What is Echinacea?

When it comes to cold prevention, no herbal product has a more established history as that of Echinacea.  People have been swearing by the cold prevention powers of the Echinacea plant for many generations.  In fact, it was widely used by Native Americans to treat colds, coughs, sore throats, toothaches, and even snakebites.

It was believed that Echinacea could fight the onset of colds and the flu by giving a boost to the users’ immune system but recent studies are casting doubt on that claim.  However, many experts are in agreement that the use of Echinacea is effective in the treatment of the early stages of upper respiratory infections.  And again, there is no evidence that it will help prevent those infections.

As you may well know, the cold and flu industry generates over a $100 Billion each year and you can be certain some of that money is being spent to disrepute competition.

What are the Side Effects?

The reported side effects from taking Echinacea are mostly allergy related.  Abdominal pain, nausea, and dizziness have also been reported.

It’s important to consult your doctor before taking any herbal products because they can and do interact with other prescribed medications.  Echinacea contains properties that have an affect on the immune system so only take products that have been tried and tested or come from well experienced herbalists.

Other uses of Echinacea

Echinacea, also called the purple cone flower, is a part of the daisy family.  The plant has a very colorful flower and is widely used as an ornamental plant in gardens.  The plant can grow to between 2’ and 4’.  They reseed and grow in clusters. This plant is mostly found through out central US but can survive in more humid climates of the South East US.

More and more consumers are taking their health into their own hands and using naturopathic medicine to treat what ails them. Taking a natural approach, using herbs and other non-synthetic treatments, gives the consumer a whole body healing approach, rather than the dominant single-symptom treatments doctors seem so fond of in modern medicine.

Naturopathy allows you to treat your entire body to put it back on track to good health. It combines the mind, body, and spirit in all treatments so that your internal and mental state gets back in balance and has a stronger ability to stave off infection and heal faster than usual.

For thousands of years, our ancestors have practiced naturopathic medicine because it’s all they knew and had on hand before the culmination of man-made prescriptions took root.

Herbs today are being used in conjunction with spiritual rituals to treat hundreds of human illnesses. Your body was designed to be able to heal itself, as is evident with the natural antibodies you produce when infection strikes. But sometimes you need a boost, and herbs deliver what the body sometimes can’t.

Naturopathy uses herbs to help the body heal faster by boosting its natural abilities, not introducing foreign substances into the body that you eventually build up an immunity to over time.

You’ll notice that if you follow the teachings of naturopathic medicine, you won’t be sent on your way with an herb or two in your pocket to take care of the problem. Instead, you’ll be encouraged to live a better life spiritually and mentally, as well as take care of your physical health in all areas, such as diet and exercise.

Herbs can only do so much healing. If a consumer isn’t willing to take the necessary steps to eliminate bad things from their diet, or implement a positive outlook on life, then the disabilities ailing them will continue to return time and time again.

Those who use herbs to continue on a path to naturopathic treatments are people who believe in non-toxic therapies. Synthetic prescriptions are not natural to the body, and can sometimes produce disabling side effects on their own.

As the medicinal form of naturopathy develops even further over the coming years, you’ll see an increase in the number of other treatment paths who use a whole body approach and believe in treating the person, not the prognosis.

For women suffering from hot flashes during menopause and perimenopause, finding a cure is often a long process. But amid all of the synthetic treatments on the market, none compare to natural herbal treatments that have been used for centuries by women in the know.

Hot flashes, which are noted by increased heat and flushing in the face, is common among women approaching menopausal age, and some are afflicted by severe symptoms. Finding relief in the form of natural herbs helps eliminate stress that accompanies the problem.

While hormone therapy is used by many women, others prefer the natural route, taking doses of Vitamin E and Vitamin B to aid in the easing of symptoms. But herbs play an important role in natural hot flash therapy.

Flaxseed, also known as linseed, is used in whole seed and oil form to help ease hot flash symptoms. While there is no hard scientific evidence to back up the support of this claim, women have used it successfully for years.

Evening primrose oil is another herb commonly used to treat hot flashes during menopause. However, this botanical is sometimes accompanied by side effects such as diarrhea and nausea. It’s important to talk to your doctor before combining evening primrose with other medications, such as blood thinning drugs, because it could cause adverse reactions.

Soy products such as plant estrogen, which is found in isoflavones, contribute an estrogen-similar effect to the body to weaken hot flash symptoms. Many women concentrate on using soy-based food products to treat hot flashes, not soy supplements.

Another herbal remedy for hot flash symptoms during menopause and perimenopause is the use of black cohosh. As a short-term remedy, it works well. But side effects can include an upset stomach, so it needs to be used carefully.

With so much controversy in the news about hormone replacement therapy, it’s important that women find reliable natural ingredients they can use to treat various symptoms associated with menopause.

