If you haven't noticed, you probably won't get to know what sarsaparilla root is. Actually this is a well-known Chinese herb called Tu Fu Ling or the Chinaroot. So, what is sarsaparilla root used for? Classified as one of top-grade ingredients in health regime and disease prevention and treatment, it protects the liver, reduces fever, and dispels pathogenic wind. Traditionally it is considered one of the best herbs for the treatments of syphilis, paralysis, severe sores, and so on. And today it is still found with anti-tumor effect. Apart from medicinal purpose, it can be used to make beer, pastry, and jelly like medical dessert guīlínggāo since it is rich in starch.

When used as medicine, it is usually refers to the dried tubers of Smilax glabra Roxb., a species in the lily family, liliaceae. In addition, sometimes it may also refer to the tubers of Smilax lanceifolia Roxb. var. opaca A. DC., Smilax mairei Levl., Heterosmilax japonica Kunth, Smilax japonica (Kunth) A. Gray, Smilax glaucochina Warb., or Smilax menispermoidea DC. Other names of this root also include Glabrous Greenbrier Rhizome, the Chinaroot, Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae, tufuling, Smilax china, and the like. In China it is mainly distributed in Yangtze River basin and southern provinces. Usually harvested in summer and autumn, it should be cleaned and dried in the sun after the residual stems and fibrous roots have been removed. It is used raw medicinally.

Sarsaparilla Root

SARSAPARILLA ROOT BENEFITS
It was once quite precious but now is cheaper since the yield is way bigger. These days, sarsaparilla-based dishes, e.g. smilax pork soup, are very popular, thanks to its versatile medicinal uses. So, what is sarsaparilla root good for? In fact, it has long been a major medicine for the treatment of syphilis since ancient times. Apart from that, it is widely used for Carbuncle, scrofula, Headache, knee effusion, acute dysentery, leptospirosis, eczema in children, nasosinusitis, maxillary sinusitis, and so on.

Since it is good for women health, now let's look into this matter in order to figure out how it works. Many gynecological disorders are somewhat related to menstruation. As a matter of fact, the menstruation can affect women's physique. In turn, the poor physique affects menstruation. For example, the declining physical fitness and adverse physiological symptoms like anemia would occur in some girls because of a lack of nutrition, which apparently is the main source for the dramatic spurt of growth of an adolescent girl's body. For a girl with such physical fitness, taking sarsaparilla is way to go since it can help her recuperate. What’s more, it can prevent vulnerable or frail women from gynecological diseases, especially gynecological inflammation. Another health benefit should be mentioned is its neutral medicinal properties, which are able to help heat constitution get cool and cold constitution get warm.

It is worth noting that smilax and Fu Ling (Poria) are two completely different herbs – poria is kind of fungus that grows by absorbing the nutrient mainly from pine roots and trunk while sarsaparilla plant is an evergreen climbing shrub.