Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 These principles of herbal treatment apply to all of the herbs and all of the conditions listed in this book.
Rely on Conventional Medicine for Emergency Treatment
When a health condition is an immediate threat to life, treatment administered by a physician is always the best choice. Herbal, nutritional, and complementary treatments are out of place in emergency care. Or, as the distinguished complementary health expert Dr. Dean Ornish frequently comments, "I never tell a patient admitted to the emergency room with a heart attack that she should eat more broccoli. |
| SEVEN SITUATIONS IN WHICH herbal treatment IS BEST
In Japan, where doctors have every tool of modern medicine at their disposal, four out of five doctors prescribe herbs for at least some of their patients. Three out of five doctors in Japan consider herbs to be their treatment of choice for at least some diseases. The outcome of this system that uses modern and ancient healing techniques is the world's highest longevity figures for both men and women. There are seven situations in which most Japanese doctors recommend herbs and herbal formulas as a primary form of treatment. |
Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D.
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 Qi Stagnation
General Herbal Treatment:
• For liver qi stagnation with chest fullness, combine 6 grams each of bupleurum, cyperus, and green citrus.
• For qi and cold stagnation affecting the epigastric and abdominal region, possibly with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and belching, make a powder of 1 gram of aquilaria, 6 grams of lindera, 9 grams of saussurea, and 3 grams of ginger. If there are hiccups, add 9 grams of persimmon calyx.
• For chest fullness, combine 9 grams each of cyperus, bupleurum, white peony root, and curcuma (yujin). |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| The herbal treatment relieved symptoms without the side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids, which are helpful but can cause serious side effects, especially if used for long periods.
• Atherosclerosis and high cholesterol. Ginger retards the production of cholesterol by the liver, where most of the body's cholesterol originates. |
| This treatment was slightly less effective than methylphenidate, but children in the herbal treatment group showed fewer incidents of bed-wetting, plus gains of between four and ten points on intelligence tests.
• Cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and mononucleosis. Baicalin prevents the activation of the human T-cell leukemia virus and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) from their dormant states. EBV causes mononucleosis, and has also been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome and some forms of cancer. Scutellaria's high zinc content also is helpful in fighting chronic fatigue. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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 Patients responding to placebo and pygeum
Symptom
Placebo group
Pygeum group
Nocturia
26/52 =50%
44/56 = 78%
Daytime frequency
16/50 = 33%
27/54 = 50%
Incomplete voiding
14/40 = 35%
21/32 = 66%
Dribbling
15/34 = 44%
13/33 = 39%
Urine flow rate
11/43 = 26%
21/38 = 55%
Pygeum versus saw palmetto
The standardized fat-soluble extract of saw palmetto berries is another popular herbal treatment for BPH (see Chapter 34—Saw Palmetto). |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Japanese researchers have found that administering these two ancient formulas simultaneously produces benefits in the treatment of inflammation and stress that cannot be achieved with any other herbal treatment. Laboratory tests have found that sairei-to prevents recurrences of middle ear infection, especially when combined with antibiotic treatment. Extensive clinical tests at the University of Utah have found that the formula prevents chemical reactions that release inflammation-causing hormones in people with rheumatoid arthritis. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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| Herbal recommendations for cold sores
The best herbal treatment for cold sores is a special cream containing a concentrated extract of Melissa officinalis. (Note: In Germany, the product is named Lomaherpan®. In the United States, the product name is Herpilyn®.)
Melissa officinalis is a member of the mint family that exerts powerful antiviral activity against the herpes virus.1 The Melissa extract in Herpilyn® is a 70:1 concentrate; this means it takes 70 pounds of Melissa to produce 1 pound of the extract. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Part Two
Herbal Prescriptions for Common Health Problems
Introduction
The great strength of herbal treatment is that it can be used with conventional medicine in the treatment of almost every disease condition. Part One explained the principles of herbal healing and introduced its most commonly used herbs and herbal formulas. Part Two offers an A-to-Z listing of medical conditions that can be treated with these herbs and formulas. |
Paul Pitchford
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 Except for the external use of black tea, the dietary and herbal treatment of many other sexually transmitted diseases is the same as the herpes treatment, as nearly all involve some form of damp heat in the "lower burner." The same approach can be applied to syphilis, gonorrhea, genital warts caused by the human papilloma virus, and chlamydia trachomatis (a bacterial parasite). Treatments recommended in this section can usually complement standard medical remedies for these conditions, but should not replace them except under the guidance of a physician or other qualified health counselor. |
Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D.
