Yavasa (Alhagi maurorum): Benefits, Evidence, Dosage & Safety

TL;DR

Yavasa is camel thorn (Alhagi maurorum), an Ayurvedic herb whose dried whole plant the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India lists for gout and bleeding disorders; tradition also uses it as a laxative, diuretic and expectorant. Modern studies are animal-only, diuretic, liver-, kidney- and prostate-protective effects in rats and mice, with no human trials, so clinical benefit is unproven.

(59 words. Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India Vol. II via Indian Medicinal Plants database; Jadhav 2014 review, Int J Herbal Medicine; PMC11992843; Applied Biological Chemistry 2025.)

What it is

Yavasa (also spelled Yavāsaka, Yāsa, Duralabhā) is the dried whole plant of Alhagi maurorum Medik. (synonyms Alhagi camelorum, Alhagi pseudalhagi), a spiny perennial shrub of the legume family (Fabaceae/Leguminosae) native to the dry regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, commonly called camel thorn or the Persian manna plant (IMPPAT database; Jadhav 2014). Its sweet exudate, yavasa-sharkara (Alhagi manna), is a separate traditional preparation used as a demulcent (Indian Medicinal Plants database).

Traditional use

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (Vol. II) indicates the dried whole plant for use in gout (vatarakta) and haemorrhagic disorders (raktapitta) (Indian Medicinal Plants database, citing API Vol. II). In classical Ayurvedic practice the plant is described as laxative, antibilious, diuretic, diaphoretic and expectorant; the leaves are used for fever, headache and rheumatism, and the flowers as a blood coagulant for piles (same source). A 2014 review by a CCRAS-affiliated researcher summarizes its Ayurvedic actions as thirst-relieving, vomiting-controlling, cough-relieving, fever-reducing, blood-purifying and urine-promoting, with indications including thirst, vomiting, cough, fever, gout, bleeding disorders and erysipelas (Jadhav 2014). These are traditional claims, not clinical proof.

What modern research says

No human clinical trials of Alhagi maurorum were found. All findings below come from animal or laboratory studies and do not establish effects in people.

Urine output (diuretic effect)

In albino rats, a methanol extract of A. maurorum was reported to increase urine volume and urinary sodium/potassium excretion versus furosemide as the reference diuretic (animal study; details as summarized in a 2015 published review: the primary study paper was not independently located). This is consistent with the traditional diuretic use, but animal diuresis does not prove a useful or safe diuretic effect in humans.

Prostate protection

In rats with testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia, a hydroethanolic extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg for 28 days significantly reduced prostate weight and prostatic index, lowered serum and prostatic testosterone, downregulated 5-α reductase and androgen-receptor gene expression, and improved antioxidant markers: with effects comparable to finasteride (animal study) (BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2025; PMC11992843). This is early animal evidence only.

Blood sugar and lipids

In alloxan-induced diabetic mice, a microencapsulated phenolic-rich fraction of A. maurorum at 100 mg/kg for five weeks significantly reduced blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol while raising HDL, with no adverse changes in liver, pancreas or spleen tissue on histopathology (animal study) (Applied Biological Chemistry, Springer, 2025). The preparation was experimental (spray-dried microcapsules), not a traditional dosage form.

Liver and kidney protection

An alcoholic extract protected rats against carbon-tetrachloride-induced liver injury, improving oxidative-stress markers (MDA, GSH, GPx, SOD, catalase) and liver histology (animal study) (Egyptian journal study). Separately, a root ethanol extract at 200–600 mg/kg given for one week before an acetaminophen overdose reduced urea, creatinine and oxidative markers and lessened kidney tissue damage in mice (animal study) (MedCrave JABB, 2021). These are toxin-challenge models in rodents, not evidence of benefit in human liver or kidney disease.

Dosage

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (Vol. II) specifies 20–50 g of the whole-plant drug in powder form for preparing a decoction (Jadhav 2014, citing API; Indian Medicinal Plants database). CCRAS references give the resulting decoction dose as 50–100 ml (same database). These are pharmacopoeial figures for the crude drug; they do not come from clinical trials, and the studied animal doses above cannot be converted into human doses.

Safety & contraindications

No published human safety data, pregnancy data, or drug-interaction studies for yavasa were found: safety data is limited, so talk to a clinician before use. In animals, oral doses of ethanol extract at 2,000–4,000 mg/kg were reported as safe in an acute-toxicity study, which does not establish human safety (Jadhav 2014). The plant contains alkaloids reported to have sympathomimetic (stimulant-like) activity (same review), so people with heart conditions or those taking stimulant or decongestant medicines should be especially cautious and seek medical advice first.

FAQs

Does yavasa work as a diuretic?

Possibly in the traditional sense, but the only supporting evidence is a rat study in which a methanol extract increased urine volume and sodium/potassium excretion versus furosemide (2015 review summary). No human diuretic study exists, so a real diuretic effect, and its safety, in people is unproven.

Can yavasa treat gout?

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (Vol. II) lists the dried whole plant for gout (vatarakta), which is a traditional indication, not a clinical finding (Indian Medicinal Plants database). No clinical trial has tested yavasa for gout or uric-acid lowering, so it should not replace proven gout treatment.

What is yavasa-sharkara?

Yavasa-sharkara (Alhagi manna) is the sweet dried exudate collected from the plant, traditionally used as a demulcent, expectorant, antiemetic and laxative: including in children's cough preparations (Indian Medicinal Plants database). It is a different preparation from the whole-plant decoction, and no modern studies on it were found.

Is yavasa safe in pregnancy?

There are no published pregnancy safety data for yavasa, and its traditional uses include emmenagogue-like and purgative actions in folk practice (Jadhav 2014). Given the complete absence of human safety data, it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding unless a qualified clinician advises otherwise.

What is the difference between yavasa and dhanvayasa?

Yavasa (Alhagi maurorum) is listed in Ayurvedic materia medica as a substitute for Dhanvayasa, a related drug of similar action (Indian Medicinal Plants database). The two names are sometimes used interchangeably in trade, so the botanical identity of a product labeled either name should be verified.

Sources

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Herbal products can interact with medications and are not suitable for everyone. Talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before use — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.