White Birch Bark

Species Name: Betula alba

Also Known As: White Birch, Paper Birch, Canoe Birch, Bouleau, Berke, Bereza, Silver Birch

The White Birch is a tree that is native to the Northern US, Canada, Europe and Northern Asia. At full height the birch tree can reach 65 feet.

The white bark can be peeled from the trunk of the tree in horizontal strips. White Birch leaves are a bright green color, serrated and are a rough heart shape.

White birch bark, leaves, and buds are used in traditional and modern herbal medicines.

What is White Birch Bark? White Birch bark is the bark harvested from the birch tree. It comes in dried and powdered form, and can be used in tea, capsules, or tablets.

Home Remedies Using White Birch Bark:

Benefits of White Birch Bark:

White birch bark was a traditional treatment used by Native Americans in tea and other beverages to treat stomach and intestinal problems that included diarrhea and dysentery.

White Birch Bark compounds include Betulinic acid, betulin, and methyl salicylate. Betulinic acid, which is comes from betulin, is being studied as a possible cancer treatment.

Today White Birch Bark is most often uses as a diuretic and astringent. It also has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Other uses include:

• Urinary tract infection
• Cystitis
• Edema
• Kidney Stones
• Skin outbreaks like eczema, chicken pox, etc – take internally and/or use an external wash on affected area. You can add White Birch Bark to the bath.
• Melanoma – It is believed the chemical betulin found in the bark may be useful in the treatment of melanoma. Do not use as the sole treatment of this condition.
• Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout can be treated with a tea made from the bark.
• Muscle pain and inflammation – internal and external use of White Birch Bark

There has been research on White Birch Bark has shown, "In 1994, scientists at the University of North Carolina reported that chemicals found in white birch bark slowed the growth of HIV. The following year, a researcher at the University of Illinois reported that betulinic acid killed melanoma cells in mice."

Side Effects of White Birch Bark:

White Birch Bark contains aspirin-like compounds and should not be used by anyone sensitive to aspirin. Pregnant or breastfeeding women and children should not use birch products.

Side effects may include skin rashes or other allergic reactions. White Birch Bark is diuretic. Do not take birch bark or leaf internally if you have difficulty going to the bathroom.