Ingredients

White Willow: Salix alba

Parts Used: Bark

Active Compounds (19 in number)

• Phenolic glycosides
  salicin, picein, triandrin, esters of salicylic acid and salicyl alcohol,acetylated salicin,salicortin, tremulacin, salireposide.
• Tannins
  catechins, gallotannins, condensed procyanidins
• Flavanoids
  isquercitrin, naringin, naringin glucoside

History

Willow bark has been used traditionally for fever, headache, pain, and rheumatic complaints for as long as humans have been using plants to treat ailments (documentably at least 4,000 years), and its use is legendary in many cultures around the world through time.

The glycoside salicin, from which the body can split off salicylic acid, is the basis of the anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects of willow. The analgesic actions of willow are typically slow-acting but last longer than standard aspirin products. The bark is also high in tannins, which is why it finds some use in gastrointestinal conditions.

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