What effect do birch leaves have?
Birch leaves (Betulae folium) have a diuretic effect. Therefore, as a traditional herbal medicine, they are mostly used in the form of tea for flushing therapy in bacterial and inflammatory diseases of the draining urinary tract and kidney gravel. They can also support the treatment of rheumatic complaints or gout.
However, there are few clinical studies suggesting a beneficial effect of birch leaf tea for urinary tract infections. The data are too limited to serve as scientific evidence. Rather, the recommendations are derived from many years of use.
Birch bark (Betulae cortex) may help with superficial skin wounds such as burns.
For the effect of birch leaves and bark, the ingredients flavonoids, phenolic carboxylic acids, triterpene esters (such as betulin, betulinic acid), tannins and essential oil are very important. Betulin is more concentrated in the bark than in the leaves.
It is not known that birch leaves help to lose weight.
Home remedies based on medicinal plants have their limitations. If your symptoms persist for a long period of time, do not get better or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
How are birch leaves used?
Drink a cup of warm birch leaf tea several times a day to treat urinary tract symptoms or kidney grit. The maximum daily dose is twelve grams of birch leaves.
When preparing tea, you can combine birch leaves with other medicinal plants or get a ready-made mixture at the pharmacy. For example, a bladder tea contains medicinal plants such as birch leaves, bearberry leaves and nettle herb.
Birch leaves are also available in the form of soluble instant teas and tablets, and as an alcoholic extract in juices and fresh plant press juice.
Birch bark is used externally only. A dry extract is available as a gel for application to the skin, such as for burns or skin grafts.
Many cosmetic products also contain birch extracts. For the correct application, please refer to the enclosed package insert.
What side effects can birch leaves cause?
When birch leaves are used internally, mild gastrointestinal discomfort may occur in rare cases.
The gel with birch bark extract may cause side effects such as wound complications, pain and itching.
What you should consider when using the birch leaves
Anyone suffering from edema (water retention) as a result of impaired heart or kidney activity must refrain from flushing therapy with birch. The same applies to febrile urinary tract infections and acute prostatitis. In these cases, please consult a doctor immediately.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as for children under twelve years of age, there are not yet sufficient findings on the use of birch leaves and birch bark. In these cases, it is better to refrain from using them.
How to obtain the birch leaves products
You can collect birch leaves for the preparation of a tea from May to June and then dry them. Otherwise, you can get dried birch leaves, as well as ready-made medicines and cosmetic preparations based on the birch leaves and birch bark in your pharmacy or well-stocked drugstores.
For proper use, please read the package insert or ask your doctor or pharmacist.
What are birch leaves?
Birch trees belong to the birch family (Betulaceae). For medicinal preparations, the hanging birch (Betula pendula) and the bog birch (Betula pubescens) are used.
Typical for all birches is the white bark, which can be peeled off horizontally paper-thin.
The swamp birch prefers wetter sites compared to the slope birch, and its leaves are smaller.
The genus name Betula is derived from the Latin word “bitumen” (= earth pitch, asphalt): The Gauls made a kind of bitumen from birch sap (Gallic betu = resin, rubber, glue).
In folk medicine, birch leaves are often used for “spring cures”, for blood purification and externally for hair loss and dandruff.