You'll see the perennial bloodroot blooming in the spring. It grows in eastern U.S. and Canadian woodlands. The plant gets its name from its blood-red sap, which contains alkaloids that provide its medicinal properties. These have antibiotic and anti-inflammatory action. Although some popular medicinal uses have been discontinued and others lack scientific evidence to back them, this plant is listed as "at risk" by United Plant Savers because of overcollection as well as habitat loss. Bloodroot has a long history of use in the United States.
History
Bloodroot was used by Native Americans as a love charm, as a dye and for medicinal purposes for treating skin conditions, coughs, sore throats, and ulcers and to purify blood. European colonists also used the plant to treat warts and skin cancers, and it is described in pharmacopoeias from the 1800s. Popular herbal remedy use declined in the 1920s as the pharmaceutical industry developed. However, bloodroot is still wild crafted for use in the United States and elsewhere, according to "Bloodroot" authors Mary L. Predny, research associate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia and James L. Chamberlain, research scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Features
The predominant alkaloid in bloodroot is sanguinarine, which makes up 50 percent of the total alkaloid content, according to Predny and Chamberlain. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties inhibit plaque formation and reduce gingival inflammation. This alkaloid is retained in your mouth for a while after brushing. Sanguinarine used to be an ingredient in toothpaste and oral rinses in the United States. However, this use is discontinued because of concerns about toxicity, according to Drugs.com. Modern-day studies link sanguinarine to oral leukoplakia, which is a possible precursor to mouth cancer.
Effects
Bloodroot still is used in folk medicine as an expectorant and to clear mucus from respiratory pathways, according to Predny and Chamberlain. Bloodroot relaxes and soothes bronchial muscles in small doses. People take the herb internally to treat sore throats, croup, asthma, laryngitis, emphysema and bronchitis. To sweeten bloodroot's bitter taste, people mix sugar or maple syrup with the plant to make cough lozenges. In moderate doses, however, the plant has emetic properties, which means it causes vomiting, similar to ipecac. Large doses of bloodroot can irritate your mucous membranes.
Theories and Speculation
You'll find bloodroot in nontraditional skin cancer remedies and in remedies to remove moles and skin tags, including black salve and drawing salve, according to Dr. Andrew Weil, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine founder. People have been using bloodroot for this purpose for centuries. The salves are applied to skin tumors. Dermatologists sometimes use bloodroot for "Mohs chemosurgery," mixing it with zinc chloride to remove skin cancers. However, none of the black salves sold today have been formally tested. Also, no scientific evidence supports claims that such products are effective or safe. One doctor treated cancer patients in the United States with bloodroot, only to be shut down by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He moved his clinics to Mexico and still operates them.
Researchers are studying bloodroot alkaloids to see if they can selectively fight cancer cells without harming any normal cells. Laboratory studies are not conclusive, according to Predny and Chamberlain. Weil reports that some folks who use black salves report damage and scarring of normal tissue. Black salves are sometimes called "escharotics." That's because they create thick, dry scabs called "eschars," similar to those that form when chemical or thermal burns are healing.
Potential
Bloodroot is gaining popularity, especially in Europe, for use as a nonantibiotic animal feed supplement. This supplement is meant to promote weight gain, according to a 2007 article by Tyler N. Graf published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It's also used to deworm cattle and sheep, according to Predny and Chamberlain.
Warning
The alkaloids contained in bloodroot's sap can be poisonous in large doses. They can cause vomiting, nausea, dizziness, fainting and dilated pupils. In the worst case scenario, they can cause heart failure, according to Predny and Chamberlain. Bloodroot is unsafe in any dosage if you are pregnant or nursing because of effects that stimulate the uterus and increase menstrual flow, advises Drugs.com.
References
- Virginia Tech: "Bloodroot;" Mary L. Predny and James L. Chamberlain
- Drugs.com: Bloodroot
- Dr. Weil: Considering Cancer Salves?
- United Plant Savers: UpS "At Risk" and "To Watch" List
- ACS Publications: "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry;" Variability in the Yield of Benzophenanthridine Alkaloids in Wildcrafted vs Cultivated Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.) Tyler N. Graf, et. al.; 2007
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