Constipation

Each of us has suffered, is suffering or will suffer from mild constipation throughout our lives. It is inevitable due to the diet most of us eat. As long as the bout of constipation does not last too long, we get through it by making slight adjustments to our daily diets. We usually increase the amount of fluids we drink. Drinking more is not the only thing we can do to help ourselves reduce the incidences of constipation.

Here are some natural herbal, homeopathic, nutritional and gustatory remedies to help you take better control of these periods of constipation.

The most straightforward way of combating constipation is to increase your fiber intake. Most of us do not eat enough fiber each day. Experts recommend we eat between 25 and 40g of fiber daily. This may sound like a lot but in actuality, it is not as much as we think.

Here are a few examples of high fiber foods that we should include in our daily eating plans:

• Raw oat bran, 1 ounce has 12g of fiber
• ½ cup of All Bran cereal has 10g of fiber
• 1 cup of cooked kidney beans has 16g of fiber
• 1 cup of small cooked white beans has 19g of fiber
• 1 cup of blueberries has 4g of fiber
• 1 cup of cooked pearl barley has 6g of fiber
• 3 cups of air popped popcorn has 4g of fiber
• 1 slice of whole wheat bread has 2g of fiber
• 1 cup of frozen green peas has 14g of fiber
• 1 ounce of almonds has 4g of fiber
• 1 ounce of flaxseed has 8g of fiber
• 1 cup of cooked cauliflower has 5g of fiber
• 1 cup of cooked broccoli has 5g of fiber
• 1 medium sized banana has 3g of fiber
• 1 medium sized pear has 6g of fiber
•  ½ cup of dried peaches has 6g of fiber

As you can see, it is easy to boost our daily fiber intake.

Herbal remedies

• Alder buckthorn
  • Used over the long term to treat constipation and to encourage the return of regular bowel movements
  • Good remedy if the muscles of the colon are weak and if there is poor bile flow
  • Milder than senna
• Butternut
  • Valuable remedy for chronic constipation
  • Better when combined with ginger or angelica
• Castor oil plant
  • Prompts a bowel movement about 3 – 5 hours after ingestion
• Chinese rhubarb
  • Helps to clear the colon without causing excessive cramping
  • Great to use when the muscles of the large bowel are weak
    • Make decoction using 1 teaspoon of herbs in 1 cup of water and take last thing at night.
• Crampbark
  • Effective at relieving any muscle tension
• Dandelion
  • One of the most detoxifying herbs
  • Works on the liver and gallbladder to remove waste products
  • Helps the kidneys remove waste products in the urine
    • Make decoction using 20g of dandelion root in 3 cups of water and drink daily or use ground root to make an infusion and drink 3 -4 cups daily
• Fig
  • Syrup of fig is a great herbal formula to relieve mild constipation
• Ginger
  • Used in combination with many other herbs to aid digestion
• Licorice
  • Gentle laxative
• Psyllium
  • Suggested remedy is 1 tablespoon dissolved in 8-ounce glass of water or juice; drink immediately; follow with another glass of water to wash it all down.
• Senna
  • Good short-term laxative but should not be used for than 10 days
• Yellow dock
  • A good laxative but should be combined with dandelion root
  • Stimulates large bowel function
  • Reduced reabsorption of waste product
  • Thought to improve bile flow
    • Make decoction using 1 teaspoon of herb in 1 cup of water and take last thing at night
• Linseed
  • Bulk laxative
  • Should be taken with 5 times their volume of water
• Slippery elm
  • Soothing herb
  • Help alleviate conditions
• Flaxseed
  • Suggested treatment is 1 teaspoon of ground seeds in 1 cup of water or juice up to three times daily. I add 1 tablespoon of seeds to my scrambled eggs and I keep regular soft bowel movements
• Papaya
  • Contains proteolytic enzymes which are natural digestive aids
  • Make a tea from the leaves
• Cascara sagrada
  • Suggested treatment is up to 2 400- to 500mg capsules daily or ½ to 1 teaspoon of liquid extract per day.
  • DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR NURSING

Dandelion root, licorice and yellow dock are mild laxatives.

