There's a shocker. People have known for centuries of the curative powers of garlic (Allium sativa), and it seems the reductionists have picked up on the clue. From the BBC:
The chemical which gives garlic its flavour could be used in a "smart bomb" to fight cancer, scientists say.Welcome to our world, fellas. It's also an excellent agent to fight bacterial and viral infections, as well as doing wonders for hypertension and high cholesterol.
Gee... maybe you should eat a clove. Or twelve.
The following chart was created by Lonny J. Brown, Ph.D. and was found on the Holistic.com website. It's part of a larger article entitled "What is Holistic Health".
Two Systems of Medicine ©
| * ALLOPATHIC * | * HOLISTIC * |
| Focuses on Measurements | Focuses on Experience |
| SYMPTOMS | CAUSES & PATTERNS |
| Disease as Entity | Disease as Process |
| PAIN AVOIDING | PAIN READING |
| General Classified Diagnosis | Specific Individual Needs |
| Technical Tools | Integrated Therapies |
| Remedial / Combative / Reactive | Preventive / Corrective / Pro-Active |
| Crisis Oriented: Occasional Intervention | Lifestyle Oriented: Sustained Maintenance |
| Radical. Defensive. | Natural. Ecological. |
| Medicine As Counter-Agent | Medicine As Co-Agent |
| Side Effects. Chemicals, Surgery, Radiation, Replacement | Low-Risk. Conservative. Organic. Purification, Manipulation, Correction< /td> |
| Emphasis: "CURE" | Emphasis: "HEALING" |
| Speed, Comfort, Convenience | Restoration. Regeneration. Transformation |
| Practitioner as Authority PACIFYING | Practitioner as Educator ACTIVATING |
| Patient as Passive Recipient | Patient as Source of Healing |
| Mechanical / Analytical / Bio-Physical | Systemic / Multi-Dimensional / Body-Mind-Spirit |
| Best For: Infectious Diseases, Trauma, Structural Damage, Organ Failure, Acute Conditions. | Best For: Degenerative, Chronic Stress & Lifestyle Disorders, Toxemia, Glandular Weakness, Systemic Imbalances, Immunity. |
Thanks to Michael at ZenBox for the link!
Herbalist Marian Brown has a great idea to help "clean out the crud" and do a little spring cleaning of the body. She brings up several relevant points, such as:
Previously, winter storages of food would be dwindling this time of year and people would be taking advantage of fresh greens and spring plants. These would naturally begin cleansing our system from the “heavy” winter foods of stored meat and grains. Today, we don’t take advantage of seasonal changes. We rely on processed food, fast foods, and “junk” foods.
At the turn of the century, we consumed 5 pounds of sugar per person per year. Now we consume 150 pounds per person per year. Sugar is added to almost all our foods – yogurt, breads, etc. explains Vopni. It also suppresses the immune system. Our body uses the B vitamins to process sugar instead of producing much needed antibodies. After each time we consume sugar, our body is not working optimally for 5 hours. Honey will also suppress the immune system. Sugar substitutes, like aspartame, should also be avoided. Stevia, a naturally sweetener can be used.
Toxins will be in your lymph system and, unlike the heart that pumps the blood, the lymph system has no pump and required exercise to keep it moving. Without exercise, the toxins will just sit. Gentle exercise is what Vopni suggests. “Sweating is good. It is one way our body removes toxins,” said Vopni. A brisk walk that produces a gentle perspiration works well. In addition, a hot bath and peppermint tea, followed by bundling up in your favorite, cozy blanket can work wonders!
Liver support is key during the time of detoxification. Herbs to consider are dandelion root, milk thistle, and licorice root. Between 2 am and 4 am is a peak liver function time and taking liver herbs at bedtime can help support this functioning.
In addition to spring cleaning, this time of year is also the time for allergies. Allergies are a result of becoming overexposed to the allergen at a time when the immune system is undernourished and over-stressed Vopni explained. Herbs can be used to both relief discomfort and to build up the immune system for a long-term prevention.
Herbalist[s], like Vopni, work with the person to examine the “whole person.” There are many pieces to the puzzle and finding the root of the problem is key.
