Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |  For now, my only real caution is with saint-john's-wort. A few case reports, as well as two controlled clinical trials, indicate that saint-john's-wort can cause breakthrough bleeding and interferes with the metabolism of the hormones in the pill. These observations lead me to think that the effectiveness of oral contraceptives may be reduced when taken in conjunction with saint-john's-wort.16"18 Other speculations have been made about the possibility of other herbs and nutrients interfering with the effectiveness of birth control pills. | | The antiviral activity of saint-john's-wort (Hypericum perforatum) has been demonstrated. Laboratory studies have shown that two constituents in saint-john's-wort, hypericin and pseudohypericin, exhibit strong antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 as well as influenza types A and B, in addition to a virus in the mouth that causes vesicular stomatitis. | | A few case reports, as well as two controlled clinical trials, indicate that saint-john's-wort can cause breakthrough bleeding and interferes with the metabolism of the hormones in the pill. These observations lead me to think that the effectiveness of oral contraceptives may be reduced when taken in conjunction with saint-john's-wort.16"18 Other speculations have been made about the possibility of other herbs and nutrients interfering with the effectiveness of birth control pills. |
Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton
See book keywords and concepts |  Many appear to be very effective, such as ginkgo biloba extract for memory loss and saint-john's-wort for depression. 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. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts | | Laboratory studies have shown that two constituents in saint-john's-wort, hypericin and pseudohypericin, exhibit strong antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 as well as influenza types A and B, in addition to a virus in the mouth that causes vesicular stomatitis.37 Momordica charantia, or bitter melon, has been shown to have antiviral activity against both HSV 1 and 2 such that its effectiveness in vitro is not only greater than acyclovir, but it is also effective against acyclovir-resistant strains. | | These observations lead me to think that the effectiveness of oral contraceptives may be reduced when taken in conjunction with saint-john's-wort.16"18 Other speculations have been made about the possibility of other herbs and nutrients interfering with the effectiveness of birth control pills. However, hypotheses about chaste tree, indole-3-carbinole, soy, dong quai, and others have no documentation to support these concerns.
Side Effects
Many women prefer not to take birth control pills because rhey see them as an unnatural form of birth control. |
Steven V. Joyal
See book keywords and concepts |  Varying levels of success have been found with other interventions, including nutraceuticals (such as saint-john's-wort, L-tryptophan, Ginkgo biloba), light therapy, exercise, stress-management techniques (covered in this chapter), prayer/spiritual guidance, and various mind-body therapies (for example, guided visualization, self-hypnosis, biofeedback). Please see the Suggested Reading List for resources that explore these other strategies for treating depression. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts | | In one observational pilot study, saint-john's-wort standardized extract was given at a dose of 300 mg three times daily.81 Nineteen women with PMS underwent a preliminary screening interview and completed a daily symptom rating for one cycle. After talcing the Saint John's wort for two complete menstrual cycles, daily symptoms were rated again. The degree of improvement in overall premenstrual syndrome scores between baseline and the end of the trial was 51 percent, with more than two-thirds of the sample demonstrating at least a 50 percent decrease in symptom severity. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |  Saint-John's-wort has been shown in numerous studies to be effective for mild to moderate depression.
Super Prescription #4 B-complex
Take a 50 mg B-complex one to two times daily. B vitamins such as B12, folic acid and B6 arc intricately involved in neurotransmitter metabolism. Sublingual B12 and folic acid supplements are useful for seniors or those with absorption difficulties.
Super Prescription #5 Fish oil
Take a product containing a daily dosage of 500 to 1,000 mg of EPA/DHA. Essential fatty acids such as DHA improve neurotransmitter function. | | If you suffer from mild or moderate depression, take saint-john's-wort {Hypericum perforatum). It will lift your mood and help you face your daily challenges. It will also bolster your weakened immune system. Use 300 mg three times daily of a 0.3 percent hypericin extract. Do not take Saint-John 's-wort if you are already on medication for depression or anxiety.
Super green food supplements, such as spirulina, chlorella, or a blend of greens, promote healthful detoxification. Take as directed on the container. | | The side effects of certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that are used to treat cases of major depression—marketed under names such as Prozac, Paxil, or Celexa—may be magnified by saint-john's-wort, a popular herb intended for mild to moderate cases of depression.
