Willow Bark

The bark of many species of the genus Salix, the willow tree. This bark is the source of salicylic acid, the active principle in aspirin. [1]

Hippocrates and willow bark? What you understand about the history of aspirin is most likely wrong

Aspirin is one of the most extensively utilized drugs worldwide. Its main ingredient comes from a natural product, salicin, discovered in plants such as willow and myrtle.

Aspirin is likewise a good example of how misconceptions develop around ancient medicines.

Its origins have been closely related to Hippocrates, the famous ancient Greek physician and so-called daddy of medication. He’s stated to have utilized willow for discomfort relief, inspiring the advancement of aspirin centuries later on.

But his writings hardly point out willow. So why do we still believe the misconception?

What’s all this about willow?

Practically every history of aspirin tells you Hippocrates prescribed willow to women in labour. Some state he recommended willow leaf tea. Others say he told them to chew willow bark.

But when we look at what Hippocrates really wrote, there is just one reference to burning willow leaves to make smoke for “fumigating” the uterus to eliminate a miscarried pregnancy.

This is pretty much the only recommendation to willow– ιτεα or itea– as a drug in these writings.

Could willow in fact eliminate pain?

Willow bark and leaves were used in some ancient medications. Nevertheless, these were often used externally, instead of swallowed. Since ancient weights and steps are puzzling– and in some cases missing altogether in dishes– it’s hard to tell whether there sufficed salicin in an ancient dish to make a difference.

The bark of white willow (Salix alba), which Hippocrates may have been speaking about, does not consist of much salicin, compared to other willows and salicin-rich plants like the myrtle tree.

A scientifically efficient dosage of 60– 120mg of salicin would be really difficult to obtain from simply chewing white willow bark or drinking willow tea.

White willow also consists of harmful, bitter-tasting tannins. These would make it difficult to consume sufficient bark or tea to reach that dosage, and would trigger stomach discomfort long before you got there.

Natural salicin is more plentiful in other ancient plants, such as the myrtle tree. But even then you would still most likely provide yourself a dreadful stomach ache after consuming enough of the plant to relieve pain.

Dioscorides was an ancient Roman who composed a manual of medications, still in print today. He described willow as a treatment for stomach ache, the respiratory illness tuberculosis, and as a contraceptive.

He stated if you burned willow bark, soaked it in vinegar, then rubbed it on corns and calluses, it would eliminate them. He likewise suggested a hot pack consisting of willow leaves for gout (which we know now as a kind of arthritis).

Celsus, another Roman medical author, stated warm willow packs or plasters would deal with a prolapse of the womb or bowel (where the organ actually falls out of the body). Celsus encouraged to push it back in, and after that bandage the warm dressing on the outside.

Salicin is utilized today to deal with corns and warts. But this doesn’t mean Dioscorides’ dish worked because of the salicin. Vinegar is acidic and is stated to soften corns by itself. Using any sort of warm pack will also eliminate discomfort.

If willow bark and leaves were convenient and potent painkillers, we would have used them practically to termination by now. Rather, by early contemporary times in Europe, willow was thought about mostly useless as a medication.

This doesn’t indicate willow was actually worthless. It still contained salicin, but this had not yet been isolated or fine-tuned into its modern type.

So, if it wasn’t Hippocrates, who was it?

It was English cleric Reverend Edward Stone who “uncovered” willow.

In around 1757, Stone chewed on white willow bark out of interest and was struck by how bitter it was. He wondered whether it could be used medicinally, like the bitter cinchona bark (where the malaria drug quinine originates from).

Stone collected and dried around half a kg of willow bark, then ground it to powder, before taking small dosages every 4 hours to reduce his fever. Drying the bark would have focused the salicin, making its result more powerful.

When the powder seemed to relieve his fever, Stone tried it on his parishioners when they were sick. In 1763, he wrote to the Royal Society, reporting it worked.

How did a plant extract turn into aspirin?

