Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Two hundred years ago bayberry was widely used medicinally. It’s a shame it’s been almost forgotten, because science has shown this native American herb may have some real benefits in treating fever and diarrhea.

Diarrhea - Bayberry root bark contains an antibiotic chemical (myricitrin), which may fight a broad range of bacteria and protozoa. Myricltrin’s antibiotic action supports bayberry’s traditional use against diarrhea and dysentery.

Bayberry also contains astringent tannins, which add to its value in treating diarrhea.

Fever - The antibiotic myricitrin also helps reduce fever, thus lending credence to bayberry’s use among the Choctaw Indians.

intriguing Possibility - Myricitrin promotes the flow of bile and might potentially be of value in liver and gallbladder ailments, but as yet no research demonstrates this.

Rx for Bayberry

For a decoction, boil 1 teaspoon of powdered root bark in a pint of water for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a bit of milk and drink cool. up to 2 cups a day. You’ll find the taste bitter and astringent. A tincture might go down more easily.

In a tincture, take 112 teaspoon up to twice a day. Bayberry should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with a low-strength preparation and increase strength if necessary.

The Safety Factor

The high tannin content of bayberry makes the herb of questionable value for anyone with a history of cancer. In various studies, tannins show both pro- and anti-cancer action. Their cancer-promoting action has received more publicity, notably from a study published in the lournal of the National Cancer Institute, which showed that tannins produce malignant tumors in laboratory animals. But tannins have also been shown to have an anti-cancer effect against some animal tumors.

Tannins’ effects on human cancer remain unclear. Small quantities have never been implicated in human tumors, but Asians who drink large quantities of tea, which contains tannins, show unusually high rates of stomach cancer. Adding milk neutralizes the tannins, which may be why the tea-loving British have a low rate of stomach cancer. Those with a history of cancer, particularly stomach or colon cancer. should exercise caution and not use this herb. Others should drink no more than recommended amounts, and for extra safety, add milk.

Other Side Effects

In large doses, bayberry root bark may cause stomach distress, nausea, and vomiting. Those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions, such as colitis, for example, should use it cautiously.

Bayberry changes the way the body uses sodium and potassium. Those who must watch their sodium/potassium balance, such as people with kidney disease, high blood pres” sure, or congestive heart failure, for example, should consult their physicians before using it.

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who need not pay special attention to their sodium/potassium balance, do not have gastrointestinal conditions, and have no history of stomach or colon cancer, bayberry root bark may be used cautiously in amounts typically recommended.

Bayberry should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If bayberry causes minor dis” comforts such as nausea or vomiting, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Native Cultivation - Flourishes in Florida

Bayberry is native to the area from New Jersey to the Great Lakes and south to Florida and Texas. In the Southeast, it matures into an evergreen tree that reaches about 35 feet. Further north, the plant becomes smaller. Around the Great Lakes, mature plants rarely grow taller than 3 feet.

Bayberry has grayish bark, waxy branches, and dense, narrow, delicately toothed leaves dotted with resin glands, which produce a fragrant aroma when crushed. Yellow flowers appear in spring and produce nutlike fruits thickly covered with the wax once so highly valued in candle-making

Bayberry grows from seeds planted in spring or early fall.

It prefers peaty soil under full sun but tolerates poorer sandy soil along streams and in swampy areas. Plants require little care other than pruning.

Harvest the root bark after a few years.

All-American Fever Treatment

Family: Myricaceae; (includes Myrtle)

Genus and Species: Myrica Cerifera

Also known as: Wax myrtle, Candleberry, Tallow Shrub

Parts Used: Root bark

The early American colonists found the bayberry tree growing throughout the East. but they used it to make fragrant candles rather than medicines. Initially bayberry was used medicinally only in the South, where the Choctaw Indians boiled the leaves and drank the decoction as a treatment for fever. Later, Louisiana settlers adopted the plant and drank bayberry wax in hot water “as a certain cure for the most violent cases of dysentery,” according to a medical account from 1722.

Second Only to Hot Pepper

During the early 19th century, bayberry was popularized by Samuel A. Thomson, a New England herbalist and creator of the first patent medicines. He touted it as second only to red pepper for producing “heat” within the body. Thomson recommended bayberry for colds, flu, and other infectious diseases in addition to diarrhea and fever.

Thomson’s herbalism lost popularity after the Civil War, replaced by the more scientific Eclectic physicians, who prescribed the astringent herb topically for bleeding gums and internally for diarrhea, dysentery, sore throat, scarlet fever, menstrual difficulties, and even typhoid.

Although bayberry has since waned in popularity, some contemporary herbalists recommend using the herb externally for varicose veins and internally for diarrhea, dysentery, colds, flu, bleeding gums, and sore throat. One modern herbal calls it “one of the most useful herbs in botanical medicine” and goes so far as to advocate treating uterine bleeding by packing the vagina with cotton soaked in bayberry tea. (Do not do this. See a physician for unusual uterine bleeding.)