Best Herbal Remedies
Herbs aren't quite mainstream, but they're moving in that direction. Patients are interested in them, and doctors are increasingly familiar with herb research.
Tell your physician about any herbs you plan on using, especially if you're pregnant or nursing, have a chronic medical condition or take medication regularly.Stick to the dose specified in the studies or on the product label. When making teas, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of herb per cup of boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes.
(1) Aloe Vera for Burns ~
For minor burns, snip off a thick leaf and slit it open; scoop out the gel from the inner leaf and apply to the burn.
(2) Boswellia for Arthritis and Joint Injuries ~
Frankincense, aka boswellia, a traditional Ayurvedic medicine for arthritis and joint injuries. In a study published in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Egyptian researchers gave people with osteoarthritis of the knee, boswellia and turmeric, the group showed significantly greater relief from knee swelling.
(3) Chamomile for Digestive Problems ~
Chamomile tea, perhaps the best-known herbal tisane, is widely employed as a digestive remedy. The herb relaxes spasms of the smooth muscles and counters inflammation in the gut lining; it also has antiseptic and vasodilatory effects. Allergic reactions are possible, especially if you're sensitive to ragweed.
(4) Coffee for Athletic Stamina, for Pain Relief & as Decongestant ~
The caffeine in coffee or tea stimulates not only alertness (and jitters and insomnia), but also athletic performance.
Anacin and Excedrin claim that their "extra ingredient" provides greater pain relief. What is it? Caffeine. Adding about 65 milligrams of caffeine to aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen increases pain relief by around 40 percent. Caffeine blocks pain perception, has pain-relieving action, and elevates mood, which also helps minimize pain. Next time you have a headache, wash down your favorite pain pill with coffee or tea for more relief.
In colds, flu and asthma caffeine opens narrowed bronchial tubes. Asthma symptoms were reduced 29 percent for subjects who drank coffee on a regular basis when compared with non-coffee drinkers.
(5) Cranberry for Urinary-Tract Infection ~
Cranberry prevents bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall long enough to cause an infection. Other options are dried cranberries (Craisins) and cranberry-extract capsules, if you drink the juice, you have to drink a lot. It's usually easier to munch on the dried berries or take capsules.
(6) Echinacea for Colds and Flu ~
The root of this daisy-like flower revs up the immune system. Echinacea is available in teas and capsules, though most herbalists prefer tinctures. Liquid echinacea products may cause temporary, harmless numbing or tingling of the tongue; minor stomach upset is possible with tinctures (Herbal tinctures are potent, spirit based, liquid extracts. They are made using fresh plant material and liquid base such as vodka, brandy, vegetable glycerin, or even apple cider vinegar).
(7) Evening Primrose Oil for Lowering Cholesterol & Rheumatoid Arthritis ~
Evening primrose seeds contain an oil with a high concentration of compounds rarely found in plants: essential fatty acids, specifically gamma-linolenic acid. The suggested dose for evening primrose oil starts at 1-gram gelcaps twice or three times a day.
For Rheumatoid Arthritis the EFAs in EPO are also a powerful anti-inflammatory.
(08) Feverfew for Migraine Prevention ~
It is reported to prevents migraines in about two-thirds of those who use it consistently. Dosage is generally 50 to 150 mg per day of powdered leaves.
(9) Flaxseed for Menopausal Discomfort & Osteoporosis ~
flaxseed is rich in phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) that can take the heat out of hot flashes. Because flaxseed is a natural hormone replacement therapy, it also mimics HRT's bone-preserving ability. It decreases bone resorption and calcium excretion, indicating reduced bone loss.
(10) Garlic as an Antibiotic for Cancer Prevention & Cholesterol Control ~
Garlic's antibiotic compound, alliin, which has no medicinal value until the herb is chewed, chopped or crushed. Modern antibiotics are more potent and easier to take (just try chewing a dozen raw cloves), but if you're concerned about ulcers, use more garlic in your diet. Garlic kills H. pylori, the bacteria that cause ulcers. Raw garlic has the most antibiotic potency, but garlic still has benefits when cooked.
Subjects who ate the most garlic had the lowest risk of colon cancer. A few cloves a week cut risk by 32 percent and greater intake decreased risk even more. While fruit and vegetable consumption in general helps prevent cancel in this study, garlic yielded the greatest preventive benefit of all the plant foods analyzed. Other studies have shown that garlic helps lower risk for prostate and bladder cancers.
One-half to one clove of garlic per day reduces cholesterol by 9 percent. If you'd rather not eat fresh garlic every day, garlic supplements, including "deodorized" brands have a similar effect. Garlic can impair blood clotting; if you notice increased bruising, stop taking it.