Senna is a strong laxative and should only be taken when other herbs have failed.

Psyllium cleanses the colon and encourages normal bowel habits.

Crampbark can help spastic constipation.

Eat figs, apples and tamarind to ease constipation.

Homeopathic

• Bryonia
  • Dry, hard stool and dry mucous membrane
  • Stools are large, dry, hard and burnt looking
  • Bloated abdomen
  • Burning in the rectum after passing stool
  • Great thirst
  • All mucous membranes are dry
  • Suggested remedy is 30c every 2 hours up to 10 doses
• Nux vomica
  • Cramps and spasms in the anus with urgency to pass stool but with increasing difficulty doing so
  • Suggested remedy is 6c every 2 hours up to 10 doses
• Alumina
  • No desire to open the bowels until rectum is fully distended
  • Difficulty in passing stool
  • Stools may be soft and clay-like
  • Suggested remedy is 6c every 2 hours p to 10 doses
• Opium
  • No urge to pass stool for an extended length of time
  • Digestion is sluggish and weak with lack of appetite
  • Stools tend to retreat into rectum and are small, dark and very hard
• Plumbum metallicum
  • Colicky pain in the stomach
  • Constant urge to defecate but only small black ball-shaped feces is eliminated
  • Painful urine retention
• Syphilinum
  • Obstinate, sluggish bowels over many years
  • Possible feeling that rectum is to tight

Nutritional

• Garlic
  • Destroys harmful bacteria in the colon
• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids
  • Cleansing and healing effect
• Apple pectin
  • Adds fiber to the diet
• Essential fatty acids
  • Maintains proper essential fatty acid balance to aid bowel movement
• Multienzyme complex
  • Aids digestion
• Multivitamin
  • Constipation blocks vitamin and nutrient absorption
• Vitamin B complex
  • Aids in proper digestion
• Vitamin E
  • Aids in healing the colon

Gustatory

• Apple, medium sized
  • A 5 ounce apple with skin provides 3g of fiber
  • The same apple without skin provides 2.7g of fiber
  • It does not matter what color of apple
• Blueberries
  • 100g of blueberries contain 2.4g of fiber
• Prune
  • 100g of prunes have 7.1g of fiber
• Soybean
  • Nearly 94% of total fiber is insoluble while the remainder is soluble.
  • This is good because this fiber will increase fecal bulk, increase fecal water content, decrease intestinal transit time, and many other things
• Sesame seed
  • Known to ease constipation through the oils found within these little seeds
• Oat bran
  • Helps add bulk to fecal matter

 

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Credit

This document was created using a Contractology template available at http://www.freenetlaw.com.

No advice

This website contains general information about medical conditions and treatments. The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such.

Limitation of warranties

The medical information on this website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied. Natural Medicine Cures and its author make no representations or warranties in relation to the medical information on this website.

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, Natural Medicine Cures and its author do not warrant that:

• the medical information on this website will be constantly available, or available at all; or
• the medical information on this website is complete, true, accurate, up-to-date, or non-misleading. Professional assistance If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website. Nothing in this medical disclaimer will limit any of our liabilities in any way that is not permitted under applicable law, or exclude any of our liabilities that may not be excluded under applicable law.

• Liability
• If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention.
• You must not rely on the information on this website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