Italian scientists Brugnatelli and Fontana handled to draw out salicin from willow bark in 1826. Then German pharmacologist Johann Andreas Buchner created the name “salicin” in 1828 from the Latin word for willow, salix.

Felix Hoffmann, a researcher at the German business now known as Bayer, chemically modified the associated particle salicylic acid, which was eventually called aspirin. The business patented the name in 1899.

Today aspirin is utilized for pain relief, lowering swelling, decreasing body temperature and avoiding blood clots.

Why do we keep duplicating the willow misconception?

Researchers keep repeating the misconception that ancient people understood the link in between willow and salicin for discomfort relief, partially because everybody enjoys a legendary tale. And the story of aspirin can be turned into one, with a bit of imagination. However it’s a great reminder to look at initial texts if you can.

It’s also an example of how confirmation bias works. We understand salicin is in willow, and salicin alleviates discomfort. So when we discover ancient references to willow, we think ancient people discovered salicin prior to us.

Modern medicine likes a decent ancestral tree. It helps offer today’s made items a great pedigree. It likewise helps us think about these items as safe, helpful and part of a long recovery tradition.

However the “ancient” history of aspirin has a lot of holes in it. So next time you pop an aspirin, thank Hoffmann rather than Hippocrates. [2]

Plant Description

Willow is a medium-sized to big deciduous tree that grows about 10– 30 m tall with a trunk as much as 1 m diameter and an irregular, often-leaning crown. The plant is discovered growing on the margins of lakes and rivers where it might primarily have been planted. It will also grow by ponds, streams, wet hollows and ditches. Usually the plant prefers cool and wet soil. The bark is grey-brown, and deeply fissured in older trees. The shoots in the typical species are grey-brown to green-brown.

Leaves

Leaves are paler than most other willows, due to a covering of extremely great, silky white hairs, in particular on the underside. They are 5– 10 cm long and 0.5– 1.5 cm large, deciduous, alternate, and frequently elongated and serrated or smooth. Extended leaves are green on the upper side and whitish on the bottom side. Color of the leaves might changes seasonally. Leaves turn from green to yellow in the autumn.

Flower & Fruit

This is a dioecious species, with blooming catkins appearing on different male and female trees in May. Male catkins 4– 5 cm long are rather snazzy, having tiny flowers with yellowish anthers and two endurances. Female catkins are smaller about 3– 4 cm long and non-showy, with greenish flowers. When fully grown in summer, the female catkins make up numerous little (4 mm) capsules, each including many minute seeds surrounded in white down, which helps wind dispersal. Willow trees are related to mysticism and superstitious notion. According to the legend, witches crafted brooms utilizing the branches of the willow tree.

Varieties

A variety of cultivars and hybrids have been picked for forestry and horticultural usage:.

1. Salix Alba ‘Caerulea’ (cricket-bat willow)

Salix Alba ‘Caerulea’ (cricket-bat willow) is grown as an expert wood crop in Britain, primarily for the production of cricket bats, and for other uses where a hard, light-weight wood that does not piece quickly is required. It is differentiated generally by its growth kind, really fast-growing with a single straight stem, and likewise by its slightly bigger leaves (10– 11 cm long, 1.5– 2 cm large) with a more blue-green color. Its origin is unidentified; it may be a hybrid between white willow and fracture willow, however this is not confirmed.

2. Salix Alba ‘Vitellina’ (golden willow)

Salix Alba ‘Vitellina’ (golden willow) is a cultivar grown in gardens for its shoots, which are golden-yellow for one to 2 years prior to turning brown. It is mainly ornamental in winter; the very best impact is achieved by coppicing it every 2 to 3 years to motivate the production of longer young shoots with better color. Other comparable cultivars include ‘Britzensis’, ‘Cardinal’, and ‘Chermesina’, chosen for even brighter orange-red shoots.

