Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Southern Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) has a documented history of use in traditional herbal medicine by various Indigenous peoples and early American practitioners, particularly for digestive complaints including colic in adults. In traditional North American herbalism, both the bark and berries were employed as a stimulant and carminative, believed to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort, abdominal pain, and spasms associated with colic. The Eclectic physicians of the 19th and early 20th centuries also listed Southern Prickly Ash as a remedy for colic, citing its warming and stimulating properties thought to enhance circulation and alleviate digestive distress. However, while these traditional uses are well-documented in historical texts and herbal materia medica, there is a lack of modern scientific studies or clinical trials specifically validating its efficacy for adult colic. Most available evidence remains anecdotal or based on practitioner experience rather than controlled research. Thus, while the use of Southern Prickly Ash for adult colic is rooted in tradition, the quality and amount of supporting evidence is modest and not substantiated by contemporary scientific investigation.

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