Sarsaparilla - “Root” to good health

Today the market is flooded with various colas, sodas and ready-to-drink fruit drinks that have wiped out our rich heritage of health drinks, tonics and “sherbets”  This article looks at a little known, healthier alternative to colas and other so called health drinks - Sarsaparilla. Interestingly Sarsaparilla (Zarzaparilla) is a Spanish word, in fact a combination of 3 Spanish words: zarza (bramble or bush), parra (vine), and illa (small) quite literally, a small, brambled vine.
In India Sarsaparilla is more popularly known as nannari (Tamil), soghadhe beru (kannada), and Sugandhi (hindi). Sarsaparilla is a woody wine that can grow up to a height of 50 m and bears small flowers and black, blue or red berry-like fruits.

The sarsaparilla root finds use in traditional systems of medicine including ayurveda. Sarsaparilla has been in use for hundreds of years and the extract from the root is known to cool the body, detoxify the body and improve blood circulation. In ayurveda it is also prescribed to treat sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), urinary tract infections, and skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis.
The sarsaparilla extract is usually available as pure concentrated syrup that can be mixed with water or chilled milk to make a refreshing and cooling health-drink. Pure sarsaparilla extract is rich in vitamins A, B-complex, C, and D and therefore can also be consumed as a general health tonic.