"Antispasmodics are remedies that control or modify minor grades of motor excitation. As a class, antispasmodics are useful chiefly in hysteria and allied conditions." He continues that this class of nervous disorders is nebulous and exhib

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The herbalists of ancient times knew about the powers of St. John's wort, and they used it for a wide variety of ailments. However, Western medicine discarded the ancient knowledge, dropping the study of herbs from medical school curricula. In its as

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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 of the ancient Greeks down through the Middle Ages, the pla

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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 of the ancient Greeks down through the Middle Ages, the pla

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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 education teacher at a California high school. She had lo

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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 are with ristras, bunches of fresh red peppers dry

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Mushrooms have been valued as both food and medicine throughout the world for thousands of years, but until recently, many in the West associated all mushrooms with poison. The recent surge of Western interest in medicinal mushrooms shows that this a

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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 shapes, sizes, and colors exhibited by these "flow

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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 stuffed a large cotton ball up each nostril. I try blowing

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Depending on the area of the Pacific, Piper methisticum has been called Kava, awa, waka, lawena, or yaqona by the people who have used it perhaps for thousands of years. It is a large-leaved swamp-loving plant, growing to six feet high, on average,

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The American Botanical Council (ABC) is suggesting that consumers follow additional precautions when using kava, an herb used for reducing symptoms of anxiety and stress. Recent case reports from Europe suggest a possible association of some kava p

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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 kava has come under the scrutiny of the

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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 the popular press have described kava use and its

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Timely Information Helps Women and Healthcare Professionals Assess Natural Treatment Options for Menopause Symptoms The American Botanical Council, an independent nonprofit organization, is making available to the public, a monograph or scientific r

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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--Hawthorn! Throughout the ages hawthorn has been

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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 tinctures and other kinds of extracts available in ca

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