Anantmool Benefits, Uses, Side Effects (Indian Sarsaparilla)

Anantmool is one of the many plants and herbs that are gaining popularity because of their health benefits. Anantmool is also known as white sariva or Indian sarsaparilla in English. In this article, you will find anantmul benefits, anantamul uses, anantmool side effects and other information related to anantmul or Indian sarsaparilla. Anantmool has various uses in Ayurveda. 

You may see anantmul with various spellings: anantmul, anantmool or anantamul.

Anantmool Botanical Description

Anantmool is a slender, twining and semi-erect shrub. It has thickened nodes in the stem. The root is woody and aromatic.

The leaves are opposite each other and dark green in color. They are elliptical-oblong to linear-lanceolate in shape.

The flowers are greenish in color towards the outside and purplish to yellow-orange on the inside. Flowers have five petals and flowering occurs between October and January.

The fruits of this plant are divergent long follicles. They are generally 2-4 inches long.

The botanical name of Anantmool or Indian sarsaparilla is Hemidesmus Indicus. This herb belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family. 

Sanskrit Synonyms Of Anantmul (Indian sarsaparilla) With Their Meanings

• Ananta: The plant never gets destroyed.
• Gopi: It protects the body.
• Shyama: It has a black variety.
• Chandana: It has a very pleasant odor.
• Utpal sariva: Its flowers resemble the flowers of lotus.¹
• Kapoori: Its roots smell like kapoor or camphor.²

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa or taste: Madhura or sweet and tikta or bitter

Guna or qualities: Guru or heavy and snigdha or oily

Virya or potency: Sheeta or cold in potency

Vipaka or taste conversion after digestion: Madhura or sweet³

Effect on Dosha: Sariva is a tridosha shamaka which means it brings all three doshas into equilibrium. Since it is sweet in taste and has an oily quality, it pacifies Vata dosha as well. Due to its cold potency, it pacifies Pitta dosha. Due to its bitter taste, it pacifies Kapha dosha.³

Part used: Root⁴

Dosages according to the classical Ayurvedic pharmacopeia text Dravyaguna Vijnana: Phanta (hot infusion): 50-100 ml and Kalka (bolus) prepared from an herb: 5-10 grams.⁴

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Ayurvedic Formulations Using Anantmool Or Indian Sarsaparilla

• Sarivadi kwatha
• Sarivadi vati
• Sarivadya avaleha
• Sarivadya asava⁴

Varieties Of Anantmul Or Indian Sarsaparilla

Shweta sariva

Shweta sariva‘s botanical name is Hemidesmus indicus. This is the variety explained in this article.

Krishna sariva

The root color of Krishna sariva is black. The varieties included in Krishna sariva are Cryptolepis buchanana and Ichnocarpus frutescens.²

Indian Sarsaparilla or Anantmool Uses According To The Dravyaguna Vijnana^3,4

Here are the benefits of using Anantmool or Indian sarsaparilla.

• Indian sarsaparilla is helpful in relieving burning sensation
• It has anti-inflammatory activity
• It is helpful in loss of taste
• It aids digestion and increases digestive strength
• It has carminative properties
• It is helpful in purifying the blood
• It may improve semen quality and quantity
• It cleanses and purifies breast milk and other problems related to breast milk
• It may help with fertility
• It has diuretic properties and also provides color to the urine when taken orally
• It helps with various skin disorders
• It is helpful in relieving fever
• It has rejuvenating properties
• It is useful in toxic conditions because it has anti-toxic properties
• It helps with diarrhea and dysentery
• It is helpful in various blood-related problems
• It can be used for gout and arthritis
• It is also helpful in treating sexually-transmitted infections like gonorrhea and syphilis
• It is helpful in conditions like elephantiasis and cervical lymphadenitis
• It helps with coughs, colds, asthma, and chronic respiratory problems
• It is useful in leucorrhea
• It helps with dysuria
• It can be used in anemia^3,4

Scientific Research On Anantmool (Indian Sarsaparilla)

The important chemical constituents of anantmool or Indian sarsaparilla root include 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzoic acid, b-sitosterol, α- and β-amyrins, lupeol, tetracyclic triterpene alcohols, resin acids, fatty acids, tannins, glycosides and a ketone.⁵

Many scientific clinical studies have been done on anantmul or Indian sarsaparilla root. The following properties have been demonstrated.

• Anti-oxidant properties
• Hepatoprotective activity
• Anti-ulcer activity
• Anti-inflammatory activity
• Wound healing activity
• Anti-bacterial activity
• Anti-microbial activity⁶
• Anti-diarrheal activity⁷

If you want to learn more about how different herbs and foods help with detox, check out Dr. Kristine Jerome’s course on Ayurvedic Detox below.

This article offers general information on anantmool or Indian sarsaparilla. If you wish to take Anantmool or Indian sarsaparilla for health benefits, consult your Ayurveda practitioner or health care provider first.

References

1. Aadrash Nighantu, vol. 2, page no.19, by Shri Bapalal G. Vaidya, ChaukhmbhaBharti Academy, 2016.
2. Dravyaguna Vijnana by Aacharya Priyavrat Sharma, Volume 2, page no.798, Chaukhamba Bharati Academy, 2017.
3. Dravyaguna Vijnana by Aacharya Priyavrat Sharma, Volume 2, page no.799, Chaukhamba Bharati Academy, 2017.
4. Dravyaguna Vijnana by Aacharya Priyavrat Sharma, Volume 2, page no.800, Chaukhamba Bharati Academy, 2017.
5. Jayaram, Smitha and Shylaja M Dharmesh. “Assessment of antioxidant potentials of free and bound phenolics of Hemidesmus indicus (L) R.Br against oxidative damage” Pharmacognosy research vol. 3,4 (2011): 225-31.
6. Ganesan, S et al. “Wound healing activity of Hemidesmus indicus formulation” Journal of pharmacology & pharmacotherapeutics vol. 3,1 (2012): 66-7.
7. Das, S, et al. “Antidiarrhoeal Effects of Methanolic Root Extract of Hemidesmus Indicus (Indian Sarsaparilla)–an in Vitro and in Vivo Study.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2003. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15255649