Oak Bark 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Oak bark – 100 g ($16.99), 50 g ($10.99), 25 g ($7.99)

Benefits:
Oak bark’s main uses relate to treating inflammatory conditions, such as bleeding gums and hemorrhoids. It’s also used to treat acute diarrhea.

Skin irritation  Oak bark may contain up to 20% tannins, depending on the type and time of harvesting (5). Tannins act as astringents, or agents that bind to proteins in the skin to constrict body tissues, therefore tightening pores and drying out irritated areas (6). In particular, the tannins in oak bark have been shown to inhibit the release of inflammatory compounds. They may also exhibit antibacterial properties by binding with proteins involved in bacterial growth (5, 7). These specific properties of tannins are responsible for the possible topical uses of oak bark in treating skin irritation and wounds. Hemorrhoids, or swollen veins around the anal area, are sometimes treated by bathing in water mixed with oak bark powder to dry out sores (8).

Oak bark is also used for its astringent and antibacterial properties for wounds, irritated gums and teeth, and burns at risk of infection. It may be gargled, drunk, or applied topically (9).  One test-tube study found that an ointment consisting of oak bark and other herbs was effective against drug-resistant bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (10). However, it cannot be determined whether oak bark or one of the others was responsible for these antibacterial effects. Thus, more extensive research is needed to understand the safety and effectiveness of oak bark.

While the use of oak bark for soothing skin irritation may be widespread, research on its use for this purpose is scarce. In some instances, oak bark may even aggravate irritation, especially when used on broken skin (8). White oak bark can also be used externally for skin issues like eczema and cuts, burns, and bruises. It has been historically used for wounds because it’s a styptic herb, meaning it can stop bleeding. Oak bark also acts as an antiseptic to protect wounds, and the tannins present in it have antibacterial properties. (3)  Oak bark’s astringent properties are believed to reduce inflammation and soothe irritated skin. Oak bark can be applied topically as a compress or added to bath water to help with pain, swelling, and itching.

Scalp Health  Other topical benefits of white oak bark include an ability to soothe your scalp and help with oily hair. As an astringent, oak bark can help to cleanse your scalp and dry up excess oil. It can also be made into a tea and used as a rinse for dandruff. Because white oak can be drying, you may not want to use it if you have an extremely dry scalp or skin. Or you can combine it with another ingredient that will moisturize your scalp.

 Digestion  Oak bark is thought to help soothe and heal the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract, potentially reducing inflammation and discomfort. In addition to its topical applications, oak bark is thought to provide healing benefits when ingested. Oak bark, in particular, is used to help treat diarrhea because of its antibacterial properties (5). Test-tube studies suggest that oak bark may help fight bacteria that can lead to stomach upset and loose stools, including E.coli. Tannin compounds may also strengthen the intestinal lining and prevent watery stools (11, 12). Furthermore, research in humans supports the use of tannins to treat diarrhea.

One study in 60 children with acute diarrhea found that those who received a supplement with tannins along with a rehydration regimen had significantly fewer stools after 24 hours, compared with their baseline (13). However, there was not a significant difference in the median duration of diarrhea after treatment between those who received the supplement and rehydration, compared with those who just received rehydration (13).

While these results are interesting, no studies have specifically focused on the compounds in oak bark. Thus, it’s unclear if the long-term use of oak bark tea and other products is safe and effective at treating diarrhea. Oak bark is often used to help alleviate diarrhea. The tannins in oak bark can help reduce excessive intestinal secretion, which may contribute to diarrhea. White oak bark has also been used frequently to benefit digestive and urinary health. It can act as a diuretic, which may help with bladder and kidney health as well as water retention. Besides diarrhea, oak bark is also thought to be effective against certain parasites and can tone tissues in your digestive tract. The tannins present in oak bark help to strengthen intestinal lining and help the body transition from watery stools to normal.

A study done on a related oak species (Quercus crassifolia) found that bark showed action against certain bacteria (including E. coli) that can cause upset stomach and diarrhea. White oak bark is even approved by the German Commission E for the treatment of diarrhea.

Oral Health  The astringent and antimicrobial properties of oak bark make it great for natural oral health. It’s been used as a powder for teeth and gums and as a mouthwash. Oak bark is especially helpful for sore or bleeding gums and infections in the mouth. (4) Besides mouthwash, you can also use oak bark to make a gargle for a sore throat. You can do this by simmering the bark in water for about 20 minutes, straining, and letting it cool to room temperature. Gargle or drink a few cups as a tea. Oak bark is traditionally used as a mouthwash or gargle to help strengthen gums, reduce bleeding, and soothe sore throats and canker sores.

