Symptom → Plant Sources
Birch (Betula pendula) as a tool for helping with Arthritis / joint pain
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
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Full Birch monograph →All plants for arthritis / joint pain →
3 sources supporting Birch for Arthritis / joint pain. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's anti-inflammatory action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Trees and shrubs of the genus Betula (Betulaceae) inhabit temperate and boreal zones of the northern hemisphere. The healing properties of Betula bark, leaves and bark extracts have long been known in traditional medicine for skin diseases, rheumatism, gout and as a diuretic. This review compiles the traditional uses, phytochemistry (triterpenes such as betulin and betulinic acid, flavonoids, phenolics) and pharmacological activities of Betula species.
An aqueous leaf extract of Betula pendula, traditionally used for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation and cell division of activated human inflammatory lymphocytes without cytotoxicity, supporting its anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic use.
Chemical profiling of Betula pendula subsp. mandshurica bark (a traditional remedy for inflammatory diseases) identified constituents underlying its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects, substantiating the medicinal use of birch bark.
White birch (Betula pendula/pubescens) bud extracts, traditionally used as diuretic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, showed selective cytotoxicity toward tumour cells, suggesting therapeutic potential of birch buds against cancer.