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Health Watch Admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:18:45 GMT

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Featured Definitions...

APPLE PECTIN	MILK THISTLE
Pectins are a group of white amorphous complex polysaccharides, often refered to as insoluble fiber. This insoluble fiber is formed when the protopectins found in unripe fruit are converted into pectins as the fruit ripens. Pectins are found in large amount in peaches, plums, currants and apples. Apples contain by far the largest amount of pectins, with the Jonagold variety containg the most. When pectin is mixed with water, a colloidal suspension is formed. A thick gel is formed once this solution cools. This is what makes the fruit used in jams and jellies to set up.	Milk thistle is a hardy annual plant native to southern Europe and the Middle East but is now found world wide. It prefers warm, dry soil and is often found growing in locations inhospitable to other plants. These hardy plants grow from 4-10 feet in height. The leaves are wide with white blotches and are at the top of a single branched stem. The red-purple flowers appear from May through September. The flower of the milk thistle produces a small, brown hard skinned fruit from July to October. The history of Milk Thistle’s use in traditional healing dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They used it to treat a variety of ailments with milk thistle, particularly those connected with liver. In fact, Pliny, a first century naturalist, said that it was “excellent for carrying away bile”.
NOPAL OR PRICKLY PEAR	SIBERIAN GINSENG
Nopal or prickly pear as it is more commonly called is a member of the cactus family. It is native to the entire western hemisphere as well as Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean. It is a large cactus that can range in height from less than a foot to over 7 feet tall. The pads of the prickly pear are actually the stems of the plant and are where the moisture is stored. Its flowers are range from yellow, to red, to purple and bloom from July to August. Once the flowers are pollinated they produce small oblong fruit about 2 ½ inches long. The use of cactus as a food source dates back to from between 5,000 to 7,000B.C. It was an important staple especially in arid regions. Archeologists believe that the cultivation of the prickly pear cactus allowed for the settlement of the arid lands of Mexico and the southwestern United States.	Siberian ginseng is a native of eastern Russia, northern China and Japan. It is a small woody shrub that grows 3-10 feet tall. The leaves are palm-shaped and attach to the trunk by a long stem. The leaves and stems are covered with thorns. Flowers of either yellow or violet grow in umbrella shaped clusters. These flowers turn into small black berries. Siberian ginseng is grown for its roots which are woody, and twisted. Siberian ginseng has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is valued for its ability to help the body combat physical, mental and environmental stress. It is also used to treat bronchitis, infections, and improve concentration. Studies done by the Russians in the 1950’s confirmed what traditional Chinese medicine already knew. Siberian ginseng is widely used in Russia to increase endurance, improve concentration and enhance their performance.
DULSE	CHLORELLA
Dulse is a common red sea weed native to the North Atlantic and the Northwest Pacific Oceans. It grows in the inter-tidal zone where the water is cold and fast moving and the bottom is clean. The color of this seaweed ranges from light rose to a deep pinkish purple. Dulse grows extremely fast. Its strands reach 8-16 feet so quickly that during the summer, it can be harvested every two weeks. Dulse has been used as a food source since the Norseman crossed the North Atlantic. Regulation of the collection of dulse was introduced into Iceland in the 13th century. Icelandic sagas tell the tale of a Viking warrior that was lulled to sleep with dulse in milk before he was slain. The dulse is harvested, dried and the used in a myriad of different ways. It is high in protein making it a welcome addition to the diet of vegetarians and is found in many “green” foods. It has a high mucilage content which makes it excellent for detoxification of the body, soothing to skin problems and promoting bowel health. Seaweeds are also used in the treatment of radiation poisoning and to counter the effects of radiation and chemotherapy in cancer patients.	Chlorella is a single celled green alga that lives in fresh water. It is about 2-8 microns in diameter or about the same size as a red blood cell. This single celled life form emerged about 2.5 billion years ago and was the first plant with a well-defined nucleus. Although chlorella has been around since the pre-Cambrian era, it was not discovered or studied till the late 19th century. Under favorable conditions such as strong sunlight, clean air and water, chlorella multiplies rapidly. In order for the nutrients in chlorella to be more readily adsorbed the cell wall is often “cracked” open by mechanical or chemical means. It is then dried and powdered. Chlorella can then be taken as either a tablet or as a powder mixed with juice or water. Chlorella’s value as a source of complete nutrition did not emerge until the 1950’s. It was studied extensively by the Carnegie Institute as a solution to world hunger. The Japanese began studying the health benefits of this single celled organism in the 1960’s. They found this single celled plant to be a superior source of complete nutrition that had the ability to stimulate the immune system; speed wound healing and showed promise as a way to remove harmful toxins from the body.
HORSETAIL	CRANBERRY
Horsetails are the last remnants of huge tree like plants that thrived 400 million years ago. Horsetail is closely related to ferns and is native throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. It is a perennial with hollow stems and shoots that closely resemble asparagus. It has two distinct stem forms. The variety that grows in early spring is brown in color and is topped by a spore containing cone. The mature form of the herb appears in summer and has feathery branched stems. These plants are closely related to ferns and can reach a height of over 6 feet. Horsetail has been used in traditional medicine all over the world. Since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, it was used to stop bleeding, treat ulcers, and wounds as well as a treatment for tuberculosis and kidney problems. Today the horsetail is still an important herb in traditional medicine.	Cranberries grow on low spreading evergreen shrubs in marshes or boggy land. The cranberry bush has upright branches with leaves that are flecked with white dots on the underside. It produces pink blossoms in June and July with the berries appearing soon after. The cranberry is closely related to the blue berry, huckleberry and bilberry. The use of cranberries dates as far back as the Iron Age. The Romans were the first to record their medicinal properties. They found the cranberry in use in the British Isles and brought them back to Rome. The Romans used cranberries as a treatment for gout. Since being mentioned by herbalist Henry Lyte in 1578, the cranberry has been used to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions. Modern science is beginning to confirm the cranberry’s usefulness in treating a variety of illnesses and it nutritional value.

