Birch water/sap/juice?

[UkrainianTracksuit]

I drank birch juice as a kid. It was common but at the time I didn't have to worry about interactions with medications.

Flash forward to the last few years, it has become one of the new superfoods for its vitamins and minerals. I didn't think much about it because I didn't see it in the stores around here. Today, doing the shopping rounds, I saw some in the natural beverage section and nostalgia swept over me. I really wanted to buy some for myself but concluded that it was a natural health product and I didn't know if it had any interactions with mycophenolate sodium and/or tacrolimus. In the end, I bought a cartoon for the husband.

I know for a fact that my tx team won't know what I'm talking about. I googled in Russian to see if any information about birch juice and transplant popped up. Nope. So, I guess, I won't be touching it, right? Unless someone here knows?

The funny thing is that it is generally believed to be a product that "prolongs" kidney function by the reduction of inflammation and aiding with kidney stones. Obviously, I know it's all voodoo but a lot of kidney info comes up, just not what I need to know.

Anyone else eat or drink stuff from trees (besides maple syrup and fruit)?

[MooseMom]

You are absolutely correct in not taking any over the counter substance without further investigation.

You're probably right in assuming your tx team wouldn't know anything about birch juice, but your local pharmacist might, or maybe your transplant pharmacist?  Maybe ask him/her?

[kristina]

I drank birch juice as a kid. It was common but at the time I didn't have to worry about interactions with medications.

Flash forward to the last few years, it has become one of the new superfoods for its vitamins and minerals. I didn't think much about it because I didn't see it in the stores around here. Today, doing the shopping rounds, I saw some in the natural beverage section and nostalgia swept over me. I really wanted to buy some for myself but concluded that it was a natural health product and I didn't know if it had any interactions with mycophenolate sodium and/or tacrolimus. In the end, I bought a cartoon for the husband.

I know for a fact that my tx team won't know what I'm talking about. I googled in Russian to see if any information about birch juice and transplant popped up. Nope. So, I guess, I won't be touching it, right? Unless someone here knows?

The funny thing is that it is generally believed to be a product that "prolongs" kidney function by the reduction of inflammation and aiding with kidney stones. Obviously, I know it's all voodoo but a lot of kidney info comes up, just not what I need to know.

Anyone else eat or drink stuff from trees (besides maple syrup and fruit)?

Hello Ut,
I am very sorry to mention this, but these days some "nostalgic temptation" could easily go wrong.

During "our" childhood we still could trust and eat bought food which appeared very trustworthy and gave us no problems whatsoever.
But during the following years unfortunately much seems to have changed in terms of chemistry being used, even in "natural food/beverages" etc

Take for example Krimskoye, a wonderful tasting nostalgic beverage from "the old days" for very, very special occasions ...  but ... when ...  years later ...  I was offered a wonderful handcrafted Champagne glass with some Krimskoye, the taste appeared not to be the same any more and the mild sweetness was gone as well and I have not even looked at it ever since.

The same goes for many other childhood-youth-specialities and these days of too much chemistry being used in bought food etc. I feel, that in order to properly look after my health, I really have to ignore nostalgic feelings about former childhood-youth-tasting-festivities...

Sad but true...
Take great care and good luck in 2021 from Kristina.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Thanks MooseMom and kristina for your thoughts.

I'll ask the pharmacist I deal with if they have any insight. Might have to hunt one down (a real, licensed one that is..haha) that works in the ethnic community too. Oddly enough, I do not have a transplant pharmacist. Well, obviously the program has one, but I've never been given a contact.

As for the Krimskoye, I've only heard negative things in recent times, so what you say makes sense, kristina. When I asked around (about birch juice) on a cultural community, many said the birch juice sold in stores is pasteurized (good for us!) but has additives (not so good) so it isn't the same sensation of drinking it straight from the tree.

Oh well, I will see if there is any further advice from pharmacists. If not, it is not the end of the world to not drink tree water now, is it?

There's still boring old birch soap and if I sulk enough over the juice, maybe some Cuir de Russie perfume in my future.