Black cohosh

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Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine See book keywords and concepts

Herbs that can regulate hormone function, such as alfalfa, black cohosh, and red clover, decrease excessive estrogen and adhere to estrogen-receptor-binding sites. Other herbs, such as chaste tree, pulsatilla, wild yam, and evening primrose, increase luteinizing hormone production and inhibit the release of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), thus causing a shift in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone. Additionally, herbs such as bladderwrack, kelp, and Oregon grape balance the endocrine system and improve thyroid function. (See also table 12.3 for supplements for fibrocystic breast disease.

Viral Immunity J. E. Williams, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

These include grapes, legumes, red wine, tea, coffee, and chocolate, as well as commonly used herbs like black cohosh, red raspberry, ginkgo, and chamomile. Though people have used tannins in foods and drinks (we seem to find the tannic taste pleasing) since the time of our ancestors, the scientific study of tannins as nutraceutical medicines is very new. Researchers at the University of Okayama in Japan have investigated tannins and suggest that they are a new class of bioactive substances worth serious study.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

For arthritic conditions, it can be combined with black cohosh and sarsaparilla. Dose: Of the fluid extract, 10-30 drops three times daily. The tea is made by steeping 1 ounce in 1 pint of boiling water, covered. Take lh cup three times daily before meals. Or 1 teaspoon simmered for 10 minutes in 1 cup of water. Take lh cup 20 minutes before meals as a tonic.

Herbal antispasmodics include lobelia, valerian, kava kava, black cohosh, and dong quai. In all cases, it is important to have adequate calcium in the diet since this strongly effects the function of the nervous system and muscles. It is not uncommon to use tranquilization therapy along with stimulant therapy. The tranquilizers will not counteract the stimulants, but will buffer their effects. Blood Purification Most herbalists agree that if one can purify the blood and neutralize excess acidity, all diseases will eventually subside.

Some herbs, such as black cohosh and chaparral, contain substances not readily extracted by water and thus should be taken in pills, capsules or tinctures rather than teas. Alcohol will generally extract all important ingredients from an herb. To make a tincture, combine four ounces of powdered or cut herb with one pint of alcohol such as vodka, brandy, gin or rum. Shake daily, allowing the herbs to extract for about two weeks. Let the herbs settle and pour off the tincture, straining out the powder through a fine cloth or filter.

Other antispasmodics include: dong quai, black cohosh, blue cohosh, skullcap, valerian, kava kava, raspberry leaves and rue. Aphrodisiacs: Substances used to improve sexual potency and power. Aphrodisiacs include: damiana, false unicorn, ginseng, angelica, astragalus, kava kava and burdock. Astringents: Substances that have a constricting or binding effect. They are commonly used to check hemorrhages and secretions, and to treat swollen tonsils and hemorrhoids. The main herbal astringents contain tannins, which are found in most plants, especially in tree barks.

Herbs with strong emmenagogue properties include: pennyroyal, juniper berries, myrrh, black cohosh, rue, angelica and wild ginger. Emollients: Substances that are softening, soothing and protective to the skin. These include: oils of almond, apricot kernel, wheat germ, sesame, olive, linseed and flaxseed, and herbs such as marshmallow, comfrey root, slippery elm and chickweed. Expectorants: Herbs that will assist in expelling mucus from the lungs and throat. Expectorants include: wild cherry bark, coltsfoot, yerba santa, lobelia, mullein, elecampane, horehound and anise.

The Enzyme Cure: How Plant Enzymes Can Help You Relieve 36 Health Problems Lita Lee, Lisa Turner and Burton Goldberg See book keywords and concepts

Estrogen dominance inhibits thyroid function and can result from taking birth control pills, estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), or herbal estrogens such as black cohosh or sage, or exposure to environmental estrogens (see "A Glossary of Hormones"), such as pesticides, which mimic estrogen. ?Synthetic and genetically engineered hormones (estrogen and others) in meat, dairy products, poultry, and eggs. ?Excess intake of unsaturated fats (oils liquid at room temperature, excluding extra virgin olive oil), such as soybean, safflower, canola, corn, fish, flaxseed, borage, and evening primrose.

The Way of Chinese Herbs Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Contraindications: black cohosh should not be used during pregnancy or when measles are fully developed. Dose: 3-9 grams Scrophularia (XUAN SHEN) Radix Scrophulariae ningpoensis Common Name: Scrophularia, Chinese figwort Family: Scrophulariaceae Part Used: Root Energy and Flavors: Cold; bitter, sweet, salty Organ Meridians Affected: Lung, stomach, kidney Properties: Anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antibacterial, antifungal, vasodilator Effects and Indications: Nourishes the yin and relieves irritability and constipation.

Herbal Defense Robyn Landis See book keywords and concepts

Blue cohosh, unlike black cohosh, is not a long-term tonic. But it is a source of hormone precursors and will virtually always initiate menstruation. Capsules are best; blue cohosh's solubility in alcohol for the purpose of tinctures is not great, and as a tea this herb would irritate the throat. Seven to 8 capsules a day appears to be the dose at which most women will begin a period (within days). Pennyroyal leaf is in the mint family and makes a good-tasting tea. It's milder than blue cohosh, but can be taken in capsules also—you might need to take a few more than blue cohosh.

Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine See book keywords and concepts

This supplement contains vitamins C, E, B6, folic acid, selenium, alpha-lipoic acid, boron, tocotrienols, black cohosh, chaste berry, dong quai, gamma-oryzanol, green tea extract, garlic, lactoferrin, and low-temperature isoflavone extracts and phosphogly-colipids from soy. • Gamma-oryzanol, a growth-promoting substance found in most grains, has been isolated from rice bran oil and is used to treat various health conditions, including many menopausal symptoms, particularly in Japan.

The Way of Chinese Herbs Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Contraindications: black cohosh should not be used by those who have full-blown measles or those who are having trouble breathing. It should also not be used by those with excess in the upper regions and deficiency in the lower part of the body.

The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay. See book keywords and concepts

Many extracts made from soybeans, red clover blossoms, black cohosh root, and alfalfa are now commercially available. Do not use excessive doses, and alternate different types. • Use pomegranates on a semiregular basis, because they contain small amounts of estrone, a weak but true estrogen. You can eat the ripe fruit, dried seed, or juice as desired. • Use liver herbs such as dandelion root, bupleurum root, burdock root, and white peony root to improve liver conjugation of estrogen to enhance its elimination from the body. These are also useful for mood swings.

Similar herbs from the West include alfalfa, black cohosh, and red clover blossoms. The piezoelectric shock that occurs during exercise (as a result of compression) has long been thought to stimulate bone growth. It is a well-known fact that athletes and martial artists have stronger bones than less active people. Research has shown up to 20% more bone mineral content in the dominant arm of tennis players. We also know that long periods of bed rest will result in a loss of bone mass. Researchers are developing vibrating devices that will stimulate and help strengthen bones.

If no part is specified, you can assume that we use either multiple parts or the entire plant, as in the case of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). Chinese and Sanskrit names will probably be the most difficult to grasp, so it will help if you apply your knowledge of common name, plant part, and Latin nomenclature to identify herbs. You will then be able to deduce that carthamus flower refers to the flower of Car-thamus tinctorius, also known in Chinese as hong hua. Understanding Herbs by Their Dispensing Forms Herbs come in many different forms.

Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer: A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine See book keywords and concepts

Earth's Harvest makes a great suppository out of vitamin E and black cohosh. Simply insert one before going to bed, as needed. Vitamin E oil can also be used by piercing a capsule and inserting it one to three times weekly, or as needed. Make sure your diet is adequate in essential fatty acids. This is very important in the treatment and prevention of vaginal dryness. HEALING FROM SURGERY AND RADIATION There are two important reasons to assist your body before and after an operation for removal of a cancerous growth, and before and after receiving radiation therapy.

Hormone Deception D. Lindsey Berkson See book keywords and concepts

Try helpful herbs in capsules or teas, such as black cohosh, ginseng, dong quai, licorice, unicorn root, and fennel. • Try natural hormone potentiators, such as products that contain paba, bioflavonoids, and supportive nutrients. • Consider natural progesterone and dhea. Weight Gain and Menopause We live in a society, so they say, where you can never be too rich or too thin. Even if this is true, the average woman still tends to gain five to ten pounds during menopause. A study at mit followed a group of menopausal women who did not change their diet or exercise habits.

The Herbal Drugstore Linda B. White, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

A few practitioners in the United States have completed this course of study. black cohosh and red clover for their beneficial phytoestrogens, compounds capable of evening out the hormonal fluctuations that often precede menopause. Or, if the women in her family have great eyesight into their nineties, but she has a problem with anemia right now, she might want to leave out the bilberry and add yellow dock. She'll also want to take the three antioxidants, get a little bit of iron in her multivitamin, and add a big dose of calcium to prevent osteoporosis.

The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person's Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants Michael T. Murray, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

Angelica and licorice are discussed in Section II (Chapter 2—Angelica Species; Chapter 22—Licorice); a brief discussion of chaste berry and black cohosh is included here. Chaste berry The chaste tree is native to the Mediterranean. Its berries have long been used for female complaints. As its name signifies, chaste berries were used to suppress the libido. Scientific investigation shows that chaste berry has profound effects on pituitary function.4 Its beneficial effects in menopause may be due primarily to an alteration in pituitary function.

The four most useful herbs in the treatment of hot flashes are angelica or Dong quai (Angelica sinensis), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), chaste berry (Vitex agnus-castus), and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa). These herbs have been used historically to lessen a variety of female complaints, including hot flashes. While these herbs may be effective individually, combining them is thought to produce even greater benefit. Most major suppliers of herbal products feature formulas containing these herbs. Use well-respected brands and follow the dosage instructions on the label.

