White Willow Bark 50g

Description

White Willow Bark – Salix alba, the white willow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia. The name derives from the white tone to the undersides of the leaves.

Other Names: European Willow, Pussy Willow, Osier, Saille, Salicyn Willow, Saugh Tree, Withy, Écorce de Saule, Écorce de Saule Blanc, Saule Blanc.

White Willow Bark tastes just like tree bark with a faint bitter flavour.

Description:

Name: White Willow Bark
Latin Name: Salix alba 
Plant Family: Salicaceae

Properties:

Benefits:

• Provides relief from pain, fever, and inflammation, without the stomach upset that chemical aspirin causes.  It is plentiful and easy to collect in the spring.
• Combination of Salicin & Flavanoids are thought to be responsible for the pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects of the herb.
• Chronic Pain – especially headaches or back pain.
• Salicin, reduces the production of pain-inducing chemicals in your nerves.
• Limited evidence suggests that willow bark may have a moderate effect in treating pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Multi-component active principle of willow bark provides a broader mechanism of action than aspirin and is devoid of serious adverse events.
•  In contrast to synthetic aspirin, willow bark does not damage the gastrointestinal mucosa.
• Medical research shows that a chemical in white willow (called salicin) not only reduces fever and relieves pain and inflammation but also may help prevent heart attack, stroke, digestive tract cancers, and migraine headaches.

Harvesting:

Spring is the season to harvest willow bark for herbal medicine. Most commonly, Salix alba, varieties are used for medicinal purposes. Many Salix alba (white willow) varieties, such as Vitellini (golden willow), are also colourful basket willows and can be coppiced to provide basket weaving material, as well as herbal medicine.

Strip the bark from the young branches of Salix alba varieties of willow in the Spring just before the sap begins to run when the branches are rich with their new spring colour.  This is the easiest time to separate the bark from the branch.  If you have harvested the 1-year-old willow rods for basketry, you can simply start at the base of the cut edge and peel it upwards toward the tip. The bark will peel off in strips.  You can recognize Salix alba varieties by their brightly coloured bark in early spring — usually yellow, orange, or flaming red.  Weeping willow trees and corkscrew willow are both varieties of Salix alba.

Once the strips of bark are harvested, allow to dry at room temperature in a dry, and airy spot, stirring frequently until it is fully dry before placing it in a jar and storing it in a cool, dry place.

Uses:

• Tea – Steep 1 teaspoon of dried bark in boiling water, strain and serve as a healthy herbal tea! Honey and cinnamon can be used to flavour.
• Willow bark can also be used to relieve menstrual cramps and bring down a fever.

Cautions:

• Heart attack, stroke, digestive tract cancers, and migraine headaches are serious conditions requiring medical care. If you would like to try White Willow Bark in addition to standard treatments please consult your doctor first.
• If you have an allergy to aspirin, it’s possible to have a reaction to willow bark as well.
• Like aspirin, you should also be careful if you take anticoagulants, acetazolamide, anti-hypertensives and anti-inflammatory drugs because willow bark interacts with these drugs.
• Children and adolescents up to the age of 16 are generally discouraged from taking willow bark for any reason. This is because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome, a rare condition that causes brain and liver damage.
• Pregnant and breast-feeding women are also discouraged from taking any medication that contains salicylates.
• People with gastric ulcers should be especially careful with willow bark, in the same way that they would be cautious with aspirin, because too much could cause stomach bleeding.
• When taken in moderation, willow bark does not appear to have negative side effects.
• Information provided in the Herbal Apothecary is from the ‘folk herbalist’ tradition and does not pretend to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition.
• Celtic Earth Spirit advises you to consult a medical professional before trying any herbal product.

Allergens:

• Nuts, gluten, celery, milk/dairy and mustard are handled on the site where this product is processed.
• Handling procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of allergens being present, but we cannot guarantee our ingredients are totally free of traces in the product supplied.