3. Salix Alba ‘Sericea’ (silver willow)

Salix Alba ‘Sericea’ (silver willow) is a cultivar where the white hairs on the leaves are particularly thick, providing it more highly silvery-white foliage. This cultivar has extended the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Benefit.

4, Salix Alba ‘Vitellina-Tristis’ (golden weeping willow)

Salix Alba ‘Vitellina-Tristis’ (golden weeping willow) is a weeping cultivar with yellow branches that become reddish-orange in winter season. It is now unusual in cultivation and has been mainly changed by Salix sepulchralis group ‘Chrysocoma’. It is, however, still the very best option in extremely cold parts of the world, such as Canada, the northern United States, and Russia.

The golden hybrid weeping willow (Salix sepulchralis group ‘Chrysocoma’) is a hybrid in between white willow and Peking willow Salix babylonica.

Health Benefits of Willow Bark

White willow bark, the bark obtained from the white willow tree has actually been utilized for centuries as a natural solution for the treatment of fever and also for reducing pain. Bark consists of an active component called salicin, which is transformed to salicylic acid by the body. White willow bark has a number of advantages and there are clinical proofs to support this fact, which is why it has actually become a very popular and relied on alternative solution for various health issues. Here are some of the important advantages of using willow bark.

1. Eliminates Discomfort

Due to its rich blend of antioxidants and organic substances, willow bark functions as a very successful analgesia. For thousands of years, it has been traditionally utilized to relieve pain from injuries and illness, with terrific success. In fact, more than 2,500 years earlier, the earliest taped use of an herb was of willow bark, in Chinese standard medicine. Although it was specified in older texts dating back to the Egyptians, this was the first recognized use of willow bark for pain relief!

2. Anti-inflammatory Characteristics

Inflammation takes on several kinds within our body. If you are wanting to remove the swelling in your respiratory tracts, intestinal system, or joints, then willow bark can rapidly soothe your symptoms. If you prepare a decoction or a tea of this bark, you will feel the swelling and topical discomfort from arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, gout, and other conditions disappear.

3. Reduces Risks of Cancer

White willow consists of great amount of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that helps to reduce the risks of cancer. Considering that it acts as an antioxidant, white willow has actually shown its benefit to safeguard against viruses and germs in the body. Likewise, it reinforces body immune system. Not just for that, the anti-inflammatory properties consisted of in white willow help to minimize swelling which occurs due to the bad ecological direct exposure and toxic substances. Hence, as the anti-inflammatory homes likewise prevent free radicals, thus it is beneficial to avoid the threats of cancer as well.

4. Relieves Stomach Disorders

High content of tannins assist soothe the stomach and avoid intestinal distress during other health problems or durations of a weakened immune system. While willow bark can be slow-acting, its effects can be long-lasting, making it an efficient herbal treatment to periodically add to your health routine, but it must not be taken in daily unless suggested by a doctor or skilled herbalist.

5. Removes Migraines

If you suffer from chronic headaches and migraines, you might be able to benefit suggestively from the pain-relieving qualities of willow bark. It can help eliminate migraines by lowering the blood pressure in the small capillaries and blood vessels in the head, easing pressure and alleviating those unpleasant, incapacitating symptoms. It can also be used as a preventative method for routine headaches.

6. Alleviates Toothache

Toothache is so bothersome; hence you need to discover the ideal treatment and avoidance. Gargling white willow bark tea before going to sleep is rather beneficial to get relieve from tooth pain. You can chew on a white willow bark regularly to handle the tooth pain. Certainly, as white willow bark has the analgesic properties, it is beneficial to be a natural treatment for a toothache.

7. Decreases Fever

Anti-inflammatory residential or commercial properties of willow bark are quite helpful for reduction of fevers. Fevers are a symptom of an infection in the body, but lowering a fever or “breaking” it is very important to accelerate the recovery process and get the organ systems working normally again. It has actually been used to deal with fevers for countless years.

