Use these 5 powerful herbs to boost your immune system

It’s good to know more about simple herbs to protect us against infections as well as cure us from infections and disease. Some herbs can be consumed directly; some need to be made into teas or tinctures, while others are offered as essential oils or in capsules as supplements. Here are five choices linked to articles explaining in greater detail.

Garlic

This one is easy to use with food on a daily basis. The technical botanical term for garlic is Allium sativa. It has been used throughout history as an antibiotic. Russians have used it so often that they consider it Russian penicillin.

Recent research has discovered that it also boosts all other antioxidant activity in one’s body.

Garlic’s broad antimicrobial spectrum incorporates antifungal, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan, and antiviral attributes in one food source. Garlic is most potent chewed or crushed raw.

Cat’s claw

The best cat’s claw comes from Peru. Avoid Northern Mexico-Southern Texas cat’s claw. It lacks efficacy and is potentially poisonous. The Spanish name is una de gato. Scientifically it’s known as Uncaria tomentosa.

Cat’s claw has come into research prominence since the 1970s after centuries of use by Peruvian Indians for a wide variety of ailments.

Cat’s claw has been discovered to have anti-cancer properties that can be added to other natural cancer therapies .

Clove

Clove’s healing properties go beyond its popular use as an analgesic applied to gums for toothache pain. It is antifungal, antiviral, and antibiotic. It can handle some bacterial strains that medical antibiotics can’t touch.

It’s the main component of the legendary Four Thieves oil that helped some survive the great medieval European plague. Of course, Four Thieves oil is mixed with other essential oils.

But clove oils do exist alone, and the fresh organic buds can be used to make a powerful, antimicrobial pathogen tea.

Oregano

Oregano is most potent as an essential oil. Many consider wild Mediterranean mountain oregano the best. Oregano also combats a wide spectrum of pathogenic microbes. It has also shown the ability to fight off yeast infections, including Candida, especially in conjunction with clove bud oil.

Elderberry

The black elderberry, or Sambucas nigra, is easy to have on hand for colds and flus. It’s sold commercially as tinctures or syrups. It is more effective than pharmaceuticals, including Tamiflu, with absolutely no side effects and is much less expensive.

Of course, you can make your own tincture with a very long shelf life cheaply as well. Instructions are at the bottom of this article, along with curative test results.

Essential oils are very strong and potent. Use caution, especially with the multi essential oil Four Thieves. Follow the manufacturer’s advice closely by using it topically, aromatically, or ideally mix a few drops in fresh unsweetened juice to drink.

Consuming essential oils straight is at best unpleasant and at worst causes bad reactions. But diluted properly, it’s very effective consumed orally.

These five herbs can be used according to one’s health situation in conjunction with each other or most other herbs.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035810_herbs_immune_system_garlic.html

Source: Use these 5 powerful herbs to boost your immune system

Herbs that help prevent nausea during pregnancy

Congratulations! You’re expecting. Welcome to the roller coaster ride that is pregnancy. For many women, fatigue is the first sign of pregnancy, followed closely by morning sickness. Morning sickness is most common between the fourth and fourteenth weeks of pregnancy and is most often experienced upon rising, thus the term, but one can experience nausea at any time of the day.

Roughly three quarters of women experience nausea during the first trimester. Half of all pregnant women have both nausea and vomiting, while one quarter experiences nausea alone, and one quarter lucks out altogether. In rare cases it can extend through much of the nine months, and even more rarely, result in hospitalization due to fluid loss and debility. Even for those not experiencing the extreme cases, prolonged nausea can be exhausting.

What causes it

The exact cause of morning sickness is not officially known, but the hormone cocktail bombarding your system is most likely to blame, along with heightened senses and sensitivities. Your body is on high alert so you have an enhanced sense of smell and sensitivity to odors. Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and hCG rise rapidly during early pregnancy, and can have an almost toxic effect on your system. Some believe that carrying a daughter increases chances of nausea due to even more estrogen in the system. Women carrying multiples have even higher hormone levels and may experience worse bouts.

What you can do

You can’t control the hormonal roller coaster, but you can support and nourish your liver (which has to process all those hormones) and your reproductive system. In addition to lots of rest, water, and organic fruits and veggies:

• Avoid an empty stomach – you may not feel like eating, but an empty, churning stomach will only make nausea worse. Don’t wait until its so bad nothing will stay down.

• Avoid large meals – eat small, frequent meals.

• Eat crackers first thing in the morning, as soon as you get up.

• Take a whole food based prenatal vitamin (from a health food store, not a doctor) that includes vitamin B6 – a deficiency in this vitamin is a known cause of nausea. Be sure it also has zinc because you need zinc for B6 to work.

