What Are the Benefits of Magnolia Bark?

Magnolia bark is used as an herbal supplement. It has a particularly long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine where it is known as hou po. It is harvested from the Magnolia officinalis, which is native to and cultivated in China. The Magnolia officinalis can grow to a height in excess of 60 feet.

Weight Control

• Magnolia bark can be used as a weight control supplement in certain circumstances. When a person is under stress, it sets in motion a hormonal chain reaction that results in a rise in cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that exerts effects on a number of body functions. An article originally published in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, Cortisol Connection: Tips on Managing Stress and Weight, discusses how, in a long term stress situation, cortisol can contribute to weight gain. Magnolia bark can be used for an anxiolytic (anxiety relieving) purpose. The reduction in stress would, theoretically, reduce cortisol and contribute to weight loss.

Alzheimer's Disease

• Alzheimer's is a degenerative disorder that affects the proper function of the brain. It causes a variety of problems including dementia, loss of motor control, and eventually death. There a possible connection between Alzheimer's and insufficient production of acetylcholine in the brain. A study performed at the China Medical College in Taiwan, Honokiol and magnolol increased hippocampal acetylcholine release in freely-moving rats, indicates that Honokiol and magnolol (found in magnolia bark) can exert an increase in acetylcholine. This could indicate that magnolia bark may be helpful for Alzheimer's sufferers.

Antioxidant

• Magnolia bark may also serve an antioxidant effect. Antioxidants are used to offset free radicals. Free radicals are molecules in the body that are missing an electron. They will steal electrons from other molecules and process resets which can lead to cellular damage. Antioxidants are molecules that can afford to lose an electron without becoming a free radical, effectively short-circuiting the process.

Leukemia

• Broadly defined, cancer is a type of condition in which there is abnormal cellular growth that damages or destroys tissue and may spread. A study performed at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, The natural product honokiol induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells, indicates that honokiol may be useful in treating lymphocytic leukemia. It does this by encouraging apoptosis, which is the technical term for programmed cell death.

Other benefits

• Magnolia bark and its components, honokiol and magnolol, offer an array of benefits. In addition to a potential leukemia treatment, there is evidence to suggest that honkiol heightens the effectiveness of other cancer treatments. Magnolia bark is also reputed to have anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. It has also been used to treat asthma and to minimize allergic reactions. It is also used to alleviate a number of digestive issues, including diarrhea and gastroenteritis.