A few days ago, Vital Dynamics agreed to stop selling Isis, an "all natural herbal breast enhancement compound" after an FTC investigation determined the product didn't do what the advertisements were touting. Surprise, surprise, surprise...
While I'm not one to make generalizations, I have significant reservations about these mass-marketed products, offering to do everything from regrow hair, increase the size of various body parts, or really get you in the mood for love. I see this as a gross misrepresentation of the way herbs should be used, and a slight to my chosen profession that makes some people equate herbalists with the snake-oil salesmen of a hundred years ago.
So let's tear apart Isis and see what was in it and whether or not it should work. I wish I could include quantities of the various substances, but the words "proprietary blend" keep that information under lock and key. I'll show them in the order that they appear on the label, which may or may not be indicative of the various ratios:
Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus) - Like many bitter tasting herbs, Cnicus is classified as a galactagogue, a substance that stimulates milk flow... when your breasts should be lactating.
Hops (Humulus lupus) - Does have some milk-stimulating properties.
Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) - Dioscorea is the raw materials used to make modern birth control pills. This plant has "hormone precursors" that are chemically similar to estrogen. It's a big leap to assume these precursors will be converted into human hormones without laboratory intervention.
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum) - Also used to manufacture contraceptives, Trigonella contains "steroidal saponins" which can stimulate the production of breast tissue while stimulating milk flow. Historically, Fenugreek was used to cleanse the breast, chest and lungs.
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) - Most familiar as an herb for enlarged prostate glands in men over 50, Serenoa encourages normal cell growth to this tissue. It's thought that both the prostrate and the female breast tissues have the same embryonic origin, so it's likely effects from this plant would have an affinity to both areas. But we're talking about normalizing cell growth, not stimulating it!
Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) - Vitex balances the estrogen cycle quite well. It can, will, and has countered the effects of contraceptives and should not be taken unless you can't or want to get pregnant, or plan on using some form of male-selected contraceptive device. Will that hormone balance cause your breast size to increase? I suppose it's possible if your breasts are small due to a hormonal imbalance...
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) - I know Fennel as a carminitive (helps dispel gas), but it also has oestrogenic properties. Oestrogenic means "estrogen-mimicking", often in a bad way in the form of pollutants. In this case, it helps the body deal with excessive or insufficient amounts of estrogen to normalize their levels in the body.
Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) - Another phytoestrogen, Black Cohosh has a particular affinity to breast tissue and has been used in breast cancers and mastitis (painful inflammation of the breast). Again, it could conceivably stimulate cellular production if there were a hormone imbalance causing the tissue to atrophy.
Damiana (Turnera aphrodisiaca) - Boy, do I like Damiana! A tonic for both the male and female reproductive system, Damiana also increases ones sense of well being. Often used when you've "over done it" in the bedroom and need a boost.
Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) - Dong Quai is the female herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, regulating the menses and balancing out the estrogen levels. Also can calm and relax the whole body.
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) - Huh? That doesn't sound like an herb to me. A quick google search leads me to Quackwatch (no, I don't endorse this site). This stuff has some pretty wild claims. And no, it isn't an herb.
Wolfberry (Lycium chinensis) - Lycii berries taste great and have a long history of use in tonic combinations in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Royal Jelly - Has been known to increase sex drive and vitality.
Skullcap (Scutillaria laterifolia) - A great herb to "mellow out" when over stressed. Can excessive stress lead to small breasts?
Pumpkin seed - Similar to Fennel.
While the herbs listed above might be beneficial to overall breast health, I would caution against using them in the hops of going from an A to a D. Good luck!
Today I was asked a question in a comment. The article it is linked to is buried in an archive, so I thought I'd bring it up front so everyone can see the answer. Thanks to Rhonda for asking!
I am very interested in research carried out on natural herbs which are comparable to various types of medications. It's almost like pulling teeth, trying to prove the enormous benefits of herbal treatments as opposed to contemporary medicines to my friendsThe information you are looking for is out there, but sometimes hard to find and rarely all-encompassing. Research is expensive, and a large sum of it is funded by pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical companies make their money back by you buying patented drugs. So if you're a drug maker, would you fund a study that might show folks how your product, with all it's side effects, compares to a natural and relatively side-effect free plant? Doubtful.
and family. Do you know of any web sites like yours that may contain this type of info?
