Buckthorn berries are mainly ingested in the form of tea. However, currently neither ready-made tea preparations nor herbal medicines exist on the market. In Central Europe, extracts from the drug are hardly ever used.
Buckthorn: the right dose
The average daily dose should not exceed an amount of 30 mg of hydroxyanthracene derivatives. One reaches this dosage by drinking a cup of the tea with 2 g of buckthorn berries each 2 times a day.
However, if necessary, even one cup can be enough – the correct individual dosage is the lowest with which they will get a soft-formed stool.
Preparation of buckthorn tea
To prepare a tea from buckthorn berries, 4 g of the crushed fruit (1 teaspoon is about 3.8 g) is poured over boiling water and strained after 10-15 minutes. One cup of the tea should be drunk in the evening and possibly also in the morning and at noon.
Alternatively, the drug can be prepared with cold water, boiled for 2-3 minutes and then passed through a tea strainer.
When not to use buckthorn berries?
Contraindications to taking buckthorn berries include intestinal obstruction (ileus), inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and appendicitis, and abdominal pain of unknown cause.
Due to inadequate toxicological studies, use is also not advised for children under 10 years of age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
4 Directions for use of buckthorn
- Stimulant laxatives should not be taken for more than 1-2 weeks at a time without medical advice.
- Taking them is also recommended only if dietary changes and the use of bulking agents do not improve constipation.
- In particular, the application in the form of tea is not recommended, because even at low doses cramp-like discomfort can occur.
- Please store buckthorn berries in a dry place away from light.
