Articles

StarGate Nutrition Herbal Medicine

Try as we will to escape nature she keeps pulling us back. We flee to cities, reject her vital foods and eventually dissipate our life force so badly we end up being sick. The Cherokee Indians believed that the animals created illness to stop the spread of man and the plants overheard them and had a council. Each plant decided to be the medicine for a particular disease.

 

Herbs are now not really important to pharmaceutical business as you can not make massive revenues for shareholders with them. But you can use them for effective and permanent healing. Herbalists have been successfully using plants and their curative powers long before the time of Christ. In fact for centuries they were all we had to treat disease with.

 

If our elite drug companies were to trace their lineage they might blush to discover that the guiding principle of what they do was the inspired idea of a 16^th centaury herbalist doctor who was variously described as a visionary and a drunken fool called Paracelsus. He thought that healing properties were “concealed in things”. By discovering these healing properties one would find the answer to diseases. Discovering the active component of the plant was only half the answer to complete and effective healing.

 

But he had to find the plants that would heal disease and the only way to do this and build up any knowledge was to use the doctrine of signatories and contraries. All of the herbs that we now use were once discovered using these principals. Signatories is when you watch a sick animal eating particular plants and it has since been found that those plants have particular curative properties for the sickness the animal had..

 

Contraries on the other hand is seeing in nature plants that look like as disease, as is the case in pileworth – the roots of the plant look like piles and when you apply the plant extract to human piles they heal. In fact Yves Rocher started his whole cosmetics empire making creams with pileworth extract.

 

To a herbalist it is irrational to extract an active chemical isolate from a plant and throw away 70 chemical compounds that help regulate its effect in the body. Chemical isolates from ergot or foxglove form important components in medicine. The search for new medicines will continue amongst plants.

 

Some of the best herbs for your health can be found in your kitchen. One of the most effective ways of taking herbs is in the tincture form. This is an alcoholic extract of the herb that can be taken with water. Otherwise most herbs are taken as a tea or as a capsule of standardised extract.

 

Garlic

This herb is most responsible for the renewed interest in herbal medicine and supplements more than any other. When a German chemist found ways of making a dried extract, he started a company from his garage that sells £20 million garlic supplements per year. Long used as a treatment for lung infections, garlic now is known to be a valuable tool in the treatment of heart disease. Scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and make the blood less sticky which reduces the risk of clots.

 

Lemon balm

The Greeks used this herb to improve the memory, relieve headaches and overcome depression. The most exciting modern use is in the use as an anti viral. Use of the herb will also strengthen the immune system.

 

Rhodiola Root

Otherwise known as artic root this herb has widely been used in the treatment of mental illness in Russia and is used there to balance pharmaceutical drugs by psychiatrists. By far the best herb for depression as it acts like the drugs used to treat depression. Rhodiola’s popularity owes much to it being a major ingredient in many love potions. In the polar arctic regions of eastern Siberia, it is said that Rhodiola will increase vigour and promote long life. The Russian Government has been supplying it to athletes, soldiers and politicians for years. Adaptogens are herbs that help normalise body chemistry and help increase resistance to or adaptation to stress of all kinds. People taking Rhodiola exhibited increased levels of Beta-endorphin, a stress relieving, feel-good, analgesic peptide.

 

Agnus castus

This herb has immense importance to women, especially those with PMT (premenstrual tension). When I have suggested to my female clients with PMT symptoms to start using the tincture, they reported consistently that physical symptoms such as cramp, breast soreness and nausea – disappeared. The emotional teariness also left returning to them on average three months of life over a year to enjoy. The herb works by balancing the progesterone and oestrogen levels in the body.

 

Milk Thistle

This has to be the best herb that I have used to detox and rejuvenate my client’s livers. The herb has been used since the 1700’s when it was sited by the famous English herbalist Culpeper for the treatment of liver disorders. Containing a compound called silymarin which protects the liver from poisonous toxins it also has the ability to regenerate liver cells.

