White Willow Bark
Latin Name: Salix Alba
Other Name: European Willow
Type: Herb
White willow is a plant with long, tapering leaves and grey-brown ridged bark that is native to Europe and Central Asia.
The bark has been used for centuries as a natural remedy to relieve pain, inflammation and fever. White willow bark contains an active compound called salicin, which the body metabolizes into salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin. The salicylic acid in white willow bark lowers the body’s levels of prostaglandins, hormonelike compounds that can cause aches, pain, and inflammation.
However, the pain-killing effects of white willow bark might takes longer time to develop than standard aspirin products, but the effect may last longer. Also, another pros of using white willow bark as a pain killer is that unlike aspirin, it doesn’t cause potential adverse effects such as nausea, stomach pain, headache, and internal bleeding.