Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Potent Against Pain

Family: Salicaceae; (includes Poplar)

Genus and Species: Salix Alba

Also known as: Salicin Willow

Parts used: Bark

Look at a white willow and what do you see? Most people see only a stately shade tree. But herbalists also see the potent pain reliever, aspirin. In fact, aspirin was originally created from a chemical in white willow bark, salicin, named for the herb’s genus, Salix.

From Joy to Weeping

White willow grew on the banks of the Nile, and the ancient Egyptians considered it a symbol of joy. The Hebrews adopted the beautiful tree, and in Leviticus (23:40) God commanded them to celebrate the autumn harvest festival by setting up temporary shelters covered with willow boughs: “Ye shall take … boughs of willow … and rejoice seven days.”

But the willow became a symbol of sorrow after the destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem, which began the Jews’ Babylonian exile. Consider the willow’s transformation in Psalm 137: “By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down, and there we wept, when we remembered Zion, upon the willows, we hanged up our harps, for they that led us there captive asked of us … song … ” Since that time, the graceful tree has been known as weeping willow.

Cools the Fire of Pain and Desire

Chinese physicians have used white willow bark to relieve pain since 500 B.C, but it took five centuries for that use to work its way to Europe. First-century Greek physician Dioscorides was the first Westerner to recommend willow bark for pain and inflammation, and his prescription did not catch on. A century later, the Roman doctor Galen recommended it only for the vague purpose of “drying up humors.”

As the centuries passed, herbalists prescribed white willow bark for many ailments, including suppression of sexual desire. Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper noted: “The leaves, bark, and seed are used to stanch bleeding … stay vomiting … provoke urine … take away warts … and clear the face and skin from spots and discolourings …. The leaves bruised and boiled in wine stays the heat of lust in man or woman, and quiteextinguishes it if it be long used.” At this time, white willow was not commonly used to treat pain, but Culpeper touted the work of one Mr. Stone, who demonstrated its “great efficacy … in intermittent fever [malaria).” Culpeper concluded white willow bark “is likely to become an object worthy of … attention.”

Culpeper’s words proved prophetic. By the 18th century, white willow bark was widely used to treat all sorts of fevers, and its pain-relieving action also returned to vogue Early colonists introduced the tree into North America and found many Indian tribes using the bark of native willows to treat pain, chills, and fever.

From Salicin to Aspirin

Around 1828, French and German chemists extracted white willow bark’s active chemical, salicin. Ten years later, an Italian chemist purified the aspirin precursor, salicylic acid. Although this potent pain reliever was first discovered in white willow, chemists made the first aspirin from another herb that contains this same chemical-meadowsweet. Salicin was discovered in meadowsweet in 1839. During the mid-19th century, researchers showed both salicin and salicylic acid reduce fever and relieve pain and inflammation Unfortunately, they also have unpleasant-and potentially hazardous-side effects: nausea, diarrhea, bleeding, stomach ulceration, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and at high doses, respiratory paralysis and death.

Chemists created acetylsalicylic acid-aspirin-from salicylic acid obtained from meadowsweet. The idea was to preserve the benefits of salicylic acid while minimizing its side effects.

Aspirin eventually became the household drug of choice for a broad range of everyday ailments.

Contemporary herbalists recommend white willow bark for headache, fever, arthritis, other pain, and inflammations.

Contrary to Culpeper, white willow bark won’t cure malaria, but it is indeed herbal “aspirin.” It contains more salleylates than meadowsweet, making it a more potent natural healer.

Fever, Pain, Inflammation - Try white willow any time you think you need aspirin. Aspirin is a more concentrated source of the active chemicals in the herb (salicylates), so don’t expect the herb to be as effective.

Women’s Health - Like aspirin, white willow contains enough salicylate to suppress he action of chemicals called prostaglandins, which are involved in menstrual cramps.

Pregnant women should not use white willow, however. In animal studies, aspirin is associated with an increased risk of birth defects. The herb is not as powerful, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Intriguing Possibility - One laboratory study suggested white willow may reduce blood sugar (glucose), but the herb’s effect on human diabetes, if any, remains unclear.

Rx for White Willow

For a pain-, fever-. and inflammation-relieving infusion, soak I teaspoon of powdered bark per cup of cold water for 8 hours. Strain. Drink up to 3 cups a day. White willow tastes bitter and astringent Add honey and lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage tea.

White willow should not be given to children under age 2 or to those under 16 with a cold, flu, or chicken pox. For other children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Aspirin upsets some people’s stomachs, but most herbalists say white willow bark rarely causes this problem. If stomach upset, nausea, or tinnitus develop, reduce your dose or stop using the herb.

Those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions, such as ulcers and gastritis, should not use this herb.

When children under 16 with colds, flu, or chicken pox take aspirin, they are at risk for Reye’s syndrome-a potentially fatal condition involving the brain, liver, and kidneys. White willow has never been linked to Reye’s syndrome, but because of it’s aspirin-like action, do not give it to children with colds, flu, or chicken pox.

Other Cautions

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who do not have ulcers or gastritis and are not taking other salicylate medications, white willow bark is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

White willow should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. Ifwhite willow causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or ringing in the ears, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

A Harvest of Willow

Throughout history, many of the 500 willow species have been used in herbal Healing, but for the last 200 years only white willow has been commonly used. It reaches 75 feet and has rough, grayish brown bark, and long, thin leaves on flexible branches, which give the tree a graceful beauty.

White willows grow in almost any moist garden soil under full sun. Buy saplings at nurseries or propagate them from first-year branches several feet in length rooted in water or from foot-long hardwood cuttings taken in spring or fall and rooted the same way. Do not transplant willows. Willows grow quickly and must be pruned regularly.

Harvest the bark from older branches during pruning and dry.