• Take pregnancy supporting herbs to boost nutrition – red raspberry leaf is rich in iron, tones the uterus, increases milk production, decreases nausea, and eases labor pains.

• Take herbs known to help with nausea: ginger, slippery elm (also helps with heartburn and vaginal irritations), and peppermint/spearmint (also helps with flatulence). Catnip and fennel tincture may also help.

• Apply pressure to points in the upper wrist to relieve nausea, relax, and promote sleep.

• Consider acupuncture to reverse the flow of qi, and insure it is going safely downward.

Also good to consider:

• Digestive enzymes are helpful because of a lack of stomach acid and slower digestion.

• Green drink or supplements such as alfalfa, kelp, spirulina, chlorophyl in a tea or capsules help balance the body by providing lots of nutrients.

• Pregnancy tea – herbal tea designed to support your pregnancy in many ways, including liver support, hormone balance, and uterine tonic. This is a good way to get a lot of these supplements in one place, without having to take pills.

• If experiencing nausea to the point of not being able to eat, try freezing the pregnancy tea or green drink in an ice cube try, and sucking on it.

This is supposed to be a happy time and it seems a bit unfair to feel sick all the time. Try to remember that the sensitivity of your digestive system is an ancient security system designed to protect you and your baby. For example, some women who have no problem consuming dairy products may find they are unable to during pregnancy, only to discover later that the child is lactose intolerant.

It’s not uncommon to actually lose a few pounds during the first trimester when morning sickness is at its height, and while you figure out what you are sensitive to. If it doesn’t ease by the second trimester, you can’t keep food down, or you lose more than five pounds, be sure to talk to your health care provider about the situation.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035851_herbs_pregnancy_nausea.html

Source: Herbs that help prevent nausea during pregnancy

Try these natural foods and herbs for treating upset stomach, ulcers

If you are one of the millions of people that suffers from a stomach ulcer, or even if you just occasionally get an upset stomach after eating, there is hope beyond simply taking antacids or other pharmaceutical drugs, all of which merely address the symptoms of the problem rather than the cause. Instead, you may want to try incorporating one or more of these all-natural, stomach-healing foods and herbs into your everyday diet for lasting, curative relief.

Raw cabbage juice

A study dating back to 1949 found that ulcer patients who supplement with raw cabbage juice can heal — yes, heal — from their condition within as little as ten days. And numerous studies conducted after that, including a double-blind study out of California involving prisoners with duodenal ulcers, have confirmed these findings.

Raw cabbage juice contains a little-known compound called S-Methylmethionine, which is also sometimes referred to as “vitamin U,” that is particularly potent at healing gastrointestinal ulcerations. Instead of just treating ulcerative symptoms, vitamin U, as well as the many other probiotic and healing enzymes found in cabbage, help to literally repair damaged stomach lining, and restore proper digestive function.

Aloe vera

Though commonly used to help heal sunburns and other skin issues, aloe vera is a potent digestive aid that can also help heal gastrointestinal dysfunction of various types when consumed. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), for instance, a condition that leads to poor absorption of minerals and nutrients from food, can derive much benefit from supplementing with aloe vera juice, gel, or dried flakes.

The synergistic blend of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, lignans, amino acids, anthraquinones, saponins, fatty acids, and other amazing nutrients found in aloe vera have been shown to effectively heal damaged intestinal tissue. Drinking just a few spoonfuls of whole-leaf aloe vera juice or concentrate before or with meals, for instance, can help spur the release of pepsin, a stomach enzyme responsible for digesting food.

Bitter herbs

Consuming “bitter” herbs just before a meal can help promote digestive secretions which, of course, aid in proper digestion. According to The Herb Companion, herbs like gentian (Gentiana lutea), barberry root (Berberis vulgaris), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and artichoke (Cynara scolymus) are all useful in helping to reduce gas, bloating, and other digestive discomfort associated with indigestion.

To go along with this, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), dill (Anethum graveolens), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), caraway (Carum carvi), and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) all help warm up the digestive tract, which facilitates the easy digestion and passage of food through the digestive tract.

