What Is Hydrangea Root Good for? Benefits and Side Effects

Hydrangea plants are commonly used for decorative purposes because of their beautiful blue and lavender flowers. On top of that, their roots are also thought to contain medicinal properties. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the hydrangea root and discover its uses, health benefits, side effects, and more.

Hydrangeas are a shrub that is native to North America and certain parts of Asia. They’re mainly considered ornamental plants that are prized for their big, beautiful, and bright blooms and are often spotted in gardens and lawns.

The Hydrangea (Hydrangeaceae) family has more than 70 members. Of these, three species — Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangea macrophylla, and Hydrangea paniculata — are known for their healing properties and have therefore been used in traditional medicine and herbal remedies. The Hydrangea arborescens is the most well-known species in North America.

These species are also known by many other common names like seven barks (due to the seven layers of colored bark outside the hydrangea root), hortensia, smooth hydrangea, wild hydrangea, mophead hydrangea, and bigleaf hydrangea.

The hydrangea root (rhizome) is a small, grayish underground structure that contains many active ingredients. These include compounds like phytochemicals (e.g., hydrangin), alkaloids, and antioxidants (e.g., quercetin, saponins, and kaempferol), which have medicinal effects. It also contains various nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.

These roots have long been used in folk remedies to treat various infections and other illnesses, particularly those related to the kidney and bladder. Today, hydrangea roots are even available as herbal supplements for various conditions like urinary tract infections and kidney stones. 

Here are some of the potential health benefits of the hydrangea root:

Antioxidant properties

Antioxidants are special molecules that protect your body from oxidative stress and cell damage caused by free radicals (or ROS). If the number of free radicals in your body dramatically increases, the damage to your organs can be extensive and lead to many harmful effects and even diseases like cancer.

The hydrangea root contains a group of compounds called coumarins, though, which have antioxidant properties. In animal studies, hydrangea extract was able to decrease the levels of oxidative stress markers like nitric oxide and MDA, demonstrating significant antioxidant effects.

Additional studies on humans are needed to confirm these findings, though.

Anti-inflammatory effects

Inflammation is your body’s natural defense mechanism against any unwanted stimuli like injury, infection, and illness. Your body initiates inflammation by releasing pro-inflammatory markers like nitric oxide, cytokines, interleukins, and tumor necrosis factor. 

However, if the inflammation goes on for a long time or happens without any specific reason, it can cause a lot of damage to your organs. So, anti-inflammatory mechanisms need to be there, too, to keep inflammation levels in check.

Hydrangea root contains compounds like coumarin and derivatives like skimmin, loganin, and sweroside, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties. In animal studies, hydrangea extract was able to regulate the levels of pro-inflammatory markers and prevent the entry of inflammatory cells into the organs, thus suppressing inflammation.

The compounds in hydrangea root may minimize the symptoms and protect against autoimmune disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, asthma, obesity, and psoriasis, which commonly correlate with chronic (long-term) inflammation.

These findings are yet to be researched in human populations, though.

Improved kidney health

Hydrangea extract was found to protect against kidney damage in a mouse study.

Hydrangea root may also be used to treat kidney stones because of its calcium-dissolving properties.

If your kidney is injured, damaged, or not working properly, the levels of certain chemicals like urea (BUN) and creatinine can increase in the blood, and the removal of certain molecules like albumin through the urine can be exaggerated. In animal studies, though, hydrangea extract was able to decrease blood urea nitrogen, blood creatinine, and urinary albumin excretion levels in mice with kidney inflammation. This may be due to the beneficial effect of an active molecule called skimmin, which is present in hydrangea root.

Thus, hydrangea extract may decrease the damage caused by kidney inflammation, though these results have yet to be observed in human populations.

Decreased blood sugar levels

Hydrangea extract may be beneficial in the case of diseases like type 2 diabetes, which is mainly characterized by increased blood sugar levels. 

In lab studies, hydrangea extract containing skimmin was able to improve the usage of blood sugar and reduce insulin resistance.

Enhanced liver health

The chemical compounds like coumarins and secoiridoids in hydrangea extract were able to protect the liver from toxins in lab studies. These findings require additional supportive evidence through human studies.

Potential anticancer properties

Because of their antioxidant properties, the compounds in hydrangea root may have a protective effect against cancer.

In addition, the hydragenol compound in hydrangea extract was able to prevent the growth and spread of bladder cancer cells in lab studies. Confirmatory findings in humans are pending.

Although its leaves are toxic, hydrangea stems and roots are generally considered safe for consumption and are even suggested to have beneficial effects on human health. Still, in some cases, hydrangea root has been reported to cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, chest tightness, and dizziness.

Additionally, if you’re allergic to the compound hydragenol, you may experience an allergic reaction if you come into contact with hydrangea root, so you may wish to consult your doctor before trying this treatment.

Hydrangea root supplements are commercially available in powder, syrup, tincture, capsule, and liquid forms. As research data on humans is limited, the exact dosage of hydrangea is yet to be established. However, most health guidelines warn against consuming more than 2 grams of hydrangea extract at a time to avoid toxicity or any unpleasant side effects.

You can also use hydrangea root (in dried or powder forms) to make tea. Brew around 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of hydrangea root in 250 milliliters (or 8 ounces) of water and simmer briefly.

Make sure to follow all label instructions before taking any hydrangea supplements. If you have any dietary restrictions or health conditions, you may especially want to consult your healthcare provider for guidance. 

Seek medical assistance immediately if you experience any symptoms of illness, such as an allergic reaction, after consuming hydrangea root supplements.