Alder Buckthorn
Parts Used & Where Grown
Alder buckthorn is a tall shrub native to northern Europe. The bark of alder buckthorn is removed, cut into small pieces, and dried for one year before being used medicinally. Fresh bark has an emetic (vomit-inducing) property and is therefore not used.
How It Works
Alder buckthorn is high in anthraquinone glycosides. Resins, tannins, and lipids make up the bulk of the bark’s other ingredients. Anthraquinone glycosides have a cathartic action, inducing the large intestine to increase its muscular contraction (peristalsis) and increasing water movement from the cells of the colon into the feces, resulting in strong, soft bowel movements.1 It takes six to ten hours for alder buckthorn to act after taking it by mouth.