Feverfew: An Herbal Treatment for Migraine Headaches

Migraines. Although I've never had one, I can say that they are unpleasant. Any patient that I have ever seen in the midst of a migraine is really miserable-a victim of blinding pain, nausea and aversion to bright lights that are experiencing. This painful event is rarely one-time thing. Migraine sufferers may have several episodes a week or only a few in their lifetime. Migraines can be very unpredictable in that way. And debilitating. To suffer from frequent migraines may have trouble keeping a job that will tolerate numerous absences due to severe headaches that often they can not stop working.

Modern medicine has recently provided a huge relief for migraine suffer in the form of medicines that can be taken once an attack has begun. Drugs such as Imitrex and Amerge act quickly to dispel a migraine by altering the muscle tone of the arteries in the brain that cause this kind of headache.

Migraines are one of a class of vascular headaches, meaning that the ultimate source of headache is a change in the tone of blood vessels within the brain. Treatments effective for migraines are not analgesics in general. Instead, work in blood vessels that secondarily relieves pain.

There are two ways to deal with migraines medical and / or herbal treatment. We talked about the first form. Basically you wait until the headache and then take something to alleviate it. The second way is to use a daily medication to prevent migraines occur, or at least reduce their frequency and severity.

Modern medicine has nothing to choose especially large in the field of prevention of migraine. Many of the medicines we use for this purpose are also used to reduce blood pressure, so if you do not have high blood pressure at the outset, the side effects can be difficult to tolerate.

Enter feverfew, a herbal remedy that has the promise in preventing migraine with relatively few side effects, (You wondered if I ever move to talk about herbs, do not you?) Feverfew bears the scientific name of Tanacetum parthenium and is a perennial shrub that grows throughout Europe. As its name implies, is used initially to reduce fever but found no information to suggest that art has value in that area. It is mainly the dry leaves that are used for medicinal purposes.

I have read anecdotal reports of feverfew be effective in treating migraine active but there is no scientific evidence to support these reports. Prevention of migraine, moreover, feverfew is where the most promising shows. Several good studies have shown its effectiveness in reducing the frequency and severity of migraines when taken orally on a daily basis.

Ginger: A Traveler's Aid

While studying herbal medicine, I noticed an interesting trend that is worth passing along: if a certain herb had a very important role in the kitchen of any ancient culture, look further. Usually, means that the herb has medicinal properties valid proof of the old town, centuries before modern medicine ever invented the concept of the research study. I think the ginger falls into that category. A favorite flavor in Asian cuisine, ginger has a strong record of more than 2500 years in medicine china. It is used mainly for gastrointestinal problems, se cree que help improve digestion, calm nausea and helps the expulsion of gases from the intestines (the perfect food additive, is not it?). In Western cultures, ginger tea remains a popular remedy for upset stomach and morning sickness.

Luckily for those of us skeptics not a hundred percent sure that two millennia of medical use is proof enough of a profit of grass, modern science has studied thoroughly enough ginger in at least one area-that of its use in preventing motion sickness.

Several recent studies have put ginger to the test in controlling nausea, some people experience when travelling in a vehicle moving or spinning. A study published in Lancet in 1982 gave the subjects either ginger or Dramamine before giving them a "walk" in a spinning, tilting chair. Those who took ginger experienced much less nausea than those who took Dramamine.

Another study from Denmark tested ginger versus placebo in subjects who then took to the open sea on a ship. Once again, ginger showed effectiveness in controlling nausea associated with motion sickness.

Personally I prefer the ginger because it lacks the side effects of drugs used for most modern motion sickness-a namely, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness and palpitations. Whenever I used Dramamine, for example, I have a difficult time kept awake to enjoy the scenery I went to see in the first place.

Ginger capsules are usually contain about 500 milligrams of dried ginger rhizome and the recommended dosage is two capsules three times a day. Doses of up to 4 grams per day are considered acceptable. Try some the next time you travel!

