They have many useful properties, the main of which are the following:
dissolving urinary stones and salts, anti-inflammatory, anti-sclerotic, anti-toxic, immunostimulating;
choleretic, antiallergic, diuretic, wound healing, expectorant, antifungal; bactericidal, antiviral, tonic.
Medicinal properties and use of birch in folk medicine
The presence of such a range of pharmacological properties in birch makes it the most versatile healer for the treatment of many diseases of organs and systems. In fact, name some modern drug that has such healing properties.
On top of that, preparations prepared on the basis of birch do not have any side effects and contraindications. The plant owes its healing effect to vitamins (ascorbic, nicotinic acid), saponin, flavonoids, essential oil, as well as tannins and many other trace elements contained in its buds, leaves, bark and juice.
Medicinal raw materials of birch in folk medicine are sap, leaves, tar and kidneys.
The collected branches are stuck deep into the snow, and in the spring the swollen buds are carefully removed and dried in a shade or dryer, setting the temperature to 30 degrees. At the same time, they are not allowed to dissolve.
Leaves. The best time for harvesting is June and July, in dry weather, immediately after the dew has left. They are also dried with a layer of 3-5 cm. After drying, the leaves and buds are stored for no more than 2 years in glass jars or paper bags.
Birch juice. They are used only fresh during the birch sap flow, when the trees are to be cut down, because the damaged bark does great harm to the plant. A few words about the healing properties of birch sap.
It has a tonic property, relieves gouty pain, increases the body's resistance (immunity), promotes the healing of wounds and ulcers.
Birch sap removes the most harmful substances and toxins from the body, it is useful as an expectorant or diuretic.
Birch sap should be treated for 3-5 weeks, one glass per day in three divided doses. You can wash your head and face with juice, it improves skin turgor, hair growth, and removes dandruff.
birch leaves . Restore the energy potential of the body, have an anti-sclerotic effect due to the dissolution of cholesterol plaques; antitoxic effect with the removal of toxins, salts and toxins, cleanse the blood vessels.
Since ancient times, peasants in Russia, for the sake of health, used birch brooms in steam rooms. You yourself can try the healing properties of birch brooms in a Russian bath. Just check this with your doctor, because not everyone has the same positive effect on all people.
This procedure helps patients with colds, arthritis and arthrosis, diseases, gout and.
After a serious illness, the patient needs to increase his tone, this also applies to people suffering from chronic fatigue and loss of strength.
Birch baths will help them.
Pour a handful of dry birch leaves with a liter of boiling water, wrap the container and infuse for 1.5 (2) hours. Filter the infusion and pour it into a bath, the water temperature of which does not exceed 40 ° C. The procedure lasts 20-30 minutes.
Decoction of birch leaves.
It has an antiviral, antiseptic, antifungal and antimicrobial effect on the body. These properties are used in the treatment of diseases of the bladder or kidneys of an infectious nature.
Recipe from. It is necessary to boil on very low heat for five minutes 6-8 g of dry leaves in 500 ml of hot boiling water, leave for one hour and bring the volume of liquid to its previous value. Drink half a glass of decoction in 3-4 doses.
With nephritis and nephrosis of the kidneys. Boil under the lid on low heat 20 g of dry chopped birch leaves in 300 ml of water for five minutes, after cooling, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, leave for two hours, then filter. Add boiled water to the original volume and drink half a glass in 2-3 doses.
With decreased uterine tone. Cook for 5 minutes in two glasses of hot water 4 tsp. dry raw materials, filter and add boiled water to the first mark. Drink half a cup 3-4 r / d from 12 days after birth.
Infusion of birch leaves
With hepatitis and cholecystitis. Insist one hour 2 tsp. crushed dry raw materials in 400 ml of boiling water. Once filtered, take ¼ cup 3 or 4 times daily.
With atherosclerosis, edema and ischemic heart disease . In a glass of boiling water, 10-15 g of fresh leaves. After an hour, strain and drink 1 tbsp. l. 4 or 5 times a day.
Recipe for sore joints . Apply a compress of fresh birch leaves to the sore joint at night. Or use a decoction of birch leaves for a compress. In winter, you can treat your sore joints with dry, harvested leaves after boiling and steaming them.
Birch leaves for the treatment of respiratory diseases . For a glass of boiling water, take 1 tbsp. l. dry shredded leaf. We withstand 1-2 hours, filter and drink three times a day for ⅓ cup. The recipe is also useful for the treatment of pathology of the menstrual cycle and metabolism.
To strengthen hair. Pour a handful of dry birch leaves with a liter of boiling water, leave for two hours and add to warm water for rinsing after washing.
The use of birch buds
A decoction of birch buds for cardiac edema, atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Take 10 g of dry kidneys in a glass of boiling water, cook for 15 minutes under a lid over low heat, insist for half an hour, filter. We bring the volume of liquid to the initial volume. 1 st. l. 3-4 r / d.
The decoction is also used in the treatment of bronchitis and tracheitis. They can also gargle with sore throat, glossitis,. Compresses based on a decoction of the kidneys are used for trophic ulcers and.
With uterine bleeding, they drink this decoction according to Art. l. 3 r / d.
Tincture of birch buds. For 100 g of 70% alcohol, stand for thirty days, strain and use for compresses for myositis, and for trophic ulcers and bedsores, dilute the tincture with water in a ratio of 1:30.