You also need to keep in mind that this stuff doesn't make for very interesting reading. And it was by no means written for the laity. Researchers write for other researchers, and their choice of words often reflects they haven't seen the sun in a while.
While hard research is difficult to find, it seems like there is an overwhelming abundance of anecdotal and "cure-all" information on herbs on the net. It's difficult to know who is speaking "the truth" and who is full of...
So to help, I've provided a resource list that I have found helpful. It's not exhaustive by any stretch, so I apologize now if I've left someone out. Would you like to see it? Hit the "MORE" button if you've got the guts...
The Detroit Free Press is reporting on a topic I first heard about over the summer. It seems that a woman was hospitalized and discovered to be harboring a staph infection that was non-receptive to vancomycin, one of the "last resort" antibiotics used by doctors.
More troubling is this:
By stealing genetic material from another bug, the new strain became totally resistant to vancomycin, the longtime drug of last defense against it.The implications of this statement are staggering. It's not a long shot to assume other acquired immunities to other agents might also be incorporated, building the "super bug", completely resistant to conventional anti-biotic treatments.
"It's a serious threat now, and it's getting worse fast. It's dramatically more of a public health threat than pesticides on food."No kidding. Luckily for us herbalist, nature provides us with many botanicals that prove very effective. And unlike the single-point offense provided by man-made or isolated chemical compounds, full-spectrum botanicals put forth a multi-pronged attack or defense, reducing the chance of resistance being built up by the offending micro-organism.To combat resistance and ensure drugs work when needed, health officials want people to do without antibiotics when infections are not life-threatening, said Matt Boulton, Michigan's state epidemiologist.
"We have to change consumer attitudes," he said. "There should not always be an expectation that you'll leave the doctor's office with antibiotics."
From drugmaker Pharmacia, Vice President Ferdinand Massari said it's harder to find new drugs. It takes at least a decade and $100 million to try, he said.Not in our world. Maybe holistic medicine has the advantage over conventional in this new arena we find ourselves in?"For every one drug that you see in the store, there are probably 10,000 that were tested and didn't make it,"
Sometimes, herbalism is more art than science. People often ask how certain plants were discovered to have medicinal properties. After all, they don’t wave big signs around saying, "Eat me! I'm good for the flu."
Of course, we can't go back 40,000 years in time, so we'll never have a definitive answer to that question. History does give us a few examples of ancient peoples observing other animals interacting with plants, and chances are you've seen your dog or cat eating grass in the back yard.
But the question remains: How does the animal (even if not the hairless bipedal type) "know" what plant is good for them and which ones to avoid? It's not huge leap of faith to assume our 4.5 billion years of co-habitation and evolution with all of our other companions might have something to do with it. Remembering we are simply manifestations of Gaia, why should she not have equipped all of her creatures with an innate ability to "know" which companion species to turn to for nourishment as well as healing properties? It is, after all, in Gaia's best interest to continue the unbroken chain of life. Teeth for weapons, thick hide for armor, sight, smell, hearing and the other senses; self-preservation by way of medicinal plant knowledge seems a logical gift as well.
Well this hairless bipedal is willing to give it a go as well. I've always been attracted to Larrea tridentata, also known as Creosote bush or Chaparral. (Both are misnomers, by the way.) Larrea is a ubiquitous plant here in the lower elevations of Arizona, forming "monocultures" by exuding a type of natural growth inhibitor in the surrounding soil. It's been used by the native peoples of this area since their arrival some 10,000 years ago. Larrea is also the oldest living organism on the planet, with once specimen being dated at over 11,500 years old; predating human settlement of this land.
This begs a return to the original question. How did the first people know to use Larrea? And use it they did. Every culture of this area employed Larrea for a variety of medicinal uses. Known as the "pharmacy of the desert" it's uses are legion, ranging from an antiseptic wash to a remedy for cancer; a true panacea of the plant kingdom.