The herbs mentioned here only serve as a small reminder of natural cures you can find to treat a single symptom – hot flashes. There are dozens of other herbs that can help alleviate the other menopausal symptoms women have to endure over the years.

More and more consumers are approaching their doctors about getting natural herbal advice for their depression rather than being placed on synthetic anti-depressants. The most common herbal remedy is St. John’s Wort.

The best thing about using an herb in place of a prescribed anti-depressant is that the side effects are fewer in number and severity. You can’t take St. John’s Wort in conjunction with another anti-depressant or with certain other medications, so make sure you consult your doctor if you’re taking anything else before you add St. John’s Wort to the mix.

The NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is helping consumers get educated about the use of St. John’s Wort to treat depression. They believe it’s best used to treat mild to moderate (but not severe) forms of depression.

What’s not yet known is exactly how St. John’s Wort works to treat depression. It’s believed that it might prevent nerve cells from reabsorbing serotonin, which is the chemical messenger in the body.

It’s been used and studied by scientists in treating mental disorders for centuries, but still remains somewhat of a mystery, even though its effectiveness in treating symptoms of depression such as mood swings, loss of appetite and energy, and sadness has been largely documented.

The reason consumers are turning to herbal remedies such as St. John’s Wort is because synthetic drugs have a high incidence of side effects, such as dry mouth, headaches, sexual dysfunction and insomnia. It’s also a less costly treatment than high-priced prescription medications.

You can buy St. John’s Wort in capsule form, as a tea, or as an extract. You have to be careful about the quantities you use in taking St. John’s Wort, because high level doses can impede the treatment process by causing dizziness, upset stomach, and a sensitivity to sunlight.

St. John’s Wort isn’t the only herb being used to treat depression. Damiana, Ginseng, and Valerian root are also used to improve depression symptoms such as insomnia and stress.

Regardless of which herbal remedy you wish to try in treatment for your depression symptoms, it’s important to get the guidance of a doctor skilled in herbal remedies to ensure you’re ingesting the correct amount and type of herb for your personal needs.

Its name originated out of the fact that some believe its leaves resembled the tooth of a lion, but for years the Dandelion has done more than just help bees make honey. While its juices are bitter, many animals consume the plant for various reasons, including its ability to stimulate milk production.

For humans, the benefits derived from the Dandelion are quite different. Some people do blanche the leaves and use them in salads, or eat them on sandwiches and in soups, but the plant also serves some medicinal needs.

Both the root and leaves of the Dandelion are used as an alternative to man-made prescriptions. The most powerful portion of the Dandelion is the milky white juice found within the root itself.

Dandelion has been harvested for centuries and is often most effective when the weed is in its infancy. It was first used as a medicinal treatment in the tenth century, when it was first used to treat liver ailments. Dandelion’s used to stimulate the entire system, but primarily focuses on the needs of the urinary tract.

Aside from the liver, Dandelion is also consumed for kidney disorders. While it can be taken in straight high doses without being poisonous, Dandelion is usually mixed with other agents in patent medicines and herbal treatments alike.

People who have chronic liver complaints over time often find relief in taking a soup made from Dandelion roots harvested at a young age. It’s said to provide a slight laxative effect and helps aid digestion when you have an upset stomach.

Dandelion has been used successfully in the treatment of gallstones and has also been found safe to give to children. The weed is given to those suffering eczema and other topical diseases and has even been known to remove warts when the juice of the stalk is applied as a topical treatment to the affected area.

A Dandelion tea is used to treat various urinary ailments. A single ounce of the juice is mixed with boiling water and then sweetened with honey before being served. The frequency and doses of how much Dandelion is consumed depends on the type of disease you’re treating.

For instance, to treat piles, you would take three wine glassfuls of Dandelion concoction per day, but for a liver and kidney treatment, you would only need to take 1 teaspoonful of a concoction three times a day.

Using Dandelion to resolve your medical issues is a great alternative to depending on high-priced prescriptions, but it’s always best to check with your doctor and make sure it’s suitable for your needs.

Are you one of those people plagued by a nasty halitosis problem? If you are, then you know how hard it is to get rid of it and how embarrassing it can be. You may have tried the over the counter products that didn’t work for you or just made your mouth feel like cotton.

One little known fact for those who suffer from bad breath is that tea can help. Tea is an all-natural way to rid yourself of the bad breath blues and it enables you to face the world again without worrying that your breath will drive others away.

You no longer have to put up with cotton mouth again or give your money away for something that doesn’t work. Bad breath occurs when bacteria rapidly grows on the surface of your tongue or hides in gum pockets.

The bacteria then gives off a sulfurous-like odor that gives you what’s known as halitosis or bad breath. Most over the counter products try to cover the smell, which is why they fail to work.

In order to rid yourself of the halitosis problem, the bacteria itself would need to be taken care of. Black tea is known to help control plaque within the mouth, which would normally cause the bacteria to grow.

