WHITE OAK
(QUERCUS ALBA)
Parts Used: bark and galls
Energy and Flavor: astringent, and bitter taste
Organ Systems Affected: large intestine, lungs
Active ingredients: gallotannic acid, traces of iodine
Properties: astringent, tonic, antiseptic
History and Use:
White Oak is a shrubby tree of the beech family that produce acorns. It can be found all over the Americas, Europe, Asia, as well as Africa. The acorns are commonly eaten as a food by many indigenous people where oak trees naturally grow. The acorns can be roasted, cooked, and grounded into powder as a morning beverage (coffee substitute).
The white oak bark is used by herbalists to treat a variety of diseases such as menstrual problems, varicose veins, sore throat, fevers, and sinus congestion. It has been traditionally used by many herbalists during "small-pox" epidemics as a preventative. The bark is boiled and the body bathed with the liquid. This is an important herb to add to one's diet during the threat of a small-pox attack.
Because of its high nutritional content, acorn porridge is effective in treating wasting diseases including TB. It is also a useful food for AIDS patients. The acorns should be shelled, leached in cool running water and then cooked to a porridge consistency.
White oak bark may be useful for dysentery, diarrhea, gonorrhea, and as an ointment for hemorrhoids, but not yet as popular for its medicinal properties.
Traditional formula:
Simmer one ounce of oak bark in one quart of water down to one pint. Dosage is one wineglassful three times a day. This decoction can be used internally or externally.
Please consider all information in this review to be in the context of giving general information about a condition, substance or remedy.
