Bitter Melon — A Chinese Herbal Remedy to Help Type 2 Diabetics

Monday, May 5th, 2008

I’m always looking around for different herbal remedies and food cures. I ran across something very interesting about the vegetable bitter melon. Bitter melon has been used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine for centuries and has demonstrated a variety of therapeutic properties. It has been used for conditions that range from hypertension to constipation.

bitter-melon-diabetesBitter melon has also been known widely to be a beneficial agent against type 2 diabetes. We do know that bitter melon has beneficial effect on lowering blood sugars. However, no one seems to know what properties of this seeming cure all herb helps diabetics. Now a team of scientists in Australia and China believe that they have unlocked at least one of the secrets of bitter melon. They have found four compounds in bitter melon known as cucurbitane glycosides. These compounds are what seem to help type 2 diabetics in particular.

People suffering from type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance seem to always be looking for a natural way to help themselves with their condition. If you are one of these people, why not take look into bitter melon and put it into your herbal medicine cabinet.

healthnewsdigest.com

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Ginger Tea – Get Rid of That Pesky Cold

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Have you been one of the millions this winter fighting to get rid of a common cold? If you’re one of the millions of sufferers from the common cold, try a little Ginger from your herbal remedies medicine cabinet. Ginger has a calming and soothing flavor that will help keep you alert yet calm.

ginger-tea-common-coldGinger has been known to have a calming effect on upset stomachs and it’s an excellent herbal remedy for nausea. This amazing herb works so well that it is commonly used in motion and seasickness pills. Because of the calming effect Ginger has on the stomach, it also promotes better digestion. Ginger helps promote the flow of bile, and it will also improve your appetite. This is interesting, but how does it affect the common cold?

The next time you have a cold or flu try some Ginger tea. Ginger tea has been used in China for over 2500 years to treat flu and cold symptoms. They have also used it treat a sore throat, nasal congestion and sinus pain. If you’re one of the lucky few that have not had the common cold this year you can use Ginger to continue to ward it off. However, if you do have a cold you can use Ginger to improve your recovery time.

The oils in Ginger have also been used in aromatherapy. It aids in relaxation and releasing stress. So go ahead and make yourself a cup of Ginger tea. It’ll make you feel better, relax, and relieve you of your daily stress.

losangeleschronicle.com

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What’s the Best Cure for a Minor Burn – Would You Believe Honey?

Monday, February 25th, 2008

Its interesting running across so many articles that show the many food cures of honey. The most recent I have found is how honey is a great home remedy for soothing mild burns. I never realized how beneficial honey can be inside and out. I’ve heard of using the great herbal remedy Aloe Vera and my grandmother always used butter, but how about using honey?

honey-food-cure-burns-herbal-remedyScientists have found that honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that may promote healing. A study found that non-serious burns healed faster when treated with honey than those treated with antibiotic creams and other dressings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that applying butter or various popular ointments, for example, can actually increase the risk of infection. But the one remedy that has held up well with the CDC is honey.

Have you have ever had small child have a minor burn on their finger from accidentally touching the oven? You really can’t put antibiotics on their hands without them sticking it into their mouth. Honey can be a great alternative to antibiotic creams and Aloe, and a tasty one too.

If you ask your doctor, they will probably tell you to apply a wet compress and put the burned area under cool water. This is great to relieve the pain, but why not try adding a little sweet honey to heal the burn faster. This is one item that should always be in your cupboard as well as your natural remedy medicine cabinet.

nytimes.com

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Ginger — An Herbal Remedy to Prevent Ovarian Cancer

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

In traditional Chinese medicine Ginger has always been used as one of the principal herbs to treat the common cold. Researchers also found that Ginger works well in calming down an upset stomach. Ginger is particularly good for people that are prone to sea sickness or motion sickness. Ginger is not only a good herbal remedy, it doesn’t taste too bad either. Now, current research shows that Ginger inhibits ovarian cancer cell growth.

ginger-herbal-remedy-traditional-chinese-medicineAccording to researchers ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in the United States and represents the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women. Researchers conclude that the use of dietary agents such as ginger may have potential in the treatment and prevention of ovarian cancer.