The article has come to an end. The above recipes are only a tiny part of the healing magic that the beautiful birch is capable of. From time immemorial, artists, poets and art historians have expressed this fabulous tree in their creations.
Legends, poems and songs were composed about the birch, in Russia it is recognized as the standard of purity, kindness and nobility. There are legends that a birch can fulfill any desire.
Birch is an elegant white-trunked tree. It is considered the personification of the Russian soul. In our north birch grows drooping and fluffy. These two closely related species are usually not separated. For many centuries, birch has faithfully served people, it benefits not only the soul, but also the body. This is a donor tree that generously endows a person with energy.
And the healing properties of this tree can not be counted. Every part of it has value.
Birch buds
Birch buds are very useful, they are harvested in the spring during swelling. If desired, you can harvest them in the winter. To do this, branches are cut from the tree, tied in bunches and stored in a cool place until swelling. The kidneys are then separated and dried.
Decoctions or infusions of dried kidneys help with various diseases of the heart and liver. A decoction of birch buds is used as a diuretic. To enhance the effect, a pinch of baking soda is added to the broth.
Compresses are made from alcohol tincture of birch buds for rheumatism, ulcers, chronic purulent wounds, and abrasions.
young leaves
Young fragrant leaves begin to be collected in the spring, they are sticky at this time, they release a lot of phytoncides. The leaves are weaker than the buds.
Benefits of birch leaves:
- a decoction or infusion of dried leaves is taken to regulate menstruation;
- tea is brewed from young leaves and drunk with beriberi. Such a drink contains a lot of vitamin C. To improve the taste, you can add citric acid to it;
- useful infusion of birch leaves for giardiasis.
In the North, young leaves were harvested for the treatment of colds. Sore joints were covered with steamed leaves. Topped with woolen cloth.
They wash their hair with birch leaves so that the hair grows well.
My childhood memories are largely associated with tar. Father rubbed his tarpaulin boots with it, giving them a shine. Grandmother smeared our sores with this “stinky” ointment. Birch tar is a dark oily liquid with a specific smell. Sold mainly in pharmacies. It is the main ingredient of the famous Vishnevsky ointment, and is also part of the anthrasulfonic and tar ointment. In stores, you can buy tar soap, with which many get rid of acne.
Birch tar you can cook yourself
Birch tar is recommended for those who often consume unhealthy foods, drink alcohol frequently and in large doses, smoke, take many drugs, have high cholesterol, experience stress, and have low immunity.
Treatment of depriving birch tar
Add a spoonful of 9% vinegar to a bottle of tar and lubricate the lesions until the symptoms disappear. She herself treated her child like this on the advice of her mother, very successfully. The lichen was on my knee, it passed very quickly.
A festering splinter was also removed. They lubricated it before going to bed with Vishnevsky's ointment and bandaged it. By morning, the pus came out, and the splinter crawled to the surface.
birch sap
Who doesn't love birch sap? Harvest it during the melting snow. Cuts are made on the trunk and grooves are inserted into them to drain the juice, and the jar is tied to a birch. But at the same time, the tree is depleted, fungi penetrate through the notches. It is better to make small, very small incisions into which juice tubes can be inserted.
The systematic intake of birch sap strengthens the immune system, tones. The juice is valuable for skin disorders, kidney and genital lesions, scurvy, gout, rheumatism. This drink removes excess oxalic acid from the body. It is best to drink juice fresh. Syrups, kvass, beer and wine are prepared from birch sap.
Chaga
Chaga mushroom is a real treasure for maintaining health, it is even recognized by official medicine. Therefore, I will devote a separate article to chaga.
Brooms
Without a birch broom and a bath - not a bath! Birch brooms are very loved by the Russian people. In the old days, it was believed that bath brooms cut before Ivan Kupala (July 7) are harmful to health, they cause “chess” on the body. Branches cut on Ivan Kupala help from all ailments.
Bark
If you place your hands on a tree trunk and run up and down against the smooth bark, you will see white dust on your palms. This is a great natural sunscreen. You can rub this dust on your face so that it does not tan.
In the forests, fallen trees are often found, on which the wood is already rotting, and the bark is still completely intact. Letters on birch bark, written several millennia ago, have survived without deterioration.
Birch bark treats advanced scabies, various skin rashes. It heals wounds very well. To do this, a thin birch bark is fixed with a bandage on the skin for three hours.
What is betulin
Why does a birch on a white trunk have long black stripes, as if painted with paints. This is betulin, located in its bark. Thanks to him, the birch bark is white, and in those places where there is less of it, stripes appear. Betulin is rich in silver ions and has an antimicrobial effect. It is very useful to walk along a birch grove, such a walk will calm the nerves, drive away depression, and relieve fatigue.
birch in cooking
Crushed and scalded with boiling water, birch buds are added in a small amount to meat dishes, broths. The buds give them a pleasant bitterness.
Birch leaves are added to herbal teas.
Birch in everyday life
The best firewood is birch, they give a lot of heat. Furniture, skis, various turning products are made from birch boards. In the old days, it was believed that a cradle made of birch protects a sleeping baby from negativity.
The influxes on the trunks of birches - burls are very much appreciated. A wide variety of crafts and souvenirs are made from burls.
Birch in magic
Birch is a tree of great strength and beauty. Although in appearance it seems fragile, in fact, birch is extremely. In magic, it is associated with conception, fertility. Birch is traditionally used for brooms. They clean the house or ritual space. Pieces of birch bark can be burned as a cleansing incense.
