Acne
... A common inflammatory pilosebaceous disease characterized by comedones, papules, pustules, inflamed nodules, superficial pus-filled cysts, and, in extreme cases, canalizing and deep. inflamed, sometim...

Losing Addictions Naturally
... Let''s meet a few people in the office of Bartlett Insurance Company. Although they sound like cases, their situation is not unusual. Recent statistics show that xx are addicted to alcohol, xx million...

Natural Medicine For The Recovering Addict
... The term "addiction" encompasses almost all imbalanced and self-destructive behavior. Substance abuse can create an illusory sense of well-being, but in the end it severely damages physical, psycholog...

Ginkgo -- Ancient Medicine, Modern Medicine
... It is a rare musical work or book that captures the imaginations of such a diverse group of people that it crosses over from the category it is meant for into another. Ginkgo, a medicinal herb from an...

Osteoporosis
... A generalized, progressive diminution in bone tissue mass(i.e., a reduced amount of bone) causing weakness of skeletal strength, even though the ratio of mineral to organic elements is unchanged in th...

The Biology of Aging
... What is aging? To some extent the answer to this question is a subjective one reflecting belief system as much as fact. Here we shall briefly consider some ideas about the nature of biological aging. ...

Nutritional and Herbal Support
... Etiology In traditional Chinese Medicine, AIDS is often considered to be due to a deficiency or chronic weakness of the digestive, assimilative function, the lungs, and the kidneys/adrenals. Treatment...

Allergic to What? Part 1: Herbal Programs for Food Allergies
... Everybody''s allergic to something. Cat hair, grass pollen, wheat bread by the slice, cow''s milk and eggs. What about work? According to Dorland, allergy is "a hypersensitive state." Often the subjec...

Childhood Allergies
... An allergy is a hypersensitive reaction to a normally harmless substance. About one in every six children in the United States is allergic to one or more substances. There are a variety of substances,...

Hayfever & Allergy
... Hayfever is an allergic disorder characterized by nasal discharge, sneezing, itching and difficulty breathing through the nose. The primary part of the body affected by the allergic reaction is the me...

Ginkgo and Alzheimer''s Disease
... The herb industry and the supplement manufacturers are making some dramatic claims for Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer''s disease. It is worth reviewing some of the r...

Amenorrhea
... Absence of menstruation, i.e. either lack of menarche or cessation of menses. To recognize amenorrhea it is necessary to know what would be considered normal menstruation. The duration of a period is ...

Angina Pectoris
... A clinical syndrome due to myocardial ischaemia characterizes by episodes of precordial discomfort or pressure, typically precipitated by exertion and relieved by rest or sublingual nitroglycerin. Thi...

Kava-kava: A calming herb from the South Pacific
... By many accounts, kava-kava--or simply kava--is an herb on the brink of Western stardom. Manufacturers of herbal products report strong public interest in kava preparations, and articles appearing in ...

Kava: Is It Safe?
... The South Pacific herb, Kava Kava, is a best-seller — ranking ninth in retail U.S. sales in mainstream markets in 2000 — based on its proven ability to relieve stress, anxiety and tension. Recently ka...

St. John''s Wort: One Powerful Herb
... I can''t believe it! I feel normal for the first time in a long, long time-maybe ever.- Cindy, a 35-year-old working mother Can a natural and inexpensive supplement actually relieve depression? Yes, i...

Using St. John''s Wort With Other Antidepressants
... I have used St. John''s wort with patients who were already on antidepressants, including Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride), and the tricyclics (see Prozac and Beyond-The Synthetic A...

American Botanical Council Announces New Safety Information on Kava
... Austin, TX. (December 20, 2001). Herbal experts are advising caution with the use of the popular herb kava. The American Botanical Council (ABC) is suggesting that consumers follow additional precauti...

Aromatherapy for the Reproductive System
... Among the most common problems for women are those involving the reproductive system. As women with personal experience in this area, we will focus first on several female problems. This topic has bee...

Cayenne --This Popular Herb is Hot
... It''s well known that cayenne pepper is an important ingredient in hot sauces, salsa and spicy restaurant dishes, but mostly unknown that extracts of cayenne can help ease the terrible burning pain of...

Arthritis
... A chronic syndrome characterized by nonspecific, usually symmetric inflammation of the peripheral joints, potentially resulting in progressive destruction of articular and periarticular structures; ge...

Inflammation and Arthritis
... The plant kingdom is abundant in species that act as anti-inflammatories to animal tissue. If the premise is accepted that through an ecological integration most of the biological needs of humanity an...

Osteo-Arthritis
... Primarily a disorder of hyaline cartilage and subchondral bone, though all tissues in and around involved joints are hypertrophic. Osteo-Arthritis (Degenerative Joint Disease) is the most common form ...

Aromatherapy for the Musculoskeletal System
... Bones and muscles give form to the body and permit physical movement. Unless damaged by injury, the health of this system depends on the overall health of the body. With degenerative conditions such a...

Asthma
... A reversible obstructive lung disorder characterized by increased responsiveness of the airways. This is a condition in which the small bronchial airways temporarily constrict, so that it is difficul...

Childhood Asthma
... Asthma is an inflammatory respiratory illness characterized by mild to severe difficulty in breathing. This is caused by constriction and swelling of the airways, along with an increase in accretions ...

Aromatherapy for the Respiratory System
... Afflictions of the respiratory system include irritation and infection of the ears, nose and throat. Respiratory problems also may involve congestion, which can be decreased by inhaling rosemary (espe...

Arteriosclerosis
... Arteriosclerosis A generic term for a number of diseases in which the arterial wall becomes thickened and loses elasticity. The term arteriosclerosis refers to several diseases that involve both arter...

