This blog is mainly interested in the connection between mood disorder, such depression, anxiety, OCD and PTSD and nutrition. Articles are for educational purposes only. Self-help therapy should only be in partnership with qualified health care practitioners

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

CHECK YOUR STOMACH FOR SUFFICIENT HYDROCHLORIC ACID
Source

To test for sufficient hydrochloric acid -

  • You need betaine hydrochloride tablets plus enzymes - they are available from health food shops.
  • Take half a tablet before the last mouthful of a main meal. Burning or indigestion means you have plenty of hydrochloric acid. Don't take any more tablets. Use antacid or teaspoonful of bicarbonate to relieve discomfort.
  • If no burning or indigestion, next day take 1 tablet in the same way. If still no burning or indigestion, next day take 2 tablets in the same way. If still no burning or indigestion, then you need more acid.
  • There are other tests for stomach PH but they're all invasive.

So if you need more acid, then you take 2 betaine hydrochloric acid tablets with main meals and 1 tablet with small meals. Swedish bitters can also help, as can wine with meals and eating calmly and enjoying food.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine & Natural Therapies
by Jurriaan Plesman BA(psych), Pos tGrad Dip Clin Nutr

This article aims at helping people finding herbal and natural remedies for illnesses, with the help of various "Natural Health web sites" as shown below. 

        


 Instructions:

  1. Use the "find" (CTR+F) find a symptom.
  2. this brings you to a herbal remedy
  3. many symptoms are linked to more extensive articles about the natural treatment of the illness linked to various web sites.
  4. this may lead to other herbs and natural therapies

herbs2000.com  ---> Herbal index ---> Ailments


delicious living  ----> Herbal Index  --> Ailments


Plants for a Future ---> Herbal index  --->  Medical uses


NCCAM  ---> Herbal and Health topic Index  --> Clinical Trials


YourHealth  ---> Herbal Index --->  Ailments


Holistic online.com  --> Herbal index  ---> Ailments


This article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for self-help medical treatment. Any self-help herbal therapy should be discussed with a qualified health practitioner. Herbal medicine is still poorly validated by scientific studies, although its popularity has grown over the year with dissatisfaction with allopathic medicine.

See one not very unbiased critical opinion by Dr Simon Singh: 

"Herbal medicine undoubtedly offers some interesting remedies, but they are significantly outnumbered by the unproven, disproven and downright dangerous herbal medicines on the market." Source

For dosage, side effects, contraindications, interactions and cautions, go to linked articles.


Acidophilus (for repopulating friendly bacteria)
see: Probiotic Treatments

Acrodermatitis enteropathica is a rare inherited childhood disorder that results in the inability to absorb adequate amounts of zinc from the diet. Anyone who is severely zinc deficient can develop the same symptoms that occur in the inherited form of this disorder.


Agnus-catus (Vitex agnus-cactus) Chaste tree, Monk's pepper

Studies re PMS



Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Church steeples, Cocklebur, Philanthropos, Stickwort, Harvest lice, Rat's tail, White tansy

Studies re Agrimony



Alfalfa
(Medicago sativa)
CAUTION: use in moderation --> pancytopenia  --> SLE due to L-canavanine


Aloe vera
(Aloe vera, Aloe barbadensis) burn plant, lily of the desert, elephant's gall
Studies re Aloe vera


American ginseng
(Panax quinquefolius)
    • Adaptogenic agent
    • common cold
    • type 2 diabetes
    • athletic performance
    • infection
    • stress (Adrenal exhaustion)
CAUTION: insomnia
Studies re American ginseng

Arnica (Arnica montana), Leopard's Bane,Moutain daisy, Mountain tobacco, Wolfsbane

 Studies re Arnica.


Ashwagandha (Withania somniferum)

Studies re Withania somnifera

Asian Ginseng
(Panax ginseng) Chines ginseng, Korean ginseng,Asiatic ginseng.
    • Improve general health, recover from illness
    • stamina, mental and physical performance
    • erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, menopause
    • hypoglycemic, controls blood pressure
    • improves immune
    • CAUTION: headaches, sleep, gastrointestinal, allergies,
Studies re Asian Ginseng.

 Astragalus membranaceus (Astragalus membranaceus, Astragalus mongholicus)  bei qi, huang qi, hwanggi, milk vetch

Studies re Astragalus membranaceus



Bacopa monnierra (Bacopa monnierra), Brahami, water hyssop

Studies re Bacopa monnierra


Baical Skullcap
(Scutellaria baicalensis)

Studies Bacal Skullcap
Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), European barberry, jaundice berry, pepperidge, pepperidge bush, sowberry, Barberry,    berberis, Daruharidra, Daruhaldi, Kingor, Barberry


         Bedstraw (Galium aparine) Cleavers, Goose grass, 

Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium) Dried fruit and peel

    Burdock (Arctium lappa)

    • Skin disease - acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, boils and eruptions, itch, wounds
    • Rosacea here and here
    • Arthritis - rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, gout
    • Fever - as part of a supportive approach to fever management
    • Cancer - Burdock has traditionally been used as a part of blends for detoxification therapy such as the Essiac formula


Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus)

Cleavers (Gallium aparine) Catchwood, Goose grass