The Enzyme Cure: How Plant Enzymes Can Help You Relieve 36 Health Problems Lita Lee, Lisa Turner and Burton Goldberg See book keywords and concepts

Estrogen Dominance Estrogen dominance means estrogen unbalanced by progesterone, an outcome of low thyroid function, consumption of excess amounts of dietary forms of estrogen (yeast and herbal forms of estrogen such as black cohosh, sage, and pennyroyal), and exposure to or ingestion of estrogen mimics or environmental estrogens. Prescription Drugs The greatest drug-related cause of gallstones is estrogen, both natural and synthetic, including that found in birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy, which is probably why six times as many women as men get gallstones.

Finally, to prevent further skewing of the progesterone-estrogen ratio, sources of estrogen should be avoided, including birth control pills, estrogenic pesticides (which mimic estrogen in the body), and herbs such as black cohosh, sage, and pennyroyal. (See Appendix A.) GALLBLADDER DISORDERS The gallbladder is a small sac-like organ which lies beneath the liver. It stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver. During digestion, the gallbladder contracts and supplies bile to the upper part of the small intestine (the duodenum) to help break down fats.

The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person's Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants Michael T. Murray, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

In addition to exerting vascular effects, black cohosh reduces luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, thus implying a significant estrogenic effect. Remifemin®, a commercial formulation, is the most popular natural alternative to estrogen therapy in Germany.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

Oxytocics include: angelica, black cohosh, blue cohosh, juniper berries, raspberry, rue, squaw-vine, uva ursi and wild ginger. Parasiticides: Substances that destroy parasites in the digestive tract or on the skin. Garlic, rue, thyme oil, cinnamon oil and chaparral are parasiticides. Purgatives: See Laxatives. Rubefacients: Substances that increase the flow of blood at the surface of the skin and produce redness where they are applied. Their function is to draw inflammation and congestions from deeper areas.

Stop the Medicine! A Medical Doctor's Miraculous Recovery with Natural Healing Cynthia A. Foster, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Wild yam, chaste tree berry, blessed thisde, dong quai, black cohosh, and many other herbs help nourish and balance a woman's reproductive organs. The young girls were guinea pigs for a new drug that came out that provided birth control for a few months at a time. It was implanted underneath the skin of their upper, inner arms. There really wasn't much research done on it and after a while, it became apparent that there were a few side effects that had not been mentioned during the supposed clinical trials, like heavy menstrual bleeding and headaches.

The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Andrew Chevallier See book keywords and concepts

Option If arthritis develops during menopause, replace devil's claw with 8 g of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa, p. 78) Herb Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna, p. 66) Remedy Apply belladonna plasters in addition to one of the above remedies. ARTHRITIS ASSOCIATED WITH ACID INDIGESTION OR PEPTIC ULCER Herbs Meadowsweet (Filipcndula ulmaria, p. 96), celery (Apium graveolens, p. 61) Remedy Make an infusion with meadowsweet and drink up to 5 cups a day, or mix 2 parts meadowsweet tincture with 1 part celery tincture and take A tsp with water 2—3 times a day (see General cautions).

Do not take devil's claw, black cohosh, or celery during pregnancy. ARTHRITIS & INFLAMED JOINTS Herb Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens, p. 101) Remedy Take tablets (see General camions). Herb Lemon (Citrus limon, p. 81) Remedy Squeeze the juice from a lemon and drink neat or diluted in water each morning. <3> Herb White willow (Salix alba, p. 128) Remedy Take tablets, or make a decoction using 10 g of root to 750 ml water. Take in 3 doses over 1—2 days as required. ^S> Herbs Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens, p. 101), celery (Apium graveolens, p.

Option black cohosh combines well with helonias. Mix equal parts of each tincture and take 1.5-2 ml with water 3 times a day. depression & decreased vitality Herb St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum, p. 104) Remedy Take Ktsp of tincture with water 3 times a day. Herb Oats (Avena sativa, p. 172) Remedy Eat 25-50 g of oats as a breakfast low sex drive Herb Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis, p. 132) Remedy Soak 5 g (a small handful) of berries in water overnight. Strain the berries and make a decoction with 250 ml of water. Brew for 15 minutes and take the dose each day.

The Natural Pharmacy: Complete Home Reference to Natural Medicine Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC See book keywords and concepts

Standardized black cohosh (Cimicifuga) extract clinical monograph. Quart Rev Nat Med 1998; Summer: 117-25. 2. Foster S. Herbal Renaissance. Salt Lake City: Gibbs-Smith Publisher, 1993: 48-50. 3. Greunwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C, et al. (eds). PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics, 1998, 725-26. 4. Jones TK, Lawson BM. Profound neonatal congestive heart failure caused by maternal consumption of blue cohosh herbal medication. ] Pediatr 1998; 132: 550-52. Blue Flag 1. Ellingwood F. American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 11th ed.

Blue cohosh is not related to black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) (p. 397); however, both herbs are primarily used to treat women's health problems. In What Conditions Might Blue Cohosh Be Supportive? Ranking Health Concerns Other Amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) Menstruation, painful (dysmenorrhea) (p. 61) Historical or Traditional Use Native Americans are believed to have used blue cohosh flowers to induce labor and menstruation.

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