Birch Leaves 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Birch Leaves – 100 g ($12.99), 50 g ($8.99), 25 g ($5.99)

Benefits:
Birch leaf is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic. It also helps diseases of the kidney. In Europe, birch is used to relieve the pain and swelling of arthritis and to heal boils and sores. Recent tests in Finland have found that birch leaf extracts kill the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. One component of birch bark is called betulin, which targets a factor that causes genes to tell the body to make cholesterol, fatty acids, and triglycerides. In one study, mice were fed a high-fat diet that mimicked a typical Western diet. The addition of an extract from birch leaf lowered blood lipids and reduced body fat and the animals’ insulin was more responsive to glucose. More work is needed to see if these favourable changes occur in humans.

Traditional healers have long considered the leaves of the European white and silver birch effective in remedying skin rashes, hair loss, and rheumatic complaints.

Arthritis, rheumatism, and muscular pain. Sweet birch is thought to be an analgesic and good for all kinds of muscular pain. For rheumatism and arthritis, it is often used as an adjunct with other therapies.

Skin ailments. Birch tar, used externally, may reduce parasitic infestation on the skin, and help with dry skin (eczema) and psoriasis. It was traditionally used for scabies.

Botanical Name: Betula alba
English: Common Birch
Also, known as: White Birch, Cherry Birch, Bereza, Black Birch, Spice Birch, Berke, Bouleau, Sweet Birch, Mountain Mahogany
Habitat: Europe, Northern Asia
Origin: Poland
Harvested: Wild
Parts Used: Leaves

General Information:
Birch is one of the most useful, as well as one of the most graceful trees which has been known as the ‘Giving Tree’ and called the oldest tree in Britain. Throughout history, it has played a huge roll in humans and in the animal world.

Birch is a medium size, an eye-catching tree grows up to 40-60 ft tall. The trunk of this tree is slender and about 35-40 cm in diameter. The bark of this tree is brown, golden-brown, white or yellow, normally smooth in beginning but later this turns to white as a result of papery tissue developing on the surface and peeling off in flakes until the tree gets quite large. The white papery part of the bark is separable into thin layers. This characteristic employed as a substitute for oiled paper and applied to various economical uses. The alternate leaves are simple, wedged-shaped toothed and bright green in color, with pleasant in odor and bitter in taste. Leaves are collected in early summer and in spring.

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.