Birch Tea for Infection
Birch trees are a common sight in the forests and meadows of the Northern Hemisphere. Admired for its beauty, it has often served as inspiration for folklore, artwork and literature, such as in a poem by Coleridge, who described the birch tree as “most beautiful of forest trees, the Lady of the Woods”. Aside from inspiring the imagination, birch trees also have a number of practical uses. Birch wood is often used in the making of furniture, and its leaves, bark and buds have been used for medicinal purposes. Birch tea, which is brewed from the leaves, buds and bark, has often been used as a natural remedy for various ailments, and has several beneficial effects that make it useful against bacteria, even parasites.
Infection in the Body
We often fail to realize that we are constantly being assaulted by infectious agents. Bacteria, viruses and even parasites can exist in every part of our world, from the food we eat and the water we drink to the ground we walk on, every surface we touch, even in the air around us. Our world is absolutely filled with these tiny creatures that can pose a threat to us. Thankfully, however, very few of these tiny organisms will ever actually make you sick. This is because of our immune system, our body’s complex and very active natural defense system. Our body builds up an immunity to many of these invaders, making it able to quickly identify and eliminate such infectious agents before they can cause any kind of damage.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes, one of these infectious agents breaks through the body’s initial defenses and causes damage as it attempts to grow and reproduce within the body, thus causing an infection. We become aware of such infections because of our immune system, which initiates countermeasures against the infection by way of inflammation, fever, histamine reactions and other easily identified symptoms. Infection may occur because the immune system does not recognize a new bacteria or virus, because the infectious agent is stronger than the body’s initial defenses, or because the immune system is weakened, often because of medication, poor health or stress. Because the body cannot protect against every possible infection, it is important to supplement the immune system by practicing good hygiene, eating healthy foods, keeping in good shape and getting plenty of rest, all of which promote a healthy immune system.
How Birch Tea Defends the Body
Birch tea serves as a potent natural way to supplement the body’s immune system. Several of its constituents have demonstrated antibacterial and antiviral properties that work with the body’s own immune system to combat and eliminate infection. It has shown the potential to work against a variety of infectious agents, particularly those that infect the kidneys, bladder and urinary tract. It has also been used against intestinal parasites. Furthermore, birch tea is rich in immune-building components, including vitamin C, flavonoids and tannins that all help the immune system to work more effectively. These effects help the body to naturally combat infections without compromising any of its other systems or the body’s health overall.