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Ingredients/Compound/Collinsonia Canadensis

Collinsonia Canadensis.

Read pending.Collinsonia Canadensis is in the library; the clinical read is in the queue.

Research-backed compound with potential health benefits. Traditionally used to tone veins and tissues. Think hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and throat irritation. Astringent properties are the main idea here.

500 to 1,000mgDaily amount29Studies read

Reviewed March 2026

CCCompound
Collinsonia CanadensisIngredientMD
Category
Compound

What Collinsonia Canadensis is, and what it does.

Does it work
Maybe. It has a century of traditional use but almost zero modern human trials. You're betting on historical anecdotes, not data.
How much to take
Standard dose is around 400-800mg of the dried root, once or twice daily. Tinctures are also common; follow the label.
Time to feel it
A tincture gives you that dry, astringent mouthfeel straight away. Anything beyond that builds slowly, and traditional practice ran courses of several weeks.
The first dose
Nothing. This isn't a painkiller. Any effects would take weeks to build up.
With regular use
After 4-6 weeks, some people report improvement in hemorrhoid symptoms or varicose vein discomfort. Many feel nothing at all.
How well tolerated
Considered well tolerated in most. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. Check with a doc if you have kidney problems due to its traditional use as a diuretic.
How it feels
You don't really 'feel' it. It's about a gradual, subtle reduction in specific symptoms like swelling or discomfort over time.
The overlooked benefit
The root's mucilage swells into a viscous coat in water, which is why old herbal practice reached for it for a scratchy throat rather than for anything systemic.

500 to 1,000mg a day is where Collinsonia Canadensis works.

How much to take a dayLimited data
500 to 1,000mg
Daily maintenanceThe everyday amount, and where most daily supplements sit. This is the one you take month after month.
2,000mgClinical territory. Trials run high on purpose, for a set number of weeks, against one measured outcome. Impressive to hit, and not what a daily product is for.
Above 3,000mgPast what the research covers. More capsules rather than more effect.
MORE EFFECT ↑01,000mg2,000mg plateauDAILY DOSE →
The shaded band is where the dosing trials landed.

Source: Traditional eclectic medicine. Stone root for venous congestion.

The proof, claim by claim.

These words describe the research, not the molecule's worth. Research strength is how much work stands behind one claim, and it is never a product score.

Read pending.

Collinsonia Canadensis is documented in the library; the clinical read is in the queue. Nothing about the strength of the research prints until the read is done.

  • Astringent action on mucous membranesIn vitro study
  • Demulcent coating of the throatNarrative review
  • Traditional use for venous and tissue toneNarrative review
  • Saponin surfactant behaviour in aqueous extractsIn vitro study
PubMedCochraneClinicalTrials.govNIH ODSSUPP.AI29 studies readLabs test. IngredientMD verifies.PubMedCochraneClinicalTrials.govNIH ODSSUPP.AI29 studies readLabs test. IngredientMD verifies.

Questions people ask about Collinsonia Canadensis.

Is this really made from stone?
No, it's a plant. 'Stoneroot' comes from its hard, dense root and its traditional use for kidney stones.
Can I just drink it as a tea?
You could, but it's very astringent and not pleasant. Capsules or tinctures are much easier to take.
Is it a stimulant?
Nope. No energy buzz or jitters. It's a tissue and vein tonic.
Better than standard creams or treatments?
Unlikely. Think of it as a potential supporting player, not a first-line treatment. Stick with what's proven first.
Why is it also called Horse Balm?
Because it has a strong, lemony scent when crushed, similar to other 'balm' plants, and was reportedly used for horses.
Pairs well with15 on file

Why these belong in the same formula. Each row says what the basis is, from settled biochemistry through to a trial that measured the pair.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Horse Chestnut (Escin)venous tone formulation practice

Escin reduces capillary permeability and raises venous tone through effects on the endothelial glycocalyx, while stone root contributes tannin-based astringency in the same formulas. The pairing is traditional practice rather than settled combination pharmacology.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Butchers Broom (Ruscus)venous tone formulation practice

Ruscogenins act on alpha-adrenergic receptors in venous smooth muscle to raise tone, a mechanism distinct from stone root's tannin astringency. The two have travelled together in venotonic preparations, so the basis is practice plus one characterised mechanism.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Diosmin/Hesperidinvenous tone formulation practice

Diosmin slows noradrenaline breakdown in the vein wall and reduces capillary fragility, alongside stone root's astringent role. Only the flavonoid side carries characterised pharmacology, so the pairing sits at early confidence.

