Basic data about thuja trees
Origin of thuja trees: cool North "America" and cool Asia
Thuja trees are originally from North "America" (2
species) and from East Asia (3 species). It is a cypress
species, colloquially called "tree of life." [web01]
There are 2 species in North "America":
-- the Occidental Tree of Life (Thuja occidentalis L.) in
Canada and in the northern to central states of the "USA"
[web01]
-- the Giant Tree of Life (Thuja plicata Donn ex D.Don,
Thuja gigantea Nutt.) in western Canada and in the
northwest of the "USA" including California [web01]
and in Asia 3 species:
-- the Korean tree of life in North Korea (Thuja
koraiensis Nakai, Thuja odorata Doi) in North Korea and
adjacent North China (Jilin, Changbai Shan) [web01]
-- the Japanese tree of life on the Japanese islands of
Honshu and Shikoku (Thuja standishii (Gordon) Carriére,
Thuja japonica Maxim, Thuja gigantea var. japonica
(Maxim.) Franch. & Savatier, Thujopsis standishii
Gordon) [web01]
-- the Sichuan tree of life (Thuja sutchuenensis Franch.)
in Sichuan (central China) [web01].
The thuja tree is said to have once saved the lives of
French sailors, hence the nickname "tree of life" was
created [web03]. With an overdose, however, Thuja is
exactly the opposite: deadly [web03].
Large thuja trees [3] - thuja nursery [6].
When the twigs ("scale-like leaves") are rubbed, these
rubbed leaves are said to have a peculiar fragrance.
-- Korean Tree of Life (Thuja koraiensis Nakai) in North
Korea: has an odor of almond cake.
-- Japanese tree of life (Thujopsis standishii): has an
odor of lemon candy
-- Occidental tree of life (Thuja occidentalis L.) in
Canada and up to middle "USA": has an odor of apple puree
with cloves
-- Giant tree of life (western Canada+northwestern "USA"
including California): has an odor of pineapple [web01].
The ingredients of North "American" Thuja
Dr. phil. Utz Anhalt (translation):
"In the categories of medicinal plant encyclopedias,
arborvitae is considered an essential oil drug:
essential oils are present at 0.4 to four percent,
especially the toxic thujone in the forms a-thujone and
ß-thujone, also a-terpinene, sabinene, limonene,
camphor, borneol, and fenchone. Also present in trace
amounts are carvotanacetone, origanene, origanol,
terpinolene, thujyl alcohol, a- and y-thujaplicin.
In addition, there are the lignan plicic acid, the
sesquiterpenes occidentalol, occidol (in the wood parts
of the tree), the flavonoids procyanidin-B3,
prodelphinidin 2, the bioflavonoids amentoflavone and
bilobetin. In tannins Thuja contains catechin and
gallocatechin, in glycosides occidenside, umbelliferone
and p-coumaric acid.
Furthermore, the tree of life offers water-soluble
polysaccharides (4.1 percent in the fresh branch tips),
especially pentoses and glycoproteins; in addition, in
the twig tips 2.1 percent water-soluble minerals, 1.7
percent free acids and 1.3 percent tannins. Thuja has a
high content of vitamin C." [web03]
Use of thuja as timber and as jewelry
Use of thuja trees: The wood of thuja trees "white
cedar" and "red cedar"
-- the wood of thuja trees is light, the heartwood is
red-brown, durable, valuable
-- the occidental tree of life (Thuja occidentalis)
provides wood under the name "white cedar" and the giant
tree of life (Thuja plicata) "red cedar
-- some people have allergies from the wood of the tree
of life
-- shingles made of tree of life (red cedar, white
cedar) are more durable than those made of larch wood
[web01]
Use of thuja trees: hedges
Mainly the occidental tree of life (Thuja occidentalis)
is used for hedges [web01]
Thuja hedge [4]
-- the essential oil from twigs and cones is used [web01]
-- the ingredient thujone is irritant, can cause skin
irritation, taken in large quantities it has a suicidal
effect; if thuja hedge trimmings are fed to livestock, the
animals die [web01]
Thuja twigs and the oil from thuja twigs are used in
natural medicine [web02].
Thuja oil 01 [7] - Thuja oil 02 [8]
The thuja oil acts directly on the skin
-- against joint pain [web02,web03]
-- against ostearthritis [web02]
-- against muscle pain [web02,web03]
-- against headache [web03]
-- against nerve pain ("neuralgic pain") [web03]
-- against stiff muscles [web03]
-- against skin diseases [web02], bacterial skin
infections such as herpes simplex, warts [web03]
-- against warts [web02]
-- against cancer [web02]
-- against rheumatism, gout, chronic pain [web03,web03]
-- and the scent repels insects [web02], and there is an
effect of a natural insecticide (translation): "Thuja oil
also has a toxic effect on insects and can be used to kill
or repel insects." [web03]
Thuja in mixtures against cold
-- strengthening of the immune system
-- Thuja is a component of combined preparations with
echinacea against respiratory diseases and colds [web03].
