| Our Favorite Herbal Remedies |
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Popular Chinese Herbal Remedies
Chinese herbal remedies have gained in popularity over the past several
years in the west. And it is no wonder. Chinese herbal remedies have
proven themselves to be useful for treating quite a variety of illnesses
and injuries.
The practice of Chinese Medicine dated as far back as 300BCE. The
point of reference of Chinese herbal remedies was the Yellow Emperor’s
Inner Classic Medicine which was compiled at around the same time
between 200BCE and 100ACE. A pharmaceutical system was established in
600AD.
Chinese herbal remedies came about around 3494 BC during the era of
Emperor Shen Nong. But records on the herbal discoveries were only put
into writing some 2,000 years later. And Chinese herbal remedies became
widespread ...
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Common Herbal Remedy for Dizziness
Before resorting to an herbal remedy for dizziness, it is important to
first seek a medical consultation. This is because dizziness can be a
sign of a serious underlying medical condition so it should not be
ignored.
Dizziness or lightheadedness is the feeling that one is going to lose
consciousness or pass out. Dizziness usually goes away after sitting or
lying down. The most probable causes of dizziness or lightheadedness
are: sudden drop in blood pressure and blood flow to the head, fatigue,
stress, anemia, fever, anxiety, motion sickness, hyperventilation,
hypoglycemia, inner ear disorder, brain tumor, hypertension, low blood
pressure, allergies, diabetes, head injuries, stroke and a host of other
factors.
It isn’t enoug ...
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Marshmallow: A Remedy for Cough and Sore Throat
Cold and flu season will soon be here. In addition to stocking up on
chicken soup and tissues, consider keeping some herbal cold remedies on
hand. Marshmallow for instance has a long history and good reputation as
a treatment for sore throat and cough.
Marshmallow – that white floating thing in a cup of steaming cocoa.
Aside from being little more than just glorified fluffy sweets, we only
know marshmallows from barbecue nights when we skewer these fluffs with
a sharp stick and roast them over a campfire. Knowing this, it is
therefore hard to believe that the marshmallow is anything but an
ordinary sugary confection.
According to ancient history, the marshmallow actually has created for
itself a niche in traditional medicine. This s ...
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Do An Herbal Colon Cleansing For A Healthier You
When you hear about herbal colon cleansing, you might wonder what it is in the colon that needs to be cleansed. Well, just like our physical appearance, our colon also needs regular cleansing. Not many people know about the importance of maintaining a healthy and clean colon. Herbal colon cleansing is essential to be healthy inside and out.Do you know that it is common during autopsies of people to find large amount of fecal matter impacted in their colon? This compacted fecal matter can cause constipation, parasitic infection, reduce the nutrient absorption and cause fatigue. The colon is the one responsible for absorbing the excess water and nutrients, and also storing the waste, which is released when it is time to defecate. That is why colon cleansing is necessary for the colon to function normally.A good colon cleansing diet should include lots of water, fruit, vegetables and fiber. ...
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Bilberry – More Than A Pie Filling
Bilberry, more commonly known as European blueberry, is more than a filling for pies, or as an ingredient for cobblers, jams, and other recipes. This blue-black berry that is creamy white inside, is also known to have therapeutic properties. Let’s find out some of its uses, more than being a food. Bilberry is a perennial and ornamental shrubby plant that is common in the woods and forest meadows of Western Asia, Europe, as well as the Rocky Mountains of North America. Belonging to the plant family of Vaccinium, which also includes cranberries and huckleberry, bilberry is a perennial plant that bears fruits similar to those that are found in the American blueberry bush. It is as well interesting to know that for at least one thousand years, bilberry’s leaves and fruits are recommended by some European herbalists for medicinal uses, as it ...
