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Willow, the Aspirin Tree
by Traute Klein, AKA biogardener
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Series on Willows
This is the first of two articles on willows. It deals with the history of salicylates and their effect on people, especially those who are allergic to them. The second article will talk about their effect on plants and will give some ideas of how we can take advantage of them, even if we are allergic to them. Another related article is entitled "An Apple a Day or an Aspirin or a Niacin Pill." Both are linked below.
History of Salicylate
Aspirin may be the best-known pharmaceutical of modern times, but its effective ingredient is not new to herbalists. Natural salicylates have probably been used as painkillers since the Stone Age. They are one of the oldest remedies, occurring naturally in trees, shrubs, and fruit. Their pain-relieving properties were known on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. North American natives used them for headache, fever, and lumbago. Europeans made a tea from the bark of white willow to relieve pain. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, made a powder to treat pain, fever, and the pangs of childbirth.
Allergy Caution
Before I ever heard the word "allergy," I found out that I am allergic to Aspirin. The first Aspirin which I swallowed not only did nothing for my headache, it made me hyper. A second pill did not alleviate the pain either, but it got me to climb the walls, so to speak. No one had to tell me that I should forego the third one.
When I enrolled in the high school woodworking courses at our local high school a few years ago, the first project involved the use of salix which is the Latin name for willow. The wood is soft and lends itself to being carved easily, but I was not prepared for its effect on my hands. At that time, I had no idea that willow contains salicylates. Within a day of handling the wood, two of my fingertips were stripped of skin. Before the week was out, all of my fingers burned and bled. The problem persisted until a couple of weeks after the completion of the project.
Sunscreens
A couple of years later, I participated in a pharmaceutical study on sunscreens. I considered the tests harmless, because I had been using sunscreens for years and had never had any problems with them. It seemed like an easy way to make a few dollars. No one informed me that the PABA of the original sunscreens had been replaced by salicylates. I had indicated on my application form that I am allergic to ASA, but no one paid any attention to it. As a matter of fact, I just recently found out that the staff administering tests has no knowledge of the ingredients of any of the products. So why do they bother asking us to list our allergies?
I saw some pretty horrific effects of the sunscreen on the backs of some of the other women guinea pigs, yet only one woman was pulled from the study. Some of the test areas were bleeding, others appeared to be infected. Many were highly inflamed. If all the women with these effects had been pulled, the agency would not have been able to complete the study to the satisfaction of the pharmaceutical company and their income would have been severely curbed.
So let me warn you against pharmaceutical studies categorically. The testing agency does not appear to be concerned about your welfare but about the almighty dollar. The Winnipeg agency has done well financially and has now moved into a large new building of their own. The effects of the salicylates in those sunscreens on my skin are with me to this day. I experience uncontrollable itching on my back where the test patches were applied, especially on warm days. You will find me leaning against posts to scratch myself frequently, and I use long-handled forks and sticks to scratch the spot. The dermatologist to whom they sent me a year later ridiculed my reactions and tried to convince me that they were purely psychological.
So be careful with Aspirin or any other salicylates, including natural willow derivatives. If you are allergic to them, they are not for you. You can find an easy but reliable allergy test on one of the pages linked below.
When buying sunscreens, I carefully check the label to verify that the active ingredient is PABA which is one of the B vitamins. I have never heard of anyone having an adverse reaction to it.
Salicylates in Fruit and Food Color
To judge from my reaction to certain fruits, they contain varying amounts of salicylates. I am listing them in the order in which they give me problems. If you suspect that you or one of your children is having a hyperactivity reaction to these fruits, you can do your own allergy testing using the test on the page linked below:
- Crabapples, especially raw
- Tomatoes, especially in tomato sauce and sundried tomatoes where the chemicals are more concentrated
- Strawberries, but only if I eat a lot of them after months of abstention
- Apples, especially if picked fresh off the tree
Let me also warn you that many food colors contain salicylates. I avoid them like the plague. Softdrinks, icecream, and candy give a double whammy to ASA allergic sufferers, because the high amount of sugar intensifies the hyperactivity.
The link "Salicylate Free Diet" lists other sources, but they don't happen to bother me personally.
Present Dilemma
This year's apple harvest is one of the most plentiful ever, and I have been cutting up apples for my husband to eat and to freeze. I myself eat very little apple because the salicylates in them make me hyper. My fingertips are virtually rare again with the skin peeling continually. I hate to let such a plentiful harvest go to waste.
Related Links
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