Adorn Your Health With Another Herb SENNA

Recently there has been a great amount of discussion around herbal detox tea formulations and their harsh laxative influence. The cause for concern comes from the ill effect the ingredients may have in upsetting digestion and affecting how medications can then be absorbed. The main offender (and common ingredient) in such teas is senna leaf, widely known for its laxative effect on the body. We wanted to take the opportunity to share a little more about the ingredients in digestive herbs.

Native to Northern Africa, Senna has been used for hundreds of years — internally as a laxative and internal cleanser, and externally for skin health. While senna is categorized as a stimulant laxative, it is milder in action than other botanicals used for the same purpose, such as aloe and rhubarb.

What is Senna and its uses ?

Senna is an herb. The leaves and the fruit of the plant are used to make medicine. It is used to treat constipation and also to clear the bowel before diagnostic tests such as colonoscopy.Senna is also used for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), hemorrhoids, and weight loss.Senna fruit seems to be gentler than senna leaf. This has led the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) to warn against long-term use of senna leaf, but not senna fruit. The AHPA recommends that senna leaf products be labeled, do not use this product if you have abdominal pain or diarrhea. Consult a healthcare provider prior to use if you are pregnant or nursing. Discontinue use in case you experience diarrhea.

Senna leaf is famous for its ability to purge the body and can be successfully used for a very short time to relieve constipation. Its effect is quite rapid and pending bowel motion very urgent and most often very painful. It isn’t advised for senna to be consumed for a long period of time nor would I suggest it be used as an ongoing solution to weight management or constipation. It effectively speeds up the digestive process meaning you don’t properly get a chance to absorb the nutrients in your food, leaving your body robbed of the essentials. When it comes to medications (like the pill for example), the same goes – without them being absorbed into the bloodstream, they can become ineffective. Not only can this be dangerous for those with serious health concerns but a reason why unwanted pregnancy may occur where laxatives and the contraceptive pill are involved. Furthermore, the long-term effects of purgatives can be damaging to your digestive system, gut health and bowels. It’s for these reasons that we have been very careful with how our blends have been created.

Drug interactions of Senna .

• Contraceptives: Senna can interact with the form of estrogen in some contraceptives, including the vaginal ring, patch or pills. It might make birth control less effective, making it more likely for an accidental pregnancy to occur.

• Digoxin: Senna can cause electrolyte imbalances in the body, especially in potassium levels. Low potassium can cause problems for someone taking digoxin.

• Warfarin: Diarrhea in people taking warfarin can increase the risk of serious bleeding. Because senna can cause diarrhea, anyone taking warfarin should avoid using senna.

• Diuretics: Like senna, some diuretics can also decrease potassium and other electrolyte levels. Taking these two medications together can cause potassium levels to drop to a dangerous level.

• Estrogens: Estrogens in hormone replacement therapies react the same way as birth control pills. Using senna with hormone replacement therapy may mean that the estrogen is not absorbed or works as well.

• Horsetail: Horsetail is an herb that some people take for several different reasons. There is some thought that horsetail could lower potassium levels in some people. Taking senna with horsetail may lower potassium levels too much.

• Licorice: Licorice also lowers potassium levels; people should avoid taking both licorice and senna together.

Some side effects caused by Senna overdose are :

Senna can cause some uncomfortable and even some serious side effects.

They can include:

• diarrhea

• cramping

• fluid loss

• abdominal pain

• electrolyte disturbances

• feeling faint

Long-term use of senna can cause dependence in order to have bowel movement, finger clubbing (usually reversible), rectal bleeding, and wasting.

It is advisable to drink plenty of fluids, such as Gatorade, when taking senna. This is to prevent a person from losing too much fluid or electrolytes, especially if they have diarrhea.To deal with cramping or abdominal pain, people can reduce the dose until the discomfort subsides.