Athlete''s foot
... Athlete''s foot is a fungus infection of the toes and foot, characterized by an itchy, scaly, odorous rash between the toes. Cracks, irritation, redness and bacterial infections may complicate the pic...

Aromatherapy for Miscellaneous Complaints
... Cuts and Scrapes A spray of diluted essential oils makes an excellent antiseptic. The germ-killing abilities of essential oils high in terpenes, such as tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus and lemon, incre...

Cystitis
... Acute or chronic infection of the urinary bladder. This is an inflammation of the wall and lining of the urinary bladder that may be due to bacterial infection or to mechanical abrasion from microcrys...

Boils
... Acute, tender, perifollicular inflammatory nodules resulting from infection by staphylococci. Commonly known as boils they may also be termed furuncles or carbuncles. These infections are localized ab...

Bronchitis Acute
... Acute inflammation of the tracheobronchial tree, generally self-limiting and with eventual complete healing and return of function. Bronchitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the mucous lining ...

Bronchitis Chronic
... A condition associated with prolonged exposure to non specific bronchial irritants and accompanied by mucous hyper secretion and certain structural changes in the bronchi. Chronic bronchitis is a long...

Heartsease
... Viola tricolor Violaceae Names: Wild Pansy. Habitat: A common British wild and garden plant. Part Used: Herb. Constituents: Flavonoids, including violanthin, rutin, violaquercitrin. Methylsalicylate M...

Sundew
... Drosera rotundifolia Droseraceae Habitat: Grows throughout Europe on wet heaths, moors and sphagnum bogs, especially in Wales. Collection: The whole of the plant is gathered during the flowering perio...

Therapeutic Uses of Aromatherapy
... In this chapter we explain how essential oils heal the body. We have divided the chapter into sections dealing with the major systems in the body-circulatory, digestive, respiratory, nervous, glandula...

Bursitis & Tendinitis
... Bursitis: Acute or chronic inflammation of a bursa. Tendinitis: Inflammation of the lining of the tendon sheath (tenosynovitis) and of the enclosed tendon (tendinitis). A bursa is a pocket of connecti...

German Translation of PZ 39 (135): 6-7, 97-98, Sept. 1990
... Information on Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid-Containing Human Medicines AMK. The expert commisions for herbal, homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines, the members of which are selected from among prominant...

Herbal Cancer Therapies
... The following outline covers the therapeutic categories most often recommended in western herbal practice. Overview of popular herbal protocols: Diets: Live foods (purifying diet): wheat grass juice, ...

More Semantics! Cytotoxic, Anti-cancer & Anti-tumor
... The term anti-cancer herb is all too emotive and can build up false hopes. The National Cancer Institute defines these terms in the following way : A cytotoxic agent is toxic to tumors in laboratory c...

Plants & Cancer Research
... This section has been written in an attempt to provide an insight for the herbalist about allopathic research and use of plants in oncology. It is by no means comprehensive, and is not meant to imply ...

Essiac
... Essiac, a harmless herbal tea, was used by Canadian nurse Rene Caisse to successfully treat thousands of cancer patients from the 1920s until her death in 1978 at the age of ninety. Refusing payment f...

Hoxsey Therapy
... For over three decades, Harry Hoxsey (1901-1974), a self-taught healer, cured many cancer patients using an herbal remedy reportedly handed down by his great-grandfather. By the 1950s, the Hoxsey Canc...

Genital Candidiasis
... Yeast infection of the genital tract caused by Candida albicans. Candida albicans infections are becoming increasingly common, especially in women. Such genital infections usually develop by the yeast...

Hawthorn Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
... Ask any American herbalist or any European doctor, pharmacist or staff member of any natural food store what single herb is most recommended to help make a healthy heart and all will answer the same--...

Cardiac Remedies
... What is a Cardiac Remedy? This is a general term for herbal remedies that have an action on the heart. Some of the remedies in this group are powerful Cardio-Active agents such as Foxglove, while othe...

Congestive Heart Failure
... A common syndrome that may be caused by many different etiologies whose clinical manifestations reflect a fundamental abnormality - a decrease in the myocardial contractile state such that cardiac out...

Heart Attack
... Ischemic myocardial necrosis usually resulting from abrupt reduction in coronary blood flow to a segment of myocardium. A myocardial infarct, or heart attack, occurs when the blood supply to some part...

Herbal Therapy & the Cardiovascular System
... Herbs still maintain a central position in orthodox medicines treatment of various heart problems. Plants that contain cardiac glycosides are used throughout the world for the treatment of heart failu...

Aromatherapy for the Heart and Circulation
... The circulatory system transports blood throughout the body. It includes the heart and the blood vessels, as well as the lymphatic system, which supplies nutrients and moves cellular fluid through the...

Chicken Pox (Varicella)
... An acute viral disease, usually ushered in by mild constitution symptoms that are followed shortly by an eruption appearing in crops and characterizedby macules, papules, vesicles and crusting. This c...

Aromatherapy and Children
... Care must be taken in treating children with essential oils, although there are any number of safe ones. Use one-third to one-half the adult dose, or a 1-percent dilution (five or six drops of essenti...

Childhood Diarrhea
... The number and consistency of stools varies a great deal. Loose stools are normal in the breast fed infant. If baby is vomiting and having more than 8 watery stools there is danger of dehydration and ...

Childhood Nausea
... Nausea, feeling sick in the stomach without actually vomiting, is a common symptom in children. The cause must always be ascertained, possibilities covering as wide a range as infection, food problems...

Children and Herbal Therapy
... With its focus on preventive medicine, holistic approaches to health can be most helpful in many of the common problems of childhood. If conditions are brought under control during childhood they can ...

