The Sacred Bark: Nature’s Gentle Digestive Support

At a Glance: Cascara sagrada—known as “the sacred bark”—has supported digestive health and natural bowel regularity for centuries. Learn how the responsible wildcrafting of this herbal laxative makes it a trusted choice for gentle constipation support today.

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Some ingredients earn their reputation not just for what they do, but for how they’re gathered.

 

Cascara sagrada—Spanish for “sacred bark”—is one of nature’s most time-honored botanicals for digestive support. Traditionally used around the world as an effective but gentle laxative, cascara helps support intestinal contraction and healthy bowel regularity.

 

But its story begins long before it reaches a capsule. It begins in the forest.

 

WHERE THE SACRED BARK GROWS

 

Cascara trees flourish along the coastal forests stretching from British Columbia to northern California. They often appear naturally in areas where timber has been harvested, helping restore biodiversity as forests regenerate. While conifers are replanted intentionally, cascara often grows alongside them—an early partner in rebuilding healthy ecosystems.

 

In this way, cascara doesn’t just grow in the forest. It helps sustain forest regrowth.

 

HARVESTED THE RIGHT WAY

 

Nature’s Sunshine partners with reputable, multigenerational wildcrafters who understand these reforestation cycles deeply. Their knowledge guides when to harvest, how much bark to collect, and how to protect the overall ecosystems so they can continue to thrive.

 

Cascara is typically harvested by hand from mature trees between 10 and 20 years old, during the proper seasonal window (mid-May through August). After harvest, the bark is cut into sections, kiln-dried, and aged before final processing—a careful approach that supports quality, effectiveness, and sustainable regrowth.

 

Responsible wildcrafting ensures cascara remains available for future generations while contributing to healthy reforestation efforts.

 

A TRADITION ROOTED IN HISTORY

 

Native American tribes first shared cascara’s benefits with Spanish settlers in the 1600s, who named it cascara sagrada, or “holy bark,” in recognition of its effectiveness. By the late 1800s it was exported worldwide and became widely recognized as a botanical for digestive health and bowel regularity.

 

Although heavy demand in the early 1900s led to overharvesting, cascara has since reestablished itself across the Pacific Northwest. Today, careful sourcing and sustainable harvesting practices help protect both the species and its habitat.

 

EARTH’S GENTLE SUPPORT FOR DIGESTIVE HEALTH

 

Cascara sagrada remains a trusted choice for occasional constipation relief and digestive balance. By supporting natural intestinal movement, it helps the body maintain comfortable, regular elimination—an important part of overall digestive wellness.

 

As a key ingredient in Lower Bowel Stimulator (one of Nature's Sunshine's most popular herbal products worldwide), Cascara Sagrada is valued for its gentle action, and dependable results.

We honor the forests that grow this sacred bark, the harvesters who steward them responsibly, and the opportunity to share nature’s wisdom—with quality verified through rigorous scientific testing.

 

Watch the video below to meet one of our wildcrafters and see how cascara is harvested with respect for the land and its future.

 

It’s one more way we strive to Be More Earth^®—honoring the source, supporting sustainability, and sharing nature’s gifts with care.