This tree provides psychic protection, protects against insane acts. Therefore, if you need to make any decision, take a walk through the birch grove.
Write wishes on birch bark and burn them to make them come true.
Made from birch wood, perfect for protective magic and inspiration.
Birch owes its whiteness to the organic dye betulin. But betulin is unique not only for this. It contains a lot of silver ions, which have an antimicrobial effect. There is a hundred times more silver in the soil of a birch grove than in the soil of a mixed forest. That is why microbes are so uncomfortable next to a birch, and birch medicines are so effective. The vitality of this miracle tree still surprises scientists. During the experiments, birch branches were placed in chambers where a terrible frost reigned - minus 273 degrees Celsius. But when the branches beaten by the cold were taken out of the chamber, they, thawing, came to life.
In Russia, birch has always been a favorite tree. Our ancestors revered her because, according to legend, she could grant wishes. According to custom, the girls brought treats to the birch - baked pies with their own hands, sat under a tree and turned to him with a cherished request. As a medicinal plant, birch is also mentioned in Domostroy. Colds and skin diseases were treated with fresh birch sap, and birch fungus, chaga, was used as a remedy for tumors. Birch buds, from which tea was prepared, were considered a good diuretic. People collected birch leaves during wars and prepared a tonic vitamin drink from them. Scientists have long noticed that people living near birch groves are practically not susceptible to colds - volatile phytoncides have an antiviral, antimicrobial, and immune-modulating effect on the body. Therefore, walking in a birch grove is a universal remedy for many diseases, especially they are indicated for people with weak lungs, tuberculosis patients and those who suffer from skin diseases.
Birch buds, leaves and bark contain a lot of useful substances - essential oils, unique beta-loretinic acid, saponins, tannins, glycosides, alkaloids, triterpene alcohol, vitamins, including ascorbic acid, and minerals.
For treatment, buds, leaves, sap, birch bark, birch fungus are used.
Birch buds and their uses
Swollen, resinous birch buds are harvested in the spring, when they have not yet blossomed, and dried in dryers at a temperature of 25-30 degrees or in the shade under a canopy.
A decoction of birch buds is used for edema of cardiac origin as a diuretic. The choleretic properties of the kidneys are used in diseases of the liver and biliary tract. A decoction is indicated for bronchitis, tracheitis, as an antimicrobial and expectorant. For a decoction, take a teaspoon of kidneys in a glass of water and boil over low heat under a closed lid for 10-15 minutes. After cooling, filter and take a tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
Birch bud tincture is good for minor wounds, cuts, bruises, poorly healing ulcers, it can be used for rubbing and compresses for arthritis, myositis and bedsores. A tincture of alcohol is prepared at the rate of 1 part of dried kidneys to 5 parts of alcohol. As a diuretic and choleretic agent, it is taken orally in a teaspoon twice a day.
Aromatic baths with birch buds are an excellent hygienic and prophylactic remedy. They can be taken for colds, as an antiviral and antibacterial agent, to increase the body's defenses, and for various skin diseases. To prepare a bath, a glass of decoction of birch buds is poured into warm water, you can also put fresh birch leaves in the bath. The duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes, while trying not to immerse the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart in water.
Birch juice
I strongly advise you not to miss that short time when the birch is filled with juice. At a time when, after a long winter, the body is so lacking in vitamins, everyone has a unique opportunity to drink at least a few glasses of this pure natural drink. Birch sap is especially useful for frequent spring colds, beriberi, bronchitis, lung diseases, and tuberculosis.
Treatment with birch sap is carried out with furunculosis, eczema, gout, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis. It is good to add a few drops of lemon to birch sap, then the drink becomes even more healing. And if you add a tablespoon of bee honey to a glass of juice, you get a medicine from natural ingredients, which is taken for osteochondrosis, coronary heart disease, neuroses, and insomnia. As a rule, a city dweller does not manage to get as much birch sap as he would like. Therefore, I advise you to mix it, for example, with carrot juice, such a mixture is especially useful as a prophylaxis for colds and with a general breakdown.
If you want to help your frayed nerves, prepare a drink that has a stimulating and harmonizing effect on the nervous system. Purchase an alcohol tincture of ginseng, aralia manchurian, lure or eleutherococcus at the pharmacy. Any of these tinctures can be enriched with birch sap by adding just 15-20 drops per glass. Just keep in mind that this is contraindicated in high blood pressure.
Birch leaves and wood
Birch leaves are a storehouse of biologically active substances necessary for healing the body.
An infusion of the leaves is taken as a diuretic, diaphoretic, vitamin-containing agent. It is indicated for nephritis, urolithic diathesis, diseases of the biliary tract and liver, as an external remedy for any skin diseases, even for difficult-to-heal trophic ulcers and purulent wounds. To prepare the infusion, fresh leaves are crushed and washed with cold boiled water. Then the water is drained, and the leaves are poured with boiling water. Insist 3-4 hours. The leaves are squeezed, the infusion is filtered. The prepared infusion has a green-yellow color and a slightly bitter taste. It contains 155 mg% of vitamin C. The same infusion, but from dried leaves contains only 15-17 mg% of this vitamin. Young birch leaves relieve neuralgic pains well. The leaves are placed in a wide basin under oppression and put on low heat so that they warm up well. The load is removed, and hands or feet are placed in the heated green mass. The procedure is repeated several times. Just keep in mind that with varicose veins, it is contraindicated.