8. Eases Menstruation

For numerous women who struggle with unusually heavy durations or severe menstrual symptoms, taking a little glass of willow bark can do marvels for whatever from period discomforts and constraining to state of mind swings and unneeded stress hormonal agents in the body. Its relaxing attributes are particularly excellent in these scenarios, as they can assist to re-balance hormones in a female’s body.

9. Weight-loss Efforts

Many people rely on willow bark to enhance weight reduction efforts, due to the fact that the herb combines so well with other fat-burning and metabolism-boosting compounds. It can reinforce the results of these herbs in a healthy way, therefore increasing their effectiveness and improving your results even further.

10. Treats Back Pain

White willow is supposed as a reliable treatment for pain in the back. As described prior to, white willow is a truly excellent plant to help in eliminating the pain caused by the presence of salicin. For that reason, if you struggle with back pain, it is recommended to take in white willow bark regularly to aid with this kind of illness. And, do not forget to take a rest, lovely people!

11. Skin Care

The look of the skin is very important for us. High content of antioxidant substances discovered in willow bark have a major impact on the health of the skin. Whether applied topically or consumed, willow bark helps to increase blood flow to the skin due to its anti-oxidants, while likewise minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and age marks. Furthermore, it can get rid of inflammation in the skin and reduce the pain of insect bites and inflammation.

12. Preserves the Healthy Heart

Doing a healthy way of life together with taking in the very best foods is the best combination to keep the healthy heart. You will get incredibly benefits by doing that kind of actions. If you consume white willow, then you assist yourself to minimize the risks of internal clotting which is related with the heart disease consisting of stroke and heart attack. Additionally, it has actually revealed that white willow bark includes salicylates which have the exact same result as aspirin to keep the heart health.

13. Promotes Healthy Digestion

To preserve the excellent digestive system, you need to consume finest foods which are abundant in fiber including fruits and green veggies. At this moment, consuming white willow will be such an excellent concept, too. Willow consists of good quantity of tannins which is valuable to calm the stomach and avoid gastrointestinal distress. Thus, what are you waiting for? Attempt to consume white willow to promote the body health.

14. Eliminates Warts

Willow consists of great amount of salicylic acid which has revealed a great lead to removing warts. Thus, if you want to eliminate warts completely without cause much pain, then white willow is the ideal solution for you. Indeed, not just to get rid of warts, you can have the clear skin by having white willow as the alternative.

15. Deals with Psoriasis

Psoriasis is one of skin disorders which cause the skin cells be multiplied as much as 10 times faster than typical. This disease often happens on certain body parts such as the knees, elbows, and scalp. Furthermore, the signs are different including the presence of red skin plaques and plaques of scales or crust on the scalp.

As a result, one of the natural treatments for this skin disorder is to have white willow as the alternative. Therefore, you can blend the willow bark with the oak and walnut leaves and then pour the boiling water over them. After that, you drink it 3 times per day frequently to accelerate the recovery process.

16. Relieve Sciatica Pain

White willow bark includes salicin and phenolic glycosides that help in easing sciatica discomfort. These can provide you anti-inflammatory and analgesic advantages. Individuals with sciatica discomfort ought to take a willow bark having 120 or 240 milligrams of salicin every day for numerous weeks. Nevertheless, keep in mind to consult a doctor prior to using this bark.

17. Gets rid of Acne

Everybody hates acne, doesn’t it? As a result, many individuals try to get the clear and charm skin by having some charm treatments. Yet, you can have the alternative one by using natural plants and fruits for the facial mask. Hence, white willow uses you the anti-inflammatory and calming properties, and then it works to be a natural exfoliant. For this reason, you will be as happy as this kind of plants helps to remove skin dead cells and aid with skin rejuvenation.

18. Promotes Appeal Skin

With the antioxidant homes, white willow participates in promoting the appeal and healthy skin. White willow will help you to decrease the wrinkles and age marks in addition to eliminating the skin inflammations.

