THE BIRCH A MEDICINAL BLESSINGS

Hello friend of the farm, today I am going to talk about the birch or white poplar. It is a tree of great height that can reach up to 30 m, its bark is white platinum color, smooth and with cracks that are formed by time. Fast growing, grows about one meter per year.

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It has small, pointed, alternate, jagged, rhomboidal leaves at the edge, one side of the leaves is lighter than the other, which gives the tree a very attractive visual effect when the wind moves its leaves.

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Its flowers stand out in long hanging yellow and green, or greenish yellow, which sprout, curiously, before leaving the leaves. Its fruit is an achene with two membranous wings, of aromatic smell and bitter taste.
It is a tree with great need for light, so by increasing the vegetation in the place it colonizes.

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BIRCH COMPONENTS
Vitamin C, phenolic, nicotinic and tannin acids, carotenes and bitter principles, as well as mucilages, resins and plant antiseptics. It contains sugars, saponins, essential oils.

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PARTS THAT ARE USED
Its fruits, leaves and stem are used in natural medicine and is known as healing of the forest.

Bark: is used to relieve muscle pain when its moist inner side is applied directly to the skin of the part affected by pain, with diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, laxative, analgesic and febrifuge properties.

Sap: used to remove freckles and stain from the skin and face can be reserved in the bottle and stored in a cool place.

Leaves: with antiseptic, diuretic, disinfectant, anti-dermatitis, healing, purifying, astringent, cholagogue properties.

Buds: with balsamic properties.

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ACTIVE INGREDIECTS.
The leaves have diuretic properties, used in cases of urinary disorders. Anti-thermal, due to the properties that give it essential oils of birch.
The leaves increase the production of bile.
Healing. The bark, due to its high tannin content, has an astringent effect on the skin, favoring the healing of wounds.
The sap has diuretic and antirheumatic action, so it is used in gout, rheumatism and has a high sugar content

APPLICATIONS ON THE HEALTH AND BEAUTY OF BIRCH:

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Skin: possessing powerful astringent properties, it is ideal for treating spots, pimples, pimples, blackheads and other skin conditions. For your treatment, just cook five or six tablespoons of dried birch leaves in one liter of pure water for 10 minutes. Let stand 5 without fire and then strain. Wash your face with water at night and in the morning.

Hair: it is also a good remedy to prevent hair loss and make it resistant. It is necessary to use the water that was prepared in the previous paragraph to wash the hair daily or to rinse it after the shampoo, without rinsing later.

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Slim: it is an effective natural way to lose weight because it has lipid-lowering properties.

Hypocholesterolemia: reduces levels of harmful cholesterol in the body, so they have been attributed slimming properties

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Kidney stimulant: helps the kidneys to their correct elimination and functioning without irritating or damaging them. For this, they prepare infusions and drink two to three cups a day. The sap of the birch, which contains mainly sugars, is a mild but effective diuretic that prevents the formation of kidney stones, dissolving grains. In this case, an infusion should be prepared and drink as a medicinal tonic during the day. On the other hand, it helps to treat infections of the urinary tract or bladder.

Diuretic: stimulates kidney function and the elimination of fluids from the body, so it is useful to treat conditions that require proper fluid removal

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Febrile: a remedy suitable to lower or reduce fever and treat infections.

Antibacterial: helps fight infections.

Anticatarral: has a sudorific effect which helps fight colds. An infusion is prepared with birch leaves and lime leaves and the juice of half a lemon are added to accentuate its effectiveness.

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Anti-inflammatory: helps to reduce inflammation, so it is recommended in cases of inflammation, both external and internal, such as colitis, gastritis, arthritis, dermatitis.

Antirheumatic: a good help to reduce arthritic problems, swollen joints and muscle aches from blows or excessive physical activity. For this, its leaves are used to make infusions or make pastes and apply on the joints or muscles sore or inflamed.

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PREPARATION MODE:
The leaves should be used fresh. As an infusion, pour a cup of boiling water over 1 or 2 tablespoons of the crushed leaves and let stand for 10 minutes.
For cooking: boil a spoonful of crushed leaf in half a cup of water for 5 minutes and let it rest for half an hour.
You can drink up to three cups a day.
The crust is prepared by decoction.

Contraindications:
Peptic ulcer, gastritis.
Use with caution in cases of renal failure and heart failure.
There are not enough studies to support your safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

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Herbal medicines require an adequate treatment that must be followed in the preparation and dosage to obtain the desired results.

SOURCE:
https://www.uv.es/sebem/wpm/abedul.html
https://www.plantas-medicinales.es/abedul-propiedades-y-usos/

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