 

Valarian

In the 18^th centaury this herb became widely accepted in the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Valarian is calming without causing drowsiness. As a mild sedative it helps restore regular sleep patterns in those suffering from insomnia. Valerian also does not have any of the morning sleepiness associated with certain drugs that are used to treat insomnia.

  

Peppermint

Widely know as the best herb in the treatment of digestive disorders. For indigestion, gastric discomfort, irritable bowel syndrome, flatulence or colic peppermint is a must. This is why you get peppermint sweets after dinner in restaurants. Headaches are also relieved by drinking peppermint tea. In ayurvedic medicine the herb is used to cool heat disorders and generally it is an overall vitality tonic taken as a tea.

 

Copyright Ralph Quinlan-Forde 2008

 

 

References Herbal Medicine

 

^ (a neologism coined by Dr. K. Seshagirirao, University of Hyderabad, India)

^ Lai PK (Jun 2004). "Antimicrobial and chemopreventive properties of herbs and spices.". Curr Med Chem: 1451-60. PMID 15180577.

^ Tapsell LC (Aug 2006). "Health benefits of herbs and spices: the past, the present, the future.". Med J Aust 1. PMID 17022438.

^ History of Plants in Medicine.

^ Medicinal plants in a Middle Paleolithic grave Shanidar IV?, Lietava J., J Ethnopharmacol. 1992 Jan;35(3):263-6., PMID 1548898

^ 5300 years ago, the Ice Man used natural laxatives and antibiotics, Capasso L., Lancet. 1998;352:1864, PMID 9851424.

^ The evolution of herbal medicine: behavioral perspectives.

^ [http:www.clas.ufl.edu/users/mattjp/Lecture%20Notes/Medicinal%20Plants.doc Medicinal Plants].

^ Huffman MA (May 2003). "Animal self-medication and ethno-medicine: exploration and exploitation of the medicinal properties of plants.". Proc Nutr Soc 62 (2): 371-81. PMID 14506884.

^ a b Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them, Cindy Engel, Houghton Mifflin, 2002

^ Jan Ichida, Proceedings of the 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. reported in Birds use herbs to protect their nests, BJS, Science Blog, Wed, 2004-05-26

^ Hutchings MR, Athanasiadou S, Kyriazakis I, Gordon IJ (May 2003). "Can animals use foraging behavior to combat parasites?". Proc Nutr Soc. 62 (2): 361. PMID 14506883.

^ Phascolarctos cinereus.

^ Take Time to Identify Toxic Plants to Keep Your Family and Pets Safe.

^ Pharmaceutics and Alchemy.

^ (2002) "Biotechnology and the developing world". Electronic Journal of Biotechnology.

^ Traditional medicine.

^ Traditional medicine..

^ (1990) "The role of ethnopharmacology in drug development". Ciba Found Symp. 154: 2-11. PMID: 2086037.

^ (Mar., 2001) "The Value of Plants Used in Traditional Medicine for Drug Discovery". Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol., Supplement 1: Reviews in Environmental Health, 2001 (), pp. 109 (1): 69-75. doi:10.2307/3434847.

^ Summary Report for the European Union, 2000-2005, QLK5-CT-2000-00111

^ (June 2004) "The role of weeds as sources of pharmaceuticals". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 92 (2-3): 163-166. doi:doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.002.

^ (April 2001) "The importance of weeds in ethnopharmacology". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 75 (1): 19-23. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(00)00385-8.

^ Unraveling the Function of Secondary Metabolites.

^ The Story of a Wonder Drug.

^ Andrew Vickers, Catherine Zollman (16). "ABC of complementary medicine: Herbal medicine - Clinical review". British Medical Journal.

^ What is Herb Standardization?.

^ (Jan, 1999) "The Problem With Herbs". Natural Health.

