Every year, as soon as the vegetation awakens from its winter slumber and the warmth of the spring sun shines on it, we instinctively feel that it's time to clean up. Here, we are talking about internal cleansing commonly called "detox". Let's see in this article how the sap of job, excellent elixir of youth, can help us to eliminate the toxins accumulated during winter. Zoom on this nectar with multiple virtues ...

Botanical and historical overview of Birch

Birch is in the Betulaceae family just like alders, hazels and hornbeams, growing in cold and temperate zones. Tree rustic of a great adaptability, its bark and its wood are white. Betula Alba is generally the variety of birch from which the sap is extracted.

Birch is present in many cultures. In particular, it is considered the "tree of wisdom," the axis mundi among Siberian shamans. The Latin name of the birch tree comes from "Betul," a name the Celts gave to the tree in honor of the god Thunar and representing the return of spring.

Its introduction into the traditional Western European pharmacopoeia dates back to the 12th century as mentioned in a text by St. Hildegard to relieve ulcers.

Sap, this nectar with multiple therapeutic properties

A true "Spring Elixir," pure birch sap is a powerful depurative and diuretic. This beverage with draining properties activates the elimination of toxins accumulated in the body during winter stasis. Thus, uric acid, cholesterol, urea are all waste products eliminated during a spring cure of sap from Boule . In addition, let's also note theseworm-repellent and anti-lithiasis properties (against kidney and gallstones).

By domino effect, its action proves equally effective in relieving skin problems, which are generally due to a clogging of the emunctories evacuating the crystals. As a reminder,emunctories are purifying organs such as the liver, kidneys, skin, lungs and uterus in women.

The humours (lymph and blood) are purified, the homeostatic balance is then found.

In naturopathy, the great interest of birch sap is its dual function: that of purification and that of remineralization. Thus, this natural drink limits the risks offatigue generated by the efforts of the body to eliminate waste and caused the mineral loss due to the activation of diuresis.

The composition of birch sap

Water is unsurprisingly its main component. Note that the presence of minerals and oligo-elements will depend on the nature of the soil. Nevertheless, we generally find :

• manganese, the reference trace element in allergic and arthritic diathesis.
• Magnesium and lithium which act as mood regulators.
• Calcium and phosphorus to strengthen the skeleton and teeth.
• Potassium as a regulator of the cardiac rhythm
• Silicon as a protector of joints.
• Amino acids
• Mucilages

Succeed in your detox with birch sap

For an optimal effect, taking birch sap should be done as a cure of 21 days at 250ml pure per day. This can be diluted with a little water if you are uncomfortable with its characteristic taste. Some purists recommend that this cure be carried out three times with a one-week window without taking anything in between in cases of arthritic terrain.

Beware! Do not confuse birch sap and birch juice! The latter being an extraction of dry leaves, the properties are not the same.

How to get it

You can find them for sale inorganic stores in the fresh section.

Ideally, in an eco-responsible approach, try as best you can to favor short circuits by going to small local producers who work artisanally while having some respect for the tree. This last detail is in my opinion important from an ethical point of view because wanting to take care of yourself naturally is also being aware of your environment in order to protect it. The tree offers us its sap, it deserves respect!

Moreover, it is quite possible to collect yourself "birch water" at home or in the forest, just before the buds open during a rising moon. The technique accessible to all consists of drilling a small hole in the bark and inserting a small conduit . Once the harvest is done, simply fill in the hole with a small piece of branch taken directly from the tree and whose diameter is barely larger than the hole.

Birch sap is aliving water, it can only be stored for a short time at the risk of fermenting.

To conclude, combined with a proper lifestyle, birch sap proves to be a perfect ally for your spring detox while regenerating you. To go further, I would add that this sap, this "water of life" that rises from the bowels of the Earth, invites us to put our bodies in harmony with nature and its cycles.