Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 When you travel pack natural remedies like prunes, psyllium or bran.
• herbal remedies that contain cascara sagrada or senna stimulate contractions in the large intestine and rectum, moving the contents of the bowel. Don't use them more than once in a while, because you can quickly develop a dependency on them.
• Supplementation of magnesium at 600 to 900 mg a day helps to relieve constipation by drawing water into the contents of the large intestine and by relaxing irritated, constricted intestinal walls. |
Dr. Mary Dan Eades
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 Consult a qualified herbal practitioner, and talk to your doctor before beginning herbal remedies. Some remedies cannot be used in combination with conventional pharmaceuticals.
What makes it worse?
• Solanine interferes with enzymes in the muscle, which can lead to pain and discomfort. Recommendation: Limit your intake of green peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and white potatoes.
• Saturated fats raise cholesterol levels and interfere with circulation. They promote the inflammatory response and increase pain. |
Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 It would be short-sighted—and unfair to patients—if I favored herbal remedies over homeopathic remedies for one patient, or decided that an individual should only use supplements while ignoring therapies like exercise or water.
Again, the whole person needs to be considered—and if I'm treating an individual, the pathway to good health for that person may be the sum of all possible avenues of healing. That's why I include information about some of the problems that medical doctors might neglect, such as "leaky gut syndrome" or the importance of detoxification. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| The carbohydrate cravings, increased appetite, more time spent sleeping and fatigue characteristic of SAD have been treated successfully with natural therapies such as bright artificial light, herbal remedies and nutritional changes.
Depression can also be a symptom of a deficiency of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism). If you are gaining weight, feel cold much of the time and lack energy in addition to feeling down, see a health professional to rule out thyroid problems. |
| There are some herbal remedies you can try first, however, if you want to avoid antibiotics.
Licorice extract (deglycyrrizinated licorice or DGL) is a wonderful herbal healing aid for ulcers. It increases the production of protective mucus in the stomach. Use 300 mg four to six times a day. Unripe banana also has anti-ulcer effects, as do the herbs slippery elm (Ulmus fulva; take 200 mg four to six times a day), marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis; take 200 mg four to six times a day) and the juice of raw cabbage. |
Rebecca Wood
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 These properties make mint a useful ingredient in many herbal remedies, especially where there is excessive heat, such as in mastitis, painful menstruation, and hives. In cases of painful menstruation due to cold blockages, mint is not recommended.
Peppermint relieves spasms, increases perspiration, and tones the digestive system, especially the colon. It is not, according to herbalists, to be used for infants at any time. Spearmint, on the other hand, is a common remedy for feverish childhood illnesses as well as for hiccups, indigestion, and flatulence. |
Mark Stengler, N.D.
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| You'll find herbal remedies alongside homeopathic cures. You'll find sections on fat reduction, food therapies, and juicing next to vitamins, supplements, and specific foods like onion and garlic.
Today, if you're facing a difficult choice or an anxiety-producing situation, the section on mental imagery might tell you about the key therapy that can help you. Tomorrow, if you feel like you're coming down with a cold or experiencing the first signs of flu, it could be the information on echinacea or zinc that you need for information and guidance. |
Dr. Mary Dan Eades
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| As always, consult a physician before beginning any herbal remedies. Dosages vary according to duration and severity of symptoms.
What makes it worse?
• Alcohol may further impair your sensitivity to insulin, and it is insensitivity to insulin that is at the very root of the problem. |
John Heinerman
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 There are a number of herbal remedies for coping with the flu. But none of the herbalists I know or the books they have written have ever suggested hot juniper tea for this problem. In fact, I didn't even know myself just how good it was until an old Navajo shaman years ago acquainted me with it when I was an invited guest in his hogan, located out in the middle of nowhere.
I somehow picked up the flu "bug" before I got there, and it didn't take very many hours to aggressively dominate my body. In plain words, I felt like hell! |
Earl Mindell
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 As a rule, few medical problems occur from ingesting herbal remedies, but the potential for an allergic or toxic response is always there.
IMPORTANT: If you are now taking any drugs, or have any medical problems, it's wise to consult a nutritionally oriented physician who is aware of herb-drug interactions, as well as any potentially dangerous side effects.
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132. Aloe Vera
The aloe vera plant contains a wound-healing substance called aloe vera gel, a mixture of antibiotic, astringent, and coagulating agents.
