Sarpagandha: benefits, uses, dosage and side effects

You know it is one of the primary features of this plant when the very first study that introduced sarpagandha to the world was about its effectiveness in treating hypertension. According to that clinical trial, administration of sarpagandha was found to reduce blood pressure in 81% of the patients. Similar results were obtained in a subsequent study in Germany, where saragandha was reported to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in about 50 hypertension patients.

Later on, alseroxylon, an alkaloid extract prepared from this plant and serpina, a tablet made from sarpagandha root were proven to facilitate blood pressure reduction in two separate clinical studies. While alseroxylon was effective in the treatment of patients with blood pressure, which was as high as 150/100 mm Hg, serpina was found to be effective in bringing down blood pressure, which was as high as 192/122 mm Hg. Serpina has been claimed to be safe and without much side effects after being taken for about a year. However, the effects seemed to take about a week to start showing up and tend to wane within 2 weeks of discontinuing use. It was further found to be more useful for younger patients with neurotic hypertension (caused due to mental problems) than older people with long-term vascular high blood pressure (related to the heart).

Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder wherein a person is unable to fall asleep even if they have sufficient time to. It is usually associated with symptoms like fatigue, lethargy, loss of concentration and mood swings. The good news is that you can fight insomnia easily with the help of sarpagandha root.

 According to a study published in the Journal of Ayurvedic and Holistic Medicine, consuming 500 mg sarpagandha tablets, two times a day (morning and night), for about a month is effective in improving the quality of sleep in case of primary insomnia, that is, insomnia that is not caused by any mental, physical or environmental reason.

So, if you are suffering from lack of sleep, you can ask your ayurvedic doctor about the benefits and dosage of sarpagandha for you.

Heart diseases are on the rise in the modern century due to the stressed lifestyle and unhealthy dietary habits. Traditionally, sarpagandha is used widely as a remedy for various cardiovascular disorders. In a clinical study, alseroxylon, the extract of sarpagandha was found to reduce angina symptoms along with managing coronary artery disease.

Hight blood pressure and high cholesterol are two major risk factors for heart diseases and sarpagandha is a remedy to both of these. It is a well known hypotensive agent and if the above studies were not enough, a recent pilot study has reconfirmed the effectiveness of a polyherbal formulation of sarpagandha in reducing excessive blood pressure within 8 weeks. In vivo (animal-based) studies demonstrate a marked reduction in low density (bad) cholesterol and an improvement in high density (good) cholesterol, on regular administration of this herb. So, it can be ascertained that sarpagandha has cardioprotective effects.

Diabetes is an endocrine disorder marked by an imbalance in glucose metabolism, which brings with itself a lot of other problems, like an increased risk of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular problems like atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis (thickening of arteries and restriction of blood flow). Studies indicate that sarpagandha is not only useful against diabetes but it is also effective in managing other clinical manifestations that occur along.

Animal-based studies affirm the hypoglycemic (reducing blood sugar) properties of sarpagandha. As per the findings of this study, sarpaganda helps reduce blood glucose by various mechanisms including a reduction in body weight and the amount of sugar bound to haemoglobin.

Diabetes causes blood to flow slowly through the arteries which causes plaque buildup and atherosclerosis. In a recent preclinical study, methanolic extracts of sarpagandha have been found to alleviate all of these secondary manifestations of diabetes. So, you can rely on its use.

Antioxidants are natural substances that fight off free radical damage in our body. Due to advancement in research, there has been a growing trend towards the link of free radical generation with diseases. Quite obviously since the excess of this ionic oxygen species creates stress on all the body systems, it leads to the degradation in the body and eventually the manifestation of a disease. Instead of taking supplements, antioxidants from natural substances and food sources are claimed to work better and more efficiently.

As a natural herb, saprgandha is undoubtedly one of the best antioxidants you can get your hands on. In an in vitro (lab-based) study, sarpagandha leaf extracts were demonstrated to exhibit effective antioxidant properties.

In another study, the ethanolic extract of sarpagandha roots was shown to possess significant free radical scavenging activity.  

However, it is best to talk to a doctor to know exactly how you can use this herb to get maximum benefits.

Sarpagandha has a controversial history in the field of psychiatry. In the Indian villages, it was sold as “paglon ki dawa” or “ medicine for mental illness”. It is used as a remedy for epilepsy and anxiety by some Himalayan tribes. When the root extracts were studied in a Europian hospital, it was shown to possess marked potential in decreasing restlessness in people suffering from mania. However, the results couldn't be reproduced in another lab. It was speculated to be due to different batches of the same herb. So, the effectiveness of sarpagandha in mental illness and mania remains a controversy.

In another study, sarpagandha extract demonstrated a significant reduction in schizophrenia symptoms and improvement in the quality of life of such patients on regular use. However, it was associated with major side effects like depression, and a combination of restlessness and sedation which makes it more difficult to manage.

In vitro (lab-based) studies demonstrate the antibacterial potential of sarpagandha root and leaves. In various studies, a 50 to 100 µl extract of sarpagandha root and leaves was found to be effective in inhibiting the growth of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Though human studies are pending, the findings of laboratory-based studies cannot be denied.  

In traditional medicine, sarpagandha has long been used as an antivenom treatment to cure snake bites and animal bites. There are various folk beliefs which explain the use of sarpagandha over toes to neutralise the effects of snake bite and it is also believed to be a curative treatment of animal bites. Both the roots and leaves of this plant are used by tribal regions in India as a paste to be applied along with milk on snake bite and it is also orally administered along with some other herbs to be used against snake bites. These anti-venom effects have been confirmed in laboratory and animal-based studies.

In one such study, about a 0.14 mg of sarpagandha extract was enough to neutralise a potentially lethal dose of snake venom.

In another preclinical study, aqueous extracts of sarpagandha exhibited marked antivenom potential which was effective at a dosage of 10.99 mg/3 LD50 of the Russel viper venom.

Apart from the above-mentioned uses, sarpagandha is used in the tribal and folk medicine for various purposes. Some of these have been listed below:

• In Rajasthan and Bangladesh, sarpagandha is used for the treatment of headaches.
• Sarpagandha is used as an anti-pyretic by various tribes of India. Pills made from the dry roots of sarpagandha are taken to cure malaria. Various polyherbal formulations, containing sarpagandha as one of its constituents are also administered orally, to reduce malaria fever within a week.
• Various parts of this plant are believed to be effective in reducing eye inflammation and treat early stages of pneumonia.
• It is also used as a remedy for various skin ailments including itching, boils, eczema. Sarpagandha juice and paste is used for the treatment of scabies in various regions in India.
• Fresh juice of sarpagandha root or the powder made from the dry roots is taken by some South Indian tribes for the treatment of asthma.
• Reserpine, the active component of sarpagandha has been found to be effective in reducing the multiplication and spread of prostate cancer cells in lab studies.
• It is also used to induce uterine contractions and facilitate childbirth.