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The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

For many people in the World, herbal medicines are the only therapeutic agents available. It is difficult to assess the extent to which plants are used as medicines throughout the World, but the World Health Organization has estimated that perhaps 80 percent of the world's population relies on traditional therapies for their primary health care needs. Since botanical Medicine is the major part of traditional therapies, it can be safely stated that the majority of the world's population relies on plants as medicines.

However, throughout the World, especially in Europe and Asia, a tremendous renaissance has occurred in the use and appreciation of herbal Medicine. Nonetheless, herbal teas and products are a major business in the United States as well, with an estimated annual sales figure of more than $4 billion. This rebirth of herbal Medicine, especially in developed countries, is largely based on renewed interest by the public and scientific researchers.

Many cultures and families throughout the World rely on deer hunting for food and/or sport. People in Korea, China, and Taiwan have used deer not only for food but to make products from the antlers and other body parts. Traditional Chinese Medicine has used the antlers, tail, and other deer parts for thousands of years. Recently, farm-raised deer meat is also becoming more popular. The United States and New Zealand are the leading countries currently domesticating the deer. NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS Venison is an excellent source of both protein and vitamin B12.

This use was stimulated by the fact that during World War II, British Royal Air Force pilots consumed bilberry (a variety of European blueberry) preserves before their night missions. Based on folk Medicine, the pilots believed that the bilberries would improve their ability to see at night. After the war, numerous studies demonstrated that blueberry extracts do in fact improve nighttime visual acuity and lead to quicker adjustment to darkness and faster restoration of visual acuity after exposure to glare.

Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies Phyllis A. Balch, CNC See book keywords and concepts

The Origins of Traditional Chinese Medicine The most widely used system of herbal Medicine in the World today, traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is an example of how herbalism began as a means of demystifying medical practice. In the second century b.c.e., Chinese scholarship produced perhaps the earliest medical textbook, The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine. This book consisted of two parts, a discussion of medical philosophy later known as the Basic Questions and a guide to medical practice known as the Magic Pivot.

This information is included for those who are most comfortable using herbs as a healing art, as a healing connection to the natural World. This entire book has been written with an acute and personal awareness of the frequently overwhelming cost of health care. The most economical approach to regaining and maintaining health is a combination of conventional Medicine with supplemental approaches. Except for minor conditions, the herbs and formulas in this book are not chosen to replace conventional Medicine.

Herbs, which have always been the principal form of Medicine for the majority of the world's population, are once again becoming popular throughout the developed World. Striving to stay healthy in the face of chronic stress, pollution, and the re-emergence of infectious diseases, more and more people are taking charge of their health with herbs. The "epidemic" of herb use is evident not only in North America and Europe, but also in China, Japan, Korea, and Latin America.

Over the centuries, practitioners of ayurveda, traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and the herbal traditions of the Arabic-speaking World and Europe have learned how to match combinations of herbs to combinations of symptoms. Since this involves selecting formulas that match individual people, rather than a disease, the same formula may be applied to different disease conditions as they are understood in conventional Medicine. Conversely, two people with the same disease may benefit from different combinations of herbs.

Hoelen Latin name: Poria cocos (Polyporaceae [polypore mushroom] family) Other common names: China-root, fu-ling, poria, tuckahoe GENERAL DESCRIPTION Hoelen is a mushroom that grows underground on the roots of pines and other trees around the World. In many parts of the World, hoelen is used as a food rather than as a Medicine. This was true in the nineteenth century, when hoelen was known as tuckahoe in the eastern and southern United States. A single mushroom could grow to weigh between fifteen and twenty pounds (seven to nine kilograms).

Garlic Latin name: Allium sativa (Alliaceae [onion] family) Other common names: garlic bulb, garlic clove GENERAL DESCRIPTION Garlic is a pungent herb used around the World in cooking and natural Medicine. It is a bulbous perennial with a single stalk that grows to a height of from one to three feet (thirty to ninety centimeters), with green-white or sometimes pale pink flowers. The plant was originally found in Central Asia, where it is the most important herb in unani, or Persian, traditional herbal Medicine. EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT Garlic is a popular herb for cardiovascular health.

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II See book keywords and concepts

Marketing people in the corporate World quickly got the message. But what they zeroed in on was lycopene, not tomatoes. The media, willing to oblige, rose to the occasion. It was lycopene time! Suddenly lycopene became widely known as something to eat more of if you don't want prostate cancer. The scientific World, investigating details, escalated its efforts to decipher the "lycopene magic." As of this writing, there now are 1,361(!) scientific publications on lycopene cited by the National Library of Medicine.

Though it is indeed remarkable that one of the greatest intellectuals in the history of the Western World condemned meat eating almost 2,500 years ago, I find it even more remarkable that few know about this history. Hardly anybody knows, for example, that the father of Western Medicine, Hippocrates, advocated diet as the chief way to prevent and treat disease or that George Macilwain knew that diet was the way to prevent and treat disease or that the man instrumental in founding the American Cancer Society, Frederick L. Hoffman, knew that diet was the way to prevent and treat disease.

The scientific World, investigating details, escalated its efforts to decipher the "lycopene magic." As of this writing, there now are 1,361(!) scientific publications on lycopene cited by the National Library of Medicine.26 A major market is developing, with trade names like Lycopene 10 Cold Water Dispersion and LycoVit 10% to be used as food supplements.27 Judging by the health claims, we might be on the way to bringing prostate cancer, a leading cancer among men, under control. There are, though, a couple of disquieting thoughts.