Ear Ache Remedy: Make garlic oil by slicing a peeled clove of garlic into a small quantity of olive oil. Heat briefly. Cool and strain to remove the chunks. Apply a few drops of warm garlic oil extract into affected ear and seal with a small bit of cotton.
Garlic Compress: Useful for fungal rashes or boils and effective for muscle spasms as well. Boil water, peel and chop several cloves of garlic, add to boiling water, turn off the heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Cool to less than 180 degrees. Soak small soft cloth in the liquid, wring slightly and apply. Cover with a dry towel and leave until the warmth is no longer felt. Replace with new warm cloth and repeat until tingling is detected (about 30 minutes).
Garlic Plaster: Peel and mash several cloves into a paste. Spread onto cheesecloth or muslin, fold to close, apply to skin. This is also useful for fungal rashes or boils.
Garlic Paste: Peel and mash one raw garlic clove. Apply directly to bee stings or other inflamed insect bites or stings.
As a flea, tick and mosquito repellent, garlic protects against diseases caused by these pests.
(11) Ginger for Motion Sickness & Morning Sickness ~
Those who took ginger experienced 72 percent less seasickness. Take a 1-gram capsule of powdered ginger root about an hour before you embark, and another every two hours or as needed (without exceeding 10 grams a day) during a journey, Ginger's only side effect is occasional minor heartburn.
88 percent of pregnant women taking ginger powder (1 gram a day), reported relief.
You may also brew a tea using 2 teaspoons of freshly grated root per cup of boiling water.
(12) Ginkgo for Alzheimer's Disease, for Altitude Sickness, for Mental Acuity, for Erection and Libido Problems & for Anti-Depressant-Induced Sex Problems ~
Ginkgo Improves blood flow around the body--including through the brain, thus retaining more mental function. The herbs significantly improved several measures of memory. Take a standardized extract and take 120 to 240 mg a day. It's safe, but it has anticoagulant properties, so increased bruising is possible.
Traveling from a low elevation up to the mountains often produces symptoms of altitude sickness, such as headache, sluggishness and excessive thirst, due to the decrease in available oxygen. Taking ginkgo (80 mg twice daily), respiratory problems related to altitude sickness was reduced in users.
Gaven ginkgo (209 mg a day) people suffering from antidepressant-induced sex problems, helped 91% of the women and 76% of the men to return to normal sexual function. It also improves blood flow into the genitals, give (60 mg a day).
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(13) Ginseng for Athletic Stamina, for Immune Enhancement, for Diabetes, for Erectile Dysfunction, & for Low Sperm Count ~
With ginseng hearts and lungs worked more efficiently, and stamina increased significantly. Ginseng is safe, but it does have anticoagulant action, so increased bruising is possible.
100 mg a day of ginseng enhanced immune response.
Ginseng also reduces blood-sugar levels.
900 mg three times a day significantly improvement erection.
With only 4 grams a day sperm counts went from an average of 15 million/ml to 29 million/ml.
(14) Goldenseal for Digestive-Tract Infections ~
An herbal antibiotic, is often marketed in combination with echinacea as a treatment for infections, but it is effective only in the digestive tract, not for colds or flu.
The herb inhibited bacterial growth for GI infections with a ulcer, food poisoning, infectious diarrhea, etc.
(15) Hawthorn for Congestive Heart Failure ~
In heart failure, the heart keeps beating, just not as forcefully as it should; people with the condition become exhausted from minor exertion. Many studies show that hawthorn stimulates fatigued hearts to beat more normally
(16) Hibiscus for Hypertension ~
Hibiscus is the trumpet-shaped, tropical flower that puts the color in Red Zinger tea. A report in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that 12 days of drinking hibiscus tea (2 teaspoons per cup of boiling water several times a day) lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 11%.
(17) Horse Chestnut for Varicose Veins ~
50 mg aescin twice a day, standardized horse chestnut seed extract has shown efficacy. Off the tree, horse chestnuts are *poisonous*, but commercial extracts are detoxified and safe.
(18) Horsetail for Skin Healing ~
Before steel wool and abrasive cleansers, this herb helped scour pots and pans. Today it's used to heal the skin. A Spanish study showed that horsetail speeds the healing of wounds; it's also used in skin-care products.
(19) Lavender for Anxiety ~
Lavender flowers are an age-old remedy for anxiety. A bath infused with lavender oil significantly reduced anger, frustration and negativity. Use a handful of lavender flowers or buy lavender oil and add several drops to your bath. Ingesting lavender oil is *toxic* keep it away from children.
