Major Actions of Saponins in the Body:
Properties of saponin containing herbs are many & varied and may include alterative, diuretic, expectorant, anti-catarrhal, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, antioxidant, emmenagogue, cardiac stimulant, hormone modulating, hepatoprotective, and adrenal adaptogenic effects. Possibly their most important property is to accelerate the body’s ability to absorb other active compounds. Some of their more specific noted effects include:
Hepatoprotective providing Kuppfer cell support in the liver promoting detoxification
Adaptogen (or Adrenal tonic effect) & Hormone modulating by mimicing our endogenous hormones and specifcally sparing cortisol
Stimulating expectorant effect via activation of mucociliary escalator and mucous membrane irritation
Diuretic effect via local irritation of kidney epithelia
Gentle Detoxifiers eliminating toxic buildup in various ways throughout the body
Cholesterol lowering by binding with cholesterol so it cannot be re-absorbed into the system. Bile acids form mixed micelles with cholesterol, facilitating its absorption. Saponins cause a depletion of body cholesterol by preventing its reabsorption, thus increasing its excretion, in much the same way as other cholesterol-lowering drugs (sequestrants). Note: The binding of bile acids by saponins has other important implications, as primary bile acids are metabolized by bacteria in the colon, producing secondary bile acids which can be promoters of colon cancer (see anti-cancer effects).
Anti-cancer – The proposed mechanism of anti-carcinogenic properties of saponins include antioxidant effect, direct and select cytotoxicity of cancer cells, immune-modulation, acid and neutral sterol metabolism and regulation of cell proliferation. Cancer cells also have more cholesterol-type compounds in their membranes than normal cells, thus as saponins can bind cholesterol and they may interfere with cell growth and division of cancer cells.