20 Herbs for Anxiety

20 Herbs for Anxiety

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
  • Ashwagandha’s key constituents include alkaloids, steroidal lactones (withanolides) and iron
  • The key actions are adaptogenic, tonic and sedative
  • Ayervedic medicine relies on ashwagandha for its tonic, strengthening properties and its ability to restore vitality to those suffering from overwork or nervous exhaustion
  • Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which is a category of herbal medicine that is used specifically to block stress and anxiety responses at the chemical level
  • Withanolide glycosides, a phenol found in ashwagandha, help stop stress responses in the mind while preventing stress-related hormones such as cortisol from increasing
  • The result of taking ashwagadha is an overwhelming sense of calm and control. Social interaction is easier and more enjoyable
  • One of the key ideas behind adaptogens is that they should be consumed before any known environmental stress triggers are experienced
  • Dosages are as follows: for light anxiety, doses like 50 – 100 mg are good; for moderate anxiety, 300 – 500 mg is suggested; for severe cases, 2000 mg up to 3 times a day are recommended
• Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
  • The key constituents include a volatile oil including linalyl acetate, limonene, linalool, bergapten and a diterpene
  • Interestingly, bergamot oil is added to Earl Grey tea to provide flavor
  • Essential oil is used to relieve tension
• California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
  • The constituents in the poppy include isoquinoline alkaloids including protopine, cryptopine and chelidonine as well as flavone glycosides
  • It tends to normalize psychological function; a French study has confirmed
  • Dosage:
    • Drops: 1/8 – ¼ teaspoons throughout the day
• Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
  • Constituents of catnip include iridoids, tannins ad volatile oil (comprising of alpha- and beta-nepetalactone, citronellol and geraniol)
  • Dosage:
    • Tea; 4 g of dried herb added to 1 cup hot water, steep 15 minutes, take two to three times per day
• Chamomile, Roman (Chamaemelum nobile)
  • Roman chamomile contains up to 1.75% essential oils (including tiglic and angelic acid esters, chamazulene and other sesquiterpene lactones), flavonoids, coumarins and phenolic acids
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: Pour 1 cup of hot water over 1 tablespoon (3g) of the herb, cover, steep for 15 minutes; drink three to four times per day
• Codonopsis (Codonopsis pilosula)
  • Key constituents of codonopsis include triterpenoid saponins, sterins, alkaloids (perlolyrin), alkenyl and alkenyl glycosides, polysaccharides and tangshenoside I
  • Key actions of codonopsis are adaptogenic, stimulant and tonic
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine uses codonopsis to calm “false-fire” symptoms which include tense neck muscles, headaches, irritability, and hypertension and who find ginseng tonic too strong
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: 10 g of dried herb I 1 cup hot water, steep 15 minutes, take twice a day
• Damiana (Turnera diffusa)
  • Key constituents include arbutin, volatile oils (including delta-cadinene and thymol), cyanogenic glycoside (tetraphyllin), resin and gum
  • Damiana is a thymoleptic (having life-enhancing and stimulating action on the body and mind)
  • It is given to people suffering from mild to moderate depression and nervous exhaustion; it is stimulating and restorative when anxiety and depression occur together
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: 15 g of dried herb in 1 cup hot water, steep 15 minutes, take three times a day
• Ginseng (Panax ginseng)
  • Key constituents include triterpenoid saponins, ginsenosides, acetylenic compounds, panaxans and sesquiterpenes
  • Key action is adaptogenic
  • Its superb adaptogenic properties have been confirmed with studies in China, Japan, Korea and Russia over the last 20 – 30 years
  • Dosage:
    • high-quality ginseng root: 1.5 – 2g one to three times per day
    • fluid extract: ½ – 1 teaspoon one to three times per day
    • dry powder extract: 250 – 500mg one to three times per day
• Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum)
  • Key constituents of holy basil include volatile oils (including eugenol, methyl chavicol, mehyl eugenol and caryophyllene), flavonoids (apigenin and luteolin), and the triterpene ursolic acid
  • Traditionally, holy basil has been used to reduce stress and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as having a reputation for reducing stress
  • Dosage: depends o age and health of the individual, please see a certified practitioner
• Hops (Humulus lupulus)
  • Key constituents included bitter principles (lupulin containing humulon, lupulon and valerianic acid), the volatile oil humulene, flavonoids, polyphenolic tannins, estrogenic substances, and asparagine
  • Key actions include sedative, soporific, antispasmodic and aromatic bitter
  • Traditionally, hops has been used for its sedative properties as it helps calm the mind
  • Blended with other herbs, hops are good for stress, anxiety, tension and headaches
