| Both are commonly used in herbal weight loss formulas. Stimulants such as senna, cas-cara sagrada, and buckthorn work by irritating the system, often causing cramps and diarrhea. Bulking agents like ground flaxseed and psyllium, when consumed with sufficient water, increase feelings of fullness and help improve bowel function. They are gentler than stimulants and can be highly effective for those who struggle with getting sufficient fiber in their diet. |
| The biggest concern about recommending alternative therapies is that you might choose to give up conventional therapies that are working to control your blood sugar in favor of something more "natural" or "herbal." Never forget that natural herbs are drugs, just like drugs from the drug store, only you don't need a prescription for them. |
Gary Null
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| Several of the herbal remedies tested inhibited the Epstein-Barr virus by more than 90 percent. The group also reported for the first time the activities of sixteen new medicinal plants as potential anticancer herbs.60
Many researchers like Abdullaev at the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City make the comment that considering the prevalence of cancer and the fact that it is a leading cause of death, it is important to investigate readily available natural substances from plants, vegetables, herbs, and spices that might be useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer. |
John Heinerman
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 They receive extensive training in herbal lore and general medicine before receiving their licenses to practice.) The individual to whom Magistrate Wascombe presented himself prescribed five tablespoons of a garlic-and-onion mix (equal parts of each) every day. In addition, his lady herbalist put him on tinctures of mistletoe, belladonna, and Crataegus (hawthorn).
Within six months, David related, the judge's symptoms had just about all disappeared. |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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 The strength of the tincture is usually given as the ratio of solid herbal product used compared to the total volume of the solution. The commonest range is between 1:3 to 1:5 (plant: total solution).
A fluid (liquid) extract is also an hydro-alcoholic product; however in these products one unit of the preparation is equivalent to one unit of the original plant product (i.e., they are more concentrated than tinctures). While this increased potency definitely has its advantages, questions have been raised about the way in which some commercial products are manufactured. |
David Wolfe
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 Squeeze in fresh lemon if desired. Use agave nectar, raw honey or maple syrup to sweeten.
Or
Drink the water of 2 coconuts with Nature's First Food or some other green superfood blend in order to increase mineralization.
Lunch
1 bowl of strawberries and/or blueberries.
1 quart (1 liter) of freshly-made vegetable juice containing cucumber, lettuce, sunflower greens and yellow bell pepper. |
Gary Null
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| If you absolutely have to have liquids with your meal, try to have just herbal teas or fresh juices. Also, when we suspect there is impaired digestion, we recommend digestive enzymes. While ideally you want to flood the body with the natural enzymes found in fresh food and juices, for extra help the enzymes you get at the health food store can be valuable. Take the amount directed with each meal to facilitate better digestion.
A variety of herbs can help with allergies. In my opinion, garlic is the number-one herb for building immunity and acting as a natural antiseptic agent. |
Ray Strand, M.D.
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 The dangers of drug interactions are unprecedented as a result of the thousands of mixes and matches available with prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and herbal therapies. In fact, drug interactions actually pose a much more serious threat than even the unknown side effects of newly released drugs.
The combined use of fenfluramine and phentermine for weight loss is a classic illustration of an unexpected deadly drug interaction. These drugs rapidly became known as the famous "Fen-Phen" combination that gained great popularity as a weight-loss program in the mid-1990s. |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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| Manufacturers of Traditional herbal Medicines were allowed to make approved medicinal claims on product labels; however, the products also had to indicate that they were for use by adults only (some exceptions exist); that they should not be used in pregnancy or lactation; and that the term "natural" could only be used to describe a product sold in its original state (i.e., without processing or refinement).1
Labeling standards existed for only a few herbs, including chamomile, echinacea root, ephedra, feverfew leaf, ginkgo, peppermint, St. John's wort and valerian. |
| Legislation
We also consulted the laws governing the manufacture and the sale of herbal medicines in Canada and the United States of America. Here is a summary of those regulations designed to ensure safety in using medicinal herbs.
Canada
In Canada, all botanical medicines are regulated by the Federal Government. The regulations for Natural Health Products (NHPs) have recently undergone extensive modification, with new regulations taking force in January 2004. |
Brenda Davis and Tom Barnard
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 Most stevia has a slightly bitter aftertaste and a faint herbal or licorice flavor. Stevioside powder is the nonnutritive sweetener of choice in Japan and is quickly gaining a stronghold in many Asian and South American countries. Regulatory agencies of these countries are convinced that the herb not only is safe for human consumption, but may offer potential health benefits. Clinical studies suggest that stevia may improve blood sugar control, protect liver function, fight infectious microorganisms, and have beneficial effects on fat absorption and blood pressure. |
Ray Strand, M.D.
