Revand Chini (Rhubarb Root): Liver Claims, Weight Loss Myth, Risks
Revand chini (rewand khatai; “rhubarb root” in English) is the yellow-orange, bitter root of Himalayan and Chinese rhubarb that pansaris sell for the liver, for a blocked stomach and lately for weight loss. It is a stimulant laxative of the same family as senna. That one fact explains both why it “works” overnight and why most of what is said about it online is wrong.
Before you start
- English: rhubarb root, Himalayan rhubarb, Chinese rhubarb (da huang)
- Urdu/Hindi: revand chini, rewand khatai, rewand
- Persian/Unani: rawand chini
- Plants: Rheum australe (the Himalayan root, long sold as Rheum emodi) and Rheum palmatum or Rheum officinale (the Chinese root)
- Active part: anthraquinones (rhein, emodin, chrysophanol), stimulant laxatives
- Not the same as: the edible garden rhubarb stalk, or the rhapontic rhubarb extract sold for menopause
- Safety flag: HIGH. Not in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under 12, bowel disease or kidney disease
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What revand chini is, and which plant it comes from
Rhubarbs are big-leaved plants of cold, high places. The medicinal part is the thick root and rhizome, dug after a few years, peeled, sliced and dried until it is hard, orange-yellow inside with a reddish marbling, bitter on the tongue and gritty between the teeth from the calcium oxalate crystals packed through it. Chew a sliver. Your saliva turns yellow in seconds.
Two sources reach South Asian shops. The Himalayan root, from Kashmir, Himachal and Nepal, is botanically Rheum australe; the name Rheum emodi on packets is an older synonym that botanists no longer accept. The Chinese root, da huang, is Rheum palmatum or Rheum officinale, the species in the European monograph. Both contain the same drug family and both are called revand chini on a bazaar label, “chini” meaning Chinese, a reminder that the premium root was once imported overland.
The edible rhubarb of pies and jams is a third plant, Rheum rhabarbarum, grown for its sour stalks. Its root is not the medicine, and its leaves are poisonous on any species: high in oxalic acid, they cause burning in the mouth, vomiting, breathing trouble and kidney damage if eaten in quantity, which is why MedlinePlus lists rhubarb leaf poisoning as a hospital matter. Never cook the leaves of any rhubarb.
What revand chini does in the body
The anthraquinones in the root reach the colon unchanged, where gut bacteria convert them into a form that makes the bowel wall contract and stops it drawing water back out of the stool. The result arrives 8 to 12 hours later as a loose motion, often with cramps. Musabbar and senna act the same way; the three are interchangeable in this one respect.
In small amounts, the root’s tannins pull the other way and firm the stool, which is why old hakeems said “a little binds, a lot loosens”. So the effect is unpredictable from one pinch to the next, a poor property in anything taken regularly.
The European Medicines Agency’s 2020 monograph on rhubarb root accepts a single use: occasional constipation in people over 12, for no longer than a week, once diet and bulk fibre have been tried. That is the whole of its recognised medical role.
The liver claim, the pait saaf claim and the weight-loss claim
What people say
Revand chini is sold as a liver tonic that “cools and cleans” the liver, as a weekly pait saaf, and in reels as a slimming powder: a spoon at night, “wake up lighter”. It also appears in ubtan recipes for a glow.
Unani texts call rawand chini hot and dry: it expels safra (yellow bile) and strengthens the liver and stomach. It appears in liver compounds alongside chirata and other bitters, in children’s digestive powders in tiny amounts for its binding action, and among the drugs said to bring on a delayed period. Chinese medicine’s da huang has a parallel history as a “purging downward” drug for heat.
Our honest take
Liver Animal data only. Rat and cell experiments on rhubarb anthraquinones report protective effects against chemically induced liver and kidney injury. No human trial supports taking revand chini for the liver, and a laxative does not reach the liver in any way that “cleans” it. Jaundice, dark urine, a swollen abdomen or ongoing pain under the right ribs are symptoms for a doctor, not totkay.
