Herb
Cascara Sagrada
A dried tree bark used traditionally as a strong stimulant laxative for occasional, short-term constipation.
⤢📊 How it ranks (our editor score) — 53/100Tap to see the breakdown
👶 Safe for children?
This remedy carries age-related cautions. Please read them before giving it to a child, and check with your pediatrician or pharmacist first.
- Avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding, in children, and with any bowel disease (including undiagnosed abdominal pain); gentler, food-first options (fiber, fruit, water, movement) should be tried first and remain the everyday approach.
🌱 What it is
Cascara sagrada, Spanish for "sacred bark," comes from a buckthorn tree native to the Pacific coast of North America. Its dried, aged bark has long been used as a stimulant laxative. It lost its US over-the-counter laxative approval on safety and efficacy grounds, so it is now best understood as an occasional, short-term traditional remedy rather than an everyday tool.
📜 Where it comes from
Cascara sagrada, meaning sacred bark in Spanish, comes from a buckthorn tree native to the Pacific coast of North America and was used by Native American nations of that region as a laxative long before Spanish missionaries gave it its name. The bark must be aged for at least a year after harvest, since fresh bark causes severe cramping, a detail traditional harvesters learned through long experience. It became a standard remedy in American and European pharmacies by the 19th and early 20th centuries.
✨ Why it's good for you
- Traditionally used to support occasional, short-term relief from constipation
- Traditionally used to support bowel movement when other gentle measures haven't helped
- Traditionally used to support brief, occasional digestive relief
🥗 Nutrition
Per 1 cup brewed tea / 1 tsp bark · about 3 calories
- Anthraquinones (bioactive)
- Tannins
- Negligible macronutrients
Source: Nutrition estimate (per typical serving)
🥄 How to use it
Taken only occasionally and briefly, as a standardized capsuleDried, powdered herb packed into a swallowable shell for a measured dose. How to make a capsule → or teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, following the product label... not intended for regular or ongoing use.
How much: Follow the product label exactly; use for only a few days at most, and stop once regularity returns.
Why it works: Stimulates bowel muscle contraction to promote movement.
Show full details & how to prepare it
Cascara sagrada bark has a centuries-long history as a laxative, working by directly stimulating the bowel wall. That directness is exactly why it is not a gentle everyday agency: fiber, fruit, water, and daily movement should always be tried first, and reserved for the occasional stubborn episode rather than routine use. Using any stimulant laxative regularly can, over time, make the bowel less responsive on its own and disturb the body's mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More → balance.
Ways to prepare it
⚠️ Cautions
- A harsh stimulant laxative... habit-forming with regular use, and can cause cramping, dependence, and electrolyte loss (including a concerning drop in potassium) if used often or long-term.
📚 Learn more
🌿 Deeper natural detail
🩺 The conventional view
💬 Ask Remy about Cascara Sagrada
📚 Resource confidence
Based on mentions in health references
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