Birch
Botanical Description & Habitat
Betula lenta
Family
Betulaceae
Common Names
| Black birch | Cherry birch |
| Mountain mahogany | Spice birch |
| Sweet birch |
Habitat
Wooded areas in the Northern hemisphere, predominantly the United States.
Description
The birch is a tall tree, reaching 80 feet in height, with a brown bark turning dark gray with age. Its trunk is marked with horizontal stripes, and the bark of older trees is irregularly broken.
Birch leaves are bright green and egg-shaped; they possess fine teeth which point toward the tip of the leaf. The leaves grow in alternate pairs. Birch flowers develop in catkins, with the males appearing in the fall and the females the following spring.
Medicinal Parts
Bark and leaves - dried, collected in spring and early summer.
Rising spring sap - tapped in April.
Historical Properties & Uses
The leaves and bark of the white birch and related species are used for medicinal purposes. The leaves contain various saponins, tannic acid, essential oil, bitter substances, and glycosides; the bark is rich in methyl salicylate.
Birch leaves are used as a diuretic, as a disinfectant, and to dissolve gravel and kidney stones. The leaf tannins are astringent and antidiarrheic. The leaf oil has typical vulnerary properties and has been used externally for the relief of the pain of rheumatism and to promote hair growth. Ingestion of large amounts of the oil should be avoided.
Birch leaves have approval status by the German Commission E.
Birch bark has antipyretic, counterirritant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties not unlike those of wintergreen. Like the leaves, it also has been used to soothe the discomforts of rheumatism.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Method of Action
The distilled oil of birch bark contains 97 to 99% methyl salicylate, an oil very similar to oil of wintergreen. This oil is generally regarded as a counterirritant and when applied topically has been shown to relieve the pain of rheumatism, sciatica and lumbago. The oil is manufactured synthetically on a large scale.
Methyl salicylate is antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic (see Wintergreen for discussion). Whole birch bark would not be expected to possess these properties, but the bark is often used in strong teas, sitz baths, sauna baths and the like in an effort to distil the essential oil as powerfully as possible. In such cases, some of the purported effects would be expected to occur.
Contemporary over-the-counter ointments and liniments include birch oil to increase analgesia and antisepsis.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Known Interactions
Since birch's diuretic action increases the renal excretion of sodium and chloride, this herb may potentiate the hyperglycemic and hyperuricemic effects of glucose elevating agents.
It should also be noted diuretics may potentiate the action of antihypertensive , ganglionic or peripheral adrenergic blocking drugs, tubocurarine, and norepinephrine.
Possible Interactions
The topical application of the astringent herb birch, in conjunction with the acne product tretinoin (retinoic acid, vitamin A acid), may adversely affect the skin.
The diuretic action of birch may reduce renal clearance of lithium. In addition, the use of this diuretic may require dosage adjustments of antidiabetic drugs.
By sequestering birch, mineral oil may reduce the herb's anthelmintic effect. The same may be true, to a lesser extent, of antacids.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
The safety of birch has not determined by FDA.
The distilled oil can be poisonous if ingested in large amounts.
Methyl salicylate has many of the properties of other salicylates and should be used with caution.
This herb (specifically the leaf) has approval status by the German Commission E.
No contraindications or side effects are known for the leaf.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Preparation & Administration
Oil of bark (from steam distillation):
external application only, every 3-4 hours
Birch leaf has approval status by the German Commission E regarding urinary tract disorders.
Daily dosages are as follows:
2 - 3 g several times daily
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Note: This Herbal Preparation information is a summary of data from books and articles by various authors. It is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals.
References
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Chambers, G., R.J. Kerry & G. Owen. 1977. Lithium used with a diuretic. British Medical Journal, 2. pp. 805-806.
Chiles, V. 1968. Drug interactions and the pharmacist. Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal, 101(7). pp. 241-247.
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De Martinis, M., et.al. 1980. "Milk thistle (silybum marianum) derivatives in the therapy of chronic hepatopathies." Clin. Ter., 94(3). p. 283-315.
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