Horseradish: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is a plant. The roots are often used as a condiment and eaten with beef and fish. They are also sometimes used as medicine.

Horseradish might help fight bacteria and stop spasms.

People use horseradish for urinary tract infections (UTIs), colic, gout, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Don't confuse horseradish with moringa or wasabi. These are not the same.

Uses & Effectiveness

We currently have no information for Horseradish overview.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Horseradish root is commonly consumed with foods. It is possibly safe when used as medicine for up to 12 weeks. But it contains mustard oil, which can irritate the lining of the mouth and stomach. When consumed in large amounts, side effects might include stomach upset, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, and fainting.

When applied to the skin: Horseradish is possibly safe when preparations containing 2% mustard oil or less are used. It can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy: Horseradish is commonly consumed with foods. But it's likely unsafe to use horseradish tincture by mouth regularly or in large amounts when pregnant. This might lead to miscarriage.

Breast-feeding: Horseradish is commonly consumed with foods. But it's likely unsafe to take horseradish by mouth in large amounts when breast-feeding. Horseradish contains mustard oil, which can pass into breast milk and cause serious adverse effects.

Children: Horseradish is likely unsafe when taken by mouth in children under 4 years of age. It can cause stomach problems in young children.

Stomach or intestinal ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, infections or other digestive tract conditions: Horseradish can irritate the digestive tract. Don't use horseradish if you have any of these conditions.

Thyroid disorders: Horseradish might make this condition worse. If you have a thyroid disorder, speak with your healthcare provider before taking horseradish.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Thyroid hormone interacts with Horseradish
Horseradish might decrease thyroid activity. Taking horseradish along with thyroid hormone might decrease the effects of thyroid hormone.

Dosing

Horseradish root is commonly consumed with foods as a condiment.

As medicine, there isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of horseradish might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.

View References

REFERENCES:

Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.

Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.

The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.

Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182

Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.

Panter, K. E. and James, L. F. Natural plant toxicants in milk: a review. J Anim Sci 1990;68(3):892-904.

Luczaj, L. and Szymanski, W. M. Wild vascular plants gathered for consumption in the Polish countryside: a review. J.Ethnobiol.Ethnomed. 2007;3:17.

Conaway, C. C., Yang, Y. M., and Chung, F. L. Isothiocyanates as cancer chemopreventive agents: their biological activities and metabolism in rodents and humans. Curr Drug Metab 2002;3(3):233-255.

KIENHOLZ, M. [Studies of antibacterial substances from horseradish (Cochlearia armoracia), nasturtium (Tropaeolum maius) and garden peppergrass (Lepidium sativum).]. Arch Hyg Bakteriol. 1957;141(3):182-197.

HALBEISEN, T. [Antibiotic substance obtained from Cochlearia armoracia L.]. Arzneimittelforschung 1957;7(5):321-324.

WECHSELBERG, K. [In vitro studies on the effect of oily plant extracts from Tropaeolum maius, Cochlearia armoracia and Allium sativum on growth of tubercle bacteria.]. Z Hyg Infektionskr 1958;145(4):380-394.

SCHINDLER, E., ZIPP, H., and MARTH, I. [Comparative clinical studies on non-specific urinary tract infections with an enzyme-glycoside mixture obtained from horseradish roots (Cochlearia armoracia L.)]. Arzneimittelforschung 1960;10:919-921.

Goos, K. H., Albrecht, U., and Schneider, B. [Efficacy and safety profile of a herbal drug containing nasturtium herb and horseradish root in acute sinusitis, acute bronchitis and acute urinary tract infection in comparison with other treatments in the daily practice/results of a prospective cohort study]. Arzneimittelforschung 2006;56(3):249-257.

Fintelmann V, Albrecht U, Schmitz G, Schnitker J. Efficacy and safety of a combination herbal medicinal product containing Tropaeoli majoris herba and Armoraciae rusticanae radix for the prophylactic treatment of patients with respiratory tract diseases: a randomised, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial. Curr Med Res Opin 2012;28(11):1799-807.

Albrecht U, Goos KH, Schneider B. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a herbal medicinal product containing Tropaeoli majoris herba (Nasturtium) and Armoraciae rusticanae radix (Horseradish) for the prophylactic treatment of patients with chronically recurrent lower urinary tract infections. Curr Med Res Opin 2007;23(10):2415-22.

Lehmann CU, Puckett AL, Betz BO. 56-year-old man - increased heart rate - weakness - intense sweating - horseradish consumption - Dx?. J Fam Pract 2022;71(7):317-321.

CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
Licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC
Copyright © 1995-2025 by Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. All Rights Reserved.