Pait saaf Works once, backfires on repeat. It empties the bowel. Daily use trains the colon to wait for it, drains potassium, and over months stains the bowel lining brown (pseudomelanosis coli). The itrifal and triphala page explains why a gentler three-fruit mix is the traditional long-term choice instead.
Weight loss No. What the scale shows the next morning is water and stool, half a kilo to a kilo that returns within a day or two, while the fat sits exactly where it was. Nothing changes. Using any purgative for weight is a known route to electrolyte trouble, bowel dependence and, in young women especially, an eating problem, so if someone is taking revand chini “for weight” more than occasionally, that is the conversation to have.
Skin Harmless colour, no proof. As an ubtan ingredient it adds a yellow tint and a mild astringent feel, and the stains fade within a day. Patch test first. Nothing suggests it lightens or clears skin.
Menopause Different plant, different story. The “rhubarb for hot flushes” you may read about is ERr 731, a standardised extract of Siberian rhubarb, Rheum rhaponticum, studied in perimenopausal women in Germany and chosen for a different set of compounds (stilbenes, not anthraquinones). A pansari’s revand chini is not that product. It does nothing for hot flushes.
The stain test the pharmacognosy lab uses, and the home-safe version
Rhubarb’s anthraquinones are natural dyes that change colour with acidity. In a laboratory, a pinch of real rhubarb root powder treated with ammonia turns pink, and with dilute potassium hydroxide blood-red; that colour flip is the classic identity test, and turmeric-dyed filler stays yellow. Do not do chemistry at home. The safe version is the one your mouth already does: a sliver of real root turns saliva and a glass of water bright yellow within a minute, feels gritty between the teeth from oxalate crystals, and tastes bitter then astringent. A root that colours water only faintly, tastes merely earthy, or leaves no grit is suspect. Warn whoever chews it for “daant”: the dye yellows teeth for a day or two, harmlessly but alarmingly.
Real versus fake, and how to buy
- Buy pieces, not powder. Powder is where turmeric, cheaper rhubarb species and sawdust hide. Grind a few slices as you need them.
- Look inside. Snap a piece: the inside should be orange-yellow with a reddish-brown network pattern, never uniformly pale or chalky white.
- Smell it. Real root has a distinct, slightly sweet, musty smell. No smell is a bad sign.
- Chinese or Himalayan? Shops charge more for “asli chini” (Chinese) root. Both are the same drug class with the same risks; the premium buys origin, not safety.
- Licensed only for anything swallowed. Lots vary several-fold in anthraquinone content, so an open jar has no known strength; how a licensed product is taken is written on its pack or set by a qualified hakeem.
Everyday use with household amounts
By mouth, revand chini is a medicine and this page gives no amount. For the skin, the traditional ubtan use is low-risk if you follow the usual rules.
- Patch test: a coin-sized dab of paste on the inner forearm, wait 24 hours.
- Mix 1 teaspoon ground revand chini with 2 tablespoons besan (gram flour) and enough rose water or milk to make a soft paste.
- Apply to clean skin, leave 10 to 15 minutes, rinse with plain water. Expect a faint yellow tint for a few hours.
- Once a week at most. Not on broken skin, not near the eyes, and stop at any sting or itch.
Side effects, and who must avoid revand chini
Expected effects: cramps, griping, loose watery stool, and yellow-brown or reddish urine (the dye, not blood, but a sign the dose was more than a trace). With repeated use: dependence, weakness and muscle cramps from potassium loss, and brown staining of the colon lining.
Pregnancy: no. The European monograph rules rhubarb root out in pregnancy on two grounds: laboratory genotoxicity findings for several of its anthraquinones, and its old reputation for bringing on periods. Breastfeeding: no, since rhein and its relatives reach breast milk.
Children under 12: no, by the same monograph, and never as a “daant” chew or a home digestive for a baby.
Bowel conditions: no with any blockage, appendicitis, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, piles that bleed, or stomach pain of unknown cause.
Kidney disease and stones: the root is rich in oxalate, and the laxative drains potassium; both are bad news for struggling kidneys. Heart and blood-pressure medicines: potassium loss strengthens digoxin’s effect and adds to that of diuretics, steroids and licorice. Tell the prescribing doctor before using it even once, and keep taking the prescribed medicine.
