Ben-Erik van Wyk
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 Many spices are indeed used in traditional medicine as herbal remedies and tonics.
Spices are still an important part of world trade but are no longer the source of fabulous wealth as they once were. The early spice routes were controlled by Arab traders, who cleverly guarded the secret sources of their goods. Countries and city states in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region earned great fortunes in the spice trade. In those days, the poor quality of food (especially meat) called for liberal spicing to make it palatable. |
Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton
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 Once any nutritional deficiencies are sorted out, you can then move on to herbal remedies.
Chapter 6
Neurological Disorders
OUR BRAINS ARE THE MOST important part of our bodies—they make us who and what we are. They control everything we do and say, and their health is fundamental to our survival. Unfortunately the massive recent escalation of brain-related health problems suggests that there is something about modern living that has quite literally poisoned our minds.
In the past, scientists have tried to explain this massive increase in disease by blaming an aging population. |
| First make sure that you are getting all the nutrients, and once any nutritional deficiencies have been sorted out, then move on to herbal remedies. I would also advise anyone starting with these remedies, particularly Saint-John's-wort, to do so under the supervision of a trained herbalist, as it has been linked to side effects such as sensitivity to light.
Chapter 7
Digestive Disorders we all know that you are what you eat. |
Henry Hobhouse
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 Soap was often made at home. herbal remedies supplied the alternative for every commercial drug—though there were few before 1861—except quinine. One bad year for the cash crop, cotton, meant some belt tightening; two years could mean discomfort, three years, hardship. Ruin was much farther from the plantation owner in the South than from the Northern merchant or manufacturer or banker. In really bad times the banks would not foreclose, because such action would ruin all the bank's customers.
The informality of money management in the New South also permitted the exercise of clever arbitrage. |
| On the other hand the world of medicine was limited to herbal remedies, little use being made of surgery or compound drugs. Mathematics was unknown in terms of algebra or geometry. Astrology was known, but not astronomy, and the Japanese could not construct a calendar without Dutch or Chinese help. They disputed with the Chinese the invention of printing, but the art was more advanced than in Europe, and they could print in full color. |
Marshall Editions
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 Relaxing tea formula one: Combine equal parts of dried California poppy flowers and seeds, oat seeds, chamomile, lavender, and marshmallow root. Infuse 1 tsp of the combined herbs per cup of water for 5-10 minutes and drink. Add a little honey to sweeten if needed. This blend of herbs is suitable for children and can be used daily to treat hyperactivity. The formula is mildly sedating, nourishing, reduces spasms, soothes digestion, and calms the spirit, especially at times of stress.
Relaxing tea formula two: Combine equal parts of dried passionflower, catnip, lemon balm, and chamomile. |
| Licorice: A decoction of licorice root can be taken for a few days to alleviate coughs, especially a dry hacking cough. Licorice is a classic demulcent or mucilaginous herb, which coats the throat to alleviate dryness. Boil 2 tbsp of chopped licorice root in 2-3 cups of water for 10 minutes and drink the decoction several times a day. As long as licorice is only consumed for a few days, it is unlikely that the potential adverse effects this herb has on electrolytes and blood pressure will occur. w
Lobelia: The flowers, as well as the rest of this plant, can be used to treat a cough. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| If you need a laxative, try herbal remedies containing ingredients like flaxseed, senna, psyllium, or castor oil. You can also mix honey into a glass of warm water or drink carbonated water.
• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about medications that may be causing constipation.
• If you take a multi-vitamin, choose one without iron.
• Relax. Try biofeedback or meditation for stress relief.
CHAPTER 10 Mood-lifting foods
What is depression? This medical condition affects mood, thoughts, physical health, and behavior. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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 Archaeologists have found evidence suggesting that Neanderthals may have used plants for healing 60,000 years ago. The ancient Greeks used opium milk, which is the fluid that oozes out of the opium poppy when it's slashed, as a painkiller—today we derive morphine, one of the most powerful painkillers available, from the same place.
The first really effective antimalarial medicine came from the bark of the cinchona tree. |
by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| This research has lead to increased marketing and consumption of herbal remedies.
Plants play a major role in modern pharmaceuticals. Many modern drugs were initially derived from plants, and screening for medicinal plant compounds is still an important aspect of research. Generally, the practice was to find compounds that could be used as the base from which to develop a patentable medication. However, research into the use of herbs as opposed to semisynthetic medications continues to grow.
