Betulae folium

Used parts: leaves, bark, sap.

Pharmacy name: birch - Betulae folium (formerly: Folia Betulae), birch tar - Betulae pix (formerly: Fix Betulina), birch juice - Betulae liquor (formerly: Liquor Betulae).

Botanical description. For a description of birches (their birthplace - Europe), I saved, giving here only the differences between them. Beryoza droop, or papillose, the major birch fluffy and tend to prefer dry places. Its branches hang downwards and at a young age littered with papillose glandule forming resin. The leaves also larger. A downy birch, on the contrary, the young twigs pubescence, and it grows in damp woods and swamps. In both types of medicine used.

Collecting and harvesting. Young leaves are collected in May-June, and dried in the open air. Birch juice extract, when he rises up, in early spring, cut the bark and collecting the juice flowing into a collection tin. Another method is to proburavlivanii hole in the trunk of a depth of 1 to 5 cm, which once inserted tube or make grooves, and the juice flowing by him in limbo compilations. From each hole juice flowing approximately 10 days, with one day natekaet from 1 to 5 liters, depending on the weather and temperature. Degot produced by the so-called dry distillation of the bark of the tree. Birch bark is a vital raw material for tar, remove it from the old trunks and boughs, and then dried.

The active substances. As active substances include flavonoids in the leaves, they complement many other substances (essential oil, bitter, tannin, saponins, vitamin C, etc.). Birch sap contains invertny sugar, organic acids, proteins and growth substances. Birch bark is rich betulin (birch kamforoy) contains fitosterin, tannin, bitter, volatile oil, resin and other organic matter. In the tar found phenols (guayakol, cresol, etc.).

Curative effect and application. Birch leaf tea - the best tool for removing water from the body. It does not irritate the kidneys, but also enhances formation of urine. Therefore, it is used for rinsing the urinary tract, with bacterial inflammatory diseases associated with spastic phenomena, and generally prescribed in the kidney as professionals - doctors, urologists, and general practitioners. NHS Germany recommends birch leaves to enhance the provision of urine with urolithiasis and other diseases, which have a water retention in the body (edema). Usually this happens when heart disease and kidney failure. Has a large number of tea of birch leaves selection of salts (especially mochekisloy salt) - in this respect different opinions among researchers. However, the view prevails that the treatment of birch leaf tea reduces the levels of uric acid in the body.

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Birch tea leaves: 2 teaspoons of riding birch leaves pour 1 / 4 L boiling water and insist 10 minutes. Need to drink the tea warm. The correct dose - three cups a day. After the disappearance of edema reception of tea, you can stop.

In addition, the leaves of birch are used in many metabolic disorders, the prevention of spring-autumn rates against rheumatism and gout. From the birch tar prepare ointments and friction, which, however, used mainly in veterinary medicine. They help with the deprived and other skin diseases. It is very rare oil used for rheumatism. Birch sap is known as a lotion for hair. It is believed that it prevents hair loss and the formation of dandruff. (In Russian scientific and traditional medicine have the greatest use of birch buds. They are trained medication sudorific, gastric and diuretic actions. - Notes. Ed.)

The use of traditional medicine. In Germanic and Slavic folk beliefs birch has a special role. This is now resemble birch twigs to Trinity Day. It is clear that traditional medicine is not only widely used birch, but also to exaggerate its importance. Therefore, its recommendations, we must treat with some caution: for example, the birch sap is used in gastric colic, oil - from abscesses, from cracking and cornification of skin (ointment), and tea from leaves and bark recommend when the sugar disease. Board take note of a spring salad of young birch leaves. Along with the dandelion, zheruhoy and other plants, it makes the menu a healthy diversity.

Adverse effects. If overdose of tea from leaves, no side effects were not found. However, ingestion of birch undiluted juice is not recommended when using tar as possible skin irritation.