Senna Alexandrina: Benefits, Side Effects, Best Time to Take It & More

Senna Alexandrina

(Sennosides)

Evidence: Reasonable
Possible Benefits: Reasonable
Safety: Reasonable

What is Senna alexandrina?

Senna alexandrina is a herb with a long history of use as a laxative. It is very effective at treating constipation. This article is about the main benefits of Senna alexandrina, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

Possible benefits

All of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. As with most other herbs, there is a sweet-spot dose that allows you to get most of the benefits without causing meaningful side effects or tolerance buildup in the body. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Major benefits

Laxative effects – Senna alexandrina is by far the strongest natural laxative we know of. It is very reliable and effective against regular, postpartum, and opioid-induced constipation.

Possible side effects

The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

Electrolyte depletion – Since Senna acts as a laxative, it can deplete the body of electrolytes and other water-soluble minerals and micronutrients.
Allergic reaction – Some people are allergic to this herb and may experience an allergic reaction after they start taking it. Unlike the “initial adverse reaction,” allergic reactions typically don’t go away until one stops taking the herb.
Nausea – This side effect is most common when people take the herb on an empty stomach.
Diarrhea – This is usually not considered a side effect as most people take Senna for its laxative effects.
Toxicity – The LD50 of Senna in rats is about 5,000mg/kg. This is a very high dose, suggesting there is a small chance of any acute toxicity. However, taking moderate-high doses for a prolonged period may lead to chronic toxicity over time.
Contamination – If growing or storing conditions are not adequately controlled, Senna alexandrina can be contaminated with bacteria, molds, and other potentially harmful microorganisms. Some growers also use pesticides and herbicides that can be unsafe. Another issue is that herbal supplements can get contaminated with other supplements and chemicals during the manufacturing process. Choose the brand you get herbs and herbal supplements from wisely. It is often best to use websites like Amazon, where thousands of users have reviewed and rated the products. You are less likely to buy something of lower quality there.

Who should not take Senna alexandrina?

You should probably avoid taking Senna alexandrina if you:

are not constipated
are allergic to this herb
are deficient in electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium
are pregnant or breastfeeding (while it can be safe to take this herb during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it acts as a mild stressor and can cause some unnecessary risk to the child)

Who will benefit the most?

You should consider taking the supplement if you:

are constipated

How much Senna alexandrina should you take?

The best dose of Senna is the lowest dose required to get the desired effect. This is usually 10-30 mg of Sennosides or about a gram of Senna Alexandrina powder.

Taking any more than this amount typically isn’t necessary and could cause more harm than good.

Best time to take Senna alexandrina

You can take this herb with or without food. Each of these options has its benefits. The main bioactive compounds in the herb should absorb well either way.

If you experience nausea or stomach discomfort when you take this herb, taking it with food should prevent these unpleasant effects or at least make them less intense.

If you take this herb on an empty stomach, the short-term effects will kick in faster and they will be more pronounced but will not last as long.

Whether you take this herb in the morning or the evening typically does not make much difference. Both options are fine so feel free to experiment.

Interactions

Electrolytes
Because of its laxative effects, Senna can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Because of this, it is good to drink lots of fluids and make sure you’re getting enough sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Make sure that the form of magnesium is not magnesium oxide or sulfate as these can be very laxative as well.

Where to buy Senna alexandrina?

Amazon is the best option for ordering Senna alexandrina and other herbs and herbal supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.

Some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

FAQ

Yes. It is not good to take Senna on daily basis. Only take this herb when you need to and do not take it when you aren’t constipated. If you are constipated for a prolonged period, only take this herb for a maximum of 5-7 days in a row, and then choose a different laxative if the constipation hasn’t been resolved by the time you stop taking Senna.

When you take an extract standardized for Sennosides, you know exactly how potent it is and how much you need to take to get the desired outcome. Herbal extracts also tend to be cheaper than unextracted powders in many cases. However, many of the potentially beneficial compounds get lost during the extraction process. Therefore, if you know how potent the unextracted powder is, it is almost always a better option.

Yes, you can. This herb should not impact your sleep in any negative way. Whether you take it in the morning or the evening typically doesn’t make much of a difference. Both options are fine so feel free to experiment.

This herb should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date but it can lose potency over time. Keep the herb or the herbal supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place, and it should remain just as potent for many months or even years.

Yes. The best dose to take is the lowest dose that allows you to get the desired effect. Taking any more than that is unnecessary and could cause more harm than good.

While you could safely take higher doses, there is usually no point in taking more than 1 gram of a dry herb powder or 30 mg of Sennosides daily. This amount should give you most of the benefits without meaningful side effects. Paradoxically, taking a higher dose would likely lead to fewer benefits as the body would quickly become accustomed to the herb.

The half-life of Senna alexandrina in the body is about 6-12 hours. This herb should be processed in your body within 2 days of consuming it.

The laxative effects of this herb can usually be noticed within 6-12 hours after ingestion. Sometimes, it takes as long as 24 hours to notice.

Yes, Senna alexandrina is vegan-friendly. If you buy this herb in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

No, it doesn’t. The herb does not interfere with fasting in any significant way.

References

Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

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