A word about ginger and morning sickness: several sources, including the German Commission E Monograph, caution against the use of ginger to treat nausea in pregnancy. None of the sources gave what I thought was a valid reason for the recommendation. My guess is that nobody has enough tortured pregnant laboratory rats to make any recommendation one way or another on the safety of ginger during pregnancy. My personal advice would be to avoid high doses of capsules containing ginger and stick to a warm cup of ginger tea instead.

Ginkgo Biloba: A Smart Drug?

I figure there are three types of herbs which are useful, those are exaggerations and those who are much hyped, but also prove useful. Ginkgo biloba, in my opinion, falls into the third category, although I am not sure that what is hyped is exactly what is useful. The herb we know as Ginkgo is derived from the leaves of the maidenhair tree that grows in warm regions of the U.S. and in China. The Chinese have used for five millennia for the treatment of respiratory diseases and memory. Today is marketed as "smart drugs", which will improve their cognitive abilities, including memory.

My first questions are, "how can you do that?" and "should not we all be taking?". Advertising is fairly vague on how they are supposed to work so naturally I had to look elsewhere for answers. I believe that once you understand how the grass is much easier to decide when to use and for what purposes.

Most studies on ginkgo biloba indicates that it is useful only in those circumstances in which problems of movement is a factor. Substances Ginkgo biloba inhibit platelet activating factor (PAF) in the blood and, therefore, make blood less sticky. Slippery blood flows better through the arteries that could be partially clogged with cholesterol deposits. It also appears to be a regulating effect on the muscle tone of the blood vessels in the grass so that the blood has more space in which to flow. It makes sense that if something becomes more practice, which works better.

In claudication (a condition involving poor circulation in the legs), ginkgo biloba was found to significantly improve pain-free foot in patients who took. Similarly, memory loss because of poor blood flow to the brain can improve through the use of Ginkgo biloba. In fact, there are clinical trials in patients with dementia who showed slight improvement in memory of those who took ginkgo. The problem is, not all dementia is related to poor circulation.

Therefore, if my brain is slow, but the movement of my brain is fine, ginkgo help me? Only if you cree that football players wear fools breathing strips on their noses actually work better than those who do not.

Seriously, however, believe that ginkgo biloba has a valid place in the treatment of circulatory disorders. Patients with claudication, impotence, memory loss or other manifestations of microvascular complications (small vessels) disease a good opportunity to do with the improvement of ginkgo in a much more reasonable than the price of drugs at our disposal today.

Combat Colds with Echinacea

The other day I went to a local cafe in search of a can of diet cola when I noticed an interesting new drink in the refrigerator: organic orange juice with Echinacea. I thought, what, let's put it in water then? I mean, there are drops of Echinacea cough, Echinacea cold and flu medicine and even Echinacea / zinc lozenges. It's everywhere. In our quest to combat the common cold, I think things have ido out of hand. Okay, so I'm sceptical, not Echinacea itself, but because I have my doubts that the population of stores with products that have Echinacea in name but very little grass in reality the product is going to help anybody during this cold and flu season. As for the grass itself, I think it has possibilities.

Echinacea, commonly known as purple coneflower, is native to North americas and medicine has its origins in Native American cultures. It is used to treat a variety of things, especially diseases that we know today were of viral origin.

Modern research has shown that extracts of the herb have the ability to improve the immune system by activating white blood cells that fight infection. When taken to the emergence of an upper respiratory tract infection, there is evidence that shortens the duration of the disease.

Some people think they must have all winter Echinacea for preventing colds or the flu. Unfortunately, the discounts available studies to be presented as effective. More likely to catch diseases remain, but they recover more quickly when it does.

An interesting point about the investigation in Echinacea. Many of the studies use a human injectable form of grass and not the word we buy in stores. This makes it difficult to know if we can do the same conclusions about the Echinacea and we have to be used in the studies (another good reason to always read the fine print).

