Actions:
- Antiseptic – Substance that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms
- Antidepressant -Substance which help relives depression
- Stimulant – Substance that heightens the function of an organ or system
- Analgesic – Substance that relieves pain
- Antispasmodic -Substance that reduces or relieves smooth muscle spam
- Anti rheumatic – Substance that relieves rheumatism
- Anti-Arthritic – Substance that relives arthritis
- Depurative -Substance that reduces or prevents fever
- Diuretic-Substance that increases urinary output
- Astringent -Substance that causes constriction of mucous membranes and exposed tissues.
- Febrifuge -Substance that reduces or prevents fever
- Mild Laxative – Substance that facilitates evacuation of the bowel
As with most native trees, the birch tree is blessed with a myriad of practical, nutritional and medicinal uses. Birch leaves are rich in methylsalicylate (converted in salicylic acid in the body, aka aspirin), potassium and volatile oils. They are used in traditional healing as a spring tonic to aid with cleansing and detoxing the body and stimulating the eliminatory action of the kidneys.
As the most common part of the birch used in medicine are the leaves, the following information relates to the leaves unless otherwise stated.
Their medicinal actions include diuretic, insecticide, anti-inflammatory, mildly laxative, sweat inducing (diaphoretic), analgesic (pain killing), antiseptic and the old herbalists favourite…blood cleansing.
Birch leaves are diuretic (increases the flow of urine), a tonic stimulant to the kidneys, can be used in cystitis and other urinary tract infections, for water retention (especially when due to kidney or heart weakness) and for dissolving kidney stones and shifting gravel.
Due to its anti-inflammatory, fluid regulating and detoxifying actions it is traditionally used in cases of rheumatism, dissolving calcium spurs and accumulations in joints, arthritis, gout, water retention, for increasing the metabolic processes and for lowering the levels of uric acid in the body.
Can help to ease muscle pain, sprains and strains when used externally as a poultice.
Birch leaf tea can benefit stubborn skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema and can also help to heal wounds when used externally as a poultice. Birch tar oil (made from distilling the bark) is a resinous substance that has been used traditionally for skin conditions and wound healing and is also good for repelling insects when applied to the skin.
Birch leaf tea also makes a useful mouthwash or a wash for encouraging a healthy scalp and improving the condition of the hair and preventing baldness.
Useful for cellulitis and toxic accumulations in the skin.
Can be useful as part of a tea mix for obesity.
The leaves can also induce a decent sweat which benefits in fevers (by opening the skin and cooling the body) and the skin and kidneys by gently releasing toxins via the opening pores of the skin, particularly when used in the bath. The same sweat can be induced by stuffing a cotton bag (or any natural, breathable fibre) filled with freshly dried birch leaves and placing them in bed with the person needing the treatment.
The bark is strongly antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral and has demonstrated an ability to decrease the activity of (and increase the vulnerability of) the hepatitis C virus and also shows promise in the treatment of bacterial TB.
It has also been studied for its potential benefits in the treatment of certain cancers, the HIV virus and the herpes virus. Birch bark is also mildy laxative and tonic to the digestive system.
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