Herbs and Children
... The World Health Organization defines health as being "... more than simply the absence of illness. It is the active state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being." This is a wonderfully ...

Cholecystitis
... Chronic: A pathologic term for a thick walled, fibrotic, contracted gallbladder clinically, it is used to describe chronic gallbladder disease characterized by symptoms that include recurrent biliary ...

Gallstones
... Presence of calculi in the gallbladder (Cholelithiasis) or the biliary duct(choledocholithiasis). Many factors appear to influence the development of gallstones, from sex to racial group, but fundamen...

Curbing cholesterol with garlic
... Twenty years ago, it seemed as if only athletes and health fanatics understood the relationship between low cholesterol and good health. Today, many of us are as familiar with our cholesterol count as...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Overview of Contributing Factors and Treatment Plan
... Etiology First and foremost, chronic fatigue is a disease of lifestyle. It is generally caused by mismanagement of our personal energy resources. It is very commonly seen in the West, in industrialize...

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
... Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a relatively "new" diagnosis, and there are wide variations in point of view as to its causes and method of treatment. In addition to the symptom of fatigue, the condition ...

Endometriosis
... Approximately five to twenty percent of women of childbearing age are affected by this troublesome condition. In addition, it is found at as many as 20-50 percent of all gynecologic operations. Pain, ...

Echinacea From Native American Panacea to Modern Phytopharmaceutical
... Medicinal herbs play an important role in health care throughout the world--especially in non-industrialized continents such as Africa, South America and parts of Asia. However, even in many industria...

Ma Huang Appropriate vs. High-Risk Uses
... One of the worst things about a cold is that feeling that I can''t breathe through my nose at night. Invariably, my sinuses will be clear all day, but as soon as I lie down, it''s as if someone stuffe...

Colds and Flu
... As late autumn changes to winter, many factors conspire to weaken the immune system and make us vulnerable to colds and flu. Among them: people spend more time inside with doors and windows closed, wh...

Common Cold
... An acute, usually a febrile, viral infection of the respiratory tract, with inflammation in any or all airways, including the nose, paranasal sinuses, throat, larynx, and often the trachea and bronchi...

Tonics for the Upper Respiratory System
... Nature is abundant in herbs that have an anti-catarrhal effect upon the upper respiratory system, but this is not the same as being a tonic for that part of the body. Simply effecting tissue or functi...

Herbal & Nutritional Programs for the Cold Season
... Herbal and nutritional supplements have a long tradition of use in treating and preventing illness during the cold season. Colds and flus, coughs, sore throats and congestion all can respond favorably...

On Echinacea & Goldenseal
... Herbal medicine has a long tradition of use in the treatment and prevention of immune-related disorders. And Echinacea is one of the most commonly prescribed botanicals for the immune system. Echinace...

The Common Cold
... How many times have you been told, "Everybody seems to be getting it!"? Well, how can it be that every time you get a cold everyone around you has one as well? Perhaps some of the universality and pop...

Colic
... A symptom complex of early infancy that is characterized by paroxysms of crying, apparent abdominal pain, and irritability. This refers to painful contractions of the gastrointestinal tract. About 10 ...

Childhood Constipation
... Although rarely seen in breast fed babies, it is not abnormal for breast fed babies to have bowel movements as infrequently as one in seven days. Treat breast fed infants for constipation only if the ...

Constipation
... This can be defined as difficulty or infrequent passage of feces, and must be seen as a symptom and not a `disease'' state. Diagnosis is thus vitally important. Acute constipation is a definite, recog...

Cough
... Should one soothe coughs, stimulate coughs or suppress coughs? It is always preferable to focus on the underlying cause of the cough as removing the cause will, obviously, alleviate the cough. In the ...

Pertussis
... An acute, highly communicable bacterial disease, characterizedby a paroxysmal or spasmodic cough that usually ends in a prolonged, high-pitched, crowing inspiration (the whoop). Bordetella pertussis, ...

Treatment of Coughs With Herbal Remedies
... Coughing is a common symptom and one of the main signs of respiratory tract diseases. Roughly half of people who seek medical care during the winter suffer from inflammatory conditions of the respirat...

Aromatherapy for the Urinary Tract
... The urinary system, consisting of the kidneys and bladder, regulates the body''s water content and salt balance, and eliminates waste. The kidney determines what will be eliminated and what will be re...

Dandruff
... Definition Seborrhea Seborrhea consists of a fine scaly rash with oily skin, in well-defined areas of the face (mid-forehead, sides of the nose, eyebrows and lids), scalp, chest and back. Redness and ...

Herbs for Dental Health
... Herbal remedies have a long history of use for gum and tooth problems. In many traditional cultures, there are no plastic-bristle brushes, rather, the use of herbal "chewing sticks" are common. Chewin...

Herbal Therapy in Dentistry
... An herb, botanically speaking, is any plant that lacks the woody tissue characteristic of shrubs or trees. More specifically, herbs are plants used medicinally or for their flavor or scent. Herbs with...

Periodontal Disease
... What is Periodontal Disease? Periodontal disease is the inflammation and degeneration of the bone and gum structures that support your teeth. This pervasive disease, which can cause gums to recede and...

St. John''s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum L.): A Review
... Introduction Among the many medicinal herbs used throughout the long history of Occidental culture, St. John''s wort, Hypericum perforatum L., has always been and still is of great interest. From the ...

St. John''s Wort Ancient Herbal Protector
... Summary Among the many medicinal herbs used throughout the long history of Occidental culture, St. John''s wort, Hypericum perforatum L., has always been and still is of great interest. From the time ...

