Senna: Benefits & Uses and Side Effects

You must have cherished the site of stunning yellow senna blossom when landscaping the home gardens and the highways. Ever wondered what plant species that could be? The Senna plant offers the same quality when it comes to herbal benefits, as beautiful and 

colourful as it looks. It has been widely used as a natural medicine for ages and is a significant part of modern-day herbal products.

Do you know: 

• Senna includes more than 300 species.
• Senna is known for its natural laxative effects and is therefore used in the treatment of constipation.
• Senna plants are found in tropical and subtropical regions.

What is Senna Plant? 

The Senna plant is a potent ayurvedic herb that is widely used for its therapeutic properties and indispensable medicinal properties in both modern and traditional medical platforms. It is considered an annual leguminous herb that is cultivated for leaves, pods flowers within the legume family.

The Senna plant comes with several names in Ayurveda and different parts of India. Some of the names are as follows:

• Cassia
• Fan Xie Ye
• Alejandrina
• Séné
• Senna
• Tinnevelly.
• Swarnapatri

9 Evidence-Based Benefits of Senna Plant

• Senna plants are a top-notch natural remedy for piles and constipation
• Senna can help in combating issues of Worm Infestation
• The properties of cassia angustifolia help promote liver health
• The herbal properties present in Senna help in enhancing overall skin health
• Senna can potentially purify and cleanse blood
• Senna can be used to treat symptoms of haemorrhoids.
• The Senna plant might be helpful in healing various body infections and skin diseases.  
• Helps in treating mild to severe skin blisters
• Helps in Weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight in a hundred-percent natural way

Source: Canva

Senna for Removing Toxins from the Human Body

As mentioned earlier, the senna leaves come with many benefits, such as abdominal worms, arthritis and gout. However, one of the lesser-known facts about senna leaves is that they can help remove toxins from the human body.

The strong herbal properties present in the senna flower and plant help in blood purification and the elimination of toxins from the cell. Therefore, cassia angustifolia is often used for manufacturing several blood purification products.

Other Plants

• Ankola herb & it's Uses
• Neem herb & it's Uses

Nutrition Facts of Senna

Senna plants as a powerful medicinal herb are packed with the following nutritional values:

Nutrient	Value
Calcium	68.95 mg/L
Copper	0.23 mg/L
Magnesium	1.10 mg/L
Zinc  Potassium	0.59 mg/L 202.05 mg/L
Sodium	18.51 mg/L

How Does Senna Work?

The sonamukhi leaves benefits offer multiple ranges when it comes to the well-being of humans. The nutritional properties present in Senna work by irritating the lining of the bowel and giving out a laxative effect. Sennosides are known as stimulant laxatives.

They aid in storing adequate water in the stomach intestines that later initiate movement of the stool present in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to that, it also helps in healing abdominal issues like symptoms and causes of constipation. Senna also contains a property called the stimulant laxative and stimulates the lining of the muscle in your gut making bowel movement easy. 

Source: Canva

Different Ways to Use Senna Leaves or Flower

The senna plant offers several effective medical products in the market today. You can consume each one of them in many different ways. Here is a detailed demonstration of how you can finish each product with dosage details.

1. Senna Powder

• Take approximately 0.5- 2 gm or as instructed by your doctor of Senna powder 
• Mix the powder in lukewarm water and swallow it immediately. Stir it well to avoid any lumps.
• It works best if you take it before bedtime. 

2. Senna Capsules

• Take a Senna capsule or more, according to your physician. 
• Swallow the capsule with lukewarm water.

3. Senna Tablets

• Take around one to two Senna tablets or as your physician directed
• Swallow it with warm water before you go to sleep.

Other Plants:

• Amla herb & it's Uses
• Tulsi herb & it's Uses

Senna Facts and Myths

Facts about Senna

Some of the fundamental facts about the senna plant include the following:

• Pregnancy: As Senna has been linked with severe side effects in the studies, including lover damage and laxative dependency, the medicinal herb is best avoided during pregnancy. 

• Children: Senna medicinal uses are an Ayurvedic remedy that is considered to be safe for children over the age of two. It might have certain side effects in children; however, the results are mild. If children are treated with his herb with adequate precautions and with guidance from a health professional, the side effects can be easily avoided. 

Myths about Senna

A predominant myth about senna leaves uses includes consuming more than the usual dosage quantity can be unsafe for health. It can also lead to diarrhoea, stoma ache and even cardiovascular diseases. 

Source: Canva

Growing Senna at Home

The wild senna plant usually grows in soil that has a good drainage system. It can grow in partially shaded and sunny spots. The plant is damp and requires fertile soil conditions. It can grow up to a height of 7 feet and thus requires a spacious location to grow fully. The smaller ones grow up to a height of 3 feet and are a perfect choice for gardens and backyards. 

Where to Buy Senna Products

The best place to buy Senna products is online. Not only will you have access to a variety of products there, but you also have a chance to get your hands on the best deals. Some of the most popular Senna products include the following:

• 100% natural Senna tea from the Indian Chai
• Senna leaves from the Grand Herbal
• Senna Powder from the Herbal Hills

Conclusion

Start with issues faced by users and how these plant or plant-based medicines/products can help them. 

Due to today’s highly pressurizing lifestyle, the modern population is undergoing mild to severe health ailments. Abdominal problems, headaches, high blood pressure 

Not every ailment demands hardcore medication treatments that involve chemicals. Ayurveda is making its way to the choices and preferences of all generations of people seeking well-being. The senna plant is one of the most popular herbs that is widely used to treat a wide range of health ailments such as arthritis, constipation, indigestion, skin problems, liver problems and more. 

FAQs

1. Is it safe to take Senna on a daily basis?

It is best to avoid prolonged or continuous use of Senna. Using senna medications for longer than the prescribed amount of time can make your body reliant on the actions of the medicine. 

2. Can you take two senna pills at once?

For relieving symptoms of constipation: The oral dose of medicine form chewable tablets: Children and adults of twelve years of age and more— two tablets one to two times a day. Children of six to eleven years of age—one tablet one to two times a day.

3. Why should you take Senna tablets at night?

Senna leaves can take around 8 hours to function, and it works best once taken before bed. Some of the common side effects of Senna include diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. However, the side effects are mild and do not last long. 

4. Does Senna come with any side effects?

The senna medicinal uses can have certain side effects that include diarrhoea, discomfort and cramps. Senna is usually unsafe when you use it for more than one week or die more than 34.4 mg twice on a daily basis. The long-term uses can cause bowel movements to stop the functioning of the bowels. It might also cause a dependency on laxatives and dependence.