Showing posts with label Herbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Herbs. Show all posts
Friday, May 24, 2013
Friday, April 27, 2012
Benefits of Garlic
A common ingredient for sautéing, garlic is a spice relative of onion, leek, chive and shallots. This is a common staple for many savory dishes. Although popular in the kitchen, the health benefits of garlic have also been recognized and taken advantage of since the ancient times, showing countless individuals the compelling reasons to increase garlic consumption.
Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has many well-known health benefits – the most popular being its anti-infection uses. Skin conditions caused by bacteria, virus, fungi or yeast can be treated by rubbing raw chopped garlic on the affected area.
Garlic is great for boosting the immune system, containing high levels of vitamin C and being identified as a serious anti-cancer food. Because of its high potassium content, it can aid in absorption of essential nutrients, and help avoid digestive problems and fatigue as well. Garlic can also help in lung and throat problems due to its pungent smell. Since consuming garlic can irritate the digestive tract because of its pungent smell, a signal travels to the brain to release watery fluid in the lungs to counter the pungent property, thereby helping clear the lungs out of cough and colds.
Adding more to the benefits of garlic list, garlic’s role in the prevention of cancer is perhaps one of the most notorious. Scientists believe that the exceptional anti-cancer properties may have to do with the way that garlic boosts the production of something known as hydrogen sulfide. It is the hydrogen sulfide production that researchers believe to be why garlic is so effective at preventing a wide variety of cancer including, prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
As an antioxidant, garlic can help protect against free radicals, cancer, high cholesterol, and can be used as one of the many home remedies for high blood pressure. It is said that the older the garlic gets, the more antioxidants properties it contain, and the more effectively it works.
To maximize on the health benefits of garlic, let it sit for a few minutes before cooking. Letting garlic sit helps to release the enzymes that provide more nutrients for the body. Raw garlic can be used to kill bacteria, but cooked garlic has more potency in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Optimally, crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. In addition, never cook garlic at high heat — try consuming it raw or cooked lightly. You can consume the spice both ways.
If you are worried about garlic causing bad breathe, you can counter this by consuming garlic prepared as pills or capsules. If you want to get the health benefits from garlic and stave off the odor a different way, consume garlic with parsley, as the herb counters garlic’s bad smell.
Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has many well-known health benefits – the most popular being its anti-infection uses. Skin conditions caused by bacteria, virus, fungi or yeast can be treated by rubbing raw chopped garlic on the affected area.
Garlic is great for boosting the immune system, containing high levels of vitamin C and being identified as a serious anti-cancer food. Because of its high potassium content, it can aid in absorption of essential nutrients, and help avoid digestive problems and fatigue as well. Garlic can also help in lung and throat problems due to its pungent smell. Since consuming garlic can irritate the digestive tract because of its pungent smell, a signal travels to the brain to release watery fluid in the lungs to counter the pungent property, thereby helping clear the lungs out of cough and colds.
Adding more to the benefits of garlic list, garlic’s role in the prevention of cancer is perhaps one of the most notorious. Scientists believe that the exceptional anti-cancer properties may have to do with the way that garlic boosts the production of something known as hydrogen sulfide. It is the hydrogen sulfide production that researchers believe to be why garlic is so effective at preventing a wide variety of cancer including, prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
As an antioxidant, garlic can help protect against free radicals, cancer, high cholesterol, and can be used as one of the many home remedies for high blood pressure. It is said that the older the garlic gets, the more antioxidants properties it contain, and the more effectively it works.
To maximize on the health benefits of garlic, let it sit for a few minutes before cooking. Letting garlic sit helps to release the enzymes that provide more nutrients for the body. Raw garlic can be used to kill bacteria, but cooked garlic has more potency in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Optimally, crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. In addition, never cook garlic at high heat — try consuming it raw or cooked lightly. You can consume the spice both ways.