Naturally, you would assume our first arrivals noticed a variety of animals interacting with this plant and simply followed their lead. Trouble is, most desert inhabitants, excluding a few species of insect, give this plant a wide berth. So much for observation. And you can rule out doing it for the taste, too. Nothing, I repeat, nothing tastes as offensive as a nice cup of Larrea tea. Take it from me. No one accidentally ingested some Larrea and thought "Yummy. Can I have some more?" (Shudder.)
But someone, somewhere did discover the medicinal properties of this truly amazing plant. I use the word amazing for good reason, as that initial trial that must have tasted so horrible spread throughout the land. Leap of faith? I doubt it. Someone saw the sign the plant was waving around and listened to it. Speaking of that…
Earlier this year, I began to wonder about using just the flowers of Larrea as a tincture. As I mentioned earlier, Larrea tastes really, really bad in either tincture form or as an infusion. Trying to make a glycerite via displacement seems a waste of time, as you'd just wind up with some nasty tasting sweetened liquid, assuming you could displace that much alcohol. I began to wonder if a tincture of just the flowers, excluding the leaves and green stems, which are normally used, would make a more mild flavored tincture.
So off I go to the east valley in search of some flowering Larrea. Flowers normally appear on this plant after a decent spring rain, although they can flower after any rain if the spring is unnaturally dry. Like this year. As dry as it was, the Larrea in the north valley where I live gave up on the idea of flowering. Luckily the east side had a little more rain that we did. I navigated a good 30 miles from civilization and found a perfect specimen deep in a wash, bristling with blossoms. For the next two hours, I filled a 32-ounce cup with flowers, a tedious but very Zen-like experience. I returned home and prepared my flower tincture, opting for a very inexact preparation of about 75% alcohol mix just covering the top of the flowers.
Fast forward by about a half a year to the start of the cold season. You can always tell when it's here by the changing of the scenery. In most parts of the country, it's the leaves that change colors. In Phoenix, license plates change colors, as "snowbirds" from the chilly north come to enjoy the valley of the sun for five or six months. Now where was I? Oh yes, cold season.
This year, the cold virus hit my family in two waves. I was first, encountering the effects about two weeks ago, and my wife got round two, which happened just last Thursday. Knowing Larrea to have anti-viral properties (amongst many others) I decided to give it a go. 2 mils, taken about three hours apart for my waking hour was the total duration of treatment. Where a cold normally lays me out for two days straight, with a killer sore throat and swimming head followed by two to three weeks of sniffling and congestion, this time I experienced no sore throat at all, only minor dizziness and absolutely no subsequent sinus issues of any type. A one day cold? I haven't been that lucky since I was a kid!
My wife's story is equally astonishing. She started feeling "icky" Thursday morning, but being the stoic neglected to mention anything to her Voodoo doctor (as she affectionately refers to me) until mid after noon. I started her on the Larrea regiment, with only about 1.5 mils (she's about 50 pounds under me) every three hours. By the next morning, she was all better. My wife has had recurring sinus infections since she was 18, and any type of disruption in her system usually wreaks havoc on her nose for weeks on end. Not this time. No after effects. None.
Tincture of fresh Larrea tridentata blossoms… I'm hooked! I just noticed some late summer blooms from our recent rains on the northwest side of town. Think I'll head that way tomorrow and start a batch to get us through the rest of the winter season!
I just followed a link that read "A Healthy Immune System can Banish the Winter Blues." Forgetting the fact I was taken to a site trying to sell me on some pre-formulated compounds, it got me to thinking.
Now is the time to act if you get the cruds each winter. Most of come down with some type of cold, flu or other random "bug" as the weather gets colder, sending us in droves to the local Walgreens for some symptom relieving, over sweetened, fast acting wonder drug to make us feel better… now.
