The Pagan Heart
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March-June 2006 Issue
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Herbs Under Scrutiny: Sarsaparilla - Plant, Root, or...Soda Pop?
By Jill Bentley
When I think of sarsaparilla I think of an old-time drink that my grandfather might indulge in on occasion. (He really drinks ginger ale. Close...right?) But no, sarsaparilla is more closely related to root beer. And the reason I keep seeing it as out-dated was because my subconscious is no doubt trying to remind me of the old western "Sugarfoot" rewinds (No, I wasn't around in the 1960's.) I watched as a child (my parents were ranchers before my time and I always got a kick out of picturing my ma and pa in the Old West). "Every week the hero (Tom 'Sugerfoot' Brewster played by Will Hutchins) of the show walked into a saloon and order a 'frothy mug of sas'parilla'...In the days of the Old West, sarsaparilla was often said to cure everything except a gunshot wound." (The Scoop on Sas'parilla) The name sarsaparilla comes from two Spanish words Sarza ('a bramble') and Parilla ('a vine'), both referring the plant. It is a trailing vine with thorns that grows in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, eastern Asia, and India. The roots and tubers, that can reach more then 3 yards in length, are used for medicinal purposes and to flavor beverages. When abstracted from the ground the roots are bitter and odorless, they are then dried and boiled. For flavoring they need to be combined with other flavors to mask their bitterness. Sarsaparilla root includes potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, and iron and can be found dried, powered, capsules, tables, tinctures, and in combination product forms. Sarsaparilla has been used among the Native American Indians, both north and south, for various ailments but mostly as a tea that purified the blood or in oil as a cough medicine. But the first recordings of sarsaparilla didn't come about till the 1500's when it was exported to England in 1530. It was immediately used to treat syphilis and rheumatism and by 1850 was the official treatment for syphilis in the U.S. It later became a popular spring tonic. Sarsaparilla was "often an ingredient in patent medicines with extravagant claims in late nineteenth-century America." (Natural.net) A lot of controversy surrounds the healing properties of sarsaparilla. I think the confusion stems from the fact that it was given and is still given such extravagant claims in the past that no one is willing to trust any of them. "In recent years sarsaparilla has been touted as a male sexual rejuvenator with claims implying it contains testosterone. It has also been used as an anabolic steroid replacement in natural bodybuilding formulas...Simply put there is no credible research on the actions of sarsaparilla...The collective scientific evidence, scarce as it is, shows that sarsaparilla is more likely to build profit margins then muscle tissue." (Natural.net) But that same article also admitted that studies done in the 30's and 40's pointed to sarsaparilla as being diuretic, anti-inflammatory, protective to the liver, and helpful in treating eczema and psoriasis. Other ailments it is used or has been used to treat, but not verified to help, are urinary tract infections, rheumatism, epilepsy, malignant ulcers, syphilis, tuberculosis, fever, high blood pressure, arthritis, upset stomach, and indigestion. One healing attribute that most agreed on was that sarsaparilla is a good tonic to aid proper functioning of the body as a whole. I believe this last if nothing else just from the fact that it contains so many vitamins. But be careful if experimenting because it is known to irritate some people's stomachs and kidneys. Also it can affect prescription medications and should not be taken together. I found very little on sarsaparilla's magical properties. It was only mentioned briefly in one of my three herb books and on none of the regular herb sites I research. Sarsaparilla's folk name is Bamboo Briar and it is traditionally male, related to the element of fire. It tends to attract love and money. From the success of some of those natural bodybuilding formulas I'd say the 'money' part is true. For the 'love' you just might have to find out for yourself. Maybe order some sarsaparilla off the web or you might find it at Trader Joe's and make sarsaparilla floats - that could be romantic. Or if you are more of the "seductive" type you could loosening up your partner with "Kick Yer Ass Sas," an 8% alcoholic beverage made by combining 6 oz of sarsaparilla with 2 shots of Jagermeister herbal liqueur.... With all this info I'll never see sarsaparilla as out-dated, but I doubt I will ever get the image of Will Hutchins in jeans (leaning against a bar, sarsaparilla in hand) out of my mind - imprinting and all that. Maybe I'll order one next time I find myself in a saloon.
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