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: Infuse 1 – 2 g of the dried herb in a cup of hot water and steep for 20 minutes, take two to three cups during the day and one cup before retiring
• Kava kava (Piper methysticum)
  • Key constituents include resins containing kava lactones including kawain, and the piperidine alkaloid pipermethysticine
  • The key actions include stimulant, tonic, reduces anxiety, urinary antiseptic, analgesic and induces sleep
  • A 1990 German study found kawain as effective as benzodiazepine I helping relieve anxiety; a Brazilian clinical trial found kawain relieved anxiety, tension, insomnia, muscle pain and fatigue
  • Dosage: 45 – 70 mg three times per day
• Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)
  • Key constituents include volatile oils containing over 40 constituents (including linalyl acetate, cineole, linalool, nerol and borneol), flavonoids, tannins and coumarins
  • Key actions of lavender include carminative, relieves muscle spasms, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulates blood flow and antioxidant
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: steep 1 – 2 teaspoons of herb in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes up to three cups per day
• Lemon balm
  • The key constituents include essential oils (including geranial, alpha-citrol, neral and beta-citral)
  • Key actions include general nervousness and sleeplessness and herpes
  • Dosage;
    • Tea; 1.5 – 4.5 g of the herb in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes spread throughout the day
• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate)
  • Key constituents include flavonoids (apigeni), maltol, cyanogenic gycloside (gynocardin) and indole alkaloids (harman)
  • Key actions include sedative, antispasmodic and tranquilizing
  • Traditionally, passionflower is widely acknowledged as a good herb for anxiety, tension, irritability and insomnia
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: Steep 1 teaspoon (2 g) of the herb in 150mL of hot water for 10 minutes; take two to three cups during the day and one cup thirty minutes before retiring
• Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus seticosus)
  • Key constituents include eleutherosides, phenylpropanoids, lignans, coumarins, sugars, polysaccharides, triterpenoid tannins and glycans
  • The key actions of Siberian ginseng include adaptogenic, tonic, stimulant and protects the immune system
  • Traditional uses of Siberian ginseng include enhancing resilience and as an exhaustion remedy from prolonged exhaustion
  • Dosage:
    • Dried root: 2 – 4 g one to three times per day
    • Fluid extract; ½ to 1 teaspoon one to three times per day
    • Dry powder extract: 100 – 200 mg one to three times per day
• Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
  • Key constituents include flavonoids (scutellarin), bitter iridoids (catalpol), volatile oil and tannins
  • Key actions include sedative, nervine tonic, antispasmodic and mild bitter
  • Today, skullcap is used primarily for its restorative properties and as a nerve tonic; it calms and relieves stress and anxiety
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: 3 – 9 g of dried herb steeped in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes taken three times per day
• St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)
  • Key constituents include phloroglucinols (hyperforin), polycyclic diones (hypericin), flavonoids and proanthocyanidins
  • Key actions include antidepressant, anxiolytic, antiviral, antioxidant, wound healer and anti-inflammatory
  • Traditionally, the herbs acts as a tonic for the nervous system and can be used for nervous exhaustion, long-term anxiety and sleep difficulties
  • Dosage:
    • Tincture: extract 20 g of the herb in 100 g of 70% ethanol and filter; store away from light; take 3 – 4 mL three times a day
• Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum)
  • Key constituents include volatile oil containing linalool and methyl chavicol, as well as small amounts of methyl cinnamate, cineole and other terpenes
  • Sweet basil has a mildly sedative action, proving useful in treating nervous irritability, fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia
  • Dosage: depeds on age and health of individual, please see certified practitioner
• Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
  • Key constituents include volatile oils (including bornyl acetate, beta-caryphyllene), iridoils (valepotriates – valtrate and isovaltrate) and alkaloids
  • The key actions of valerian include sedative, relaxant, relieves muscle spasms, relieves anxiety and lowers blood pressure
  • Traditionally, valerian has been used for anxiety and any-stress related symptoms
  • Dosage:
    • Dried root and rhizome: 2 – 3 g by oral infusion one to five times per day
• Vervain (Verbena officinalis)
  • Key constituents include bitter iridoids (including verbenin and verbenalin), volatile oil, alkaloids, mucilage and tannins
  • The key actions of vervain include nervine, tonic, mild sedative, stimulates bile secretion and is a mild bitter
  • Vervain has been used as a restorative of the nervous system; it is used specifically to treat anxiety and nervous exhaustion
  • Dosage:
    • Tea: 10 g of dried herb steeped in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes take one to three times daily

