CRAMP BARK
Product No. P03435
Also known as Viburnum opulus, High Bush Cranberry, Snowball Bush, Guelder Rose, and Stagbush.
Cramp Bark is native to Europe and Africa, and has been introduced to North America. It grows in a wide range of zones, reaching up to 13 feet in height, and prefers moist soil and lots of sun. Cramp bark is an attractive shrub, blooming with white flowers and red berries. The ripe berries are rich in vitamin C, but are poisonous to humans if uncooked.
Cramp Bark contains viopudial (thought to be responsible for the herb’s ability to relax muscles), hydroquinones, coumarins and tannins. Other known constituents include vitamin K, viburnin, isovalerianic acid, salicin, salicosides, arbutin, sterol, and resin. The parts of the plant used medicinally are the dried root and stem bark.
Cramp bark was used by the Native Americans for its ability to relieve menstrual cramps and muscle spasms - the bark was removed, boiled into a tea and drunk to relieve cramps.
In modern medicine, cramp bark has a reputation as a muscle relaxer that helps to relieve tension and spasms, and it is thought to be one of the best female regulators in the herb world. It is a uterine sedative, aiding in menstrual cramps and afterbirth pains by relaxing the uterus.
Cramp Bark has also been successfully used by millions of women in cases of threatened miscarriage, helping to prevent it, as well as internal haemorrhaging. Its astringent action gives it a role in the treatment of excessive blood loss in periods and bleeding associated with menopause. It is also often used to treat heart palpitations.
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