White Willow Bark 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

White Willow Bark – 100 g ($13.99), 50 g ($8.99), 25 g ($5.99)

Benefits:
Like aspirin, willow bark is a proven painkiller, but without many of aspirin’s side effects. The analgesic actions of willow are typically slower acting but last longer than standard aspirin products. As with aspirin, uses for willow bark include fever, colds, minor infections, acute and chronic rheumatic disorders, mild headaches, and pain caused by inflammation. Willow bark is also high in tannins, suggesting that it may be of some use in gastrointestinal disorders. The German Commission E has approved its use for disease accompanied by pain, fever, rheumatic ailments, and headaches.

Arthritis. Aspirin has an advantage over its herbal parent in that it is more sure-acting, as willow bark depends on the presence of “friendly” intestinal bacteria to properly digest its components into painkilling compounds. On the other hand, the analgesic compounds from willow bark remain in circulation longer than those from aspirin. The amount of pain-relieving compounds available from willow bark remains at stable levels in the bloodstream for several hours. Unlike aspirin, the salicylates from willow bark have no effect on blood platelets and do not increase bleeding. Clinical testing of willow bark has been conducted in England. Researchers at the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at the University of Exeter gave eighty-two participants with chronic arthritic pain either Reumalex, an herbal drug containing willow bark, or a placebo. After two months of use, the willow bark medication was found to be superior to the placebo pill.

Dry mouth. A clinical study involving ten patients who had had radiation treatment found that Salix SST, a saliva-stimulating lozenge containing the active principles of willow bark, relieved symptoms of dry mouth and improved sleep and speech.

Lower back pain and osteoporosis. Studies have shown that willow bark has pain-relieving effects on people with chronic lower back and osteoporotic pain within a month. One study found that a combination herbal product containing 120 milligrams of salicin from white willow bark reduced knee pain and improved functioning in people with osteoarthritis.

Recommended Use
Willow bark is available as capsules and salicin tablets, and in various formulations designed specifically for migraines. The typical dose is 60 to 120 milligrams of salicin, which is about 6 to 12 grams of the herb. In Native American medicine, willow bark is used to reduce sexual desire. Chronic use of willow bark may result in diminished sexual interest, although it does not affect physical aspects of sexual performance in either men or women.

If you have had any type of allergic reaction to aspirin or other salicylates, you should not use willow bark. Do not use it if you are pregnant or nursing. Do not take it in combination with aspirin. Long-term use of willow bark is not advisable. Do not give willow bark to a child under sixteen years of age who has symptoms of flu, chickenpox, or any other type of viral infection. As with aspirin, there may be a risk of developing a rare but serious ailment called Reye’s syndrome. Do not use willow bark if you have active gastric or duodenal ulcer, hemophilia, asthma, or diabetes. If you are taking blood-thinners or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) avoid white willow–containing products. Limit your intake of alcohol and barbiturates when using this herb, as they may mask symptoms of salicylate overdose and may enhance the toxicity of the salicin from white willow.

Botanical Name: Salix alba
English: Willow bark, European willow
Ayurvedic: Jalavetasa
Unani: Bed Saadaa
Also, known as: Ak söyüd ag, basket willow, bela vrba, beli, bid-e-maamouli, caporniolo, derakht-e-bid, European willow, hopeapaju, hvid pil, isbidår, vitpil, osier blanc, paju, remmelgas, salcio bianco, salicastro, salcio da forche, salece, salgueiro-de-casa-roxa, saligastro, sargatillo, saule blanc, sauce blanco, Silberweide, sogut, solvpil, sufsaf abiad, tortiello, swallow tailed willow, vitpil, white willow, Saule blanc, Silberweide, Salcio bianco, Liu, Svet veda muska, Neerganjimara Pandra veda muska Bis, Malchang, Bhushan, Madnu Bed Sada
Origin: Ukraine
Harvested: Wild
Parts Used: Bark

General Information:
The bark is 1 to 2 cm wide and 1 to 2 mm thick and occurs in flexible, elongated, quilled or curved pieces. The outer surface is smooth or slightly wrinkled longitudinally and greenish-yellow in the younger bark to brownish grey in the older bark. The inner surface is smooth or finely striated longitudinally and white, pale yellow or reddish-brown, depending on the species. The fracture is short in the outer part and coarsely fibrous in the inner region and is easily split longitudinally. The diameter of current year twigs is not more than 10 mm. The wood is white or pale yellow.

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.