Oak: medicinal uses, properties and characteristics

oak characteristics

He Oak (quercus robur), sacred tree in Celtic mythologywas revered as lord of the forest and symbol of power. quercus comes from celtic want cook: «elegant tree». Greeks and Romans they venerated it and consecrated it to Zeus and Jupiter.

such is his bonding with forcethat when we say of someone who looks like an oak we allude to his formidable health.

It is a tree of imposing size, wide crown, greyish bark, oval leaves and, blossomedproduces pendulous clusters. The fruits, the acornsThey grow in groups of up to five.

Of the five hundred types of oak that are known in the world, ten are present in Spain, with their corresponding hybridizations. All of them, including holm oaks, gall oaks and kermes oaksshare therapeutic uses.

The one preferred by herbalists is the common oak (Quercus robureither carballo in Galician)which grows in humid forests in the north of the Iberian Peninsula.

Properties and benefits of oak

Herbalists use the galls of the common oak, the bark of young branches and, to a lesser extent, acorns. It is very rich in tannins, and contains flavonoids, pectin and gallic acid.

It comes in the form of dry plant for infusion (galls and leaves) and decoction (galls and root), the powdered or dried bark for decoction and macerate, in liquid extractand the gills powder to apply on wounds or ulcers.

In any of these ways, oak stands out as astringentantihemorrhagic and antidiarrhealand It is indicated in external and internal bleeding -digestive-, nosebleeds, metrorrhagia, abundant menstruation, dysmenorrhea and bleeding hemorrhoids.

It is also a good natural remedy to promote the elimination of skin impurities such as boils, pimples and eczemaas well as to soothe minor scalds and burns from day to day.

Oak is also considered slightly febrifuge and antiseptic.

Medicinal uses of oak

for diarrhea for gastroenterocolitis, food poisoning and water changes: oak decoction, together with loosestrife and agrimony.For urinary incontinence: with relaxing plants like St. John’s wort and passionflower.For urinary inflammations and prevent kidney stones: with diuretic plants such as corn and bearberry.To wash and heal wounds: It can be applied to bleeding wounds, and restores damaged tissue. An oak decoction is prepared, combined with thyme (disinfectant) and yarrow and it is applied by watering the area about three times a day.To relieve hemorrhoids: Oak bark combined with other astringent plants improves bleeding hemorrhoids. This decoction is applied locally by soaking some compresses or in the form of a sitz bath.
How to prepare it: Mix in equal parts oak bark, yarrow, juniper galbules and horse chestnut. Two tablespoons of the mixture are added to two liters of water, boiled for 2 minutes, allowed to settle and applied when the water is more or less at room temperature.

Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist at “El Manantial de Salud”