Jalap is a plant. People use the root of jalap to make medicine.
Despite serious safety concerns, jalap is sometimes used to empty and cleanse the bowels (as a cathartic or purgative), and to increase urine flow to relieve water retention (as a diuretic).
Don't confuse jalap (Ipomoea purga) with pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) or Mexican scammony root (Ipomoea orizabensis). These plants are also known as jalap.
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