The recommended daily dose of Echinacea is one gram (1000 mg) of dry grass three times a day. Anyone allergic to ragweed, daisies, sunflowers or wonders could also be allergic to Echinacea. Experts recommend taking it for no more than eight weeks at a time. Once again research for the benefit of its use for prevention of upper respiratory tract infection is much weaker than for treating the infection once it starts.

As for all products that there are dabbling in "Echinacea bombo", I hope you know well because its medicinal value is questionable.

Herbal Help for Constipation

When manufacturers of Ex-Lax announced the arrival of a "new" formulation of the product a few years ago, took herbal medicine pioneer in the treatment of constipation. Of course, is not exactly a difficult competition to win. The main ingredient of Ex-Lax, phenolphthalein, was withdrawn from the market by the FDA, leaving little choice but to change the wording. Senna, a stimulant laxative herbal became the "new" Ex-Lax ingredient for today has become one of the main remedies for constipation relief.

Actually there are several options for herbal treatment of constipation. In most of them can be divided into two categories: laxatives and stimulants bulk laxatives. Stimulant laxatives act of forcing contractions of the smooth muscle of the colon and drawing water from the body inside the colon, allowing a loser feces. Bulk laxatives, on the other hand, are products that extend inside the colon when mixed with water. Once expanded, launching the colon of natural contractions seeking to expel the substance bulky. (The trick bulk laxatives is that you have to drink plenty of water to the product laxative or I would not work.)

Stimulant laxatives herbal include Senna, shell, castor oil, buckthorn juice and dried aloe. Senna is the most readily available to these because of their popularity as an ingredient in brand-name products as Sennakot and Ex-Lax. The active components of senna are called anthraquinones. All stimulant laxatives containing anthraquinone-like the ingredients that give herbs their cathartic effect. S

timulant laxatives, whether herbal or not, everyone has basically the same risks. When used daily for over 1-2 weeks that could lead to "laxative-dependency syndrome". This means that the muscles of the colon become lazy and not very well contract unless you take more than laxatives. Rebound constipation may result from stopping the product after prolonged use.

Bulk laxatives, on the other hand, are based in the colon normal muscle contractions and usually do not lead to dependence. Laxatives herbal bulk are flaxseed, psyllium and apple pectin. The first two are actually seeds and seed parts that swell with the addition of water to form a voluminous mass inside the colon. Apple pectin does the same, except it is from shells and not apple seeds. The main risk in the use of laxatives is that bulk of obstruction of the intestines that can occur when the product or mixture of water can not get through. Once again, the drinking water in bulk with laxatives is essential, without it, laxatives may become hard as a rock inside the colon. As you can imagine, the rocks in the colon are not easy to pass.

A general rule would be as follows: If you suffer from chronic constipation, use a laxative bulk regularly (with water) to help train its system to have regular bowel movements without the use of stimulants. Save the stimulants for occasional use.

Ephedra---Help for Dieters?

Several months ago, one of my patients come to me with complaints of dizziness, rapid heartbeat and anxiety for a week. When I asked what was taking medication, she told me that currently had a respiratory infection and using a common cold remedy containing pseudoephedrine (marketed under the brand name of Sudafed). I found that she was taking medication properly. Once again the interrogation, finally admitted to the use of an over-the-counter herbal preparation for weight loss as well. That's when I told him that he had solved his problem. My patient was unwittingly overdose to a potentially dangerous combination of drugs. The herbal supplement that contained ephedra is taking a natural substance derived from a plant called china ephedra sinica.

What my patient did not know was that the active ingredient in cold medication and ephedra in the herbal remedy being used basically the same chemical. Both cause constriction of blood vessels in the nasal passages and swelling of the bronchial tree that account for its effectiveness in respiratory conditions. Unfortunately for my patient, both also have side effects that include dizziness, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and anxiety. These side effects are what is behind the current controversy surrounding the use of ephedra.

Original ephedra is used less controversial than at present. The herb was first mentioned in Chinese medical literature in the first century AD Known as ma-Huang, is used to treat asthma, respiratory infections and promote excretion of urine.