Depression
... Depression is a state of mind familiar to almost everyone, but this very familiarity becomes problematic when approaching clinical depressive states. In ordinary usage the word refers to a mood state ...

St. John''s Wort - The Versatile Herb
... It was never like this on Prozac . . . there''s more laughter. -Kate, 48-year-old author The herbalists of ancient times knew about the powers of St. John''s wort, and they used it for a wide variety ...

The Natural Pharmacy: Herbal Medicine for Depression
... "The physician is nature''s assistant."              Galen, 2nd century AD

Fighting Depression the Herbal Way
... Sarah, a normally exuberant young woman, felt fatigued and out of sorts. For three weeks, she had dreaded getting out of bed in the morning and found little joy in her occupation as a physical educati...

Poke
... Phytolacca americanaPhytolaccaceaeNames: Pokeweed.Habitat: N. America Collection: The root should be unearthed in the late autumn or spring.Clean it and split lengthwise before drying.Part Used: Root....

Herbal Treatment of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes
... The plant kingdom has many hypoglycemic plants. They have much to contribute to a comprehensive management program of non-insulin dependent diabetes. Insulin dependent will rarely respond well to hypo...

The Secret of Stevia
... Stevia Rebaudiana is a small shrub native to portions of Northeastern Paraguay and adjacent sections of Brazil. It flourishes in the sandy soil of this elevated terrain and may grow to a height of 80...

Diet and Diabetes
... What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a general term for an endocrine disease that is characterized by excessive urination and thirst. Many Americans suffer from this disease, as well as the limitations to o...

Diaper Rash
... Diaper rash is caused by a skin reaction to irritating diapers and prolongedcontact with stool, urine, perspiration, soaps, detergents or creams. Typically, the rash affects the groin around the genit...

Edema: Water Retention
... Excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues and cavities. Such abnormal accumulation of fluid in spaces between cells of body tissues, may be associated with liver or kidney disturbance, pregnancy...

Burdock: A Lion in Porcupine''s Clothes
... Many years ago, on a cold morning in February, the Kimura family went out to the edge of the forest to gather the roots of a wild herb growing there. A few days before, the grandfather had fallen ill ...

Tonics, Bitters and Digestion
... "What does bitter have to do with good digestion?" an American might ask, promptly making an awful face to indicate that a bitter flavor is the last thing in the world he or she would voluntarily let ...

Astringents
... Astringents are remedies that have a ''binding'' action on tissue, usually due to a group of complex chemicals called tannins. The name tannin derives from their use in the tanning industry, and they ...

Bitters
... Bitter herbs are fundamental to Phytotherapy''s contribution to holistic medicine. They are quite simply herbs that have a bitter taste, ranging from mildly bitter Yarrow to fiercely bitter Rue. Absin...

Diverticulitis
... Inflammation of one or more diverticula, potentially leading to obstruction or perforation, and to abscises and fistula formation. Diverticula are small sac like herniations of the mucosal lining of t...

Esophagitis & Gastroesophageal reflux
... Reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus leading to localized infection. This relatively common and unpleasant problem is usually caused by problems to do with control of the esophageal sphincter...

Flatulence
... Flatulence is a common problem that might be associated with a pathology or be simply related an inappropriate diet. The production of excessive gas by the digestive system has many causes, but the Gr...

Hemorrhoids
... Cushions of tissue that line the lower rectum & serve to produce complete closure of the anal canal. Symptoms due to hemorrhoids are bleeding, protrusion and pain. Such bleeding must never be assumed ...

Hepatitis
... An inflammatory process in the liver characterized by diffuse or patchyhepatocellular necrosis affecting all acini. Pathologically this can be due to a range of causes: viruses infection, often extrem...

Herbal Detoxification
... The herbal approach to detoxification is based upon the premise that the human body is a self healing and homeostatic organism, and that the therapist simply has to support normal processes. The body ...

Herbal Therapy for Digestive System Disorders
... Herbal medicine is uniquely suited for the treatment of illness of the digestive system. Throughout the evolutionary process, our food has been our medicine, ensuring that the unique healing propertie...

Indigestion
... Symptoms referred to the GI system in which a pathological condition is not present, is poorly established, or, if present, does not entirely explain the clinical state. This is a vague and variable p...

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
... Motility disorders involving the small intestine and large bowel associated with variable degrees of abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, largely as are action to stress in a susceptible individu...

Mugwort
... Artemisia vulgaris Compositae Collection: The leaves and flowering stalks should be gathered just at blossoming time, which is between July and September. Part Used: Leaves or root. Constituents: Vola...

Tansy
... Tanacetum vulgare Compositae Names: Batchelor''s Buttons Habitat: A common European wild plant. Collection: The leaves and flowers are collected during the flowering time between June and September. P...

Uterine Tonics
... These are plants that have a toning, strengthening, nourishing effect upon both the tissue and functioning of the female reproductive system. The hows and whys are usually unknown, but this should not...

A One-Week Cleansing and Detoxification Program
... In both Chinese and Naturopathic medicine, the spring season is the optimal time of year for cleansing and detoxification. But remember, cleansing can be beneficial during all seasons of the year. An...

Dysmenorrhea
... Cyclic pain associated with menses. Dysmenorrhea is painful menstruation and is the most common of all gynecologic complaints, and the leading cause of absenteeism of women from work, school, and othe...

Dysuria
... Painful urination. This important symptom may be caused by a wide range of conditions and so knowing an approach to its easing comes in very useful. However, successful alleviation will depend upon ac...

Aromatherapy for Problems of the Ears and Eyes
... Antiseptic essential oils such as lavender and tea tree can be diluted in olive oil and rubbed around the outside of-never in-the ear and over the lymph nodes on the side of the neck. If the ear probl...

