Herb library · Herb · Betula pendula, Betula pubescens
Birch leaf
The leaves of two European birch trees, taken as a tea to make more urine and flush the urinary tract. European regulators accept it on the strength of long use; the few studies in people are too small to show whether it works.
Traditional use
Birch has a long history in northern Europe. The leaves were infused for rheumatism, gout, skin complaints and fluid retention, and the sap was drunk. Today birch leaf is sold as a tea and in extracts to increase urine flow as an add-on for minor urinary complaints.
What studies show
- Insufficient
Minor urinary complaints: EMA found only a few clinical studies, including a pilot trial of 15 people with bladder infections who drank birch leaf tea or a placebo tea, and an observational study of 1,066 patients without a comparison group. It judged the data not sufficient to show that birch leaf works; its approval rests on long-standing use.
- Insufficient
Early studies in a few healthy adults did not show that birch leaf tea raised urine output more than plain water.
Be careful of
Cautions
- AllergyDo not use it if you are allergic to birch or to birch pollen. In skin tests, birch leaf and sap caused reactions in some people allergic to birch pollen.
- ConditionDo not use it when you have been told to limit fluids, for example with severe heart or kidney disease. It only works with plenty of fluid.
- ConditionIf you have a fever, pain or burning on urination, cramps or blood in the urine, see a doctor. Not recommended for children under 12 (lack of data).
- NoteReported side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and allergic reactions such as itching, rash, hives and a runny nose.
- PregnancySafety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established, and EMA does not recommend it then.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“An infusion of the leaves has been employed in rheumatism, skin diseases, gout, and dropsy, while for the rheumatic a bed of fresh leaves is prepared, and is said to occasion profuse diaphoresis.”
Sources
- European Union herbal monograph on Betula pendula Roth and/or Betula pubescens Ehrh., folium (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
- Assessment report on Betula pendula Roth and/or Betula pubescens Ehrh., folium (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.