Goldenseal
Hydrastis canadensis
also known as orange root
Moderate (topical antimicrobial only)
A North American woodland plant prized for its bright yellow root, used by Indigenous peoples and 19th-century herbalists for infections of the skin and mucous membranes. alkaloid found in goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape. It has real antimicrobial action and affects how the liver processes many medications.">Berberine, the main active compound, has real antimicrobial action — but goldenseal is also seriously over-harvested in the wild.
- Topical use eases minor skin and mucous membrane infections
- Traditional use as a wash for sore throat, mouth ulcers, and minor wounds
- alkaloid found in goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape. It has real antimicrobial action and affects how the liver processes many medications.">Berberine has real antimicrobial action against many bacteria, fungi, and parasites
- Often combined with echinacea in cold-and-flu formulas, though this combination has limited evidence
- Best evidence is for topical and short-term use — not for systemic infections
Goldenseal is critically over-harvested — look for cultivated, not wild-harvested, sources to support its survival
Berberine interacts with many medications by affecting how the liver metabolizes them — caution with prescription drugs in general
Skip during pregnancy — berberine can cross the placenta and may cause newborn jaundice (kernicterus risk)
Skip during nursing — can transfer to infants and cause kernicterus
Use caution with high blood pressure — large doses can affect blood pressure
Limit continuous use to a few weeks
Does not mask drug tests — that myth has been thoroughly debunked
Research
- Marked Improvement in Treatment-Intolerant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in an Adolescent Using a Glutamatergic Regimen With Dextromethorphan, Piracetam, and Goldenseal Root.
- Synergistic antifungal effects of botanical extracts against Candida albicans.
- Machine learning-guided in Silico identification of Na⁺-NQR inhibitors from Berberis vulgaris and Hydrastis Canadensis phytochemicals against Vibrio cholerae.
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