Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Eucalyptus
Latin name: Eucalyptus globulus (Myrtaceae [clove] family) Other common names: blue gum, red gum
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Eucalyptus, used in traditional aboriginal herbal remedies, is a tree native to Australia. It is cultivated in warm climates around the world and is used extensively as an ornamental tree in California. The leaves can be harvested at any time of year and distilled for their essential oil. A closely related plant, Eucalyptus macrorryncha, is a good source of rutin, a bioflavonoid widely recommended for strengthening blood vessels. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
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 An estimated 15 million adults in 1997 took prescription medicine concurrent with herbal remedies or high dose vitamins.
Estimated expenditures for alternative medicine professional services increased 45% from 1990 to 1997 and were conservatively estimated at $21 billion in 1997, with at least $12.2 billion paid out-of-pocket. This exceeds the out-of-pocket expenditures for all U.S. hospitalizations. Total 1997 out-of-pocket expenditures relating to alternative therapies were conservatively estimated at $27 billion, comparable to the out-of-pocket expenditures for all U.S. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 There are a few descriptions in the Chinese medical literature about the best time to take herbal remedies. These generally have to do with timing in relation to meals and the differences between morning and evening treatments.
The classic Chinese medical text Shoushi Baoyuan (Achieving Longevity by Guarding the Source 1616 CE) says that tonics should be taken in the morning and are best taken on an empty stomach (before meals). It is considered most appropriate to wait one-half hour before taking any food.
General guidelines for taking herbs include:
1. |
| In addition, combining several adaptogens along with other complementary herbal remedies (see chapters 8 and 9) can offer additional benefits.
COMBINING MEDICINAL HERBS
There are numerous ways to combine medicinal herbs. Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese kampo medicine, Tibetan medicine, and other traditional medicine systems all have time-tested practices that give guidance for creating a formula.
In ayurveda, herbs often are prescribed in combinations, typically involving three to fifteen herbs, although numerous very large formulas are recorded in the ancient texts. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Sometimes individual herbs themselves can create side effects, but even the highly critical New England Journal of Medicine notes, "Untested herbal remedies are probably harmless. In addition, they seem to be used primarily by people who are healthy and believe the remedies will help them stay that way."
In truly ancient times, the only way to take an herb was to eat the herb raw, whether leaf, root, berry, or bark. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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| The Ministry of Health Care of USSR formed a special commercial organization, MedExport, to be in charge of exporting herbal remedies. After the exporting began in 1969, Brekhman, as a representative of MedExport, traveled all over the world to promote Russian adaptogens. As a result of such efforts, the popularity of these herbs, and especially eleuthero, has increased in England, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States.
Before passing away in 1994, Brekhman formulated a product known as Prime One. |
Dr Ron Roberts
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 Sourcing herbs
You should consult a reputable herbal practitioner when seeking herbal remedies, but health food stores can often supply proprietary lines. There are books on herbal medicine that will also recommend specific remedies.
When you have established just which herbs are best for you, why not start your own herb garden? Small windowbox planters or pots are all you need. Not only will you enjoy watching something grow but you will also have the wonderful aroma of fresh herbs wafting into your home. You can take time to 'smell the herbs' and include them naturally in your cooking. |
| You should also consult a herbalist for further recommendations if the common herbal remedies for asthma do not improve your condition.
Some of the most common herbs used for the relief of asthma and bronchial conditions are: euphorbia, lobelia, garlic, eucalyptus, coltsfoot, senega, vervain, aloe, echinacea, hyssop, horehound, honeysuckle, sage, aniseed, chamomile, ginko, comfrey, fennel, thyme, valerian, liquorice, passionflower and grindelia. We cannot cover all of them in detail, but here is more information about a number of them. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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 It is commonly substituted for slippery elm bark in herbal remedies, as elm becomes endangered due to Dutch elm disease. The root and stem yield a fiber that can be used in papermaking. Marshmallow root powder has been used as a binding agent in the manufacture of pills; the root also yields a glue. The oil from the seed can be used to make paints and varnishes.
The peeled root can be given to teething babies for them to chew on (under supervision, of course). The peeled root can also be used as a toothbrush. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 These include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine subtype-specificdrugs,andover-the-counterantihistamines,sedatingantidepressants, antipsychotics, melatonin, and herbal remedies.
