Health And Fitness – Healing Herbs – Cranberry

This herb helps tired and irritated eyes, as well as vision. Tea made from the leaves acts as a tranquilizer  or sedative and helps against insomnia, anxiety and reduces blood pressure.
It is used for stopping muscle spasms from asthma and epilepsy as well as relieving irritated intestines. In compresses,  it helps heal minor burns and skin irritations.

Health Tips – The Inside Scoop on Supplements

The Inside scoop on supplements
In a supplement, calcium is combined with a chemical compound, either carbonate, citrate, gluconate or lactate. Before choosing one, beware of these potential pitfalls.
a. Calcium carbonate,  the most common form of calcium supplement, may cause constipation or gas and is difficult  to absorb if it is not taken with a meal.
b. Calcium citrate which promotes iron absorption and is the easiest form to digest, does not provide a lot of actual calcium. Calcium lactate and calcium glucomate provide even less. It may take several pills to get 500mg of calcium.
c. Higher doses of calcium ( 1500 mg or more ) may limit zinc and iron absorption.
d. Supplements made from bonemeal, dolomite and oyster shell may contain a very small amount of lead. Experts agree, however that the benefits of supplements far outweigh the risks of lead exposure.

 

 

 

Can an Herbal Drug Beat the Blues – Depression – Health And Fitness

St. Johnswort is an herb that may someday offer a measure to relief to those suffering from depression. Its key ingredient is hypericin which seems to act much as antidepressants do on the brain. Like all drugs, hypericin has side effects. Sensitivity to sunlight and mild gas trointestinal disturbances are the most common.

Today St. Johnswort has becomes Germany’s leading antidepressant, outselling even Prozac.

The major concern about the herb is the lack of precise studies on its effectiveness or the consequences of its long term use. For this reason, the drug cannot yet be safely recommended for treatment of depression. If you are already on antidepressants, dont add St. Johnswort to your regimen or abandon the prescribed drug in its favor. When combined with other serotonin enhancing drugs, the herb may result in serotonin overload. St. Johnswort may provide some relief  from very mild depression but it is always wise to talk with your doctor first before taking it. If your doctor gives you the okay to take St. Johnswort, look for brands containing 300 milligrams of the raw herb, standardized to 0.3 percent hypericin.

may be usefull guys

source

Patient, Beware alternative medicine

It’s Unnatural to Kick  Your Meds Cold Turkey

by Rosa Kincaid, M.D.
I was in a deep sleep at my St. Louis home when I was suddenly awakened by a 1 a.m. call from the on-duty emergency room physician at a local hospital. I was informed that one of my patients apparently suffered a stroke.
Even more surprising than the early morning call, the attending physician told me the stroke was most likely linked to my patient’s decision to replace her prescription high blood pressure medicines with herbal remedies. Of course, I was never consulted.