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We all know the slender trunks covered by the white bark of the birch trees, one of the less demanding trees in terms of living conditions.
But we can hardly presume that, once spring comes, the "veins" of these trees overflows with one of the rarest and most valuable remedies of the season: the "birch sap".
The sap is harvested only in the spring, from the trunk of the birch tree. It is a very clear, colorless, slightly sweet fluid that tastes very nice.
Birch tree sap contains few natural sugars (more precisely, xylitol) which are not fattening, but also valuable protein, vitamins, minerals and healthy enzymes.
How does birch sap appear?
During the warm seasons, especially in summer, using water and carbon dioxide and with the help of sunlight and complex processes of photosynthesis, the birch produces various sugars and other nutritious substances for the tree. When autumn arrives, the tree starts to store these nutritious reserves preparing itself for rebirth during the next spring. When spring arrives and the nature gradually comes to life, the tree starts to absorb from the soil the water and the mineral substances with a nutritional role, while simultaneously moving the previously stored sugars. When these components in a fluid state come to accumulate and form sap, it starts to climb with force from roots to crown and it reawakens the entire tree. The sap accumulates, through complex processes, a number of nutrients essential for the life of the tree, at the same time having remarkable therapeutic effects.
Composition of birch sap
The main compounds of the sap are glucose and fructose, terpene derivatives, vitamin C and a number of valuable minerals: calcium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, potassium, manganese, zinc, sodium, and iron. The sap also contains: organic acids, essential oils, volatile oils, tannins, saponins, vitamins and biologically active substances.
Beyond these minerals and nutrients found in the sap through various laboratory tests we can notice an additional factor: life energy. In the case of the birch tree, it is about the existence of special form of bioenergy, which makes the sap to be a "living water", endowed with the ability to change the energy state of our body. As with other trees, birches are true "plant" of biological energy, their sap is strongly impregnated with the ascending force of the tree. Therefore, after the sap treatment, our being can feel a real reawakened power of regeneration and ascension, both physically and inwardly through the reactivation of the mental and soul powers.
Benefits of the birch sap
Birch Sap is recommended to those who frequently consume industrially manufactured foods and whose liver is tired or slow, people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol, who smoke, those who have high cholesterol, are going through a period of stress, have low immunity, or take more drugs.
Currently, birch sap is used worldwide and is considered to be a highly effective detoxification agent, which covers two key-organs:
- Liver: it captures and neutralizes toxic waste;
- Kidneys: they eliminate and filter waste through the urinary tract.
There are very few herbal ingredients that are capable of attacking the two major systems of the body used for cleaning and purification, at the same time.
The Birch sap has therapeutic properties as it contains all the best of the birch tree, and it can be used as adjuvant in: liver diseases, the entire range of kidney diseases, including calculus, cardiorenal edema, arthritis, rheumatism, gout, diabetes (especially as prevention), respiratory diseases, hypercholesterolemia, dermatosis, capillary tonic.
Birch sap is a very good physical and mental tonic. Because it has very few calories but many nutritional properties, Birch sap is ideal for diets that otherwise may deplete the body of essential vitamins and minerals.
- Birch sap is also effective in strengthening children, athletes and people who want to immunize and vitaminize the body.
- Birch sap restore cells, tissues and regenerates the skin. When used on the face it rejuvenates the skin, it reduce wrinkles and it removes the spots.
- Birch sap is taken in pure state, in the course of at least 2-3 weeks, 0.5-1.0 liters per day.
Because of the sugar content (0.6 to 1.1%) and of the 5.0 to 6.5 pH, the conditions for the production of mold and yeast being fulfilled, birch sap can be stored in the refrigerator.
If it is not consumed immediately, the fresh sap can be stored a few days in the refrigerator in sealed bottles. Conservation for longer periods of time can be made by pasteurization (at 82°C) or by freezing.
Harvesting: From the first signs of spring, even before the snow melts completely, the sap starts to accumulate in the trunk. The harvest period can thus begin in March and continue until the appearance of the first small leaves. After that, the sap will lose its therapeutic effects.
By using a drill of 5-10 mm, a 3-5 cm deep hole is made in the trunk of the birch tree at a distance of 50-70 cm from the ground, then a plastic probe (tube) is put with one end into a bottle. From one hole up to 2-6 liters of sap can be collected a day, depending on the weather conditions.
When the harvest period ends, the hole is sealed with a wooden or resin plug.
Harvesting is done from medium-high trees, whose trunk diameter is greater than 20 cm. In each of the scenarios, the sap will be collected using plastic containers or (best) glass, very clean and well-covered during the harvest.