What Is African Dream Root Good for and How Do You Take It?

Plant-based diets and medicines are currently very popular. The population is looking for alternate solutions to common ailments and medical problems without the harsh side effects of artificially made compounds. One such alternative is known as the African dream root. In addition to many traditional medicinal ailment uses, this root also has a wild side effect. It can give you vivid, lucid dreams. It is very readily available, so more scientific studies are being done to find all of the properties of this hallucinogenic plant. 

Within the Caryophyllaceae family of plants, the dream root belongs to the genus Silene. Within Asia, South America, and the northern hemisphere, you can find over 300 species. The physical properties of Silene have proven to be very bioactive, and of the 400 isolated components, the most important and plentiful are its phytoecdysteroid components. 

Growing up to 60 cm tall, the Silene perennial herb is glandular and very sticky. The petals can be pink and/or white. One set of leaves is basilar and resembles an upside-down spatula. These can get up to 15 cm in length. The second set of leaves is smaller at only up to 8cm and is lance-shaped. The flowering buds are sticky.

The “African” dream root is found in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The locals refer to it as white paths or ubulawu. It has been used for thousands of years by the shamans of the Xhosa tribe, located in the river valleys. The root grows easily in a preferably wet environment with moist soil. It can stand up the frost and grows in partial shade to full sun. The flower buds open at night, releasing a strong aroma. This perennial herb can be harvested after two years of growth.

Scientists who have studied African dream roots suggest that its cognitive properties come from substances called saponins. The saponins are found in the root of the herb. Also found in the root are diterpenoids and alkaloids. These compounds are said to contribute to the psychoactive effects of African dream roots.

When something affects the mind or alters mental status when consumed, it is known as psychotropic or psychoactive. These chemical compounds can induce a state that alters intellectual, emotional, and behavioral tasks in people.

For thousands of years, the components of plants have been used globally by shamans and religious believers to receive divine messages via stimulated states of lucid dreaming. The plants used are considered sacred and are known as oneirogens. In the river valley population of the Xhosa shaman, a dream is interpreted to be a straight line of communication from the ancestors to the living world. Traditionally, healing rituals incorporated dreams. Positive dreams were interpreted as a line of communication from the ancestors. Negative dreams were from an entity trying to hurt the dreamer. 

African dream roots contain triterpene saponin. Studies have shown that saponin causes lucid or vivid dreams in people sensitive to the effects. The South African Xhosa and Zulu tribes used the plant roots to treat delirium, fever, and other health ailments. Today, saponins are known for numerous health benefits. These include:

• The ability to lower cancer risks
• The ability to decrease lipids in the blood 
• The ability to lower the response of blood glucose
• Used as an acute lead poisoning antidote
• Treatment of human hypercalciuria

It has been reported that decreased platelet aggregation and prevention of dental caries are noted in those with a diet high in saponin. Studies have also shown there is an opposite effect relationship between high incidences of saponin consumption and kidney stones.

In the Eastern Cape of South Africa, the African dream root is the most used ubulawu plant. Wild roots are harvested and sold at street markets. The roots are grated or crushed as they produce foam. It is then added to cold water and whisked with an olive branch fork. As the head of white foam grows, it is accessed for proper timing via the approval of the ancestors. It is either eaten or used for hygienic purposes. 

The dream root can commercially be purchased in three ways. You can buy the root whole or as a ground-up root powder, or capsulated root powder. Universally, there is no regulated dose of the root. It is available globally as a medicated herb that produces psychotropic effects. It can be bought easily online and is marketed as African dream root. By the ounce is about 200 South African rand, or about 12 dollars (U.S.). 

African dream root as a natural herb is pretty safe. It is easily accessible and inexpensive. The active ingredient, saponin, causes most of the positive health effects. However, if you ingest too high of saponin ingredients, it could irritate your stomach lining and induce nausea and vomiting. The lucid, psychotropic effects also are not always good. Those who ingest too large of an amount of African dream root can have confusing and negatively alarming dreams. 

As with any new product being introduced to your dietary routine, you should speak with your doctor regarding African dream root, and if it can be beneficial for you. Most herbal and plant-based capsules are not FDA-regulated, so you will not always know what you are consuming. Studies are currently being done, but there are not many available with definitive medical certainty of properties. The US is behind the curve in natural medications for the body, so caution must be taken.