Eczema: Dermatitis
... Superficial inflammation of the skin, characterized by vesicles (when acute), redness, edema, oozing, crusting, scaling and usually itching. The terms eczema and dermatitis are the cause of much confu...

Water Retention - Edema
... Excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues and cavities. Such abnormal accumulation of fluid in spaces between cells of body tissues, may be associated with liver or kidney disturbance, pregnancy...

Prescribing Issues Unique to Elders
... When considering herbal therapy it is important to acknowledge some of the age related pharmaco-kinetic and pharmaco-dynamic changes that occur. Safe drug or herb prescribing for older patients has to...

Toning and Nurturing Health in Elders
... A basic premise of this course is that phytotherapy can nurture health and not simply treat illness. This strength of this approach lies in the use of tonics and gentle effect or remedies, using the s...

Emphysema
... Enlargement of the air spaces distal to terminal non-respiratory bronchioles, accompanied by destructive changes of the alveolar walls. Emphysema, which often accompanies chronic bronchitis, is damage...

Herbal Therapy & the Adrenal Glands
... Alternative medicine abounds in ideas about and remedies for the adrenal glands. Unfortunately they are often just an expression of a fundamental lack of knowledge about the adrenals. The ideas couch...

Phytotherapy and the Endocrine Glands
... The herbal traditions lack an abundance of suggestions for treating endocrine glands. This is only to be expected when it is realized that an understanding of the functions of the endocrine is very r...

Aromatherapy for the Glandular System
... In his book The Holistic Herbal, David Hoffmann states: "It is in the complexities of our inner control systems that mind meets body most closely. If consciousness is seen as a faculty of the brain, t...

Endometriosis
... Approximately five to twenty percent of women of childbearing age are affected by this troublesome condition. In addition, it is found at as many as 20-50 percent of all gynecologic operations. Pain, ...

Fertility & Contraception
... This fundamentally important area of human life is not only an expression of mystery and miracle, but impacts directly on the future of life on this planet under the pressure of the population explosi...

Fibrocystic Disease (FCD)
... Also known as chronic cystic mastitis. This is the commonest non-malignant breast disease. It is characterized by a growth of fibrous tissues that most frequently appears in the 30''s & 40''s but disa...

Fibrocystic Disease (FCD)
... Also known as chronic cystic mastitis. This is the commonest non-malignant breast disease. It is characterized by a growth of fibrous tissues that most frequently appears in the 30''s & 40''s but disa...

Influenza
... A specific acute viral disease characterized by fever, coryza, cough, headache, malaise, and inflamed respiratory mucous membranes. Severe colds and various unidentified virus infections are often ref...

Fungal Skin Infections
... Superficial infections caused by dermatophytes - fungi that invade only dead tissues of the skin or its appendages. Fungal infections of the skin are very common in all age groups. They are caused by ...

Wahoo
... Euonymus atropurpureus Part Used: Root bark. Constituents: Cardenolides based on digitoxigenin Alkaloids such as asparagine & atropurpurine Sterols; euonysterol, atropurpurol, homoeuonysterol Actions:...

Gastritis
... As an example of the herbal approach to inflammatory conditions in the digestive system we shall first consider common condition known as gastritis. Strictly speaking the term gastritis means inflamma...

Pro-Life Therapy with Probiotics
... The human body is a walking ecosystem. Although we do not usually think of ourselves in this way, the fact is that we are "home" to trillions of microorganisms that live on and inside us. We are actua...

Black Root
... Leptandra virginica Part Used : Rhizome and root. Constituents : Active constituents largely unknown, however it is known to contain: Volatile oil with esters of cinnamic acid, methoxycinnamic acid an...

Peptic Ulceration
... A circumscribed ulceration of the mucous membrane penetrating through the muscularis mucosa and occurring in areas exposed to acid and pepsin. Gastriculceration occurs along the lesser curvature of th...

Gout
... A recurrent acute arthritis of peripheral joints which results from depositions, in and about the joints and tendons, of crystals of monosodium urate from supersaturated hyperuricemic body fluids; the...

Hay Fever
... A symptom complex including hay fever and perennial allergic rhinitis, characterized by seasonal or perennial sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, pruritus and often conjunctivitis and pharyngitis....

Tonics for the Upper Respiratory System
... Nature is abundant in herbs that have an anti-catarrhal effect upon the upper respiratory system, but this is not the same as being a tonic for that part of the body. Simply effecting tissue or functi...

Feverfew What did Gerard and Culpeper take When They Had Headaches?
... In the grand scheme of things, it is always interesting to note how dependable are the cycles of history. It has been said that a wise person is one who studies history and can subsequently predict th...

Guarana--A Stimulating Beverage
... Although primarily used in South America, guarana--called "Zoom" by some due to its familiar stimulating effects--has infiltrated the American health food market in the last few years. This herb deriv...

Headache
... Pain that occurs over various parts of the head is called a headache. It is one of humanities most common afflictions. In the United States alone, up to 50 million people seek medical help for headach...

Aromatherapy for the Nervous System
... The nervous system provides the intricate connection between mind and body. As a result of mental or emotional responses, a problem in one area of the body may affect another. For stress in general, t...

Hawthorn for the Heart
... The best-known herb for the heart in western herbalism is Hawthorn, which is a small tree or shrub that grows throughout the northern hemisphere. The fruits, flowers, and leaves are processed into tin...

The Heart Herbs: Hawthorn and Garlic
... Joseph has high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels--no symptoms yet, but he''s concerned because his dad died of a heart attack at 52. At 48, he is more fit than his dad was and more consc...

