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Is Turkey Rhubarb Safe to Use?

Jul 5, 2011 | By Bonnie Vanaman
Is Turkey Rhubarb Safe to Use?
Photo Credit Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Turkey rhubarb may sound like something you'd find in the meat department of your grocery store, but it's actually a vegetable used in European cuisine since the 17th century. It's also been a component in traditional Chinese medicine for treating everything from burns to jaundice. Although turkey rhubarb has certain health benefits, parts of the plant are actually poisonous and should be avoided.

Identification

Turkey rhubarb, also known as rhubarb, Chinese rhubarb or da huang, is a perennial plant with a reddish-pink stalk and large green leaves that's grown worldwide. The stalks are the part of rhubarb eaten as food and contain plant chemicals called anthraquinones that have a mild laxative effect. Other components in rhubarb include tannins, which are generally beneficial although they may interfere with the absorption of iron; and traces of other compounds including calcium oxalate and vitamin C. Rhubarb extract supplements are available in capsule, tablets or liquids.

Uses and Benefits

The majority of uses for rhubarb in Chinese medicine haven't been studied in scientific trials, and limited human data is available. However, rhubarb extracts have been reported to prevent the growth of cancer cells in vitro, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. Rhubarb also contains lindleyin, a substance with estrogen-like properties which has shown an ability to reduce the symptoms of menopause, particularly hot flashes.

Toxicity

The leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic, and although the exact cause of this effect is unknown, it's believed that the combination of anthraquinone glycosides and oxalic acid work together to create health problems. Symptoms can include difficulty breathing, burning, eye or stomach pain, diarrhea, red-colored urine and weakness. Severe cases can lead to seizures, coma, kidney failure and death, although such cases are rare.

Gastrointestinal Effects

The tannin in rhubarb stalks can cause constipation in small doses. In larger doses the opposite occurs, leading to diarrhea, which is one reason turkey rhubarb supplements are often packaged as laxatives. Not all of those laxative effects are beneficial, however, with large doses of rhubarb extracts potentially causing abdominal bloating, discomfort, pain, nausea and vomiting.

Estrogenic Properties

If you have a hormone-sensitive cancer such as cancer of the breast, ovaries, uterus or prostate, you may need to avoid rhubarb due to its estrogenic properties -- consult your physician. One study, however, published in June 2008 in the "Archives of Pharmacal Research," showed rhubarb compounds were actually able to prevent the growth of breast cancer cells in vitro.

Kidney Stones

Rhubarb is one of eight foods that caused a significant increase in urinary oxalate excretion in research published in 1993 in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association." The calcium oxalate found in rhubarb can increase your risk for forming oxalate kidney stones, especially if you have had stones previously or have a family history of the disease.

Pregnancy

Rhubarb may increase uterine stimulation and contractions. Avoid consuming rhubarb or taking rhubarb supplements if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, as the rhubarb could increase your risk of miscarriage. No safe maximum doses have been established for pregnant or nursing women.

References

Article reviewed by Debbie Sprong Last updated on: Jul 5, 2011

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