With its high tannin content, black root has a bitter, nauseating taste. American settlers learned about the herb from Native American Indians. The Delaware Indians called it quitel. The Missouri and Osage Indians referred to it as hini. Early American doctors used black root to treat “bilious” fevers.
Black root is prepared from the dried roots and rhizome (underground stem) of Veronicastrum virginicum, which grows in Canada and the United States.
Common doses of Black root
Blackroot comes as dried root or tincture. Some experts recommend the following dose:
- To induce vomiting or to use as a laxative. 1 gram. To make a tea, mix 1 to 2 teaspoon of dried blackroot in . cold water, boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drink I cup three times a day. When using the tincture, take 1 to 2 milliliters three times a day.
Why people use Black root herb
- Constipation
- Jaundice and other symptoms of liver congestion
- To induce vomiting
Side effects of Black root
Call your health care practitioner if you experience any of these possible side effects of blackroot:
Ingesting large amounts of dried black root tea leaves (1/2 pound of tea every 3 to 4 days) can cause liver damage.
Interactions
Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Don’t use black root when taking:
- atropine
- iron-containing preparations
- Buscopan
- Lanoxin
- hyoscine
- Transderm-Scop
Important points to remember
- Don’t use black root if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
- Avoid taking large amounts of black root, especially if you have liver disease.
- If you have liver disease, be sure to tell your health care practitioner you’re using blackroot. He or she may order periodic liver function tests to check for liver damage.
What the research shows
Little Information is available about blackroot’s therapeutic uses or effectiveness. At this time, no evidence supports therapeutic claims for this herb.
Other names for Black root : –
Other names for blackroot include black root, bowman root, brinton root, Culver’s physic Culver’s root, high veronica, bini, Leptandra. Leptandra virginica. physic root, Veronica, and Veronica virginica.
No known product containing black root are available commercially.