Though many of these medications do in fact help people sleep more, people who take sleeping pills say that they feel more satisfied about the extra sleep they get but that the positive effect on their ability to think and function the next day is offset by the long-lasting side effects of the drugs, such as impairments in memory and cognition, so they end up with no lasting benefit. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Smoking causes erectile dysfunction by several mechanisms, and the damage to the nitric oxide mechanism in the penis caused by smoking cannot be completely compensated for by Viagra or herbal remedies.
LM If you are have diabetes, pay close attention to regulating blood sugars. If you have had erectile dysfunction for less than five years, it may possible to restore potency if you make sure sugars never exceed 180 mg/dl, even one to two hours after eating. This means strictly limiting carbohydrates to between one and three exchanges at every meal, and taking every prescribed insulin injection. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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| The herbalist dealt with internal disharmonies and used herbal remedies to treat these imbalances as well as symptoms. Disharmony equally involved the body and the mind so that one internal disharmony could affect all categories of experience. There was no assumption of a split between the mind and the body, as there often is in Western medicine.
HERBAL PERCEPTIONS TODAY
Certain herbs, such as black cohosh, echinacea, garlic, kava, milk thistle, saw palmetto, and St. John's wort, have become popular over the last twenty years but herbal medicine has not. |
Gary Null and Amy McDonald
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 Among the plant-derived and traditional herbal remedies that have been deemed effective against cognitive decline are ginkgo biloba, sage and lemon balm, all of which are described in this article.
Concurrent Administration of Coenzyme Q10 and Alpha-Tocopherol Improves Learning in Aged Mice. McDonald SR; Sohal RS; et al. Forster MJ. Free Radu-cal Biology & Medicine, 2005 March 15, 38(6):729-736.
Administering alpha-tocopherol and coenzyme Q10 (CoQIO) simultaneously appears to be more beneficial against age-related learning difficulties than administration of either substance alone. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 By the middle of the twentieth century, however, herbal remedies were almost completely eclipsed by the development of synthetic "wonder drugs." Scientists learned how to isolate the active ingredients in herbs and patent them as medications like morphine and aspirin. Pharmaceutical companies made huge profits from the sales of their products and used the money in part to fund medical schools that shunned teaching herbalism. Soon herbs—the very source of many of the "legitimate" pharmaceuticals—were ridiculed as ineffective and untested. |
| Too often, doctors are still struggling to understand the basics of herbal remedies. Medical schools typically avoid the subject of herbs in medicine. Pharmacists may understand little or nothing about herbalism, even if they can make the connection between herbs and the active ingredients in many prescription medications.
That means you have to make the connection yourself. Before mixing any herbs with any prescription medication, err on the side of caution. Aggressively go after the facts for yourself, and then go in prepared to ask your doctor questions.
Don't take "no" for an answer. |
| Even if he or she may be suspicious of herbs' long-term health effects, you need to see a doctor or a qualified herbalist who can review the potential interactions and help weed out beneficial herbal remedies from the questionable ones.
Always keep in mind that there may be several different herbal and pharmaceutical remedies to choose from, and seeing how each will interact can offer you some healthful substitutes while enabling you to avoid any toxic reactions. In some cases, you may decide to take a mix of herbs, supplements, and vitamins instead of a drug. |
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. and Alan R. Gaby, M.D.
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 Lack of stomach acid may also impair a person's response to some herbal remedies. A study was performed to determine why some patients respond well to a particular herb, whereas similar patients with the same medical condition fail to improve at all. Analysis of a number of medicinal herbs revealed that many were unable to exert their therapeutic effect until the "active ingredients" were released by the action of gastric juice. Individuals who responded well to herbal medications had more acid and pepsin in their gastric juice, compared with those who did not respond to the herbs. |
| GABY'S COMMENTARY
I^Jatural medicine offers some promising treatments (primarily nutritional supplements and herbal remedies) for both acute and chronic hepatitis.
Nutritional Supplements
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been shown to protect the liver against damage induced by toxins.1 For that reason, vitamin C supplements may be advisable for many different conditions in which the liver is under stress. Perhaps more importantly, vitamin C has an anti-viral effect, which presumably would be useful in the treatment of viral hepatitis. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 The Office of Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, is funding research on herbal remedies. According to an article published in USA Today, nearly 50 million Americans regularly use herbal supplements.
Herbal supplements are not subject to the same standards as are prescription and over-the-counter drugs. This is one of the main criticisms of this type of supplement. Some manufacturers of herbals have been attempting to obtain a kind of certification by using private sector groups, such as the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) (http://www.usp . |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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| The
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Many Chinese patent herbal remedies you fight infection while undergoing tioner for a combination that meets
Acupressure
See pages 668-675 for information treatment.
