Butcher's Broom

Ruscus aculeatus

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Chronic venous insufficiency^{1, 2} Leg heaviness and pain¹ Leg edema^{1, 2} Venous disease quality of life^{3, 4} Secondary arm lymphedema⁵ Hemorrhoid symptoms⁶	Hypersensitivity to Ruscus⁶ Pregnancy and lactation⁷

Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is a Mediterranean shrub whose rhizome and root contain steroidal saponins, chiefly ruscogenin, along with flavonoids⁸. Extracts act on veins, capillaries, and lymphatics and carry anti-inflammatory properties⁹. That venous and lymphatic tone effect drives its use for leg heaviness, swelling, and pain in chronic venous insufficiency, and, in a combination product, for arm lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. Traditional use also covers itching and burning from hemorrhoids⁶. Trial populations are mostly women with long-standing venous disease².

A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials found Ruscus-containing products improved leg symptoms and reduced edema versus placebo¹. A placebo-controlled trial of Ruscus extract alone in women with chronic venous insufficiency reduced leg volume over three months². Much of the clinical literature tests fixed combinations with hesperidin methyl chalcone and vitamin C, which limits attribution to Ruscus alone⁸. In 2026, a pharmacovigilance disproportionality analysis of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse event reports flagged butcher's broom for kidney-related events; no trial has tested this signal. Products are sold as capsules and liquid extracts; see Form comparison.

Per the European Medicines Agency herbal monograph, patients with sudden leg swelling, skin ulcers, or cardiac or renal insufficiency are directed to a doctor before use for venous symptoms⁶.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

35 sources, 28 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources