(NaturalNews) There is probably not one gardener in North America or Europe who would have difficulty identifying chickweed and thus, have pulled it out of their lawn or garden. While scorned by gardeners, chickweed’s straggly green stems with tiny white star-shaped flowers are favored by both chefs and herbalists. Chickweed (Stelleria media) contains a succulent flavor that enhances raw vegetable salads. Herbalists have found that chickweed is effective in treating hemorrhoids, eczema, and other irritating skin conditions.

Chickweed may be useful in the treatment of eczema, though scientific data is lacking
One report published by the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests using chickweed as an herbal supplement in the treatment of eczema. In this report, chamomile was seen to have the most medical literature backing up the herb for the relief of eczema and itching. However, the university did mention that though scientific data is lacking, there is some support for the use of chickweed as either a salve or in an ointment for eczema as well.

Chickweed is used by traditional herbalists for hemorrhoids
Dr. John Ray Christopher, one of the greatest master herbalists of the twentieth century, used chickweed as a remedy for hemorrhoids. Dr. Christopher explained that hemorrhoids were caused by eating too much sugar in the form of candy, pastries, soft drinks, bread, and coffee drinks. The sugar leaches out calcium from the body, as does alcohol, tobacco products, and any product containing white flour. One of the first places to become weak when calcium is leached out is the cardiovascular system. Dr. Christopher noted that when fecal matter sits in the descending colon and rectum for too long due to constipation, the sugar in the stool eats away the walls of the rectum. The weakened blood vessels in the rectum then form painful hemorrhoids. Two or three warm sitz baths a day made with chickweed tea (decoction) followed by an application of chickweed ointment was said to bring relief from hemorrhoids.

Chickweed has been found to have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties
While there are not many scientific studies available on chickweed, the studies that are available are encouraging. One medical study published in the March 2009 issue of Plant Foods for Human Nutrition studied the anti-oxidant levels of the vegetable sprouts in Korean salads. Chickweed sprouts were among the eleven plants tested. The methanol levels in Stellaria aquatica, a close relative of Stellaria media, had the highest anti-cancer properties of all of the vegetables tested for certain kinds of cancer. Antioxidant properties were observed in all of the plants. The conclusion of the study was that the sprouted salad vegetables could definitely be used as a supplement to treat cancer.

Sources for this article include:

Mountain Rose Herbs.com, “Chickweed Herb Profile” http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/chickweed.php

University of Maryland Medical Center.edu, “Eczema” http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/eczema–000054.htm

Herbal Legacy.com, “Hemorrhoids” http://www.herballegacy.com/Hemorrhoids.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034962_chickweed_antioxidants_cancer.html#ixzz1mUmhxxEI

Holy Basil is a medically proven antioxidant which fights against cancer
In a 2007 clinical study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, scientists tested the effectiveness of holy basil (Ocimum sanctum)leaf extract in rats who exhibited oxidative stress, DMBA-induced cancer, and an enzyme imbalance. DMBA is a powerful toxin which is commonly used to initiate cancer tumors in laboratory animals for cancer research purposes. Four different concentrations of holy basil leaf extract were fed to rats over a five day period, then were injected with DMBA. When cancer symptoms were positively identified, the scientists measured the ability of holy basil to combat cancer. At a dosage of 300mg per kilgram of body weight, holy basil leaf extract significantly reduced the formation of cancerous micronuclei, enzymes which metabolize toxins in the body, and oxidation in both proteins and fats. Antioxidant and healthy enzymatic activity was increased.

h1>Scientists prove that holy basil heals neuropathy caused by surgery
The October 2008 issue of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology reports a clinical study which was performed on rats that had sciatic nerve neuropathy. The researchers severed the sciatic nerve in the rats’ paws, then measured the resulting neuropathy. Ocimum sanctum (holy basil) extract was then administered for ten days following the surgeries. The scientists observed that holy basil extract reduced the effects of nerve degeneration, helped to make nerve receptors more sensitive to stimuli, and aided in motor control after the surgery. The herb also curbed a rise in TBARS, an indicator of oxidative stress, and increased the amount of calcium and glutothione in the body of the rats.

