Some info, but not on application to teeth...

Nothing here regarding teeth whitening, but I will keep looking:

Scientific Name: Black-Walnut
Other Names: Juglans nigra

Uses

Black walnut contains two main types of active chemicals -- juglone and astringents known as tannins. Juglone may have Antibiotic and antifungal effects. Black-Walnut has been used to relieve both constipation and diarrhea due to a normalizing effect that juglone may exert on intestinal tissue. It is thought to have some effectiveness, as well, for eliminating internal parasites such as tapeworms. Astringents shrink and tighten the top layers of skin or mucous membranes, thereby reducing secretions, relieving irritation, and improving tissue firmness. These effects may contribute to the antidiarrheal properties of oral Black-Walnut preparations as well as giving them some usefulness for treating other gastrointestinal complaints such as indigestion. All of these uses are based on case reports; however, none have been verified through clinical studies in humans.

A gargle made from black walnut extract in water may be used to treat mouth sores and sore throat. A similar liquid preparation is sometimes used topically to disinfect injuries and treat skin conditions such as Acne and ringworm. Results from animal studies show that black walnut may have anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is a response to irritation, injury, or infection. It usually includes pain, redness, and swelling in the area of the damage and it can occur within body tissues as well as on the surface of the skin. The juice of black walnut hulls has also been used to treat warts.

When should I be careful taking it?

Individuals with kidney or liver conditions should not take or apply black walnut products because chemicals in them may irritate kidney or liver tissue.

In high doses, black walnut may stimulate strong bowel activity, which may complicate pregnancy or worsen chronic stomach or intestinal conditions. Therefore supplemental black walnut should not be used by pregnant women or individuals with gastrointestinal conditions. Amounts of black walnut that might be part of a normal diet are not thought to present a danger, however.

Precautions

Very little information is available on how black walnut might affect an infant or a small child. Therefore, its use as a supplement is not recommended while breast-feeding or during early childhood.

Major Side Effects

In horses, contact with black walnut can cause a condition call laminitis, which may involve breathing problems, lameness, and swelling of the hooves. Laminitis may be severe enough to require an afflicted horse to be destroyed. No cases of similar adverse events have been reported in humans or other animals.

Although no reports of major human side effects from black walnut are reported in the literature, black walnut contains a high content of chemicals known as tannins. Other oral preparations that contain high levels of tannins have been associated with kidney and liver damage.

Additionally, one observational study found that individuals who regularly used large amounts of an oral tannin-containing product for many years had a higher likelihood of developing tongue and lip cancer than expected. Cancers of the nose and esophagus may also be more likely in individuals who use large amounts of oral products that contain tannins for long periods of time.

Less Severe Side Effects

Although no reliable reports of gastrointestinal irritation have been attributed to taking or applying black walnut, other high-tannin products have caused gastrointestinal irritation in some individuals who took them by mouth.

When applied topically, tannins dehydrate the top layers of the skin, eventually forming a thickened layer of dense tissue similar to a callus. Contact allergies to all parts of the black walnut tree have been reported occasionally. Such allergies may result in itchy rashes. Some individuals may also be allergic to black walnut tree pollen.

What interactions should I watch for?

No interactions between black walnut and drugs or other herbals have been reported. However, the tannin content of oral black walnut products may interfere with the way that prescription drugs such as theophylline, codeine, and oral ephedrine; non-prescription drugs such as pseudoephedrine; and other nutritional supplements are used by the body. If prescription drugs and oral black walnut supplements are taken at the same time, they should be taken at different times of the day.

Some interactions between herbal products and medications can be more severe than others. The best way for you to avoid harmful interactions is to tell your doctor and/or pharmacist what medications you are currently taking, including any over-the-counter products, vitamins, and herbals. For specific information on how black walnut interacts with drugs, other herbals, and foods and the severity of those interactions, please use our Drug Interactions Checker to check for possible interactions.

Should I take it?

Black walnut trees are found in the eastern and central parts of North America. The easily-recognized trees have dark, deeply-ridged bark and foot-long stems of small pointed leaflets that turn a bright yellow in the fall. All parts of the usually long-lived tree have a characteristic smell. The deeply wrinkled nuts of the tree are covered in a smooth thick fruit that surrounds a hard, dark, deeply wrinkled hull that may be difficult to break. Native people and early settlers made good use of nearly all parts of the tree -- using the nuts for food, the nut hulls and bark to make dye, the leaves and inner bark for teas, the dried nut hulls for fuel, and the hard, decorative wood for furniture and boards. In the past, juice made from black walnut hulls has been used as a cosmetic to darken skin. Black walnut still provides a dark coloring agent for hair dyes and long-lasting wood used for rifle stocks.

In addition, black walnut has a long history of medicinal and food uses. Once used as treatment for diphtheria and syphilis, black walnut is currently promoted most for its astringent properties. For use in medicine, the hulls of black walnuts and/or the inner bark of the black walnut tree may be ground into powder and then made into capsules or liquid extract. Inner bark is the softer, spongy, lighter colored layer between the dark brown “outer” bark and the wood of the tree. The nuts – which are 15% to 20% protein -- continue to be used as an ingredient or a flavoring in a number of products including bakery, candy, and ice cream. Although they are high in calories, black walnuts contain essential fatty acids that are known to protect against heart disease. Humans need essential fatty acids to regulate activities that include heart function, insulin utilization, and mood balance. The human body cannot produce essential fatty acids; however, so they must be taken in the diet or as supplements.

Dosage and Administration

Capsules and tablets containing powdered black walnut are available commercially – usually in strengths of 500 mg and 1000 mg (0.5 gram and one gram). Alternately, black walnut extract may be taken orally. An extract is a concentrated liquid preparation usually made by soaking solid particles of a substance in a liquid such as alcohol and then straining out the solids. Specified amounts of black walnut extract can be mixed with water to drink. Generally, oral doses are taken three times a day, but oral use for longer than 6 weeks is not recommended, due to black walnut’s tannin content.

For application to the skin, black walnut extract must be diluted for use as a skin wash or poultice. A poultice is a soft cloth that has been soaked in a liquid, possibly heated, and then applied to an irritated or injured area of skin. Black walnut may also be available in ointments or salves – usually in combination with other herbals, such as burdock, calendula, echinacea, tea tree oil, and yellow dock. The usual recommendation for topical use is twice a day.

Summary

When taken by mouth, black walnut may have some effectiveness for gastrointestinal ailments. Chemicals in black walnut products may shrink skin and mucosal tissue, making them useful for mouth sores and skin conditions such as ringworm or wounds.

Risks

Individuals with intestinal, liver, or stomach conditions should not use black walnut due to its possible irritating effects. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding and small children should also avoid using black walnut.

Side Effects

Liver or kidney damage and some types of oral cancer may be more likely to affect individuals who take large doses of products, like black walnut, that have a high content of chemicals known as tannins for long periods of time. Potentially, tannin-containing products can cause stomach upset when taken by mouth. They may also irritate damaged skin when applied topically.

Interactions

No specific interactions have been identified between black walnut and prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, other supplements, or foods.

However, because few reliable studies of black walnut have been conducted, it may have interactions with drugs, foods, and other dietary supplements. Other oral products that contain tannins have interfered with the way the body uses certain drugs. Be sure that your doctor and pharmacist are aware of all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use black walnut or any other herbal supplement.

Last Revised October 20, 2004

To go to website click on link:

http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/PrintablePages/herbMonograph/0,11475,4080,00.html


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