Camphor Tree: Natural Remedy or Risky Choice?

The camphor tree is a thousand-year-old tree that begins to produce camphor when it reaches the age of 30. In China, camphor trees are up to two thousand years old.

Camphor Tree Scientific Facts

1. Other names: Laurus camphora L.
2. French: Camphrier.
3. Spanish: Alcanforero.
4. Environment: Native to the Eastern coast of Asia (Japan, China), it is now widely grown both there and in the United States.
5. Description: A tree of the Lauraceae family that grows up to 50 meters high. It has evergreen, coriaceous leaves and small, white flowers.
6. Parts of the plant used medicinally: The essence of its wood.

Healing Properties and Indications

Camphor is a white, crystalline substance obtained after condensing the essential oil distilled from the camphor wood. From a chemical standpoint, it is a ketone of the borneol, an aromatic hydrocarbon with a strong aroma and an excellent, spiced flavor. These are its properties:

1. Cardiac and respiratory stimulant: It stimulates the nervous centers of respiration and heart activity, increasing the frequency and deepness of breath and strengthening the heart (analeptic action). It is used for lung congestion (bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma), fainting, hypotension, arrhythmia, and blackouts.
2. Antiseptic and febrifuge: Very useful for influenza and colds.
3. Anaphrodisiac: Decreases sexual excitement.
4. Antirheumatic and analgesic: Camphor oil or alcohol is used externally in lotions to alleviate rheumatic aches and neuralgia.

How to use Camphor

1. Camphor powder: Up to 0.5g a day, divided into three or four intakes.
2. Lotions and massage oils with camphor oil or alcohol are prepared by dissolving camphor in oil or in alcohol in a proportion of 10% alcohol.

DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is presented solely for educational and informational objectives. Do not rely on the information provided as a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical expert. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any preexisting medical concerns, talk to your doctor before using any herbal or natural medicines.

REFERENCES

1. George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. “Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.” George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Ed. Francesc X. Gelabert. Vols. 1 San Fernando de Henares: Editorial Safeliz, 2000. 217. Print.
2. National Institutes of Health (NIH) – National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): https://nccih.nih.gov/
3. WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-709/camphor
4. Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/
5. PubMed (National Library of Medicine): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/