The inflammatory bowel disease called colitis affects the inner lining of your colon, causing symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea. In ulcerative colitis, holes may form in the colon lining. Although many people have only mild symptoms, colitis can be a serious disease with life-threatening complications. Doctors usually treat colitis with anti-inflammatory medications or corticosteroids. Some people turn to herbal remedies such as yucca to alleviate symptoms. Although human studies are lacking, animal and test tube research shows possible benefits. Ask your doctor before using yucca.
Features
Yucca -- an evergreen plant with stiff, sword-shaped leaves -- grows in hot, arid climates, including the southern and southwestern United States. There are up to 40 different species of yucca. Common varieties include Spanish bayonet, or Yucca aloifolia; soapweed, or Yucca glauca; and Joshua tree, or Yucca brevifolia. Yucca has been used for centuries to make fiber and soap; it is also a food source. Leaves are eaten raw, while the root, sometimes called cassava or manioc, is roasted and eaten as a vegetable. The stalk and root of the plant are used in herbal medicines. Yucca, presently marketed as a nutraceutical to reduce inflammation and promote general health, has long been advised by herbalists for bowel and digestion problems. Native American Indians used yucca in poultices and baths to treat wounds and sprains.
Constituents and Effects
The roots and flowers of the yucca plant contain a variety of beneficial phenolic compounds, including soap-like substances known as saponin glycosides. Yucca also contains the minerals potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper and manganese, as well as the antioxidant vitamins A and C. Drugs.com, which provides peer-reviewed medical information to consumers, reports that the saponins in yucca have anti-inflammatory actions, and can inhibit the release of the inflammatory enzymes COX-1 and COX-2. Also present in yucca is resveratrol, an antioxidant found in grapes and red wine. Drugs. com notes that yucca's in vitro antioxidant activity is greater than that of quercetin, and adds that yucca has possible chemoprotective effects in laboratory studies.
Research
Some scientific research supports yucca's anti-inflammatory properties and therapeutic effects on the digestive system. In a review published in 2006 in "Journal of Inflammation," the authors reported that yucca's saponins are as effective as the antibiotic drug metronidazole in killing pathogenic Giardia bacteria in the intestine. They added that yucca achieves some of its anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing nitric oxide -- an inflammatory agent -- and concluded that yucca was worthy of further research.
Dosages and Considerations
Yucca is commercially available in capsules and may be taken in dosages of up to 2 g of root a day. You can also make an infusion by boiling 1/4 oz. of the root in a pint of water for 15 minutes. According to Blue Shield Complementary and Alternative Health, yucca is approved for use as a foaming agent in root beer, and supplements are believed to be generally safe. However, yucca hasn't been well studied in pregnancy; don't take it if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Yucca can interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, such as A and D. Don't take yucca for more than three months consecutively. Consult your doctor before taking yucca.
References
- Drugs.com: Complete Yucca Information
- Blue Shield Complementary and Alternative Health: Yucca
- Eat More Herbs; Yucca; John Anne; 2010
- Journal of Inflammation"; Anti-inflammatory and Anti-arthritic Effects of Yucca Schidigera: A Review; P.R. Cheeke et al.; March 2006
- "Aging"; Taming The Beast Within: Resveratrol Suppresses Colitis and Prevents Colon Cancer; Lorne J. Hofseth et al.; April 2010
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