Cooking with Herbs and Spices
Have you ever heard the expression "Add a little spice to your life"? |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 So, it didn't matter what the homeopathic remedy or herbal remedies were. They were fighting this putrefied diet.
Mike: Sure, because if you're going to poison your pet with these pet foods...
Newman: That's exactly what we're doing: Poisoning our pets. Ethoxiquin is a common stabilizer in pet food. It is a rubber and lethal herbicide. It is two chemical compositions away from Agent Orange. So, it does the same thing Agent Orange does when you spray it on the plants. It dries up the root system of the plants and the plants die. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 So even though the whole class of drugs is extremely dangerous compared to herbal remedies or even relatively safe painkillers, some doctors want these black box warnings removed on the basis that, within this class of drugs, each one carries the same risk as the next. This is the kind of huge distortion of logic that you see in conventional medicine today. Obviously, these doctors are on the payroll of the drug companies that stand to benefit from the removal of these black box warnings. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out. |
| Consequently, the FDA, which is out there to protect Big Pharma, has every reason to outlaw herbal remedies. That alone will boost the sales of prescription drugs.
The only real regulatory action the FDA is taking on Vioxx, Bextra and other Cox-2 inhibitor drugs is the requirement of a black box warning on the drugs. This is supposed to be a big deal, but in fact it means little to nothing. This is just a bigger print size of the same warning that's been found in the small fine print of the drug for years. Doctors routinely ignore this information. Patients almost never see it. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 Herbal Medicine
History
Herbal medicine is the oldest therapy in world history, predating by tens of thousands of years the rich herbal remedies of ancient China, India, and Egypt. Herbs have been found in archaeological explorations in the most ancient of civilizations.
Much later on, around 400 B.C., the Greeks began to systematize and codify medical principles. |
Michael Friedman, ND
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 When I first saw her as a patient, I was skeptical that dietary and herbal remedies could have such a profound restorative effect on her illness. This patient inspired me with confidence in naturopathic medicine, not as an adjunctive treatment for endocrine patients, but as an effective main treatment. Since treating this patient successfully with naturopathic treatments, I have been satisfied to see many of my patients recover their health, but also disappointed by my lack of ability to restore other patient's health for reasons I don't understand. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Herbal remedies can help contain set percentages of specified active components— and their therapeutic values are backed by pharmacological and clinical studies and experience.
Phytomedicines are widely recognized in Europe, where they are categorized as plant-derived drugs. In Germany, for example, phytomedicines are considered "ethical drugs," and physicians prescribe them and pharmacists dispense them. In the United States, phytomedicines are sold as over-the-counter dietary supplements in health food stores and in some pharmacies. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 They would be better off with simple over-the-counter painkillers or, better yet, natural health treatments like nutrition, herbal remedies and supplements that work far better than prescription drugs for stopping arthritis pain (and without all the negative side effects). Astaxanthin supplements, for one, greatly ease arthritis pain. So do whole food concentrates made from cherries, blackberries and other fruits. There are dozens of other natural health strategies that ease pain as well. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 Companies should not be allowed to sell supplements or herbal remedies that simply don't work. But I also believe that the same logic should be applied to all of medicine. If prescription drugs don't work, shouldn't the consumers get their money back as well? And what about surgical procedures? If a surgeon offers you some procedure to eliminate back pain by fusing your vertebra, and afterwards your back pain is still present, why is it that you don't get your money back from that surgeon? |
Dr. Gary Null
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 That's why I sought herbal remedies and holistic health care.
Back in November 1993, I went to a health care seminar given by Letha Hadady on breast health. I was very impressed by the information that was given. I made an appointment with Letha after that, and the remedies she gave me were very helpful.