Without the plaque, bacteria are kept under control, thereby keeping bad breath problems at bay. Studies show that the polyphenols found in some teas helps keep the foul odor bacteria from forming.

By drinking some tea regularly, you can help keep bad breath and plaque under control and also reduce the amounts of colds, throat infections and even dental problems you endure.

What better way to do this than to do it with tea, which happens to be an all-natural product that has no harmful side effects linked to it? Not only that, but it assists with so many other things that help our body stay healthy longer.

Why take handfuls of supplements and over the counter products to stay healthy, when you can just drink some tea to help almost all of the problems the supplements and products supposedly help control after it’s too late.

Tea isn’t meant to replace your normal healthy regimen – like brushing your teeth daily. It’s only meant to work with your oral hygiene routine to produce a better, healthier mouth.

It works in between the brushing times to eliminate bacteria and plaque from forming on the teeth when you can’t brush. Eliminate bad breath problems and get those nasty oral bacteria under control before they end up embarrassing you with their foul smelling odor.

For many men and women, arthritis is a life-altering disease. Swelling of the joints, which causes stiffness and pain, isn’t reserved for the over 60 crowd – it also affects many children in the world, which is why herbal remedies are gaining in popularity.

Alfalfa is commonly used for arthritic treatment, because the tea remedy is effective when taken for two to three weeks with a seven to ten day break between consumption.

The herb Angelica is another arthritis treatment because it contains anti-inflammatory constituents and muscle relaxants as well as natural pain-relievers. This herb is used in a tea concoction as well, with the same frequency and breaks as the alfalfa remedy.

Black cohosh, an American Indian herb used in the treatment of arthritis symptoms, has qualities similar to aspirin as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-spasm constituents.

Boswellia, yet another herb used to treat arthritis, is similar to an over the counter or prescription-level non-steroid anti-inflammatory. It’s better than synthetic drugs, however, because it doesn’t give the user ulcers after long-term use.

Believe it or not, celery is another plant that can be used to treat arthritis. The celery seeds and other portions of the plant contain over 25anti-inflammatory compounds, as well as providing massive amounts of potassium, which is important because a deficiency in potassium is often a culprit of arthritic pain.

If celery isn’t your cup of tea, then how about using the herb Devil’s claw or even Epsom salt? Both have anti-inflammatory properties and can help alleviate swelling and pain, symptoms especially aggravating to someone suffering from the affliction.

There are many other herbs that contribute to arthritic treatment, such as feverfew, ginger, American ginseng, hop tea, licorice, mustard plaster, oregano, pineapple, red pepper, rosemary, sesame seeds, stinging nettle, turmeric, wild cucumber bark, wild yam, willow, wintergreen, and yucca.

Some of these herbs are used topically, as the minerals are absorbed into the skin, while others are ingested internally for maximum benefits. As with all medications or treatment, you should consult your doctor before taking herbs, especially if you’re already on other medications prescribed by your doctor.

When a sinus infection attacks, it can linger for weeks and not only cause physical symptoms, but emotional distress. Faced with a flood of over the counter medications, many consumers are opting for herbal remedies to treat sinusitis.

It’s more than just a runny nose or a headache that won’t go away. When sinusitis strikes, your entire body is fatigued and it seems as if it’s a common cold that you can’t get rid of. In reality, your sinuses are in need of an herbal treatment to repair the damage being done to your body and set you on a path to wellness.

The National Center for Health Statistics says that sinusitis is the single most common disorder affecting American today. Herbal remedies treat the symptoms, including congestion, headaches, and pressure in the head.

Unlike a viral or bacterial infection, sinusitis just means that your sinuses are inflamed. Herbs can help cause the sinuses to return to normal quicker, since many sinus infections last for three months or longer.

Doctors will generally prescribe antibiotics, but they do nothing to prepare the body against a recurring attack. Plus, they tend to compromise the amount of good bacteria living in your sinuses to help ward off infection. Herbs, on the other hand, provide a natural balance to your body and enable it to get stronger and fight off infection for good.

The key to beating and keeping sinus infections at bay is to get your immune system healthy. Echinacea is one herbal immune booster that helps with inflammation and protects your mucus membranes from being pierced by infectious bacteria. A single capsule of 150-300 mg or 1 teaspoon fluid extract mixed with 1 cup of water is sufficient to treat your sinuses.

Goldenseal is another natural herbal remedy used to treat sinus infections. Its immune-enhancing properties help with the natural flow of mucus, helping your body get rid of toxins that are slowing you down. You can start treatment with a 250-500 mg capsule or 1 teaspoon of fluid extract combined with a cup of water.

Two other herbs commonly used to treat sinus infections are nettle and licorice, using the same doses as in Goldenseal treatments. Regardless of which herb you use to treat your own sinus infection, make sure you take every available precaution to fortify your immune system so that your body has it in it to fight off infection the next time it’s faced with an unfriendly bacterial infection.