Ginger is a natural dietary herbal remedy with antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties. Other foods such as garlic, soy, chilies and green tea are thought to contribute to the decreased incidence of colon, gastrointestinal, prostate, breast and other cancers.

Multiple research studies suggest that many of these foods, including Ginger, may be used alone or in combination with traditional chemotherapeutic agents to prevent cancer. The nice thing about these dietary herbal remedies is that they are low in toxicity and have very few side effects. They also taste good and are good for you.

chinesemedicinenews.com

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Easy Home Remedies to Try for Back Pain

Thursday, December 6th, 2007

There is one ailment that all of us experience at one time or another in our life and that is a backache. Many people experience back pain from over exertion or just having a bad night of sleep. Women often experience backaches during their menstrual periods. While others have chronic back pain from slipped disks, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, etc. So are there any alternate remedies to help the aches and pains?

back-pain-home-remediesYou bet, and here are a few things you can try:

Honey — has amazing antioxidants and some experts suggest drinking a little honey in warm water in the morning on an empty stomach. What a great natural food cure.

Yoga – Yoga is a great natural exercise that helps tone the back muscles and does wonders for curing backaches.

Heat Packs – always feel great when you have a backache.

Lemon – is a home remedy that many naturopaths suggest for helping backaches. Try taking the juice of 1 lemon with some salt twice a day for about a month to get relief.

Potato – Here’s an old home remedy. Chop up a potato – heat it up in the microwave with a wash cloth – and apply it to the back.

Weight Loss – Many people have a little extra around the middle. If you lose a little, your back will have less to support and it will make you feel better anyway.

Massage – Now who doesn’t like a massage. Have it done professionally or just ask your spouse . Try doing this regularly for six months with herbal oils and feel the results.

Posture – Your mother always told you to sit up straight. She was right.

Sleep – Try sleeping on a flat surface for a while. Many mattresses are too soft, or in some cases too old and don’t provide the support your back needs.

Vitamin C – Some doctors suggest Vitamin C plays an important role in treating backaches. It’s good for you anyway; you should already be taking it.

Garlic Oil – Here’s an old home herbal remedy for you. Take a few cloves of chopped up garlic – fry them in a little oil. Use sesame, coconut or mustard oil. Cook until the oil turns light brown – cool and apply the oil to your back. Be sure to use it regularly and massage it in deeply.

So the next time you wake up with a backache, do something about it just don’t live with the pain.

americanchronicle.com

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Herbal Remedies Used by Native Americans for Menopause

Monday, October 22nd, 2007

There are many herbal remedies for many types of medical conditions and ailments. Many women prefer to manage their menopause symptoms with a natural herbal remedies instead of, or as a supplement to, prescription medication. There are many choices when it comes to herbal remedies, just need to find the ones that work for you.black-cohosh-herbal-remedy

For those women who want an alternative to Hormonal Replacement Therapy, there is a new herb you might want to look into. The herb is called Black Cohosh. This herb also goes by a few other names like black snakeroot, bugwort, bugbane, rattleweed and rattletop. It has been used by Native American Indians for a number of medicinal treatments like malaria, malaise, rheumatism, and many more. This herb has also been known to help with hot flashes.

Vitex Angus Castus also known as chaste tree berry can be used as a hormone balancer. Most symptoms of menopause, like mood swings, arise from the imbalance of hormones. This herb may be the perfect solution to balance your hormones.

When it comes to depression, you may want to look at St. John’s Wort and Lemon Balm. These are two great herbs that can treat mild to moderate depression. When lemon balm is used as an herbal tea it can lighten your depression. It can also help take away some of the tension and stress in your life. Who doesn’t like a good cup of tea.