Hesperidin1

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:29:58 GMT

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Hesperidin

Common Name: Hesperidin

Overview:

Hesperidin is a water-soluble citrus bioflavonoid. It is the principle flavonoid in lemons and oranges. The skin and membranes of citrus fruit contain higher concentrations of hesperidin than the fruit itself. While hesperidin is found in all citrus fruit, oranges and tangelos contain the highest concentrations of this bioflavonoid. It is a powerful antioxidant and helps increase the activity of vitamin C in the body. Although hesperidin is not an essential nutrient (a nutrient that is vital for life), a deficiency of hesperidin has been linked to an increase in capillary permeability, pain in the arms and legs as well as weakness and leg cramps. In Europe, this bioflavonoid is approved for the treatment of diseases of the blood and lymphatic vessels. This includes hemorrhoids, venous insufficiency, leg ulcers, easy bruising, nose bleeds and helping to alleviate lymphadema following breast cancer surgery.

Benefits

Many studies have been done on the health benefits of hesperidin. Studies have shown that hesperidin, because of its antioxidant properties as well as its ability to strengthen the circulatory system is proving to:

Help reduce the swelling of the arm following breast cancer surgery. A double blind study showed a significant decrease in swelling in those who received bioflavonoid therapy compared to those that took the placebo.
Improve venous circulation and strength in those who suffer from severe chronic venous insufficiency. This improvement was seen in a double blind study of over 200 individuals.
Decrease the healing time of a group of people who suffered from nonhealing leg ulcers
Significantly increase HDL-cholesterol while lowering total lipid and triglyceride in the blood. In a recent study, 25 people with elevated cholesterol levels where given hesperidin rich orange juice. One glass of this juice was taken every day for four weeks. This was then followed with two glasses a day for 4 weeks and finally three glasses a day for 4 weeks. The HDL levels of these individuals increased 21% while the LDL/HDL ratio dropped 16%. The folate levels where also seen to rise, a good thing, since folate causes a decline in the levels of homocysteine. Elevated levels of homocysteine are linked to an increased risk of heart attack. This positive effects persisted even during the 5 week washout period when the test participants where asked not to drink orange juice.
Improve acute internal hemorrhoids of pregnancy.
High blood pressure and act as a diuretic in animal studies.
Inhibit the growth of cancer cells in vitro (in the test tube) and in animal studies. In one of these tests the cancer inhibiting effect of dietary several bioflavonoids were tested against each other. The bioflavonoid hesperidin was the most potent.
Have significant antiallergenic and anti-inflammatory properties. This was seen in preliminary animal studies. More research is in progress.

Dietary Sources

Citrus fruit

Juice, especially juice with the pulp

Recommended Dosage:

The recommended dosage of bioflavonoids is 500mg twice a day.

Contra-indications

None. Extensive investigations of hesperidin have found it to be non toxic and free of any drug interactions.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult a health care provider before using hesperidin.

