Herbal Remedies

I feel like I been away for a while.  With finals and everything else, there really hasn't been any new information to share.  Not until one of the last days of school- where a good lecture on Herbal supplementation.  The best part of this post is that this lecture was given by an MD- so this is a medical opinion on the matter which was very interesting and refreshing to hear.  He stated he would prefer to recommend these remedies before any drugs, in which he saw much success

Before beginning the lecture, I just wanted to post that I have waited to publish this, to wait for my National Board scores.  I found out this morning that I just passed Part 1 National Boards.  Not that I had any doubt, but it was good to have that confirmation and see the numbers.  Along with that, I had have my finals and in just over a week I will be moving on to Tri 6.  The "Train" is picking up speed

For this post I just wanted to make a list of herbs and their main purposes.  I have mentioned some before in previous posts, but hopefully this list may help seeing them all together.  A few comments beforehand- There are 500,000 known species of plants in the world and only 5,000 have been studied.  5,000 seems like a lot, but that's only 1% of what is really out there.  This list is only a handful of herbs.  There are countless more, but I will try to stick with what was mentioned in the lecture.  If you have any experience with any others, please feel free to share and comment.

1. Aloe - Treatement of burns and would healing

2. Bilberry - (Blueberries, Huckleberries) - Treatment of visual acuity, nearsightedness and recently studied to help with obesity

3. Black Cohosh - Treatment of menopause or dysmenorrhea  (I have also posted that Tribulis and Chaste Tree can help with hormon imbalance)

4. Chamomile - This is a flower used to help with upset stomach and help with sleep problems.

5. Cascara Sagrada - Treatment of constipation and gallstones

6. Cheyenne Pepper - Used as an anti-inflammatory and can be used topically to treat arthritis

7. Chinese Parsley - (Cilantro) - Used as a chelated agent to rid of toxic metals such as Mercury, Lead and Aluminum

8. Cranberry - Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections

9. Echinacea - This is an immune booster to help fight infections and promote healing.  This is one herb that is gaining popularity and is often taken when one may start to feel sick to boost immunity.  Has been used to treat upper respiratory allergies, and even burns topically

10. Feverfew Leaf - Main treatment for Migraines

11. Garlic - This is one herb this is often over looked.  It is an anti-inflammatory agent and can also help lower blood cholesterol levels.

12. Ginger - Helps prevent morning sickness (works very well, as well as papaya juice or extract) and upset stomach, and treatment of colds often taken as a tea infusion

13. Gingko Root - Improves memory function as well as treatment for sexual dysfunction and depression

14. Asian Ginseng - This is a respiratory, digestive and nerve stimulant that can help with fatigue symptoms and cholesterol

15. Goldenseal Root - Treatment of Allergies, Nausea

16. Hawthorn - Supports cardiac function as well as lowing blood pressure

17. Kava Kava Root - Treament of anxiety, insomnia (promotes relaxation)

18. Milk Thistle - Treatment of Liver disease (acute of chronic)

19. Saw Palmetto - Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, enlarged prostate

20. St. John's Wort - Treatment of depression and anxiety

21. Tea Tree Oil - This oil from the Melaleuca plant is antimicrobial and antifungal - best used topically

22. Red Yeast Rice Extract - Lowers Cholesterol

23. Valerian Root - Main treatment for insomnia or other sleep problems.

24. Tumeric - I believe this is also another over looked herb, it wasn't even covered in the lecture but is in our notes.  Tumeric along with Curry are powerful antioxidant agents and have been known to inhibit cell changes that lead to cancer.  There has been some recent research done to prove their effect against cancer cells. http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-y-files/curry-spice-kills-cancer-cells/192492160785874

Like I said, there are countless more, but what I love about this list is that many of them are often found in our home, but not often used enough.  Many of them are actual flowers and plants that we can easily grow in our backyard and have available.  And best of all- There are people all around us that suffer from migraines, sickness, inflammation, headaches, allergies in which these herbs have a great effect and can treat.  We often depend on a prescription to care for these symptoms, which all once derived from a plant or herb, but have been modified making it more dangerous than helpful.  There is great knowledge in understanding these herbs and how they can help our bodies in a pure and natural way.