What is Aralia racemosa?

Aralia racemosa is a homeopathic remedy. It is made from the root of American spikenard, a North American plant. Homeopaths give it most often for a dry cough that comes on at night.

The root is soaked in liquid. That liquid is then watered down again and again, with hard shaking at each step. At 30C it has been watered down so far that no plant matter is left.

Trials have not shown that it works better than a dummy pill. Long use in homeopathy is not proof that a remedy works. This page reports both things, and keeps them apart.

How does Aralia racemosa work?

The short answer: no one has shown a way this remedy could act on your body.

Homeopathy runs on its own rule. It holds that a very small dose can ease the same signs that a large dose would cause. People who tested the raw plant (called provers) reported sneezing, a runny nose and a tight chest.

That rule does not fit what we know about chemistry. At 30C there is no plant left to act on you. Any change people notice is best put down to placebo, which means feeling better because you expect to.

What forms does Aralia racemosa come in?

Pellets are the most common form. They are small sugar balls with the watered-down liquid dripped on them. You let them melt under your tongue.

Liquid drops are also sold. These are made with alcohol, so they matter for anyone who avoids alcohol.

Strengths are shown as 6C, 12C or 30C. The higher the number, the more times the mix was watered down. A mother tincture is also sold, and it is the only form that still holds a real dose of the plant.

Where it comes from:

Native peoples in North America used spikenard root for coughs and chest complaints. Later, Eclectic doctors in the 1800s used it the same way.

Homeopathy took the plant up in the United States in the 1800s. It was tested on healthy people, and the notes from that test shaped how it is used today.

It has always been a small, narrow remedy in homeopathy rather than a famous one.

What does Aralia racemosa help with?

• Dry night cough: This is the main use in homeopathy. The picture is a dry, tickly cough that wakes you a short time after you lie down. No human trials of this remedy for cough have been published.
• Cough that starts soon after lying down: Homeopaths pick this remedy when the cough comes on within an hour of going to bed. Sitting up is said to ease it. This is a matching rule from old texts, not a tested effect.
• Wheezy, tight chest at night: Old homeopathic texts list night wheeze and a tight chest. There is no trial support for this. Wheeze can be a sign of asthma, so a doctor should check it and treat it.
• Hay fever with sneezing: Some homeopaths use it for sneezing fits with a thin, watery nose. Evidence for homeopathy in hay fever is mixed and weak overall. Nothing specific to this remedy has been tested in people.
• Watery runny nose: Traditional use only. The remedy picture includes a nose that drips clear fluid, plus a raw feeling in the throat. No study has tested this.

Which foods are rich in Aralia racemosa?

1. American spikenard root: once used to flavour home-made root beer
2. Spikenard root tea: an old folk drink in parts of North America

What are the side effects of Aralia racemosa?

• No side effects are expected from 30C pellets, as they hold no plant material
• A short flare-up of the cough, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Sore mouth or throat from the alcohol in liquid drops
• Upset stomach from the mother tincture, the strong first liquid
• Rash or itching, if you react to plants in the ginseng family
• Wind or loose stools in people who react badly to lactose (milk sugar) in the pellets

Good to know:

Reports of harm are rare. The pellets are mostly sugar, so there is little in them to cause harm.

The main risk is not the remedy itself. It is leaving a real breathing problem alone while you wait for the pellets to work. A cough with wheeze, fever or blood needs a doctor, not a wait.

How much Aralia racemosa should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been shown to work in trials. Homeopaths most often use 30C pellets. A common pattern is two to five pellets, up to three times a day. Some use 6C or 12C for a night cough. These numbers come from custom and from practice notes, not from testing.
• Best time of day: Usually in the evening and at bedtime, because the cough it is used for is worse at night.
• With or without food: Between meals. Pellets go under the tongue and melt there, kept away from food, drink, coffee and mint.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable time frame. Homeopaths expect some change within a few days.
• How long to take it: Short use only. Homeopaths stop once the cough settles. If nothing has changed in three to five days, stop and rethink the plan. A cough that lasts more than three weeks needs a doctor, whatever you have been taking.