{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"sarsaparilla","kind":"supplement","name":"sarsaparilla","aliases":["Smilax ornata","Smilax officinalis"],"brands_sg":["Swanson Vitamins","Frontier Co-op","Solaray","Nutricost","Nature's Answer"],"class":"botanical","tags":["skin-hair"],"use_for":"traditional skin use — evidence is animal and case reports","use_after":null,"use_duration":null,"take_with":null,"pros":["long folk use for rheumatic complaints","rat studies show anti-inflammatory, analgesic effects"],"cons":["human evidence is one case report, not a trial","one of the most adulterated botanicals on the market","the case-report capsules were not standardised"],"dose_note":"no trial dose exists; the single case report used 425 mg of non-standardised sarsaparilla root powder once a day, alongside turmeric, vitamin D3 and acupuncture","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":null,"fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["product identity is a real risk — sarsaparilla is often adulterated","singapore: not listed in HSA annex A/B — that is not the same as cleared"],"clashes":[],"sources":[{"id":"epmc_smilax_rat2019","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/MED/31063818","label":"Investigation of the anti-inflammatory and the analgesic effects of the extracts from Smilax ornata Lem. (Jamaican sarsaparilla) plant (J Ethnopharmacol, 2019)","quote":"Smilax ornata Lem. is used in folklore medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic pain. This particular claim has never been scientifically validated before in this plant species … in Sprague-Dawley rats.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"epmc_sarsa_qa2020","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC7645426","label":"Genome skimming and NMR chemical fingerprinting provide quality assurance biotechnology to validate sarsaparilla identity and purity (Sci Rep, 2020)","quote":"Sarsaparilla is a popular natural health product (NHP) that has been reported to be one of the most adulterated botanicals in the marketplace.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"epmc_sarsa_case2020","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC7750830","label":"Treatment of psoriatic arthritis with acupuncture, turmeric, sarsaparilla (Smilax officinalis) and vitamin D: a case report (J Chiropr Med, 2020)","quote":"425 mg of sarsaparilla root (Smilax officinalis) powdered capsules that were not standardized … once a day … The natural modalities administered to the patient might have been able to reduce her symptoms of PsA","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hsa_prohibited","url":"https://file.go.gov.sg/hsa-chp-prohibited-restricted-ing-guidelines.pdf","label":"HSA — Guidelines on prohibited and restricted ingredients in health supplements and traditional medicines (Oct 2025), Annex A/B","quote":"The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"iherb_sg","url":"https://sg.iherb.com/c/sarsaparilla","label":"iHerb Singapore — Sarsaparilla Root category page (default best-selling order)","quote":"Sarsaparilla Root","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-29T16:16:31.341231+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}