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 derives its name from the Guaranis, South Ame

[Read the Article]

Although early American settlers favored the mostly European medicines they knew and trusted, the native medicinal plants were quickly learned out of necessity. European preparations were often scarce and as can be imagined, conditions in the new wor

[Read the Article]

We would all like to have more energy. And who doesn't want to find ways to reduce stress? Since there are so many natural remedies available to you, I certainly want to make sure you have included the herb Eleutherococcus senticosus in your program.

[Read the Article]

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 ancient Chinese tree is such a phenomenon. In Eur

[Read the Article]

Many Europeans would. For instance, in modern Germany, it is estimated that over 40 million doses of bitters are consumed every day, and not just because people think that its good for them--they actually enjoy them. In the European tradition, expo

[Read the Article]

This is a vague and variable problem that is functional in nature and usually not due to an underlying structural cause. Belching, distension and borborygmus often occur associated with abdominal or epigastric pain. There is often an overt psychologi

[Read the Article]

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 we are with our Social Security number, and some

[Read the Article]

It is hard to imagine a food that is in more common use throughout the world than garlic. But if garlic is widely accepted and used as a condiment and food, it is not less so, at least today, as a drug. Thus, garlic is one of the best examples of whi

[Read the Article]

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 the future. There is much truth in this. Is there ev

[Read the Article]

Synthetic cold remedies from the druggest shelf don't look quite as good as they did a few years ago. The warning labels barely fit into the space available on the product box and it is well-known to medical researchers that some ingredients in these

[Read the Article]

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 industrialized countries, a number of traditional herbs are

[Read the Article]

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. Echinacea (E. angustifolia and purpurea) is considered a &

[Read the Article]

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 lower abdominal and back pain. You have a urinary t

[Read the Article]

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 shingles (herpes zoster), reduce muscle soreness,

[Read the Article]

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 and had lost his appetite, growing very weak over

[Read the Article]

For countless Americans, myself included, aloe vera was the first encounter with a medicinal herb. As teenagers in coastal Maine, my friends and I would head for the beach on a warm spring day to start renewing our suntans, and after frying our palli

[Read the Article]

When European settlers began to arrive in what is now Massachusetts at the beginning of the 17th century, they brought the plants and remedies they knew, along with a few of the famous works on herbal medicine that were consulted by all. For instance

[Read the Article]

Transition from the paleolithic to neolithic period...from a food gathering to a food producing economy. Stone was polished, creating tools to clear trees, help farming. Lake-dwellers cultivated or gathered over two hundred different p

[Read the Article]

The herbal treatments recommended in this book include teas, baths, compresses, poultices, oils, and ointments. Some require that you start from scratch, while others, especially tablets or capsules, are available ready made. The recipes and directio

[Read the Article]

Herbalists use the leaves, flowers, stems, berries, and roots of plants to prevent, relieve, and treat illness. From a "scientific" perspective, many herbal treatments are considered experimental. The reality is, ho

[Read the Article]

Each drug has its own specific characters. In traditional Chinese medicine, the different characters of drugs are employed to treat diseases, rectify the hyperactivity or hypoactivit

[Read the Article]