• Liver 4 is the point for general
• Stomach 36 is a good addition to body's ability to digest food and
Bodywork
Massage
Massage won't cure cancer—and you| but in the midst of conventional therapist can be quite welcoming for a relaxing massage or an invig phatic massage, which breaks up toxirl of caution is in order, however: Do no|t massaged. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Following are some of the ways in which herbal remedies can be used.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts—typically obtained either by steam distillation or cold pressing— from the flowers, leaves, roots, berries, stems, seeds, gums, needles, bark, or resins of numerous plants. They contain natural hormones, vitamins, antibiotics, and antiseptics.
Known also as volatile oils because they evaporate easily in air, essential oils are soluble in vegetable oil, partially soluble in alcohol, and not soluble in water. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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| One doctor, Dioscorides, detailed four hundred herbal remedies in his work De Materia Medica. Another doctor, Galen, expanded upon the body-fluid theories of the Greeks and further encouraged the idea of health as a matter of balance.
As the Romans conquered most of the Middle East and Europe (thanks to the garlic, no doubt), they brought their doctors, their medical treatises, and their remedies with them. By the time the Roman Empire fell, an herbal healing system had been firmly established throughout the continent. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Before administering them, discuss any herbal remedies you wish to use with your health care provider.
Q Because the main component of the herbs meadowsweet and white willow bark are related to aspirin, these should not be given to a child with a fever that may be due to viral illness, including colds, flu, measles, or chickenpox.
Recommendations
Q Be alert for the following warning signs any time your child is recovering from a viral infection such as a cold, the flu, an ear infection, or chickenpox:
• Prolonged and heavy vomiting, followed by drowsiness. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 But some herbal remedies and dietary supplements have shown promise in preventing migraines, too.
RIBOFLAVIN
I've had migraines for many years. I think I've taken every migraine drug on the market and even ended up in the emergency room a few times.
I was finally sent to a neurologist who told me to take vitamin B complex (B-100). I can honestly say I have not had a migraine headache in 2 years. I couldn't believe after so much time taking drugs that all I needed to do was take a vitamin.
Riboflavin, a B vitamin (B2), has been reported to help prevent migraine recurrences. |
| According to a German chart in our house that describes herbal remedies, juniper cures rheumatism, gout, skin disorders, and the common cold, presumably in that order of effectiveness."
—H.H. Stadelmaier, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University whelming. It was as if the floodgates had opened. We heard from people who had been using this remedy for decades. One woman reported that her grandmother had been relying on Certo and grape juice since the 1940s.
• ???? |
Craig Pepin-Donat
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 Natural Health, Natural Medicine: A Comprehensive Manual for Wellness and Self-Care
Andrew Weil, M.D. ISBN: 0-395-49340-4
Publishers Weekly Review: Weil, a believer in alternative, preventive medicine, provides basic fitness information and advises readers on herbal home remedies for common ailments. "Although he is justifiably quick to call certain conditions — chronic fatigue syndrome, candidiasis, hypoglycemia — faddishly inflated in presumed severity and consequences... some of Weil's positions are controversial," said PW.
HerbMed® www.herbmed.org/herbs/herblist. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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| Physicians who scoff at herbal remedies appreciate that this research was published in a highly respected peer-reviewed journal, Obstetrics and Gynecology (May 2005). In one trial, Remifemin was compared to a low-dose transdermal estrogen preparation.740 The treatments were equally effective in reducing hot flashes, and neither one was associated with serious side effects.741
Most reviews suggest that the side effects of black cohosh are infrequent and generally mild—mostly digestive upset with some headache or dizziness reported. |
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. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 You can see what the clear symptoms are, and you can approach this with the herbal remedies or with additional nutritional supplementation. We get a 95 percent success rate in all the animals that try that. You're going to have 5 percent of animals that are going to need medication for the lifetime, either insulin for diabetes or a steroid for an autoimmune problem.
Let me talk briefly about the diabetes. |
Walter Last
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 General Herbal Remedies: A good com-
Herbs
You may benefit from using herbal remedies instead of pharmaceutical drugs. bination to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract is a mixture of chilies and ginger root. Blend or crush both in lemon juice and olive oil and refrigerate, then use this as a salad dressing or for flavoring meals. Use an amount that is hot but not uncomfortable. Gradually increase your intake to just below your tolerance level for several weeks; then you can continue to use it in normal amounts for flavoring your food. |
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