Dyer's madder

Madder is a plant whose root is used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, madder is used to prevent and dissolve kidney stones, as well as to treat general menstrual problems and problems in the urinary tract.

How does madder work?

The chemicals contained in madder may help prevent kidney stones.

How effective is madder?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of madder on kidney stones, menstrual problems and urinary tract problems. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of madder in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Madder is not considered safe and harmless. Chemicals contained in madder could cause cancer. The use of madder may also cause reddish discoloration of urine, saliva, sweat, tears and breast milk.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: It is not safe to use madder during pregnancy. Madder may induce menstruation, which could lead to miscarriage. In addition to this, madder could cause birth defects. It is also best to avoid madder while breastfeeding. Madder could harm the breastfed child and stain the breast milk red.

Interactions

At present, there is no information on interactions between madder and medicines or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of madder depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for madder. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

1. Westendorf J, Pfau W, Schulte A. Carcinogenicity and DNA adduct formation observed in ACI rats after long-term treatment with madder root, Rubia tinctorum L. Carcinogenesis 1998;19:2163-8.