A perennial, small to medium-sized coniferous tree: Abies balsamea
In December of 2023, I decided that since it was a good idea to sacrifice a tree for the Solstice, Christmas, and Winter Holiday - I would not be doing so without honoring the tree itself and its medicine. When the celebrations were over, I promptly harvested the needles and began the process of making a tincture.
Now, January 2025, I feel that it’s ready - and I am so grateful to discover that my initial intuition is also backed by both tried & true science and ancient medicinal use!
I learned that in Chippewa, a’ninandak’, balsam fir is both an edible and medicinal tree used for reducing inflammation and improving respiratory function.
In the past, it was even available in drug stores, as the essential oils and terpenes in Abies balsamea (beta-pinene and abietic acid) were known for healing.
These include alpha-pinene and limonene, both of which are powerfully anti-inflammatory, and sesquiterpene, which helps repair cells.
Balsam fir also helps increase gastric mucus, which protects the stomach and fights the h. pylori bacteria - the root cause of many ulcers.
Other compounds in balsam fir are considered antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, because they inhibit fungi, bacteria, and viruses. They were used for fighting sicknesses like the common cold (this being one of the traditional Native American uses for balsam fir), E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
Additionally, abies balsamea is rich in antioxidants, which are terrific for scavenging free radicals. Because of this, balsam fir extracts are being studied as a potential cancer treatment.
This study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society found that the tree compounds “exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines.”
Nature is abundant with the remedies she provides.
If you feel called to try this tincture, feel free to contact me, ok?
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