Asparagus

Scientific Name(s): Asparagus officinalis L.
Common Name(s): Garden asparagus

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 21, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Asparagus stalks are commonly consumed as a vegetable. Asparagus has been studied for its diuretic, hypoglycemic, antihypertensive, hypocholesterolemic, CNS, and antioxidant effects; however; there is little to no clinical evidence to support these uses. Other species, such as Asparagus racemosus, have been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine but are not reviewed in this monograph.

Dosing

There is insufficient clinical evidence to provide dosing recommendations for asparagus. A maximum dosage of 2,400 mg daily of dried asparagus root (in divided doses) as part of a combination preparation with parsley (Asparagus-P) has been evaluated for its antihypertensive effects; however, adverse reactions led to participant withdrawal from the study.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Asparagus has "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status when used as food. Avoid dosages above those found in food because safety and efficacy have not been established.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Symptoms of allergy to asparagus, including rhinitis, occupational asthma, oral allergic syndrome, allergic contact dermatitis, and anaphylaxis, are well documented. Exacerbation of gout has been reported with excessive consumption.

Toxicology

No data.

Scientific Family

• Liliaceae

Botany

Asparagus is a dioecious, perennial herb native to Europe and Asia and is widely cultivated. It has scale-like leaves and an erect, multibranched stem that grows up to 3 m in height. The aerial stems or spears arising from rhizomes are consumed as a vegetable. The fleshy roots and, to a lesser degree, seeds have been used for medicinal purposes.Leung 1980, USDA 2018 See also the related Wild Asparagus (Asparagus racemosus) monograph.

History

The genus Asparagus includes approximately 300 species.Negi 2010 Asparagus spears are widely used as a vegetable and are frequently blanched before consumption. Extracts of the seeds and roots have been used in alcoholic beverages, with average maximum levels of 16 ppm. The seeds have been used in coffee substitutes, diuretic preparations, laxatives, and remedies for neuritis and rheumatism, as well as to relieve toothache, stimulate hair growth, and treat cancer. The root possesses most of the diuretic effects.Negi 2010 It has been suggested that extracts possess some contraceptive effects. Home remedies have included topical application of preparations containing the shoots and extracts to cleanse the face and dry acneform lesions. Other asparagus species, such as A. racemosus, have been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine but are not reviewed in this monograph.Leung 1980

Chemistry

Asparagus roots contain inulin and several fructo-oligosaccharides. Two glycoside bitter principles, officinalisins I and II, were isolated from dried roots in yields of 0.12% and 0.075%. Other root components are beta-sitosterol, steroidal glycosides (asparagosides A to I, in order of increasing polarity), and steroidal saponins. The shoots contain sulfur-containing acids (asparagusic, dihydroasparagusic, and S-acetyldihydroasparagusic), alpha-amino-dimethyl-gamma-butyrothetin, a glycoside bitter principle different from those in the roots), and flavonoids (rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol), as well as asparagine, arginine, tyrosine,...