Sarsaparilla is a group of plants that grow in tropical parts of the world. There are about 350 species, including Smilax officinalis and Smilax glabra.
Chemicals in sarsaparilla might help decrease pain and swelling. Some chemicals might also help kill cancer cells or slow down their growth.
People use sarsaparilla for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don’t confuse sarsaparilla with German sarsaparilla. These are not the same.