Leaves: poisonous on every rhubarb; a child who has chewed a rhubarb leaf needs poison advice or a hospital, with the leaf brought along.
Stop and see a doctor if a laxative is needed more than a few days running, for blood in the stool, fever, vomiting, dizziness on standing or no motion despite the drug.
More roots, resins and shelf products are decoded in Unani & Herbal, Decoded.
Bottom line
Revand chini is a genuine stimulant laxative, useful for an adult on the odd blocked day and nothing more. The liver reputation rests on animal data, the weight-loss promise is water leaving and coming back, and the skin use is a harmless tint. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, bowel disease and kidney trouble rule it out. The leaves are poison. Buy pieces from a licensed brand, grind your own, and let the pack or a qualified practitioner set any amount by mouth.
Revand chini: your questions answered
Revand chini kya hai?
It is the dried, bitter, yellow-orange root of Himalayan or Chinese rhubarb, used in Unani as a purgative and liver drug. It contains anthraquinones, the same laxative family as senna.
Revand chini in English?
Rhubarb root; specifically Himalayan rhubarb (Rheum australe, long called Rheum emodi) or Chinese rhubarb (Rheum palmatum, da huang). Not the rhubarb stalk eaten in pies.
Revand chini ke fayde aur nuksan?
Fayda: a laxative effect in 8 to 12 hours, and that is all that is proven. Nuksan: cramps, potassium loss, dependence with repeated use, coloured urine, and serious risk in pregnancy, children and kidney or bowel disease.
Revand chini benefits for liver?
Unproven in people. Rat and cell experiments on rhubarb anthraquinones show protective effects; no human trial supports taking it for the liver. Jaundice or liver pain needs a doctor, not a root.
Revand chini for weight loss, does it work?
No. It empties the bowel and sheds water, which the body replaces within a day or two. Fat is untouched, and regular use risks electrolyte trouble and a lazy bowel.
Revand chini benefits for skin?
As an ubtan ingredient it gives a mild astringent feel and a yellow tint that fades in hours. No evidence it lightens or clears skin. Patch test first.
Rhubarb root in Urdu?
Revand chini or rewand khatai; in Persian rawand. The Hindi is also revand chini.
Is rhubarb root safe?
For a healthy adult, occasionally and briefly, the European monograph accepts it for constipation for up to one week. It is not safe in pregnancy, breastfeeding, under 12, bowel disease or kidney disease, and not safe as a habit.
Can you eat rhubarb root?
Not as a food. It is a bitter purgative, not a vegetable. The stalk of garden rhubarb is the edible part; the leaves of every rhubarb are poisonous.
Revand chini in pregnancy?
No. European regulators rule it out in pregnancy, and hakeems themselves classed it among drugs that provoke periods. Ask your doctor about fibre, fluids or a bulk laxative instead.
Rhubarb root benefits for menopause, is that the same?
No. Menopause studies used ERr 731, an extract of Siberian rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum) standardised for stilbenes. Pansari revand chini is a different species and a laxative; it does nothing for hot flushes.
How to identify real revand chini?
Snap a piece: orange-yellow inside with a reddish network, gritty, bitter, and a sliver turns water bright yellow within a minute. Pale, chalky, odourless or barely-staining root is suspect. Buy pieces, not powder.
Can children chew revand chini for teeth?
No. Children under 12 should not take rhubarb root at all, and chewing it only stains the teeth yellow for days while delivering an unknown laxative dose.
Sources
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC: European Union herbal monograph on Rheum palmatum L. and Rheum officinale Baillon, radix, revision 1, adopted 6 May 2020
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Rhubarb leaves poisoning
- Hasper I et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of the special extract ERr 731 of Rheum rhaponticum in perimenopausal women with menopausal symptoms. Menopause, 2009
- Pharmacognosy reference: Rhubarb (constituents, colour tests with ammonia and potassium hydroxide, rhapontic adulterant)
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Rheum emodi Wall. ex Meisn., synonym of Rheum australe D.Don