Tar is obtained from birch wood by dry distillation, which has an irritating and antimicrobial effect on the body. It is diluted in heated lard in a ratio of 1:4, the resulting ointment is applied to diseased areas of the skin, it is especially good for eczema. For colds, this remedy is applied to the wings of the nose, for kidney diseases - under the lower corners of the shoulder blades, for headaches - on the temples.
Chaga (birch mushroom)
Birch mushroom or chaga is harvested in spring or autumn. The mushroom is cut down with an ax, cut into small pieces (3-6 cm long) and dried in special dryers at temperatures up to 50 degrees. To prepare an infusion of chaga, one such piece is washed and soaked in boiled water, completely immersed in water. Insist night. When the mushroom becomes soft, it is crushed and poured with the water in which it was infused, in a ratio of 1:5, after heating it. Again insist two days. Then the infusion is poured into a separate bowl, the residue is carefully squeezed out. Boiled water is added to the resulting infusion, increasing its volume to the original. Chaga infusion is a good medicine for anacid (with no acid) gastritis. Chaga infusion also helps with tumor processes: they drink it 2 glasses a day, but fractionally, throughout the day. One has only to warn that it is necessary to be treated with infusion of chaga under the supervision of a doctor.
And one more thing - do not collect tree growths from mountain ash, elm and alder. You should not take a mushroom growing at the base of old birches. These mushrooms do not have medicinal properties.
birch lye
Lye is a consistency of ash infused with water. Lye in the ecovillage is used for bathing and washing. Unlike various detergents sold in stores, this is a completely natural substance!
Previously, birch lye was used instead of soap: they washed their hair, washed themselves. It is useful for oral administration in various diseases, such as flatulence, colic in the stomach, increased acidity of gastric juice, and especially in poisoning with berries and bacterial toxins, and also contributes to the accelerated elimination of radioactive isotopes from the body.
Lye is a solution of wood ash in water. It mainly consists of potassium and sodium carbonates. Possesses strongly alkaline reactions. Therefore, it used to be used for washing and washing instead of soap, for leather dressing. From this word came the name of the class of alkali chemical compounds. Until now, some alkalis are called alkalis, for example, potassium hydroxide is potassium lye, and sodium hydroxide is soda lye. This word is now out of use.
Boiling the lye produces a shadrik, which is refined and heated to potash.
Lye - decoction of ash, infusion of boiling water on the ashes, potash, ash extract. This is any solution of alkali or caustic salts in water. Sayings: Linen floats in lye. Skins, when cured, are wetted in lye. Dirty floors are washed with lye.
Cold lye preparation
Pour ashes (pure wood) 2/3 of a bucket, pour water almost to the top, mix, remove large pieces of debris, leave to stand for 3 days (do not stir again). In 3 days in the upper half of the bucket there will be a transparent liquid, this is the lye, it is soapy to the touch. Then suck out the lye with a pear and pour it into a container. The lye will be highly concentrated. It will be necessary to adapt to dilute it with water (about 1/10). If you wash with a highly concentrated lye, then the clothes will wear out quickly. Properly diluted lye can wash your head (hair, body).
The slender graceful birch is not just a beautiful tree, but has many medicinal properties that have been used by humans for treatment for many centuries. Medicines from it can relieve headaches and fevers, eliminate excess water in the body, thin the blood and treat urinary tract infections. White birch is an excellent natural anti-inflammatory remedy for rheumatism, arthritis and gout. Salicylates contained in it can help get rid of warts.
What other useful and healing properties birch has, how to use and recipes for use will be described in this article.
Although modern medicine has achieved very impressive results in the treatment of the most serious diseases, many people do not forget the traditional methods of treatment used by our distant ancestors. Birch is one of the most common and commonly used medicinal plants. And most importantly one of the most affordable. After all, birch grows on the territory of our country almost everywhere.
Birch has many uses in people's daily lives. But its healing properties do not occupy the last place in this list. In the spring, many go to the forest to collect a truly life-giving elixir - birch sap.
The leaves serve as a raw material for a tonic drink. The kidneys are one of the best cures for the urinary system. Birch tar is extracted from the bark.
In every part of the birch, any person can find for himself what his body needs to maintain his health.
birch description
Birch is one of the most common types of deciduous trees that grow throughout the globe, mostly in the northern hemisphere, and has more than a hundred species. White or drooping birch is the most common type.
It is distinguished by a high (growing up to 25 meters in height) smooth trunk with white bark with characteristic black spots and a dense crown. Young trees have a yellow-white bark that becomes white and smooth with age. The lower part of the trunk of old trees is dark with cracks.
Young branches are drooping and flexible with resinous warts, for which it is also called warty birch, hanging birch, weeping birch.
In early spring, resinous sticky buds appear on the birch from which leaves bloom. In early spring, in April - May, the birch throws out flower stalks - earrings collected in inflorescences. At the end of summer, at the beginning of autumn, fruits ripen from them - lenticular nuts.
Birch reproduces vegetatively or by seeds and often occupies vast areas at the site of clearings or after fires in pine and oak forests.
It makes no sense to list where the white birch grows. Its habitat occupies vast territories both here and in the former Soviet republics. Even in the Far North, dwarf birch species can be found.
