HemClear Ingredients Research

Please find a list of the ingredients found in HemClear and the research behind each one. You can find a comparison of the ingredients in each product by clicking here.

1. Witch Hazel

“Witch hazel works wonders for external hemorrhoids–especially ones that bleed–Witch hazel–a tincture of the leaves and bark of the native North American witch hazel (Hamamelis spp.) bush–causes blood vessels to contract. This makes it effective for shrinking hemorrhoids on contact.”
-Dr. Marvin Schuster, chief of the Department of Digestive Diseases at Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, in Rodale Press’s “Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies.
Link: https://www.livestrong.com/article/149042-home-remedies-for-dissolving-hemorrhoids

“Pharmacological studies have suggested that witch hazel strengthens veins and is anti-inflammatory.”
-University of Michigan Website: Korting HC, Schafer-Korting M, Hart H, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of Hamamelis distillate applied topically to the skin. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1993;44:315-8.
Link: https://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=hw_cam&AEArticleID=hn-2186007

“Researchers from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, demonstrated the anti-inflammtory activities of aqueous ethanolic extracts of Witch Hazel in a study of induced carrageenan rat paw oedema.”
-Duwiejua M, et al, Anti-inflammatory activity of Polygonum
bistorta, Guaiacum officinale and Hamamelis virginiana in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1994 Apr;46(4):286-90.
Link: https://www.zhion.com/herb/Witch_Hazel.html

“Topically applied astringent herbs have been used traditionally as a treatment for hemorrhoids. A leading astringent herb for topical use is witch hazel”
-University of Michigan Website: Wichtl M. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1994, 268-70
Link:https://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=hw_cam&AEArticleID=hn-1026009#ref14

2. Horse Chestnut

“Horse chestnut benefits patients who have hemorrhoids but there are no recent studies on the use of the whole botanical medicine for treating hemorrhoids. One double blinded placebo-controlled study of 80 patients suffering from acute symptomatic hemorrhoids showed that 40 mg of aescin administered three times per day, for up to 2 months, reduced symptoms in 81 percent of the subjects (compared to 11 percent in the placebo group) and a notable reduction in bleeding (95 percent versus 62 percent) and swelling (87 percent versus 38 percent) as shown via endoscopic examination.”
-Sirtori CR. Aescin: Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and therapeutic profile. Pharmacol Res 2001;44:183–193.
Link: https://www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/mednat/botanical_treatments.pdf

“Horse chestnut extracts have been reported from a double-blind trial to reduce symptoms of hemorrhoids…horse chestnut seed extracts standardized for aescin (also known as escin) content (16-21%), or an isolated aescin preparation, providing 90 to 150 mg of aescin per day.”
-University of Michigan Website: Nini G, Di Cicco CO. Controlled clinical evaluation of a new anti-hemorrhoid drug, using a completely randomized experimental plan. Clin Ther 1978;86:545-59 [in Italian].
Link:  https://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=hw_cam&AEArticleID=hn-1026009#ref15

“Comparison of therapies in 240 patients with chronic venous insufficiency. Patients were treated over a period of 12 weeks in a randomized, partially blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel study design. Lower leg volume of the more severely affected limb decreased on average by 43.8 ml with horse chestnut and 46.7 ml with compression therapy, while it increased by 9.8 ml with placebo after 12 weeks of therapy. ”
-Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center – Diehm C, et al. Comparison of leg compression stocking and oral horse-chestnut seed extract therapy in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. Lancet 1996;347:292-4.
Link: https://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69256.cfm

3. Ginger Root

“In addition to providing relief from nausea and vomiting, ginger extract has long been used in traditional medical practices to reduce inflammation. In fact, many health care professionals use ginger to help treat health problems associated with inflammation.”
-University of Mariland Medical Center
Link: https://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm

“A number of studies including Altman R, Visalyaputra,S  and Bone ME have demonstrated ginger root’s effectiveness as a painkiller / anti inflammatory with the Altman study demonstrating the benefits for osteoarthritis sufferers.”
-Altman RD et al Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis Arthritis & Rheumatism, Volume 44, Issue 11 , Pages 2531 – 2538
Link: https://www.naturopathic-health.co.uk/ginger-root-research.htm

4. Butchers Broom

“Butcher’s broom has a long history of clinical use as a treatment for hemorrhoids… In one open-label multicenter study of 124 patients, 69 percent of the patients rated butcher’s broom as having good or excellent efficacy. Seventy-five (75) percent of the treating physicians rated this herb’s efficacy similarly. In addition, 92 percent of the physicians rated butcher’s broom as safe and well-tolerated.”
-Bennani A, Biadillah MC, Cherkaoui A, et al. Acute attack of hemorrhoids: Efficacy of Cyclo 3 Forte® based on results in 124 cases reported by specialists. Phlebologie 1999;52:89–93.
Link: https://www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/mednat/botanical_treatments.pdf

“Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reports that ruscogenin, a major component of Butcher’s broom, is anti-inflammatory, and that clinical studies have demonstrated Butcher’s broom effectiveness in treating lymphedema and chronic venous insufficiency. Butcher’s broom stimulates the smooth muscle cells that line vascular walls and produces vasoconstriction, or toning of the blood vessels. This makes Butcher’s broom effective on shrinking swollen hemorrhoids.”
-Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Link: https://www.livestrong.com/article/149042-home-remedies-for-dissolving-hemorrhoids

5. Blonde Psyllium

“A double-blind trial reported that 7 grams of psyllium, an herb high in fiber, taken three times daily, reduced the pain and bleeding associated with hemorrhoids.”
-Moesgaard F, Nielsen ML, Hansen JB, Knudsen JT. High-fiber diet reduces bleeding and pain in patients with hemorrhoids.
Link: https://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=hw_cam&AEArticleID=hn-1026009#ref13