If you are worried about garlic causing bad breathe, you can counter this by consuming garlic prepared as pills or capsules. If you want to get the health benefits from garlic and stave off the odor a different way, consume garlic with parsley, as the herb counters garlic’s bad smell.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Licorice Root Kills SARS & Other Lethal Viruses
Licorice has a rich and ancient history of use as a medicine, being rooted in Indian, Chinese, Greek and Egyptian traditions, alike. Technically a legume, related to beans and peas, its sweetness results from the presence of glycyrrhizin, a compound 30-50 times sweeter than sugar. This compound is what gave licorice its name, which derives from the Greek word γλυκύρριζα (glukurrhiza), meaning "sweet” (gluku) “root” (rrhiza). But glycyrrhizin’s properties don’t end with its sweetness; it is also one of the most powerful antiviral compounds ever studied.
A study on glycyrrhizin’s inhibitory activity against SARS-associated coronovirus published in Lancet in June of 2003, received little mainstream media coverage, despite its profound importance to human health. Mind you, only a few months before this the World Health Organization issued a press release (April 16, 2003) stating the recent outbreak of lethal
Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia was caused by the same coronoviruses used in this study. With the world still reeling from global SARS hysteria and “preparedness,” i.e. stockpiling pharmaceuticals like Ribavirin despite their well-known lack of effectiveness, you would think more attention would have been paid to promising research of this kind...
In the groundbreaking Lancet study, titled “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of liquorice roots, and replication of SARS-associated coronavirus,” German researchers summarized their intention in the following manner:
The [recent] outbreak of SARS warrants the search for antiviral compounds to treat the disease. At present time, no specific treatment has been identified for SARS-associated coronavirus infection.
And here is what they found:
We assessed the antiviral potential of ribavirin, 6-azauridine, pyrazofurin, mycophenolic acid, and glycyrrhizin against two clinical isolates of coronavirus (FFM-1 and FFM-2) from patients with SARS admitted to the clinical centre of Frankfurt University, Germany. Of all the compounds, glycyrrhizin was the most active in inhibiting replication of the SARS-associated virus. Our findings suggest that glycyrrhizin should be assessed for treatment of SARS. [emphasis added] View Study Abstract
Licorice’s potent antiviral properties are not limited to SARS-associated coronaviruses, but have also been studied in connection with another epidemic/pandemic capable and potentially lethal virus: influenza.
In an animal study dating all the way back in 1997 and published in the journal Antibacterial Agents and Chemotherapy, titled: “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of licorice roots, reduces morbidity and mortality of mice infected with lethal doses of influenza virus,” researchers found that when mice were administered glycyrrhizin at 10mg/kg body weight (the equivalent of 680 mg for a 150lb adult), they all survived a series of ten 50% lethal injections. The control group, on the other hand, only survived an average of 10.5 days, with no survivors by day 21, the end of the experiment.
Even more remarkable, when the splenic T cells from the glycyrrhizin-treated mice were transferred to mice exposed to the same lethal doses of influenza virus, 100% survived, compared to 0% for the control mice inoculated with naive T cells or splenic B cells and macrophages from glycyrrhizin-treated mice. The researchers discovered that glycyrrhizin’s powerful, life-sparing effects against lethal doses of influenza were a result of the compound increasing interferon gamma production by T cells.
In order to fully understand these findings, we must look at the question of safety first. Licorice is still commonly perceived as a “dangerous herb,” due to its ability to stimulate blood pressure elevations in susceptible individuals when consumed excessively; but considering the relatively higher toxicity of most drugs, this perception must be taken with a grain of sea salt. On the other hand, it is important to exercise caution when using licorice, or any herb, for medicinal purposes, and ideally obtaining the assistance of a medical herbalist who can work with conventional health practitioners, whenever possible.
In the United States glycyrrhizin is still classified as “Generally Recognized As Safe,” when used as a flavoring agent, but not as a sweetener. It has also been removed from most “licorice” candies, substituted with with the similarly-tasting but taxonomically unrelated anise. In the European Union the recommendation is for people to consume no more than 100 mg a day, which is the equivalent of 50 grams of licorice sweets, and in Japan, where glycyrrhizin is often used as a sugar substitute, a recommended limit is set at 200 mg a day. This should give you a sense for what a commonly considered safe, daily dose is, and puts a 600 mg “therapeutic” dose in perspective.