^ (2001) "Synergy and other interactions in phytomedicines". Phytomedicine 8 (5): 401-409. PMID: 11695885.

^ (2001) "Herbal Medicines Today and the Roots of Modern Pharmacology". Annals of internal medicine: 594-600.

^ (2001) "Synergy and other interactions in phytomedicines". Phytomedicine 8 (5): 401-409.

^ (August 2002) "Emodin – a secondary metabolite with multiple ecological functions in higher plants". New Phytologist 155 (2): 205-217.

^ (June-August 2002) "Plant’s defence and its benefits for animals and medicine: role of phenolics and terpenoids in avoiding oxygen stress". Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 40 (6-8): 471-478. doi:10.1016/S0981-9428(02)01395-5.

^ (October 2000) "Medicinal Plants and Phytomedicines. Linking Plant Biochemistry and Physiology to Human Health". Plant Physiol, 124: 507-514.

^ (2007 Oct-Nov) "Atherosclerosis pathophysiology and the role of novel risk factors: a clinicobiochemical perspective.". Angiology. 58 (5): 513-22. PMID: 18024933.

^ (2005 Jun 3 Epub 2005 Apr 26) "Antioxidant approach to disease management and the role of 'Rasayana' herbs of Ayurveda.". J Ethnopharmacol. 99 (2): 165-78. PMID: 15894123.

^ (2002) "History as a tool in identifying "new" old drugs.". Adv Exp Med Biol. (505): 89-94. PMID: 12083469.

^ Barnes, P M; Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin R L (2004-05-27). Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2002 (PDF). Advance data from vital and health statistics; no 343 20. National Center for Health Statistics. 2004. Retrieved on September 16, 2006. (See table 1 on page 8).

^ More Than One-Third of U.S. Adults Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine Press release, May 27, 2004. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

^ James A. Duke (:23,24,.). "Returning to our Medicinal Roots". Mother Earth News: 26-33.

^ Antioxidant activity of 45 Chinese herbs and the relationship with their TCM characteristics.

^ BOXIN OU, DEJIAN HUANG1, MAUREEN HAMPSCH-WOODILL and JUDITH A. FLANAGAN (2003). "When east meets west: the relationship between yin-yang and antioxidation-oxidation". The FASEB Journal 17: 127-129.

^ Safety & Regulation--Who's Watching the Herbal Store?, Tillotson Institute of Natural Health

^ http://oneearthherbs.squarespace.com/language-of-herbs/

^ William LeSassier Archive website

^ David Winston Center for Herbal Studies website

^ Essential Oil Safety Information.

^ Gebhardt, R (1998). "Inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Primary Cultured Rat Hepatocytes by Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Extracts". J Pharmacol Exp Ther 286 (3): 1122-1128. PMID 9732368.

^ Artichoke. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.

^ Bai W (2007). "Efficacy and tolerability of a medicinal product containing an isopropanolic black cohosh extract in Chinese women with menopausal symptoms: A randomized, double blind, parallel-controlled study versus tibolone.". Maturitas In print. PMID 17587516.

^ Shah SA, Sander S, White CM, Rinaldi M, & Coleman CI (Jul 2007). "Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis.". Lancet Infect Dis.. PMID 17597571.

^ Schoop, R, Klein, P, Suter, A, & Johnston, SL (2006). "Echinacea in the prevention of induced rhinovirus colds: a meta-analysis". Clinical Therapeutics 28 (2): 174-83. PMID 16678640.

^ (2004 Mar-Apr) "Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections.". J Int Med Res. 32 (2): 132-40. PMID: 15080016.

^ (2001 Apr-Jun;) "The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines.". Eur Cytokine Netw. 12 (2): 290-6. PMID: 11399518.

^ Shrivastava R, Pechadre JC, & John GW (2007). "Tanacetum parthenium and Salix alba (Mig-RL) combination in migraine prophylaxis: a prospective, open-label study". Clinical Drug Investigation 26 (5): 287-296. PMID17163262.

