Birch sap harvesting begins in March. The ideal time to take a cure is at the change of season, for example before spring, to detoxify the skin, the liver, the kidneys... Tour of the benefits of birch sap, quantity per day, side effects and mode of treatment. employment to use it in cure.

[Updated March 8, 2023 at 2:07 p.m.] The harvesting birch sap starts in mars. This sap can be used in cure, winter and spring For detoxify her foie , if you suffer from gout, water retention ... Practical advice with Victoria Renaud-Foughali, consultant specializing in phytotherapy and director of herbalism Millymenthe .

When to do a birch sap cure?

' Between winter and spring , this is when the sap rises for birch and all large trees in general. Birch sap is harvested, depending on the year, between March 15 and April 15 which explains that you see it everywhere in the shops at this time, replies Victoria Renaud-Foughali. The sap is collected directly from the birches . Producers and craftsmen pierce the bark of the tree, put in a pipe and harvest the sap, making it a raw product.

What are the benefits of birch sap?

Detox . 'The first axis of birch sap is detox, says the specialist. She goes drain the emunctories that are the reins , lungs, liver, blood and skin. And as we are at the change of season, it also cleans the winter toxins. ' Moreover 'birch sap is one of the only detox cures that does not tire you because it is rich in minerals and trace elements. As a result, it stimulates while detoxifying' .

'During a detox cure, we follow a diet rich in vitamins, we avoid too much fat, too much sugar'

Remineralising. Birch sap is rich in minerals, trace elements and vitamins including B vitamins. 'It remineralizes the joints , strengthens and rehydrates the muscles for athletes , convalescing and elderly people.

Drop . 'For people who have cholesterol or gout attacks, it has an anti-inflammatory side and drains the liver and uric acid from the body.'

To lose weight. 'Birch sap serves as 'starter' to weight loss by cleansing the liver of toxins. In herbalism we recommend this liver cleansing to put everything back to zero. Birch sap is very low in calories since it is 99% water. By draining the body, it also has a positive effect on the Water retention and la cellulite.

Skin, hair. 'It can also be used as an external cure, for example as a hair lotion for scalp problems such as stubborn dandruff, healing on atopic, sensitive skin, and in case of acne.'

How do I do a birch sap cure?

Birch sap, also called ' birch water ' is marketed in France in two ways: fresh sap or stabilized sap . One or the other can be cured.

Fresh sap cure . 'The fresh sap is harvested by artisans, stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 3 to 4 weeks maximum', informs Victoria Renaud-Foughali. Its time to market is therefore very short. 'At the beginning the taste of the sap is neutral and the more time passes, the more there is a bio fermentation, the more the taste becomes particular so we advise to add lemon' says our interlocutor. Note however that the more the sap ferments, the more it deploys its active ingredients. So if it doesn't taste good, its benefits are at their peak!

Dose  : make a cure of 3 three weeks (minimum 10 days) by taking between 150 ml and 250 ml on an empty stomach of birch sap before breakfast.

Stabilized birch sap cure , 'This sap is stabilized with lemon juice, plant buds and a little vegetable alcohol to stabilize the fermentation of the sap' explains the specialist. The advantage is that it keeps longer and can be consumed all year round without the need to be refrigerated. 'It has the same virtues as fresh sap with a little less action and active ingredients since the fermentation is no longer the same' emphasizes Victoria Renaud-Foughali.

Dose: make a cure of 3 three weeks (minimum 10 days) by pouring 3 corks in a liter of water that we drink throughout the day.

How long does a birch sap cure last?

Our contact person recommends doing a birch sap cure for a maximum of 3 weeks (and for at least 10 days).

What are the contraindications of a birch sap cure?

► 'We have to pay attention to people allergic to salicylates , warns Victoria Renaud-Foughali. Birch is a fairly allergenic tree. Its active ingredient can cause respiratory and skin allergies. Generally, people allergic to birch know this and should therefore avoid drinking its sap.

► 'If you take large specific treatments or suffer from significant renal pathologies, birch sap is avoided because it is a strong drainer which cleanses and which can potentially remove the active ingredients of drugs and overwork the kidneys.' This is the case, for example, for people undergoing chemotherapy. 'They can take birch sap afterwards to clean and drain the emunctories, but while we avoid or seek medical advice first.'

► Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not drain so do not take birch sap. Even more if it is pasteurized which contains a little alcohol. Finally, birch sap cures are not recommended in children.

How to choose the right birch sap?

In France, birch sap is available in organic stores, herbalists and some small local farms. 'You have to choose organic sap and make sure it comes from France, recommends our interlocutor. Some come from Asian countries where birch treatment standards are not the same, it would be a shame to do a cure with treated sap.'

What is the price of birch sap?

It is necessary to count about 40 euros for 3 liters of birch sap fresh and around 30 euros for 500 ml in its stabilized form. This allows for a cure of three weeks.

Source journaldesfemmes.fr