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| Chinese Patent: Long Dan Xie Gan Wan (Gentiana Decoction for Purging Liver Fire)
Worms and Internal Parasites
General Herbal Treatment:
• For hookworm (Ancylostomatidae), combine 9 grams each of china-berry bark and areca seed.
• For pinworms (Enorobius vermicularis), combine 9 grams each of chi-naberry root, stemona root, and mume plum.
• For hookworms, combine equal parts of torreya, chinaberry, and areca seed.
• For tapeworms (Cestoda), combine equal parts of torreya, pumpkin seeds, and areca seed. |
Paul Pitchford
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| Chaste berries (Vitex agnus-castus) are a specific herbal treatment for most symptoms of PMS. This herb is also thought to help smooth out the anxiety surrounding sexual desire in some women.
Balanced nutrition is crucial for overcoming PMS. The guidelines of "Dietary Restrictions" and "General Nutrition" starting on page 355 need to be followed for long-term results.
Menopausal Difficulty. Menopause is the natural termination of the menstrual cycle and reproductive years and usually occurs somewhere between the ages of forty-two and fifty-two. |
Michael Tierra
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 With the appropriate eliminative or balanced diet, herbal treatment will prove itself to be effective where no medicine will work and will often be faster than the quick but temporary relief offered by Western drugs.
The nutritional philosophy I have found to be the best and easiest centers around the use of whole grains, properly cooked foods and small amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits when they are in season. |
Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D.
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| Tinnitus
General Herbal Treatment: For tinnitus caused by kidney deficiency, combine 15 grams of Magnetitum and 6 grams of schisandra berries with 9 grams each of prepared rehmannia, cornus berries, and dioscorea.
Chinese Patents: If tinnitus is caused by damp heat, use Long Dan Xie Gan Wan (Gentiana Decoction for Purging Liver Fire). If it is caused by kidney deficiency, consider Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia Six Combination) for kidney yin deficiency or Ba Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia Eight Combination) for kidney yang deficiency. |
Kathi Keville
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 A tincture of lavender called Palsy Drops was recognized as an effective herbal treatment in the British Pharmacopoeia for more than 200 years. Until the
1940s, physicians used this tincture to relieve muscle spasms, nervousness and headaches.
The essential oils of any of these herbs—peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender—can also be used to make an excellent compress to place on your forehead whenever a headache hits. Most headaches respond best to a cold compress, but you may find that a warm or hot compress, or alternating cold and hot compresses, works even better. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 In practice, caution has always dictated that herbal treatment concurrent with insulin needs to be done under close expert supervision. Similar cautions apply to the use of herbs along with prescribed warfarin, heparin and other anticoagulants, as well as digoxin, although interactions in these cases are better described.
However, all these uncertainties should be placed in the context of the normal consumption of plant and other organic material in the diet. Any substantial consumption of tea, coffee, alcohol or tobacco will have more effects on drug activity than most herbal prescriptions. |
| The new ideas do, however, have major implications for the herbal treatment of such conditions.
The traditional understanding of inflammatory diseases notably involved ideas of 'toxicity' and, particularly but not exclusively, in Chinese herbal therapeutics, metereological concepts of 'damp', 'wind', 'heat' and 'cold' (see also pp.147). These apparently quaint medieval notions are metaphors for clinical insights into the way the body appears to behave in such illnesses that can indeed inform a modern review. It is this that will now be attempted. |
| Only when such a regime is in place can herbal treatment have a chance of facilitating further improvements.
Herbal remedies useful in chronic fatigue syndrome include the following.
Tonic and adaptogenic herbs
Tonics help revitalize the patient and adaptogens improve the response to stress. Tonics can also correct immune function. Although the immune-boosting function of these herbs might seem unwise, they do help fatigue syndrome, often dramatically. |
Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
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 This is my main herbal treatment in liver disease.
Picrorhiza Kurroa
Picrorhiza is an important herb in the traditional Ayurvedic system of medicine and has been used to treat liver disease and bronchial problems. The most important active constituents of picrorhiza are the iridoid glycosides known collectively as kutkin.31 Like silymarin, picrorhiza possesses significant antioxidant activity, which in part contributes to its hepatoprotective ability. It was found that picrorhiza restored depleted glutathione levels in African desert rats infected with malaria. |
Margarita Artschwager Kay
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 Despite the much lower percentage of nonliterate persons in the states of the Mexican West, the much higher ratio of traditional healers to physicians may explain the persistence of herbal treatment. Further, these traditional healers are comparatively young (Lozoya 1990). Xavier Lozoya (1990:77) has hypothesized that traditional medicine has been revitalized in a renewed role in states such as Baja California Norte and Sonora because large-scale population movements have occurred without a corresponding expansion of biomedical services. |
Sharol Tilgner, N.D.
