Senna
- Alternate Names: Cassia senna, cassia acutifolia, cassia marilandica, cassia augustifolia, wild senna, locust plant, aden senna
- Medicinal part: Leaves and pods
- The leaves and pods of the senna plant contain compounds called anthraquinones, which are powerful laxatives.
Special Precautions of Senna
Senna should not be used for more than seven consecutive days unless under a doctor's supervision. It should not be used to get a daily bowel movement.
Pregnant or nursing women should not use senna. Children should not use senna.
Senna or other anthraquinone-containing herbs should not be used by people diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, severe hemorrhoids, blood vessel disease, congestive heart failure, heart disease, severe anemia, abdominal hernia, gastrointestinal cancer, recent colon surgery, or liver and kidney disease.
Senna may interact with drugs called calcium channel blockers, such as procardia, and the drug indocin.
Senna may discolor urine.
Side effects of senna may include strong cramping and griping pains in the abdomen (due to muscle contractions. Senna can also cause electrolyte imbalance (loss of potassium) and loss of body fluids, nausea, rash, swelling of the fingertips, weight loss, and dark pigmentation in the colon, called melanosis coli with longer term use. Discontinue using senna immediately if you experience these side effects. Call your doctor if you experience bloody diarrhea or prolonged abdominal pain after using rhubarb.
Senna has been linked to liver toxicity. There is a report of a 52 year old woman who ingested one liter of senna tea per day for over three years. She developed acute liver failure and kidney impairment requiring intensive care therapy. Long-term use of anthraquinones has been linked to the development of colorectal growths (adenomas) and cancer.
Large doses of anthraquinones may cause bloody diarrhea or vomiting.
The benefits of Senna are
Senna is an herb that contains compounds called anthraquinones, which are powerful laxatives. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved senna as a nonprescription laxative. Additionally, senna has been found to be effective for cleansing the bowel prior to undergoing colonoscopy (a type of medical procedure widely used in screening for colon cancer) when used in conjunction with other agents.
Why Do People Use Senna? Constipation
While a number of studies have tested the effects of senna taken in powder or capsule form, very few studies have looked at the potential health benefits of drinking senna tea.
Senna can be found as capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, and dried root.Bowel movements usually occur 6 to 12 hours after taking senna.
The available research includes a small study published in Investigative Radiology in 2005. For the study, 12 volunteers consumed either senna tea or erythromycin (an antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections). While both treatments appeared to increase the movement of stool through the bowels, senna tea appeared to be more effective than erythromycin.
To date, there is no evidence that senna tea can help with detoxification or stimulate weight loss. Senna can be found as capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, and dried root.