Prickly pear, also known as nopal cactus

A 2011 study published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology found that extracts from the nopal cactus flower, also known as the prickly pear or the cactus pear, contain compounds that protect against stomach ulcers. Drinking nopal cactus juice or eating nopal cactus gel can also heal existing ulcers, as the mucilage compound found in the fruit soothes the stomach lining and fights stomach inflammation

Since it is high in fiber, prickly pear fruit also absorbs toxins from the gut, and aids in the elimination of waste from the colon. You can purchase nopal cactus fruit as a liquid juice or in capsule form, or you can juice it yoursel.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035911_upset_stomach_ulcer_food_remedies.html

Source: Try these natural foods and herbs for treating upset stomach, ulcers

Super human strength created by superfoods and herbs

Imagine living life without (chronic) unwarranted fear and never having to experience degenerative disease. This is NOT just a silly idea – it’s reality for many people throughout the world. Epidemiological studies prove that the longest living (happy) people remain connected to the earth and thrive on whole, natural foods – filled with nutrients but low in calories.

Experience the life of your dreams! Eating spirulina, chlorella, goji berries, chaga mushrooms and ashwagandha can balance blood sugars, boost the immune system and help detoxify unwanted poisons from the body. Don’t miss the next NaturalNews Talk Hour for one of the most informative and inspirational (nutritional) programs of the year!

What’s the difference between spirulina and chlorella?

While both are considered “micro-algaes” – spirulina and chlorella are not the same. But, without getting too caught up in the details, both of these superfoods can out perform just about any other food on earth. When consumed on a daily basis – these foods have tremendous healing potential.

Spirulina is very high in vitamin B12, B-complex, iron, essential trace minerals, beta-carotene and gamma-linolenic acid. It is the richest source of natural antioxidants of any whole food and it has more concentrated vegetable nutrition than any other whole food.

Chlorella is a green single-celled micro algae that contains the highest concentrations of chlorophyll known (60 mg/serving). It has high levels of beta-carotene, vitamin B12, iron, RNA and DNA and protein. Chlorella is well-known for its ability to help remove heavy metals from the intestinal tract. Discover how these foods (plus many more) can help transform your life!

The healing power of Amazon herbs

Truth be told – healing herbs do NOT really fix health problems – they activate the healing forces within our body. Fresh herbs like Sangre de Drago, Cat’s Claw (Una De Gato) and Chanca Piedra provide essential nutrients and healing frequency vibrations which help the body to heal itself – without the risk of harmful side effects associated with conventional medicines. Consuming herbs will completely change your bio-terrain – making it more difficult for disease to develop in the first place.

In case you’re wondering – Sangre de Drago. better known as the “blood of the dragon”, has helped many people stop bleeding, overcome skin disorders and upper respiratory viruses. The compounds found in Cat’s Claw may help kill viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms that cause disease, and inhibit healthy cells from becoming cancerous. And, Chanca Piedra has been shown to help detoxify the liver and kidneys; relieve pain and inflammation and improve digestion. Nature trumps big pharma – every day!

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/036654_superfoods_herbs_strength.html

Source: Super human strength created by superfoods and herbs

Four bitter herbs heal the liver, gall bladder, and other ailments

Certain bitter herbs are considered liver herbs because they stimulate, cleanse, and protect the liver and gall bladder. While Western palates are not fond of bitter tasting foods, they do stimulate and support digestion. German research shows that bitter tonic herbs stimulate bile and hydrochloric acid production. They stimulate nervous system and immune system function, as well as combat fatigue and exhaustion.

Four commonly used bitter herbs which are used traditionally and in the medical community to support the liver, gall bladder, and other ailments are milk thistle, dandelion, Oregon grape root, and gentian root, from which gentian violet is manufactured.

Milk thistle protects liver cells

Milk thistle protects liver cells by coating them with phytochemicals. These chemicals heal damaged liver cells and protect healthy cells from becoming damaged.

The medical journal Phytochemical Research states that milk thistle, or Silybum marianum, is the most well-researched herb for the treatment of liver disease. The seeds and fruit in milk thistle contain the most silymarin, an antioxidant, anti-fibrotic, and toxin blocker.

In animal testing, milk thistle was able to reduce liver damage caused by acetaminophen, radiation, carbon tetrachloride, and other environmental toxins. Milk thistle has been demonstrated clinically to treat liver damage from alcohol, hepatitis, and other liver disease.

Dandelion stimulates digestion and bile action

Dandelion root and leaf is a classic bitter liver tonic herb. Along with Oregon grape root bark, gentian root, and wormwood leaves, dandelion stimulates digestion, stimulates the liver to produce more bile. This action cleanses the liver and gall bladder.

The International Journal of Molecular Science published an in-depth study in 2010 of the effects of dandelion root and leaf on cholesterol-fed rabbits. While one can never assume that an animal study will benefit humans, plenty of empirical evidence supports the idea that dandelion is beneficial for humans.