Birch useful properties
Birch has always been valued by us for its many useful and medicinal properties. For this purpose, all parts of the plant are used: buds, leaves, bark, chaga mushroom. Birch brooms and a bath are the first remedy for pain in the back and joints.
Many valuable useful substances were found in its chemical composition:
Carotene and vitamin C;
Essential oil;
Tannins;
Flavonoids: (hyperoside, luteolin, quercetin);
Saponins;
Glycosides.
Birch bark contains betulin, glycosides, tannins, essential oil.
Essential oil, coumarins, tannins, flavonoids are found in the leaves.
The kidneys contain a lot of resinous substances, alkaloids, ascorbic acid, flavonoids. There are also essential oils and fatty acids.
Of great importance are glycosides, which break down to give methyl salicylate, a precursor to aspirin. Without knowing such a scientific name, our ancestors used the birch bark of a tree to relieve headaches, pain during exacerbation of arthritis, rheumatism, and gout.
As some studies of scientists show, betulin is able to affect cancer cells of some types of cancer and cause their self-destruction, the so-called apoptosis. There are suggestions that betulinic acid may slow the growth of melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Although so far such studies have been carried out only on mice, studies by American and German scientists have received positive results. 
Birch essential oil is considered one of the most effective treatments for skin diseases.
A decoction of the leaves was rinsed on the head to strengthen the hair and get rid of dandruff, treated the feet with increased sweating.
Birch phytoncides, which are present in all parts of the plant, can literally suppress the growth of microbes within 3 hours.
Birch mushroom relieves headaches, improves appetite, restores strength. It also has anti-cancer properties.
In addition to medicinal use, birch is important in economic activity. It is used to make paper, toys and furniture are made from wood. The first chronicles were written on birch bark - birch bark.
Due to the presence of tannins, birch bark is used in the leather industry for tanning leather.
This graceful tree has found application in the cosmetic and culinary fields. Birch sawdust is the best for smoking fish.
Healing properties of birch
In Ancient Russia, even before the adoption of Christianity, the only goddess who was called the mother of everything on earth was Bereginya and she was represented in the form of a birch, worshiping this tree. Since then, the idea of \u200b\u200bthis tree as a symbol of life and health has come down to us. Its healing properties are really extensive, ranging from cleansing the body and ending with the treatment of many inflammatory diseases. Among its medicinal properties, it is necessary to highlight:
Diuretic;
Anti-inflammatory;
Antimicrobial;
Antifungal;
Painkillers;
Antibacterial;
diaphoretics;
Sedatives.
Birch leaves contain chemicals that increase the excretion of water from the body through urine. Promoting the outflow of urine, it is effectively used to treat urinary tract infections, cystitis, prostatitis, kidney stones.
As a diaphoretic, it increases sweating, removes toxins through the skin, reduces fever, helps to cope with colds and flu.
The presence of betulin and betulinic acid makes it an excellent antiviral agent. Some researchers claim that betulin is able to slow the growth of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Birch bark, due to the presence of astringents - tannins, is used to treat certain disorders of the stomach and intestines, such as diarrhea and dysentery.
Birch preparations are considered mild sedatives and can be used for insomnia.
For local use, preparations based on birch are used in the form of poultices, ointments, creams for skin diseases: eczema, wounds, warts, boils, ulcers, psoriasis, for the treatment of joints and rheumatism.
Its diuretic properties are also used for weight loss. By removing excess fluid from the body, it reduces the appearance of cellulite.
Due to the presence of substances with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, it reduces pain during inflammation of the joints, in the premenstrual period. 
birch application
Birch, having excellent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic and other medicinal properties, is used not only in folk medicine, but also in official medicine. Based on this tree of life, many medicines have been created.
Decoctions and tea in early spring help to cope with spring beriberi, cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. They drink them for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, colds, coughs. It can be used to treat:
Rheumatism;
Pain in the muscles;
Psoriasis;
Stones in the kidneys and bladder;
Colds;
Dysentery.
For cosmetic purposes, it is used:
Anti-dandruff;
To strengthen hair;
Against lice (birch tar);
From cellulite;
Skin rashes and acne.
Birch buds
Birch bark
The most important substance in birch bark is betulin. Fresh bark is applied to wounds, abscesses, used to treat abscesses. Preparations from it serve as an excellent tonic that relieve fatigue and increase tone.
Birch juice
In early spring, sap flow begins in the tree trunk and at this time it is time to collect a healing drink. Birch sap is not only a delicious refreshing drink. This is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals that the white-barreled beauty has accumulated.
It is drunk as a vitamin remedy that increases the body's defenses, giving a charge of vivacity and energy. Juice well cleanses the body of toxins and toxins, removes all harmful substances from the body, stones and normalizes metabolic processes. It is indicated for those who suffer from gout, arthritis, normalizes the acidity of the stomach.
Birch tar
Activated carbon
Activated charcoal is another well-known birch product. It is used for poisoning, atherosclerosis, cleansing the body. Its application is extensive and not limited to the field of medicine. Apply it in economic activity, life. Carbon water filters are the most common water purification devices.
On the basis of activated charcoal, the drug "Carbolen" is produced, which is used for flatulence and intestinal colic, to reduce the increased acidity of the stomach, to lower cholesterol, as a prevention of cardiovascular diseases and oncology.
