Birch sap and its draining and revitalizing active ingredients

Latin name : Betula alba L

Common Name: Warty birch or white birch

Family: Betulaceae

How to recognize the birch tree?

The warty birch or white birch is a member of the Betulaceae family, it is easily recognizable by its white bark. Its colour is due to the betulin stored in its bark. It is a monoecious species, it bears male catkins, and female catkins on each foot. Its sheets are deciduousThis means that they fall during the winter. It is a tree with a very allergenic pollen, its pollen is anemogamous, so it is transported by the wind.

What is the history of the birch tree and its sap?

Formerly called "Tree of Wisdom"its branches were used to punish students a little too agitated in class

Birch has various roles, including medicinal, cosmetic, dermatological and food. It is even transformed into adhesive during the PaleolithicThis is called birch tar. The birch bark is used for the manufacture of parchments, torches, canoes. Over the years, different applications were found for it. Sugar, a product extracted from birch sap, was used in the production of sparkling wineor vinegar in the Nordic countries. In Poland, it is used as a hair care product to improve hair growth, reduce the appearance of dandruff and itching of the scalp.

The birch tree was appreciated for its medicinal properties in the Middle Ages, especially by apothecaries who consumed its sap. The ethnologist Gösta Berg believes that birch sap was the most common and most effective remedy used against scurvya disease caused by vitamin C deficiency

Many doctors have praised the benefits of birch throughout the centuries Hildegard of Bingen conrad de Megenberg also used it, Pierandrea Mattioli, an Italian botanist and physician, called it the "Nephritic Tree". Pierre-François Percy, military surgeon of Napoleon's armies, used it to treat skin diseases. Henri Leclerc in his work "Précis de phytothérapie. Thérapeutique par les plantes françaises'' recommends it to curb cellulite due to a surplus of uric acid and cholesterol. And so many others..

What is birch sap?

The sap we are talking about today is the so-called raw sap. It is a nutrient fluid which flows between the various plant organs. It circulates from the roots to the buds in the xylem, a tissue made up of woody fibres and vessels.

Be careful not to confuse birch sap with birch juice, which is made from the tree's leaves

What are the benefits of birch sap?

Birch sap is detoxifyingIt allows to evacuate the impurities present in your body. It has properties draining and diureticIt is also ideal for the treatment of water retention and cellulite, as it allows the flow of liquid from the body and the elimination of toxins through urinary secretion. It is advised in case of osteoarthritis because it lowers the rate of uric acid present in your blood. Because of its virtues, the sap of birch will be useful to relieve rheumatism, as well as joint and muscle pains. The sap is indicated for example in case of gout.

It is prescribed to fight against disorders of the vesico-renal sphere.

Equipped with an effect antioxidant the birch sap is rich in minerals, and has virtues that are not only beneficial to the health of the human body, but also to the environment remineralizing which means that it provides your body with the minerals it lacks

It will be the ally of your skin, your nails as well as your hair, one employs it besides to resorb certain cutaneous affections such as eczema, psoriasis. Added to the presence of trace elements, this makes it an effective regenerator that will strengthen your body

How much birch sap should I drink per day?

There is no real exact dosage for birch sap, however, the doctor Jean Valnet advises to take ½ glass to one glass per day for 21 days. In general, it is recommended to take 100 ml to 250 ml for 21 days

Does birch sap make you lose weight?

Birch sap, thanks to its draining, regenerating and detoxifying properties can actually help you during a period of weight loss. However, it is important to note that birch sap can contribute to the elimination of waste accumulated during the winter, but it cannot replace a balanced diet. If birch sap is not associated with good lifestyle habits, it will not be effective for weight loss. Indeed, it is wise during your cure to reduce your consumption of processed foods, to have a balanced diet adapted to your body, without forgetting to maintain a regular physical activity, and to be supervised by a qualified nutritionist or a health professional.

How to make a cure of birch sap?

In general, a cure is recommended at the end of winter, in the spring. But you can make a cure at each change of season. During the winter your body has accumulated toxins and impurities, the cure of birch sap will allow to clean it. A cure must be carried out on 2 to 3 weeksit is advisable to take ½ glass a day on an empty stomach. The sap can be absorbed pure, or diluted.

How to store birch sap?

The fresh sap can be kept at a temperature below 4° CThe sugar contained in it leads to fermentation when the temperature is higher. You can freeze your sap, and consume it during the year. The extraction is done at the end of winter, around February-March, before the leaves appear when the raw sap rises in the tree. It oxidizes quickly in contact with the air, so it is important to be careful during the extraction

You can opt for pasteurized birch sapIt can be stored for a longer period of time, at ambient temperature or the refrigerator following the indications, and consumed at any time of the year.

Here are two pasteurized and organic beans distributed by Louis-Herbalism

Pasteurized birch sap DepuraSève can be kept for several months provided it is protected from light, in its packaging, and at room temperature. This birch sap is enriched with blackcurrant buds, which will potentiate the effects of the birch sap

Discover the birch sap DépuraSève fromHerbalgem

His dosage is as follows: "1 tablespoon per day in the morning is enough to obtain an in-depth action, pure or diluted in a glass of water, or in 1 litre of water to be drunk throughout the day, before 4 pm.

To achieve the best effect, a 3 weeks cure from DepuraSève (i.e., 1 bottle of 250 ml) is required."

Birch sap from HerbiolysIt is harvested in the Alps, it is guaranteed organic and will be ideal for your detox cure

Discover the birch sap ofHerbiolys

Its dosage is as follows: "This 1.5 litre bag allows you to carry out a cure of 10 to 12 days by taking 1 glass per day.

Herbiolys has chosen to offer flexible packs of 1.5 liters for optimal conservation.

In order to achieve this complete 30-day treatmentIt is necessary to take 2 packs of 1.5 liters

Birch sap can be stored in the refrigerator after opening and should be consumed within 3 weeks

Pouring and storage are made easy with the adapted pouring spout."

When is birch sap contraindicated?

In case ofallergy: birch sap, leaves and pollen can cause allergic reactions. It is important to remember that allergies are generally caused by pollen. It is not present in the sap, unless during the extraction of the sap, pollen gets into it. This is why people who are allergic to birch pollen should be careful when using the sap

Birch is present in the list of authorized allergic references of the ANSM

It should not be used to drain a oedema due to renal or cardiac insufficiency. It is not recommended for pregnant womens, the nursing mothers as well as to the children of under 12 years old

ANSES recommends that people whose consumption includes food supplements containing, among others, birch to stop consuming them as soon as the symptoms of COVID-19 appear. The health authorities also recommend to people consuming them in the context of chronic inflammatory diseases to talk imperatively with their doctor about the relevance of continuing or not their consumption.