Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) was used for centuries in meat shops to protect their wares from mice, and the leaves were used to scrub the cutting blocks clean of grease and oils. It was also used medicinally for a wide variety of purposes, mostly related to vascular health and flushing retained fluids from the feet and hands. Dioscorides used preparations of Butcher’s Broom to also treat lymphatic swelling, jaundice, and kidney stones.
Butcher’s Broom is also known as Box Holly, Sweet Broom, Knee Holly, and Pettigree, and it is a member of the Lily family. It is closely related to asparagus, and the young shoots were frequently eaten in much the same way asparagus is today.
Current Uses
The most common use of Butcher’s Broom today is as a treatment for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Butcher’s Broom primary mechanism as a vascular strengthener repairs the walls of blood vessels and capillaries when doses are taken internally as well as applied externally. It also acts as a gentle non-stimulant laxative and diuretic to help take pressure off of the affected areas. Germany has approved Butcher’s Broom as the primary supportive therapy for chronic venous insufficiency.
The vascular effects of Butcher’s Broom are accompanied with an additional ability to help the body relieve and remove blockages. Because of this, it is used in Europe for post-operative patients to manage thrombosis and treat phlebitis, and it was indicated in older herbalist texts for treating kidney stones and “gravel”.
Butcher’s Broom is also used as a regular tonic to help treat any kind of fluid retention in the extremities, especially for people who are on their feet a lot. It’s been shown to have benefits for those suffering from orthostatic hypotension (a sudden drop in blood pressure when rising to a standing position) by improving blood pressure response with movement without raising resting blood pressure.
Anecdotal Uses
Culpepper suggested that a poultice of Butcher’s Broom could be used to help knit together broken bones, but this claim has not been tested recently. However, while the diuretic effects are credited with helping women with menstrual cramping and testiness, some non-scientific reports suggest that Butcher’s Broom has a gentle hormone-leveling affect that works on teenagers during adolescence to calm the worst of the mood swings of puberty.
Some of the other uses that Butcher’s Broom may be employed for include as a treatment to produce poison immunity. One of the steroidal saponins – sparteine – has shown to inhibit the proteins in snake venom. Studies in Europe, the US, and Japan have and are continuing to find more and more potentially beneficial functions, including slowing the growth of leukemia cells, reducing cholesterol, and reducing plaque build-up in blood vessels.
Contraindications and Disclaimer
Sparteine may cause uterine contractions, so the use of Butcher’s Broom is not recommended for women in pregnancy. The mechanism by which it affects blood pressure is not fully understood, so those who take blood thinners or anticoagulants, or have an existing issue with hypertension, should not take Butcher’s Broom. There is a slight suggestion of interaction with MAOIs, and until further understanding is attained, mixing Butcher’s Broom with MAOIs is not advised. There are no definitively known drug interactions with Butcher’s Broom, although in rare cases nausea is reported with high doses.
These statements are not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please see your physician or local licensed herbal practitioner for any specific complaint.
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