^ Silberstein, SD (2005). "Preventive treatment of headaches". Current Opinion in Neurology 18 (3): 289-292. PMID 15891414.

^ "Feverfew for preventing migraine.". PMID: 14973986.

^ (2005 Nov) "Efficacy and safety of 6.25 mg t.i.d. feverfew CO2-extract (MIG-99) in migraine prevention--a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled study". Cephalalgia. 25 (11): 1031-41. PMID: 16232154.

^ Yao M, Ritchie HE, & Brown-Woodman PD (2006). "A reproductive screening test of feverfew: is a full reproductive study warranted?". Reproductive Toxicology 22 (4): 688-693. PMID 16781113.

^ Modi S & Lowder DM (2006). "Medications for migraine prophylaxis". American Family Physician 73 (1): 72-78. PMID 16417067.

^ (2001) "Garlic shows promise for improve some cardiovascular risk factors". Archives of Internal Medicine 161: 913-824.

^ Ali BH, Al Wabel N, & Blunden G (2005). "Phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological aspects of Hibiscus sabdariffa L.: a review". Phytotherapy Research 19 (5): 369-75. PMID 16106391.

^ Hajhashemi V, Ghannadi A, & Jafarabadi H (2004). "Black cumin seed essential oil, as a potent analgesic and antiinflammatory drug.". Phytother Res. 18 (3): 195-9. PMID 15103664.

^ Salem (2005). "Immunomodulatory and therapeutic properties of the Nigella sativa L. seed". International Immunopharmacology 5 (13-14): 1749-1770. PMID 16275613.

^ Ali BH & Blunden, G (2003). "Pharmacological and toxicological properties of Nigella sativa.". Phytother Res. 17 (4): 299-305. PMID 12722128.

^ (2000) "Antimicrobial effect of crude extracts of Nigella sativa on multiple antibiotics-resistant bacteria.". Acta Microbiol Pol. 49 (1): 63-74. PMID: 10997492.

^ (2003) "Chemopreventive potential of volatile oil from black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds against rat colon carcinogenesis.". Nutr Cancer. 45 (2): 195-202. PMID: 12881014.

^ (2004 May) "Immunosuppressive and cytotoxic properties of Nigella sativa.". Phytother Res. 18 (5): 395-8. PMID: 15174000.

^ (2003 Feb) "The in vivo antifungal activity of the aqueous extract from Nigella sativa seeds.". Phytother Res.;(): 17 (2): 183-6. PMID: 12601685.

^ (2007 Jun) "Anti-tumor properties of blackseed (Nigella sativa L.) extracts.". Braz J Med Biol Res. 40 (6): 839-47. PMID: 17581684.

^ (2006 Sep) "Biochemical effects of Nigella sativa L seeds in diabetic rats.". Indian J Exp Biol. 44 (9): 745-8. PMID: 16999030.

^ (2003 Apr) "Pharmacological and toxicological properties of Nigella sativa.". Phytother Res. 17 (4): 299-305. PMID: 12722128.

^ "".

^ (2001 Jun) "The anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity of Nigella sativa.". J Ethnopharmacol. 76 (1): 45-8. PMID: 11378280.

^ Oregano Oil May Protect Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Georgetown Researcher Finds.

^ Cappello G, Spezzaferro M, Grossi L, Manzoli L, & Marzio L (2007). "Peppermint oil (Mintoil((R))) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial". Digestive and Liver Disease 39 (6): 530-536. PMID 17420159.

^ Liu JH, Chen GH, Yeh HZ, Huang CK, Poon SK (Dec 1997). "Enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, randomized trial.". J Gastroenterol 32 (6): 765-8. PMID 9430014.

^ (1999 Oct) "Ancient-modern concordance in Ayurvedic plants: some examples.". Environ Health Perspect.;(): 107 (10): 783-9. PMID: 10504143.

