but others may opt for
tinctures, just be mindful that tinctures tend to be a lot more potent. and especially
as there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses
for sarsaparilla, you may want to be mindful
The last concern i'll touch on is if you already have kidney issues, you should stay away and
also be mindful of drug interactions, so if you’re on medication, contact your doctor
before trying any herb. Apart from that, evidence shows it’s relatively safe
I hope you enjoyed this video, if you want to learn more about health, click on my face
and get my herb guide and before you go, check out this video right here and right here.
It’s your boy paul otote, certified herbalist and nutritionist, See you guys on the next
one.