some data on low dose rhubarb

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this study was excerpted from http://www.itmonline.org/arts/laxatives.htm

 

it seems to indicate that only .6 gram of da huang daily would still cause

purgation

 

In a small study in France of elderly patients (average age 81 years) with

chronic constipation (14), 20 mg sennosides daily was administered for six

months. This treatment was shown to be without adverse effects: there were

no abnormal losses of either protein or potassium; no testing was done for

melanosis coli, which would not be expected to occur in six months. Little

is known about the dosage that causes melanosis coli or that might cause a

more severe form of the condition with intestinal damage. A limiting daily

dosage corresponding to 20-30 mg of anthraquinones from senna leaf has

been recommended in the herbal literature based on European suggestions

for safe use (20). Over-the-counter stimulant laxative drug products are

deemed safe and effective when administered in amounts of 12 to 50 mg of

sennosides per dose, once or twice per day (21).

 

In order to evaluate the dosage of various herbal preparations, it is

necessary to know the content of anthraquinones in the crude dried herbs

and in the prepared teas. A study of rhubarb constituents revealed that

the dried root contained 1.2% anthraquinones for R. tanguticum and 3.4%

for R. palmatum, with lower amounts in processed roots (22). To get a

20-mg daily dose of anthraquinones (comparable to the dose of sennosides

used in the above study), one would consume about 600 mg of rhubarb root

derived from R. palmatum. Senna leaf (from S. alexandrina) is reported to

contain a similar level of 1.5-3.0% anthraquinones and senna pod contains

about 1.4-3.5% (20). Therefore, daily doses of about 500 to 1,000 mg of

senna leaf appear to be in the safe range. In a study carried out in

California (21), senna teas were tested for sennoside content: teas (in

teabag form) labeled as laxatives contained 7-10 mg of sennosides per cup;

a dieter's tea yielded 19 mg per cup.

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

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