Saw Palmetto - Monograph

Common Name – Saw Palmetto

Botanical Name – Serenoa

Parts Used – Fruits

Active Constituents – Fatty acids; caproic, lauric, palmitic, Polysaccharides; galactose, arabinose, uronic acid and Sterols.

So what is saw palmetto good for?

Therapeudic properties of Saw Palmetto - Diuretic, urinary antiseptic, endocrine agent.

BPH is believed to be caused by testosterone accumulation in the prostate. The testosterone is then turned into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which then causes the cells to multiply leading to the enlargement of the prostate. Saw palmetto prevents testosterone from converting to DHT. It also increases DHT's breakdown and excretion.

Dosage:

320 mg per day of saw palmetto herbal extract in capsules or tablets is recommended for early stages of BPH - which are rich in fatty acids, sterols, and esters. It may take about 6 weeks to see results with BPH.

The dry fruit can also be crushed and taken as a tea. This is weaker than the herbal extract so 5-6 grams should be taken per day.

Liquid extracts of the whole herb at 30 drops three times per day may also be effective.

Tea: put one teaspoonful of the crushed berries in a cup of water, bring to the boil simmer gently for 5 minutes and strain out the used herbs. This should be drunk three times a day.

Contraindications – Saw Palmetto is considered to be safe and has no contraindications.

Yerba Mate – Monogragh

Common Name – Yerba Mate

Botanical Name – Llex Paraguariensis

Parts Used – Leave and twigs

Active Constituents – Xanthines: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. Minerals: potassium, magnesium and manganese.

So what is Yerba Mate good for?

1. Helps to lower cholesterol
   
2. Can assist in weight loss
   
3. Boosts energy and mental focus
   
4. Antioxidant
   
5. Anti-inflammatory
   

Yerba mate can be just as good as coffee to give you that caffeine boost but it has been found to be easier on the body then coffee.

Antioxidants found in yerba mate are anti-carcinogenic which means they can help to prevent cancer.

Yerba mate can be beneficial to anyone suffering from lipid unbalance and inflammation problems.

Yerba mate tea has been shown to lessen tendency to obesity due to a high starch diet.

How to prepare Yerba mate tea – add one heaping tablespoon of the dry herb to a cup of hot water and let it steep for five minutes. Strain out the used herb and enjoy.

Contraindications – people with high blood pressure should not drink yerba mate. People taking MAO inhibitors should not drink yerba mate. Yerba matte should not be consumed excessively

Black Cohosh – Monograph

Common Name – Black Cohosh

Botanical Name - Cimicifuga racemosa

Parts Used – Root

Active Constituents - Triterpene glycosides (e.g., acetin and cimicifugoside) and isoflavones (e.g., formononetin). Other constituents include aromatic acids, tannins, resins, fatty acids, starches, and sugars.

So what is Black Cohosh good for?

Black Cohosh can be helpful for women suffering from Menopause, painful menstruation and uterine spasms.

Formononetin is the active phytochemical in the herb that binds to estrogen receptor sites, creating an estrogen-like activity in the body. As a woman approaches menopause, the signals between the ovaries and pituitary gland diminish, slowing down estrogen production and increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) secretions. Hot flashes are the result of these hormonal changes. Clinical studies from have demonstrated that an alcohol extract of black Cohosh decreases LH secretions in menopausal women.

The use of the herb for painful menstruation has not been proven.

Dosage

Tincture – 30-40 drops three times a day

Powder Extract – 250mg three times a day

Standardized extract – as directed on label

Contraindications – Black Cohosh should not be taken by pregnant or lactating women as well as women going through any estrogen related therapies.

Milk Thistle – Monograph

Common Name – Milk Thistle

Botanical Name – Silybum Marianum

Parts Used – Seeds and Leaves

Active Constituents – A bioflavonoid called Silymarin is what gives the plant is therapeutic abilities. Silymarin is made up of silibinin, silidianin, and silicristin. Silibinin is the most active and is largely responsible for the benefits attributed to silymarin.

So what is Milk Thistle good for?

Milk thistle is believed to keep the liver cells healthy by blocking the entrance of harmful toxins and also helping to remove these toxins from the liver cells. Silymarin is a powerful antioxidant as well. Milk thistle also helps to regenerates injured liver cells.

The leaves of milk thistle are used for common stomach problems like lack of appetite and dyspepsia. The seeds of the plant are used for liver, gallbladder, and spleen problems as well as for jaundice and gallstone colic.

A recent study has found that milk thistle may offer some protection against the toxic side effects of the common painkiller acetaminophen.

Milk Thistle may also help nursing mothers to produce more milk.

People who suffer from liver disease and impaired liver function should take 420 mg of silimarin per day from an herbal extract of milk thistle standardized to 70-80% silymarin content. Improvement should be noted in about 8 to 12 weeks. When that occurs, reduce to intake to 280 mg of silymarin per day. The lower amount also may be used for preventive measures. Milk thistle seeds can be ground and eaten or made into a tea but for the treatment of liver problems a standardized extract is best.