Drug interactions

None

Web References

Printed Reference Material

Ameer B, Weintraub RA, Johnson JV, et al. Flavanone absorption after naringin, hesperidin, and citrus administration. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1996; 60:34-40.
Berkarda B, Koyuncu H, Soybir GT, Baykut F. Inhibitory effect of hesperidin on tumor initiation and promotion in mouse skin. Res Exp Med. (Berl). 1998; 198:93-99.
Bok SH, Lee SH, Park YB, et al. Plasma and hepatic cholesterol and hepatic activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase and acyl CoA: cholesterol transferase are lower in rats fed citrus peel extract or a mixture of citrus bioflavonoids. J Nutr. 1999; 129:1182-1185.
Emin JA, Oliveira AB, Lapa AJ. Pharmacological evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of a citrus bioflavonoid, hesperidin, and the isoflavonoids duartin and claussequinone in rats and mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1994; 46:118-122.
Galati EM, Monforte MT, Kirjavainen S, et al. Biological effects of hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid (Note I): anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. Farmaco. 1994; 40:709-712.
Galati EM, Trovato A, Kirjavainen S, et al. Biological effects of hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid. (Note III): antihypertensive and diuretic activity in rat. Farmaco. 1996; 51:219-221.
Garg A, Garg S, Zaneveld LJ, Singla AK. 2001. Chemistry and pharmacology of the Citrus bioflavonoid hesperidin. Phytother Res 2001 Dec; 15(8): 655-69.
Garner RC, Garner JV, Gregory S, Whattam M, Calam A, Leong D. Comparison of the absorption of micronized (Daflon 500 mg) and nonmicronized 14C-diosmin tablets after oral administration to healthy volunteers by accelerator mass spectrometry and liquid scintillation counting. J Pharm Sci. 2002 Jan; 91(1): 32-40.
Jantet G. Chronic venous insufficiency: worldwide results of the RELIEF study. Reflux assEssment and quaLity of lIfe improvEment with micronized Flavonoids.
Angiology. 2002 May-Jun; 53(3): 245-56.
Koyuncu H, Berkarda B, Baykut F, et al. Preventive effect of hesperidin against inflammation in CD-1 mouse skin caused by tumor promoter. Anticancer Res. 1999; 19(4B):3237-3241.
Manuel y Keenoy B, Vertommen J, De Leeuw I. The effect of flavonoid treatment on the glycation and antioxidant status in Type 1 diabetic patients. Diabetes Nutr Metab. 1999 Aug; 12(4): 256-63.
Matsuda H, Yano M, Kubo M, et al. [Pharmacological study on citrus fruits. II. Anti-allergic effect of fruit of Citrus unshiu MARKOVICH (2). On flavonoid components.] [Article in Japanese.] Yakugaku Zasshi. 1991; 111:193-198.
Miyake Y, Yamamoto K, Tsujihara N, Osawa T. Protective effects of lemon bioflavonoids on oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Lipids. 1998; 33:689-695.
Montforte MT, Trovato A, Kirjavainen S, et al. Biological effects of hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid. (Note II): hypolipidemic activity on experimental hypercholesterolemia in rat. Farmaco. 1995; 50:595-599.
Struckmann JR. Clinical efficacy of micronized purified flavonoid fraction: an overview. J Vasc Res. 1999; 36 Suppl 1:37-41. Review.

White Willow Extract

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:15:12 GMT

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White Willow Extract

Scientifically proven to ease pain and swelling, without side effects.

Horsetail

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:42:23 GMT

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Horsetail

Common name:	Horsetail
Scientific name:	Equisetum arvense
Synonyms:	shave grass, scouring rush, pewterwort, bottle brush
Parts used:	above ground parts, fresh or dried

Overview:

Horsetails are the last remnants of huge tree like plants that thrived 400 million years ago. Horsetail is closely related to ferns and is native throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. It is a perennial with hollow stems and shoots that closely resemble asparagus. It has two distinct stem forms. The variety that grows in early spring is brown in color and is topped by a spore containing cone. The mature form of the herb appears in summer and has feathery branched stems. These plants are closely related to ferns and can reach a height of over 6 feet.

Horsetail has been used in traditional medicine all over the world. Since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, it was used to stop bleeding, treat ulcers, and wounds as well as a treatment for tuberculosis and kidney problems. Today the horsetail is still an important herb in traditional medicine.

