1) Its action takes place mostly in the intestinal tract. It could be considered as an intestinal soap or cleanser - - a wetting agent for intestinal flora.
2) It helps form a protective coating on the intestinal walls.
3) Helps eliminate pathogenic organisms. Destroys deadly viruses. Encourages growth of friendly bacteria.
4) Helps conquer lower grade intestinal infections. Reduces inflammation and swelling.
5) Reduces intestinal symptoms, and disorders.
6) Decreases accumulation and growth of intestinal wastes in the colon. Beneficial in colitis, and diverticulitis.
7) Dissolves out and eliminates intestinal mucus and the wastes on the intestinal lining.
8) Relief of constipation, intermittent diarrhea, intestinal gas.
9) Relief of cramping and abdominal pains; often very rapid relief - - in minutes.
10) Lessens soreness, stiffness and swelling of joints, in some arthritis - - at least those related to intestinal toxicity and putrefaction.
11) Lessening of headaches - - migraine type.
12) An effective treatment for sores, scabs, and skin rashes.
13) Lowering of abnormal cholesterol. This is cholesterol which is part of Bile.
14) By its cortisone-like action it helps offset stresses.
15) Widely used in sanitation plants to accelerate, by the action of its saponins, the breakdown of organic wastes.
16) For some reason it helps some people to stop smoking.
17) Used as a treatment for digestive and arthritic problems in dogs, horses, before humans.
18) Saponins have a cleansing action on anything - acting as a detergent, just like a soap.
19) It has a high content of Vitamin A and B complex, vitamins and some Vitamin C.
20) It has a high content of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, manganese and copper.
21) Some report that the Native Americans washed their hair with yucca to fight dandruff and hair loss.
22) It is good for treating Addison's disease.
23) No unpleasant or harmful side effects, but you may have withdrawal symptoms from toxins freed up in your intestinal tract.
Sterodial saponins may tend to break down the high molecular fats in foods whose absorption contributes to high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, hypertriglyceridemian, and hypercholesterolemia. One of our most significant findings was that no patient taking saponin extract for 6 months or more continued to show an abnormally high blood pressure or excessive blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels. In other words, there were permanent benefits. --- Dr. Robert Bingham, Arthritis News Today, Vol 2, No 6
How Yucca Saponins reduce cholesterol: Bile acids are made from cholesterol in the liver and gall bladder and pass into the small intestines mixing with water to aid in digestion. As this mixture enters the colon, the water is reabsorbed back into the body carrying with it the bile acids and cholesterol. Saponins cannot penetrate the intestinal wall, but work within the small and large intestine. Saponins bind with the bile acids making them unavailable for reabsorption. They pass into the colon and are excreted. This forces the liver to produce more bile. To produce more bile, the liver must remove cholesterol from the blood, leaving less to build up in the arteries.
Keith Johnson, MD, editor of Turn Back the Clock newsletter, states, "Adding the yucca plant to your diet will act as a natural cortisone, and will wash out the harmful poisons that cause arthritis."
Robert Bingham, MD, director of the Desert Hot Springs Medical Clinic in Palm Springs, CA, "We have known for several years that a food supplement extracted from yucca acts like a natural form of cortisone, to reduce and eliminate the pain, swelling and joint stiffness suffered by arthritis victims. Toxic substances or harmful bacteria, when absorbed into the system, create allergic responses - anything from migraine to arthritis. Consequently, an anti-stress agent such as yucca saponin might have the same beneficial effect on wastes in the body and be effective in treating arthritis by improving and protecting the intestinal flora, rather than any direct action upon arthritis. Strong evidence supports the theory that some forms of arthritis may be caused or worsened by toxic substances occurring in the intestines and absorbed by the body. Yucca seems to inhibit these harmful intestinal bacteria and at the same time help the natural and normal forms of bacteria found in the tract.
Dr. Bingham, in the Journal of Applied Nutrition (Vol.27, No.2 and No.3), reported that 60 percent of people who took the yucca supplements experienced diminished pain, swelling, and stiffness. There were no side-effects. Further, those who took the yucca extract supplement had lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and relief from intestinal toxicity.
In 1975, Dr. Robert Bingham, director of the National Arthritis Medical Clinic, tested Yucca saponin extract on 149 patients at the California center. Most of the patients later felt less pain, stiffness, and swelling in their joints. Others also received additional benefits, such as, migraine relief, lower blood pressure, and cholesterol/triglyceride reduction. Dr. Bingham believes that the saponins aid digestion and absorption of fats. They also work as cleansing substances which help prevent absorption of harmful bacteria and protozoa from the bowel that cause the stiffness and inflammation in the joints, he says. These compounds also appear to improve circulation.
Mary Clarke, Ph.D., of Kansas State University reports that saponins "serve as natural antibiotics for the plant." And now, "scientists are looking at how they can help humans fight fungal infections, combat microbes and viruses, boost the effectiveness of certain vaccines, and knock out some kinds of tumor cells, particularly lung and blood cancers. They can also lower blood cholesterol thereby reducing heart disease.
"One of the most exciting prospects for saponins are how they appear to inhibit or kill cancer cells. They may also be able to do it without killing normal cells...(Ed. note: no side effects with yucca have been observed.) While drugs have side effects, many of them serious, saponins are safe."
According to an article written by Dr. Arnold Pike in 1990 (The Healing Properties of Yucca, Let's Live, Aug.1990), there were at that time more than 100 universities and institutions around the world investigating the natural healing properties of yucca. Native Americans of the Southwest used yucca as shampoo, to treat wounds and sores, as well as symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. Yucca has been on the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) list with the US FDA since 1965 (It is also used as a flavoring and foaming agent in food and beverages).
To learn more visit our yucca information page.
Tags: Yucca Extract Human Use
BENEFITS OF YUCCA EXTRACT