Bayberry Description – Side Effects and its Dosage
5 June 2007Bayberry – Guidelines for Using Bayberry – Uses and Benefits
Taxonomic Class
Myricaceae
Common Trade Names
Bayberry Bark
Common Forms
Available as capsules (450 mg, 475 mg), extract, liquid, and tea.
Source
Bayberry is native to Texas and the eastern United States. Medicinal extracts are usually obtained from the dried root bark of Myrica cerifera.
Chemical Components
Various portions of the bayberry plant are rich in tannins. Other compounds include the triterpenes myricadiol , taraxerol, and taraxerone and the flavonoid glycoside myricitrin. Gum, starch, and an acrid astringent resin also occur. Bayberry wax contains lauric, myristic, and palmitic acid esters.
Actions
The pharmacokinetics of bayberry are incompletely known. Some data suggest that myricadiol exerts mineralocorticoid activity. Myricitrin may stimulate the secretion of bile. Dried bayberry root is reported to possess antibiotic, antipyretic, and emetic effects . The high tannin content of bayberry bark gives the herb its astringent properties.
Reported Uses
Bayberry in tea preparations is claimed to be useful as an antidiarrheal, an agent for jaundice, an emetic, a gargle for sore throats, a stimulant, and a topical agent to promote wound healing.
Dosage
No consensus exists. Many references suggest consumption as a tea. Liquid extract (1:1 in 45% alcohol): 0.6 to 2 ml P.O. t.i.d.
Adverse Reactions
- EENT: allergic rhinitis.
- GI: gastric irritation, vomiting.
- Hepatic: hepatic damage (may relate to tannin content).
- Other: hypersensitivity reactions .
Interactions
- Antihypertensives: Large doses may cause mineralocorticoid effects (sodium and water retention); hypotensive effects are antagonized. Avoid using together.
Contraindications And Precautions
Avoid ingestion of bayberry plant parts because of the high tannin content; tannins are known to cause GI irritation and hepatic damage. Bayberry is contraindicated in pregnant or breast-feeding patients; effects are unknown.
Special considerations
Monitor the patient for weight gain and hypertension related to sodium and water retention.
Monitor the patient for hypersensitivity reactions.
Bayberry may be carcinogenic; data from studies using rodents are conflicting.
Advise the female patient to avoid using bayberry during pregnancy or when breast-feeding.
Points of Interest
Bayberry is best known for its small, bluish white berries, from which the wax is extracted to make fragrances and candles.
Commentary
Little medical evidence exists to support therapeutic claims for bayberry. Hypersensitivity reactions from the pollen extract may limit its use. Bayberry’s high tannin content precludes oral use because of the potential for gastric distress and hepatic damage.
Tagged under:allergic rhinitis, antipyretic, astringent properties, bayberry wax, breast feeding, gi irritation, hepatic, Herbal Medicines, hypersensitivity reactions, jaundice, tannin content, taxonomic class, tea source topical agent