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| Make a list of all prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, herbal therapies, and nutritional supplements you are taking, and put them on a card that will fit in your billfold or purse so that you will always have it available.
• Discuss the potential side effects and adverse drug reactions of any new drug that your physician has prescribed with him and with your pharmacist.
• Ask if this medication will interact with any of the medications you are presently taking.
• Discuss the desired therapeutic goals your doctor has with this new medication. |
Patricia Bragg and Paul C. Bragg
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 Optional, hot or cold whole grain bran cereal with a sliced banana as topping, sweetened with honey or maple syrup and add Rice Dream or soy milk if desired. herbal tea sweetened with honey (optional).
Lunch
A raw veggie salad. Bowl of veggie soup. Fresh fruit for dessert.
Dinner
Raw vegetable salad. Choice of vegetable protein, beans, tempeh, soy, tofu. Two cooked vegetables. Fresh fruit for dessert and a whole grain cookie or health pastry. suggestion # 2: Breakfast
Bragg Pep Drink. Fresh or unsulphured stewed fruit. |
Ray Strand, M.D.
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| Many people, however, still do not consider over-the-counter medication and herbal therapies "true" drugs. After reading this book you will become a wiser consumer with heightened awareness of the drugs you are combining.
Here are several guidelines for minimizing your risk of developing a serious adverse drug reaction to over-the-counter medications:
• Remember that over-the-counter medications are drugs and have inherent risks of adverse drug reactions like any prescription medication.
• Be aware of the "active ingredients" contained in each of the over-the-counter drugs you are taking. |
| Many countries use herbs exclusively and prefer them to synthetic medications. In Germany, estimates show that its citizens spend more than $4 billion on herbs each year.1
There is a definite misconception among consumers when it comes to herbs. A national survey reported that the majority of herb users interviewed believed that herbs were as effective, safe, and cost-efficient as nonherbal remedies. Their false belief in the safety of these herbs is potentially dan- Because herbs are not as potent gerous. |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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| Regarding herbal medicines, the 'Inclusion' list specifically identifies that the following will be classified as NHPs:
(i) a plant or plant material, alga, fungus or non-human animal material;
(ii) an extract or isolate of this material, the primary molecular structure of which is the same as that which it had prior to its extraction or isolation, as natural health products.5
In addition, the NHPD and the Food Directorate provide a list of herbs that are considered NHPs, regardless of their dosage form (this would include bulk form). |
Gary Null
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| Pirani reviewed the effects of PC-SPES herbal formula on prostate cancer and found that the prostate cancer marker prostate-specific antigen was lowered and quality of life was improved. Pirani felt that clinical trials have proven that PC-SPES is a valid treatment for prostate cancer but further study needs to be done to discover how, precisely, it works.67 Chenn at New York Medical College went on to do this, studying what doctors call the "mechanism of action" of PC-SPES, which contains seven herbs, and found that it is complex. |
Rex Adams
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 Maurice Messe'gue', in his book Of Men and Plants, gives this herbal folklore arthritis remedy, which is not to be eaten:2
Garlic (one crushed head)
Greater celandine (leaves, semi-fresh if possible—one handful) Nettle (leaves and stems, semi-fresh if possible—two handfuls) Dandelion (whole plant, semi-fresh if possible—one handful)
2Reprinted with permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., from Of Men and Plants by Maurice Messegue'. Copyright © 1972 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd. Copyright © 1973 by Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Do you take herbal or traditional folk medicines?
Are you using any cough medicines, tonics, mouthwashes, liquid vitamins, or other over-the-counter medications?
Have you recently drunk whiskey or other alcoholic beverages? Do you drink home-distilled moonshine whiskey or wine?
Are you a cancer patient taking Laetrile? Have you chewed and ingested the seeds from apples, peaches, pears, apricots, or plums? Do you eat cassava in large quantities?
Ordinarily, these foods are safe, but environmental contamination has affected these foods, and it could possibly occur again. |
Rex Adams
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| The friend explained that certain other herbal antispasmodics were included in the recipe, such as sage and greater celandine. Even the cabbage has been known to cleanse the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, and was used as a near cure-all by Roman physicians for headache, colic, deafness, drunkenness, insomnia and internal ulcers.
Jessica D. was shown how to prepare this remedy herself in foot-and hand-baths, for welcome relief. "The palms of the hands and the soles of the feet are especially sensitive and receptive," says Messegue. |
| And with the herbal remedies, her arthritic misery vanished!
