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Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Valerian Root - Monograph
Common Name – Valerian Root
Botanical Name – Valeriana Officianalis
Parts Used – Root and Rhizome
Active Constituents – alkaloids, isovaleramide, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), isovaleric aid, sesquiterpenes, flavanones.
So what can Valerian Root be used for?
Valerian root in my opinion is one of the best herbal sedatives. It can be useful in the treatment of anxiety sleep disorders, stress, IBS and also may be helpful for epilepsy sufferers.
Valerian root may also help people to get off of benzodiazepine drugs, but this should only be tried under the supervision of you`r doctor.
How to make valerian root tea - for a strong effective tea I boil one tablespoon of valerian root in one and a half cups of water for five minutes.
I have been told that this is not the proper way to make the tea. But the proper preparation method is to add the herbs to warm water in the morning and let them sit for the day and drunk in the evening.
Valerian Root can also be taken in tincture and pill form (follow the directions on the label)
Contraindications – valerian root has been found to be very safe. It should not be taken before driving or operating heavy machinery. Valerian root should also not be taken consistently for a period longer than six months.
Labels:
Herbal Monographs
Monday, June 13, 2011
Chamomile Tea for Eye Infections
As I have mentioned before I am not at all against using western medicines such as antibiotics and the like when they are necessary. And eye infections are one of those cases where I don't hesitate very long to use a antibiotic topical ointment to get rid of the problem quickly. But this last time that my one year old had a eye infection by the time we went to the doctor and picked up the prescription the eye was already 90% cleared up and the only thing we used was Chamomile tea.
So what happened? On Friday my son woke up with a bit more eye gunk then usual and by Friday night it was already bad. Very clear that he had an eye infection. So on Saturday I started to treat the eye with a strong chamomile tea. Now chamomile tea is very gentle, as one can tell even just by the taste of it. So it doesn't irritate the eye.
Very important note some people are allergic to chamomile!! If you don't know if you, your child or a friend is allergic you can check. Make a strong tea with two tea bags or two teaspoons of loose chamomile, add it to a cup of boiling water and let it steep for five minutes. With a cotton ball put a good amount of the tea on the inside of your elbow, where the skin is sensitive (but it's better than in the eye). If no redness or irritation accurse within an hour you should be fine.
Now beside for being gentle it is also a very effective anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial herb.
So how do you treat an eye infection with chamomile?
You prepare a strong tea as explained above and apply it to the eye with a cotton swab or cotton ball. The thing is that you need to do this about twenty times a day for it to be effective. But it is effective by the time we took our soon to the doctor and got his prescription on Sunday afternoon the swelling had gone down and the fluids had stopped draining. But only because my wife was the number one nurse that put the chamomile in his eye every half hour.
Don't let this replace proper medical care, it is always best to see your family doctor.
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Conditions/Treatments
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.
Labels:
Herbal Monographs
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?
- Helps to lower cholesterol
- Can assist in weight loss
- Boosts energy and mental focus
- Antioxidant
- Anti-inflammatory
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
Labels:
Herbal Monographs
Sunday, June 12, 2011
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.
Labels:
Herbal Monographs
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.
Labels:
Herbal Monographs
Thursday, June 9, 2011
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
Labels:
Herbal Monographs
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