• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Herbal Resource

Information on Medicinal Herbs & Functional Medicine

  • Home
  • Herbs List
  • Herbs by Health Condition
  • Latest Posts
  • Phytochemicals
  • Our Authors

What is Goat Willow used for?

December 23, 2022 by Herbal Resource Leave a Comment

Pin9
Reddit
Share
Share
Share
Tweet
Flip
9 Shares

The fact that the bark of goat willow has analgesic and antipyretic properties, was already known by the philosophers of ancient Greece Hippocrates and Theophrastus.

In medieval times in many parts of Europe, the medicinal properties of the bark were known and the bark was commonly chewed on in order to relieve pain associated with a headache and toothache.

Goat Willow Salix caprea
Goat Willow (Salix caprea) – Illustration ©The Herbal Resource

Furthermore, the bark was used traditionally as an astringing agent, to halt bleeding, and as a remedy for diarrhea.

Externally, extracts of the bark were used traditionally to clean wounds and as a remedy for minor skin inflammations, injuries, and aches. Once the bark was also added to vinegar and used as a treatment for warts.

Natural Source of Salicylic Acid

The plant genus Salix is large and all species in the genus contain salicylates (e.g. salicortin, salicin and tremulacin) to a greater or lesser extent.

It is primarily white willow (Salix alba) and purple osier willow (Salix purpurea) that have been used to extract salicylic acid. Salicylic acid was first isolated from totally unrelated species meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria).

Salicylic acid is the precursor of acetylsalicylic acid, a synthetic substance similar to the salicylic acid recovered from the bark of goat willow and other plants, and it was first introduced by the German company Bayer in 1899.

The name Aspirin has become the generic name for acetylsalicylic acid medicines and is one of the most widely used medicinal substances in the world. Acetylsalicylic acid is commonly used for its fever-reducing, antirheumatic and analgesic properties, and is the active substance in many well-known medications such as Albyl-E, Dispril, and Globoid.

Due to the fact that goat willow and other willows are a natural source of salicylic acid, the bark of these plants can be a useful remedy for arthritis and rheumatic ailments, especially when the back, knees, and hips are affected.

In combination with other herbs, goat willow bark may be helpful in relieving inflammation and swelling and provide greater mobility in painful and rigid joints.

Preparations containing extract of the bark can also be used as a remedy for high fever, the common cold, minor infections, mild headaches and pain caused by inflammation.

The bark also has a high content of tannins, and a decoction of the bark can be used as a gargle in the treatment for a sore throat, and a tea made from the bark can be used as a remedy for heartburn, minor stomach ailment, and food poisoning. The herb may also reduce night sweats and hot flushes associated with menopause.

The advantage of using goat willow bark or meadowsweet instead of the synthetic drug Aspirin is that the herbs do not thin the blood or irritate the stomach, which are common side effects of Aspirin.

The analgesic effect of willow bark is slower but longer lasting than the one achieved with Aspirin. The downside of using goat willow is that its medicinal effect can be somewhat unpredictable and depends largely on the presence of enough friendly gut flora to convert the bark’s active components to the desired pain-relieving substances.

[Read more about Goat Willow…]

The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
Avatar photo

Herbal Resource

The Herbal Resource was created out of a passion for all natural health solutions and to inform on what nature can provide to heal. Staffed by a group of functional medicine advocates, scientists and natural health experts, we use science to support how natural can help bring health to people.
Avatar photo

Latest posts by Herbal Resource (see all)

  • Maximizing Fitness Performance with Natural Supplements: The Efficacy of Black Ginger and Tongkat Ali - January 14, 2025
Pin9
Reddit
Share
Share
Share
Tweet
Flip
9 Shares

Filed Under: Herbs - General

Avatar photo

About Herbal Resource

The Herbal Resource was created out of a passion for all natural health solutions and to inform on what nature can provide to heal. Staffed by a group of functional medicine advocates, scientists and natural health experts, we use science to support how natural can help bring health to people.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

HSR Newsletter Sign-up

loader

Email Address*

Your e-mail address is only used to send you our newsletter and information about the activities of The Herbal Resource. You can always use the unsubscribe link included in the newsletter.

Footer

  • Newsletters
  • Deals
  • Ethical Foraging – Do’s and Don’ts
  • Write for Us
  • Partner, Advertising & Commercial Relationships
  • Affiliate Agreement
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Categories

  • Functional Medicine
  • Grow Your Own Herbs
  • Herbs – General
  • Herbs – Scientific Evidence
  • Herbs for Specific Ailments
  • Medicinal Herb Profiles
  • Phytochemicals
  • Poisonous Plants
  • Sponsored Posts
  • Uncategorized

Follow

Subscribe to notifications

Contact Information

Email: herb@herbal-supplement-resource.com

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

The Herbal Resource is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program as well as with other affiliate partners.

An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to their products and services.

Looking for Something?

© Copyright 2018 The Herbal Resource · All Rights Reserved!