Bloodroot's therapeutic uses
Bloodroot, a perennial flowering herb known scientifically as Sanguinaria canadensis, has a long history of therapeutic use, particularly among Indigenous Americans and European herbalists. Traditionally, it has been employed for various health conditions, including cavity prevention, periodontal disease, respiratory illnesses, and skin conditions such as warts and moles. Bloodroot is recognized for its caustic sap, which has been applied directly to skin cancers and other growths, and for its escharotic properties, making it effective in wart treatments.
The herb is often made into a paste for topical applications, but caution is advised due to potential severe burns from improper use. Bloodroot tea is also consumed for respiratory ailments, although the unpredictable side effects have led some to recommend it only under professional supervision. Additionally, certain components of bloodroot, like sanguinarine, have been incorporated into dental products for their potential to reduce plaque and gingivitis. While bloodroot's medicinal properties are supported by traditional practices and preliminary studies, further scientific research is needed to validate its efficacy and safety, especially concerning long-term use and effects on vulnerable populations.
Bloodroot's therapeutic uses
DEFINITION: Natural plant product used to treat specific health conditions.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USES: Cavity prevention, periodontal disease prevention, respiratory illnesses, warts and other skin conditions
Overview
Bloodroot is a perennial flowering herb that Indigenous Americans widely used as a reddish-orange dye and a medicine. Some drank bloodroot tea to treat sore throats, fevers, and joint pain, while others applied the somewhat caustic sap to skin cancers. European herbalists used bloodroot to treat respiratory infections, asthma, joint pain, warts, ringworm, and nasal polyps.
In the mid-nineteenth century, a doctor at Middlesex Hospital in London developed a treatment consisting of a paste of bloodroot, flour, water, and zinc chloride applied directly to breast tumors and other cancers. Similar formulations were used in various locales until the turn of the century. Bloodroot remains a common constituent of folk medicine, drawing salves and being said to pull tumors from the body.
Therapeutic Dosages
Bloodroot can be made into a paste and applied directly to the affected area to treat warts. However, it is essential to start slowly. Excessive application can lead to severe burns. After a person has discovered their tolerance for bloodroot, the herb can be applied for a day or so and then removed. A scab will develop and drop off. This process is repeated until the wart is gone. Bloodroot tea for internal use is made by boiling one teaspoon of powdered root in a cup of water, taken two or three times daily.
Therapeutic Uses
Herbalists frequently recommend bloodroot pastes and salves for treating warts. Bloodroot is an escharotic—a scab-producing substance—functioning like commercial wart plasters containing salicylic acid. Although there has not been any actual scientific study of the use of bloodroot for warts, its escharotic effects suggest that it could be helpful. Its caustic properties, which make it an effective wart treatment, also help other skin conditions, including moles, skin tags, and other skin growths. Traditional remedies for psoriasis and eczema have also employed bloodroot.
One constituent of bloodroot, sanguinarine, appears to possess topical antibiotic properties. On this basis, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved using bloodroot in commercially available toothpaste and oral rinses to inhibit the development of dental plaque and periodontal disease (gingivitis). However, the evidence that it really helps remains incomplete and inconsistent. One study found suggestive evidence that using a toothpaste containing sanguinaria plus fluoride is more effective for cavity prevention than one containing fluoride alone.
Bloodroot is also often combined with other herbs in cough syrups to treat common colds, sinus or lung infections, and the flu. Some herbalists recommend drinking bloodroot tea for respiratory ailments, but others consider the herb too unpredictable in its side effects.
Although these therapeutic uses are based on traditional medicine and preliminary studies, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials are necessary to prove any real benefit.
Safety Issues
Oral bloodroot appears to be relatively safe and nontoxic. However, in large doses, it causes nausea and vomiting, and even at lower dosages, it has been reported to cause peculiar side effects in some people, such as tunnel vision and pain in the feet. For this reason, many herbalists recommend that it be used only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Topical applications of bloodroot can cause severe burns if used too vigorously and for too long. Despite some reassuring evidence from animal studies, there are still theoretical concerns that bloodroot could be harmful during pregnancy. Safety in young children, nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease has also not been established.
Bibliography
Barhum, Lana. "What Is Bloodroot Used for and Is It Safe?" Verywell Health, 18 Mar. 2024, www.verywellhealth.com/bloodroot-4175168. Accessed 6 Sept. 2024.
"Bloodroot." Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 12 May 2023, www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/bloodroot. Accessed 15 Aug. 2023.
Croaker, Andrew, et al. "Sanguinaria Canadensis: Traditional Medicine, Phytochemical Composition, Biological Activities and Current Uses." International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 17, no. 9, 2016, p. 1414, doi:10.3390/ijms17091414.
Fravor, Lauren, and Amor Khachemoune. "Dermatologic Uses of Bloodroot: A Review and Reappraisal." International Journal of Dermatology, vol. 60, no. 9, 2021, pp. 1070-1075, doi:10.1111/ijd.15273.
Hong, S. J., et al. "Effects of Sanguinaria in Fluoride-Containing Dentifrices on the Remineralisation of Subsurface Carious Lesion In Vitro." International Dental Journal, vol. 55, 2005, pp. 128-132.