Collinsonia Canadensis + RutinEstablished plant chemistry and long-standing formulation practice

Rutin is a flavonol glycoside used in venous-tone formulas, and collinsonia root brings tannins, saponins and a small volatile oil fraction to the same category of product. The two are combined for overlapping traditional use rather than because a trial has measured them together. No combination study was located, so the pairing is formulation convention with plant chemistry behind it.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Grape seed extractShared polyphenol chemistry, formulation convention

Grape seed proanthocyanidins and collinsonia tannins are both condensed polyphenols with astringent protein-binding behaviour. Products aimed at venous comfort routinely place them in the same blend. The overlap is chemical and traditional, not a measured additive effect in people.

Collinsonia Canadensis + PycnogenolShared polyphenol chemistry

Pine bark procyanidins occupy the same formulation slot as collinsonia in circulatory-support blends. Both are polyphenol-rich botanical extracts with astringent character. The pairing rests on category convention and shared chemistry, and no head-to-head or combination trial was located.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Vitamin CEstablished biochemistry of collagen formation plus formulation convention

Vitamin C is a required cofactor for the prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases that stabilise collagen, which is a structural component of normal vessel walls. Collinsonia contributes astringent tannins with no role in that enzymology, so the two act on different footings inside one blend. The cofactor relationship is textbook; the combined effect on any endpoint has not been measured.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Bilberry extractShared anthocyanin and polyphenol chemistry

Bilberry anthocyanins and collinsonia polyphenols are frequently formulated together in circulatory blends. Both classes are absorbed poorly intact and are extensively metabolised by gut microbiota into smaller phenolic acids. Read the pairing as chemical overlap rather than a demonstrated combined outcome.

Collinsonia Canadensis + IronEstablished pharmacology of polyphenol and non-heme iron binding

Tannins and other polyphenols bind non-heme iron in the gut lumen and form poorly absorbed complexes, a well-characterised food-chemistry interaction. Collinsonia root is a tannin-bearing material, so taking it in the same sitting as an iron dose is expected to lower iron uptake. Separating the two by a couple of hours is the ordinary handling of this interaction.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Ferrous sulfateEstablished pharmacology of polyphenol and non-heme iron binding

Ferrous sulfate delivers non-heme iron, the exact form most sensitive to polyphenol binding. Tannins from collinsonia root precipitate iron in the gut lumen before it reaches the enterocyte. The direction is competitive, and dose separation is the standard handling.

Collinsonia Canadensis + ZincEstablished mineral and polyphenol binding chemistry

Polyphenols and phytate-like ligands reduce zinc solubility in the gut, and tannin-rich botanicals fall into that group. The effect on zinc is smaller and less consistently characterised than the effect on non-heme iron. Read it as a plausible absorption competition worth spacing rather than a quantified one.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Psyllium huskFormulation convention in anorectal comfort blends

Psyllium adds soluble fibre that holds water and softens stool, which supports comfort during normal elimination. Collinsonia is included in the same products for its traditional astringent role. The two work by unrelated mechanisms and the pairing is convention, not a measured combination.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Marshmallow rootTraditional herbal pairing, shared mucilage chemistry

Marshmallow root is a mucilage-forming botanical that coats mucosal surfaces physically. Collinsonia contributes mucilage of its own alongside its tannins. Traditional formularies place the two together; no clinical measurement of the pair was located.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Slippery elmTraditional herbal pairing, shared mucilage chemistry

Slippery elm bark forms a viscous mucilage in water, a purely physical demulcent behaviour. It is paired with collinsonia in traditional preparations aimed at mucosal comfort. The basis is historical use plus shared polysaccharide chemistry.