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Cure Wounds with Horsetail
Do you know that horsetail was used by the Romans in cleaning their pots and pans to make them non-stick? Yes, for them horsetail was nothing but a cleaning agent. Medieval people also used the plant as finishing for cabinets and other wood craft. However, as the years passed, horsetail became more than a cleaning tool. With the discovery of its healing properties, it rose to become a medicine. A plant left over from prehistoric times, horsetail, or Equisetum arvense, is a bushy native perennial that is most often found in open fields, hence its name “arvense” derived from the Latin “arvum,” meaning “field, cultivated land, plowed land.” Instead of producing flowers, the field horsetail plant has spores like its cousin, the fern. It is believed to be a descendant of a huge fernlike plant that covered the planet some 200 million years a ...
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Fight Bacteria and Fungi with Tea Tree Oil
The Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is a native of Australia. This tree only grows in this particular place, making Australia a major tea tree exporter, exporting 700 tons annually. Why the huge supply? It is because tea tree is famous for treating skin infections. The leaves of this plant produce an oil called ‘melaleuca oil’, and it is responsible for the healing properties. There are a number of health benefits associated with this herbal medicine. Tea tree oil with high quality contains 40% or more of terpinen-4-oil, which is the major ingredient that combats harmful bacteria and fungi. It is the component that makes tea tree oil effective in treating cuts, scrapes, insect bites and stings. The oil changes the chemical barrier of the skin making it inhospitable to fungi and other organisms. Treat the affective area by cleansing the wound, then ...
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Prickly Pear – A Food and Therapeutic Herb
Have you seen a Mexican flag? If so, you’ll notice that there is a prickly pear image proudly stamped on it. The Prickly pear has great importance to the Mexicans. Back in history, for hundreds of years, native people in the deserts of Mexico depended on this plant for their food and for healing processes. This is why the prickly pear is the symbol of the Rio Grande. The Mexican traditional ways of using prickly pear were picked up by Europeans settlers. They brought prickly pear seeds to Europe, and from there the plant gained popularity, and is now widely distributed in deserts from South Africa and Australia to Africa and the Mediterranean region. Prickly pear comes from the genus Opuntia, which features thorny pads, colorful large flowers, and succulent fruit. The parts of the prickly pear that are commonly used are the pads and fruit. The pads refer to the ...
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Oak Bark – Effective Cure for Inflammation
The oak tree, or Quercus alba, is considered to be the most vital medicinal oak tree in North America. The variants, Quercus robur and q. petraea, have been used by Europeans for a long time for medicinal purposes. What makes the oak bark important is its tannin content, which serves as the healing part of the tree. The tannin is the main ingredient that makes the oak bark precious in treating minor wounds and inflammation, for tightening tissue and lessening the oozing. The oak bark has astringent qualities that make it effective for healing inflammatory skin conditions. Eczema, bleeding, or infected skin sores, inflamed hemorrhoids and shingles lesions react well to oak bark. You can get relief from these diseases if you bathe in oak bark preparations. The oak bark’s strong tea form has anti-inflammatory qualities that makes it effective in treating sore ...
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Borage Oil for Better Health
Here is another one of those herbal plants that has healing properties. Numerous studies found out that this oil, which is derived from the seed of the Borage plant (borago officinalis) contains elements that are helpful in treating various kinds of diseases, from menstrual problems to rheumatoid arthritis. The Borage plant is a huge plant with blue star shaped flowers that is mostly found in parts of Europe and North Africa, and is also naturalized in many places in North America. As early as the 1600s, it is reported that most Europeans blended the Borage leaves and flowers into a wine that was reputedly good for reliving boredom and dispelling sadness. All parts of the Borage plant, from its stubbly stems to its blue star shaped blooms, have been used in many parts of the world for centuries, for its healing qualities. Aside from that, the ...
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Agrimony – The Little Known Medicinal Herb
Many people have no idea about some herbal plants. With the latest in technology, we mostly rely on medical drugs to treat our illnesses. Unknowingly, there are many alternative medicines that are waiting to be explored and used to the maximum. One example of this is agrimony. So what is Agrimony? This is just a common question among those who are interested in learning something about this herb. Agrimony is specifically a hemp-type plant with compound leaves, spiny fruits, and spiky flowers, or, when processed, an herb that has different functions. It is also known by the names like Sticklewort, Cocklebur, Church Steeples, and Odermenning. It is believed that agrimony’s first use dates back to the ancient Egyptians. The word “Agrimony” comes from the Greek word Argemone, which means “plants healing to eyes”. In th ...