Holy basil oil may be useful in the treatment of acne
The International Journal of Cosmetic Science published a 2006 study performed in Thailand which evaluated the effectiveness of three different kinds of Thai basil oil in the treatment of acne. Researchers wanted to study the anti-bacterial activity of oils made from sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), holy basil (Ocimum sanctum), and hoary basil (Ocimum americanum). Hoary basil had no anti-microbial effects against acne at all in vitro. However, both sweet basil oil and holy basil oil did. While sweet basil oil was found to be more effective against acne than holy basil oil, both herbs were found to be suitable for a skin care treatment of acne.

Sources included for this article:

Mountain Rose Herbs.com, “Holy Basil (Tulsi) Herb Profile” http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/Holy_basil.php

Zoology.Muchio.edu, “Metabolism of Xenobiotics” http://zoology.muohio.edu/oris/ZOO462/notes/03_462.html

Pubmed.gov, “Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Holy Basil) ethanolic leaf extract protects against 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthrace ne-induced genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and imbalance in xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes.” P. Manikandan, et al. Journal of Medicinal Food, September 2007; 1093): 495-502. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17887944

Diacomp.org, “Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) Assay,” Eva Feldman, M.D., ed.

http://www.diacomp.org/shared/showFile.aspx?doctypeid=3&docid=33

Pubmed.gov, “Ameliorative effects of ocimum sanctum in sciatic nerve transection-induced neuropathy in rats.” A. Muthuraman, et al. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, October 2008; 120(1): 56- 62. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18762236

Pubmed.gov, “Evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial activity of Thai basil oils and their micro-emulsion formulas against Propionibacterium acnes.” J. Vivoch, et al. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, April 2006; 28(2): 125-33. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18492147

About the author:
This article is provided courtesy of Donna Earnest Pravel, owner and senior editor of Heart of Texas Copywriting Solutions.com. Get free biweekly tips on natural healing and herbs by visiting her blog, Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapy.

“It’s a rather dramatic effect,” says Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

It depends in large part, says Agarwal, on a healthy cell’s ability to wait out damage.

“Cancer cells are fast-growing cells,” Agarwal says. “Not only that, but they are necessarily fast growing. When conditions exist in which they can’t grow, they die.”

Grape seed extract creates these conditions that are unfavorable to growth. Specifically, the paper shows that grape seed extract both damages cancer cells’ DNA (via increased reactive oxygen species) and stops the pathways that allow repair (as seen by decreased levels of the DNA repair molecules Brca1 and Rad51 and DNA repair foci).

“Yet we saw absolutely no toxicity to the mice, themselves,” Agarwal says.

Again, the grape seed extract killed the cancer cells but not the healthy cells.

“I think the whole point is that cancer cells have a lot of defective pathways and they are very vulnerable if you target those pathways. The same is not true of healthy cells,” Agarwal says.

The Agarwal Lab hopes to move in the direction of clinical trials of grape seed extract, potentially as an addition to second-line therapies that target head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that has failed a first treatment.

from Medical Xpress.com
Provided by University of Colorado Denver

http://www.naturalheavymetaldetox.com/best-prevention-against-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease

http://proliberty.com/observer/20071104.htm

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/horsetail-000257.htm

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/horsetail-herbal-remedies.htm

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/horsetail.php

About the author:
Paul Fassa is dedicated to warning others about the current corruption of food and medicine and guiding others toward a direction for better health with no restrictions on health freedom. You can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034756_silica_anti-aging_heavy_metals.html#ixzz1ka4DR1XE

(NaturalNews) Simply substituting echinacea for flu shots or arnica cream for Ben-Gay can still leave you hooked into the unhealthy and consumerist mainstream model of health. If you want to develop a truly holistic sense of health, learn to experience both yourself and the plants you turn to for healing as part of the same ecosystem.

