Aloe (Aloe barbadensis):

In one study, the stomach lesions of twelve peptic ulcer patients were all completely healed. A popular ingredient in commercial drug store products, aloe is commonly used to soothe burns, including sunburn and radiation burns. Aloe is also applied to wounds, eczema, ringworm and poison oak and poison ivy rashes. There is evidence that it effectively regenerated injured nerves. One study reports aloe to be successful in healing leg ulcerations and severe acne and even finds that it promotes hair growth. When 56 frostbit patients were treated with a product containing 70% aloe, only 7% developed infections, compared to 98 frostbitten patients not treated with aloe, 33 of whom eventually needed amputation. It has also proved helpful in treating periodontosis. One study injected aloe extracts into the diseased areas of 128 patients with varying degrees of gum disease. Within a week, the development of symptoms stopped, pain decreased and marked improvement followed in all patients.

Aloe is wide used in folk medicine, both as a liniment and as a drink, to reduce the swelling and pain of arthritis and rheumatism. Diabetics in the Arabian peninsula eat aloe to control their blood sugar levels. A clinical study did find that when volunteers who were not insulin dependent took half a teaspoon daily for 4-14 weeks, their fasting blood sugar levels were reduced by half, with no change in body weight.

Another preparation from aloe, carrisyn, is a polysaccharide. It has been claimed that carrisyn directly kills various types of viruses, including herpes and measles, and possibly HIV. However, research is still in the preliminary stages.

People have used garlic for hundreds of years to prevent colds, flu, menstrual pain, high blood pressure, coughs, atherosclerosis, bronchitis, and gastrointestinal problems. Garlic is known for its ability to kill different fungal infections, viruses, bacteria and intestinal parasites. This plant is also an antioxidant and as such it may help for the prevention of some cancer forms, and can increase the activity of the immune system.

Garlic is also very effective for promotion of cardiovascular wellness. The herb is very effective in the treatment of atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, respiratory infections and triglyceride levels.

The main ingredient of garlic is alliin. This ingredient is chemically similar to cysteine which is an amino acid that contains sulfur and has no odor. After garlic is crushed, alliin is converted into allicin. This is the compound that gives the strong odor of garlic and its large number of beneficial properties.

Garlic has some other side effects aside from its strong and unpleasant smell. The combined usage of garlic and warfarin may cause serious bleeding. The ingestion of large doses of garlic is not recommended during the usage of warfarin, indomethacin, dipyridamole, aspirin or other medicines that make the blood thinner.

Garlic is usually administered in the form of a capsule that contains between 1000 and 3000 mg of garlic. The common dosage is one capsule daily. In case you are using garlic oil, it is recommended that you take between 0,03 and 0,12 ml three times per day.

Echinacea is also known as coneflowers. It grows in Midwestern United Stated, in meadows or wet valleys. This wildflower is used for medical purposes but it also grown in gardens because of its beautiful purple blossoms.

This herb is very beneficial for many medical conditions. Thus, it enhances the function of the immune system as it stimulates white blood cells. Their function is to attack viruses and bacteria to prevent illnesses or infections. This property of Echinacea is very beneficial for individuals with AIDS whose immune system is very weak. Currently, a large numbers of studies and tests strive to make better research of this property of the herb because its full effect on people with AIDS and cancer is still not known very well.

Echinacea is also very effective for treatment of respiratory problems such as colds. Various researches have proven that Echinacea is also effective as an antiviral and antifungal treatment.

In Europe, the herb is used to treat some types of cancer. In addition, some medical specialists in Europe use Echinacea to cure infections of the urinary tract. But none of these practices are common in America.

Echinacea is also used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. This herbal plant is also included in products for treatment of hemorrhoid or for soothing of inset bites. Many people use the herb to protect their skin from sun damage.

In case you want to make tea of Echinacea, you should put 1-2 teaspoons of the herb in a cup full with unheated water. You should heat the mixture slowly until it boils and then simmer it for about 10-12 minutes. The Echinacea tea can be taken three times per day. If you prefer to use it as a tincture, you should take 1-4 milliliters three times per day.

Researchers analyzed data on 179,295 people, examining the association between use of mu tong and incidence of urinary tract cancer. Study results showed that having been prescribed more than 60 g of mu tong was associated with an increased risk of urinary tract cancer. The increased risk was independent of arsenic exposure (another risk factor for urinary tract cancer).

The study’s authors call for a ban on products that contain any amount of aristolochic acid. They also recommend that patients with a history of consumption of mu tong be monitored regularly for urinary cancer.