In the last century, however, its use expanded to include the treatment of obesity and for use in bodybuilding, where his "thermogenic" or "fat burning" properties were highly regarded. In combination with herbs containing caffeine and aspirin, it was believed that ephedra exercise helped improve performance and promote loss of body fat. Unfortunately, the use of ephedra, especially in combination with caffeine or other stimulants, has proved fatal in a series of incidents where the grass has been used improperly.

As a result, ephedra was banned by the International Olympic Committee and the National Council of Collegiate athletes Asociados. In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued strong warnings against its use in doses higher than 24 milligrams per day. Since then, many states have adopted stricter legislation, including restricting their sale, especially young people, where the potential for addiction is high. Despite the warnings, ephedra remains available to the general public. As a result of weight loss product ephedra is often combined with John's Wort and is marketed as "herbal Phen-fen" in reference to the popular prescription diet plan. There is no scientific data, however, to support the assertion that these herbs are effective in reducing appetite or weight loss. Certainly, there is the potential health risks that may outweigh any benefit that could be obtained from the use of that resource.

Therefore, nobody should be taking these products? At the recommended doses and those without heart disease, high blood pressure or pre-existing anxiety, ephedra is probably safe. In high doses or in combination with caffeine-containing herbs like gaurana, Kola nuts or tea, probably the risks outweigh the benefits.

However, we hope that manufacturers of these products to be especially useful for when you go to buy a product ephedra. Ephedra is often disguised under the name Chinese, Huang-ma, as well as names like Cao mahuang, yellow astringent, the desert grass and mahuang Zhong. Dosage guidelines can be almost impossible to interpret. An anonymous source from the Internet, for example, sell a product announcement for use by bodybuilders dosage recommendations contained five times higher than that recommended by the FDA. Not only the product contains excessive amounts of ephedra, also claims to have the friolera of 100 milligrams of caffeine per capsule! Take the recommended six capsules per day and you can not sleep for days.

As with all herbal medicine, it is important to do research before buying the product, read labels carefully and when in doubt, ask your health care provider for advice on products which, if any, is safe for you to use. While ephedra can help you lose weight, daily exercise and a restricted calorie diet will do the same for less cost and probably less risk to their health.

Garlic and Heart Health

Garlic, considered by experts as one of the oldest cultivated plants in history, carries an extensive list of diseases that is thought to be useful in alleviating. A major player in herbal medicine around the world, has been used for a wide variety of conditions including dysentery, tuberculosis and influenza for at least five thousand years. These days, however, have "rediscovered" for the treatment of two common diseases today: hypertension (high blood pressure) and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol and conditions). Both these conditions contribute to a high risk of heart disease and stroke.

In truth, there are great prescription medicines available for both hyperlipidemia and hypertension. People seriously affected probably need to be one of them rather than relying on the garlic or any herbal product to be effective enough to control their conditions. But many people have less high blood pressure and / or cholesterol, the kind of condition for garlic should be considered as an alternative to expensive prescription drugs.

Scientists have studied the garlic quite extensively with regard to the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia and appears to be effective in reducing blood pressure and cholesterol in people who take on a regular basis. The active component of garlic is an amino acid called alliin who converted to allicin and other active metabolites. Any garlic you buy should be standardized by the sum of which contains allicin.

As I mentioned, studies on garlic as a treatment for the above conditions are very good, however, it is important to know not just use the average garlic cloves outside the grocery store shelf when you perform these studies. In fact, many clinical studies were conducted using Kwai, a standardized form of packaging that contains garlic quantities of allicin. What this means is that it is difficult to say whether or not a couple of cloves fresh garlic taken daily in their diet will be sufficient to achieve the kind of results that may be looking for.

That is why I feel uncomfortable recommending anything other than Kwai or similar standardized preparation. Each capsule contains 150 milligrams of Kwai concentrated garlic (the equivalent of 450 milligrams of sweet cloves) standardized to 900 micrograms of allicin. A total of four capsules a day is recommended.

Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you're taking garlic as the interactions between her and some anticoagulants have been reported.