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 This type of herbal treatment does not take into account the individual constitution of the person being treated or the type of therapeutic strategies that have guided medical herbalists for thousands of years. A flood of books on herbalism are now available to the public and the medical profession, most of them written by individuals with no hands-on experience in plant identification, harvesting, medicine-making, clinical herbalism, or even the general principles of holistic medicine. Dr. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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| Herbal recommendations for asthma and hay fever
The old-time herbal treatment of asthma and hay fever involves the use of ephedra in combination with herbal expectorants. Expectorants are herbs that modify the quality and quantity of secretions of the respiratory tract, resulting in the expulsion of the secretions and improvement in respiratory tract function. Examples of commonly used expectorants include lobelia (Lobelia inflata), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and grindelia (Grindelia camporum). When using combination preparations, the dosage should be equivalent to 12. |
Kathi Keville
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| As Matt had no idea that herbs could increase libido, he was quite surprised when he realized that his herbal treatment was not only helping these two conditions, but also improving his sexual stamina. He asked me if I had ever heard of such a thing. I said that I certainly had, and suggested that he read up on some other herbs, such as yohimbe and damiana. He did his homework and added these herbs to his herbal regimen. Much later, I ran into him and his wife, Sue, at a party. We were discussing herbs anyway, so I boldly asked, "Did your new herbal formula work? |
Michael Tierra
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| The first stage in an herbal treatment is generally to eliminate, removing toxins that are both a physical cause and a result of the disease. However, this step causes some depletion of energy and should not be used for persons who are weak or who are suffering a long-term degenerative condition. Instead, one uses herbs to build up the system for those who are weak, such as those recuperating from disease, and those with recurring sickness. Whether eliminating or building, an herb that stimulates the overall process is included in the formula. |
Kathi Keville
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| Another herbal treatment is to rub on the lower belly a massage oil containing sage essential oil.
These herbs are good for a quick fix while you are bleeding heavily, but for long-term results treat the source of the problem by adjusting out-of-balance hormones with vitex. In the late 1950s, researchers began investigating how this herb helps women who have menstrual disorders. They used a product called Agnolyt—a tincture of dried vitex berries—which had been developed and patented in the 1930s by a German doctor, Gerhard Madaus, M.D. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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 Without standardization you may not be getting the stated potency, which could account for the failure of an herbal treatment. Look for "standardized" on the label to ensure the potency of the active ingredient. If potency cannot be guaranteed, consider using freeze-dried tablets or capsules, which are usually reliable.
3. Tinctures and extracts (both fluid and solid) are not as subject to loss of strength as conventionally air-dried herbs. Tincture doses are generally 1 to 2 teaspoons three to four times a day diluted in fluid or taken straight, if tolerated. |
Prevention Magazine
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 Ginger is the one herbal treatment that's pretty widely accepted as effective," says Marvin Schuster, M.D., director of the Marvin M. Schuster Digestive and Motility Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore.
While fresh ginger is effective, it's really too spicy to use to get the amounts that are necessary for healing. An easier strategy, says Dr. Schustei, is to brew a cup of ginger tea. Grate 2 teaspoons of fresh ginger and let it steep in hot water for 10 minutes. Strain the tea, then drink it until you feel better. |
Jean Carper
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 Before trying saw palmetto or other herbal treatment, you must have a medical diagnosis of BPH. Even then it is advisable to use the herb under the supervision of a health professional.
Saw Palmetto or Proscar?
If you are offered the prescription drug finasteride, better known as Proscar, very popular for treating BPH, here are some facts you should know. Proscar has significant side effects, especially on male sexual function, says Ralph Nader's Health Research Group. |
Kathi Keville
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| Remember, an herbal treatment need not be boring—try some basil in your pasta, soup or salad.
In the 1980s, herbal researcher Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D., came down with a flu and took some ginger capsules. He was surprised how quickly they halted his vomiting and decided to put ginger to the test by giving it to a group of college students and then treating each of them to a dizzying ride in a tilting and rotating chair. Dr. Mowrey's test showed that two 500-milligram ginger capsules are even more effective than Dramamine, the most popular motion-sickness drug.
Since Dr. |
| Figuring he had nothing to lose by trying an herbal treatment for a few days, he put together a wart oil formula almost identical to the one below. For the first two days, it looked like there was no change, but by the third day, Jerry was convinced that the warts were smaller. He stuck with the treatment for two weeks, and they disappeared completely.
Wart Oil
Vi ounce castor oil
V4 teaspoon each, thuja and tea tree essential oils 800 International Units vitamin E oil *V> Combine ingredients. |
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