Senna pods are the seed pods of the senna plant. Herbalists and natural doctors recommend senna pod supplements to treat mild cases of constipation. You should, however, take precautions when you use any laxative to treat constipation, including senna pods. Manufacturers sell senna pod supplements over-the-counter, but you should speak with a medical professional prior to consuming any laxative, such as senna pods.
Gentle Laxative
The senna plant contains a strong laxative called anthraquinones. The fruit and pod of the senna plant actually have a lower concentration of anthraquinones than the plants' leaves. Pharmaceutical companies use the anthraquinones from the senna pods as a gentle laxative. The leaves of the senna plant, on the other hand, can cause cramping and severe diarrhea. Herbalists and natural doctors usually will prescribe the senna pods as a laxative for gentle relief of constipation.
Constipation
Constipation can result from infrequent bowel movements and typically manifests as difficulty passing stools. No medically established rate has been established for bowel movement frequency, as normal bowel movements depend on how much you eat and what kinds of foods you eat. According to "Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function," clinical constipation occurs if you have fewer than three bowel movements in a week and you have dry and hard stools. As an herbal supplement, senna pods function by softening your stool and alleviating the symptoms associated with constipation.
Lazy Bowels
Lazy bowel syndrome is a condition you can develop if you use laxatives such as senna pods excessively. Lazy bowel syndrome results in chronic constipation. As you increase the use of laxatives such as senna pods, your intestines become dependent on them, and you can't have normal bowel movements without them. Senna pods function by causing your intestinal muscles to spasm and contract. This action produces an almost immediate effect and causes you to have a bowel movement.
Safety and Side Effects
Anthraquinones, the compounds found in senna pods, have several serious possible side effects, including electrolyte imbalances, loss of body fluids, nausea, weight loss, swelling of the fingertips, and abdominal pain and cramps. You should not use any senna pod supplement if you have liver or kidney disease, blood vessel disease, severe hemorrhoids, abdominal hernia or other digestive disorders. Additionally, you should not use senna pods for more than seven consecutive days.
References
- "The Chopra Center Herbal Handbook: Forty Natural Prescriptions for Perfect Health"; Dr. David Simon et al; 2000
- "Handbook of Arabian Medicinal Plants"; Shahina Ghazanfar; 1994
- "Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function"; Arthur Vander et al; 1998
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