Taken internally, it works as a mild laxative. |
| Today, the efficacy of many herbal remedies is undisputed and well documented. (See Chapter X.)
Homeopathy Based on the findings of Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathy uses medicines to stimulate the body's natural defense mechanisms and is based on the premise that "like cures like." For instance, a substance that can trigger symptoms in a healthy individual when taken in large doses can cure similar symptoms in a sick person when taken in extremely small doses. |
Mark Stengler, N.D.
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| My own knowledge of traditional herbal remedies, such as this one, comes from the experience of healing remedies that date back many generations. Boswellia is one of these valuable herbs that originates in Ayurvedic medicine. It is often used to treat inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and cervical spondylitis. It also has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for diarrhea, chronic lung disorders, menstrual disorders, and skin problems. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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 I would add that it is also the art and tradition of using herbal medicines to protect and augment health, and to prolong healthy life.
How long have people been using herbs?
A long, long time. There is educated speculation that prehistoric humans used herbs for illness by following the example of animals. German medical scholar Paul Unschuld tells us that in the Shang Empire, about 16 centuries before the birth of Christ, we find the first written evidence of the Chinese use of herbs for healing. Two of the most important diseases were "curse of an ancestor" and "blow of a demon. |
Andrew Chevallier
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 Evidence in Support of Herbal Cures
Many medical scientists have found it impossible to accept that natural medicines can be as good as or better than chemical cures in treating illness. Fortunately, as more and more research reveals just how effective herbal medicines can be, this attitude is beginning to change.
St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum, p. 104) is a native European herb, valued for its healing properties. |
Rex Adams
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 Spanish eucalyptus. I purchased the teas and drank more than a quart an hour, rotating the varieties to avoid boredom. I also used a little honey. Within six hours I could urinate without pain; in the morning all swelling was gone from each area. I continued for three days as a safeguard.... If this can help someone in pain, I will be very happy. Total cost of teas: $6—and only a small amount of the packages were used."
Asparagus Is A Wonder Food! |
Bill Gottlieb
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 While that's a lot less than the $13.3 billion spent on over-the-counter drugs, it's more than ten times the amount we spend on over-the-counter sleeping pills from grocery stores and drugstores.
More Familiar Than You Think
What's going on here? What do homeopaths and nutritionists, massage therapists and Ayurvedic practitioners have to offer a society that boasts the most advanced medical technology in the world? Why are people flocking to health food stores, with their lotions and potions, and what keeps them going back for more? |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 There are ample opportunities for herbal constituents to interact with synaptic function in the nervous system. Various herbal extracts have been shown in vitro to act on adrenergic, muscarinic, 5-HTjA and 5-HT2 receptors, dopamine (Dt and D2), the benzodiazepine and the gamma-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA) binding sites.1-2 Particular examples of such activity follow; apart from familiar Western plants, much of the literature cited reflects the fact that most published research in this area emanates from China and Japan. |
| Other examples outline what would have been considered key therapeutic issues.
• Disorders of assimilation, whether of nutrients like glucose (diabetes), fats (high blood cholesterol and lipids, obesity) or minerals (e.g. iron deficiency anaemia) or of oxygen (anaemia, arteriosclerosis), may constitute part of wider patterns of disharmony, linked in old systems to inadequate nurturing (excessive sweet, fat and alcohol consumption for example being seen as a regression to unfulfilled infantile needs). |
Thomas J. Moore
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 And most doctors fall somewhere in between. It is worth knowing whether you are dealing with a heavy prescriber, a sparing pre-scriber, or someone in berween. Doctors who prescribe a lot of drugs may not announce their policy other than to hand you a sample of a new drug when the old drug was working fine. A patient (who can't observe a doctor every day) might notice that almost every appointment ends with a prescription—and often a free drug sample. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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 Remedies nervous system, relaxing the muscles, and easing the digestive cornhot water for 10 minutes),- or Vs to 3 teaspoons of tincture up to every two hours,- or follow manufacturer's directions for capsules.
Linden
Linden (Tilia spp.)
Gently relaxing with antispasmodic effects that ease muscle tension, linden is also a remedy for high blood pressure (especially when it's made worse by anxiety or stress) and a tonic for the cardiovascular system in general. It makes a pleasant-tasting cup of tea. Typical dosage-. |
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