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Sarsaparilla is a tropical American perennial plant. Its long slender root and short, thick rhizomes produce a vine that trails on the ground and climbs by means of tendrils growing in pairs of the alternate, evergreen leaves. The root of the plant is used for medicinal purposes.
Sarsaparilla's medicinal use has been as a tonic and blood purifier. Tonics tone the whole system. A blood purifier refers to an agent that cleanses and purifies the system. Sarsaparilla's reputation in this regard probably stems from its importation from the Caribbean and South America to Europe in the 16th century for the treatment of syphilis.
Many Europeans at the time believed that syphilis had come to Europe from the West Indies with Columbus's sailors, and because there was a general belief that whatever disease was native to a country might be cured by the medicinal herbs growing in that region, it was only natural for sarsaparilla to become a popular remedy.
During military operations in Portugal in 1812, a British Inspector General of Hospitals noted that the Portuguese soldiers suffering from syphilis who used sarsaparilla recovered much faster and more completely than their British counterparts, who were treated with mercury. Sarsaparilla was also used by the Chinese in the treatment of syphilis. Clinical observations in China demonstrated that sarsaparilla is effective, according to blood tests, in about 90% of acute cases and 50% of chronic cases.
An interesting note is that sarsaparilla species have been used all over the world in many different cultures for the same conditions, namely gout, arthritis, fevers, digestive disorders, skin disease, and cancer. Sarsaparilla also contains several saponins and has been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of psoriasis. This evidence points to a possible effect on binding of cholesterol and bacterial toxins in the intestines.
Evidence seems to support sarsaparilla as an endotoxin binder. Endotoxins are cell wall constituents of bacteria that are absorbed from the endotoxin gut. Normally, the liver filters out these and other gut-derived compounds before they reach the general circulation. If the amount of endotoxin absorbed is excessive or if the liver is not functioning adequately, the liver can become overwhelmed, and endotoxins will spill into the blood.
If endotoxins are allowed to circulate, activation of the alternate complement system occurs. This system plays a critical role in aggravating inflammatory processes, and activation of complement is responsible for much of the inflammation and cell damage that occurs in many diseases, including gout, arthritis, and psoriasis,
Individuals with psoriasis have been shown to have high levels of circulating endotoxins. Binding of endotoxin in the gut is associated with clinical improvement in these individuals. In a controlled study of 92 patients, an endotoxin-binding saponin from sarsaparilla greatly improved the psoriasis in 62% of the patients and resulted in complete clearance in 18%.
In further support of sarsaparilla's effect as a binder of endotoxin is its historical use in the treatment of fever, as absorbed endotoxins produce fever. Sarsaparilla also exhibits some antibiotic activity, but this is probably secondary to its endotoxin-binding action.