Magnolia Bark
Other Names: Beaver Tree, Bourgeon Floral de Magnolia, Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis, Flos Magnoliae, Ho-No-Ki, Holly Bay, Hou Po, Indian Bark, Japanese whitebark magnolia, Magnolia biondii, Magnolia denudata, Magnolia emargenata, Magnolia fargesii, Magnolia Flower Bud, Magnolia glauca, Magnolia heptaperta, Magnolia hypoleuca, Magnolia officinalis, Magnolia Rouge, Magnolia salicifolia, Magnolia sargentiana, Magnolia sprengeri, Magnolia wilsonii, Red Bay, Red Magnolia, Swamp Laurel, Swamp Sassafras, Sweet Bay, White Bay, White Laurel, Xin Ye Hua, Xin Yi Hua, 辛夷花
Magnolia is a plant. People use the bark and flower buds to make medicine.
See also : Champaca (Magnolia champaca)
Special Precautions of Magnolia Bark
- Magnolia is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when used short-term. The safety of magnolia use for more than 6 weeks is unknown. In one study, one person experienced heartburn, shaking hands, sexual problems, and thyroid problems . Another person experienced extreme tiredness and headache. But it is not known if these side effects were caused by magnolia or some other factor.
- Not enough is known to rate the safety of magnolia when applied to the skin.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Taking magnolia flower bud by mouth is UNSAFE during pregnancy. There are reports that magnolia can cause the uterus to contract and that might cause a miscarriage.
- Not enough is known about the safety of using magnolia during breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
- Surgery: Magnolia can slow down the central nervous system. There is a concern that it might slow down the nervous system too much when combined with anesthesia and other medications used during and after surgery. Stop using magnolia at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
- Alcohol interacts with Magnolia.
- Sedative medications interacts with Magnolia.
The benefits of Magnolia bark are
Magnolia bark has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine to promote physical health and treat a range of ailments. Its medicinal benefits include relief of menstrual cramps, abdominal distress, nausea, gas and indigestion. The Chinese also use magnolia bark for treating coughs and asthma. Modern medical researchers have discovered many other benefits associated with magnolia bark. The active compounds found in the bark, honokiol and magnolol, are reported to have up to 1,000 times more antioxidant potency than Vitamin E. These chemicals have been proven to have anti-stress properties and a balancing effect on cortisol levels.
- Weight loss. So far, there isn’t much evidence that magnolia causes weight loss. There is some research showing that overweight women who take a specific product containing a combination of extracts of magnolia plus phellodendron (Relora, Next Pharmaceuticals) don’t gain as much weight as other women. They seem to eat fewer calories, possibly because the magnolia reduces their stress-related eating. However, there is no reliable evidence that taking this product actually causes weight loss. Some other weight loss products include magnolia bark with claims that it reduces cortisol levels. However, there is no evidence that magnolia bark causes weight loss or reduces cortisol levels. In fact, it appears to increase levels of corticosterone, a chemical similar to cortisol.
- Anxiety : Magnolia bark shows promise for anxiety relief, according to a 1999 study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. In tests on mice, scientists determined that honokiol extracted from magnolia bark may help reduce anxiety without triggering the side effects associated with diazepam (a drug commonly used in the treatment of anxiety disorders).
- Depression : Preliminary research suggests that magnolia bark may aid in treatment of depression. In a 2009 study published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, for instance, tests on mice found that a combination of magnolia bark extract and essential oil of ginger produced anti-depressant effects by moderating abnormalities in certain brain chemicals.
- Cancer Prevention: The bark of magnolia trees can be peeled from the tree, boiled, rolled, steamed, and allowed to dry into an herbal supplement or tincture. This bark-derived herb has been linked to preventing certain types of cancer, particularly prostate cancer. One of the active compounds in magnolia, magnolol, is able to prevent the spread or increase of prostate cancer cells. Although research is in its early stages, many experts believe that magnolia bark extracts can also exert beneficial effects in terms of preventing/treating leukemia and colon cancer. The compound honokiol has been shown in several studies to shrink tumors or prevent them from growing to begin with. One of the studies, conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, proved that honokiol is effective in treating head and neck cancers. Honokiol has the ability to block a protein that is associated with the growth of head and neck tumors. The protein, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), has been found to be present in overabundance in almost all cases of head and neck cancer.
- Fermented magnolia flower petal extract has also shown promise as a natural antioxidant and anti-cancer agent.
- Obesity.
- Digestion problems.
- Inflammation.
- Halitosis : Magnolia bark extract contains chemicals that kill bacteria that cause bad breath (halitosis), a new study shows. Those compounds are called magnolol and honokiol.
- Nasal congestion.
- Runny nose.
- Common cold.
- Headache.
- Facial dark spots.
- Toothaches : apply magnolia flower bud directly to the gums for toothaches.
- Menopausal Symptoms : Magnolia bark may help ease the symptoms associated with menopause. Study results revealed that the supplement containing magnolia bark was more effective than the combination of calcium and vitamin D in relieving hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability, vagina dryness, and loss of libido. But it's not yet known whether magnolia bark on its own might have a significant benefit in relieving symptoms associated with menopause.
