Birch: the tree of light that purifies the body

Published on November 9, 2022 - Medicinal Plants

Alberi di betulla, alleato per la depurazione del corpo

Origins and Benefits of the Birch

Considered a symbol of wisdom and the tree of light in the Middle Ages; it is part of the group of the first colonizing trees, appearing about 30,000 years ago.

A monoecious tree, the Birch has slender trunk and branches and silver-white bark. The leaves are alternate and mostly oval, and the flowers are gathered in sexually separated catkins. It prefers silica-rich and preferably dry soils, and the cold mountainous lands of the Northern countries, from which it originates. It is a plant that regenerates degraded soils.

Among the different species of Birch, Betula pubescens or B. tomentosa, a tree with grayish-white bark, sharp leaves, and requiring very moist soils, and Betula pendula or B. verrucosa, with silver-colored bark, more prostrate branches, and sharper leaves, are distinguished.

Betula pubescens requires a cold temperate climate; it is one of the pioneer tree species of the glacial era, favored for its great cold resistance, and is also rarer than Betula pendula.

Parts used: leaves and buds collected in spring; the sap that flows from incisions made in the trunk and bark.

Main activities: diuretic and purifying.

Therapeutic use: kidney stones, gravel; rheumatic disorders, gout; cellulite.

Active principles: betulin, essential oil, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, salicylate, catechic tannin, saponins, vit. C, nicotinic acid.

It seems that the diuretic power of Betula verrucosa is exerted through direct action on the renal epithelium without side effects and devoid of any secondary action.

The leaves and their derivatives are indicated in cases of water retention, cellulite, calculi, arthritis, and to promote the elimination of uric acid and chlorides.

The sap is collected in early March before the plant emits leaves, by incising the trunk one meter from the ground. This substance, rich in betulin, has diuretic and purifying properties aimed at eliminating uric acids, urea, catabolisms, and reducing cholesterol levels. It also has an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and diuretic action and is therefore used in cellulite and stagnant catarrh of the upper airways.

According to gemmotherapy principles, extracts of the buds of Betula pubescens are traditionally used for osteoarticular, renal, and cardiocirculatory disorders with antithrombophilic action. Instead, those of Betula verrucosa are used for osteoarticular, cutaneous disorders, and to harmonize the reticuloendothelial system. Of this species, the glyceric macerate of the seeds is also used with a tonic action on the CNS and stimulating memory.

Betula pubescens and Betula verrucosa or alba are very similar both as plants and as components, active principles, and therapeutic effects. They are among the most important drainage remedies. In general, in children and young subjects, it is better to prescribe Betula verrucosa. In adults and the elderly, Betula pubescens is more active.

Birch leaves are listed in the NFF (National Phytosanitary Formulation) as components of herbal teas, such as Birch (Gramigna) and Gramigna (Solidago, Ononide, Licorice).