Omnia SanaCommon names in 29 European languages →
The complete database record: 3 documented constituents, 10 pharmacological actions, 16 traditional / indicated uses, with 17 cited sources.
Botanical Description
Elegant deciduous tree with a slender trunk, distinctive smooth white bark that peels in papery horizontal strips and becomes dark and fissured near the base with age, and characteristically drooping ('pendulous') branchlets. The leaves are small, triangular to diamond-shaped, doubly toothed and long-pointed. Male and female flowers are borne in separate catkins on the same tree in spring.[1]
Habitat & Distribution
A pioneer tree of light, well-drained, often poor or acidic soils, growing in woodland, heathland and waste ground across Europe and much of temperate Asia.[1]
Harvesting
Leaves are picked in spring and early summer while young and tender; bark is collected from felled or fallen wood (living trees should not be stripped of bark, which can kill them); sap is tapped in early spring, before leaf-out, through a small hole bored in the trunk.[1]
Key Constituents
Principal diuretic and antioxidant constituents of the leaf.
Characteristic bark triterpenes, betulin giving birch bark its white colour; studied for anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity.
Contribute to the astringent and antioxidant properties of the bark and leaf.
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from gastroprotective action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-rheumatic action
inferred from antidiabetic action
more plants for blood sugar / diabetes support →detailed sources →
inferred from anticancer action
more plants for cancer (anticancer research) →detailed sources →
inferred from antiviral action
inferred from emollient action
inferred from gastroprotective action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antidiabetic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from diuretic action
more plants for swelling / fluid retention →detailed sources →
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
more plants for urinary tract infection (uti) →detailed sources →
inferred from antimicrobial action
Traditional Use & History
Birch leaf is a classic European 'aquaretic' diuretic used for urinary gravel, kidney stones and as a spring detoxifying tonic, and for rheumatic and joint complaints; the bark and its extracts have a long folk history for skin conditions, while the sap has been drunk fresh as a traditional spring tonic.[1]
Preparations
Dosage
The EU herbal monograph gives 2-3 g of the comminuted leaf in 150 mL of boiling water as an infusion, up to 4 times daily, in adolescents, adults and elderly, with adequate fluid intake; dry extract at 0.25-1 g 4 times daily and liquid extract at 15 mL 2-3 times daily are also listed. Traditionally used over a period of 2-4 weeks. Not recommended under 12 years. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Generally considered safe when used appropriately. Side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, and allergic reactions (itching, rash, stuffy nose). Not recommended for individuals with edema caused by heart or kidney dysfunction. Ensure adequate fluid intake when using as a diuretic. Frequency of side effects is unknown.
Duke (2002) provides clinical evidence (score 2) for birch leaf's diuretic activity, as well as for its use in urinary gravel, kidney stones, and rheumatic conditions - consistent with Commission E (KOM) and German Phytotherapy (PIP) approvals. It acts as an aquaretic, increasing urine volume without electrolyte loss. Antimelanomic activity has been demonstrated in experimental studies. The plant has a good safety profile and is classified as non-toxic at usual therapeutic doses (Duke, 2002).
