Cascara Sagrada
How it Works
Cascara sagrada, or sacred bark, is one of Nature’s Sunshine’s most popular herbal products and perhaps the most famous herbal laxative. Spanish missionaries noticed its use among Natives and named it the word "sacred" in Spanish. It was first marketed in 1877, and was later acknowledged and used by the medical profession. Cascara Sagrada works by stimulating the lining of the upper intestines to promote normal bowel function.
Product Advantages Cascara Sagrada?
We work with experienced cultivators who have harvested cascara sagrada by hand for generations. Wild-crafted and sustainably sourced in the Pacific northwest, our cascara is harvested each year from mid-May to August from trees between 10-20 years old. After harvest, the fresh cascara bark is ground into 3–4-inch sections and then kiln-dried to age before being ground again. Cascara trees flourish along coastal regions between British Columbia and northern California. In fact, cascara trees naturally fill in logged off areas after timber companies cut down forests. The timber companies often replant with conifers, but Mother Nature does her own replanting with cascara to reestablish a more natural biodiversity as the forest regrows.
The story behind Cascara Sagrada
Since its discovery by Spanish settlers in the 1600s, Rhamnus purshiana bark has been used as a natural laxative throughout the world. Native American tribes shared this natural wonder with the Spaniards, who named it cascara sagrada, or “holy bark,” in honor of its effectiveness. By the late 1800s, cascara was being exported overseas. The explosion of its use eventually led to overharvesting in the 1900s. But this resilient species of the buckthorn family has made a resurgence, growing naturally throughout the Pacific northwest. Through the early 2000s, cascara was included in many over-the-counter products in the US. And it’s still used throughout Europe, having been approved for use by the German Commission E. Ranking among our top-selling products domestically and internationally, Cascara Sagrada remains a popular choice for intestinal support the world over.
Recommended Use
Dosage (adults):Take two capsules as needed.
Certifying Quality
- Mineral & Heavy Metal TestingPASSED
- Potency & Identity TestingPASSED
- Pesticide & Safety TestingPASSED
- Microbial TestingPASSED
Key Ingredients
Cascara Sagrada
Other Ingredients
Medicinal Ingredients: Each capsule contains Rhamnus purshiana (cascara sagrada) bark 390 mg. Non-medicinal Ingredients: Gelatin.
Risk Information: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not take any laxative if experiencing nausea, vomiting or other symptoms of appendicitis. Long term use may create dependence.
Risk Information: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not take any laxative if experiencing nausea, vomiting or other symptoms of appendicitis. Long term use may create dependence.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Health Canada. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.