Birch application in traditional medicine
For treatment, traditional medicine uses all parts of the plant: bark, buds, leaves, juice, mushroom. From all this, decoctions, infusions, alcohol tinctures, oil extracts are prepared.
Decoction of birch buds
To prepare a decoction, take 10 grams of dried kidneys and brew 200 ml of boiling water. Put the saucepan on a slow fire and boil at a low boil for half an hour.
Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes and then filter. Drink a decoction of a tablespoon 3-4 per day as a diuretic, disinfectant, expectorant. 
Decoction of birch leaves
To prepare a decoction of 30 grams of birch leaves, brew 400 ml of boiling water and boil over low heat for 15 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the filtered broth.
Such a decoction can be drunk as a choleretic and diuretic, make lotions for cuts and abscesses, in the form of baths they are used for eczema. Drink a decoction of 100 ml 3-4 times a day.
Aqueous extract of birch leaves
It is prepared from young leaves. To do this, pour 50 grams of fresh leaves into 400 ml of boiled water cooled to 45 degrees. Leave for 5 hours. Drain the resulting solution and pour the leaves again with the same amount of water. Leave for 6 hours. Strain and mix with the first liquid.
They take an aqueous extract for disorders of the nervous system, as a stimulant, for renal colic, a vitamin and anti-inflammatory agent. Drink 100 ml 3-4 times a day.
Infusion of birch leaves
A standard leaf infusion is prepared from 1 tablespoon of dried leaves and a glass of boiling water. Leave for 15 to 30 minutes, strain and drink as a diuretic, diaphoretic, can be used as a lotion for wounds, eczema, suitable for rinsing hair after shampooing, for freezing cubes for the face.
Alcohol tincture
Alcohol tincture is often made from birch buds. It can also be made from leaves or bark, chaga mushroom. To prepare the tincture, take 15 grams of birch buds and pour half a liter of vodka or 70% medical alcohol.
Put in a dark place for 3-4 weeks. Shake container daily. After the expiration date, strain and store in a dark glass bottle in a cool place.
Tincture is taken for diseases of the kidneys, bladder, gastric ulcer, from worms, 20-25 drops, previously diluted with water.
It is used for the treatment of bedsores, wiping problem skin, acne, boils, for rubbing diseased joints.
Similarly, you can prepare a tincture of birch leaves.
birch leaf tea
Tea with birch leaves can be brewed both fresh and dry. To brew tea, you need to take small fresh green leaves. For tea, take 4-5 leaves and brew with a glass of boiling water. Infuse for 5-10 minutes and drink 3-4 glasses a day for kidney and bladder stones, gout and arthritis, rheumatism, as a diuretic for cystitis, as a diaphoretic.
From tea, you can make lotions for psoriasis and eczema, herpes, cleanse the body in the spring, use it as a tonic for the face, for rinsing hair.
Oil on birch leaves
It's easy to make your own birch oil at home. As a base oil, you can take olive oil or sweet almond oil.
Harvest the vibrant green leaves in spring or early summer to make the oil. Rinse and dry well. Place in a jar and fill with oil so that they are completely covered with oil.
Cover the jar with a paper towel and secure with a rubber band. Put in a warm place, you can in the sun, for a month. Stir the oil regularly with a clean wooden spoon.
Filter the finished oil extract and pour into a clean, dry jar and let stand. If water was present in the leaves, it will sink to the bottom of the jar.
Pour into a sterile dark glass bottle and close tightly with a lid. Store in a cool dark place.
The oil can be used for cellulite massage, for rubbing with muscle pain, muscle pain, rheumatism, eczema, psoriasis.
Infusion of birch leaves for cleansing the body
To cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, brew 8-10 grams of dry or 10-15 grams of fresh birch leaves with a glass of boiling water in a thermos. Let it brew for 4-5 hours and drink a tablespoon 4 to 5 times a day. 
Infusion of birch leaves for cholelithiasis
Brew one tablespoon of dried leaves with a glass of boiling water and leave for 20-30 minutes. Strain and drink 100 ml before meals 4 times a day.
Infusion for prostatic hypertrophy
Two tablespoons of leaves brew 500 ml of boiling water and leave for two hours. Strain and drink 100 ml 3 to 5 times a day before meals.
With sciatica or sciatica, it is useful to take birch baths. To prepare a decoction, young birch twigs are used along with leaves.
The same decoction can be used for eczema on the hands. They lower their hands into the prepared bath and hold for half an hour. To achieve a lasting result, do such baths two, three times a day.
For cardiovascular problems, kidney disease or beriberi, a decoction is prepared from birch buds. To do this, 10 grams of kidneys are brewed with a glass (200 ml) of boiling water and boiled over low heat for 12-15 minutes. After straining, add the broth to the original volume. Take a tablespoon 3 to 4 times a day.
How to prepare raw materials
Each of the birch gifts must be collected at its own time. Birch sap is harvested at the very beginning of spring, when sap flow is just beginning. The sap collection season is short and lasts no more than 10 days.
Buds are also harvested in early spring before the leaves begin to bloom. Dry them outdoors in the shade or vegetable dryers. Drying temperature not more than 30 degrees. The shelf life of the kidneys is two years.
It is better to collect birch leaves when they are still very young and no larger than 10 kopeck coins. This is just the time of flowering birch.
They are dried in the same way as the kidneys, in a ventilated room in the shade or in a dryer, spread out in one layer. The leaves are well dried if they break. The shelf life is two years.
