Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 In late summer, it produces tiny fruits, which are picked before they have ripened for use in herbal preparations. Native to North Africa, khella appeared in Egyptian medicine as much as 4,000 years ago in formulas to treat kidney stones.
EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT
Khella combats spasms in the smooth muscles that line the walls of blood vessels, bronchial airways, and other tubes and ducts, making it useful in the treatment of angina, asthma, atherosclerosis, and kidney stones. It also improves circulation in the heart muscle and gives a mild boost to the heart's pumping action. |
Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC
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 Ephedra sinica, also known as ma huang, continues to be a component of traditional herbal preparations for asthma, often in amounts of 1-2 grams of the herb per day.
Traditionally, herbs that have a soothing action on bronchioles are also used for asthma. These would include marshmallow (p. 444), mullein (p. 446), and licorice (p. 440).
Ginkgo (p. 427) extracts have been considered a potential therapy for asthma for some time. This is because the extracts block the action of platelet-activating factor (PAF), a compound the body produces that in part causes asthma symptoms. |
The Complete Book of Alternative NutritionSelene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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| Ayurvedic treatment includes a vata-pacifying diet along with herbal preparations.
Colds. These are primarily kapha disorders, says Dr. Frawley. "The treatment diet should be kapha-pacifying, with an emphasis on light, warm and simple foods, like steamed vegetables and grains."
Cough. Coughing is typically a kapha condition, characterized by mucus and heaviness in the chest. It can also be pitta, which is marked by yellow phlegm and a burning sensation in the chest, or vata, which is dry with little or no expectoration, says Dr. Frawley. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 Lloyd proceeded to develop elaborate herbal preparations which were concentrated, semi-purified liquids. He also called these 'specific medicines' and they were widely adopted by Eclectic practitioners. However, in the early 20th century, English herbalists aligned themselves with the American physiomedicalists because specific medicines proved too costly to import from America.
Lloyd sometimes used solvents other than ethanol and water in the preparation of his specific medicines.13 His methods were kept secret and even today are not widely known. |
Dr. Gary Null
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 For this reason we prefer to use herbal preparations. It has been established that herbal treatments, especially with artemisia and citrus seed extract, are very effective. There are a lot of herbal combinations, some developed by leading protozotologists Dr. Buena and Dr. Parish, which have excellent results."
The following herbs should be considered in parasite-prevention or treatment programs:
Garlic. Garlic has the ability to kill most types of parasites, as well as fungi, microbacteria, and viruses. Eat raw garlic daily, or buy an odorless supplement in the health food store. |
James Green
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 To manifest high-quality, health-pumping herbal preparations, you can take this plant lore in hand, make your own preparations, and thereby liberate yourself, your family, your community, and your monetary resources from dependence on others. Why pay others to frolic in the luscious gardens of Earth, picking flowers and enjoying themselves making herbal products? You can do all that frolicking, immersing yourself in wondrous herbal beauty, and uplifting your mind and spirit. Making your own herbal medicine both enhances your happiness and boosts your immune system. |
| And the herbal preparations you make can be every bit as excellent as those you bring home from the store. Actually they will be better, profoundly better; this I can also promise you. Ralph Waldo Emerson, another born-again herbalist, expressed similar feelings, "When I go into my garden with a spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have been doing with my own hands." I always suspected that Waldo was in the garden. |
| They are quite irritating to the healthy flow of a human being's life force, and in my opinion the complexity of their by-products renders them a forbidding conundrum for use in creating kindly internal and external herbal preparations. Sufficient to say for this manual, further discussion of these toxic substances draws to a close here. The original liquid seven, however, will receive a predominance of our focus, for they in the hands of the herbalist are the prime shakers and movers of the act of herbal extraction. |
| Make with them those herbal preparations that help nourish their bodies and minds and soothe their afflictions, further assisting them to focus attention on ad that feels good in their hfe. Remember, health is simply feeling good.
"And, as herbalists, whenever possible show these wonderful people to the gardens, to the fields and other places where plants live, for the companionship of living plants is truly the highest level, the premier expression of herbal medicine. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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 He observes that "considerable modern research has proven the efficacy of Ayurvedic herbal preparations and research has now moved to elucidating their mechanisms and sites of action."14 In Dr. Sodhi's opinion, combining modern medical diagnostic procedures with traditional methods makes for more effective use of Ayurvedic treatments.