All of us need to learn to take care of our body, as well as our mind and soul. The Chinese and Native Americans have used herbal remedies for centuries. They seem to live nice long and healthy lives without the use of prescription drugs. Maybe we should take notes and learn a couple lessons from them.

americanchronicle.com

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Herbal Remedies are More Effective Than Western Treatment for Menstrual Cramps

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

There is a worldwide trend of people trying alternative therapies and natural herbal remedies. The Chinese have used herbal medicine for centuries and we in the western world are leaning more about these wonderful herbal remedies. Women in particular seem to be looking for these natural remedies to alleviate many of their ailments, one ailment in particular, menstrual cramps.

A new study has revealed that Chinese herbal remedies can be more successful than traditional no steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) treatment. Some of the findings were;

  1. herbal-remedies-crampsOverall, Chinese herbal remedies had better pain relief action than conventional NSAIDs therapies for up to three months of follow-up
  2. Chinese herbal medicine worked better than over-the-counter herbal health products
  3. Chinese herbal medicine had better pain relief action than acupuncture
  4. Chinese herbs is a better treatment for menstrual pain than traditional heat compression using a hot water bottle

Chinese herbal remedies really do work. So the next time you aren’t feeling up to par, try something new, different, and natural.

associatedcontent.com

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Green Tea – An Alternative to the Dangerous Drug Avandia for Diabetic Patients?

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

A few months ago I was reading about the law suites and the damage that GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Avandia pill causes to diabetes patients. I have had great concern about this drug, particularly when I have a close relative who has been prescribed this medication. So, how about an alternative herbal remedy? Green tea, it can calm your nerves and do much more.

green-tea-diabetesIn a study, a chemical in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, has been found to help moderately diabetic mice tolerate sugar and produce insulin. After 10 weeks of treatment, moderately diabetic mice fared as well on green tea extract as they did on Avandia. However, mice that were severely diabetic did not have as much success.

The study suggests that green tea extract may help prevent and treat people with insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. More than 240 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes and it will rise in the future. Green tea was suggested as a treatment for diabetes more than 70 years ago. Other studies have shown possible benefits of green tea in cancer and heart disease prevention.

So why does it take so long for Western medicine to realize what the Far East has known for centuries? If you’re on medication, also search for alternatives. There are less side effects taking and using natural treatments, like green tea. We don’t need to always fill the pockets of the large pharmaceutical companies.

The China Post

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Can a little plant be the herbal remedy to cure cancer?

Wednesday, October 10th, 2007

There are many herbal remedies that have helped many people alleviate pain. A plant named feverfew, looks like a daisy, has been used to ease headaches and inflammation. My wife tried using it for her severe migraines. It helped a little. You can find feverfew packaged in pills at your favorite health food stores. A modified derivative of this plant is believed to possibly kill cancer calls in leukemia patients.

Herbal remedy FeverfewClinical trials are set to begin in England to determine if this plant derivative is safe to administer to terminal leukemia patients. If it does no harm to the patients you can expect clinical trial to begin in the US within 6 months. The trial is to determine whether the flower does indeed kill cancer cells in the blood while leaving healthy cells alone.

It is possible that his drug could be designed to attack cancerous stem cells. If this can be done it would be useful in treating various forms of cancer. However, at this point it is very uncertain.

Cancer is scary and studies like these give many patients hope. Hopefully, this herbal remedy can be a turning point for the fight against cancer.

ABC News

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Ginseng reduces cancer-related fatigue

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

Ginseng & CancerCancer patients have a great deal of stress, anxiety and fatigue, any reduction of this would be greatly beneficial. Other than exercise, there isn’t a good solution available for these patients. Ginseng has been used as an herbal remedy treatment for noticeably boosting the immune system for ages and now helps fight the chronic fatigue of cancer patients.

In a recent study done by North Central Cancer Treatment Group researchers, based at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota – it has been proven to vastly improve fatigue in cancer patients. Ginseng was found as an effective adaptogen to help protect the body from the stress of drug and radiation.

Many cancer patients face extreme fatigue after diagnosis and during treatment. It’s nice to know there is a natural herbal treatment to combat the psychological and physical effects of cancer drugs and radiation. Ginseng is a nice addition to traditional therapy.

CHINESE MEDICINE NEWS

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