This year, why not try something different? One of the best ways to experience botanical medicine is by using immunomodulating herbs. Immunomodulators enhance the body's natural defenses. Think of it as shoring up the fort and putting in provisions to help in the fight. Keeping the wartime metaphors, immunomodulators don't go on seek-and-destroy missions like antibiotics or anti-virals. (Oh, and if you're new to herbalism, there actually is something you can do when you get a virus, contrary to what your allopath might tell you.) Immunomodulators are the craftsmen, bakers, farmers and all the others that make up the support-services for the army (in this case, your immune system.)
Medicinal mushrooms, like Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) and Maitake (Grifola frondosa), are wonderful immunomodulators. Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) and Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) work very nicely too. But don't expect miracles overnight. I'm not suggesting you start taking these botanicals when you get sick, not by a long shot. These are tonic herbs, meant to be incorporated into your diet for a period of months to have the desired effect. Yes, I realize that goes against the grain of Western lifestyle. Regardless, this is how they work. And in the case of Astragalus, you most definitely should not take this herb when you're sick, as it can exacerbate your symptoms.
So don't let winter get you down this year. See your herbalist soon!
Lower back acting up? Grab for your willow bark instead of your Vioxx. It's just as good, according to Matt Brignall, ND.
Thinking about using Tylenol instead? You might want to read this article from the New York Times. Scientists are calling for stronger warnings on products containing acetaminophen due to potential liver damage.
Today a client asked me about ear coning, siting benefits she received a few years ago from the therapy. I've heard of this practice, seen the product and know of many individuals who have experienced relief of a wide range of symptoms. I, however, have no practical knowledge of coning (or candles, as they are often called) the ears.
In doing some basic research, I noticed this article on the Charlotte Observer (NC) webpage. It shows some things to be aware of and talks to some of the conditions applicable to ear coning. I'm curious if anyone has either used this in practice or received the benefits of this service? Leave me a comment.
Here's something worth checking into. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has noticed a trend of patients asking about or insisting upon taking herbal remedies and suppliments. As such, they've responded with an informational site about herbs and suppliments.
The best information seems to come from the Longwood Herbal Task Force.
Yes, I'm quite skeptical. No, I don't see a single herbalist listed as a staff member or consultant. But a preliminary glance of the data doesn't appear to be that bad. It looks as though they have researched valid and pertinant databases and other documentations. Of course, they heavily use clinical, in vivo and in vitro studies while glossing over or simply neglecting to mention traditional accepted uses.
But it doesn't look all bad. I'll spend some time on this site and report back. At first glance, they have a 25 page in-depth monograph on Silybum marianum. Wow!
An interesting article from Radio Netherlands shows us the plight of native medicinal species in Sri Lanka. It's a devastating problem, with the forest cover shrinking from 50% to only 22% of the island. However, the aren't alone. The United Plant Savers "At Risk" and "To Watch" list of medicinal plants seems to grow larger too frequently.
Perhaps a plan as being enacted in Sri Lanka would be beneficial here in the West?
[This proposition] is already being carried out in the action plan for biodiversity conservation, set up by the Sri Lankan government and the World Conservation Union. The scheme aims to conserve the most important and endangered herbal medicines in the wild. It actively reaches out to local communities that live near the forest, to motivate them to start cultivating significant medicinal species, and it wants to provide a legal framework for issues such as intellectual property rights and the preservation of ancient medicinal knowledge.
I'm doing some research on bio-magnetic therapy. I use the word "research" very lightly. About three weeks ago, I was contacted by a lady selling the Nikken brand of products. My mom got into Nikken stuff about two years ago. She was impressed, but I didn't give it much thought. And to be honest, I haven't given it much thought since I was contacted, either.
I'm immediately put off from the whole "multi-level marketing" aspect. I have a difficult time believing a company can be both interested in expanding the wealth of their people and primarily concerned with the quality of their products. Not that this can't happen, mind you. I just have yet to see it.
But none the less, I'm intrigued by the notion of using magnetic energy to aid health and healing. Michael Tierra has a great feature entitled Biomagnetic and Herbal Therapy that I highly recommend reading. It's lengthy, but puts things in the light I need right now in order for them to make sense to me.