Antioxidant  Some of the compounds in oak bark, such as ellagitannins and roburins, may act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body from underlying damage caused by reactive molecules called free radicals (2). The antioxidant activity of these compounds is thought to boost heart and liver health and possibly offer anticancer effects (2). One study on ellagitannins from oak bark found that rats who received oak bark extract for 12 weeks while eating a high fat, high carb diet experienced improvements in heart and liver function, compared with rats who did not get the extract (14).

Another study in 75 adults with temporary liver failure found that those who took oak wood extract for 12 weeks had significantly better improvements in markers of liver function, compared with those who did not take the supplement (15). However, the availability of ellagitannins and their byproducts in the body varies by individual. Thus, oak bark may not provide the same benefits for everyone (16). More extensive research is needed to understand the safety of the long-term use of oak bark products.

Oak bark offers a range of potential health benefits, primarily due to its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. It’s been traditionally used to treat conditions like diarrhea, soothe skin irritations, and address issues with mouth and gum health.

Here’s a more detailed look at the benefits:

Antiseptic, Hemostatic: Oak bark is considered an antiseptic and hemostatic, meaning it can help stop bleeding and is used to treat wounds.

Antimicrobial:  Oak bark’s antimicrobial properties may help fight bacteria and other pathogens in the mouth, potentially improving gum health.

Antifungal, Antiviral: Some studies suggest oak bark may have antifungal and antiviral properties, potentially aiding in the treatment of infections.

Varicose Veins  Because of its ability to tighten and tone, white oak bark has often been used for its benefits for varicose veins.

Varicose veins are twisted and swollen veins that usually show up in the legs. They can occur because of increased blood pressure and weak or damaged vein walls or valves. There’s an increased risk of developing varicose veins as you get older and during pregnancy (especially if you have had multiple births). (2) White oak bark has a toning and anti-inflammatory effect when taken internally that can help veins to contract.

Botanical Name: Quercus alba
English: White Oak
Also, known as: English oak, The Charter Oak, European oak, Tanner’s Bark, and Tanner’s oak, American Oak, Chêne Blanc, Chène Blanc d’Amérique, Écorce de Chêne, Écorce de Chêne Blanc, North American White Oak, Quercus alba, Quercus Cortex, Stave Oak, Tanner’s Bark, Tanner’s Oak, White Oak, White Oak Bark
Origin: Hungary
Harvested: Wild or cultivated
Parts Used: Tree bark

General Information:
Quercus alba, is a large, deciduous tree grows to 50-80′ tall in cultivation and up to 100′ in the wild, can live for several hundred years, with scaly, gray bark. White oak grows over much of eastern North America and is an important hardwood timber tree. Mature leaves are 4-9 inches long and 2-4 inches wide; they are broadly elliptic or obovate in outline and pinnatifid with five to nine pairs of deep to medium lobes with round tips and round sinuses. The upper surface of mature leaves is medium green and glabrous, while the lower surface. Leaves emerge pinkish in spring but mature to dark green. Variable fall color ranges from uninteresting browns to quality shades of dark red. They turn red-purple in the fall before falling off. Because White Oak is monoecious, separate male and female flowers are produced on the same tree Male flowers are produced in greenish-yellow catkins about 2-3 inches long that develop near the tips of last year’s branches. Individual male flowers are 1/8 inch across or less, consisting of an irregularly lobed calyx and several stamens. Greenish red female flowers are produced at the tips of new shoots on very short peduncles. Individual female flowers are 1/8 inch across or less, consisting of a pubescent calyx that surrounds an ovoid ovary with 3 stigmata. The flowers are cross-pollinated by the wind. Fertile female flowers are replaced by acorns that become mature by the fall. Acorns from the white oak are 12 to 2.5 centimeters long. It takes one year for acorns to be fully grown, and they drop off in the fall once they are ripe. Acorns are valuable though the inconsistent source of wildlife food. More than 180 different kinds of birds and mammals use oak acorns as food; among them are squirrels, blue jays, crows, red-headed woodpeckers, deer, turkey, quail, mice, chipmunks, ducks, and raccoons. The root system consists of a taproot and widely spreading lateral roots

White oak is the Maryland, Connecticut and Illinois State Tree. Genus name comes from the classical Latin name for oak trees. The species name of alba means white in reference to the light ash-gray bark. The white oak’s bark is whitish to pale gray, usually with long scales. Wood from the white oak is waterproof, so it’s used to make barrels for storing liquids White oak’s wood is strong and durable for staves for barrels, lumber flooring, and interior woodwork White oak is also an excellent ornamental tree because of its broad round crown, dense foliage and purplish-red to olet purple fall color.

 

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.

How Much To Use
It is common that 10g of a fresh herb = 1g when dehydrated.
Recommended daily amount: ½ -1 tsp oak bark (1-2 g)/use, up to 3 times/day. This can be added to food, drink or to make tea.