^ Sage Improves Memory, Study Shows.

^ Gaster, B & Holroyd, J (2000). "St John's wort for depression: a systematic review.". Archives of Internal Medicine 160 (2): 152-6. PMID 10647752.

^ Davidson, J et al. (2002). "Effect of Hypericum perforatum (St John's Wort) in Major Depressive Disorder". Journa of the American Medical Association 287 (14): 1807-1814.

^ (2002 Aug) "Efficacy of St. John's wort extract WS 5570 in major depression: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.". Am J Psychiatry. 159 (8): 1361-6. PMID: 12153829.

^ (2006 Mar) "Comparative efficacy and safety of a once-daily dosage of hypericum extract STW3-VI and citalopram in patients with moderate depression: a double-blind, randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled study.". Pharmacopsychiatry. 39 (2): 66-75. PMID: 16555167.

^ (2006 Jun 23) "Superior efficacy of St John's wort extract WS 5570 compared to placebo in patients with major depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial". BMC Med.;: 4 (14). PMID: 16796730.

^ (2005 Oct) "A Double-blind, randomized trial of St John's wort, fluoxetine, and placebo in major depressive disorder.". J Clin Psychopharmacol.;(): 25 (5): 441-7. PMID: 16160619.

^ (2004 May) "How effective is St John's wort? The evidence revisited.". J Clin Psychiatry.;(): 65 (5): 611-7. PMID: 15163246.

^ (2004 Jun) "Meta-analysis of effectiveness and tolerability of treatment of mild to moderate depression with St. John's Wort". Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr.;():. 72 (6): 330-43. PMID: 15211398.

^ (2005 Feb) "St John's wort for depression: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.". Br J Psychiatry. 186: 99-107. PMID: 15684231.

^ (2005 Apr) "St John's wort for depression.". Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 18 (2). PMID: 15846605.

^ Marks LS, Partin AW, Epstein JI, Tyler VE, Simon I, Macairan ML, Chan TL, Dorey FJ, Garris JB, Veltri RW, Santos PB, Stonebrook KA, & deKernion JB (2000). "Effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.". J. Urol 163 (5): 1451-1456. PMID 10751856.

^ Bent S, Kane C, Shinohara K, Neuhaus J, Hudes ES, Goldberg H, & Avins AL. (2006). "Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia". New England Journal of Medicine 354 (6): 557-566. PMID 16467543.

^ (Nov 1 2005) "Valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for treating insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.". Sleep. 28 (11): 1465-71. PMID: 16335333.

^ Bent S, Padula A, Moore D, Patterson M, & Mehling W. (2006). "Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis.". Am J Med. 119 (12): 1005-1012. PMID 17145239.

^ Taibi DM, Landis CA, Petry H, & Vitiello MV (2007). "A systematic review of valerian as a sleep aid: safe but not effective". Sleep Med Rev 11 (3): 209-230. PMID 17517355.

^ (2007) "Activation of FOXO3a by the Green Tea Polyphenol Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Induces Estrogen Receptor Expression Reversing Invasive Phenotype of Breast Cancer Cells". Cancer Research 67: 5763-5770. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-4327.

^ Zhang Q, Kelly AP, Wang L, French SW, Tang X, Duong HS, Messadi DV, & Le AD (2006). "Green tea extract and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibit mast cell-stimulated type I collagen expression in keloid fibroblasts via blocking PI-3K/AkT signaling pathways". J Invest Dermatol 126 (12): 2607-2613. PMID 16841034.

^ (2004 Spring;) "Natural honey lowers plasma glucose, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and blood lipids in healthy, diabetic, and hyperlipidemic subjects: comparison with dextrose and sucrose". J Med Food: 100-7. PMID: 15117561.

^ Healing Honey: The Sweet Evidence Revealed.

^ Botanical Products.

