White Willow Bark Powder

What is white willow bark powder? The medium-sized deciduous tree Salix alba has grey-green bark and long, tapering green leaves. Because of its advantageous qualities, white willow bark has long been used in traditional European herbalism. Salicin, the chemical component that is the active ingredient in willow bark and the precursor of aspirin, is present in it. Powdered white willow bark may be used topically, tinctured, infused, or capsuled. The willow is a low-growing deciduous tree that is native to parts of Africa, northern Asia, and North America. It produces catkins in the spring and long, green, tapering leaves. In the spring, young trees lose their bark. Long before Columbus or the Vikings arrived, Native American healers were using willow bark. The process of turning willow bark into aspirin started in 1828, when German scientist Felix Hoffmann identified salicin as the active component. The Bayer Corporation started producing and distributing aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, a modified version of the molecule found in willow bark, in 1899. Since then, this first of the contemporary wonder drugs has been a staple in the management of joint pain. The Salicaceae family…