The herb version of “Think globally, act locally”
Bioregional herbalism stems from the concept that a truly holistic style of healing needs to draw on available natural resources within an individual’s local area. This means that the herbs you take do not make an extra demand of resources in terms of manufacture and transportation. Many traditional herbal healers believe that any health imbalance is best cured within the same environment where the illness originated.

For many people, this is a novel notion since we are used to seeing national and even international studies recommending a specific herb as the cure-all for a specific disease, even if that herb grows best only in a narrow corner of the globe. Bioregional herbalism encourages people to learn which herbal healing resources grow naturally in their specific area and to draw on those resources.

Linda Conroy of Moonwise Herbs in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, gives an example: “If I have a fungal infection popular herbalism suggests I reach for Tea Tree Oil and I remind myself that it comes from Australia. What resources does it take to bottle that herb and transport it to me? Now wisdom tells me that the people who lived on this continent had all the medicines they needed, so that leads me to look for an anti- fungal herb in my backyard. And so I reach for Red Cedar (Thuja plicata). I can make a strong infusion, a tincture or an oil with minimal impact to the planet.”

The herbs vary by region, but the principle remains the same. Herbalist Kiva Rose, located in western New Mexico, writes “Healing begins at home, growing from the same rich soil we spring from. The plant medicines are intertwined with ours: blooming uninvited outside the front door, growing from the terra cotta pots on our kitchen windowsills and shooting up in well-tended community gardens. Using herbs from close to home is a tradition honored by curanderas and vegetalistas, Sami shamans and modern medicine women. Traditional healers have long known that the medicine we need the most, grows very near to us.”

Know your bio-region
We all know which state, county and city we live in, but many of us are disconnected from a true sense of place, lacking any concept of the bioregion in which we live. Rose, who teaches classes to help familiarize people with herbs in her area, notes that bioregions are not defined by government. “Each is a specific life zone defined by its watershed and indicator species, and by their relationships to each other. A bioregion may be defined by its wildflowers and red earth, by the Ponderosa pines and prickly pears of the Gila, or by the mangroves and Cherokee roses of the Everglades. Bioregions are not subject to or confined by manmade boundaries like national borders, state or county lines or city limits. Instead, they flow along the lines of rivers and rainfall, migration routes and weather patterns.”

Bioregional herbalism allows you to interact with your environment in a more meaningful way as well as protect natural resources. As herbal healing gains popularity, many manufacturers are mass-producing herbal remedies without sensitivity to the impact of harvesting large numbers of plants from one area. The herbal supplements available at mainstream retailers like Wal-Mart are more likely to be produced without sensitivity to whether a plant species in a specific area is stressed from a year of too little rain. They may harvest wild plants without consideration as to whether the stand of plants will be able to re-seed for another year. For example, the demand for echinacea has already wiped out many wild stands of the plant.

If you want to become a more responsible participant in maintaining the environment and in shaping your own health, try to locate a herbal wildcrafter and/or herbal grower in your area. Many of these herbal experts also offer classes, teaching students about how to recognize and work with the plants within their bioregion.

Sources:

http://www.moonwiseherbs.com/sustainability.htm

http://grassnroots.nventure.com/Bioregional_Herbalism.pdf

http://www.desertexposure.com/200705/200705_bms_bioregional_herbs.php

http://bearmedicineherbals.com/healing-roots-of-home

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034765_bioregional_herbalism_natural_healing.html#ixzz1ka1IWmn6

Scientists at Kingston University in London, England say they were “astonished” recently by the power of 3 natural extracts–white tea, witch hazel, and rose–to stop inflammation. Their exciting study results were published in the December 2011 issue of the Journal of Inflammation.