19. Enhance Kidney Failure

The anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory & antibacterial effects present in the white willow bark can help in improving the kidney failure and ease the pain. In addition, its immune improving impacts make your kidneys work better. You can make a tea with the dried white willow bark and consume it 3 to 4 times per day for this function.

Standard uses and benefits of Willow

• Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny the Senior and others knew willow bark could reduce pains and pains and minimize fevers.
• White willow and several closely associated types have actually been used for thousands of years to relieve joint pain and manage fevers.
• Bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiperiodic, antibacterial, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, hypnotic, sedative and tonic.
• It has actually been used internally in the treatment of dyspepsia connected with debility of the digestive organs, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, inflammatory stages of auto-immune diseases, feverish illnesses, neuralgia and headache.
• Its tonic and astringent properties render it helpful in healing from severe diseases, in treating worms, persistent dysentery and diarrhea.
• Fresh bark is utilized as an anodyne and febrifuge.
• Leaves are used internally in the treatment of minor feverish health problems and colic.
• An infusion of the leaves has a calming result and is helpful in the treatment of nervous sleeping disorders.
• When added to the bath water, the infusion is of genuine advantage in eliminating widespread rheumatism.
• It is suggested for Arthritis and bursitis.
• It reduces the inflammation in the joints and the tendons.
• It provides remedy for all kinds of body aches like headache, muscle pains, muscle cramps and back ache.
• It reduces toothache and inflamed gums.
• It is advantageous for healing mouth ulcers and sores.
• It is effective when used on cuts, wounds and burns.
• Antiviral and antibacterial residential or commercial property of the herb assists to fight the transmittable diseases.
• It assists to reduce the body temperature in fever.
• It is an exceptional herb for neuralgia, cardiovascular conditions and carpel tunnel syndrome.
• It reduces the agonizing menses and enhances the blood flow.
• People chewed bark of the willow tree to deal with fever, inflammation and discomfort in the past.

Ayurvedic Health advantages of Willow

• Arthritis: Cut the bark of white willow. Boil it. Add ginger to activate willow bark. Consume two times a day.
• Bursitis: Take 2 grams of ground bark. Mix it in 8 ounces of water. Drain to 4-5 cups daily.
• Kidney diseases: Prepare a white Willow bark tea. Consume it thrice a day to get remedy for kidney pain.
• Frozen Shoulder: Boil white willow bark in water for 10 minutes. Strain and consume this everyday.
• Bunion: Prepare a tea from the fresh leaves of white willow. Consume it two times a day. OR Prepare a paste of white willow bark. Use it on bunions.
• Tough Menses: Take half tablespoon of white willow bark powder. Boil it in water for 5 to 10 minutes. Have this tea 2 times in a day. It relieves menstrual cramps and great for irregular durations.
• Obesity: Take Ephedra’s leaves and white willow bark in 1: 2 ratios. Make its decoction. Consume 5 ml of it once a day.

Culinary Uses

• Inner barks are raw or cooked.
• It can be dried, ground into a powder and added to cereal flour then used in making bread etc.
• . It is utilized as a famine food when all else fails.
• Leaves and young shoots are consumed raw or cooked.
• The leaves can be utilized as a tea substitute. [3]

White Willow Bark vs. Ibuprofen: Which Is Safer (and Why)?

Is white willow bark more secure than aspirin or ibuprofen? Due to the fact that it has several active compounds, consisting of salicin, flavonoids and polyphenols, there’s some proof that willow bark provides a wider system of action, while also being less likely to cause serious side effects– consisting of ibuprofen overdose.

Some people describe WWB as being like “natural aspirin.” Compared to artificially made aspirin, WWB seems to pose less risk for harming the intestinal lining (the mucosa).

Unlike aspirin, it likewise has no result on blood clot when utilized in moderate dosages, such as about 240 milligrams of extract.