But most often, herbs can be an effective complement to conventional therapies. Ginger, for example, has been shown in clinical trials to limit nausea from chemotherapy. | | Instead of an SSRI tranquilizer, for example, you may decide on a mix of DHA, which is included in the omega-3 fatty acids derived from seafood, and vitamin-B complex (containing B12, B6, and B5) along with saint-john's-wort.
In this New World of digital information, millions of people are turning to the World Wide Web to gain an unprecedented education in medicine. Use it to its full advantage, and bring a skeptical attitude to help find the most authoritative answers to your health questions. | | Relieves feelings of depression (e.g., saint-john's-wort). antidote Counteracts the effect of a poison. anti-emetic Prevents vomiting (e.g., ginger). antifungal Destroys or prevents fungal infections. antigalactic Reduces or stops breast milk secretion (e.g., sage). antihelmintic An herb that destroys parasites (e.g., garlic, wormwood, black walnut). anti-inflammatory Reduces inflammation in the body (e.g., licorice root, bromelain, boswellia, white willow, black cohosh). antimicrobial Prevents or destroys microbe (virus, bacteria, fungus, etc.) growth. | | A study suggested that common herbal supplements, such as saint-john's-wort, ginkgo, and echinacea, might adversely affect fertility. Researchers took hamster eggs, removed the outer coating, and exposed the eggs to the herbs. They then mixed in human sperm, which will usually penetrate the egg. At higher dosages, the herbs either impaired or prevented the sperms' ability to penetrate the eggs. High concentrations of Echinacea purpurea interfered with sperm enzymes.
Based on this, some researchers have prematurely concluded that echinacea may interfere with fertility. |
Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton
See book keywords and concepts | | 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. So if your diet is full of nutritionally deficient foods, you will eventually end up paying the price in faulty digestion, poor absorption, intestine infections, bloating, and inflammation. |
Bill Gottlieb
See book keywords and concepts |  And he recommends an herbal supplement: one capsule of saint-john's-wort, three times a day, which he says can help boost mood. saint-john's-wort is available in most health food stores.
"I would suggest eating more foods that are high in protein—things such as turkey, chicken and fish," says Allan Magaziner, D.O., a nutritional medicine specialist and head of the Magaziner Medical Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. "These foods contain high levels of compounds that help produce neurotransmitters, which can elevate mood and increase energy. |
Stephen T., M.D. Sinatra
See book keywords and concepts |  Ginkgo biloba, 40 mg three times daily.
5. saint-john's-wort, 300 mg three times daily. saint-john's-wort is an herbal remedy for depression. Hypericin, the active ingredient, causes an inhibition of serotonin re-uptake. It has been nicknamed "herbal Prozac."
NUTRIENTS FOR THE AGING BRAIN?"I CAN'T REMEMBER . . ."
Although memory loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging, it is a fact that the average brain loses about 10 percent of its mass as we approach our golden years. Many of my older patients tell me, "I can't remember this," or "I can't recall that. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
See book keywords and concepts |  In a study from the University of Salzburg in Austria, 67 percent of people battling SAD felt better after taking saint-john's-wort, compared to only 28 percent taking placebos. This herb appears to be safe and relatively free from side effects. On the downside, an optimal dose has yet to be identified, and there is no assurance of product quality since herbs in the United States are largely unregulated. For those people interested in trying saint-john's-wort, suggested doses range from 300 to 900 milligrams daily. |
Stephen T., M.D. Sinatra
See book keywords and concepts | | Saint-John's-wort, 300 mg three times daily. saint-john's-wort is an herbal remedy for depression. Hypericin, the active ingredient, causes an inhibition of serotonin re-uptake. It has been nicknamed "herbal Prozac."
NUTRIENTS FOR THE AGING BRAIN?"I CAN'T REMEMBER . . ."
Although memory loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging, it is a fact that the average brain loses about 10 percent of its mass as we approach our golden years. Many of my older patients tell me, "I can't remember this," or "I can't recall that." However, memory problems affect all of us. |
Kathi Keville
See book keywords and concepts |  If you are having trouble falling asleep at night or if you wake up too early in the morning and cannot doze off again, try saint-john's-wort to help regulate disturbed sleep patterns. Like passionflower, it adjusts brain chemistry, helping to increase the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for promoting sleep and relaxation, as we know. When taken over a period of many weeks or even months, both of these herbs help people who suffer from chronic insomnia.
