In this article
- Sarsaparilla (Smilax) is a spiny vine from Central America and the Amazon basin, whose root has been harvested for centuries as a tonic and a purifier.
- Its root concentrates steroidal saponins (sarsasapogenin, smilagenin, parillin) and flavonoids.
- In Central American and Amazonian tradition, it is known as "purifying," a plant of slow, deep cleansing.
- Research has studied several Smilax species: antioxidant activity on skin, anti-inflammatory effects, phytochemistry.
- At Jaina, it is part of the complex of adaptogenic roots present in two Ritual Objects: Amazonian Alchemist and Luminous Rose.
Some plants never grow straight. Sarsaparilla is one of them: a vine that clings, winds, and climbs toward the canopy by wrapping itself around whatever it finds. For centuries, in Central America and the Amazon basin, its root has been harvested as a tonic and a purifier.
What Is Sarsaparilla (Smilax)?
Sarsaparilla actually refers to several species of the genus Smilax, in the Smilacaceae family: woody, spiny vines that can grow dozens of meters long. Some grow in Mexico and Central America (Smilax aristolochiifolia, the one found in our formulas), others directly in the Amazon basin (Smilax officinalis, Smilax papyracea), historically harvested along the Ucayali and other Amazon tributaries, the same river that runs past Pucallpa, where it all began for us.
The root, long and fibrous, dark brown, concentrates steroidal saponins (sarsasapogenin, smilagenin, parillin) along with flavonoids.1 These are the molecules that give it its characteristic foaming texture when boiled, and that were long used to flavor and foam root-based beverages, including the famous American "sarsaparilla" soda.
PHOTO - Sarsaparilla root (Smilax), close-up (4:3 format)Sarsaparilla in Amazonian Tradition
As early as the 16th century, European explorers reported sarsaparilla root as a general tonic, taken as a decoction. Exported from the New World, it became one of the most widely traded medicinal roots of its time, reputed to be a "blood purifier."
In the traditional medicine of Central America and the Amazon basin, the root has been used for generations as a fortifying and purifying plant, a category that traditional pharmacopoeia associates with everything that supports the body's natural elimination functions: the skin, the joints, the terrain. It appears both in everyday decoctions and in care for troubled skin.
This idea of a slow, deep purification, with no dramatic gesture, runs through many plants in the Amazonian pharmacopoeia. It resonates with what we learned from Shipibo healers on our first trips to Pucallpa: living things are not healed on the surface.
What Research Is Studying in Smilax
A landmark review has compiled the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of the Smilax genus, confirming the importance of its steroidal saponins and flavonoids.1
In the lab, a sarsaparilla extract protected human skin fibroblasts exposed to UVB, reducing oxidative stress and supporting the cell's antioxidant enzymes.2
Smilax ornata extracts (Jamaican sarsaparilla) showed anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in animal models, documenting a long-standing traditional use.3
A study on Smilax purhampuy, an Amazonian sarsaparilla, characterized the phytochemical profile and anti-inflammatory activity of its leaves and rhizomes.4
1. "The genus Smilax L.: a comprehensive review of traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and toxicity." South African Journal of Botany, 2026. ScienceDirect
2. "Antioxidant effects of the sarsaparilla via scavenging of reactive oxygen species and induction of antioxidant enzymes in human dermal fibroblasts." Toxicology in Vitro, 2014. PubMed
3. Khan, A., et al. "Investigation of the anti-inflammatory and the analgesic effects of the extracts from Smilax ornata Lem. (Jamaican sarsaparilla) plant." Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2019. PubMed
4. "Phytochemical profile and anti-inflammatory activity of leaves and rhizomes of Smilax purhampuy Ruiz." 2019. View the study
5. Taylor, L. "Sarsaparilla (Smilax officinalis)." The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs, Rain-Tree Tropical Plant Database, 2025. Rain-Tree
These studies are referenced on PubMed, ScienceDirect, and tropical ethnobotany databases, under the entry Smilax / sarsaparilla.
Found in Our Ritual Objects
Sarsaparilla joins Suma here among the adaptogenic roots, alongside sangre de drago and murumuru butter.
Here, it joins Suma, croton, and immortelle in the complex of resins and roots that supports the bakuchiol.
A vine that never grows straight, that always finds a path where a tree could not pass: it is also a beautiful way of working the skin, in depth, without ever forcing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sarsaparilla (Smilax)?
Sarsaparilla refers to several species of spiny vines in the genus Smilax, found in Central America and the Amazon basin. Its root, rich in steroidal saponins, has been harvested for centuries as a tonic and purifying plant.
Why is sarsaparilla considered "purifying"?
In traditional pharmacopoeia, "purifying" describes a plant that supports the body's natural elimination functions. Sarsaparilla was used in this sense as early as the 16th century, reputed as a "blood purifier," a use linked to its saponins.
Is sarsaparilla used in traditional Amazonian medicine?
Yes. In the Amazon basin and Central America, the root has been used for generations as a fortifying and purifying plant, in the idea of a slow, deep cleansing, particularly for the skin and joints. These cultural uses do not constitute medical advice.
Which Jaina Ritual Objects contain sarsaparilla?
It is part of the complex of adaptogenic roots present in the Amazonian Alchemist balm and the Luminous Rose serum.
Related Ritual Objects
This page presents the history, botany, and scientific research devoted to sarsaparilla (Smilax) for informational purposes; it does not constitute a claim about the effects of our Ritual Objects. Want to explore the other plants in our rituals? Discover our ingredient glossary.