Herbal and Natural Remedies.

[mjdoug03]

I need to come back and read all these posts!

[Delphyne]

I would like to say thank you to everyone who has shown an interest, given thanks, and have shared ideas on this thread.  It is good to know that this information is helping others.

Thank you again!

[bigfoot951]

If you google this you can find a million different natural remedies and articles about it.  There is just so much out there that it is hard to know what to believe.  But I do think there are some great things out there.  Good luck.

[mjoseph1]

I need to come back and read all these posts!

me too, because i definitely need to get past these allergies once and for all

[Delphyne]

I need to come back and read all these posts!

me too, because i definitely need to get past these allergies once and for all

I add new herbs almost everyday. Hopefully there will be something to help you.  Elder boosts the immune system, so that may help.

[Delphyne]

marijuuanna... ppl can say its bad but if they did true research into it not just looking up one site then i believe their minds would be changed... much more healthy then cigarettes alcohol plus it has so many health benefits i believe it could take out many common medications

Yes, it has many health benefits, including eradicating cancerous tumors.  Cannabis was one of my herbs of the day.  There is a post about it. 

[tin8604]

I trained in reiki and just this weekend I did Reiki on my dad and his wife and they both said it really helped.

[Delphyne]

I trained in reiki and just this weekend I did Reiki on my dad and his wife and they both said it really helped.

Really?  What part of the country are you in?  I have been wanting to try a Reiki healer for some time now. 

If I know anyone in your area, I can refer them to you for practice.

[Delphyne]

For April Fool's Day, I thought I would list some plant hoaxes of yester-year.


"British supermarket chain Waitrose placed ads in newspapers announcing the availability of a new fruit, the pinana (a combination of pineapple and banana). The text of the ad read:
Pinanas. Fresh in today and exclusive to Waitrose. If you find that all Waitrose pinanas have sold out, don't worry, there's 50% off our essential Waitrose strawberries."


"The fern spider is unique on this list as it is the only combined plant and animal. At the time of writing this is the only animal that has successfully been crossed with a plant. The spider is a cross between a common Italian Wolf spider (Lycosa tarantula) and the ponga fern (Cyathea dealbata). The purpose of this bizarre crossbreed was to study the survival rates of spiders with built in camouflage versus those without in a series of studies on Natural Selection at Massey University in New Zealand. The results of the study have not been published yet."


"NPR's All Things Considered ran a segment on a drop in maple syrup consumption, triggered by the low-carb craze, which supposedly was causing a serious problem for New England's maple-tree industry: exploding maple trees. The announcer reported: "An untapped tree is a time bomb ready to go off… The trees explode like gushers, causing injuries and sometimes death. If untended, quiet stands of Nature's sweeteners can turn into spindly demons of destruction. The Vermont Health Board reports 87 fatalities, 140 maimings, and a dozen decapitations, caused by sap-build-up explosions this year."


"The British supermarket chain Tesco published an advertisement in The Sun announcing the successful development of a genetically modified 'whistling carrot.' The ad explained that the carrots had been specially engineered to grow with tapered airholes in their side. When fully cooked, these airholes caused the vegetable to whistle."



For more April Fool's day pranks involving plants, go here:


http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/af_database/display/category/botany

[Delphyne]

Herb of the day:  Butcher's Broom (Ruscus Aculeatus)

Butcher's Broom was used by the Greek herbalist and doctor Dioscorides in the treatment of kidney stones.  Needless to say, this plant has also been used for centuries.  It has also been used to treat ailments of the liver and bladder.  It was used most by the Greeks, then later the Europeans began using it along with other herbals.

Properties:  Butcher's Broom is an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and is a vasoconstrictor (constricts the veins).  It is used for edema, hemorrhoids, poor circulation, and varicose veins.  Additionally, some people take this as a supplement with a weight loss plan.

Cautions:  Do take this if you have high blood pressure or if you are on blood pressure medicine.



Science:

(This information comes from NYU Langford.)

"...this Mediterranean evergreen bush has a long history of traditional use in the treatment of urinary conditions. More recently, it has been studied as a treatment for vein-related conditions....

Butcher's broom has been approved by Germany's Commission E as supportive therapy for chronic venous insufficiency . Venous insufficiency, a condition closely related to varicose veins, involves pain, swelling and fatigue in the calves. Commission E also recommends butcher’s broom for the treatment of hemorrhoids...."

http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21624


Another great website for Butcher's Broom science:   http://www.wright.edu/administration/fredwhite/pharmacy/popular_nremedies11.html

[Delphyne]

Herb of the day:  Vervain (Verbena Officinalis)

This plant has been used since the times of the Pharaohs.  It was also used in China.  Native Americans used the herb for the bladder, kidneys, and even for baldness.  It has also been used to treat epilepsy and some forms of neuralgia.
In the UK, the herb was once used to ward off demons!