“For thousands of years people used natural remedies to try–and sometimes succeed–in curing their ailments and preserving their youth,” said Professor Declan Naughton, from the University of Kingston’s School of Life Sciences.

“Now the latest research we have carried out suggests a number of naturally-occurring substances may offer the hope of new treatments to block the progression of inflammation and even stop inflammation.”

Inflammation “The Secret Killer”

That’s exceptional news considering that inflammation has been confirmed to play a major role in the initiation and development of numerous serious diseases, including:
•Cancer
•Diabetes
•Arthritis
•Neurodegenerative conditions
•Heart disease
•Pulmonary problems

Inflammation has also been implicated in premature aging and early death. “Inflammation is a secret killer–helping arrest its development, or being able to stop it from happening at all, would clearly be of benefit,” Professor Naughton explained.

Of 21 Plants Tested, 3 Stood Above the Rest

The research team tested 21 plant extracts for evidence of their ability to fight cancer and prevent aging. Of the 21 extracts, white tea, witch hazel, and rose stood above the rest, and white tea above all showed outstanding results.

“Indeed, it appeared that drinking a simple cup of white tea might well help reduce an individual’s risk of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, or even just age-associated wrinkles,” Professor Naughton said.

Based on such promising lab results, the team took their research a step further and attempted to replicate the results in human skin cells. “As the largest organ in the body, the skin provides a barrier against UV radiation, chemicals, microbes, and physical pollutants,” said study co-author, Professor Tamsyn Thring.

“Challenges like this can contribute to both inflammation and skin aging. [W]hen inflammation starts–be it a simple cut to a finger or in an arthritic joint–the body starts producing a compound called interleukin 8, which helps the process along. We began wondering if there was a way we could switch that signal off, thereby blocking the inflammation’s progress.”

The researchers tested the extracts for their ability to suppress the “rogue enzymes” and oxidants (also known as free radicals) that cause inflammation and age the skin.

They used 3 different concentrations of each extract to stop inflammation:
•White tea (freeze dried powder)
•Witch hazel (dried herb)
•Rose extract (in a medicinal tincture form)

The team was amazed to see how well the various concentrations worked to suppress inflammation. Additional future studies will help determine the best way to use these extracts–both preventative and in the treatment of various ailments.

Meanwhile, you may wish to incorporate these extraordinary remedies into your health and personal care routines.

Natural health practitioners use all 3 of these plants for both internal and external applications, but cautions apply.

For example, experts warn that standard commercial formulations of witch hazel contain a type of alcohol not intended for human consumption, and thus should never be used internally.

Spinal Manipulation, Exercise Trump Drugs for Neck Pain

January 5, 2012 — Spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) and exercises that patients can learn to do at home are more effective than medication for relieving neck pain, both in the short and long term, according to results from a new study published in the January 2012 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

However, the results of this trial are not going to be applicable to all patients, lead author Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD, from the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies, Northwestern Health Sciences University, Bloomington, Minnesota, told Medscape Medical News.

“You have to individualize the treatment,” he said. “It has a lot to do with where the patients are in their history of neck pain, what they’ve experienced in the past, and what their preferences are, but at least these treatments represent some viable options that can be offered to patients.”

Dr. Bronfort said that he and his team believed that spinal manipulation would be better than medication for improving neck pain, at least in the short term, based on their past experience. However, they were surprised to find that the home exercise program turned out to be just as successful, he admitted.

“The home program involved a couple hours of instruction in self care and specific neck exercises, where patients were taught how to avoid certain postures, such as sleeping and working postures, that would aggravate their neck pain,” he explained.

Nonspecific Neck Pain

In the study, 272 patients aged 18 to 65 years who had nonspecific neck pain for 2 to 12 weeks were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of spinal manipulation therapy, medication, or home exercise with advice. The spinal manipulation therapy was given by 5 chiropractors who were well-trained and experienced in the procedure, Dr. Bronfort said.

