Bloodroot is a perennial herb from the poppy family. It is native to North America and India. The rhizomes, or main stems, and the root parts of the bloodroot plant contain orange-red latex, which the Native Americans used as a body paint during rituals. The Native Americans also used bloodroot to treat many medical conditions. Modern medicine also employs the use of bloodroot because of its many medical benefits.
Cancer
One of the major benefits of bloodroot is the anti-cancer property. Bloodroot plant contains a chemical called sanguinarine, which has proven to be a beneficial treatment against tumors in the brain and other forms of cancer. According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical Science Center Department of Dermatology, the presence of sanguinarine could enable bloodroot to become an effective treatment for prostate cancer. The most common use of bloodroot is simply called the "black salve," in which the herb is the primary ingredient. The black salve has great benefit in the treatment of some forms of skin cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma. This benefit is due to the fact that bloodroot is a very powerful herb. The extracts from the rhizomes are very corrosive and can adequately destroy skin tissue.
Dental
Bloodroot contain properties that are beneficial to oral and dental health. The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has approved the use of bloodroot extracts in toothpastes and mouthwashes. Bloodroot contains a substance called sanguinarine, which is proven to reduce plaque formation. According to a study performed by Professor Henri Tenenbaum at the Department of Periodontology of University Louis Pasteur, toothpastes and mouthwashes containing sanguinarine significantly reduced the occurrence of the gum disease, gingivitis.
Respiratory
Bloodroot extracts are also beneficial to the respiratory system. The extracts from the bloodroot plant are commonly used in low doses as a treatment for sore throats and bronchial infections. Bloodroot tea has been used for centuries to treat bleeding in the lungs, common cold, sinus congestion, pneumonia, emphysema and whooping cough. According to research performed by Mary L. Predny and James L. Chamberlain of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bloodroot has properties of an expectorant. It promotes coughing and release mucus from the respiratory tract. It also has an antispasmodic property that assists in asthma and chronic bronchitis.
Cardiac
Bloodroot has also been proven to have cardiac benefits. This herb contains the chemical berberine, which when combined with other chemical compounds, will relax and lower the heart rate. According to Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research, berberine can be useful in treating cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure.
External Uses
According to All 4 NaturalHealth, bloodroot plant extracts can be incorporated into pastes and salves that are useful in treating a variety of skin conditions such as warts, moles, inflammations and tumors. The oil from bloodroot can treat skin abrasions. According to Herbs2000, bloodroot may be incorporated into a soaking bath which is effective in treating viral and fungal skin conditions such as athlete's foot. Bloodroot paste can be applied directly to the skin as a topical ointment to relieve joint pain, arthritis and eczema. According to All 4 Natural Health, bloodroot black salve is also useful in treating and removing skin tags.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Bloodroot--An Annotated Bibliography
- Molecular Cancer Therapeutics: Sanguinarine causes cell cycle blockade and apoptosis of human prostate carcinoma cells via modulation of cyclin kinase inhibitor-cyclin-cyclin-dependent kinase machinery
- Journal of Periodontology Online: Effectiveness of a Sanguinarine Regimen After Scaling and Root Planing
- All 4 Natural Health: Health Benefits of Bloodroot Herb and Bloodroot Uses
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research: Cardiovascular Actions of Berberine
Member Comments