The genus Salix contains many examples of tree medicines, and demonstrates the difference between living plant medicines and pharmaceuticals or isolated extracts
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There are over 400 species of Willow, growing all through the Northern Hemisphere. Willow has a long history of medicinal use; as early as 3000BC the Egyptians are recorded as using willow bark to reduce pain and fever; Hippocrates (460 -377 BC), left records describing the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help headaches, pains and fevers, and by 30AD both Greek and Roman physicians recommended the use of willow leaf to treat inflammation. In botanical medicine, White Willow (Salix alba) is most commonly referenced, although other species like Black Willow (S. nigra) and Crack Willow (S. fragilis) can be used interchangeably in many cases.
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Willow bark contains salicin, which is a precursor to salicylic acid. Ingestion of a tincture or infusion of willow results in the digestive metabolism converting salicin to salicylic acid. Acetyl salicylic acid or ASA is the active ingredient of Aspirin. ASA can be manufactured from salicylic acid. Willow bark is one of the original plants from which Aspirin was made. Aspirin has traditionally been used as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory in cases of fever headache, muscular and joint pains and gout.
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Traditional homeopathic preparations of Willow Bark is available for use as an aspirin substitute in such cases BUT … … … Aspirin, in tiny daily doses, is widely used to assist blood thinning in patients with heart disease; Willow Bark will NOT thin the blood – a typical example of the differences between the living plant medicine and the pharmaceutical extract from it. Another difference is that the notorious stomach damaging side effect of Aspirin is less pronounced with Salix alba preparations.
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Plants help plants. The addition of an aspirin to water in a vase increases the life of cut flowers. This effect is attributable to the salicylic acid, which, when naturally occurring within plants, plays an important role in their defence systems.
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However, there is a cautionary tale about plant medicines. Digitalis spp. and Salix spp. are but two plant medicines, although a staggering proportion of our medicines are plant-derived, lending a critical new dimension to the role of Plant Conservation Programmes around the world. An anti-cancer drug, Taxol / Paclitaxel, was developed in USA in the 1960s from the bark Taxus brevifolia, the Pacific Yew. Harvesting the bark for its medicinal properties kills the tree and over-harvesting led to near extinction of T. brevifolia. A Himalayan yew T. contorta, found in Afghanistan, Nepal and India, subsequently used for the same purpose was added to the IUCN Red List in 2011, as a direct result of over-harvesting. Fortunately, researchers have found that the drug precursor can be extracted from yew clippings of which huge quantities are produced every year.
! Plants help people – let’s treat them with respect! !
References: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/06june/Pages/foxgloves-digoxin-digitalis-extractcan-prevent-high-blood-pressure-heart-failure.aspx http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/digitalis-purpureacommon-foxglove http://www.aspirin-foundation.com/ http://www.aspree.org/AUS/aspree-content/aspirin/history-aspirin.aspx http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/ http://traditionalroots.org/flexible-strength-willow-medicine-salix-spp/ http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/nov/10/iucn-red-list-treechemotherapy
Katie Freeth!