Harvest Readiness
[12]
[12]
[12]
External Identifiers
References & Sources
- Rastogi, S., Pandey, M.M. and Kumar Singh Rawat, A (2014) 'Medicinal plants of the genus Betula — traditional uses and a phytochemical-pharmacological review', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 159, pp. 62-83. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.11.010 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.11.010 - Penkov, D., Andonova, V., Delev, D. and Kostadinov, I (2018) 'Antioxidant Activity of Dry Birch (Betula pendula) Leaves Extract', Folia Medica, 60(4), pp. 571-579. doi:10.2478/folmed-2018-0035 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.2478/folmed-2018-0035 - Sevastre-Berghian, A.C., Ielciu, I., Bab, T., Olah, N.K. et al (2023) 'Betula pendula Leaf Extract Targets the Interplay between Brain Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and NF-kB Pathways in Amyloid Abeta-Treated Rats', Antioxidants (Basel), 12(12), pp. 2110. doi:10.3390/antiox12122110 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12122110 - Grundemann, C., Gruber, C.W., Hertrampf, A., Zehl, M., Kopp, B. and Huber, R (2011) 'An aqueous birch leaf extract of Betula pendula inhibits the growth and cell division of inflammatory lymphocytes', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 136(3), pp. 444-451. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.05.018 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.05.018 - Azman, N.A.M., Skowyra, M., Muhammad, K., Gallego, M.G. and Almajano, M.P (2017) 'Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of Betula pendula leaves extract and its effects on model foods', Pharmaceutical Biology, 55(1), pp. 912-919. doi:10.1080/13880209.2017.1282528 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2017.1282528 - Bljajic, K., Sostaric, N., Petlevski, R., Vujic, L., Brajkovic, A. and Fumic, B (2016) 'Effect of Betula pendula Leaf Extract on alpha-Glucosidase and Glutathione Level in Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress', Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2016, pp. 8429398. doi:10.1155/2016/8429398 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8429398 - Ou-Yang, T., Zhang, Y., Luo, H.Z., Liu, Y. and Ma, S.C (2023) 'Novel compounds discovery approach based on UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS chemical profile reveals birch bark extract anti-inflammatory, -oxidative, and -proliferative effects', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 309, pp. 116148. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.116148 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2023.116148 - Szoka, L., Nazaruk, J., Stocki, M. and Isidorov, V (2021) 'Santin and cirsimaritin from Betula pubescens and Betula pendula buds induce apoptosis in human digestive system cancer cells', Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 25(23), pp. 11085-11096. doi:10.1111/jcmm.17031 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.17031 - Isidorov, V., Szoka, L. and Nazaruk, J (2018) 'Cytotoxicity of white birch bud extracts: Perspectives for therapy of tumours', PLoS One, 13(8), pp. e0201949. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0201949 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201949 - Efthimiou, I., Vlastos, D., Triantafyllidis, V., Eleftherianos, A. and Antonopoulou, M (2022) 'Investigation of the Genotoxicological Profile of Aqueous Betula pendula Extracts', Plants, 11(20), pp. 2673. doi:10.3390/plants11202673 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11202673 - Jafari Hajati, R., Payamnoor, V., Ahmadian Chashmi, N. and Ghasemi Bezdi, K (2018) 'Improved accumulation of betulin and betulinic acid in cell suspension culture of Betula pendula Roth by abiotic and biotic elicitors', Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 48(10), pp. 915-924. doi:10.1080/10826068.2018.1514514 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/10826068.2018.1514514 - Fern, Ken 'Betula pendula (Silver Birch) — Useful Temperate Plants'. Available at: https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Betula+pendula Traditional / reference
https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Betula+pendula - European Medicines Agency (HMPC) (2015) 'European Union herbal monograph on Betula pendula Roth and/or Betula pubescens Ehrh. as well as hybrids of both species, folium'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-betula-pendula-roth-betula-pubescens-ehrh-folium_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-betula-pendula-roth-betula-pubescens-ehrh-folium_en.pdf - European Medicines Agency (HMPC) (2015) 'Birch leaf (Betulae folium): summary for the public'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-summary/birch-leaf-summary-public_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-summary/birch-leaf-summary-public_en.pdf - Oszmiański J, et al. Evaluating birch leaf tea as a functional herbal beverage. Food Res Int. 2024. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996924005519 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7126499/ (2024) 'https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996924005519 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7126499/'. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996924005519 Traditional / reference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996924005519 - Rastogi S, Pandey MM, Rawat AKS. Medicinal plants of the genus Betula—Traditional uses and a phytochemical–pharmacological review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;159:62-83. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7126499/ (2015) ';159:62-83'. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7126499/ Traditional / reference
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7126499/ - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition
Selected studies & references
All 15 studies in the Knowledge Finder →
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.