So no, I'm not hanging up my herbalist coat and donning the Nikken baseball cap. But I do think it's worthwhile to keep up on a variety of healing modalities, if nothing else than to speak intelligently to clients when they inquire. And who knows? It may be something that I someday incorporate in my practice… if I managed to get convinced.
Some folks find it funny that I'm not a good gardener or a farmer. Yes, I am a "real" herbalist and yes I did grow up on a farm. But I'm more into wildcrafting herbs than growing them myself, and "farming" to my family was a monocrop gathered and planted by huge machines.
My green-thumb abilities or lack thereof aside, I like fresh organic produce (and herbs) just as well as the next tree-hugger. It's just that I've never been successful in growing them myself. I'm going to give it a go when we get to our new place in Cottonwood, but I have a plan B, too!
Have you heard of Community Supported Agriculture? (A quick nod to Daryl for clueing me in on this.) CSA is like buying "shares" in multiple organic farms. We non-growers give the farmers a certain amount of money on a quarterly or annual basis and they supply us with fresh food for the given time frame. The concept is quite simple. We get fresh food year round (if we so chose) that varies depending on what is in season. The farmers have a guaranteed income, allowing them to assume less risk and invest hard cash into improving or maintaining their crops. Win/Win, all the way!
You can find our more on the CSA website. Pick your state and get list of the farmers or farmer collectives that are participating in a program near you. I was lucky enough to find six organizations in Arizona. Nearest my new place is The Wolfberry Farm, an experimental agroecology farm dedicated to education, demonstration and research in conjunction with Prescott College.
Good news for hay fever sufferers!
Dr. Matt Brignall, ND reports via HealthWire on a recent study published in the British Medical Journal (2002;324:144–6). According to the study, the herb butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is just as effective (not almost as, kinda close to, but just as) in reliving the symptoms of seasonal allergies as Zertec®.
Here's why I'm so pleased with this research. First, it's good quality research with a wide population pool. Second, seasonal allergies affect about 20% of the population. I think it's a little higher here in the Southwest desert, as folks actually move here to escape their symptoms. So any clinician here is likely to see more cases than in other places.
So when the client tells you that Zrytec® is working for them, but they really want to get off pharmaceuticals, you can educated them about this little-known herb and have confidence in it's efficacy. In case the client is concerned about side effects for prescription medications, score one more for the plant. Even though Zyrtec® is supposed to be side-effect free, 11% of the study participants taking the prescription still reported those side effects. Contrast that with the 3% of the folks taking Petasites.
Breath easy next spring!
I've only a limited knowledge about essential oils and their uses in healing. I've only ever used them in conjunction with a single client, for headaches and sinusitis.
Muse knows a bit more than me, and I hope she continues to blog more about this healing modality. Today she posted a quick reminder:
"There's a common misconception among casual and novice users of essential oils that more is more. This is just plain wrong.To help illustrate this point, consider that is takes over 4,400 pounds of roses to make 1 pound of rose otto. That's 275 pounds of roses per ounce, by weight. Imagine how many roses there are concentrated into a single drop."
Wow. Whoda thunk it?
(Personal Note: I don't make it a habit to snag complete articles, prefering to let you navigate yourself to the server on which the information is stored. But since this is a really good article and I don't want it to go way, I'm snagging the whole thing. Click the "more" button below for the full article.)
Reprinted from Times Online by Susan Berry:
IF YOU’VE had success with your herbs this summer, you should start thinking about what to do with your surpluses, before the plants go to seed or succumb to frosts. Distributing bunches to herb-less friends is one option, but you can also store them for use in the kitchen throughout the winter. Traditionally most herbs were air-dried, hung by their stems from a rack in a warm, dry room."MORE...
I've just read an interesting article from Africa entitled Growing Use of Herbal Medicine Threatens Plant Life. Here in the West, we're familiar with the plight of Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) and Panax quinquefolia (American Ginseng). And here in the Southwest, we're keeping a watchful eye on stands of Anemopsis californica (Yerba Mansa) and Eridictyon californica (Yerba Santa).
The report from Africa shows us that things are tough all over. It also lends insight into some interesting ratios between "orthodox" or conventional medical practitioners to practitioners of traditional medicine. Definitely worth a read.