Contraindication – Milk Thistle has been found to be very safe and can be taken even by pregnant and lactating women.

Shepherds Purse – Capsella Bursa-pastoris – Monograph

Common Name – Shepherds Purse

Botanical Name – Capsella Bursa-pastoris

Parts Used – Aerial parts

Active Constituents - Flavonoids; luteolin-7-rutinoside and quercitin-3-rutinoside, Polypeptides, Plant acids; fumaric and bursic acids, Bases; choline, acetylcholine, histamine, tyramine.

Properties - Astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, detergent, vulnerary, styptic.

What can it be used for?

Can be taken internally for – water retention, nosebleeds, internal hemorrhages, stimulation of the menstrual process and excess menstrual flow.

Can be used topically for minor wounds.

Dosage

Tea – three cups a day

Tincture – thirty drops three times a day

Treating Heartburn with Herbs

For some people heartburn is an everyday bother. Some people may suffer from heartburn after every meal or even all day long. From my experience you can see clearly why these people have heart burn.

Heartburn is actually not in the heart it is really in the stomach. It is caused by excess stomach acids that enter the esophagus which is the food pipe.

What causes the secretion of excess stomach acids?

1. Fatty foods
   
2. Cigarette smocking
   
3. Alcohol consumption
   
4. Stress
   
5. Spicy foods
   
6. Bacteria Helicobacter florae
   
7. Coffee and tea
   

If you can think of someone you know that suffers regularly from heartburn chance are that you will see that two or more from the list above are part of his daily life.

What can we do using natural medicine to treat heartburn?

Here is a list of foods that lower the acidity of the stomach.

1. Cucumbers
   
2. Lettuce
   
3. Almonds
   
4. Oats
   
5. Carrot juice
   
6. Fresh lemon juice(try it and see)
   

Here is a list of herbs that help to lower the acidity of the stomach.

1. Meadowsweet
   
2. Chamomile
   
3. Licorice root
   
4. Marshmallow
   
5. Slippery elm
   

Important supplements that help to keep stomach acids regulated.

1. Probiotics
   
2. Papaya enzymes
   

Heartburn tea:

1 teaspoon each – chamomile, meadowsweet, licorice root and lemon balm

Pour two cups of boiling water over the herbs and let steep for five minutes, strain out the used herbs and enjoy.

So if you or someone you know suffers from heartburn, get some herbs take care and feel better.


 

 

How to Treat Acne Using Natural Medicine

In my experience I have successfully treated quit a few cases of acne using natural medicine. Like all things it requires a large effort from the client. The difference is that with acne most of the clients are teenagers and have more of a hard time following through. But none the less the majority of them really want to have clear skin so they are that leverage on themselves to follow through.

Ok so let's get right into it, how can we use natural medicine to treat acne? Well first off if you have a clean body on the inside then you will also have a clean body on the inside and that works the other way around as well. Think about it if you eat fried eggs and onions for breakfast, hamburger and fries for lunch and pizza for dinner. The chances that you are going to break out with some serious acne are pretty high.

In compression if you eat a bowl of granola with cut up fruit for breakfast, a vegetable salad with a grilled piece of chicken breast for lunch and sweet potato soup with brown rice for dinner. You body will much cleaner inside and out.

But what else can be done to treat acne?

First we need to give an explanation of what acne is and what causes acne. Take a look at this informative video.

 
Now we know what we are up against. Acne is caused by an over production of sebum due to hormonal unbalance during puberty. The pore that the sebum travels through to the surface of the skin then becomes clogged, infected due to build up of bacteria and then inflamed.

So treating acne we need to focus on 5 things:

1. Healthy cleansing diet
   
2. Keeping the skin surface as clean as possible to prevent clogging og the pores
   
3. Keeping the hormones as balanced as possible
   
4. Keeping the bacteria in check to prevent build up
   
5. Keeping the inflammation at a minimum
   

Now there is one more point that needs attention when treating acne and that is to help promote the healing of the skin from pimples that have popped.

Eating a healthy diet we already touched upon.

Keeping the skin surface clean. The skin should be washed at least two times a day.

Keeping the hormones as balanced as possible. When you eat a healthier diet it will on its own help to keep the hormones more in balance. Also increasing you intake of omega 3 fatty acids can help to also balance the hormone levels and also keep the skin healthier.

Keeping the bacteria in check to prevent build up and keeping inflammation down can both be achieved through a herbal face wash. A face wash containing herbs that have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties should be applied to the skin twice a day after washing.

So in short lets sum it all up:

1. Eat healthy
   
2. Take omega 3
   
3. Wash your face twice a day
   
4. Make a tea out of sage leaf, lavender flowers, and chamomile and rinse your face with it after every washing
   
5. Also taking a beta carotene supplement could be very helpful. Do not take beta carotene if you smoke cigarettes!
   

Be Well