This study points out that dandelion has been shown to possess the ability to reduce cholesterol, rheumatism, oxidative stress which contributes to atherosclerosis, and acts as a diuretic.

This was a cross-matched study involving rabbits who were fed a normal diet, a high-cholesterol diet, a high cholesterol diet with dandelion leaves, and a high cholesterol diet with dandelion root.

The results showed that both dandelion root and leaves were able to positively change both the antioxidant activities and lipid profile in the rabbits. The conclusion was that dandelion could be used to help prevent liver and heart disease.

Oregon grape root is a favorite among dermatologists

Dermatologic Therapy noted the healing benefits of Oregon grape root in a 2003 paper describing herbs which are useful in the treatment of skin conditions. While the paper specifically mentioned Oregon grape root for acne, it stated that the herb has “anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and bile-stimulating properties.”

Gentian root supports liver function as well as being a fungicide

Gentian root extract is a fungicide, an immune booster, and possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Its bitter principles stimulate the secretion of both gastric juices and bile.

In an uncontrolled clinical study, a gentian root tincture in an alcohol base increased and prolonged gall bladder emptying. It also helped to enhance protein and fat digestion.

These four bitter herbs are particularly beneficial for people who have been exposed to environmental toxins, are in the habit of consuming alcohol, eat a large amount of meat, have high cholesterol levels or a “fatty liver.”

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/037460_bitter_herbs_gall_bladder_liver.html

Source: Four bitter herbs heal the liver, gall bladder, and other ailments

Top four therapeutic herbs for sciatic pain

Sciatic pain, or sciatica, occurs off and on with many people. Sometimes it’s mistaken for lower back pain or leg cramps. When it does, the tendency is to stay in bed and gulp down some ibuprofen or other OTC (over the counter) pharmaceutical.

But sciatica is a symptom of another problem that is pinching or creating pressure on the sciatic nerve. It’s not a diagnosed condition itself. The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the human body. It runs down each leg from the lower spine all the way to the feet, providing movement, feeling, and strength to either leg.

Sciatica symptoms can include sharp painful burning sensations or cramping. Sometimes there can be tingling sensations and numbness in different areas of the buttock, leg or foot. The wording is singular because usually sciatica occurs on one side or the other, not in both legs simultaneously.

Pains and sensations are felt in some positions but not others. Walking may be painless after getting through the painful positions to get up and walk.

If the condition is chronic, it’s advisable to visit a chiropractor. The nerve pinch or pressure could be coming from dislocated vertebrae or a contracted spinal canal. Surgery may be required for a severely herniated disk between vertebrae. But that’s rare.

It’s not unusual for sciatic pain to come and go with the right pain relief remedy and sufficient rest.

Four herbs that should help you get through sciatic pain

(1) Jamaican dogwood has often been the top choice for relieving nerve pain. It’s powerful stuff. It is derived from the bark of the dogwood tree, and can be taken in capsule or tincture forms as well as a tea from the bark’s powder.

If you go to conventional medical site, you’ll see mainstream medicine agrees with its efficacy, but with all kinds of warnings to not use it without a doctor’s supervision because it can be toxic. However, herbal sites assert it is not toxic for humans, although too much can overly sedate.

It is appropriately advised that pregnant women or lactating mothers not use Jamaican Dogwood, and anyone with a congestive heart condition should avoid it also. If taking any other medication, determine if there could be contraindications or complications.

(2) Turmeric or curcumin, turmeric’s active ingredient, is a natural anti-inflammatory that can be taken as a tonic to minimize chronic inflammation. It’s best to heat turmeric in milk or ghee and coconut oil with some pepper, which contains piperine to help absorb nutrients.

Taking turmeric often is okay for sciatica. If you need a short cut, curcumin enteric coated capsules with piperine is suggested for optimal absorption and faster relief.

(3) Kratom is an herb that is both fast and natural for pain relief and unknown to most of us. Natural News readers were only very recently introduced to it by Jonathan Benson’s article.

Indonesians hooked on opium used kratom to help them endure opium withdrawal easily. According to legend, that’s why it was banned there. It was interfering with the opium trade. Maybe so, maybe not.

The fact that it also makes you feel good, helps overcome depression has caused a stir in the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). The state of Indiana has banned kratom.