Hypertension
... Elevation of systolic and/or diastolic BP, either primary (essential hypertension) or secondary. A differentiation must be made between elevated blood pressure with no obvious medical cause (primary o...

Hypotension
... An excessive fall in blood pressure on assuming the upright position. Allopathic medicine does not consider this to be a specific disease as such, but a manifestation of abnormal blood pressure due to...

Hematuria
... Hematuria can give rise to a red or brown color in the urine. If the amount of blood is small it might not show visually but can be detected by a number of simple tests. This symptom may be associated...

Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
... An acute CNS infection involving primarily the dorsal root ganglia, characterized by vesicular eruption and neuralgic pain in the areas of the skin supplied by peripheral sensory nerves arising in the...

Calming Hyper Kids with Herbs
... Noah was a hyperactive child. Noah''s parents had been working with him for some years, and after a tremendous amount of trial and error, they discovered that when Noah stayed away from refined sugar,...

Kava--Elixir of the Pacific
... Botany, Nomenclature, Range Kava is Piper methisticum Forst. from the pepper family, Piperaceae. Depending on the area of the Pacific, Piper methisticum has been called Kava, awa, waka, lawena, or yaq...

Hyperactivity
... This is a thorny issue that raises a plethora of questions. There is no doubt that extreme hyperactivity occurs and can be related to dietary factors.This having been said there is an unfortunate tend...

Hyperthyroidism
... Overactivity of the thyroid gland may be caused by a functioning growthor tumor, such as a benign nodule or cancer, a self-limited inflammationof the gland from a probable viral infection, or Graves''...

Parsley
... Petroselinum crispumUmbelliferaeHabitat: Native to the Eastern Mediterranean, cultivated worldwide.Collection: The root is collected in the autumn from two year oldplants. the leaves can be used any t...

Hypothyroidism
... Hypothyroidism is an underactivity of the thyroid resulting in too little production of thyroid hormone. Although it may be caused by a variety of diseases that affect the hypothalamus and pituitary g...

Drugs with Adaptogenic Effects for strengthening the powers of resistance
... Translator''s Summary Adaptogens, first defined in the 1950s by Lazarev are substances that normalize body functions, strengthen systems and functions compromised by stress and have a protective effec...

Herbal Adaptogens Fitting into the Modern Age
... James Ryan never thought he would be drinking herbal tea straight from an apple-juice bottle. But a lot of things had changed over the last year. He never thought he would be alive now, either, and he...

Immune Disorders--A Traditional View
... Mary walked into the acupuncturist''s office and surveyed the situation. She was a little uncertain, this being her first trip to a Chinese doctor. As she looked around the reception room, she saw row...

Medicinal Mushrooms I
... Mushrooms have been valued throughout the world as both food and medicine for thousands of years. Throughout the world, many people enjoy hunting for wild mushrooms, delighting in the variety of shape...

Specific and Tonic Immune Herbs Exploring a Practical System of Western Herbalism
... Unlike many countries of the world where herbs are used as a primary method of health care, in the United States, we do not have a detailed traditional system of herbalism to guide us. Most western he...

A Brief Overview of the Biological Immune system
... Immunity describes a complex process within the body, rather than a specific group of organs. Certain organs and tissue types do have a predominantly immunological function, including- reticulo-endoth...

A General Approach to Infection
... Because of the similarity of immune system involvement in bodily response to infection, it is possible to make some herbal generalizations. The details will vary with the nature of the disease, specif...

A Phyto-Therapeutic Approach to the Immune System
... From all that has been discussed, it is clear that the plant kingdom hasa major impact upon human immunity, an impact that can be worked with by the competent practitioner. There are many ideas about ...

Essential oils
... All of the terpene essential oils are anti-microbial. At one time various essential oils and their constituent terpenoids were applied in allopathic for combating infections, particularly those of the...

Immunity, Holism and Phyto-therapy
... The immune system has become an increasingly crucial issue in all branches of medicine in recent years. This is not only due to the AIDS epidemic but also the statistical explosion of the whole range ...

Immuno-stimulation, Immuno-modulation or what?
... As pharmacology discovers the possibilities offered by the plant kingdom, it has found it necessary to coin new words to describe how the plants work. These definitions are an expression of normalizin...

Infections
... Infection seems to be a concomitant part of living within planet earth''s biosphere. Human beings live in constant contact and ecological dialogue with vast numbers of bacteria, viruses and fungi. The...

The Herbal Possibilities
... There are many ways to use herbs to enhance immunological vitality. Allthe diverse herbal traditions, with their unique cultural roots and expressions, have valuable insights into treatments and speci...

The Immune System and its Specific Problems
... The array of information concerning the immune system and herbal approaches to treatments can be truly daunting! The therapeutic suggestions that follow are based upon my training and clinical experie...

Aromatherapy for Boosting Immunity
... Natural remedies increase the body''s resistance to disease by improving its ability to fight infection. No single essential oil will heal a person, but many plants have immune-modulating properties. ...

Childhood Indigestion
... In addition to the information given for functional dyspepsia in the chapter on the digestive system, an overiding issue must be taken into account for children - TASTE! If they don''t like the medici...

Infertility
... Failure to achieve conception by couples who have not used contraception for at least 1 year. Inability to conceive after at least a year of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptive...

Sinusitis
... An inflammatory process in the paranasal sinuses due to viral, bacterial, and fungal infections or allergic reactions. The sinuses are bony cavities behind, above and at each side of the nose and open...

Tonsillitis
... Acute inflammation of the palatine tonsils, usually due to streptococcal or, less commonly, viral infection. Tonsillitis may be either an acute or chronic inflammation of the tonsils, located near the...

