Evidence supporting the use of: Indian Rhubarb
For the health condition: Blood in Stool

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1

Indian Rhubarb (Rheum australe or related Rheum species) has a history of use in traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for gastrointestinal complaints, including diarrhea, constipation, and sometimes conditions involving blood in the stool. In TCM, rhubarb root is considered a purgative and is thought to "clear heat" and "remove toxins" from the body, and traditional texts occasionally mention its use in cases of blood in the stool (hematochezia) believed to arise from "heat" in the intestines or hemorrhoids. However, the evidence for its effectiveness is primarily anecdotal and based on traditional practice rather than rigorous clinical studies.

There is little to no high-quality scientific research directly investigating Indian Rhubarb's efficacy for treating blood in stool, and its use for this condition is not well-supported by modern clinical evidence. Some of its active compounds, such as anthraquinones, have laxative effects, which may alleviate constipation-associated bleeding (e.g., from hemorrhoids), but this does not address underlying causes of blood in stool, which can be serious. Furthermore, the strong laxative effects may even worsen some causes of gastrointestinal bleeding. As such, while Indian Rhubarb has traditional use in this context, the evidence for its effectiveness is weak and not substantiated by modern scientific research.

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