Individuals who have a recognized allergy to aspirin (” salicylate-sensitive people”) must not use products made with willow bark. If indications of a reaction take place, such as skin itching/hives or difficulty breathing, a doctor needs to be called right away. [4]

How It Functions

The glycoside salicin, from which the body can split off salicylic acid, is believed to be the source of the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving actions of willow. The analgesic actions of willow are generally slow to develop but might last longer than the effects of basic aspirin items. One trial has actually discovered that a mix herbal item consisting of 100 mg willow bark taken for two months improved working by means of pain relief in individuals with osteoarthritis.4 Another trial found that 1360 mg of willow bark extract per day (delivering 240 mg of salicin) for two weeks was rather efficient in treating discomfort connected with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. Use of high quantities of willow bark extract might also help people with low neck and back pain. One four-week trial found 240 mg of salicin from a willow extract worked in reducing worsenings of low pain in the back. [5]

Willow Bark Recipe

White Willow Bark Tea Ingredients:

• 1-3 gm dried and sliced white willow bark
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Ginger – to taste
• 2 cups water

Method:

1. In a pan, take water, include white willow bark to it and bring it to boil.
2. To the boiling decoction, include ginger and let it boil for some more time.
3. When the water modifications to red color, stress it off in a cup.
4. Add fresh lemon juice and honey to it.
5. Consume it hot.

Idea: You can even add a piece of cinnamon to improve its taste. [6]

Is it safe?

You need to use willow bark with care if you have gastrointestinal and liver problems or diabetes. Like aspirin, you should likewise beware if you take anticoagulants, acetazolamide, anti-hypertensives and anti-inflammatory drugs since willow bark engages with these drugs. [7]
When taken by mouth: Willow bark is perhaps safe when utilized for approximately 12 weeks. It may trigger diarrhea, heartburn, and throwing up in some people. It can also cause itching, rash, and allergic reactions, particularly in individuals who dislike aspirin. [8]

Exist interactions with medications?

Significant

Do not take this combination.

Medications that slow blood clot (Anticoagulant/ Antiplatelet drugs)

Willow bark might slow blood clot. Taking willow bark along with medications that likewise sluggish blood clotting may increase the danger of bruising and bleeding.

Moderate

Beware with this mix.

Acetazolamide

Willow bark consists of chemicals that may increase the quantity of acetazolamide in the blood. Taking willow bark along with acetazolamide might increase the results and adverse effects of acetazolamide.

Aspirin

Willow bark includes chemicals similar to aspirin. Taking willow bark along with aspirin may increase the effects and negative effects of aspirin.

Choline Magnesium Trisalicylate (Trilisate)

Willow bark contains chemicals that are similar to choline magnesium trisalicylate. Taking willow bark in addition to choline magnesium trisalicylate might increase the results and side effects of choline magnesium trisalicylate.

Salsalate (Disalcid)

Salsalate is a kind of medication called a salicylate. It’s similar to aspirin. Willow bark also contains a salicylate comparable to aspirin. Taking salsalate together with willow bark may increase the impacts and side effects of salsalate.

Are there interactions with herbs and supplements?

Herbs and supplements that may slow blood clotting.

Willow bark might slow blood clot and increase the threat of bleeding. Taking it with other supplements with similar results may increase the risk of bleeding in some individuals. Examples of supplements with this effect consist of garlic, ginger, ginkgo, nattokinase, and Panax ginseng.

Herbs which contain chemicals similar to aspirin (salicylates)

Willow bark contains chemicals called salicylates. Salicylates are similar to aspirin. Taking it with other supplements that contain salicylates may increase their impacts and adverse effects. Examples of supplements that contain salicylates consist of aspen, black haw, poplar, and meadowsweet.

Exist interactions with foods?

There are no recognized interactions with foods. [9]

What are the preventative measures when taking this product?