Groups outside of the Ayurvedic community have also taken steps to recognize this established healing tradition. |
| But when the delicate balance is disturbed, the
RESEARCH SHOWS THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF AYURVEDIC TREATMENT
An increasing number of clinical studies are verifying the efficacy of Ayurvedic medicine, particularly herbal preparations, as modern science catches up with this ancient healing tradition.
• The powdered bark of the Terminalia arjuna tree has antioxidant (free-radical scavenging) properties comparable to vitamin E.-
• A number of Ayurvedic herbs and dried fruits, such as ginger and Prunus amygdalus, have shown the ability to stimulate the immune system. |
| The demand for natural medicines has grown significantly, to the point that herbal preparations are now available in supermarkets, drugstores, and other large retail outlets. According to a 1999 survey, about 48% of adult Americans had used herbs within the previous year and 24% admit to using herbs regularly.
Where to Find Help
One of the major problems in the U.S. is the lack of a regulatory system that allows the therapeutic benefits to be put onto the label of herbal products. |
| In addition, many herbal preparations such as echinacea not only enhance the immune system, but also act as antimicrobials, killing bacteria and viruses. In most cases, he feels that antibiotics are not required. Consult a physician regarding the instances in which an antibiotic may be indicated. gjjixflij A high fever can cause severe brain damage. Check with your doctor before deciding how best to respond to a fever.
• Homeopathy—According to Dr. Moskowitz, producing a fever is one of the signs of a healthy child. |
| Sodhi also recommends several herbal preparations for diabetics. "The Indian herb Gymnema sylvestre stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin and also blocks sugar absorption from the gut. Bitter melon and neem lower blood sugar, stimulate the pancreas, and also act as liver tonics. A liver tonic is needed, because if the liver is not cleansed, diabetics tend to form gallstones," he says.
Exercise is another key factor, notes Dr. Sodhi, especially for Type II diabetics. He adds that chromium and nutritional supplements are also necessary, as in other forms of diabetic treatment. Dr. |
Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC
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| Other topical herbal preparations to consider based on traditional herbal medicine are chamomile (p. 409), calendula (p. 406), and chickweed (p. 411) creams. Chamomile and calendula have antiinflammatory properties, while chickweed is historically used to reduce itching. Research studies have not documented the efficacy of creams of any of these three herbs for people with eczema.
Although burdock (p. 405) root is listed in traditional herbal books for the treatment of eczema, there is little evidence to support its use for this condition. |
Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien
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 See appendix A for books that provide more details on making your own tinctures and other herbal preparations.
To extract an herb with high levels of compounds that are not water soluble, manufacturers use more alcohol, up to 80 percent (160 proof!). About 25 percent alcohol is necessary to prevent an extract from spoiling, but the alcohol content in extracts varies from 25 percent up to 80 percent alcohol, depending on the requirements of the herb being extracted. |
Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D.
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 Nausea: The use of this blend to treat nausea is somewhat unique among herbal preparations. The basic rule of thumb, developed over hundreds of case studies and experiments, is "Use enough that you experience a Ginger aftertaste like a mild burning sensation in the throat and/or stomach." That might be two capsules, like before a road, plane or boat trip, or a dozen capsules, as during a case of stomach flu. |
Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common AilmentsRobert M. Giller, M.D.
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| There are herbal preparations that have been shown to be helpful in fighting protozoa disease. Available in health food stores, they contain the herbal bitter wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Follow the directions on the package. psoriasis psoriasis is a skin disorder characterized by red patches covered by silvery white scales, which can develop almost anywhere on the body, from the scalp down to the soles of the feet. These patches may itch and be quite uncomfortable as well as be a cosmetic embarrassment. |
Ralph W. Moss PhD
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 Of all the non-toxic herbal preparations, Curaderm is among the best understood and designed. It contains solasodine glycosides, which are found in plants of the nightshade family, including tomato, potato and eggplant (aubergine). In fact, there are more of these chemicals in a serving of eggplant than in an application of Curaderm. The main difference is that these chemicals are purified and concentrated in the medicinal formula (66).
The inventor and main proponent is Australian biochemist Dr. B.E. |
| The work on Carnivora is impressive compared to most other herbal preparations. However, in the spirit of friendly skepticism, I would point out some deficiencies. - The first of these is that most of what we know comes from the Carnivora company itself, of which Keller is apparently the principal owner. Some of these studies were submitted to German government regulatory agencies and formed the basis of its approval for patients with terminal disease. I would feel far more comfortable if these papers were published in peer-reviewed, Medline journals. |
Donald R. Yance, j r.,C.N., M.H., A.H.G., with Arlene Valentine
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 I have found the fluid extract to be more effective overall than the standardized herbal preparations on the market. The extract has another advantage in that it can be combined with other pain-relieving herbs or herbal sedatives, such as passionflower and valerian, to help induce a restful sleep.
