'CONFUSED
ABOUT HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS?'
part
one
Navigating
the herbal remedies aisle at the health food store can be a frustrating
business. How much? What brand? Is it safe? These are good and reasonable questions, ones that should be
considered carefully every time you use a medicine, be it plant based, over the
counter or prescribed by the doctor.
If
you listen to all the hype produced by the money driven drug companies one
might end up thinking you won't live to see next day's sunlight if you use herbal
remedies. Yet if you read all the warnings printed on the packet of pain
reliever or cold medicine those warnings stop nothing short of total
dysfunction and death. Okay, enough said other than no one is getting rich
selling herbals at $5-$15 a bottle.
This
cold and flu season want to switch to effective herb therapy- great. As with
any illness and medication use, common sense comes first. Herbs and supplements
work best if taken before full blown symptoms begin, so stock up now.
For
cold symptoms- The minute you are exposed, feeling over tired, in a crowded
airport, bus or lobby take a zinc lozenge. Zinc prevents virus replication. If
the virus cannot replicate, it cannot make you sick. For a stuffy nose that is
turning into a cold place a zinc lozenge in a half cup of water and allow it to
dissolve. Saturate a Q-tip with the solution and swab the inside of your nose.
Take Ester C (vitamin C) 500mg daily, use echinachea, ginger and white willow
bark for symptoms of flu, headache, indigestion and the accompanying aches and
pains.
For
urinary tract infection use concentrated cranberry tablets- not the sweetened
drink. The acid in the cranberries makes the lining of the bladder so slick the
bacteria cannot get a foot hold. Ura Uvsa is another herb good for bladder
health. Use it as a tea when having symptoms. The over the counter drug
AZO will relieve the terrible
burning and stinging that accompanies bladder infection.
For
symptoms of fatigue use a high quality multi vitamin mineral supplement. I particularly
like My Favorite Multiple by Natrol. The herbs ginseng, ginger and digestive
enzymes are also helpful for symptoms of fatigue. Vague symptoms of fatigue
over longer periods of time can be caused by too much caffeine, not enough
sleep, your body shouting for life style changes, or more serious illness. If
you have given the above a try without resolution a visit to your doctor is in
order.
For
joint aches and pains use fish or flax seed oil and glucosamine chondrotin
daily, arnica if you injure a joint and white willow bark in place of aspirin
or Tylenol. If these do not resolve the issue try having shoe inserts made. How
the weight falls on your feet effects your entire body, especially the ankles,
knees, hips, pelvis and lower back.
Herb
therapy should go hand in hand with good health and the prevention of illness,
and injury. Taken as directed they are safe and effective. Stay tunned next
week for part two and more effective uses of herb therapy. Till next time,
Rebecca
part
two
Last
week in part one we looked at the everyday use of common herbs and supplements
helpful in the treatment of chronic ailments that plague us all from time to
time. In part two of this article I will further discuss the use of natural
therapies good for the treatment of acute and chronic health problems.
The
immediate treatment of an injury can determine whether a joint or muscle
returns to normal function or becomes a life long problem. Ice and
immobilization are important in serious joint or muscle injury, but first think
Arnica. Arnica montana, it's botanical name is well known by all herbalists and
is considered first aid for injury. As a gel it can be applied directly to any
injury where the skin is not broken. It relieves pain, prevents bruising and
cellular damage. For injury where the skin is broken use Arnica pellets under
the tongue.
High
cholesterol can be a difficult problem to manage when exercise and diet are not
enough. There are several prescription medications that are effective, but many
individuals find they cannot use these medicines due to the side effects
including muscle aches, headache and elevated liver enzymes. A combination of garlic, fish oil or
flax seed oil have helped many of my clients reduce their bad cholesterol and
raise the good cholesterol. If this combination does not work try the popular
Asian supplement red rice yeast. Red rice yeast contains the same active
ingredient as many of the popular cholesterol lowering drugs without the dangerous
side effects. The B vitamin niacin can also lower high cholesterol. Do not take
large doses of niacin without medical monitoring.
Itchy,
red irritated skin without a diagnosis other than eczema, a vague diagnosis of unknown cause can leave one spending literally
hundreds of dollars on cremes and medications that are only partially
effective. Applications of diluted eucalyptus oil has shown to relieve
localized symptoms of itching. Using acidophilus-probiotics internally to
reduce toxins that may be pushing through the skin has shown to reduce if not
eliminate symptoms. Acidophilus is also good for vaginal yeast and other kinds
of itchy yeast infections.
Sleeplessness
robs us of our vitality, harms the immunity, causes mood swings and a multitude
of other symptoms. There are several good herbs that can be used for occasional
restless sleep including, feverfew, Valerian and passion flower. Although for
prolonged sleeplessness nothing works as well as magnesium to produce deep and
restful sleep. Using 400 mg at night balances calcium, reduces muscle aches and
pains and calms the nerves. The herb milk thistle used for clearing liver
toxins can also be helpful, the liver being an important organ in the
production of sleep producing brain chemicals.
Most
physicians feel the use of herbs is not a safe practice, and indeed there are
contraindications for their use. The interaction between a synthetic medication
and a plant based medication can be dangerous so be sure that you have all the
facts when taking any drug natural or otherwise.
Till
next time, Rebecca
01/04/07