Birch contraindications for use
In general, all birch preparations are considered safe. The exception is individual intolerance, which can manifest itself as an allergic reaction.
In addition, it is forbidden to use preparations based on buds and birch leaves for women during pregnancy.
Chaga mushroom is contraindicated in chronic colitis and some other chronic diseases.
It is forbidden to treat birch during the course of treatment with penicillin or with intravenous administration of glucose.
In case of impaired renal function, there may be irritation of the parenchyma. In this case, treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a physician and constant monitoring of urine tests.
Birch is one of the most beautiful and graceful plants, which endows us with its many useful and healing properties. She was revered and endowed with love by all nations. Let us and we will use it only for the benefit of our health.
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SYMBOL OF LIGHT, PURITY,
FEMININE
In any forgotten corner of Russia
From the Arctic to Kaliningrad,
From Sakhalin to the mountains of the Caucasus
Birch is a joy to the Russian heart!
In the forest, in the woods, in the open field
She is slim, beautiful and discreet,
Like an obelisk at the city's house,
As a sign of the sadness of a rural churchyard.
There are many interesting trees
In our country, as in the world,
And yet without the beauty of the birch
The Russian landscape would be gray and poor.
Birch drooping - Russian tree
Birch is the most common tree in Russia. Its different species can be found beyond the Arctic Circle and in the foothills of the Caucasus, on Sakhalin and in the Kaliningrad region. Birch is always associated with the image of the Motherland. It was used for the construction of housing, birch firewood was used to heat stoves, and young branches were fed to cattle.
A birch broom in a Russian bath for a Russian person was a symbol of purity and healing. On birch bark, the ancestors of the Eastern Slavs wrote their first literary works. The first dishes were carved from birch wood, branches were used as amulets.
Birch quickly populates areas of the forest that have been vacated after clearing or fire. According to various sources, the life expectancy of a birch is 100-150 years, and some specimens live up to 400 years or more.
Birch is one of the most revered trees among the Slavs. She is a symbol of light, purity, femininity, the personification of Russian nature, a symbol of Russia.
Birch trees are growing in my dacha too. Pine trees grow, and a huge spruce, and two western arborvitae, and virgin juniper of immense size ... But I want to tell you about my favorites.
My office at the transport company was on the second floor of a building overlooking the roof of an old, abandoned car wash. Its roof made of old roofing material is overgrown with moss, grass and some twigs.
One spring, the twigs turned green, leaves appeared, very similar to birch leaves. Where can trees appear on the roof, even if they are very small? But when, on the other side of the street along the multi-storey buildings, the trees dressed in a green dress characteristic of birches, it became clear that in the fall the gusts of wind brought their seeds to the roof of the sink, and young shoots began to develop on it.
There were concrete slabs under the roofing material, where dust and moisture accumulated - a favorable environment for young plants. And the root system is freely located due to the lack of soil horizontally on concrete slabs. It was not difficult to pull out plants from an environment unusual for trees, and transplanted into comfortable conditions, they quickly began to grow. And now in my dacha I have gorgeous white-trunked birch trees.
Silver birch, ribbed, woolly, alder and many others are plant species of the genus birch (Betula) of the birch family (Betulaceae). In total, according to various sources, there are up to 120 species of this plant. Only in Russia there are about 65 of them, differing from each other in some features. In medicine, they are all used in the same way.
There are several variants of the origin of the Latin name of the word "birch" (Betula). One of them comes from the Celtic betu - birch or from the modified Latin batula - to beat, whip. In the past, lazy schoolchildren and students were flogged with rods, most often birch. Hence the expression "taste birch porridge."
The Russian word "birch" goes back to the ancient root "bhe" - "whiteness" "white". Linguists associate its name with the verb to protect: the Slavs considered birch a gift from the gods, protecting a person.
Our ancestors were sure that birch branches left in the attic protect the house from lightning, thunder and hail, and in the field, stuck into the ground, they drive away rodents and birds from crops and provide a good harvest.
In the old days, birch was called the "tree of four things"
"The first thing is to illuminate the world." For centuries, the peasant huts of Russia were illuminated by a birch torch: it burned for a long time and almost without soot and sparks.
"The second thing is to silence the cry." The wheels of carts and carriages were smeared with birch tar so that they would not creak. And babies, so that they could sleep peacefully at night, and not be capricious during the day, they fed them with a decoction of birch buds.
"The third thing is to heal the sick." All parts of birch have healing properties. According to popular beliefs, a birch tree could take on any diseases, taking them away from a person. The peasants believed: if you pour the water in which a sick person bathed under the roots of a birch, then the disease will go into the ground.
“The fourth thing is to keep cleanliness.” Birch brooms cleaned up. On Trinity, the house was decorated with birch branches, which, according to ancient beliefs, protected it from evil spirits.
The birch was no less revered by other peoples of our country. The Yakuts believed that a wise old woman lives in the old birch trees - the mistress of the earth. In the spring, they decorated the birch trees with bright ribbons, turned to the hostess with requests.
The birch is also considered sacred for the Khakass. They believed that if you tie a "turban" on it - a patchwork ribbon - and make a wish, for example, health, prosperity, and the like, then it will certainly come true. The colors of the ribbons also had their own meaning: white is the color of purity, blue is the color of the sky and peace, red is the color of fire and the sun, green is the color of the forest.
