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What do I Need to Know About Cascara Sagrada?

Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster

Cascara sagrada is an herb with laxative effects that has a long history of use in Native American medicine. It is made from the bark of the Rhamnus purshiana, a type of buckthorn shrub native to western North America, spanning parts of British Columbia and the northwestern United States. While cascara sagrada has been a popular ingredient in over-the-counter medications for over 10 years, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned its use in over-the-counter products in 2002 because of inadequate data concerning its toxicity.

The name cascara sagrada is Spanish for "sacred bark," and the herb is also commonly called chitticum bark. The bark of the Rhamnus purshiana is gray or brown and splotched. The plant can grow up to 50 feet (15 meters), but is usually 16 to 33 feet (5-10 meters). It has shiny green leaves, tiny yellow-green flowers, and berries that mature from bright red to purple or black.

Side effects of cascara sagrada include abdominal cramps.
Side effects of cascara sagrada include abdominal cramps.

Cascara sagrada must be dried and aged for at least a year before it can be used medicinally. Ingesting fresh bark can cause vomiting or bloody diarrhea. The herb's active ingredient is anthroquinones, which induce peristalsis, or muscular contractions, in the colon. It may be taken in capsule or liquid extract form, or the dried bark can be used to make tea. 300 mg is a standard dosage of cascara sagrada, and it is usually taken at night to induce a bowel movement in the morning, as it takes six to 12 hours to have an effect.

Cascara sagrada should not be taken by anyone with appendicitis.
Cascara sagrada should not be taken by anyone with appendicitis.

If you live in an area where cascara sagrada is available, be aware that its safety has not been confirmed by the FDA and that it should be taken with caution. Cascara sagrada is not intended to be taken long term and can in fact cause dependence; do not take it for more than seven days in a row. Children and pregnant women should not take cascara sagrada, and it is also dangerous for people suffering from Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, severe hemorrhoids, blood vessel disease, heart disease, severe aenemia, liver or kidney disease, congestive heart failure, abdominal hernia, appendicitis, gastrointestinal cancer, or recent colon surgery.

Excessive use of cascara sagrada may cause bloody diarrhea.
Excessive use of cascara sagrada may cause bloody diarrhea.

Some side effects of cascara sagrada include abdominal cramps, electrolyte imbalance, and melanosis coli, a dark discoloration of the colon. Excessive use can cause bloody diarrhea or vomiting. If you experience such symptoms after taking cascara sagrada, discontinue use and contact your doctor. Long term use of cascara sagrada has been linked to abnormal growths in the colon called adenomas and cancer.

Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a WiseGEEK editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

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Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a WiseGEEK editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

JessicaLynn

@starrynight - Wow, you must be very daring. Inconclusive evidence about the toxicity of a substance is enough to make me think twice about using it! Anecdotal evidence is just not enough for me.

If the FDA banned cascara sagrada, I'm sure they had a good reason. I would urge anyone considering this stuff to just get some over the counter medicine from a drugstore instead.

starrynight

I actually think the fact that the FDA banned this stuff is pretty meaningless. We all know the FDA is pretty biased against natural medicine! Also, they banned it because they don't know if it's toxic or not? Why not just run some tests and find out?

One of my friends used to use this stuff before it was banned and she never reported any troublesome side effects. Of course, she followed directions and didn't use it long term. But either way I think this stuff is probably OK to take.

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    • Side effects of cascara sagrada include abdominal cramps.
      By: Dessie
      Side effects of cascara sagrada include abdominal cramps.
    • Cascara sagrada should not be taken by anyone with appendicitis.
      By: joshya
      Cascara sagrada should not be taken by anyone with appendicitis.
    • Excessive use of cascara sagrada may cause bloody diarrhea.
      By: Africa Studio
      Excessive use of cascara sagrada may cause bloody diarrhea.
    • The cascara sagrada spans part of British Columbia.
      By: Iryna Volina
      The cascara sagrada spans part of British Columbia.
    • Excessive use of cascara sagrada could lead to vomiting.
      By: olly
      Excessive use of cascara sagrada could lead to vomiting.
    • People who have undergone recent colon surgery should not take cascara sagrada.
      By: araraadt
      People who have undergone recent colon surgery should not take cascara sagrada.