Mercola 12/26/2023
Story at-a-glance • Willow bark is perhaps most widely known as aspirin’s forerunner, but it appears to have powerful antiviral effects as well
• Willow bark extract has broad-spectrum, antiviral effects against coronaviruses and enteroviruses
• Willow bark is effective against both enveloped and nonenveloped viruses, causing the viruses to cluster together rather than spread apart
• In a study, willow bark broke down the enveloped coronaviruses, while the nonenveloped enteroviruses were “locked down,” meaning their genome wasn’t released and they couldn’t reproduce
• Willow bark extract is often used as a remedy for pain and inflammation, including that related to low back pain, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, bursitis and headaches
Willow bark is perhaps most widely known as aspirin’s forerunner, but it appears to have powerful antiviral effects1 as well. Willow bark contains salicylates, including salicylic acid — the acetylated form of which is now the active ingredient in aspirin — and its derivative salicin. But willow bark deserves accolades even apart from this contribution.
Used for medicinal purposes for more than 3,500 years,2 willow bark was revered in ancient Egypt, South America, Greece and China. Hippocrates used willow bark for pain and inflammation in the 4th century B.C., while the ancient Egyptians relied on willow bark as a painkiller and antipyretic, or fever reducer.
1763 marked the year the first clinical study involving willow bark was performed, which confirmed its effectiveness as an antipyretic. To this day, much of the research surrounding this natural compound centers on its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, but willow bark’s antiviral effects are receiving increasing attention.
Willow Bark Extract Inhibits VirusesResearchers in Finland set out to investigate the antiviral properties of willow (Salix spp.) bark extract against coronaviruses and enteroviruses. Broad-spectrum antiviral effects were noted, with the team revealing willow bark is effective against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Further, it stopped the viruses in different ways.
When viewing viruses treated with willow bark extract under a microscope, the viruses clustered together rather than spreading apart. Willow bark then worked to break down the enveloped coronaviruses, while the non-enveloped enteroviruses were “locked down,” meaning their genome wasn’t released and they couldn’t reproduce.3
Speaking with Phys.org, study author Varpu Marjomäki with the University of Jyväskylä explained, “The extracts acted through distinct mechanisms against different viruses. But the extracts were equally effective in inhibiting the enveloped as well as nonenveloped viruses."
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What Else Is Willow Bark Good For?Willow bark extract is often used as a remedy for pain and inflammation, including that related to low back pain, osteoarthritis, tendinitis, bursitis and headaches. One meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found willow bark was more effective than placebo in relieving pain and improving physical status in people with arthritis. The willow bark was also safe, as no differences in adverse events were found.6
White willow bark (Salix alba) may also work better than placebo for short-term pain relief in people with low back pain.7 Further, willow bark at a daily dose of 240 milligrams reduced pain as well as a daily dose of the now-banned nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Vioxx.8
Willow bark is also known to down regulate inflammatory factors, is useful for sports performance, and often is added to weight loss products.9 Material derived from willow bark also has antibacterial and antibiofilm properties, making it potentially useful for treatment of infected chronic wounds.
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Could Aspirin Fight COVID?Aspirin is derived from willow bark compounds, so it stands to reason that it, too, may offer benefits against infection. According to Thrombosis Research:13
“The therapy of rheumatism began thousands of years ago with the use of decoctions or extracts of herbs or plants such as willow bark or leaves, most of which turned out to contain salicylates. Following the advent of synthetic salicylate, Felix Hoffman, working at the Bayer company in Germany, made the acetylated form of salicylic acid in 1897. This drug was named "Aspirin" and became the most widely used medicine of all time.”
Aspirin is a staple medicine that is frequently recommended as a remedy to control inflammation and prevent blood clots. There’s also evidence it could have helped limit the COVID-19 pandemic death toll, had it not been downplayed and ignored.
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Was Aspirin the Target of a Discrediting Campaign?While I cannot prove it, I suspect aspirin has been (and still is) the target of a discrediting campaign because it competes with newer, far more expensive blood thinners and pain relievers.
For decades, a daily regimen of low-dose so-called "baby aspirin" (81 milligrams), was recommended to prevent and treat heart attack, stroke and angina (chest pain) in those 50 and older. Pharma started attacking aspirin in the 1970s when NSAIDs were introduced as patented far more expensive, but not more effective, alternatives.
The discrediting campaign increased in 2014, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration started warning against the use of aspirin as a primary preventive for these conditions in those with no history of cardiovascular disease, due to potential side effects and the lack of data to support its use.
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