Willow bark (Salix alba ) has a long folk history as a treatment for pain and fever. The famous Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed it for the pain of childbirth as far back as the fifth century B.C. In the 1890s the Bayer company used the active ingredient in willow bark, salicin, to develop aspirin. White willow bark is most commonly used medicinally although purple willow and crack willow are more potent.

Since salicin and aspirin are both converted to the same compound, salicylic acid, in the body, theoretically willow bark should have the same effects as aspirin. But, depending on the quality of the bark, you would have to drink as many as 30 cups of tea to equal the effect of one regular aspirin tablet. This makes it easier on your stomach, but it also makes it a poor choice for relieving pain and fever. Two clinical trials suggest that willow bark extract (concentrated salicin) may be effective for treating lower back pain. But it's unlikely to have any real advantage over aspirin.

Salicylic acid blocks inflammation, the body's response to injury and illness. Aspirin prevents blood from clotting too readily, a factor in heart disease and stroke. Although there's no evidence to prove it, some researchers speculate that willow bark might also have a blood-thinning effect.

Side effects are uncommon with willow bark, but take precautions similar to those for aspirin. Avoid it if you are pregnant, have asthma or tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or are allergic to aspirin. Also, don't give willow bark to children since it may trigger Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease that damages the brain and liver in children with viruses. Don't use willow bark if you are taking blood-thinning drugs like aspirin or Coumadin (Warfarin). Check with your doctor before using willow bark as a regular replacement for aspirin. Although willow bark is less likely to upset your stomach, you may want to avoid it anyway if you have a stomach condition such as an ulcer.

If you want to try willow bark tea, you'll find the powdered or chipped bark in bulk bins or packaged into tea bags at some health food stores. To get the most salicin out of the bark, brew it in cold water for about 8 hours and strain before drinking. A cup made with a heaping teaspoon of willow bark (about 2 grams) can provide the equivalent of a low dose of aspirin: about 60 to 150 milligrams. Willow bark tea tastes bitter, so it's a good idea to sweeten it with sugar or honey. You can find capsules and liquid extracts with higher concentrations of salicin at herbal and health food stores. Keep in mind that the government does not regulate herbal remedies, so it's hard to know what you're getting. In rare cases products may be contaminated with undesirable substances.

References

Last updated March 19, 2009
Copyright © 1998 Consumer Health Interactive and OneBody, Inc.

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