In tune with nature trail - Rooted in health

Rooted in health

Being surrounded by nature has a huge part to play in wellbeing, but trees provide an even more key part of our health care system.

So much modern medicine is derived from trees, with many traditional remedies still directly containing key compounds from the trees we know and love today.

Here are just a few:

• Willow bark produces salicin, which forms the basis for aspirin
• Pacific yew bark contains taxol, once used to treat breast, lung and ovarian cancer (it is now produced synthetically)
• Chemicals in prickly ash bark has been used as a numbing agent
• Young seeds of the sweetgum contain shikimic acid; used to make Tamiflu for treating Influenza
• Hinoki stem oil could increase anticancer proteins