Herbal medicines offer a safe, effective alternative to HRT for menopausal symptoms, right? Wrong. With advertising for these products everywhere, you’d certainly think so. But a team of British researchers writing in the Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin, looking at commonly used herbs for symptoms like hot flashes, found that at present there’s little convincing evidence [...]
Patients with epilepsy using gingko biloba, commonly used herbal remedy, may face an increased risk of seizures, warns a novel German research. Seizure is defined as an abnormal movement or behavior due to unusual electrical activity in the brain, according to WebMD. Epilepsy is a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent [...]
At the heart of many pain-causing conditions is chronic inflammation. A natural immune response to infection or injury, inflammation can become chronic due to factors like poor diet, stress, lack of exercise, and exposure to environmental toxins. If you suffer from an inflammation-related condition such as arthritis, neck and back pain, or tendonitis, adding anti-inflammatory [...]
A new study warns that use of certain Chinese herbal products may be linked to increased risk of urinary tract cancer. The study focused on aristolochic acid, a carcinogen found in Chinese herbs such as mu tong (an ingredient in some formulas said to alleviate urinary tract infections). Researchers analyzed data on 179,295 people, examining [...]
Considered by many to be one of nature’s healthiest beverages, green tea is rich in antioxidants that could help fight off heart disease and cancer. Made from unfermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, green tea is also low in caffeine (offering about 8 to 30 mg per cup, compared to 100 to 350 mg [...]
Do you know one of those people who never get sick? This person could be forced to stay outside for ten hours on an extremely cold January day – soaking wet – with nothing on but a pair of shorts and a tank top with no repercussions. Or, better yet, he or she is on [...]
To hear opponents of natural medicine say it, vitamins and herbs are extremely dangerous for your health. They should be regulated, we’re told, because they’re so dangerous! Statistics from the U.S. National Poison Data System prove otherwise. According to a 174-page report just published, the number of people killed in 2009 across America by vitamins, [...]
What are herbs and spices? Sometimes herbs are grouped with spices while at other times they are not. Definitions may vary, but generally herbs can grow in central Indiana while many common spices cannot. Herbs are, or may be, used fresh. Typically the leaves of annual and perennial plants are used as herbs but sometimes [...]