Butcher’s broom has been used ever since 60 A.D., when Roman scholars first administered the herb to treat varicose veins.
Even up to this day, the herb is still used for treating varicose veins. In the first century, the herb was recommended as a laxative and diuretic, and the plant was later used in the treatment of urinary problems and circulatory and inflammatory disorders. The Ancient Greeks also held butcher’s broom in high regard as a treatment for overall swelling.
Butcher’s broom is a spiny evergreen shrub that grows wild in temperate sandy pastures and heaths of the Mediterranean, northwest Europe and northern Asia. The plant is a relative of the lily family, closely resembl
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ing asparagus.
More formally, the plant is known as Ruscus aculeatus in botanical circles, but as its common name suggests, butcher’s broom is ideally suited for broom-making, with its strong long and slender branches. As such butcher’s broom falls into the overall category of broom plants that were given their name thanks to the tough stems and rigid leaves that made them useful for sweeping up debris.
This particular variety has also been called Sarothamnus, which is Greek for shrub to sweep.
Butcher’s broom grows to about four feet high and its tough branches are bright green in appearance. The young leaves are hairy comprising three small leaflets and are interspersed by bright yellow fragrant flowers that bloom solitary or in pairs from April to July. When the flowers die off, they are replaced by flattened pods with smooth sides and hairy edges that blacken when ripe and then crack open and fling their seeds onto the ground.
Butcher’s broom has been put to many uses thanks to its medicinal properties but also as a result of its structural design. The plant’s strong network of roots hold earth together on steep banks, sand dunes and coastlines and the density of the shrub also offers shelter from the wind for game and other ‘more important’ shrubs.
In addition the twigs and branches are used not only in making brooms, but are also for making baskets, especially in the island of Madeira, while the bark of the butcher’s broom yields an excellent fibre, which in large quantities, is used in the manufacturing of paper and cloth.
Medicinally speaking, parts of this plant have been used for many years in Europe for treating constipation, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and various gastrointestinal problems.
Traditionally the fleshy root of the plant was boiled and drunk as a tea. In recent years research has shown that the dried root and rootstock of the butcher’s broom narrows blood vessels, an important implications for treating vessel diseases, such as varicose veins and haemorrhoids.
And limited clinical trials in humans providing support for the herb’s effectiveness in treating venous disorders and inflammatory conditions, have convinced a variety of European pharmaceutical companies that butcher's broom extract is superior to some of the conventional plant remedies, such as extracts of horse chestnut and witch hazel, which are also marketed for beneficial effects on venous circulation.
Parts used
The roots and young stems are used for medicinal use.
Active compounds
The steroidal molecules, namely ruscogenin and neoruscogenin, are responsible for the medicinal properties of butcher’s broom, the former decreasing vascular permeability, which accounts for the anti-inflammatory activity.
Saponins constricts the veins and decreases the permeability of capillaries, assisting in the treatment of varicose veins and haemorrhoids.
Oxysparteine, formed by the action of acid on Sparteine, is used as a cardiac stimulant.
Other constituents
Volatile oil
Tannin
Fat
Wax
Sugar
Chlorophyll
Mucilage
Albumen
Lignin
Medicinal uses of butcher’s broom
Arteriosclerosis
Bladder and kidney infections
Chronic venous insufficiency
Constipation
Diuretic
Haemorrhoids
Inflammation
Lymphoedema
Swollen ankles
Varicose veins
Available varieties in South Africa
Butcher’s broom cut
Butcher’s broom root powder
Dosage
Infusion: Stir two teaspoons of the powdered root into a 750ml of boiling water and let the mixture boil (covered) for 30 minutes. Allow cooling in a closed container and drink two to three teaspoons six times a day.
Standardised extracts: 50-100 mg per day. Increase to 150 mg for varicose veins.
Note: Adding vitamin C can boosts the effectiveness of Butcher’s Broom.
Safety
There are no significant side effects of this herb if administered in the quantities indicated above. Those suffering from high blood pressure, prostate or circulation problems, should however avoid the herb.
Drug/herb interactions
Butcher's broom may interfere with the effectiveness of certain high blood pressure medications, such as doxazosin and prazosin, and medications used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Consult your doctor for guidance.
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