Dose: 30 to 60 drops in hot water or a tea made of chamomile and lemon balm, twenty to thirty minutes before bed.
• Lapacho is an analgesic that also possesses antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antifungal properties. |
Robyn Landis
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 Bitter herbal preparations usually contain alkaloids and glycosides as components. These medicines are cleansing and can remove toxins from the blood. Many pharmaceutical drugs that have been created from herbs come from this bitter category, such as digitalis from foxglove. The king of the bitter herbs is turmeric (the herb that gives the yellow color to curry). Turmeric has wide use in Ayurveda, as we will discuss. Bitter herbs are usually cooling and drying. |
| So what's the difference between drugs and herbal preparations? People are often curious about what makes herbs more desirable to use for health and healing than drugs. There are several important reasons why herbs are a healthier and more sensible choice for treating many health conditions, and for enhancing existing health.
Our Bodies Know and Understand Herbs
One of the great advantages of herbs is that our bodies know what to do with them. |
| There doctors routinely prescribe herbal preparations for insomnia, colds, heart problems, constipation, depression, and more. Top-selling medicines in Europe include echinacea, hawthorn berry, St. John's wort, and ginkgo biloba (all herbs we will discuss later). Germany in particular leads the way with research and regulation as well as usage. As Dr. Andrew Weil points out:
Germany is way ahead of us. There are many German pharmaceutical companies that make high quality, standardized, stable products. The government has worked out a system of regulations and standardization.... |
| Tinctures
Tinctures are liquid herbal preparations that have a much longer shelf life than teas. In a tincture, there is a base liquid used specifically for its abilities to preserve the herb and its components, retard spoilage, and draw out the active ingredients.
Tinctures are less expensive than capsules, yet still ttavel well. They are fast acting, easily swallowed and digested, and never lose potency. However, they may taste bad, often contain alcohol, all of the active ingredients may not be extracted, and the whole herb is not used. |
John Heinerman
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 A Spice of Life Laxative
Many of today's herbal preparations sold in health food stores nationwide, rely mostly on standard ingredients like cascara sagrada, senna or rhubarb root to get the job done. While all of these are excellent laxatives, they can be habit-forming and harsh in their actions if used too often by the elderly.
One particular herb product, however, is unique from the rest of the natural laxatives in this respect: it does not contain any of these traditional herbal laxatives. Rather, instead, it relies solely upon spices to get the job done. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 Licorice is included in many herbal preparations designed for women. Caution: Licorice can cause a rise in blood pressure and should not be used by women who have been diagnosed with high blood I pressure, or who have borderline high blood pressure.
Dong quai—Dong quai has been called nature's gift to women. It is an all-purpose herb grown in China, where it has traditionally been used for a wide range of female complaints. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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| Additionally, herbal preparations will adhere to the tumor cell surface, making it easier for the lymphocytes to attach and destroy the cell. Certain components of herbal medicines will also enter the tumor cell to disrupt its function, making it more vulnerable to destruction by the immune system."
JjpflfllJ Consult your physician immediately if you suspect you may have cancer. |
Zorba Paster, M.D. and Susan Meltsner
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 If you're taking drugs prescribed for you by another doctor, over-the-counter medication, pills left over from a prescription written for your sister, even herbal preparations such as St. John's wort or ginkgo biloba, be sure to share this information with the physician who's treating you.
• Consider medical alert jewelry if you are allergic to certain classes of medicine—sulfa or penicillin-type drugs.
• Educate yourself, especially if you will be using a relatively new product. Find out what side effects to look for. Utilize the drug-information sheets every pharmacy should give. |
Barrie R Cassileth, Ph.D.
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 Most drugs in Chinese medicine are time-honored herbal preparations, part of an herbal formulary developed over the centuries. In addition to its more than 3,000 herbs, the formulary also includes animal and mineral ingredients. Remedies are applied to treat a spectrum of ailments, from self-limiting illnesses and minor pains to major diseases such as cancer.
Herbs and their effects are described using the language of Chinese medicine. That is, they are classified by their effects on qi, balance, and the five elements (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood). |
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