Insomnia
... Difficulty in sleeping, or disturbed sleep patterns leaving the perception of insufficient sleep. There are many herbs with reputations as being effective sleep remedies, but there are no legal plants...

Natural Medicine for Insomnia
... In this world, we all are faced with the effects of a stressful lifestyle. The "stress" symptoms most commonly seen by the health care practitioner are insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness. Fortunately...

Insomnia:
... It''s four in the morning and you''re wide awake, your mind churning. You toss and turn, rehashing the past or worrying about the future, only to fall into a sound sleep twenty minutes before the alar...

Jaundice
... A yellow discoloration of the skin, sclerae and other tissues due to excess circulating bilirubin. This problem is a symptom and not a disease in itself. Careful differential diagnosis will elucidate...

Kidney Stones
... Number of Americans affected by kidney stones yearly -- 1,000,000 Portion of U.S. population affected annually -- 0.5% Portion of population who will have at least one kidney stone --3% Of these, how ...

Laryngitis
... Laryngitis is an acute inflammation of the larynx., or voice box, usually associated with a common cold or overuse of the voice. It is commonly characterized by swelling, hoarseness, pain, dryness in...

The Liver
... Another area of therapy that is exceptionally well suited for herbal treatment is that of liver disease. In the unique and often infuriatingly unscientific language of traditional herbalist''s, much a...

Lupus
... by Meryl Baskervill Introduction: The purpose of this limited study was to determine the benefits, if any, of using herbal preparations traditionally used for adrenal support and toning in the treatme...

Measles (Rubeola)
... A highly contagious acute disease characterized by fever, cough, coryza, conjunctivitis, eruptions (Koplik''s spots) on the buccal and labial mucosa, and a spreading mucopapular cutaneous rash. Caused...

Prostatitis
... Infection of the Prostate Gland. A number of symptoms are found including an aching pain in the area of the prostate, pressure will be painful such that sitting may hurt, there isdysuria, nocturia, dr...

Scientific Information on Black Cohosh for Menopause
... Timely Information Helps Women and Healthcare Professionals Assess Natural Treatment Options for Menopause Symptoms The American Botanical Council, an independent nonprofit organization, is making ava...

Menopause and Premenstral Tension
... A condition characterized by nervousness, irritability, emotional instability, depression and possibly headaches, edema and mastalgia; it occurs during the 7 to 10 days before menstruation and disappe...

Menopause
... For many women, menopause brings relief from monthly periods, freedom from worry about unplanned pregnancy, and excitement about entering a new phase of life. For many others, menopause brings physica...

Menorrhagia
... Excessive duration or amount of menstruation. Excessive menstrual bleed occurs most often prior to menopause, with no underlying pathology present just response to erratic hormone production. In young...

Emmenagogues: Are they or are they not?
... The term emmenagogue is widely used to describe plants that are used for a range of conditions in the female reproductive system. It has, unfortunately, come to imply a remedy that has some kind of ef...

Herbs for Psychological Imbalances
... Herbs and other natural remedies are increasingly called upon as important additions to a total program to help restore emotional and psychological equilibrium in people who have problems in these are...

Motion Sickness
... A disorder caused by repetitive angular and linear acceleration characterized primarily by nausea and vomiting. Motion sickness is a syndrome that occurs in some people when they travel in a vehicle ...

Mumps
... An acute contagious, generalized viral disease, usually causing painful enlargement of the salivary glands, most commonly the parotids. Mumps is a virus infection of the parotid glands, two of the six...

Herbal Therapy & the Musculo-Skeletal System
... This chapter will explore the phytotherapeutic approach to a sample range of conditions that effect muscles, bones and their associated structures. It is important to remember and apply the selection ...

Rheumatism - Myalgia
... A group of common nonarticular rheumatic disorders characterized by pain, tenderness, and stiffness of muscles, areas of tendon insertions, and adjacent soft-tissue structures. This is a notoriously v...

Bitters (Bitterstoffe) L. Maiwald, Wu
... A different evaluation is given by the pharmacologist, on the basis of the separate constituents shown to be in bitters preparations, than that based on medical therapeutical experience. According to ...

Valerian and Other Anti-Hysterics in European and American Medicine (1733-1936)
... Summary Throughout the history of western medicine, valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) has been one of the best-known herbal remedies of all time. Since the 1600''s it has been known as one of the gr...

Herbal Therapy for Nervous System Disorders
... Perhaps the most dramatic and fascinating field of Herbalism is the way in which plants affect consciousness. The integration revealed by the Gaia hypothesis lays a philosophical foundation for this....

Nervine
... What is a Nervine? A nervine is a plant remedy that has a beneficial effect upon the nervous system in some way. This makes the word nervine another catch-all expression, and to study them properly it...

The Nervous System and Herbal Remedies
... In no other system of the body is the connection between the physical and psychological aspects of our being as apparent as in the nervous system. Clearly, the tissue of the nervous system is part of ...

Aspirin and Acetaminophen Fast Relief--But at What Risk?
... The over the Counter (OTC) drugs Aspirin and acetominophin (the main active ingredient of Tylenol and other analgesics) are two of the world''s best-selling medications of all time. One would hardly b...

The Promise of Peppers
... In September and October, it''s hard to miss the roadside stands filled with vegetables from the autumn harvest. The stands seem particularly festive in the Southwestern United States, adorned as they...

Pre-Menstrual Tension
... A condition characterized by nervousness, irritability, emotional instability, depression and possibly headaches, edema and mastalgia; it occurs during the 7 to 10 days before menstruation and disappe...

Uterine Fibroids
... Fibroid tumors are benign muscle tumors that cause enlargement and distortion of the uterus in pre-menopausal women. They may make menstruation painful and heavy, possibly leading to anaemia. This is ...

