What is American Sarsaparilla?

American sarsaparilla is the root and underground stem of Aralia nudicaulis, a low woodland plant of eastern North America. It is better known as wild sarsaparilla. Folk healers used the root as a spring tonic, a cough remedy and a flavouring.

It is not the same plant as true sarsaparilla. True sarsaparilla comes from tropical Smilax vines. The two were swapped and mixed in old root beers, syrups and tonic blends.

The plant grows under trees and sends up one leaf stalk and one flower stalk from the same point. The root smells sweet and spicy. Trappers and woodsmen chewed it or brewed it on the trail.

Here is the honest verdict. No good human trial shows that American sarsaparilla treats any illness. Its traditional record is long, but long use is not proof that something works, and it is not proof that something is safe.

How does American Sarsaparilla work?

Nobody has shown how American sarsaparilla acts in the human body. There are no human trials that could tell us.

The root holds soap-like plant compounds called saponins. In test tubes, saponins from Aralia plants foam, bind fats and slow the growth of some microbes. Whether any of that happens inside a person is unknown.

Related Aralia species have calmed swelling in animal studies. Those results belong to those plants, in those animals. They do not prove a benefit from wild sarsaparilla in people.

The old idea that the root is a "blood purifier" has no basis in modern biology. Your kidneys and liver clean your blood. A tea does not do that job for them.

Some writers suggest the root raises sweating and urine flow. That claim rests on folk reports, not on measurement in a trial.

What forms does American Sarsaparilla come in?

You will usually find American sarsaparilla as dried root for tea, as capsules, or as a liquid extract.

Common forms:

- Dried cut root and rhizome, brewed as a tea or simmered as a decoction.

- Powdered root in capsules.

- Alcohol tinctures and glycerine extracts.

- Syrups and old-style root beer drinks, often blended with sassafras or true sarsaparilla.

- Mixed "spring tonic" or "blood purifier" formulas that list several roots together.

Labelling is the real problem here. Many products say only "sarsaparilla". That word is used for several unrelated plants.

If you want this plant, look for the botanical name Aralia nudicaulis on the label. If the label does not give a botanical name, you do not know what is in the jar.

Where it comes from:

American sarsaparilla held a steady place in North American folk medicine for well over two centuries.

Eastern Woodland peoples used the root in teas and in poultices placed on wounds and sores. Settlers copied the practice. The root also became trail food and trail drink for trappers and loggers.

Nineteenth-century Eclectic doctors listed it as an alterative, meaning a remedy they believed slowly corrected long-running illness. King's American Dispensatory described it for skin eruptions, rheumatic aching and stubborn coughs. It was often blended with other roots rather than given alone.

It was also a flavouring. Root beers, small beers and spring tonics carried it, sometimes in place of the costlier tropical sarsaparilla.

These records describe what people did and what they believed. They were not tests, and they do not tell us whether the root helped anyone.

What does American Sarsaparilla help with?

• Long-standing skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis: This was the headline folk use, under the old label of "purifying the blood". Eclectic doctors gave it in blends for scaly or weeping rashes. There is no human trial testing it for any skin disease. Skin conditions also flare and settle on their own, which makes old reports hard to read. Treat this as tradition only, not as a reason to drop a treatment that works for you.
• Rheumatic aches and joint stiffness: Folk and Eclectic writers used it for deep aching in joints and muscles. It was usually one root among several in a formula. Related Aralia plants have eased swelling in animal studies. No trial has tested wild sarsaparilla in people with arthritis. The claim is unproven.
• Coughs and chest congestion: The root was brewed as a warm tea for winter coughs and chest tightness. Some sources also used it to bring on sweating during fevers. No controlled study backs this. A warm drink can soothe a sore throat on its own, and that may explain much of the comfort people reported.
• Tiredness and low appetite, as a spring tonic: Households brewed the root in early spring as a general pick-me-up. Workers in the woods chewed it on long days. There is no evidence that it raises energy or stamina. Lasting tiredness has many causes, some of them serious. It deserves a proper check rather than a tonic.
• Flavouring in drinks and syrups: This use is real and is not a health claim. The root tastes sweet and spicy and was a cheap stand-in for tropical sarsaparilla. Amounts used for flavour are small. A flavoured drink should not be thought of as a remedy.

Which foods are rich in American Sarsaparilla?

This is not a nutrient and no food supplies it. The root appears in old-style root beers and tonic syrups as a flavouring, usually in small amounts.

What are the side effects of American Sarsaparilla?

• Upset stomach or nausea
• Loose stools
• Skin rash or itching, especially from handling the fresh plant
• Allergic reaction in people sensitive to the ginseng and ivy family
• Mouth dryness from the tannins

Good to know:

Serious harm has not been reported, but that partly reflects how little the plant has been studied. Absence of reports is not the same as proof of safety.

Most complaints are mild and stomach-related. They tend to settle when you stop.

The skin reaction is worth knowing about. The plant family contains compounds that can irritate skin on contact. Wear gloves if you handle fresh roots.

How much American Sarsaparilla should you take?

• Recommended daily: Labels on dried root commonly list about 1 to 2 grams brewed as a tea, taken up to three times a day. Tincture labels often suggest a few millilitres a day. These are label customs, not a recommendation to you, and they are not based on human trials. No official dose has ever been set. Because root strength varies, two products at the same gram weight can differ in effect. Anyone with a health condition, or taking prescribed medicine, should ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting. Follow the label on the product you actually hold.
• Best time of day: Time of day does not appear to matter. There is no research on timing. Some people find the tea mildly drying in the mouth, so they prefer it with a meal rather than last thing at night.
• With or without food: Either is fine for most people. Saponins can irritate an empty stomach, so taking it with food may be gentler. If tea or capsules make you feel queasy, stop and do not push through.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable answer, because the effects have never been measured in people. Old reports of tonic use describe weeks, not days. It may do nothing at all. If you notice no change after a few weeks, further use is unlikely to help.
• How long to take it: No safe long-term period has been studied. Traditional use was often short and seasonal, such as a few weeks in spring. There is no safety data for months of daily use. If you are using it for a problem that is not improving within two to three weeks, see a doctor instead of continuing.