Did you know that Sarsaparilla, a plant whose root is said to be used to make medicines to slow down cancer growth or even cure, is also used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages?

Sarsaparilla (SAR), botanically under the ambit of Smilax genus, a member of lily family, the plant is known to have 350 species spread throughout the world, including India where it is known as Hemidesmus indicus with common name: Indian Sarsaparilla. The words Sarsaparilla and Smilax are interchangeable, and very similar in appearance, uses, and even chemical structure.

Sarsaparilla (a.k.a. zarzaparilla), a derivative from the Spanish word zarza (bramble or bush), parra (vine), and illa (small) is “a small, brambled vine”. It is native to tropical and temperate parts of the world, such as South America, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Mexico, Honduras, the West Indies, indigenous to China and Japan, and India and Burma.

Sarsaparilla grows as a prickly, woody vine to a height of 50 m long, often into the rainforest canopy. The rhizomes are short and thick, with very long, thin roots. The plants are harvested after attaining 2–3 years of age. They are carefully dug up and cut off near the stock, which is then covered up again with surface soil. The harvested roots are then washed well, dried in the sun, and tied up in bundles. The roots contain a bitter principle that is used as a flavoring agent. It is chiefly used as a beverage condiment for the preparation of soft drinks. Sarsaparilla is mostly used in combination with winter green and other aromatic plants.

Medicinally, it is the root of the SAR plant that is used. It is tuberous and fairly tasteless. Its health benefits are cited to include its anticancer potential, the ability to reduce inflammation, help in weight loss, boost the immune system, alleviate skin conditions, increase libido, and relieve stomach issues. It contains a variety of plant steroids and saponins, with many of SARs actions being attributed to them. It also contains flavonoids, documented to have liver-protective qualities. Smilax ornata was considered by Native Americans to have medicinal properties, and was a popular European treatment for syphilis when it was introduced from the New World. From 1820 to 1910, it was registered in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a treatment for syphilis. Smilax ornata in conjunction with sassafras which was more widely available prior to studies of its potential health risks has since been banned. Its use is avoided for kidney problems and for women during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Exposure to Sarsaparilla root dust can cause runny nose and the symptoms of asthma. 

Sarsaparilla is popular soft drink, originally made from the Smilax ornata or other plants, but now sometimes also made with artificial ingredients. In the American “Old West,” Sarsaparilla was the most popular drink of the cowboys. In most Southeast Asian countries, it is known as Sarsi, and there is a Sarsi brand. It is similar in flavour to root beer. 

Indian Sarsaparilla, though not considered at par with Smilax species, as it belongs to a different plant family of Apocyanaceae, is a slender, shrubby plant producing creeping or twining shoots from a woody rootstock. It is known in Hindi as anantamul (अनंत मूल) or anant bel (अनंतबेल); Kannada: ಹಾಲುಬಳ್ಳಿ; Tamil: நன்னாரி “nannaari”/ நன்நெட்டி “nannetti”; Telugu: సుగంధి; Malayalam:നറുനീണ്ടി. Kshirini; कराला Karala; اُشبا Punjabi; and Konkani:"Dukshiri". It grows in the eastern Himalayas and Burma and commonly found in the Indian market. Chobachini, Dweepantar-Vachaa, Madhusnuhi are its names in Ayurvedic medicine, and is known as Chobchini in Unani medicine.  

Mainly the roots, but also the leaves and the latex, are commonly used in Indian herbal medicine or Ayurvedic medicine. and its extract used extensively as tincture Sarsaparilla in Homeopathic medicine. Analysis has revealed the presence of a range of medically active substances in the root including; an essential oil; coumarin; steroids; fatty acids; saponins; a very slight amount of a glycoside; resins and tannin. A paste of the roots is applied externally to swellings and rheumatic joints. The extracts from the root are used in syrup with sugar and a dash of lemon (Sharbat) and served at most small refreshment shops in South India and called Nannari.

In the 21st century, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognized Sarsaparilla (SAR) as nothing more than a flavoring for foods and drinks. Hence. its medicinal use is strictly as a prescriptive medicine authorized by a doctor.

- Narasipur Char