Dr. phil. Utz Anhalt (translation):
"Numerous studies, both in vitro and in vivo, now show
that Thuja stimulates and strengthens the immune system
and is also effective against viruses. The antiviral
potential has effects mainly through the macrophages and
monocytes. Thuja activates macrophages, this is shown by
increasing cytokine secretion, stimulating NO2 production
and activating CD-4 positive T cells.
In vivo experiments in mice [
Link
(english)] showed that Thuja polysaccharides
caused colony-forming granulocytes and macrophages to
increase, as did spleen cells, while hematopoietic
progenitor cells regenerated." [web03]
Diluted thuja extract against cancer
Thuja extract (research seminars of Rainer
Taufertshöfer) [9]
-- a study from South "America" from 2016 and a study from
India from 2018 confirmed an anti-cancer effect of Thuja
[web04].
Rainer Taufertshöfer quote: "Study from India, from 2018
[...] and the Indian results confirmed the South American
ones from 2016, namely the anti-angiogenic influence of
Thuja on tumors and moreover a suppressed growth on cancer
cells, here [in the 2018 study from India] those of the
human lung cancer cell line (A549) (Breeta et al., 2018)."
[web04, pdf p.4]
-- The mode of action of Thuja against cancer.
Rainer Taufertshöfer quote: "The fractions of α- and
β-thujones have a pro-apoptotic effect (i.e., stimulation
of the intracellular underlying program of premature cell
death [self-destruction] of tumor cells) and an
anti-angiogenic influence (angiogenesis [i.e., formation
of new capillary blood vessels]), which may counteract
cancer metastasis." [web04, pdf p.3]
-- the dosage of Thuja against cancer:
Rainer Taufertshöfer quote: "Dosages of 2.4 mg/ml to 0.3
mg/ml of Thuja extract showed significant growth
suppression of lung tumor cells and significant inhibition
of angiogenesis in the aforementioned 2018 Indian study
(Breeta et al., 2018). [web04, pdf p.5] A control group
received 0.15 mg/ml, which showed no effect due to the
dosage being too low." [web04, pdf p.6]
-- the Indian study thinks the potential of Thuja against
cancer is gigantic:
Rainer Taufertshöfer quote: "Overall, it is postulated by
the Indian research team that the plant leaf extract of
Thuja orientalis has even better anti-cancer properties
than those validated in their stu-die (Breeta et al.,
2018)." [web04, pdf p.5]
Thuja homeopathic: against ulcers, rashes, shingles,
lichens, infections, herpes, externally against warts,
greasy hair, smell of sweat
Dr. phil. Utz Anhalt:
"Homeopathy uses Thuja in extremely diluted solutions
against inflammations: Against skin diseases such as
ulcers, rashes, shingles or lichens, as well as against
infections of the respiratory and urinary tracts, also
against herpes in the genital area. "Thuja externally" is
used in homeopathy to treat warts. In homeopathy,
extremely diluted Thuja extracts are also said to help
against greasy hair and sweat odor." [web03]
Thuja overdose
Overdose of thuja oil provokes poisoning, can be fatal
Dr. phil. Utz Anhalt (translation):
"Toxic effect of thujone: convulsions and in the long run
damage to the liver and kidneys. An overdose leads to
nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and
gastrointestinal catarrh, headaches, nervousness and
chronic cramps. A large overdose can lead to death."
[web03]
Making thuja tea yourself is unsafe - better buy
extracts with controlled active ingredients
Dr. phil. Utz Anhalt (translation):
"Symptoms can also occur if you drink tea from fresh twig
tips in larger quantities - an exact indication for a safe
amount of such tea is hardly possible, because the thujone
content in the twig tips can vary very hard. Therefore,
you should not use thuja internally in an uncontrolled
manner and, in the case of liquid extracts from the
leaves, you should definitely use controlled medical
preparations that contain the active ingredients. A dose
of 1.25 milligrams of thujone per kilogram of body weight
is considered safe. In medical preparations containing
thuja that are used for respiratory illnesses, the thujone
content is so low that there is no danger." [web03]
Overdose sun and warmth for the thuja -
then turns brown and dies
Thuja with sunstroke turns brown and dies [5]
