Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

A Sexy Reputation

Family: Liliaceae; (includes Lily)

Genus and Species: Smilax Officinalis, S. Febrifuga, and other Smilax species

Also known as: Mexican, Vera Cruz, Honduran, Jamaican, American, and Ecuadoran Sarsaparilla

Parts used: Rhizome and roots

You probably thought the cowboy asked the saloon keeper to “Give me a sarsaparilla” because he didn’t want whiskey. But cowboys who ordered sarsaparilla
usually had more than refreshment in mind. The herb was among the most widely used 19th-century treatments for syphilis, and cowboys often ordered it after visiting the local brothel.

Scientists now say sarsaparilla has no benefit against syphilis, and many dismiss the herb as medically useless. But studies suggest it may have some benefit as a diuretic.

Linked to Syphilis

The ancient Greeks and Romans considered European sarsaparilla an antidote to poisons. But the herb was not popular in herbal Healing until the 16th century, when Spanish explorers discovered the Caribbean species, a prickly (zana) vine (parra) that was small (il1a). That description became our word sarsaparilla. Caribbean and North American Indians used the herb to treat skin conditions, urinary complaints, and as a tonic to keep one young and vigorous, both physically and sexually.

In 1494 an epidemic of unusually virulent syphilis swept Europe, killing thousands, rather like the AIDS epidemic today. Europeans considered the disease an import from the New World, and they looked to herbs from across the Atlantic to treat it. They focused on sarsaparilla.

The conquistadors began shipping Mexican sarsaparilla back to Spain around 1530, and by 1600 it was widely used throughout Europe as a strengthening tonic and treatment for syphilis. Sarsaparilla and syphilis have been entwined ever since.

Sarsaparilla enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity.

Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called it the treatment of choice for “the French disease,” the English name for syphilis. Echoing the ancients, he wrote: “If the i uice of the berries be given to a new-born child, it shall never be hurt by poison.” Culpeper also recommended sarsaparilla for eye problems, head colds, gas pains, pimples, and “all manner of aches in the sinews or joints.”

By 1800, many physicians denounced sarsaparilla as completely ineffective against syphilis, but their words fell on deaf ears. Mid-19th-century trade records indicate Britain imported upward of 150,000 pounds a year, much of it for treatment of syphilis.

“Blood Purifier”

In 19th-century America, sexually transmitted diseases were never mentioned in polite conversation. Nonetheless, syphilis was quite prevalent, and physicians experimented with many herbs and patent medicines to treat it. These treatments were known euphemistically as “blood purifiers.” One of the most popular was Ayer’s sarsaparilla, marketed for “disorders of the liver, stomach, kidneys, as well as tuberculosis, tumors, rheumatism, female weakness, sterility, pimples, and syphilis”.

Sarsaparilla was listed in the US. Pharmacopoeia as a syphilis treatment from 1820 to 1882, but after the Civil War, the anti-sarsaparilla bandwagon gained momentum, and by the late 19th century, most physicians dismissed it as worthless.

Although there is no scientific research to back up these traditional uses, contemporary herbalists continue to recommend sarsaparilla for colds, coughs, fevers, and gout. Some say it contains the male sex hormone testosterone. None recommend it for syphilis.

For an herb once so popular, it’s amazing how little research has been done on sarsaparilla. Most studies date from the 1930s to early 1950s, and few have been replicated. Nonetheless, scientists have turned up some benefits. Sarsaparilla contains chemicals (saponins) with diuretic action, which possibly account for its long association with the genitals.

Syphilis - Western investigators insist sarsaparilla is useless against syphilis. But unconfirmed reports from China suggest it may help. Perhaps the Chinese-and 500 years of herbalism-are completely wrong. Or perhaps 19th-century physicians were right when they observed that sarsaparilla takes a long time to show benefit. The question deserves investigation because syphilis has been on the upswing in the United States in recent years.

High Blood Pressure - Physicians often prescribe diuretics for high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a serious condition requiring professional care. If you’d like to include sarsaparilla in your overall treatment plan, do so only with the approval and supervision of your physician.

Diuretics deplete the body of potassium, an essential nutrient. If you use sarsaparilla frequently, be sure to eat foods high in potassium, such as bananas and fresh vegetables.

Congestive Heart Failure - Physicians often prescribe diuretics to combat the fluid accumulation involved in this condition. Heart failure demands professional care. If you’d like to include sarsaparitla in your overall treatment plan, discuss it with your physician.

Women’s Health - Pregnant and nursing women should not use diuretics. But as a diuretic, sarsaparilla might provide some relief for women bothered by premenstrual bloating (fluid retention).

Intriguing Possibilities - Preliminary studies from around the world have reported sarsaparilla helps treat psoriasis and leprosy.

Myth - Saponins bear some chemical resemblance to the male sex hormones testosterone and anabolic steroids Some writers have claimed sarsaparilla contains testosterone. It does not.

Sarsaparilla has also enjoyed some popularity among body builders who believe it contains anabolic steroids, which they take against medical advice to increase their muscle mass. Sarsaparilla contains no anabolic steroids.

Rx for Sarsaparilla

For a diuretic decoction, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of powdered root per cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Sarsaparilla tastes initially sweetish, then unpleasant.

In a tincture, take ¼ to ½ teaspoon up to three times a day.

Sarsaparilla should not be given to children under age 2.

For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary

Some diet programs tout diuretics to eliminate water weight. But weight-control authorities discourage diuretics. Weight lost using diuretics almost invariably.returns. The key to permanent weight control is a low-fat, high-fiber diet and regular aerobic exercise.

Large amounts of sarsaparilla saponins may cause a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, as well as stomach and intestinal irritation.

Other Cautions

Sarsaparilla is included in the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non nursing adults, sarsaparilla is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

Sarsaparilla should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor If sarsaparilla causes minor discomforts, such as burning in the mouth or stomach upset, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Caribbean Vine

Sarsaparilla is not a garden herb in the United States It’s a perennial, climbing, woody, prickly-stemmed vine with pointed, generally oval-shaped leaves. Its flowers are dioecious (male and female on different plants). small, and green, yellow, or bronze. The medicinal parts, the rhizome and long, slender roots, are underground.