Properties:  anti-inflammatory, astringent, calming, diuretic, and pain-relieving.  Vervain stimulates the uterus and helps the gallbladder.  This herb brings on menstruation and promotes lactation.  Also used for asthma, anxiety, headaches, hormone imbalances, coughs, seizures, and jaundice.



Cautions:  Do not take while pregnant or trying to conceive.


Science:

Thanks to Kansas State University...

The European vervain (V. officinalis) is listed in the PDR, and mentions a variety of folk uses ranging from relief for sore throat, coughs, asthma, whooping cough, treatment for nervous disorders, digestive disorders, and to promote lactation.  It is not to be taken during pregnancy, as it is a uterine stimulant.  The Peterson Field Guide (Foster and Duke) also list these effects, and then suggest that the European vervain is said to be milder than the blue vervain, or North American type.  They also mention that animal studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory, cough-suppressing and milk-stimulating activity of V. officinalis.  Blue vervain, or V. hastata was used by Native Americans for colds, coughs, fevers, bowel complaints, dysentery, and stomach cramps. The root was considered more active than the leaves. 


http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/ksherbs/blue_vervain.htm

[BMaston12]

I saw this video last night.  Good info check it out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Btokqw_YBds&list=FLYM8uW5OpSJ-Bf0T7RJjULw

I love this video. I was amazed at the way a food is shaped and what organ it fortifies. Amazing stuff. My husband has COPD and I guess he will be eating more grapes and drinking more pomegranite juice. Of course there are many more fruits and vegetables that we eat, but now that I have this link, I will definitely b e paying more attention to the fresh foods at the market. Thank you for postin this!
BMaston12

[sdenimandlace1]

thanks for the link to the video, it had lots of information I could use.

[adg35]

On the topic of cancer, I highly suggest viewing this film

CANCER IS CURABLE NOW! FULL LENGTH DOCUMENTARY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_pbumGh_-k

[Delphyne]

Herb of the Day:  Skullcap  (Sculletaria Baicalensis)  (and other species)


This is another herb which has been used for hundreds of years.  The Native Americans used this herb to treat a variety of ailments including women's reproductive issues.  It was also used in coming of age ceremonies and smoked to induce visions.  Varieties of this plant have been used in Nepal to treat fevers and colds.

Properties:  This plant has anti-inflammatory, astringent, and calming properties.  It helps maintain a healthy menstrual cycle.  It treats insomnia, epilepsy, headaches, and anxiety.  It is also given for the DTs and helps those who are withdrawing from sedatives or narcotics.


This plant is currently being considered as a "medicine crop".

Cautions:  Too much of this plant may make you shaky or giddy.



The Science:


This information is courtesy of Purdue University.





Sato et al. (2000) showed antibacterial properties of apigenin and luteolin in the crude extracts of S. barbata. Constituents were selectively toxic to Staphylococcus aureus, including both methicillin-resistant and sensitive strains. Flavones isolated from S. baicalensis roots were found inhibitory to HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) by Li et al. (1993), to HTLV-I (human T cell leukemia virus type I) by Baylor et al. (1992), and to mouse skin tumor promotion (Konoshima et al. 1992). Plant extracts of S. rivularis have shown anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity in test animals (Ching and Den 1996). Akishiro et al. (1992) were awarded a patent for therapeutic use of a flavone from S. baicalensis, as sialidase enzyme inhibitor of the influenza virus. It has been suggested that baicalin may play a significant role in lipid metabolism through lipogenic and lipolytic pathways of adipose cells (Eun et al. 1994; Chung et al. 1995). Scutalpin C, one of the diterpenoids from Scutellaria, has shown strong insect antifeedant bioactivity against the Spodoptera littoralis larvae (Munoz et al. 1997). Studies have shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) including superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals, contribute to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (Halpern et al. 1995). In vitro studies revealed that baicalein can directly scavenge ROS (Shieh et al. 2000; Shao et al. 1999) protecting cells from lethal damage.


And


Numerous herbal formulations including PC SPES from BotanicLab, Brea, California, Zyflamend PM and Zyflamend Creme from New Chapter, and Migra-Profen from Gaia Herbs, all of which contain Scutellaria as an ingredient, are currently available in the market. In recent years, Scutellaria-based herbal formulations have been employed to establish its medical/scientific value using in vitro cell culture systems (Li et al. 1993; Shao et al. 1999; Sato et al. 2000; Chen 2001). Scutellaria baicalensis and S. lateriflora are the two species which have been used in most of the herbal formulations. Since there are over 300 Scutellaria species distributed all over the world other Scutellaria species need to be evaluated. Our current research here at FVSU focuses on the Scutellaria species found in and around the state of Georgia (Table 1). Some of these species are becoming rare or threatened because of population pressure, environmental pollution, and destruction of their natural habitat (Patrick et al. 1995). Future studies are planned to include propagation, cultivation, and conservation of native Scutellaria germplasm. Many of the skullcaps have showy, beautiful blooms and there is a great potential for these species as ornamentals.




http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-580.html