Active Ingredients:

Horsetail high mineral salt content, especially silica, is extrememly high. This makes it an excellent choice in nutritional support for building and repairing bones, connective tissue and skin. Horsetail contains:

Silica-two thirds of which are water soluable silicic acid
potassium
selenium
manganese
magnesium
the alkoloids, nicotine palustrine and palustrinine
flavonoids
sterols including cholesterol, isofucosterol, campesterol
saponins

Traditional uses:

The uses for horsetail in traditional medicine are many. They include:

urinary tract infections
kidney stones
diuretic
osteoporosis
osteo and rheumatoid arthritis
skin, nail and hair support
externally it is good for burns and speeds wound healing, sprains and fractures

Clinical uses:

There has been little clinical study of horsetail but professional herbalists recognize its value as a:

diuretic
treatment for kidney stones and gravel
a wash for poorly healing wounds
maintaince of healthy skin and hair as well helping to prevent hair loss

Recommended Dosage:

When taking horsetail it is very important to drink plenty of water.

Pediatric

Pediatric dosages are calculated by a child’s body weight. Since adult dosages are calculated using a body weight of 150 lbs to calculate a pediatric dose simply take the child’s weight and divide by 150 lbs. For example, if a child weights 50 lbs and the adult dose for a supplement is 150mg:

50lbs/150lbs=.33 or 1/3 of adult dose so take the 150mg adult dose and divide by 3 to obtain the child’s dose of 50mg.

Adult

Decoction (a strong tea): pour boiling water over 2-3grams of horsetail, boil for 5 minutes, steep for 15 and then strain. Drink 3 times/day.
Tincture (1:5) in 30% ethanol: 1 to 4ml three times a day.
For a compress use 10grams of herb steeped in 2 quarts of water and use this per day.
Bath for arthritis and sprains. Boil 100grams of herb and seep for one hour. Add this to a warm bath to sooth joints and muscles.

Contra-indications:

Horsetail is not meant to be taken over long periods of time
Do not use horsetail if you have kidney problems
Buy horsetail from a reputable supplier. A close relative E. palustre to horses and may be so in humans as well,

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult a health care provider before using horsetail.

Drug interactions

Do not take horsetail if you are taking:

Digoxin as horsetail may enhance the toxic effects of this drug

Web References

Printed Reference Material

Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded
Bradley P, ed. British Herbal Compendium. Vol. I. Dorset (Great Britain): British Herbal Medicine Association; 1992: 92-94.
Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, Ore: Eclectic Medical; 1998:85.
Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications; 2000:208-211.
Duke, J. 1997: The Green Pharmacy, The Ultimate Compendium of Natural Remedies from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing and Herbs. pp. 36-37; 98; 132-133; 415. Rodale Press.
Flynn, R. and Roest, M. 1995. Your Guide to Standardized Herbal Products. One World Press, 601 Granada Drive, Prescott, AZ, 86301; Library of Congress: 94-80040; pp. 50-51.
Foster S, and Duke JA. 1990. Horsetail in Medicinal Plants. Houghton Mifflin Co., New York, NY, p. 304.
Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal. 4th ed. New York: The Haworth Herbal Press; 1999:219-220.
Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Christof J. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 2nd ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company; 2000: 409-410.
Turner N, and Kuhnlein H. 1991. Traditional plant foods of Canadian indigenous peoples. Nutrition, botany and use. In Food and Nutrition in History and Anthropology Vol. 8. Gordon & Breach Science Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, p. 48.
White L, Mavor S. Kids, Herbs, Health. Loveland, Colo: Interweave Press; 1998:22, 33.
Wichtl M (ed). 1994. Equiseti herba – Equisetum (English translation by Norman Grainger Bisset). In Herbal Drugs and Phyto-pharmaceuticals. CRC Press, Stuttgart, pp. 188-191.

Hawaiian Noni

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:41:45 GMT

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Hawaiian Noni

Noni has natural pain killing properties and can help with chronic back, joint and muscle pain, sports injuries, headaches and migraines by boosting the production of serotonin and endorphins. Natural enzymes in Noni appear to inhibit joint inflammation and pain.

Hesperidin

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:41:14 GMT

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Hesperidin

Not only does this organic compound give citrus fruit its color, but it's also an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic.

Hibiscus

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:37:57 GMT

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Hibiscus

Shown to be effective in lowering bad cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease and hypertension. The Chinese have used it to fight high blood pressure and liver disorders. The antioxidant power of hibiscus has been compared to that found in red wine.

Holy Basil

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:36:23 GMT

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Holy Basil

Holy Basil has been shown to help normalize blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and help to reduce blood pressure and arterial inflammation.

Hyaluronic Acid

Health Watch Admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:34:44 GMT

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Hyaluronic Acid

Helps to lubricate and cushion joints, while restoring damaged cartilage. The Hyaluronic Acid in Alleviate is precisely the right size to be readily absorbed by the body.