Headaches and minor aches and pain are part of life. They are likely to occur more often under stress, but we know this and prepare with our handy bottle of Aspirin. Humankind has been dealing with this problem as far back as our records go. Ever wonder how they dealt with a headache and aches? I’ll give you a hint: It wasn’t will power and nerves of steel. It was willow bark.
The Willow’s Secret
It is often said that some of our earliest records of the medicinal use of willow comes from the ancient Greeks. One version of the story is that the great Greek physician that the Hippocratic oath is based on gave willow bark tea to patients with headaches. However, more reliably is just a vague statement that Hippocrates used willow in practise to help ease pain for medicinal historians have a hard time finding evidence of the exact usages .
Whatever the real history of Hippocrates’ uses of willow, willow itself has a unique property called salicin, a name given to the chemical from the willow’s genus Salix. Willow isn’t known for it’s great taste. In times of extreme duress, willow is a famine food, but it must be boiled several times, grounded to a fine powder, and mixed with other things to disguise the taste. It’s bitter to the point of nearly making those with headaches want to just give in to the pain. It’s no wonder, then, that humans tried for a century or more to unlock the willow’s secret so we can have our cake and eat it too.
It started with Reverend Edward Stone trying to find a cure for malaria in 1763 , but then ended when Friedrich Bayer & Company directed chemist Felix Hoffman, under the supervision of Arthur Eichengrun, to synthesize derivatives of salicylic acid, which had an unfortunate side effect of GI tract problems . It took one more small leap for the phenol functional group acetylating, which tempered the salicylic acid and brought us what we know today as Asprin.
From willow to Aspirin. Original image and an amazing summary of how this works can found on Nature’s Poisons.
Using Willow In Place of Aspirin
It’s an interesting thought to grow your own medicine, but is it worth it? From a functional standpoint, it may be. According to a note by the University of Maryland Medical Center , willow bark may be as effective as Aspirin to relieve one of both headaches and inflammations, but not fevers. Unfortunately, you may get more than what you bargained for in the deal.
Willow bark is used to ease pain and reduce inflammation. Researchers believe that the chemical salicin, found in willow bark, is responsible for these effects. However, studies show several other components of willow bark, including plant chemicals called polyphenols and flavonoids, have antioxidant, fever-reducing, antiseptic, and immune-boosting properties. Some studies show willow is as effective as aspirin for reducing pain and inflammation (but not fever), and at a much lower dose. Scientists think that may be due to other compounds in the herb. More research is needed.
Furthermore, WebMD cautions that willow bark, like Aspirin, may increase the risk of a child developing Reye’s disease and should be used with caution. As with any medicine, home grown or structured in a lab, it is worth erring on the side of caution.
For adults, though, making a tincture or tea may prove beneficial — especially if you are like me and hate taking pills. There are several recipes out there I found that Tom’s Trees recipe had the least bitterness because it uses young twigs that have not had time to build up a lot of tannin and other nasty flavours. If you buy willow bark from the internet, it usually comes in large pieces from the mature bark — which is better for tinctures.
If you are making the tea, harvest a few young twigs and let them sit to dry for a little while. Then, strip the thin bark off and let it dry a little more. You’ll only need a teaspoon for every 8oz cup of water, so you’ll have a lot of left over bark to store. Make tea like normal using a tea strainer or coffee filter to keep the willow bark contained and easy to pull out of the water. Some say to let it steep for up to 20 – 30 minutes to pull out all of the properties, but I like a lighter flavour tea, so I only let it steep for 5 minutes — I can also the same bark 3 – 4 times before I have to add it to the compost bin, too! After it steeps, remove the bark, add any spices or honey, then kick back and sip.
If you are making a tincture, this video is a great way to get yourself started.