Using Cascara Sagrada Bark

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How is Cascara Sagrada Bark Used in Herbalism?

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Many people are using cascara sagrada bark. There is a range of all-natural solutions and products on the market that are believed to treat different health issues, and this bark is one of them. For many consumers, using herbal remedies and traditional forms of medical treatment is their top choice when it comes to alleviating chronic conditions. As the health and wellness industry continues to grow, more and more consumers are turning to herbalism to combat a variety of health issues. From acne to constipation, consumers have never had more choices than today for making natural remedies and supplements a part of their health regimen. But with the rise of the internet, more obscure natural products are making their way into the everyday herbalism lexicon. Cascara sagrada bark is one such traditional product.

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What is Cascara Sagrada?

Cascara sagrada is a shrub that grows naturally in the western regions of North America. The plant is also known as California buckthorn, yellow bark, sacred bark, bearberry, and chittem and chitticum in the traditional Chinook language. For centuries, the bark of the plant has been used for medical purposes. Initially, the Native American Indians utilized compounds from the cascara sagrada shrub to make laxatives. It was also said that cascara sagrada can improve colon functioning.

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What are the Origins of Cascara Sagrada as an Herbal Treatment?

While the Native Americans used the plant for medical purposes for hundreds of years before settlement, European settlers soon adopted the plant as a medical treatment in their practices. Since the 1890s, cascara sagrada was a part of the U.S. Pharmacopeia. At first, it had the approval of the FDA as an OTC laxative for many years, until 2002. In 2002, cascara sagrada had its FDA-approval rating rescinded. The reason was the increasing levels of concern about the long-term safety of the bark. Also, there was a lack of efficacy research on behalf of the herbal treatment.

After rescinding approval, the FDA gave manufacturers of the herbal medicine, time to submit additional research into the cascara sagrada bark’s safety and usefulness as a legitimate medical treatment. But manufacturers declined since clinical trials are expensive. Instead, manufacturers decided to reclassify the cascara sagrada herbals as dietary supplements rather than OTC products. Dietary supplements do not need to meet FDA-approval, but OTC medicines and prescription drugs do to be labeled as such. With dietary supplements, consumers need to be especially careful and diligent with their research before using them. Dietary supplement products are not held to the same rigorous manufacturing standards as conventional medicines.

Also, consumers should be aware that cascara sagrada is not the same as the substance simply named “cascara.” Cascara is the dried skin of coffee cherries that are sometimes used to make coffee-based drinks and lattes.

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What are the uses of cascara sagrada bark?

Cascara sagrada traditional origins had the bark used as a treatment for not only constipation but also any other digestive issues. The herbal was also used to treat muscle and joint pain, STIs, gallstones, and dysentery. Today, cascara sagrada is still labeled as a dietary supplement, and people use it mainly as a laxative.

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Is Cascara Sagrada Effective as a Laxative?

As a stimulant laxative, cascara sagrada has a history of being an effective herbal for constipation. The supplement works by causing muscles to contract throughout the intestines, which helps move stool through the bowel. On a molecular level, cascara sagrada bark contains chemical compounds called anthraquinones. These compounds give the supplement its color and laxative effects. Studies on the mechanisms of cascara sagrada herbal have found that the chemical compounds in the bark impact the natural gut flora in the intestines, which in turn stimulate the bowel muscles. However, since 2002, the FDA has ruled that cascara sagrada is not a safe treatment option for constipation. This is one reason why it’s not possible to find cascara sagrada bark as an ingredient in OTC laxatives, but it’s still found in some herbal supplements.

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What are the Adverse Effects of Cascara Sagrada Bark?

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Before using any type of herbal product, prescription drugs, or OTC medicine, consumers should consider safety concerns and adverse side effects of the product. Cascara sagrada bark can cause cramping and a loss of crucial electrolytes when used too often and in high quantities.

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What are the Long-Term Effects of Using Cascara Sagrada?

Long-term impacts of cascara sagrada include dependency. Using the product for more than two weeks in a row, or using it in high doses can impact the bowel muscles. Overuse and abuse of laxatives can weaken the intestinal muscles and cause users only to be able to have a bowel movement with the use of laxatives. Consumers should also never use an herbal laxative supplement like cascara sagrada if they have:

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  • Crohn’s disease, IBS, or ulcerative colitis
  • Stomach pain with an unknown cause
  • An intestinal blockage
  • Appendicitis
  • Kidney disease

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What Other Drugs or OTC Medicines Treat Constipation?

Constipation is a common ailment that affects millions of people per year. People can suffer from acute and chronic forms of constipation. Hormones can also be to blame, and pregnant women are prone to cases of constipation. In most cases, changes in diet and drinking more water will resolve this issue. It is possible to use safe OTC laxative medicines for the short-term treatment of constipation. Getting enough exercise,  fiber, and water into a person’s diet can prevent and treat constipation, too. But sudden, severe changes in bowel movements that last more than two weeks require a doctor’s visit. This can indicate a severe issue such as an intestinal blockage, an inflammatory bowel disease, or even colon cancer.

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Can CBD Treat Constipation?

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CBD is a supplement and is not FDA-approved to treat any health issues, including constipation. But for most consumers, CBD is safe and won’t cause many side effects. It is also non-addictive, but consumers should speak to their doctor before adding a CBD supplement to their diet.

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Has your doctor cleared you for CBD? At Hugs CBD, we offer high-quality CBD products that have been tested through a third-party lab. Shop online at Hugs CBD and have drink mixes, gummies or tinctures delivered to your door.

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Last updated September 23 2019

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