Before I had the herbal remedies, my menstrual cycles were extremely heavy, I had mood swings, and I was very prone to exhaustion. I was extremely irregular. When I started taking the herbal remedies, the menstrual cycle became very regular again, approximately every thirty days. |
David Wolfe
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 High-quality herbal remedies can be effective against parasites. Oxygen therapies are also effective (read Ed McCabe's book Flood Your Body With Oxygen)
Once the body is significantly detoxified, which may take anywhere from four months to two years, depending on the toxicity of the body beforehand, then you can gain all the healthy weight you desire. I recommend you do so in the method shown in the previous diagram. |
Leslie Taylor, ND
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 The populations of people using plant-based herbal remedies don't regularly take the amount or types of prescription drugs Americans do, and the history of side effects or contraindications when combining the plants with the drugs we use is virtually nonexistent. If you are taking prescription drugs, please always check with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements or medicinal plants, including those you learn about in this book. |
Amarjit S. Basra
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 Other nonproven herbal remedies include guarana (Paullinia cupana) with its high caffeine content, bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) with its high iodine content, and chili (Capsicum annuum). Ma huang (Ephedra sinica) contains ephedrine; it has been used in weight-reducing regimes but has now been banned in many countries because of side effects and abuse potential. Side effects relate primarily to the nervous system and cardiovascular system, with psychosis, seizures, strokes, and heart attacks being reported. |
| Ioannides, C, 2002, Topics in xenobiochemistry-pharmacokinetic interactions between herbal remedies and medicinal drugs, Xenobiotica, 32: 451-478.
39. Tikkanen, M.J., Wahala, K., Ojala, S., Vihma, V., and Adlercreutz, H., 1998, Effect of soybean phytoestrogen intake on low density lipoprotein oxidation resistance, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95: 3106-3110; Caccetta, R.A.A., Burke, V., Mori, T.A., Beilin, L.J., Puddey, I.B., and Croft, K.D., 2001, Red wine polyphenols, in the absence of alcohol, reduce lipid peroxidative stress in smoking subjects, Free Radical Biol. Med. |
| A recent review by Ioannides summarizes many herbal remedies with the potential to modulate enzyme activities and thus participate in interactions with conventional drugs.38 These include milk thistle, Angelica dahurica, ginseng, garlic preparations, dan-shen, and liquorice. Herbal products are currently not subject to the rigorous testing that is indispensable for conventional drugs. However, if potential drug interactions are to be predicted, it is essential that the ability of herbal products to interfere with drug-metabolizing enzyme systems be fully established. |
| New wave antimicrobials appear to have their roots in natural herbal remedies. The currently available treatments, their efficacy, side effects, and different modes of action are being increasingly studied, and novel possible ways of advancing the use of natural products have been suggested.
Since the isolation of Helicobacter pylori from human gastric biopsy specimens by Warren and Marshall in 1983, many investigators have reported H. pylori in association with gastric disorders, e.g., chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and gastric cancer. |
| Some common African herbal remedies for skin disease: With special reference to Kenya, in A.J.M. Leeuwenberg (ed.), Medicinal and poisonous plants of the tropics (Wageningen: Pudoc, 1987), pp. 44-69.
81. Oliver-Bever, 1986, Medicinal plants in tropical West-Africa, p. 108.
82. Jayasekara, T.K., Stevenson, PC, Belmain, S.R., Farman D.I., and Hall, D.R., 2002, Identification of methyl salicylate as the prinipal volatile component in the methanol extract of root bark of Securidaca longepedunculuta Fers., Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 37: 577-580.
83. |
Leslie Taylor, ND
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| While some readers might think preparing their own herbal remedies using these instructions rather daunting, it really isn't all that difficult once one learns the basic concepts. The most important aspect to remember is to purchase quality herbal ingredients to work with. The remedy prepared will only be as good as the herb that was used. Choose a good source to purchase from and expect to pay a little more for good quality—and remember to always ask about sustainability issues such as where and how the plant was harvested. |
Joseph E. Mario
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 Papyrus Ebers listed 700 herbal remedies. India's Ayurveda/Science of Life in Sanscrit is thought to have originated about 10,000 B.C. from Tamil Siddha medicine, its prehistoric Charaka Samhita records about 500 healing herbs, and was highly developed when written in the Vedas near 1000B.C; flourishingto 1100 A.D.. the Rigvedas list over 1.000 medicinal plants. Herbs were valued in the Roman Empire by Galen, and Dioscorides' Herbarium (from Indian sources)was written about 100 A.D. |
Leslie Taylor, ND
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| Traditional dosage amounts for herbal remedies have been included in the plant information provided in Part Three of this book for a reason. These dosage amounts are based on the long history of the plant's use and should be followed within reason. They have been calculated for an average-weight adult person of 120 to 150 pounds and should be generally adjusted up or down based on body weight. Take less if you weigh under
120 pounds, and more if you weigh more than 150 pounds (up to double the recommended dosage if you weigh 300 pounds or more). |
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