Discomforts of Pregnancy
... The First Trimester Threatened Miscarriage For many who have suffered miscarriage in the past, herbs may prove effective in preventing this from happening again, provided that the foetus is normal and...

Herbs to Avoid During Pregnancy
... A literature search of the ethnopharmacology of plants used for their abortifacient or uterine stimulating actions provides a long list of plants to avoid. According to Marderosian and Liberti in thei...

Post Partum
... The first six weeks of the post partum period is referred to as the puerperium. The first two to three days are spent bonding with the baby and waiting for the true milk to come in. Milk usually comes...

Optimal Prostate Health With Natural Medicine
... Men and hormonal changes? Yes, the times are changing in the field of men''s health. "Prostate" is now a household word when barely a decade ago men didn''t even know they had one. And the notion that...

Herbal Therapy & the Male Reproductive System
... Prostate diseases generally fall into three categories: infectious, malignant, and hypertrophy. The first two categories are dealt with under the chapter on Immunity. This discussion will focus on ben...

Psoriasis
... A chronic and recurrent disease characterized by dry, well-circumscribed, silvery, scaling papules and plaques of various sizes. This is a common skin disease of unknown cause affecting up to 3% of th...

Expectorant
... Pulmonary/Tonic - Stimulating Expectorant alkaloid containing saponin containing volatile oil containing - ''Relaxing'' expectorant demulcent anti-inflammatory (often also anti-microbial) - usually w...

Herbal Therapy & the Respiratory System
... The Materia Medica abounds with remedies that are appropriate for use in treating respiratory problems in children. Please review these remedies and ensure their various actions are familiar to you:Al...

The Lower Respiratory System
... Actions and herbs for the Lower Respiratory System Pulmonary : Inula helenium, Verbascum thapsus Expectorant Stimulating: Marrubium vulgare, Cephaelis ipecacuanha, Sanguinaria canadensis Relaxing : Tu...

The Upper Respiratory System
... Actions and herbs for the Upper Respiratory System Anti-microbial: Allium spp., Echinacea spp., Eucalyptus spp., Thymus vulgaris, Baptisia tinctoria, Commiphora mol-mol, Ligusticum porterii Anti-catar...

Anti-Rheumatics
... These are remedies that have been observed improving the patients experience of rheumatic problems. That is not to say that they have a specific effect upon the disease or even necessarily upon the mu...

Cradle Cap (Seborrheic Dermatitis)
... An inflammatory scaling disease of the scalp, face and occasionally, other areas of the body Greasy yellowish scales on the skull of infants, it can also appear in the eyebrows, around the nose and be...

Herbs for Male Impotence
... "I can''t make love, I have a terrible headache." This phrase has become well-recognized, and even a subject of humor to epitomize a popular belief that women may often need an excuse to avoid love-ma...

Bruises
... Several essential oils can be used to reduce bruising. Fennel, Hyssop or Lavender are effective if applied to the area as soon as possible after the bruising has occurred, preferably in an ice-cold co...

Dry Skin
... Water is an important component of skin, and it is well designed to retain its natural moisture through the protective outer layer, oil secretion, and replenishment from the blood stream. However, und...

Herbal Therapy & Childhood Skin Disorders
... As with all of the body systems there are a range of remedies appropriate for skin problems in children, each having its distinct area of application with some for external use only. Many of the essen...

Herbal Therapy for Skin Disorders
... The skin is the body''s largest organ. It consisting of a thin outer layer called the epidermis, and a much thicker inner layer called the dermis. Beneath the dermis is a layer consisting of little lo...

Impetigo
... A superficial vesiculopustular skin infection Impetigo is an infection of the skin caused by either a streptococcal bacteria, or occasionally Staphylococcus aureus. The face is most commonly involved,...

Sports Herbs
... Maggie was a long-distance runner and avid volleyball player, but last year she pulled a hamstring muscle and was unable to run for two months. Having an extremely active and curious mind, Maggie bega...

Herbal Remedies and Stress Management
... Herbs can play a fundamental role in any stress management program. When used within the context of a program that addresses a range of factors, herbs can facilitate a dramatic change in the quality o...

Managing Stress: An Overview
... There is much that can be done to ease the impact of stress and lessen the weight of the anxiety and tension we so often carry around with us. However, the very range of approaches that we have to ch...

Herbal Programs for Stress
... Stress seems to be an unavoidable part of life. Some people handle it well and others are more negatively influenced by it. Many react to stress in their lives with a myriad of nervous system complain...

Urinary Frequency
... Increased frequency of urination without an increase in the volume urine passed. This common symptom indicates that the bladder cannot hold as much fluid as usual. A range of processes can cause this ...

Urinary Tract Infections
... Chances are you expect the doctor''s diagnosis. You''ve been down this road before, and the symptoms are hard to mistake: a burning sensation when you urinate, frequent urination in small amounts, and...

Varicose Veins
... Elongated, dilated, tortuous superficial veins whose valves are congenitally absent or scant or have become incompetent; this condition occurs usually in the legs. This is a common problem effecting b...

Vitex: The Hormone Balancing Herb
... Vitex agnus-castus is a perfect example of a modern medicinal plant, with important clinical applications, validated by modern science, and known and used by the ancient Greeks. From the writings of t...

The Reproductive System
... There are a number of important books focusing on the use of healing plant in the holistic treatment of the male and female reproductive system. I strongly recommend that these books be read and rere...

Herbal Programs for Women''s Health
... Herbal and nutritional supplements have been traditionally used in treating and enhancing women''s health for a long time. Premenstrual syndrome, menopause, and other difficulties can respond favorabl...