• Always contact your medical professional prior to you utilize a natural item. Some items might not blend well with drugs or other natural products.
• This item may interfere with some laboratory tests. Make sure to talk with your physician about this and all drugs you are taking.
• This item hinders numerous drugs. It reduces the effectiveness of lots of drugs. It increases adverse effects of some drugs. Talk with your medical professional before you begin using this item.
• Make certain to inform your doctor that you take this item if you are arranged for surgery or tests.
• Do not utilize this item if you are pregnant or strategy to become pregnant soon. Usage birth control you can rely on while taking this product.
• Do not use this product if you are breastfeeding.
• Avoid beer, red wine, and cocktails (alcohol) while taking this product.
• Do not take this item if you dislike aspirin.
• Do not offer this item to kids or teenagers with the flu or other viral infections.
• Take extra care if you are taking drugs to thin your blood. These are drugs like warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, or enoxaparin (Lovenox).
• Take additional care if you are taking drugs to dissolve blood clots. These are drugs like alteplase (Activase), reteplase (Retavase), or streptokinase.
• Take additional care if you are taking drugs to assist with swelling or swelling. These are drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Naprosyn).

Take extra care and talk to your doctor if you have:

• Kidney issues
• Liver problems
• Bleeding problems
• Stomach ulcers
• Gout
• Asthma
• Diabetes

Keep hard candies, glucose tablets, liquid glucose, or juice on hand for low blood sugar level, especially if you have blood sugar level issues. [10]

Kinds and dose of willow bark

Capsules

Willow bark can be purchased from many drugstores and nearly any natural food store in a powdered, encapsulated kind. The advised dose for discomfort relief is 240 milligrams a day.

Bark

The active component in willow bark is salicin, however the accompanying flavonoids and plant particles might be part of what make willow bark efficient. For this reason, some people prefer to really chew on the unprocessed bark of the willow tree. It is hard to identify just how much salicin you are receiving from each piece of bark, so this technique of consumption must be approached with care.

Liquid

Willow bark can also be discovered in a distilled tincture type. Taking a drop or 2 per day for discomfort relief (as much as 2 milliliters) can work as an anti-inflammatory and pain relief alternative to aspirin.

Tea

Some organic food shops offer willow bark tea, marketing it as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. Steep willow bark tea for 2 to 3 minutes in hot water. When consuming willow bark in this type, it’s hard to tell just how much salicin you are getting in each serving of tea.

Topical

Willow bark can be used topically. Since it isn’t taken in digestively, topical willow bark is a good alternative for those who typically experience stomach ulcers. Nevertheless, topical use can be harsh and trigger skin irritation.

Present research study

Even though it is utilized commonly, extremely couple of medical trials have been done to confirm the efficiency of willow bark. Preliminary studies do reveal that there are some health benefits, and that specific species of willow include higher concentrations of salicin and flavonoids than others.

In the studies that have actually been done, the risks and adverse effects appear relatively minimal. And there are centuries of study and use of aspirin, which gets its active ingredient from willow bark.

Conclusion

Willow bark has been shown to assist relieve some mild discomforts. However more research study is needed to fully understand how it varies from aspirin. While it might be a reliable alternative to aspirin for some, speak to your medical professional prior to selecting to take willow bark. [11]

Recommendations

1. Https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/willow+bark
2. Https://theconversation.com/hippocrates-and-willow-bark-what-you-know-about-the-history-of-aspirin-is-probably-wrong-148087
3. Https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/willow/
4. Https://draxe.com/nutrition/white-willow-bark/#White_Willow_Bark_vs_Ibuprofen_Which_Is_Safer_and_Why
5. Https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?Docid=hn-2182009#hn-2182009-how-it-works
6. Https://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/health-benefits-of-willow-bark.htm
7. Https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/types-of-complementary-treatments/willow-bark/
8. Https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-955/willow-bark
9. Https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/955.html
10. Https://www.drugs.com/npc/willow-bark.html
11. Https://www.healthline.com/health/willow-bark-natures-aspirin#research