Also, it is important to consider that even when the glycyrrhizin is isolated and concentrated pharmaceutically, its relative toxicity is extraordinarily low, when compared to antiviral drugs like Ribavirin.
According to the federally mandated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by the manufacturers on pharmaceutically extracted glycyrrhizin and the drug Ribavirin, the former is 30 times less toxic than the later (the mouse oral 50% lethal dose is 9818 mg/kg versus 300 mg/kg for Ribavirin). It is important to understand, also, that when complexed in the whole root or powdered root form, glycyrrhizin will be treated differently by the body. It will be released slower, will have naturally occurring factors which may attenuate adverse effects, and therefore should be considered safer than the MSDS on isolated glycyrrhizin reflects.
Consider, also, that glycyrrhizin is much cheaper...
A 200 mg dose of Ribavirin from an online discount pharmacy costs approximately 4 dollars.
Let’s take a 1 pound bag of Frontier brand Licorice sticks, which costs $10, and which contains approximately 7% glycyrrhizin or the equivalent of 13,440 milligrams of glycyrrhizin per pound. This is also the equivalent of sixty-seven 200 mg servings. If I bought sixty-seven 200mg pills of Ribavirin it would cost me 268 dollars. So, that’s 26.8 times the price of the glycyrrhizin found in licorice. In both cases, the natural compound is approximately 30 times less toxic and less expensive, and let us not forget, in the SARS/licorice study, Ribavirin didn’t even work. So, it is potentially infinitely more effective. Hmmm. I wonder which I would choose if faced with an impending pandemic virus? A drug with low availability, exceedingly high costs and toxicity, and which doesn’t work, versus a time-tested, safe, affordable and highly effective herb?
The reason, of course, why licorice will never be used as an FDA-approved medicine is because it would take at least 800 million dollars of upfront capital to fund the preclinical and human clinical studies necessary to get it to that point.
In the meantime, I encourage everyone to immerse themselves in the first-hand research itself, which we have both lovingly and painstakingly gathered on your behalf. Visit the live reference page on Licorice here, or skim through the remarkable research on Licorice’s potential value in 75 conditions below....
A study on glycyrrhizin’s inhibitory activity against SARS-associated coronovirus published in Lancet in June of 2003, received little mainstream media coverage, despite its profound importance to human health. Mind you, only a few months before this the World Health Organization issued a press release (April 16, 2003) stating the recent outbreak of lethal
Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia was caused by the same coronoviruses used in this study. With the world still reeling from global SARS hysteria and “preparedness,” i.e. stockpiling pharmaceuticals like Ribavirin despite their well-known lack of effectiveness, you would think more attention would have been paid to promising research of this kind...
In the groundbreaking Lancet study, titled “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of liquorice roots, and replication of SARS-associated coronavirus,” German researchers summarized their intention in the following manner:
The [recent] outbreak of SARS warrants the search for antiviral compounds to treat the disease. At present time, no specific treatment has been identified for SARS-associated coronavirus infection.
And here is what they found:
We assessed the antiviral potential of ribavirin, 6-azauridine, pyrazofurin, mycophenolic acid, and glycyrrhizin against two clinical isolates of coronavirus (FFM-1 and FFM-2) from patients with SARS admitted to the clinical centre of Frankfurt University, Germany. Of all the compounds, glycyrrhizin was the most active in inhibiting replication of the SARS-associated virus. Our findings suggest that glycyrrhizin should be assessed for treatment of SARS. [emphasis added] View Study Abstract
Licorice’s potent antiviral properties are not limited to SARS-associated coronaviruses, but have also been studied in connection with another epidemic/pandemic capable and potentially lethal virus: influenza.
