Herbs Containing Saponins

Saponins are used for everything from the making of soap to the treatment of cancer. Herbs containing saponins act as natural remedies for several conditions, including high cholesterol, and the pharmaceutical industry is developing disease-specific drugs from these compounds. A diet rich in saponins at their naturally occurring levels is not only healthy, but tasty as well.

Chemistry

• Saponins and other surfactants are used in soap.

  Saponins are a kind of compound found in some herbs, foods, desert plants and a few sea creatures, including starfish and sea cucumbers. They are composed of steroid, alkaloid or triterpene molecules and sugar molecules bonded together, and are known for their foaming properties. Saponins are surfactants, meaning they bond chemically to both water and oil, and those reactions create a thick foam. Surfactants like saponins are the active ingredient in soap.

Herbs

• Paprika contains saponins.

  Herbs containing saponins include ginseng, fenugreek, alfalfa and paprika. Some other edible plants also contain saponins, such as asparagus, agave, soybeans, red onions and chickpeas.

  Saponins often contain a high concentration of sugars, so some variants are quite sweet. They are used both as sweeteners and for health benefits. If taken in large doses, saponins may have harmful side effects, but they are harmless at the concentrations found in nature.

Health

• Saponins are used in medications for heart disease.

  Saponins are used medicinally as antibiotics and to treat high cholesterol. They bond with cholesterol molecules during digestion, and then the body cannot absorb the cholesterol; they're also used as a preventative for heart disease because of this property. They are useful as anti-carcinogens, too, and are particularly effective against blood cancers and lung cancer. They also act as immune-boosters. When administered with vaccines, saponin-based drugs can help the body fight off the infection, making the vaccines more effective.

Other Uses

• The foam on root beer is made using saponins.

  The foaming properties of saponins make them useful in several non-medicinal capacities. The head on root beer, for example, is made from yucca extracts containing saponin. Lipstick and other cosmetics also use saponins, and they are common in shampoos. They are helpful in the process of ore separation in the mining industry, and they are also used to make camera film and photo paper. Saponins kill snails, so they are found in some pesticides as well.