Bloodroot

19

One of the early flowers in my garden, bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), a native perennial.

Once upon a time this plant was thought to have curative properties. It has been promoted by some supplement companies as a treatment or cure for cancer, but it doesn’t work in that manner, despite what some might want to believe.

It’s been listed among the FDA’s “187 Fake Cancer ‘Cures’ Consumers Should Avoid” and instead is strongly associated with development of premalignant lesions that may develop into oral cancer.

The moral?

Just because something is natural and doesn’t seem all that dangerous, doesn’t mean that it is benign, despite what some might want to believe.

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