Interesting info on Yucca

February 7, 2012

It is funny how I can search for information and not find anything and then I

try again a little differently and hit upon a wealth of information.

Anyway, yucca gets discussed here as something that can help lower ammonia in

the body. I have heard some recommendations say that it should be given with

high protein meals (because the breakdown of protein produces ammonia) and some

just recommend taking capsules during the day without specifying with a protein

meal.

So I was researching to try to figure out if it only worked on ammonia in the

digestive system or if it worked in the bloodstream as well. I can't say that I

got an exact answer because the first short article I will link says it is the

saponins that bind the ammonia and saponins don't leave the digestive system.

However, the second article says the mode of action on yucca reducing air

ammonia levels (when yucca is given to livestock) is not known, but it is not

believed to be the saponins.

My conclusion was to try to give it when protein meals are eaten, but if I don't

give it at that time, to still give it during the day because there still may be

ammonia in the digestive system and/or there may be another mode of action which

will still help.

Anyway, with all the talk about Immusist being a propietary surfactant product,

I thought some of you might be interested in knowing that yucca is also a

surfactant, is antiprotozoal, and has blood cholesterol lowering properties.

The one thing that jumped out at me as possibly not being good is that the

quillaja (soapbark tree) saponins can increase gut mucuosal permeability, but I

don't know if that is true of yucca saponins. It won't stop me from using it,

but I wanted to point it out.

Here are the two articles:

Cathy

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