In a world that is focusing more and more on natural treatments and remedies when it comes to healing medical ailments, having a basic understanding on the various herbs and other plants that offer good medicinal value as well as the drawbacks that they offer will go a long way into helping you have a more informed idea of the treatment that you may choose to follow. The bayberry plant is a shrub that is more prominently found along the Atlantic coast and Lake Erie. The shrub is known by a number of other names including Morella Cerifera, Arbre a Cire, Arbol de Cera, Myrica heterophylla , southern Bayberry and Southern Wax Myrt. The primary healing factor in bayberry is the fact that contains chemicals that are widely known as tannins which tends to have a drying effect on the skin. The plant itself also gives of a rather aromatic scent when it is rubbed against. With regards to the useful parts of the bayberry shrub, it is only the bark that is really used for medicinal purposes. The bark has a white colored epidermis that can be peeled off the reddish brown layer that is hidden underneath.
Bayberry benefits and other uses can be surprisingly substantial. Although there is no significant medical evidence to show that it plays an important role in the successful treatment of a number of medical problems such as nausea, sore throat, common colds, skin ulcers and wounds, vaginal discharge and a number of other conditions. However, practicing doctors will attest to the fact that patients have shown positive reactions to the proper administration of the bayberry herb. On closer inspection you are likely to notice that the herb is a regular feature in the mixture of composition powder which is widely used in a number of laboratories all over the world. It is also widely included in the production of antiseptic creams that are used to treat poultices for the application on ulcers and wounds. However, it is also important to point out that there are a number of myths that were attributed to the medicinal benefits of bayberry such as the healing of cancer, fistula and infections of the uterine system that were proven to be rather unfounded.
With regards to the precautions and side effects of the herb, the substance is considered to be rather unsafe when consumed orally. Moreover, you should also avoid trying to mix one herb with another as clinical tests have shown that more often than not, there is always a chance that the mixture could cause the body to experience some unwanted side effects. The ingestion or use of bayberry in any form when you are either pregnant or breast feeding is strictly off limits as the herb is known to contribute to some extent to the growth of cancer cells in the body. As a result of the high tannin content, the amount of sodium retained by the body is also likely to increase significantly causing the build of extra fluids and, hence, an increase in blood pressure within the body. In the event that you suffer from edema, chances are that the condition will get much worse when you ingest bayberry for the very same reason as the increase in high blood pressure. People that have a problem with water retention on a normal basis should definitely stay away from the use of bayberry. Bayberry will usually come in capsules of 450 and 475 mg quantities, liquids as well as tea extracts. While more experts will disagree somewhat on the dosage that is considered to be safe, the tea is considered to be the best form of consumption of the extract.