In an animal study dating all the way back in 1997 and published in the journal Antibacterial Agents and Chemotherapy, titled: “Glycyrrhizin, an active component of licorice roots, reduces morbidity and mortality of mice infected with lethal doses of influenza virus,” researchers found that when mice were administered glycyrrhizin at 10mg/kg body weight (the equivalent of 680 mg for a 150lb adult), they all survived a series of ten 50% lethal injections. The control group, on the other hand, only survived an average of 10.5 days, with no survivors by day 21, the end of the experiment.
Even more remarkable, when the splenic T cells from the glycyrrhizin-treated mice were transferred to mice exposed to the same lethal doses of influenza virus, 100% survived, compared to 0% for the control mice inoculated with naive T cells or splenic B cells and macrophages from glycyrrhizin-treated mice. The researchers discovered that glycyrrhizin’s powerful, life-sparing effects against lethal doses of influenza were a result of the compound increasing interferon gamma production by T cells.
In order to fully understand these findings, we must look at the question of safety first. Licorice is still commonly perceived as a “dangerous herb,” due to its ability to stimulate blood pressure elevations in susceptible individuals when consumed excessively; but considering the relatively higher toxicity of most drugs, this perception must be taken with a grain of sea salt. On the other hand, it is important to exercise caution when using licorice, or any herb, for medicinal purposes, and ideally obtaining the assistance of a medical herbalist who can work with conventional health practitioners, whenever possible.
In the United States glycyrrhizin is still classified as “Generally Recognized As Safe,” when used as a flavoring agent, but not as a sweetener. It has also been removed from most “licorice” candies, substituted with with the similarly-tasting but taxonomically unrelated anise. In the European Union the recommendation is for people to consume no more than 100 mg a day, which is the equivalent of 50 grams of licorice sweets, and in Japan, where glycyrrhizin is often used as a sugar substitute, a recommended limit is set at 200 mg a day. This should give you a sense for what a commonly considered safe, daily dose is, and puts a 600 mg “therapeutic” dose in perspective.
Also, it is important to consider that even when the glycyrrhizin is isolated and concentrated pharmaceutically, its relative toxicity is extraordinarily low, when compared to antiviral drugs like Ribavirin.
According to the federally mandated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by the manufacturers on pharmaceutically extracted glycyrrhizin and the drug Ribavirin, the former is 30 times less toxic than the later (the mouse oral 50% lethal dose is 9818 mg/kg versus 300 mg/kg for Ribavirin). It is important to understand, also, that when complexed in the whole root or powdered root form, glycyrrhizin will be treated differently by the body. It will be released slower, will have naturally occurring factors which may attenuate adverse effects, and therefore should be considered safer than the MSDS on isolated glycyrrhizin reflects.
Consider, also, that glycyrrhizin is much cheaper...
A 200 mg dose of Ribavirin from an online discount pharmacy costs approximately 4 dollars.
Let’s take a 1 pound bag of Frontier brand Licorice sticks, which costs $10, and which contains approximately 7% glycyrrhizin or the equivalent of 13,440 milligrams of glycyrrhizin per pound. This is also the equivalent of sixty-seven 200 mg servings. If I bought sixty-seven 200mg pills of Ribavirin it would cost me 268 dollars. So, that’s 26.8 times the price of the glycyrrhizin found in licorice. In both cases, the natural compound is approximately 30 times less toxic and less expensive, and let us not forget, in the SARS/licorice study, Ribavirin didn’t even work. So, it is potentially infinitely more effective. Hmmm. I wonder which I would choose if faced with an impending pandemic virus? A drug with low availability, exceedingly high costs and toxicity, and which doesn’t work, versus a time-tested, safe, affordable and highly effective herb?
The reason, of course, why licorice will never be used as an FDA-approved medicine is because it would take at least 800 million dollars of upfront capital to fund the preclinical and human clinical studies necessary to get it to that point.
In the meantime, I encourage everyone to immerse themselves in the first-hand research itself, which we have both lovingly and painstakingly gathered on your behalf. Visit the live reference page on Licorice here, or skim through the remarkable research on Licorice’s potential value in 75 conditions below....
