Infusions with senna leaves are widely used as laxatives.. Although this is its most frequent and popular use, the truth is that senna leaf has multiple health benefits and properties.
However, it should be noted that this plant can be very effective, but it can also cause harm if precautions are not taken. It should be known that it is contraindicated in pregnant women and during breastfeeding, and that its use should not be abused.
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Senna leaf is more than an infusion against constipation.
Although its properties are not well known, senna leaf has other benefits. Almost all the functions of this plant are related to the digestive system, so not all people may be suitable to take it.
If there are previous or chronic digestive problems, it is best not to consume it and to consult with our family doctor. It is also important to remember that the fact that it is a laxative does not imply that it is indicated for weight loss treatments.
So, let’s take a look at the benefits and let’s take a look at the benefits and properties of senna leafwhich go beyond its laxative effect.
1. Laxative
Let’s start with the most known and already mentioned benefit. The best known function of senna leaf is as a laxative.. And its efficiency for this is practically immediate. In ancestral medicine and herbalism, senna leaf is recommended for extreme episodes of constipation.
Because of this, many people believe that it is efficient for weight loss, but this is not true. What happens is that several intakes of this senna leaf, can completely empty the intestine of fecal matter, and this causes there to be a reduction in weight, but it is only momentary.
2. Prevent hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids can appear if there is severe constipation. One of the consequences of continuous or prolonged constipation is the appearance of hemorrhoids. This is due to the blood pressure in the area.
For this reason is that taking some light doses of senna leaf prevents hemorrhoids, because this plant allows the stool to come out more easily, reducing the pressure that exists in the anus.
3. Diuretic
Senna leaf also works as a natural diuretic.. For its effects on the body, this plant taken as an infusion helps the body to more easily eliminate liquids that accumulate in the body.
In addition, taking senna leaf helps to tone the muscles of the urinary tract. Therefore, in addition to cleansing the body by expelling toxins through urine, it favors urine retention.
4. Detoxifying
Due to its diuretic and laxative properties, senna leaf is an excellent detoxifier.. In addition to being used to relieve constipation, this plant is ingested in infusion to detoxify the body in general.
It should be remembered that the body has several ways to eliminate toxins. Either through feces, urine and bile production. Senna leaf helps to improve these processes allowing a general detoxification of the body.
5. Prevents gallstones
Senna leaf is an efficient cholagogue.. Cholagogues are substances that allow the expulsion of bile contained in the gallbladder. Senna leaf has, among its properties, this benefit for the body.
By freeing the gallbladder from excess bile, it drastically decreases the possibility of suffering from gallstones, which besides being very painful, negatively affect the detoxifying capacity of this organ.
6. Auxiliary against irritable colon
Some treatments against irritable colon include senna leaf. As already mentioned, the main function of senna leaf is as a powerful and efficient natural laxative. So in treatments against irritable colon it can be of great help.
However, it should be remembered that it may be contraindicated for sensitive people or people with digestive problems, so you should not self-medicate, it is better to go to a herbalist to find out if senna leaf can be used for this purpose.
7. Combat swelling due to fluid retention
Heat or other factors cause the body to swell due to fluid retention.. However this is not something that should be overlooked, the body should not have an excess of liquids for too long.
For this reason it is recommended to take senna leaf to enjoy its diuretic effect. An infusion of this plant helps the body to get rid of this excess water, and as a consequence, the swelling that regularly occurs in the extremities is relieved.
8. Strengthens the gallbladder
Senna leaf helps to strengthen the gallbladder.. Being a cholagogue, senna leaf not only has the function of removing excess bile from the gallbladder, but also manages to strengthen it so that it can function optimally.
For this reason, senna leaf works as a very effective detoxifier. As long as its consumption is kept at a moderate level, this leaf can help the body rid itself of toxins that accumulate naturally.
9. Eliminates intestinal parasites
Intestinal parasites cause digestive problems.. The general recommendation of doctors is that humans take some deworming medication to clean the intestines.
Senna leaf is a natural alternative to rid the body of intestinal parasites. However, it is necessary to be careful in its intake and not to use it in children. In the case of adults, a single intake of concentrated senna leaf infusion is enough to eliminate intestinal parasites.
10. Depurative
To purify the body with certain frequency helps us to feel light and full of energy.. Senna leaf is considered an efficient detoxifier and depurative. In addition to eliminating toxins from the body, it also purifies it.
The diuretic, laxative and cholagogue function of this plant works perfectly to rid the body of toxic compounds contained in some foods. It helps to dispose all this through feces and urine.
11. Improves the digestive system
By ridding the body of intestinal parasites, the digestive system improves. This is why senna leaf has been recommended as an aid in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, because it also improves the functioning of the intestines.
A treatment that includes several intakes of senna leaf allows the bowel to be completely cleansed of all fecal matter. This allows the stomach and intestines to be toned and strengthened to function better.
12. Helps the depurative function of the liver
Senna leaf is an aid in the functioning of the liver.. This organ is the great purifier of the organism, and many other functions in the body depend on its good functioning, that is why it is so important to keep it healthy.
The consumption of senna leaf helps to strengthen and tone the liver, and thus to fulfill its purifying function. However, it should be taken in moderation, because taking too much senna leaf could have the opposite effect and seriously damage the liver.