Common Names
- Box holly
- Sweet broom; Knee holly; Pettigree
- Jew's myrtle
- Thorny fragon
For Patients & Caregivers
Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.
What is it?
Studies show benefit of Butcher's broom in patients with chronic venous insufficiency of the legs.
Butcher's broom contains chemicals called saponins that scientists think cause constriction of arteries and veins. Butcher's broom may also reduce inflammation and increase lymphatic flow, but these effects have not been fully confirmed in humans.
What are the potential uses and benefits?
- To treat circulatory disorders such as chronic venous insufficiency
Small clinical studies have shown that products containing butcher's broom can help improve the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency, but the long-term safety and effectiveness of these products are not known. - To treat constipation
Evidence is lacking to support this claim. - To treat hemorrhoids
Evidence is lacking to support this claim. - To reduce inflammation
Lab studies show that compounds in butcher's broom have anti-inflammatory effects. - To relieve leg cramps
Evidence is lacking to support this claim. - To treat lymphedema
One clinical study showed that Cyclo 3 Fort, a butcher's broom product, reduced lymphedema in women who had undergone therapy for breast cancer. - To promote urination
Evidence is lacking to support this claim.
What are the side effects?
- Diarrhea has been reported with the product Cyclo-3, but is less common with use of other formulations of butcher's broom.
- Papulo‐erythematous pruritic eruption on legs, which spread within a few days to the entire skin, and produced oedema of the eyelids: In a 30-year-old pregnant woman following use of vasoconstrictor cream, containing butcher's broom extract, for treatment of varices.
- Pruritic erythematous lesions: In a 34-year-old woman following the local application of a haemorrhoid treatment cream containing ruscogenin. Several months later, she experienced a generalized eczematous cutaneous eruption the day after topical application of an anti‐cellulite product, containing ruscogenin, on the lower limbs.
What else do I need to know?
Do Not Take if:
- You have diabetes (butcher's broom was reported to cause diabetic ketoacidosis, characterized by high levels of compounds called ketones in the blood.)
For Healthcare Professionals
Scientific Name
Clinical Summary
Butcher’s broom is a short evergreen shrub of the Liliaceae family. Both the leaves and rhizome of the plant are believed to have diuretic and mild laxative properties. The plant extracts are widely used to treat varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and lymphedema.
Ruscogenin, one of the major constituents of the plant, demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in vivo (10). Small clinical studies revealed efficacy of butcher broom extracts in controlling lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency (4) (5) (6) (8) (9) (11).
Purported Uses and Benefits
- Circulatory disorders
- Constipation
- Hemorrhoids
- Inflammation
- Leg cramps
- Lymphedema
- Promote urination
- Varicose veins
Mechanism of Action
Ruscogenin, one of the major components of butcher’s broom, exerts anti-inflammatory effects (10) likely by inhibiting TNF-alpha-induced over expression of ICAM-1 both at the mRNA and protein levels. It also suppresses NF-kappaB activation by decreasing NF-kappaB p65 translocation and DNA binding activity (10). In another study, ruscogenin was shown to inhibt elastase, one of the enzyme systems involved in the turnover of the main components of the perivascular amorphous substance (15).
The phenolic compounds and saponins isolated from butcher’s broom decreased the thrombin-induced hyperpermeability of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) in vitro (16).
Contraindications
- Diabetes: Diabetic ketoacidosis has been reported in a 39-year-old diabetic woman 5 days after consuming butcher’s broom for mild ankle swelling. Her condition stabilized following conventional treatment with intravenous fluid, insulin, and calcium gluconate (17).
Adverse Reactions
- Diarrhea has been frequently reported with the product Cyclo-3, but is less common with use of other formulations of butcher’s broom. (7)
- Papulo‐erythematous pruritic eruption on legs, which spread within a few days to the entire skin, and produced oedema of the eyelids: In a 30-year-old pregnant woman following use of vasoconstrictor cream, containing butcher’s broom extract, for treatment of varices (18).
- Pruritic erythematous lesions: In a 34-year-old woman following the local application of a haemorrhoid treatment cream containing ruscogenin. Several months later, she experienced a generalized eczematous cutaneous eruption the day after topical application of an anti‐cellulite product, containing ruscogenin, on the lower limbs (19).