A drawing made for this site. Drag it to turn it.

Indian sarsaparilla (anantmool)

Hemidesmus indicus · अनन्तमूल

Herbs & Roots. Ayurveda.

Also called Anantamul, Sariva, Nannari, Sveta sariva

Sanskrit: अनन्तमूल (Anantmool)

Little human safety research

Anantmool is the root of a twining vine from India, used in Ayurveda as a cooling herb for skin problems and urinary complaints.

Did you know? A cooling drink made from its root, called nannari syrup, is popular in South India. Indian sarsaparilla is unrelated to the Smilax vines sold as American sarsaparilla.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

Kidneys, bladder & UTIs. Used as a urine-promoting herb in Ayurveda. Traditional use only; human trials have not been found.See the research: No trials in people found yet
Traditional proof
Skin. Traditional use for skin complaints. Human research is lacking.See the research: No trials in people found yet
Traditional proof
Cleansing & detox. Ayurvedic texts describe it as a blood purifier. No human studies show that it cleanses or detoxes the blood.See the research: No trials in people found yet
Unproven

Parts of the body

Kidneys & bladder, Skin & hair, Liver

Traditional use

Ayurvedic texts recommend it for skin problems, urinary complaints and fevers, and as a cooling tonic. In South India it is often taken as a cooling syrup.

How it is classified

Herbal actions: Alterative, Diuretic, Anti-inflammatory. Energy: cooling.
Ayurveda: Calms Pitta. Taste (rasa): sweet, bitter. Energy (virya): cooling. After digestion (vipaka): sweet. Mutrala (diuretic), Kushtaghna (skin).

How people take it

Traditionally taken as a root powder mixed in water, or as a cooling syrup. Doses are not well set in human research, so follow product labels or an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Powder, syrup and decoction.

Where to get it

A twining vine native to India and Sri Lanka, with roots that are dug up and dried. Sold as root powder in Ayurvedic shops, and as syrups and blends online.

Be careful

Human safety research is limited, so side effects are not well known. Because it is thought to increase urine flow, use it with care if you have kidney problems or are dehydrated. Avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding and young children.

Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; kidney disease; children under 12.

Mixing with other things

Use caution
Water pills (furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide)
In theory it may add to the urine-promoting effect of water pills. Watch for dehydration or low salt levels.

The honest take

Anantmool has a long Ayurvedic place as a cooling herb for skin and urinary complaints. Its support is mostly tradition, and no good human trials have been found. Claims that it cleanses or detoxes the blood have no human evidence yet.

Sources

Each “See the research” link opens PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's index of medical studies, showing only trials and reviews done in people. The number tells you how much a use has been tested, not whether it worked. The proof rating tells you that.

Study counts checked October 2026.