(20) Lemon Balm for Relaxation, for Herpes ~
Science has shown that lemon balm is tranquilizing. The herb and its oil have been used in Alzheimer's care units to calm those who are agitated. To decompress after a tough day, try a cup of lemon-balm tea; for extra benefit, mix with chamomile.
It has antiviral action for milder outbreaks that healed faster use a lemon-balm cream.
(21) Licorice for Sore Throat ~
Add a teaspoon of chopped or powdered root to a beverage tea, and feel relief almost immediately. A licorice tea 4 to 6 times a day for seven days, reported significantly less pain on swallowing.
(22) Milk Thistle for Liver Health ~
Silymarin in milk thistle seeds has a remarkable ability to protect the liver. This herb has been shown to help treat hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis, and it's been found more effective than traditional medicine at treating "deathcap" mushroom poisoning.
Because most drugs are metabolized through the liver, many herbalists recommend silymarin for anyone who takes liver-taxing medication.
(23) Papaya for Herniated Disks ~
Papaya has been used by Caribbean Indians to treat skin wounds and infections and by the Japanese to treat digestive disorders. In 1982, the Food and Drug Administration approved injections of the papaya enzyme chymopapain to dissolve cellular debris in herniated or slipped vertebral disks in the back. Allergic reactions are possible.
(24) Peppermint for Indigestion & for Irritable Bowel Syndrome ~
Chewed a sprig of mint after meals to settle the stomach. Twice-daily capsules of enteric-coated peppermint oil (90 mg) and caraway oil (50 mg), another traditional stomach soother. The enteric coating allows the capsules to survive stomach acid and release their oil in the small intestine, where non-heartburn indigestion develops. If you use herbal oils, do not exceed the recommended dose and keep them away from children. You also can brew a peppermint tea, and add a teaspoon of chopped caraway to meals.
It provided benefit for IBS, which involves persistent abdominal cramps, bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea or constipation.
(25) Psyllium for Diarrhea and Constipation ~
A tiny seed that contains mucilage, a soluble fiber that swells on exposure to water. For diarrhea, psyllium can absorb excess fluid in the gut. For constipation, psyllium adds bulk to stool, which presses on the colon wall and triggers the nerves that produce the urge to go. You may find psyllium at health-food stores, but it's easiest to take Metamucil, which is psyllium with flavoring. When using psyllium, drink plenty of water.
(26) Red Pepper for Pain Relief ~
Capsaicin, the compound that gives red pepper (cayenne) its fiery flavor, is a potent topical pain reliever. When rubbed on the skin, it causes mild superficial burning. But that sensation desensitizes nearby pain nerves, and soothes pain in deeper tissues.
(27) St. John's Wort for Depression ~
For mild-to-moderate depression use 600 to 1,800 mg a day (most have used 900 mg a day). Stomach upset is possible and St. John's wort interacts with many drugs, including possibly reducing the effectiveness of birth-control pills
(28) Saw Palmetto for Benign Prostate Enlargement ~
Palmetto extract 32-0 mg is effective for prostate symptoms.
(29) Tea for Heart Health, Cancer Prevention & Bad Breath and Gum Disease ~
Tea, particularly green tea, high in antioxidants, which help prevent heart disease.
Green tea appears to protect against cancers of the colon, rectum, breast and pancreas. Those drinking green tea, as consumption rose, risk fell and in breast cancer, reduced the risk of recurrence.
A cup of tea (black or green), which contains compounds that stop the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath. An added benefit: Tea helps prevent gum disease, the main cause of adult tooth loss.
(30) Tea Tree Oil for Athlete's Foot & for Dandruff ~
Tea tree isn't tea; it's an Australian plant with an antifungal, antiseptic oil.
Apply it with a Q-tip twice a day, athlete's foot contingent were cured.
It's not a miracle cure, but if your dandruff shampoo isn't working as well as you'd like (Dandruff, which is caused by a skin fungus) add a drop or two of tea tree oil each time you shampoo and flaking should reduce.
(31) Turmeric for Arthritis and Joint Injuries ~
Curcumin, the yellow pigment in this Indian spice, is an anti-inflammatory. In combination with boswellia, it treats osteoarthritis. When taking capsules, follow label directions.
(32) Valerian for Insomnia ~
Studies have shown that valerian aids sleep, but it takes a week or more to begin noticing benefit. Also, raw valerian root smells and tastes terrible, so pills are more palatable.
(33) White Willow Bark for Back Pain ~
White willow bark contains salicin, a close chemical relative of aspirin. 240 mg a day of willow bark worked better than conventional therapeutic options. Like aspirin, willow bark can cause stomach distress, and it shouldn't be given to children.
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