Herbal Household Remedies

Via: nbc.com

From prescription drugs to over the counter, it seems a lot of people take something to help them get to sleep.

Many natural food stores promise they have products that will help you get a good night’s rest without the risk of side effects or dependency.

Jennifer Simpson-Green has been using natural sleep aids for more than five years.

She’s a nutritionist and massage therapist at New Life Natural Foods on Washington Road in Augusta.

“I tried everything from melatonin and then I started adding chamomile and passion flower for sedation,” said Green.

Melatonin is a natural chemical our body uses to help us sleep better.

Green said you can use it alone, but she uses Sleep Assure… a natural combination of valerian root, chamomile, passion flower and melatonin.

“Within 15-20 minutes after I take it, you start to feel like you just got done working out and you’re kind of tired and then after that, you realize your mind isn’t racing quite so much,” said Green.

Green said you don’t get that groggy feeling or hangover effect that some sleep aids cause.

She said they can also take a toll on your body.

“A lot of medication has a synthetic base to it and that gets trapped in your lymph system and if your lymph system can’t process naturally then you have a side effect from that,” said Green.

The Lymphatic System helps with removing fluid from the body, circulation and helps with your immune system.

Green said since natural remedies are usually made up of chemicals already in our body, they’re easier to digest.

Doctors say if you’ve been on a sleep medication for a long period of time, you should check with them before going off of it. And you should always consult with your physician to see what works best for you.

See, this is why it is so important to grow your own herbs and not to rely on what you can buy in the store, but to remember Grandma’s old-time remedies and pass the knowledge on down the generations.

Via: Bloomberg.com: Science

By David Olmos

One in five herbal products used in so-called Ayurvedic medicine and sold over the Internet contain harmful levels of toxic metals, a study found.

Herbal pills, powders and liquids are the foundation of Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient system of health care that originated in India. It has become more popular in the U.S. as interest in yoga and alternative medicine has grown.

Almost 21 percent of 193 Ayurvedic products purchased online contained amounts of lead, mercury or arsenic that exceeded one or more U.S. safety standards, according to the research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found. In a finding that surprised the researchers, products manufactured in the U.S. were slightly more likely to contain contaminants than those made in India.

“The take-home message here is that current regulations in our country governing dietary supplements, in general, are inadequate to protect the consumer,” said Robert B. Saper of Boston University School of Medicine, the study’s lead author, said an Aug. 25 interview.

The highest concentrations of metals were found in a type of Ayurvedic product known as “rasa shastra,” in which mercury, lead, zinc and other metals are deliberately combined with herbs to produce a therapeutic effect, Saper said. Rasa shastra products, primarily made in India, were more than twice as likely to contain lead and mercury, the researchers found.

In the worst cases, some rasa shastra medicines from India contained lead and mercury levels that would be 100 to 10,000 times greater than the acceptable limit for a person to ingest,” the authors wrote.

Consumer Recommendation

Based on the findings, Saper said he would recommend that consumers avoid remedies labeled as rasa shastra products.

The report’s authors called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to establish and “strictly enforce” daily dose limits for toxic metals in dietary supplements, and require that suppliers submit to independent, third-party testing of products to ensure quality.

The finding on U.S.-sold herbs was surprising because their sale is generally unregulated in India, Saper said. In the U.S., dietary supplements, such as herbal products, are largely subject to the same regulatory standards as food, not the rigorous scientific testing that applies to prescription or over-the-counter drugs, he said.

Via: islandpacket.com

Diana McCoy never knew misery until she experienced night sweats, one of the dreaded symptoms of menopause.

“I’d wake up in the middle of the night wet with sweat,” said McCoy, who began “the change” at age 51. “It got so bad, I wasn’t sleeping three hours straight. The more sleep I lost, the more stressed I became, which led to more night sweats. It just spiraled until I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

Desperate for relief, she went to see her primary physician, Heather Hutchings, a doctor of osteopathic medicine specializing in women’s health issues. Rather than prescribing hormone replacement therapy, a controversial treatment now believed to increase the risk of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke and heart disease, Hutchings suggested McCoy change her diet, exercise, take an herbal sleep aid and relax.

“A lot of women will suffer through menopause because they’ve heard so many negative things about hormone replacement therapy,” said Hutchings, of Beaufort Memorial Coastal Primary Care in Hardeeville. “They don’t realize there are other options.”

Menopause causes such severe problems for so many women in the Lowcountry, Beaufort Memorial Hospital is bringing an expert from Duke University Medical Center, Dr. Tracy Gaudet, to town to discuss the most successful alternative remedies being used by women today.