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Credit

This document was created using a Contractology template available at http://www.freenetlaw.com.

No advice

This website contains general information about medical conditions and treatments.  The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such.

Limitation of warranties

The medical information on this website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.  Natural Medicine Cures and its author makes no representations or warranties in relation to the medical information on this website.

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, Natural Medicine Cures and its author does not warrant that:

• the medical information on this website will be constantly available, or available at all; or
• the medical information on this website is complete, true, accurate, up-to-date, or non-misleading.

Professional assistance

You must not rely on the information on this website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

If you have any specific questions about any medical matter, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention.

You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.

Liability

Nothing in this medical disclaimer will limit any of our liabilities in any way that is not permitted under applicable law, or exclude any of our liabilities that may not be excluded under applicable law.

Sources

Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-based Guide 2^nd edition by Lesley Braun and Marc Cohen

Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine 3^rd edition by Michael Murray N.D. and Joseph Pizzoro N.D.

An Introduction to Botanical Medicine by Antoine al-Achi

The Handbook of Clinically Tested Herbal Remedies volumes 1 and 2 by Marilyn Barrett editor

The Green Pharmacy by James A. Duke

Handbook of Medicinal Herbs 2^nd edition by James A. Duke, et al.

Home Herbal by DK Books

Pharmacodynamic Basis of Herbal Medicine 2^nd edition by Manuchair Ebadi

Pocket Guide to Herbal Medicine by Kari Kraft MD ad Christopher Hobbs L.Ac

WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants volume 1 – 4

Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by DK Books

The Herbal Drugstore by Linda White MD

The New Age Herbalist by Richard Mabey

The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra

The Way of Chinese Herbs by Michael Tierra

A Handbook of Chinese Healing Herbs by Daniel Reed

Allergies, Hay fever and Rhinitis

Allergies, Hay fever and Rhinitis

Hay fever has become a more common occurrence than ever before, especially with young people and children. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (http://www.aaaai.org):

• nearly 8% of American over 18 have hay fever
• Caucasian children are more likely to get hay fever than African children
• Worldwide, allergic rhinitis strikes between 10% and 30% of the population.
• Among school children worldwide, allergic sensitization is reaching 40-50%
• Close to 13% of American 18 and over suffer from sinusitis
• It was found in 2010 that Black children suffered from skin allergies (17%) more than Caucasian (12%) and Asian (10%) children
• In 2012, 8.8 million children were diagnosed with skin allergies that year

So what can we do herbally or naturopathically to offset these staggering statistics? A quick scan through the research suggests that there are many herbal and naturopathic remedies available such as stinging nettles, ephedra, peppermint, licorice root, feverfew, garlic, ginseng, andrographis, papaya, reishi mushrooms, Baikal skullcap, elderflower, eyebright, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Dosages:

• Stinging nettle: 300 mg of freeze-dried nettle capsule 2-3x per day
• Ephedra: 15-30 drops of tincture in water up to 4x per day or as directed by physician
• Peppermint: steep 1 teaspoon in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes and drink tea
• Licorice root: up to 4-6 400mg or 500mg capsules per day. DO NOT use longer than 6 weeks. Do NOT use if pregnant, nursing, have high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, kidney, liver or heart disease.
• Feverfew: 400-500mg capsules 3x daily
• Garlic: 500-600mg capsules 3x daily (look for products with a daily dose of 4000-5000 micrograms of allicin)
• Ginseng: as directed on product
• Andrographis: tea from 1-5 handfuls fresh herb and drink 3-4x daily; or take powdered dry herb 1.5g 3-4x daily
• Papaya: eat papaya fruit in the morning on an empty stomach
• Reishi mushrooms: 420mg capsules 5x daily
• Baikal skullcap: make a decoction and take 2 cups per day
• Elderflower: make an infusion and drink 2-3 cups daily
• Eyebright: make an infusion and drink up to 3 cups daily
• Vitamin C: 2-3g daily in divided doses
• Bioflavonoids: 500mg 2-3x daily
• Omega-3 fatty acids: increase foods with high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids (foods like salmon, herring, mackerel, evening primrose oil, borage oil)

Have a healthy day,

John