“Psyllium also softens stools and reduces pain when passing stools. By softening stools, the risk of developing hemorrhoids also decreases.”
-Baljit Singh says in a January 2007 article in the “International Journal of Pharmaceutics
Link:  https://www.livestrong.com/article/247951-what-are-the-benefits-of-psyllium-powder

“Decreasing straining and constipation shrinks internal hemorrhoids and decreases their symptoms; therefore, first-line treatment of all first- and second-degree (and many third- and fourth-degree) internal hemorrhoids should include measures to decrease straining and constipation… Psyllium seed significantly decreases bleeding and pain compared with placebo.”
-Saleeby RG Jr, Rosen L, Stasik JJ, et al. Hemorrhoidectomy during pregnancy: risk or relief?. Dis Colon Rectum. Mar 1991;34(3):260-
Link: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/195401-treatment

6. Hesperidin

-Mills, S., Bone, K. (eds) Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy, Churchill Livingston, London, 2000; pp: 31-32.Link: https://journals.tums.ac.ir/upload_files/pdf/24.pdf

“Hesperidin (HDN) is a flavanone glycoside abundantly found in citrus fruits. HDN has been reported to possess significant activities against allergy, haemorrhoids, hormonal disorders and ulcers.”
-Beneficial effect of hesperidin on lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatotoxicity. Kaur G, Tirkey N, Chopra K. – Pharmacology Division, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16919860

7. Diosmin
“A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 120 patients showed improvement of pain, pruritis, discharge, edema, erythema, and bleeding on examination. Pregnant women suffering from acute hemorrhoids were treated eight weeks before delivery and four weeks after delivery. More than half of the women participating in the study reported relief from symptoms by the fourth day.”-Buckshee K, Takkar D, Aggarwal N. Micronized flavonoid therapy in internal hemorrhoids of pregnancy. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1997;57:145-151.
Link: https://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/9/3/308.pdf

“Diosmin is considered to be a vascular-protecting agent used to treat chronic venous insufficiency, hemorrhoids, lymphedema, and varicose veins. As a flavonoid, diosmin also exhibits anti-inflammatory, free-radical scavenging, and antimutagenic properties.”
-Buckshee K, Takkar D, Aggarwal N. Micronized flavonoid therapy in internal hemorrhoids of pregnancy. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1997;57:145-151.
>Link: https://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/9/3/308.pdf

“Diosmin (5-Hydroxyl-2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl) – 4 -oxo-4 H-chromen -7- yl or 3′,5,7- Trihydroxy-4′-methoxyflavone -7- rutinoside) is a naturally occuring flavone glycoside, used in the treatment of venous disease, i.e., chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and hemorrhoidal disease (HD), in acute or chronic hemorrhoids, in place of rubberband ligation, in combination with fiber supplement, or as an adjuvant therapy to hemorrhoidectomy, in order to reduce secondary bleeding.”
-Determination of diosmin in pharmaceutical formulations using fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry – Andrei A. Bunaciu, Gabriela Elena Udristioiu, Lavinia L. Ruţă, Şerban Fleschin2 and Hassan Y. Aboul-Enein
Link: https://colleges.ksu.edu.sa/CollegeofPharmacy/SPJ/1704/170408.pdf

8. Cayenne

“Cayenne has also been used in traditional Indian Ayurvedic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean medicines as an oral remedy for digestive problems, poor appetite, and circulatory problems.”
-University of Mariland Medical Center
Link: https://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/cayenne–000230.htm

9. Oat Straw

“Oat straw (Avena sativa) — boosts hormone levels that stimulate cell growth”
-University of Mariland Medical Center
Link: https://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/cayenne–000230.htm

The University of Michigan Health Center says “reliable and relatively consistent scientific data” indicate that oats have substantial ability to lower blood levels of triglyceride fats.
-University of Michigan Health Center
Link: https://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=hw_cam&AEArticleID=hn-2138000

10. Plantain

“Plantain is often used as a cooling demulcent to treat dysentery, diarrhea, and other inflammatory and functional problems of the digestive tract. Other uses of plantain include the treatment of skin inflammations, sores, and ulcers; these anti-inflammatory properties have not been experimentally verified.”
Link: https://www.appliedhealth.com/nutri/page8426.php

11. Bilberry

“The key compounds in bilberry fruit are called anthocyanosides. These compounds help build strong blood vessels and improve circulation to all areas of the body. They also prevent blood platelets from clumping together (helping to reduce the risk of blood clots)”
Burdulis D, Ivanauskas L, Jakstas V, Janulis V. Analysis by anthocyanin content in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit crude drugs by high-performance liquid chromatography method. Medicina. 2007;43(7):568-74.
Link: https://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/bilberry-000225.htm

“In a 4-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 40 people with hemorrhoids , oral use of bilberry extract significantly reduced hemorrhoid symptoms as compared to placebo.”
University of Pennsylvania Website: Villalba G. Anthocyanosides as a new vasculotrophic agent in patients with hemorrhoids. Medicina (Mex). 1974;54:73-76.
Link: https://www.upmc.com/healthatoz/pages/healthlibrary.aspx?chunkiid=21568#ref27

“The anthocyanins in bilberry contribute to most of its pharmacological activities. Anthocyanin has anti-inflammatory, vasoprotective, and antioxidant effects.”
-Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center – Lietti A, et al. Studies on Vaccinium myrtillus anthocyanosides. I. Vasoprotective and antiinflammatory activity. Arzneimittelforschung. 1976;26(5):829-32.
Link: https://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69134.cfm