^ (1998) "Love potions and the ointment of witches: historical aspects of the nightshade alkaloids.". J Toxicol Clin Toxicol.;(): 36 (6): 617-27. PMID: 9776969.

^ (2006 Dec) "Solanaceae III: henbane, hags and Hawley Harvey Crippen.". J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 36 (4): 366-73. PMID: 17526134.

^ (2001 Nov) "Adverse effects associated with herbal medicine.". Aust Fam Physician. 30 (11): 1070-5. PMID: 11759460.

^ (2003 Mar) "An unusual cause of hypokalemic paralysis: chronic licorice ingestion.". Am J Med Sci.;(): 325 (3): 153-6. PMID: 12640291.

^ (2006 Jun) "Fulminant hepatic failure associated with the use of black cohosh: a case report.". Liver Transpl. 12 (6): 989-92. PMID: 16721764.

^ (2005 May-Jun) "Herb use in pregnancy: what nurses should know.". MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 30 (3): 201-6. PMID: 15867682.

^ Herbs to avoid during pregnancy, Gaia Garden website

^ (2007 Summer) "An examination of the bleeding complications associated with herbal supplements, antiplatelet and anticoagulant medications.". J Dent Hyg. 81 (3): 67. PMID: 17908423.

^ (2007 Jul) "Interactions of food and dietary supplements with drug metabolising cytochrome P450 enzymes.". Ceska Slov Farm. 56 (4): 165-73. PMID: 17969314.

^ Incentives and PharmaceuticalInnovation.

^ Srinivasan K (2005). "Spices as influencers of body metabolism: an overview of three decades of research". Food Research International 38 (1): 77-86.

^ (2000) "Location bias in controlled clinical trials of complementary/alternative therapies.". International Journal of Epidemiology 53 (5): 485-489.

^ (2005) "The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials of homeopathy, herbal medicines and acupuncture". International Journal of Epidemiology 30: 526-531.

^ (2000) "Location bias in controlled clinical trials of complementary/alternative therapies.". International Journal of Epidemiology 53 (5): 485-489.

^ (August 2007) "Matched-pair study showed higher quality of placebo-controlled trials in Western phytotherapy than conventional medicine". Journal of Clinical Epidemiology Volume 60, Issue 8,, Pages 787.e1-e15 60 (8).

^ (2002) "Dilemmas of Traditional Botanical Research". HerbalGram. 55: 46-54.

^ (2001) "What is Herb Standardization?". HerbalGram. (52): 25.

^ Herbal Medicine, NIH Institute and Center Resources, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

^ "Evidence-based herbal medicine" edited by Michael Rotblatt, Irwin Ziment; Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus, 2002

^ "Herbal and traditional medicine: molecular aspects of health", edited by Lester Packer, Choon Nam Ong, Barry Halliwell; New York: Marcel Dekker, 2004.

^ (2007 Apr) "Complexities of the herbal nomenclature system in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM): lessons learned from the misuse of Aristolochia-related species and the importance of the pharmaceutical name during botanical drug product development.". Phytomedicine.;():. Epub 2006 Jul 24 14 (4): 273-9. PMID: 16863692.

^ (1998 Spring) "Misuse of herbal remedies: the case of an outbreak of terminal renal failure in Belgium (Chinese herbs nephropathy)". J Altern Complement Med. 4 (1): 9-13. PMID: 9553830.

^ Dan Bensky, Steven Clavey, Erich Stoger, and Andrew Gamble. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition. 2004: 1054-1055

^ Vanherweghem JL, Depierreux M, Tielemans C, et al. "Rapidly progressive interstitial renal fibrosis in young women: association with slimming regimen including Chinese herbs." Lancet. 1993 Feb 13;341(8842):387-91.

^ Vanhaelen M, Vanhaelen-Fastre R, But P, Vanherweghem JL. "Identification of aristolochic acid in Chinese herbs." Lancet. 1994 Jan 15;343(8890):174. PMID 7904018

^ [back]