Full Report

Via: Evening Sun

Antioxidants are substances that may protect the cells in your body against the effects of free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Antioxidant substances include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.According to the National Cancer Institute, considerable laboratory evidence from chemical, cell culture, and animal studies indicates that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer. The first large randomized trial on antioxidants and cancer risk was the Chinese Cancer Prevention Study, published in 1993. This trial investigated the effect of a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium on cancer in healthy Chinese men and women at high risk for gastric cancer. The study showed a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium significantly reduced incidence of both gastric cancer and cancer overall.

When you think about antioxidants, fruits and vegetables usually come to mind. A study, which appeared in the June 9, 2004, issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, used updated technology to assess the antioxidant content of more than 100 foods, including fruits, vegetables, cereals, breads, nuts, and spices. Cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries were ranked highest among the fruits studied. Beans, artichokes, and Russet potatoes were tops among the vegetables.

But new research shows that herbs and spices also pack a powerful punch when it comes to antioxidants.

A USDA study looked at nearly 40 common herbs and spices to test their antioxidant activity. Oregano emerged as the leader of the pack. Researchers found that oregano has 3 to 20 times more antioxidant activity than the other herbs studied. In fact, it has more than many fruits and vegetables. Oregano has 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and 4 times more than blueberries. But that’s not the only herb or spice that can improve your health. The main ingredient in curry is turmeric, from which a spice called curcumin is derived. Sally Frautschy, Ph.D., a researcher from UCLA who has done extensive testing on curcumin says that “we accidentally found out that it blocks every single step in Alzheimer’s pathogenesis and it kills nearly every cancer cell in the lab.” In India, curry is part of the staple diet; they also have the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the world.

The McCormick Spice Co. has identified their “7 Super Spices” as cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, thyme, red pepper, yellow curry, and ginger due to their health benefits. All seven of these identified spices contain high levels of antioxidants and many of them have additional health benefits, such as the anti-inflammatory capabilities of ginger. The McCormick Web site, www.mccormick.com, is loaded with valuable information about these spices, as well as savory, “spiced up” recipes to try out.

The bottom line is that many foods that are high in antioxidants also taste great. So there is no excuse for not adding them into your diet and reaping the benefits.

Full article and information about the author

Via: NaturalNews

Are you searching for quick ways to improve your concentration and performance? Do you need to stay alert and focused? How about improving your level of performance without caffeine and sugar? To stay alert and smart, your brain needs glucose. But grabbing a sugary snack to improve your mental energy will not work in the long run.

It’s true that eating something that contains sugar will improve your mental performance because of the quick spike of glucose. Eating a candy bar makes us feel great for a short time. But this won’t be effective in the long run.

Why? Because after the quick glucose spike, your glucose level will then drop dramatically and when this happens your brain will lose its ability to concentrate on anything. Often we even lose our will power and common sense and may grab another candy bar to create a defeating cycle.

The key to long term stability is to avoid sugar. When you choose natural snacks instead, your body is able to utilize a slowly released supply of glucose. This will not set us up for that roller coaster of highs and lows.

Full Story

Via: NaturalNews.com

A newly discovered and highly lethal virus strain begins with symptoms similar to that of a cold but can quickly lead to severe respiratory crisis.

“This virus has the capability of causing severe respiratory illness in people of all ages, regardless of their medical condition,” said John Su, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus was discovered by infectious-disease expert David N. Gilbert, who noticed that otherwise healthy patients were being stricken by pneumonia so severe that they would die without oxygen treatment. The dangerous symptoms developed within only one or two days of initial cough and fever symptoms.

Since Gilbert’s discovery of the virus in Portland, Oregon, outbreaks have been identified at military bases in Washington, Texas and South Carolina.

The disease is a variety of adenovirus, the family that includes 51 infectious agents responsible for diseases such as colds, pink eye, bronchitis and the stomach flu. A mutation has apparently occurred in a virus called adenovirus 14, making it much more lethal. In the first outbreak examined by Gilbert, seven of 30 hospitalized patients died.

“That’s an incredibly high mortality rate,” Gilbert said.

Full Story

Via: NaturalNews

Big Pharma is constantly finding new ways to destroy the natural supplements market, in much the same way that the American Medical Association once sought to destroy the chiropractic industry (for which it was later found guilty of conspiracy in U.S. courts, by the way). The latest attack against vitamins comes from an FDA petition filed by Medicure Pharma, Inc., which has astonishingly asked the FDA to ban the sale of Vitamin B6!

Vitamin B6, of course, is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in numerous vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Its natural form is called pyridoxal 5′-phosphate or P5P for short. It’s an essential nutrient for expectant mothers, growing children and anyone who wishes to be healthy. It’s absolutely crucial for healthy blood cell function, and it’s used in over 100 enzymatic reactions involving protein metabolism.

So why would a pharmaceutical company petition the FDA to outlaw the sale of this essential nutrient? It’s simple: Because Big Pharma wants to market its own form of Vitamin B6 and call it a “drug.”

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