How To Make Your Own “Natural Aspirin”

How To Make Your Own “Natural Aspirin”. Photo – Wikipedia – lic. under CC 3.0, Pixabay (PD)

Long before modern medicine brought us affordable and quick reliefs for common aches, nature provided us with all the remedies we needed.

The North American Natives (and many other peoples from the old days) knew a huge amount about this and how to obtain medicine from natural sources – and many herbalists will claim that they are at least as effective as to today’s treatments. Now you might think this sounds like a folk tale but the more you study herbalism, the more you realize how deeply true may actually be.

Survival is about keeping your family protected, well nourished and most of all healthy. During a major crisis, you will find out that many of the most common medicinal products will not be available. You could find yourself face to face with a serious disease or just a regular headache and have no means to cure them because pharmacies and medication will no longer be reachable.

In this article, I will show you a simple method to obtain a natural form of one of the most used medicines around the world: Aspirin.

Overview

Aspirin was developed in 1870 by the German chemical manufacturer, Bayer. The rapid growth of this controversial pharmaceutical company led to a globalization of this medicine, and today it is easily found everywhere.

We are used to take small tablets of aspirin every time we have a headache, a toothache or even a muscle contracture. It is a reliable source of pain relief that we take for granted.

However, what’s interesting is that Bayer took a compound found naturally in willow bark, changed it slightly and then patented the new chemical. The basis of their research? The fact that willow bark had been a herbal remedy for pain that had been known about since ancient times.

Most people have forgotten about willow bark now – but the day may come when pills will no longer be available, and a simple headache will become a nightmare. To avoid this situation, we must understand what aspirin is and how we can extract it from natural sources.

How To Obtain The Bark

Here is what you have to do in order to obtain natural aspirin, just as effective as the one sold in pharmacies.

1. Find a willow tree. This type of wood is usually found around lakes, marshy areas or rivers. There are many types of willow trees, classified by the color of their leaves or bark. The one type of willow that produces the highest concentration of salicin is the white willow.

2. With a very sharp knife, cut a small portion of the bark. It is important that the cut should be as deep as possible.

3. Take a close look at the interior of the bark. The color should be slightly pink, as this contains the biggest amount of salicin.

4. Place a small pot over medium heat and add one liter of water;

Place the bark pieces into a small tea bag, or a coffee filter; when the water is boiling, place the small tea bags and simmer for 20 minutes; Cut another two or three pieces, of around 2 square inches.

*Note: Do not worry about scarring the tree, as its power of regeneration is extraordinary. In less than eight months, the place where you made the cuts will be replaced by new bark and, therefore, almost impossible to detect.

How To Prepare It

Now that you have acquired the necessary amount of salicin-packed bark, it is time to prepare the tea that will relieve you from your pain.

1. Place the bark pieces into a small tea bag, or a coffee filter

2. Place a small pot over medium heat and add one liter of water;

3. When the water is boiling, place the small tea bags and simmer for 20 minutes;

4. When the color of the tea is a deep red, remove the pot from the heat and let the tea cool down for a few minutes;

5. Place a strainer over a cup and pour the tea. This will keep any possible bark splinters that might have escaped the tea bag, from reaching the cup. Enjoy! You can add a sugar substitute or honey to the tea, to make it tastier. However, you will find that this natural medicine will relieve you from pain every time you drink it. The tea can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature and used later.

Two centuries ago, when confronted with various aches, the Native Americans would go into nature and look for remedies. They considered the willow tree as a mysterious and sacred source of medicine, and up until today, the forest trails that connected them to these cures have been preserved.

It is crucial that you look around the place where you live for willow trees and remember their position. They can also be found in parks or on river alleys. Should you find yourself in a crisis situation, where medicine is very hard to obtain or unavailable, keep this in mind: you will find cures just as good in nature.

Note: This article is not medical advice nor a recommendation to self-diagnose or self-medicate.

See also: 18 Natural Remedies For Headaches