In India, gotu kola is taken to overcome insomnia and make one calm for yoga practice and meditation. | | Agrimony, horsetail, yarrow, shepherd's purse, saint-john's-wort and nettles can also be used to reduce bleeding caused by kidney stones.
At least 75 percent of kidney stones are composed of calcium combined with phosphate or oxalic acid. Medical experts believe that these stones result from an accumulation of unused calcium, and lack of exercise is generally thought to be a factor. A study conducted in 1973 showed that cranberries help prevent stones in some people by reducing the excessive amounts of calcium commonly found in the urinary tract. | | These herbs can be taken internally as tinctures or pills. saint-john's-wort can be used externally along with essential oils that reduce inflammation, such as chamomile, marjoram and lavender.
Oats aren't just for breakfast anymore—they're also a great treatment for nerve pain.
I know firsthand the benefits of such herbs. A few years ago, while writing my herb encyclopedia, I began experiencing nerve problems in my shoulders, arms and wrists. | | If varicose veins break, you can cover them with a cold compress of calendula or saint-john's-wort with chamomile and carrot seed essential oils. This will decrease the swelling and pain and will deliver healing factors that help repair the veins.
Varicose Vein/Hemorrhoid Tea
Vi ounce each hawthorn berries and flowers, ginkgo leaves and butcher's broom (ij available)
Hot water (enough to cover herbs)
þV* Combine herbs. Cover with hot water and steep for 5 minutes. Strain and drink. | | However, no cases of human poisoning exist in the scientific literature, and many herbalists use saint-john's-wort extensively—and without complaint from their clients. I have heard a few stories of people—mostly individuals who are HIV-positive—developing a sun sensitivity after taking very large amounts. It is possible that people whose immune systems are compromised are more susceptible to the herb's phototoxic side effects.
In 1989 a controversy developed over psyllium. Fifty-eight people reported allergic reactions from a cereal containing psyllium. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |  Ear Drops (mullein in glycerin, saint-john's-wort oil, garlic oil): instructions same as for Mullein Flower Compound (Eclectic Institute).
Fertility (for women)
Fertile Garden (loranthus, liqustrum, glehnia, cuscuto, pseudostellaria, shatavari, dong quai, white peony, lycium fruit, poria ashwagandha, melia, baked licorice, placenta): three tablets two to three times daily but not during a menstrual period (Health Concerns).
Fever
Elder flowers and peppermint in equal parts or chamomile and yarrow in equal parts, as tea. | | Immunoplex 7 (jalapeno, capsicum, saint-john's-wort): maximum dose, determined by digestive tolerance (Herb Technology/Khalsa Health Center). Enhance (gano-derma, isatis extract, and twenty-eight other Chinese herbs) along with Clear Heat (isatis extract and eight other Chinese herbs): protocol ayailable to your health practitioner from Health Concerns.
Immune Enhancing
Astra 8 (astragalus, codonopis, ligustrum, licorice, ganoderma, atractylodes, eleuthero ginseng, schizandra): two to three capsules twice a day between meals (Health Concerns). |
Bill Gottlieb
See book keywords and concepts | | Traditionally used as a muscle relaxant to relieve menstrual problems, as a mild tranquilizer and as a treatment for depression and insomnia, saint-john's-wort now also shows promise as a treatment for nervousness and anxiety. Active compounds in the herb appear to function as MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors. An excess of MAO is a possible cause of depression.
Valerian. Studies show that this herb is a safe, effective alternative to prescription sleeping pills and tranquilizers. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
See book keywords and concepts | | For those people interested in trying saint-john's-wort, suggested doses range from 300 to 900 milligrams daily. Always discuss taking the herb with your physician, especially if you are already taking a mood-elevating medication.
Vitamin E: Back in the 1980s, a researcher at the Division of Reproductive Medicine at North Charles General Hospital in Baltimore reported that up to 300 IU of vitamin E daily reduced some symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including depression, irritability, and tension. Subsequent research has not supported these early claims. |
Bill Gottlieb
See book keywords and concepts | | To make a medicinal tea using saint-john's-wort (which you can find in most health food stores), Dr. Tyler says to pour one cup of boiling water over one to two heaping teaspoons of the dried herb. Allow the mixture to steep for ten minutes, strain out the dried herb, let the tea cool to a drinkable temperature, then drink a cup or two daily, he suggests.
Results are gradual, says Dr. Tyler; it may take four to six weeks before you notice a positive change in your mood. |
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