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Benefits of Herbal Heat Wraps
Are you familiar with herbal heat wraps? If you are a fan of spas and beauty and massage centers, then you probably have experienced using one of these. Herbal heat wraps are commonly used in spas as they promote relaxation and lessen stress. But do you know that herbal heat wraps have long been used since ancient times? It is in Egypt where the benefits of herbal heat wraps were first discovered. Cleopatra, known as the “Serpent of the Nile”, was believed to always soak herself into hot baths full of herbs and aromatic spices. In the Bible, Esther, a Jew, also took a hot bath of oils and perfumes before she appeared to King Ahasuerus of Persia who, upon seeing her beauty, promised her half of his kingdom if she wants it. But, aside from enhancing one’s physical beauty, herbal heat wraps have many therapeutic benefits. Let’s take a look at some ...
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Herbal Remedies for Gum Disease
Since ancient times, herbal remedies have been used to cure illnesses. Depending on the severity of the case, these herbal remedies can treat disorders the same as the prescribed drugs. Almost any kind of illnesses you can name, there are herbal remedies that go with it. What about for gum diseases? Yes, there is a herbal remedy that can cure this kind of disease. Gingivitis is another term for gum disease. It is characterized by an inflammation of the gums (gingival) around the teeth due to improper oral hygiene. When the teeth are not brushed properly, plaque deposits mount, irritating the gums and causing a bacterial infection. Another form of gum disease is Periodontitis. This is a more serious, and deeper inflammation of the gums and the tissues that surround and support the teeth. If left untreated, this could result in progressive loss of the underlying bone that su ...
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Herbal for Blood Pressure
Blood pressure related problems are so common that many medications are now available on the market. These medications, in one way or another, have side effects on our bodies, not to mention the cost. There is now an alternative treatment for high blood or low blood pressure. It can now be cured, or slow down the effect, using herbal medicines. Blood pressure is the pressure which the blood exerts against the walls of the blood vessels. During the cardiac cycle, the peak pressure of the arteries is known as the systolic pressure. The lowest pressure, on the other hand, usually during the resting phase of the cardiac cycle is called the diastolic pressure. When resting, a healthy adult has approximately 110 mmHg systolic and 70 mmHg diastolic (written as 110/70 mmHg). Problems can occur with blood pressure. There are moments when the blood pressure is lower than normal. This s ...
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Popular Herbal Antioxidant Uses
An herbal antioxidant is popularly used to promote good health by
fighting free radicals in the body. An herbal antioxidants may be
consumed in its natural form as in the case of garlic and ginseng.
However, for convenience, most herbal antioxidants today can be obtained
from a health food store in pill, powder, or liquid form.
Herbal antioxidant refers to those herbs that help counter the oxidation
process by scavenging free radicals before they attack healthy cells.
Oxidation is believed to be the cause for degenerative diseases or for
the conditions linked with aging. Antioxidants improve the immune
system and delay the effects of aging due to their capacity to eliminate
free radicals. Free radicals are formed when a molecule is oxidized.
These highly active ...
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Licorice: a Staple in Traditional Herbal Medicine
Do you remember licorice whips from childhood? Licorice was one of those
things you either loved or hated. Licorice is well known as a classic
childhood candy, but did you know it has many medicinal properties as
well?
Licorice, or Glycyrrhiza glabra, is a European plant belonging to the
pulse family, Leguminosae. The root of the licorice plant when pounded
or pressed produces a sweet substance for which it was widely known.
Since time immemorial, the licorice root has been used for medicinal
purposes. It was used as a laxative and as a treatment for coughs. It
was also brewed for confectionery and for flavoring, e.g. in some
tobacco.
Health Benefits of Licorice
The licorice plant has a long history in her ...
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