Silver Birch Michael Bate has been Head Gardener at the organic herb gardens of Weleda UK Ltd, which manufactures natural medicines and body care products, for over 20 years. He also manages production of the plant tinctures. Here he examines the therapeutic benefits of birch. Silver birch (Betula alba) is a much valued ingredient to help you spring clean your body, healthily and naturally. The tender young birch leaves are extremely supple and contain valuable flavanoids which encourage secretion or elimination processes in the body, activatingthe kidneys to increase urine production, and stimulating the sweat glands to flush out toxins. These natural health benefits were recognised as early as 1626 by Nicholas Culpeper who says in his Complete Herbal: “The juice of the leaves, while they are young, or the distilled water of them, being drank for some days together, is available to break the stone in the kidneys and the bladder”.  The birch is traditionally linked to purification. Druids believed Silver Birch had the power of renewal. Today, experienced herbalists may use dried leaves, bark, buds and sap of the Birch for treating a number of ailments for example as a cleansing diuretic, for disorders of the urinary tract, or for treating inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, and skin problems. This requires medical training and know-how.
Birch was the preferred material for the rods used in corporal punishment in schools or for public flogging of young offenders, and the birch switch was used by flagellants for centuries to cleanse the soul. When we gaze at a silver birch our impression is of a cascade of fine water droplets glistening in the light.The tree seems eternally young, not yet filled out or matured, its curved and bending branches dancing gracefully in the air. It appears a being of air and light with an inherent lightness.The incredibly strong mineralised bark consists of salts pushed out into its silvery layers instead of into its branches and leaves (which in other trees would then develop the colour and aroma of flowers, or the sweetness and heaviness of fruit). This is why its form never seems finished, always young, not fixed.  Most recently, the juice has become a popular natural health supplement to help shed winter lethargy and improve vitality look out for 100% organic brands in health food shops.A detox programme also brings beauty benefits: cleansing your system purifies the complexion to leave skin clear and bright.
These days, at Weleda, the fresh leaves are hand picked in late spring or early summer when the tree is in the strongest vegetative phase of the year.They are then gently air-dried in trays for a full five days, before being chopped and dispatched to France where the juice is extracted using a traditional pharmaceutical process known as decoction, to release the active substances. Silver Birch extract is also used in topical body care products such as massage oils, to help stimulate elimination of waste products through the skin, just as the juice or extract works from the inside. Body oils work well to smooth and firm the skin, tackling problems like cellulite. Dermatological studies show clear benefits, which is exciting news. More often than not, nature has the answer! |