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Cayenne Beneficial Properties
Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper
Posted by: Søren Dreier
Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper
What are the health benefits of cayenne pepper? How do cayenne peppers help you, if at all, with your weight loss diet regime?
The purported health benefits of cayenne are almost too unbelieveable, but its reputation keeps growing among medical researchers as well as alternative health afficionados and deservedly so.
It can do everything from kill cancer cells in the prostate, lungs, and pancreas to immediately stop a heart attack within 30 seconds.
Let’s get into some of the specifics of cayenne pepper benefits. Cayenne pepper (or cayanne pepper as it’s sometimes spelled as) increases metabolism by immediately influencing the venous structure.
It is nothing short of amazing with its effects on the circulatory system as it feeds the vital elements into the cell structure of capillaries, veins, arteries and helps adjust blood pressure to normal levels.
Yes, cayenne pepper for high blood pressure is certainly one of its core uses, but cayenne cleans the arteries as well, helping to rid the body of the bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Considering that heart disease is the number one killer in America, this is significant.
Cayenne is also great for the stomach and the intestinal tract. It stimulates the peristaltic motion of the intestines and aids in assimilation and elimination. When taken internally, it warms the body and has even been used by some herbalist doctors to help heal and rebuild flesh due to frostbite.
Not withstanding its hot taste, paradoxically it is actually superb for rebuilding the tissue in the stomach, facilitating healing with stomach and intestinal ulcers. Cayenne pepper for ulcers is not something most would have considered but I can testify to that remarkability capability of cayenne.
Cayenne Pepper and Heart Health
Yes, the effect of cayenne pepper on your body is dramatic, even literally instant and no more so than with the heart. Cayenne pepper’s benefits is one of the things that brought you to this article so now let’s discuss the phenomenal healing properties of cayenne pepper with the human heart.
Dr. John Christopher, the famed natural herbalist, was persecuted relentlessly by the government for his practice of herbal medicine all the while assisting patients in curing heart disease, cancer, tuberculosis, infertility, rheumatism, leukemia, and every other incurable under the sun.
One of his greatest stories in his long career was how he could instantly stop a heart attack if he could get the patient to drink a glass of warm cayenne water. He said, “A teaspoon of cayenne should bring the patient out of the heart attack.”
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Feverfew For Headaches
Close to a billion people around the world suffer from migraines at some point or other in their lives. This neurological condition is characterized by vomiting, severe headaches, nausea and photophobia of varying intensities (sensitivity to any form of light). The resulting pain can last anywhere between one and 72 hours. 75% of migraine sufferers are women. The herb feverfew has been shown to significantly help reduce the occurrence and intensity of these debilitating headaches.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) possesses anti-inflammatory properties, making it an excellent choice for migraine relief. In 1633, John Gerard, and English herbalist, declared that feverfew is 'very good for them that are giddie in the head.' A century later, another herbalist, John Hill, noted that 'in the worst headache, this herb exceeds whatever else is known.'
NOTE: Feverfew is one of the herbal ingredients in Pain Away Which helps relieve pain and inflammation while relaxing the nerves, muscle tension and spasms. If this is going to help, it will do so within just a few minutes. It has literally amazed us time and time again as to just how quickly that pain can be totally gone....does not cure anything, but sure is a pain stopper! Has been very effectively used for tooth aches, sinus headaches, migraines, back aches and more. Can also be applied topically to sore muscles. Contains Feverfew, White Willow bark, Valerian, Licorice root, Oatstraw, Ginkgo Leaf, Hibiscus Flower,
Research has shown that migraines can be caused from the imbalance of use of the right and left brain. We also use an essential oil spritz, or applied topically, which seems to help.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) possesses anti-inflammatory properties, making it an excellent choice for migraine relief. In 1633, John Gerard, and English herbalist, declared that feverfew is 'very good for them that are giddie in the head.' A century later, another herbalist, John Hill, noted that 'in the worst headache, this herb exceeds whatever else is known.'