A startling case was a woman with hundreds of ugly black warts covering her face, neck, and chest. She also had a paralysis of one side of her mouth. Her doctor, making no promises, told her about a raw juice therapy involving cabbage juice. In a few weeks, the ulgy mess cleared almost completely and the paralysis disappeared!
Miss L.E. reports: "I had a very bad infection on my face, which no drug would help. I went to eight different doctors 37 times last year. All the treatments they gave me made my face worse. |
| Garlic, of course, comes in powder, pill, or capsule form, available at most health food stores and herbal pharmacies. A tea is made simply by stirring a teaspoon of the powder in a cup of hot water, adding honey to taste. Or a small amount diced in a teaspoon of honey may be swallowed with water, before meals.
Reported Cases:
* Mrs. L.D. writes: "I've always had menstrual cramps constantly the first two days of my period. But ever since taking garlic (about three months) I have hardly any. It's hard to believe, but it is the only thing I'm taking that I didn't take before that time. |
American Medical Publishing
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| Once again, the temptation when dealing with "natural" herbal remedies is to believe they are completely safe, and that doubling up. or even taking 10 to 100 times the recommended dose is safe. Never make this assumption that a herb is not a "drug" even though it may not be, per se. But keep in mind, many of the modern pharmaceuticals you get from doctors are actually preparations based on natural planted-based products, many of them herbs. For example, the powerful heart medication, digitalis is derived from the common foxglove plant. |
| Don't go to just once source, or trust one herbal expert. Cross reference your research with a variety of books, sources and medical opinions. That way you'll uncover any possible complications before you can do yourself any harm. If anything unexpected happens to you after you start using an herb, stop it right away. This includes even minor reactions, such as a rash or upset stomach. This could be a potential warning sign that this particular herb is not for you. Another common warning sign sometimes associated with herb is difficulty breathing. |
| Other common herbal reactions: headache, nausea, dizziness, light headedness, hot flashes, and more. If you experience any of the above, call 911 right away.
• Tell your doctor right away about any herb you decide to start using. Your doctor really needs to know. A recent report on ABC World News Tonight said that many people bleed to death during routine or even minor surgery because the doctor did not know that the patient was taking blood thinning herbs, such as garlic or gingko biloba. |
Arthur C. Upton, M.D.
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| Yet everything from herbal teas, spices, capsules, and roots can be found in health food stores, various ethnic food markets, and even the local grocery store. Consumers take them for their healing powers but may not realize how unpredictable the benefits can be. Potency and purity are not regulated as with drugs. There is no way to guarantee the same result each time they are taken. |
Lita Lee, Lisa Turner and Burton Goldberg
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 Along with proper nutrition, I recommend a protocol of enzyme therapy, thyroid support, hormonal balancing, antioxidant nutrients, and herbal remedies.
Enzyme Therapy
The following enzyme supplements modulate blood fats and decrease cardiovascular risk. I choose one multiple digestive enzyme formula, determined by a 24-hour urinalysis and palpation test. In addition to food enzymes, I suggest antioxidant enzymes, since a deficiency of these can cause free-radical activity and the formation of oxidized cholesterol and other toxic substances.
? |
| Stomach Flu: like food poisoning, difficult to treat orally; Thera-zyme Stm, antinausea herbal remedies (ginger root, slippery elm, peppermint), oatmeal tea (cook organic oatmeal, filter the juice, add raw honey to the juice, and drink), or rice tea (same preparation as oatmeal tea); Thera-zymes UrT and Spl can also be helpful merit for patients with Crohn's disease and colitis. It is high in salicylic acid (aspirin is a compound of this acid) and consequendy has the same side effects of taking high doses of aspirin daily, including stomach ulcers and reduced ability of the blood to clot.5 |
| For information on the Diabetes is usually defined by an elevated blood sugar enzymes for this ^ 1 i / 1 i i health condition, (greater than 140) and glucosuria (elevated sugar in the _see Append"'B-_ urine); when glucose reaches a certain level in the blood, it lype ii uiaueies can usually ue coniruiieu uy natural meuiuus, including diet, weight control, enzyme therapy, hormonal balancing, and herbal supplements. shows up in the urine as well.
Dr. |
| For those who prefer self-care, I have noted the comparable Enzyme and herbal Formulas from the Enzyme Solutions line.
Please note: By symptom, I mean a condition felt by the client, such as headache, fatigue, or nausea, which cannot be measured by medical tests. By sign, I mean a condition which can be measured, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and proteinuria (spilling protein into the urine). An undernourished or enzyme-deficient organ will develop symptoms long before the doctor can measure the condition by medical signs. |
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