What Is Birch Water?
Benefits and Downsides
The following are some of the many benefits of drinking birch water:
1) Aids in weight loss.
You will lose fat if you drink birch water regularly. There is no need to count calories or exercise excessively. Just drink it everyday!
It’s like eating a banana, but better because it contains potassium instead of sugar! (You may not want to eat too much though! If you do, then you’ll probably gain weight!)
2) Helps with digestive problems.
Your body needs enzymes to break down food properly. Without them your digestion won’t work well. Drinking birch water helps keep those good bacteria alive so they can help digest foods more effectively.
3) Can reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
It reduces bad LDL cholesterol and increases good HDL cholesterol which lowers your risk of heart disease and strokes!
4) Can lower blood pressure.
Studies have shown that drinking birch water can reduce high blood pressure.
5) Prevents cancer cells from growing in the body.
Studies show that drinking birch water can prevent colon cancer and other types of cancers.
6) Improves your immune system.
Drinking birch water can improve your immunity and fight off infections such as colds, flu, and even pneumonia!
7) Good for your skin.
It can keep your skin looking fresh and young! It helps to slow down the aging process of your skin!
8) Easy to make and store.
It’s easy to make and store it in your fridge. You don’t need expensive equipment or a large space to store it.
9) Detoxifies the liver.
Drinking birch water can help your liver remove toxins from your body. It’s a natural diuretic that helps flush out your system and keep it running smoothly.
10) Flushes out kidney stones. If you suffer from kidney stones, then you need to drink lots of water (but not mineral water). Most of it will just pass through your body, but some of it will help flush out those stones.
11) It’s tasty and refreshing.
Who doesn’t like the taste of apple cider?
If you drink enough of it, it can even take the place of alcoholic drinks!
12) A good source of energy. It provides a good source of energy without the jitters you get from drinking caffeinated beverages. It’s healthier for your body in the long run.
13) Soothes sore throats. Gargling with birch water can soothe a sore throat. It helps get rid of mucus and bacteria that causes those nasty white patches in your mouth (apthous ulcers).
14) Tones your stomach muscle. If you drink it straight from the fridge, it can give your stomach a workout. This is a good way to strengthen that muscle!
15) Eases constipation. The water in it acts as a gentle laxative to get things moving again.
16) It’s free! You can easily collect it yourself anywhere birch trees are growing or buy it very inexpensively at a local farmers market.
Despite its many benefits, there are some common misconceptions and criticisms about drinking this water.
Some people say that “it will make you itch all over” or “it will cause your hair to fall out”. While it’s true that birch water can dry out your skin and scalp, if you just use a little common sense you can prevent this from happening. (Wash your body and hair regularly and moisturize as needed).
This water can actually be good for your skin and hair as it helps remove dirt and oil! Just don’t over do it.
Other people say that drinking it will cause your “insides” to turn black. This is absolutely ridiculous! It’s not even possible for this to happen no matter how much you drink.
Your blood and other fluids are not going to suddenly turn black when exposed to this water. That’s just a silly myth.
Another silly myth is that the water will cause you to see fairies or little green men. While it is true that birch trees are often home to tiny microorganisms(especially mold and mildew), the water itself does not produce hallucinogenic effects. If you drink enough of it, you may experience a mild buzz or get a little giddy, but this is purely due to the diuretic effect (see myth 14).
Drinking too much of it can also lead to dehydration.
Another criticism is that the water will cause you to have bad breath. Due to its natural antibiotic quality, it can kill some of the bacteria that is the cause of bad breath. While this is a good thing, it may also temporarily make your breath smell funny.
Just a few swigs of regular water should take care of the problem.
Some people have the misconception that drinking too much birch water can dehydrate you to the point that you may die of thirst or electrolyte imbalance. This would only be true if you were to drown yourself in the stuff. It’s important to note that excessive of anything is bad for you.
(Excessive water or any other liquid can also lead to water intoxication). It’s best to drink this water in moderation.
The next criticism is about the aftertaste. Most say it has a “cherry-flavored medicine” aftertaste. Though it naturally has a very mild flavor, you may want to add some flavored syrup to disguise this taste.
It’s also important to note that if your stomach gets upset easily, you may experience some indigestion. Since this water is very pure with no filtration or processing at all, there are no additives or preservatives to prevent this from occurring. Once again, a drop or two of flavored syrup can help to prevent this.
It is important to keep in mind that drinking large amounts of this water on a regular basis can lead to excessive drying out of your skin and hair. As with anything, everything in moderation.
Last but not least, it has no effect on vampires at all! So if you were planning on using it to fight off Count Grey, you will be disappointed with the results.
Well, that about covers it. I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Yours Truly,
Bob Jones
Junior Camp Warden
Sources & references used in this article:
Arbor Day Foundation by S Rahman, C Krohn, K Woolworth, K Shehan, N Senior… – 2020 – digitalcommons.unl.edu
Effects of light availability versus hydraulic constraints on stomatal responses within a crown of silver birch by A Sellin, P Kupper – Oecologia, 2005 – Springer
In vivo fluorescence detection of glucose using a single-walled carbon nanotube optical sensor: design, fluorophore properties, advantages, and disadvantages by PW Barone, RS Parker, MS Strano – Analytical chemistry, 2005 – ACS Publications
Synthetic spinel refractory products by DO Mccreight, RE Birch – US Patent 2,805,167, 1957 – Google Patents
A test of normalization methods for marine sediment, including a new post-extraction normalization (PEN) technique by GF Birch – Hydrobiologia, 2003 – Springer
Oceanicity and the ecological disadvantages of warm winters by RMM Crawford – Botanical Journal of Scotland, 1997 – Taylor & Francis
Delivery of green tea catechin and epigallocatechin gallate in liposomes incorporated into low-fat hard cheese by A Rashidinejad, EJ Birch, D Sun-Waterhouse… – Food chemistry, 2014 – Elsevier
Designing electrospun nanofiber mats to promote wound healing–a review by KA Rieger, NP Birch, JD Schiffman – Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2013 – pubs.rsc.org