But it is available online in all other states and in most other countries. You can find out more about it here:

(4) Arnica with DMSO combines a homeopathic topical cream with DMSO as an adjunct to give fast pain relief from sciatica. Adding DMSO speeds and deepens arnica’s topically applied efficacy while adding its own pain and inflammatory relief.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/037907_sciatic_pain_herbs_Jamaican_dogwood.html

Source: Top four therapeutic herbs for sciatic pain

Manage your blood sugar and diabetes with these four herbs

Modern medicine may have its place in emergency care, but when it comes to the prevention or management of chronic illness, many conventional treatments are lacking. In the case of diabetes, the battle is loudly proclaimed to be one of blood sugar regulation. “Check your sugar, and take your drugs as prescribed,” seems the tired message of most industry doctors to a steadily increasing number of diabetics.

But where modern medicine falls short in its rigid symptoms-only approach, alternative healing can help to bridge the gap. Instead of measuring success by glucose levels in the blood while simultaneously blaming the poor pancreas for what is more likely a whole-body deficiency, holistic applications can help restore the body’s ability to heal itself – to maintain homeostasis. Where a healthy person’s body converts carbohydrates from food into glucose and also produces insulin to convert that glucose into energy, in diabetics, the body cannot produce enough insulin to make possible that conversion of glucose into energy. As a result, the glucose builds up in the blood and can lead to any number of very serious conditions, like blindness, kidney failure, neuropathy and coma.

From a scientific perspective, what we call “diabetes” actually has less to do with controlling blood sugar and more to do with the body’s regulation of the hormones, insulin and leptin, or how well the body makes use of energy. “Diabetes is the end point of deranged sugar and carbohydrate metabolism,” according to Dr. Larry Wilson, M.D. In fact, the term “diabetes” (irrespective of Type) may be further purported to be a superficial label for a cluster of symptoms not yet fully understood by medical science, whose true origins lie more deeply within than even a microscope can see.

While some approaches are more spiritual than others, in order to facilitate the healing process under circumstances as serious as diabetes, full detoxification and dietary programs are often recommended and can prove most beneficial in helping to rid the body of toxins while also supplying it with deficient minerals and other essential nutrients. But the busy pace of stressful lives can make changing course all at once rather difficult. That’s where the following herbs and natural remedies may help, thanks to research demonstrating their natural proclivity for easing the burden of diabetes management.

Gymnema Sylvestre

Known by its Hindi name as the “sugar destroyer,” this plant is regarded as one of the most powerful herbs for the regulation of diabetes, Types 1 and 2. Besides reducing cravings for sweets, studies show Gymnema can actually stimulate the body to produce more of its own insulin, by regenerating insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas. Though more extensive studies are pending, the herb has demonstrated no side effects and assumes its sugar-lowering role only in cases of diabetes, at a typical dosage of 200-250 milligrams twice daily.

Ginseng

Chinese medicine has made regular use of Asian ginseng for thousands of years, thanks to its demonstrated ability both to amplify the release of insulin from the pancreas and to elevate the number of insulin receptors present. One study indicated that 200 milligrams of ginseng extract per day over an eight-week period improved mood, blood sugar control, body weight and energy levels in Type 2 diabetics. A separate study on the North American variety indicates the herb significantly prevented oxidative stress and may even help diabetics to protect against kidney disease.

Gingko biloba

Because of its effective increase of blood flow to areas such as the brain, the limbs and the extremities, ginkgo is regarded as an important element in the treatment of vascular insufficiency – especially as it relates to diabetes, where poor circulation can have severe consequences. Clinical studies have shown the herb can prevent diabetic retinopathy in diabetic rats and may, therefore, be similarly effective in humans. For these purposes, a typical dosage of Ginkgo extract is 40-80 milligrams (at a concentration of 24 percent ginkgo flavoglycoside) three times daily.

Nopal leaves

Studies show the profound effects of this Mexican herbal remedy on everything from improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels, to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Traditionally served with eggs, in salads or as part of a stir-fry dish, the nutritive richness of this otherwise unusual morsel is earning it greater recognition as a “functional food” by health enthusiasts. Just a one cup serving is packed with fiber, pectin, antioxidant vitamins A and C, trace amounts of vitamin K and folate as well as several essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorous.

Other nutritive solutions for managing diabetes include eating more onions and garlic, whose sulfur-containing allyl propyl disulfide (APDS) helps the body to make better use of insulin (which is also a disulfide) by competing with it for insulin-inactivating sites in the liver. The result is that the body has more free insulin available for use in the glucose-to-energy conversion process, and blood sugar levels decrease.

Carefully supervised food-based magnesium and chromium supplementation may also prove beneficial, as deficiencies of both minerals are common in people with diabetes. Studies suggest that appropriate levels of these minerals may help to improve insulin and overall metabolic function.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/037585_blood_sugar_diabetes_herbs.html

Source: Manage your blood sugar and diabetes with these four herbs