Bulk Herbs: Cascara Sagrada bark - cut

Excerpts from The How to Herb Book

Tonic, Laxative

The Indians called Cascara Sagrada the “Sacred Bark.” It soothes the nerves and promotes sleep. It is a laxative that is safe to use during pregnancy and can be used for children.

• Increases the secretion of the liver (bile), stomach, pancreas and lower bowel, but is not an irritant to the bowel.
• Promotes peristaltic action of the bowel.
• Tones the rest of the body as well as the intestines.
• One of the strongest of the herbal laxatives, but it is not a purgative. It regulates the colon and is not habit forming. It is found in many combinations for the lower bowel.
• Has been used at the onset of illness or a cold to help clean out the colon and system.

Has been used in the following:

Case History:

When W. or her children started to become ill, she found that giving Cascara Sagrada before bed helped toxins start moving out through the colon and the body cleansing the next day. Often this was enough to prevent the illness. Or when the bowel movement became hard or marble-like, she gave Cascara Sagrada and the bowels became normal again. If her body started to feel sluggish, tired, or achy, Cascara helped the colon to quickly clean itself, thus eliminating the toxins and waste that she felt were causing the problem.

Excerpts from Nutritional Herbology

The bark of cascara sagrada is probably the most popular cathartic on earth. Traditionally used as a laxative by the North American Indians, its use became popular among the pioneers of the Pacific northwest in the early 1800’s.

Early settlers in the West made a cold infusion by soaking a piece of bark overnight and taking it as a tonic. They prepared a laxative potion by boiling fresh bark for several hours or by pouring boiling water over a small amount of pulverized dried bark and letting it cool.

Early Spanish settlers called it sacred bark. Its common name “cascara” means bark and “sagrada” means sacred, denoting its use as a laxative and tonic.

This herb is a popular treatment of chronic constipation because it does not seem to be habit forming. It is said to increase the secretion of bile and seems to be good for liver complaints, especially in cases of an enlarged liver. Another reported use for this herb is in cases of gas in the stomach (dyspepsia) and in the treatment of piles, since it produces large, soft and painless evacuations.

The fresh bark tends to cause griping and nausea. Chemical changes in storage render it far more acceptable to the digestive system. However, large doses of the aged bark may still cause inflammation. Meanwhile, habitual use may induce chronic diarrhea with weakness from excessive loss of potassium and over a long period, melanin will pigmentize the mucous membranes of the colon.

Honey produced from the flowers of this plant is very dark, non-granulating and has a mild, laxative effect.

The constituents have a cathartic effect through stimulating peristalsis of the large intestine and bring about their action in 6 to 8 hours. They are absorbed from the small intestine and act on the nerves of the large intestine. This stimulates motor propulsion in the colon. Because the anthraquinones are absorbed, the laxative effect can be transmitted to infants of nursing mothers taking cascara.

Cascara Sagrada bark is perhaps the most famous herbal laxative. It contains bitter compounds that increase peristalsis, are purgative, increase the release of bile and promote the growth of friendly colonic bacteria. Cascara is used to treat constipation, dyspepsia, liver congestion, gallstones, hemorrhoids, jaundice and intestinal parasites.

Cascara Sagrada is high or very high in:

Volume Discounts on Bulk Herbs Only

• 5 lbs. - 9 3/4 lbs. = 5% off
• 10 lbs. - 24 3/4 lbs. = 10% off
• 25 lbs. - 39 3/4 lbs. = 20% off
• 40 lbs. - 59 3/4 lbs. = 30% off
• 60 lbs. + = 40% off
• Bulk Herbs may be mixed and matched

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