The NIMH (National Institue of Medical Herbalists in (the UK)) have delcared September 6th - 13th "Herbal Awareness Week."
From the website:
"Herbal Medicine Awareness Week aims to celebrate the benefits of herbal medicine, but more importantly to highlight the work of the trained healthcare professionals who are registered with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists..."
Stuck here in the states and can't make it to the events they have scheduled? Not a problem. You can get a text copy of the events, at least the walks, by sending a self addressed envelope (yes, we're talking snail-mail here) to Mailbox 17, 1162 Stratford Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 8AF.
I think I'll try to get copies via email. If you want to try as well, try nimh@ukexeter.freeserve.co.uk and let me know if you're successful!
The word has been out for a while now. Not as many people are singing it's praises, and plenty of doubt has been cast around. Is Hormone Replacement Therapy as safe as they thought?
I'v seen quite a few semi-biased articles like this one recently, as well as read some good books on the subject. I particularly like Before the Change by Anne Gittleman if you're looking for a recommendation.
While the jury may still be out on HRT, the facts have already been weighed in:
"The Women's Health Initiative study found that menopausal women taking hormones for an average of five years had higher rates of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and blood clots (and lower rates of colon cancer and broken bones)."
So as women around the country (and the world) evaluate their options, they are sure to be presented with botanical therapies.
Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association expressed these thoughts to those women and physicians wishing to make the switch:
"The message is not 'You should trade your silver bullet for my silver bullet.' We aren't saying that instead of HRT, a woman should use botanicals. We're advising a holistic approach that involves diet and exercise, and yes, there are botanicals that have a significant historical record and have undergone significant historical scrutiny."
It will be interesting to see what happens next. We have an excellent opportunity as health professionals to blast through the hype and present a good, solid method for helping women thought this period in their lives. And no, it won't be in the form of a magic pill this time.
An excellent article with this title was posted on the Chaords Everywhere I Look weblog. Here's the first two points:
Don't call yourself a patient. You're a client (under the care of another) or a partner-in-health or whatever funky name.
You can read the entire thing here. Now if I only knew who this person was!
Harold Slyvester posted tipped us off to this little tidbit over on the AHG forums area. Thanks, Harold!
Jenny Thompson of the Heath Sciences Institute has written up a great e-Alert. Sitting around with the ubiquitous boob-tube on, I can't help but take pause when the pharmaceutical ads (which happen at the rate of seven gazillion a minute, it seems) talk about side-effects in similar proportion to those found in placebo or sugar pills.
Wait a minute. Sugar pills causing nausea, headache, vomiting, irregular heart beat? Is something going on here I'm not being told?
Jenny thinks so. Take a minute to read the full article. And wake up!
Koo-run-DARE-uh. You gotta make sure and trill the "R" sound for the appropriate effect. One of my favorite words for healer. It's a Spanish name, still in use today in Latin America and describing local native healers, all of whom incorporate herbal medicine in their art.
I've been fortunate enough to meet a curendera by the name of Francisco from near the Mexico-US border in Arizona. He spoke to us (I was with a group of student herbalists) via a translator and healer in her own right, Mimi Kamp of Bisbee, AZ. A truly amazing journey, where we learned of his craft as we walked through the desert.
I recently read a story on the origin of the word. In Costa Rica there is a volcano called Rincon de la Vieja, or Old Woman's Place. Many many moons ago the area was ruled by a chief named Curubande. The chief had a daughter, Princess Curubanda (think Victor and Victoria,) who was madly in love with a prince from an enemy tribe.
Failing to keep their affair secret, the chief captured the prince, whisked him off to the top of the volcano and tossed him over the side. Insane with grief (and slightly budding of child), the princess abandoned her former life and went to live near the last spot her dead lover walked the earth. When the baby was born she sacrificed the child to the volcano, wanting the child to be with it's dead father.
Nuts as she was, she became a great healer, using the healing mud and ash from the volcano and the plants that grew around the mountain to heal the sick. People from all around the land would come to consult with the princess, who simply became known as "the curendera."