NOTE: Feverfew is one of the herbal ingredients in Pain Away Which helps relieve pain and inflammation while relaxing the nerves, muscle tension and spasms. If this is going to help, it will do so within just a few minutes. It has literally amazed us time and time again as to just how quickly that pain can be totally gone....does not cure anything, but sure is a pain stopper! Has been very effectively used for tooth aches, sinus headaches, migraines, back aches and more. Can also be applied topically to sore muscles. Contains Feverfew, White Willow bark, Valerian, Licorice root, Oatstraw, Ginkgo Leaf, Hibiscus Flower,
Research has shown that migraines can be caused from the imbalance of use of the right and left brain. We also use an essential oil spritz, or applied topically, which seems to help.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Oregano & Radiation
Oregano was the first plant to regrow after Hiroshima it is a potent antibacterial, antiviral & antifungal plant. It is considered a medicine chest in a bottle and is considered beneficial for:
Acne, Animal bites, Arthritis, Asthma, Athlete's foot, Bad breath, Bed sores and Ulcerations, Bladder Infections, Bromidrosis (foul odor associated with excessive sweating), Boils, Bruises, Burns, Bursitis, Candidacies, Canker sores, Cellulitis, Cold sores, Colds/Flu, Cough, Cryptosporidium, Dandruff and Seborrhea, Diaper rash, Diarrhea, Ear infections, Ebola and Dengue Fever, Eczema, Fingernail fungus, Frostbite and frost burn, Giardiasis, Gum Disease, Food poisoning, Head lice, Headaches, Hepatitis, Impetigo, Irritable Bowel syndrome, Leg cramps, Nail fungus, Paronychia, Peptic ulcer, Pneumonia, Psoriasis, Prostate disorders, Pruritis, Radiation injury/burns, Ringworm, Rosacea, Scabies, Shingles, Sinusitis, Sore throat, Sports injuries, Tick borne illnesses, Thrush, Toothache, Tuberculosis, Varicose veins, Venomous bites, Warts and Wounds
Safe for humans and animals.
Also the herb can be used as a seasoning, tea or blended into an herbal tincture. VERY easy to do. Other beneficial herbs:
Oregano Herb
Turmeric Herb
Acerola Berry (Vit C)
Cilantro
Chlorella
Radiation levels 16 March are showing well below any danger levels. Consistent with radiation from normal sources.
Stress is not good for the immune system. Panic isn't required, only clear thinking. There are many, many natural remedies that help detox heavy metals and help support immune systems. We are not without many options.
Acne, Animal bites, Arthritis, Asthma, Athlete's foot, Bad breath, Bed sores and Ulcerations, Bladder Infections, Bromidrosis (foul odor associated with excessive sweating), Boils, Bruises, Burns, Bursitis, Candidacies, Canker sores, Cellulitis, Cold sores, Colds/Flu, Cough, Cryptosporidium, Dandruff and Seborrhea, Diaper rash, Diarrhea, Ear infections, Ebola and Dengue Fever, Eczema, Fingernail fungus, Frostbite and frost burn, Giardiasis, Gum Disease, Food poisoning, Head lice, Headaches, Hepatitis, Impetigo, Irritable Bowel syndrome, Leg cramps, Nail fungus, Paronychia, Peptic ulcer, Pneumonia, Psoriasis, Prostate disorders, Pruritis, Radiation injury/burns, Ringworm, Rosacea, Scabies, Shingles, Sinusitis, Sore throat, Sports injuries, Tick borne illnesses, Thrush, Toothache, Tuberculosis, Varicose veins, Venomous bites, Warts and Wounds
Safe for humans and animals.
Also the herb can be used as a seasoning, tea or blended into an herbal tincture. VERY easy to do. Other beneficial herbs:
Oregano Herb
Turmeric Herb
Acerola Berry (Vit C)
Cilantro
Chlorella
Radiation levels 16 March are showing well below any danger levels. Consistent with radiation from normal sources.
Stress is not good for the immune system. Panic isn't required, only clear thinking. There are many, many natural remedies that help detox heavy metals and help support immune systems. We are not without many options.
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