And there are a myriad of diseases that birch treats.
Birch leaves help in the fight against various ailments, including gastrointestinal upset, and.
Tinctures and decoctions of the leaves are effective for and, they also help to alleviate conditions for the gallbladder, duodenum. Leaves have a beneficial effect in the treatment of dysentery, intestinal disorders.
Tinctures from birch leaves are taken for neurosis, beriberi, chronic stress and asthenic conditions. And with a decrease in immunity, during the seasons of colds and epidemics, birch leaves are considered indispensable as an immunomodulatory agent.
It is necessary to harvest the leaves in May-June, when they are still sticky, with a delicate pleasant aroma, but they can be used throughout the year.
Young, fresh leaves cover the back with sciatica.
It is recommended to drink an infusion of birch leaves in the morning and in the evening, 1 glass each, as a diuretic and tonic, for lesions of the central nervous system. (Pour 1 tablespoon of leaves with 1 cup of boiling water, hold under the lid for 3 hours).
Inflammation of the gallbladder
With moderate cholecystitis: pour 2 teaspoons of leaves with a glass of boiling water and insist for an hour. Then strain and put soda on the tip of a knife into the infusion. Pour in 3 doses 10 minutes before meals, 50 ml. The course of treatment is 40 days.
A decoction of birch leaves when washing your hair promotes hair growth, strengthens them and adds shine.
With diabetes mellitus 2-3 tbsp. spoons of birch buds pour 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, drink during the day. The course is 1-2 months.
Recipe for the treatment of inflammation of the pancreas
For pancreatitis, fill a half-liter jar halfway with fresh birch buds, pour vodka, leave for 2 weeks, take 1 teaspoon with water 2-3 times a day. In acute pancreatitis, a positive result appears after a few days.
For cystitis, take this tincture of 20-30 drops per 1 tbsp. a spoonful of water 3 times a day 15-20 minutes before meals.
In case of varicose veins, smear the veins with the fingertips with the same tincture, then rest for 10-15 minutes and lubricate again, wait until dry.
Birch catkin tincture
A tincture of birch earrings is also a medicine: fill a half-liter jar with 2/3 men's earrings and pour vodka to the top, seal and infuse in the dark for 2 weeks. Take 20 drops 3 times a day before meals. Good for heart disease, stomach pain, anemia, impotence.
In case of articular rheumatism, lay in layers (3-4 layers) 1-2 cm thick in earthenware or enameled dishes, 1 kg of unsalted butter and birch buds each. Close the dishes tightly with a lid, cover the gap with dough, then put in a not very hot oven for a day. Then, after cooling slightly, strain and squeeze through cheesecloth. Add 10 g of camphor to the resulting mass and mix everything thoroughly. Rub the ointment into the joints once a day before going to bed.
Treatment of gout, skin diseases
With, rheumatism and skin diseases (eczema, dermatosis,) apply an ointment from the powder of birch buds:
Add 1 glass of powder to 0.5 kg of fresh interior fat, place in a clay (or ceramic) pot and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes for a week. Until the fat has set, strain and squeeze. Pour the ointment into jars, store in the refrigerator.
A birch bark rim, which was used in Ancient Russia, helps with headaches and fatigue. A strip of birch bark, you need to take 1-2 cm more than the size of the head, in order to connect the ends of the rim with a paper clip.
Remedy for wrinkles and skin aging
For the prevention of skin aging and the formation of wrinkles, it is recommended to wash in the morning and evening with infusion: 5 tbsp. spoons of crushed leaves pour 1 liter of boiling water, leave for an hour. Infusion can be done lotions on the face during the day.
Birch tar, obtained by dry distillation of the bark, has a bactericidal effect and is part of Vishnevsky's ointment, used as a wound healing agent, and Wilkinson's ointment, used to treat scabies, scaly lichen.
A trophic ulcer in folk medicine is also treated with the help of tar: take tar and Kalanchoe juice in equal parts, mix, wet a bandage and apply on the ulcer in the form of a compress. After 3 procedures, the ulcer should heal.
The use of birch sap
Natural birch sap is used for gout, arthritis, rheumatism, scurvy, edema, anemia after injury, long-term non-healing wounds and trophic ulcers, furunculosis, tonsillitis, as a diuretic and tonic. Outwardly - for eczema and for washing - with acne and spots.
You can write about the beneficial qualities of birch endlessly. Only in the warm, if not hot climate of southern Russia, wild birch trees are not common. Rare specimens can also be seen in the foothills of the Caucasus. But they breed easily, do not require special care, and if desired, everyone can grow a white-barreled miracle near their home. To do this is quite simple.
If you collect already ripe, brown earrings in the fall, dry them and shake them over a white cloth or paper, you get ready-made seed material. Seeds can be poured for 20 minutes with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or a one percent solution of hydrogen peroxide, washed, dried and placed in a refrigerator for stratification for a month.
Sow in winter in already slightly frozen ground or in early spring, without sprinkling with earth, but only covering it with a piece of plywood. After germination, of course, it must be removed. At first, when the sprout is no more than a match, it requires frequent watering.
Birch grows very quickly, and by the end of the season, the sprout will turn into a full-fledged seedling that can be transferred to a permanent place. It is only necessary to remember that the birch draws a lot of water from the soil and oppresses the trees growing near. Spruce and rose hips coexist well with it.
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