Collinsonia Canadensis + Collagen peptidesFormulation convention in connective-tissue blends

Collagen peptides supply glycine, proline and hydroxyproline as amino acid substrate for normal connective tissue. Collinsonia has no known role in collagen synthesis and sits in the same product for its traditional venous-tone use. Nothing measured supports a combined effect, so the row is formulation practice.

Who should be cautious

Nothing specific on file for Collinsonia Canadensis. Match the label to the daily amount above, and tell your doctor what you take.

Not medical advice. Show the label to your pharmacist.

What Collinsonia Canadensis actually does.

Established

Collinsonia canadensis root and rhizome are tannin-bearing plant material, and tannins bind and precipitate proteins on contact, which is the chemical basis of the astringent sensation these preparations produce.

Established

The alcohol-soluble fraction carries the tannins and volatile constituents, which is why hydroalcoholic tinctures and dry ethanolic extracts differ in composition from a simple water infusion of the same root.

Established

Polyphenols of this class are absorbed poorly in intact form and are largely transformed by colonic microbiota into smaller phenolic acids before any systemic exposure occurs.

Strong

The root also contains saponins, which are amphiphilic glycosides that lower surface tension and can act as natural surfactants in an aqueous extract.

Grown, 6 steps on record

Where Collinsonia Canadensis comes from.

It comes from the root of a woodland plant. The root is dug, washed, dried and either ground into powder for capsules or soaked in alcohol and water to make a liquid extract.

Made from a plant. What ends up in the capsule tracks the harvest, so batch testing and a stated marker matter more here than with a made molecule.

Starts as
Collinsonia canadensis root and rhizome

A perennial mint-family plant of eastern North American woodlands. The underground parts are the portion used; the aerial parts are not the article of commerce.

Extracted by
Harvest, wash and dry

Roots are lifted, washed free of soil, cut and dried at low heat to stabilise the material and stop microbial growth before milling.

Converted by
Milling to powder

The dried root is ground to a free-flowing powder that can be encapsulated directly or used as extraction feedstock.

Extracted by
Aqueous ethanol maceration or percolation

For liquid and dry extracts, the milled root is steeped or percolated in an ethanol and water mixture that carries both the tannins and the volatile fraction.

Purified by
Solvent removal for dry extracts

Vacuum concentration or spray drying removes the solvent and leaves a powder, usually deposited on a carrier such as maltodextrin.

Ends up as
Capsule, tablet or tincture

Powder is filled or compressed; liquid extract is standardised for ethanol content and bottled with a dropper.

Wild-collected versus cultivated sourcing is rarely stated on a label, and the two differ in constituent variability.

The forms it comes in.

Collinsonia canadensis root powderWhole milled plant material carrying the full tannin, saponin, mucilage and volatile-oil profile at native concentration.Fits Capsules and traditional whole-herb formulas where the intent is the unfractionated root.Trade-off Constituent content varies with growing conditions and harvest, and nothing is standardised to a marker compound.
Collinsonia liquid extract in ethanol and waterThe root is macerated in aqueous ethanol, which pulls both the water-soluble tannins and the alcohol-soluble volatile fraction into solution.Fits Drop dosing, blended liquid formulas, and anyone wanting a rapidly dispersing preparation.Trade-off Carries residual ethanol, and the mucilage fraction is under-represented compared with a water extract.
Collinsonia root dry extract on a carrierA liquid extract is concentrated and the solvent removed, leaving a powder that is typically loaded onto maltodextrin or a similar carrier.Fits Tablets and capsules where a defined extract ratio is wanted in a small fill volume.Trade-off The extract ratio describes starting material, not a quantified active, so two products at the same ratio are not necessarily comparable.
Side effects reported to the FDA

Problems people have reported.

Read this carefully. These are 4,612 voluntary, unverified reactions reported to the FDA (openFDA). The number mostly reflects how popular Collinsonia Canadensis is, not how risky it is. A report is not proof Collinsonia Canadensis caused anything. It is a signal of what to watch for, nothing more.

Fatigue
168
Nausea
150
Diarrhoea
134
Dizziness
132
Pain
132
Headache
131

Source: openFDA adverse-event reports. Voluntary reporting, not an incidence rate.

FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.