Medication was provided by licensed medical physicians, with a focus on prescription drugs. First-line therapy was nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, or both, the authors note. Those patients who did not respond or could not tolerate the first-line therapy received narcotic medications. Muscle relaxants were also used, and advice to stay active or modify activity was given as needed. “The choice of medications and number of visits was made by the physician on the basis of the participant’s history and response to treatment,” the authors write.

Pain, as reported by the study participants, was measured at 2, 4, 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks.

Results showed that spinal manipulation had a statistically significant advantage over medication after 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks (P < .010), and that home exercise was superior to medication at 26 weeks (P = .02). No important differences in pain were found between spinal manipulation therapy and home exercises at any time.

Patients who received spinal manipulation therapy or home exercises also reported similar improvements in self-reported disability, medication use, general health status, and adverse events. However, patients said they were more satisfied with spinal manipulation than with home exercise.

With regard to adverse effects, 40% of the spinal manipulation group and 46% of the home exercise group reported adverse events. The most common was musculoskeletal pain, and less frequently they experienced paresthesia, stiffness, headache, and crepitus.

Among patients randomly assigned to the medication group, 60% reported adverse effects. The most common were gastrointestinal symptoms and drowsiness, followed by dry mouth, cognitive disturbances, rash, congestion, and disturbed sleep.

Dr. Bronfort pointed out that patients could not be blinded in this study, and that this was an important limitation. He also suggested that participants who received spinal manipulation may have been more likely to experience improvement in their neck pain and be more satisfied with their care because they had more frequent interactions with their care providers.

"When we started the study there was really not very much scientific evidence to support any treatment, really," he said. "You would think that neck pain would disappear by itself, and it does in a number of patients, but about half will go on to have chronic or sporadic neck pain, even a year later. What we don't know is to what extent spinal manipulation or home exercise can prevent more chronic conditions, and this is something that we need to find out."

Pragmatic Trials

In an accompanying editorial, Bruce F. Walker, DC, MPH, DrPH, from Murdoch University, Perth, and Simon D. French, PhD, from the University of Melbourne, both in Australia, point out that the 3 therapies in this study were not compared with a placebo or sham therapy. Such comparisons would have provided more convincing evidence of effectiveness, they write.

A cost analysis would also have been useful, they add, and they point out that neck manipulation has the potential for a rare, but potentially catastrophic, risk for vertebral artery stroke, and warn that patients should be advised of this possibility.

"Pragmatic trials, such as the one by Bronfort and colleagues, have their place in answering important questions about current treatment approaches, but we need innovative studies that explore which treatments benefit which of the many people who experience disabling neck pain," the editorialists conclude.

This study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bronfort, Dr. Walker, and Dr. French have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Ann Intern Med. 2012;156:1-10, 52-53. Article abstract, Editorial extract

Currently, two of the most common additives used to preserve meat are BHT and BHA. But studies have linked BHA with cancer and BHT with hyperactivity, causing some consumers to avoid products containing them (read ingredients labels to find out if they’re in the foods you buy).

In a 2006 study, essential oils of rosemary and sage performed better at preventing oxidative decay and preventing loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids in meat than a combination of BHA and BHT. This means rosemary oil and sage oil may be one of the best natural food preservers yet discovered, and instead of having detrimental side effects, these natural oils offers protective health benefits!

Researchers are encouraged by this success and are still investigating ways that essential oils could be used to replace additives in a more real-world setting. One hurdle that may need to be overcome is that plant oils impart a distinctive aroma to meat, one that not all consumers may appreciate. But if you like rosemary and sage with your meat, that “problem” may be no problem at all!

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/020721.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyla…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyla…

Source: 25 Amazing Facts About Food, authored by Mike Adams and David Guiterrez. This report reveals surprising things about where your food comes from and what’s really in it!

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034573_rosemary_preservative_food.html#ixzz1ibeMW6eG