Wild Cherry Bark: 10 Health Benefits, How to Use, and Side Effects

The wild cherry tree’s bark is aromatic and astringent. It has a pleasant flavor and is frequently used in herbal formulas. In addition, wild cherry bark has a long history of medicinal applications. It is best known for treating respiratory issues but can also aid digestion and may act as a mild sedative. Woodworkers appreciate the wild cherry tree for its gorgeous redwood finish.

The oval-shaped leaves have a slightly serrated edge and change color from yellow-gold to red in the fall. Some people use wild cherry by mouth to treat colds, whooping cough, bronchitis (lung inflammation), and other lung issues. It also treats diarrhea, gout, digestive problems, pain, and cancer. Wild cherry tree bark can be reddish-brown, dark gray, or black, peeling off in flakes. Cherry bark is considered a herb for the heart, emotions, and physical body because cherry trees are members of the rose genus.

Native Americans used cherry bark for medicine and passed their knowledge to early settlers. The wild cherry is native to the east coast of North America, but it is now grown worldwide. It blooms profusely in the spring, has attractive summer foliage, and has striking fall color. Seed production will begin around ten years but will not be heavy until thirty. This process can last for up to 100 years.

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Cherry bark

Nutritional value:

You’ll find this in the bark of wild cherry trees: tannins and other chemicals like p-coumaric acid. They also contain minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. So when eating, you should eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals like potassium and manganese. You should also eat foods with vitamins C, B5, and B6.

The Health Benefits of Wild Cherry Bark

Respiratory:

Coughs and other respiratory complaints have traditionally been treated with wild cherry bark. It has excellent natural expectorant properties, which means it can aid in removing phlegm or mucus from the respiratory system. People have traditionally used wild cherry to treat bronchitis, tuberculosis, asthma, catarrh, scrofula, and coughs.

Sedative:

The relaxing properties of wild cherry bark tea can help relieve muscle tension, cramps, and headaches. It is an excellent option for calming nerves without the risks of side effects and dependence associated with solid pharmaceutical sedatives. In addition, some herbalists and supporters believe it is a good tea for women with painful menstruation.

Digestive Aid: 

Drinking wild cherry bark tea after a big meal is a great idea to make sure your stomach can bear the strain! These qualities can help alleviate diarrhea and colitis by reducing indigestion and astringency. One of the bark’s most traditional uses is an antispasmodic, which helps soothe digestion and may help with diarrhea.

Cough Soother: 

Cherry bark has antispasmodic and expectorant properties. These properties can dry mucus, improve expectoration, and open the airways, which can help people who are sick. Also, because prunasin, a glycoside that turns into hydrocyanic acid when broken down, is present, this cooling effect is a big part of why (suspended in water).

The smell of the bark will give you a hint as to when is the best time to harvest it. The Inner Wild Astringent properties of cherry bark’s almond-like aromatics support a healthy inflammation response in the upper respiratory tract. A cherry-red coloration on the face or cheeks is also possible (the red cheeks correlate with lung irritation).

It relieves coughs caused by colds, but it is also helpful in reducing excess mucus production caused by allergies. In addition, inner bark constituents or plant compounds may dry tissue, which is beneficial for boggy, wet coughs.

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Skin Soother: 

The plant compounds in cherry bark have anti-inflammatory properties, and their astringency helps tone the skin. Cherry bark can treat chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne and soothe rashes caused by irritation. Alternatively, it can be used as an eyewash to relieve edema and puffiness. 

It helps keep your heart healthy: 

The bark of the wild cherry tree has long been used to treat cardiac weakness, particularly when accompanied by a chronic cough, palpitations, and high blood pressure. In addition, wild cherry bark, like hawthorn berries, has many health benefits: heart support. It helps maintain heart rate, prevents blood vessel hardening, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and lowers the risk of a heart attack.

Beneficial for cancer treatment:

Although there are numerous claims that wild cherry bark extract can help protect against various types of cancer, there is no scientific evidence to back this up. One study found a link between wild cherry bark extract and cancer. According to a study published in 2006, the extract helped suppress the growth and proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. However, one study found a link between wild cherry bark extract and cancer. The extract contains potent anti-carcinogenic compounds that inhibit cancer cell growth and prevent the development of new cancers.

Antioxidant: 

Cherry bark contains antioxidants called flavonoids and Vitamin C, which aid in eliminating free radicals and preventing age-related ailments such as heart and nervous system weakness. This also aids in treating nervous disorders, insomnia, and mental discomfort. In addition, flavonoids and carotenoids repair free radical damage and neutralize the body’s systems.

Restorative: 

Cherry bark can also aid digestion, calm the heart and clear excess heat and body heat from the body. Because cherry bark is particularly beneficial to the respiratory system, you may wish to use it to recover after a respiratory illness, even if the infection has resolved.

Worms and parasites: 

Wild cherry bark has been used for centuries to treat people infected with various worms and parasites. The bark is said to have antiviral, antibacterial, and anthelmintic properties, which means it can kill parasitic worms. However, no scientific investigations have supported the traditional use of this ingredient. 

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How to Make Use of Wild Cherry Bark

You can use fresh or dried cherry bark. However, purchasing organically dried cherry bark is the best option to ensure no pesticides are used on the trees. In addition, you can consume Wild cherry bark as a tincture or syrup. Take 2 to 4 mL up to four times daily for cough with water for 10-15 minutes for these two methods.

To make wild cherry bark tea, follow these simple steps:

  • To 2 cups of water, add two teaspoons of dried cherry tree bark.
  • Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.
  • Stir in 2 teaspoons of dried cherry tree bark.
  • Reduce the heat to a low simmer.
  • It’s best to let it simmer for eight to ten minutes.
  • Allow cooling before straining, and add honey and lemon, if desired.

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Cherry bark

Conclusion:

Using wild cherry bark at home is simple, but you must handle it cautiously. Unlike other hard materials, wild cherry bark must be steeped in hot water rather than decocted or simmered in boiling water. This is because colds, whooping cough, bronchitis, other lung problems, diarrhea, and other digestive problems are all treated.

Side Effects

  • You should not consume more than three cups of wild cherry bark tea daily. 
  • Wild cherry bark contains hydrocyanic acid, which can be harmful if consumed in large quantities over time. 
  • Therefore, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children under two should avoid wild cherry bark.

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Where to Buy 

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DISCLAIMER OF MEDICINE

This information is not meant to provide medical advice or replace a personal physician’s advice or treatment. All readers of this information, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should check with their doctors before initiating any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program. In addition, the statements and goods on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

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One comment

  1. […] Wild cherry bark is a classic home medicine for phlegm; however, it is not suggested for pregnant or nursing women because it contains hydrocyanic acid. It can be used to make tea or powder; add two teaspoons of wild cherry syrup for convenience. However, it is not recommended for prolonged use. The wild cherry bark, readily accessible on the market, can also make syrup. (22) […]

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