Home :: Bayberry :: Herbs

Bayberry Herb - Uses And Side Effects

Medicinal extracts of bayberry usually are obtained from the dried root bark of Myrica cerifera, a shrub native to Texas and the eastern United States. Bayberry is best known for its small, bluish-white berries. Wax extracted from the berries Is used in fragrances and candles.

Common doses of Bayberry

Bayberry comes as:

• capsules (450 and 475 milligram)
• liquid
• tea
• extract

Experts disagree on what dose to take. Most suggest consuming bayberry as a tea.

Why people use Bayberry herb

• As a stimulant
• Diarrhea
• Jaundice
• To include vomiting
• Wound healing

Side effects of Bayberry

Contact your health care practitioner if you experience any of these possible side effects of bayberry.

• nasal allergy symptoms.
• stomach discomfort.
• other allergic reactions.
• vomiting.

Interactions

Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Tell your health care practitioner about any prescription or nonprescription drugs you're taking.

Important points to remember

• Don't use bayberry if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
• Avoid eating parts of the bayberry plant. Its high tannin content may cause stomach irritation and liver damage.
• Be aware that this herb may cause weight gain, high blood pressure, water retention, and body salt imbalances.
• Report allergic reactions to your health care practitioner.

What the research shows

Little evidence supports medicinal claims for bayberry. Its high tannin content (which can lead to stomach distress and liver damage) rules out oral use. Allergic reactions to the pollen extract further limit bayberry's medicinal value.

Other names for Bayberry: -

Other names for Bayberry include candleberry, myrica, southern wax myrtle, spicebush, sweet oak, tallow shrub, vegetable tallow, waxberry and wax myrtle plant.

Browse the information on popular medicinal herbs and healing herbs.