Because I have been behind the scenes generating health information for so long, I have seen what really goes on—and I'm ready to tell the World what is wrong with the system. The distinctions between government, industry, science and Medicine have become blurred. The distinctions between making a profit and promoting health have become blurred. The problems with the system do not come in the form of Hollywood-style corruption. The problems are much more subtle, and yet much more dangerous. The result is massive amounts of misinformation, for which average American consumers pay twice.

Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition Paul Pitchford See book keywords and concepts

Pollen is considered an energy and nutritive tonic in Chinese medicine; cultures throughout the World use it in a surprising number of applications—improving endurance and vitality, extending longevity, aiding recovery from chronic illness, adding weight during convalescence, reducing cravings and addictions, regulating the intestines, building new blood, preventing communicable diseases such as the common cold and flu (it has antibiotic properties), and helping overcome retardation and other developmental problems in children.

A Dose of Sanity: Mind, Medicine, and Misdiagnosis Sydney Walker III, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Furthermore, the World outside of Medicine changes—and each change alters patterns of diseases and brain dysfunctions. Twenty years ago, for instance, travel to and from faraway countries was rare. But immigration and travel patterns have changed, and modern American psychiatrists may encounter medical problems once seen only in remote African villages or rural Chinese communities.

Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes See book keywords and concepts

According to the World Health Organization, Japan has the highest per capita consumption of herbal medicines in the World. More than 70 countries have national regulations on herbal medicines. Internationally, medicinal products or herbs are defined differently in different countries, and varied approaches have been adopted with regard to licensing, dispensing, and manufacturing these products. Herbal Medicine in Europe In Europe, especially in Germany, herbal medicines (known there as phytomedicines) are prescribed like other medications and enjoy widespread scientific and medical support.

That country has nearly four hundred thousand registered ayurvedic practitioners, and ayurvedic Medicine is the third-largest medical system in the World today. Almost 70 percent of modern medicines used in India are derived from natural products. In Japan, 80 percent of physicians have prescribed a traditional Chinese Medicine in the past year, mostly in formulas known as kampo. Approximately two hundred kampo formulas are officially recognized by the Japanese government. According to the World Health Organization, Japan has the highest per capita consumption of herbal medicines in the World.

Traditional herbal preparations account for 40 to 60 percent of medicines consumed, and traditional Chinese Medicine is the second most used medical system in the World after Western (also called allopathic or conventional) Medicine. More Westerners are turning to Chinese herbs and medicines because of the vast experience and effectiveness available in this type of natural Medicine. In India, 60 percent of registered physicians are involved in nonallo-pathic systems of Medicine.

CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE Chinese herbal Medicine has been used for thousand of years and continues to be used today by more than one-fifth of the world's population. The Chinese have accumulated a sizeable pharmacopoeia based on actual human usage and have faithfully recorded their experience and knowledge of these herbal medicines. Knowledge about herbs had been passed down from generation to generation, first as oral tradition and then in the voluminous Chinese medical literature. Currently, Chinese herbal Medicine is integrated into the traditional Chinese Medicine that is practiced today.

The World Health Organization reports that approximately 75 percent of the world's population depends on botanical medicines for its basic health care needs. In fact, people in a number of countries are using medicinal plants as a significant part of their health care regimens. Herbs have been used as medicines for millennia. Prior to the introduction of modern pharmaceutical drugs, herbal remedies were among the few reliable healing and treatment methods available. Approximately 25 percent of modern medicines are still made from plants first used in traditional Medicine.

Modern research has confirmed and continues to confirm much of the usefulness and safety of what has been used as primary medical care by much of the world's population. It is important to understand that traditional herbal Medicine differs in theory and practice from Western Medicine. In traditional herbal medical systems, medicines (primarily herbal) often were seen as correcting internal disharmonies rather than simply targeting symptoms as in Western Medicine.

Allergic to the Twentieth Century: The Explosion in Environmental Allergies--From Sick Buildings to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Peter Radetsky See book keywords and concepts

As a dramatic example of the way Medicine was practiced pre-Pasteur, Koch, and Lister, Miller likes to point out how disease was approached in the Civil War, the world's last major conflict fought without the knowledge of infectious disease. "Two-thirds of the deaths among soldiers during the Civil War were caused by infections, most frequently wound infections and epidemics," Miller says.

Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

People who are allergic to olive oil obviously shouldn't tryitV TURMERIC FOR PSORIASIS Americans are gradually rediscovering some natural medicines that have long been popular in other parts of the World. One of these is turmeric, the spice that makes curry yellow. It's also found in yellow mustard. Turmeric comes from the rhizome of a plant, Curcuma longa, that is related to ginger and native to India. It has long been used in that country in the traditional practice of Ayurvedic Medicine and in traditional Chinese Medicine as well.

Richard Smith, MD, former editor of the British Medical Journal, tells how pharmaceutical companies around the World stack the deck: • Conduct a trial of your drug against a treatment known to be inferior • Trial your drugs against too Iowa dose of a competitor drug • Conduct a trial of your drug against too high a dose of a competitor drug (making your drug seem less toxic) • Present the results that are most likely to impress11 What all this means is that doctors have a very hard time determining how one Medicine stacks up against another, or even against alternative approaches.

In the crazy World of pharmaceuticals, the prices for 5-milligram, 10-milligram, and 20-milligram pills are often similar. Not all tablets can be split safely, however. 5. Find out if you are eligible for free Medicine. The pharmaceutical industry maintains a program to help people who are in serious financial need obtain their prescription drugs. To find out if you qualify, you can visit www.helpingpatients.org or call 888-477-2669. 6. Take advantage of the Medicare Part D benefit. If you are eligible, this program makes sense despite the donut hole.

It is one of the most popular prescription asthma medications in the World, found in asthma inhalers such as Advair and Serevent. Although salmeterol has been on the market since 1994, it wasn't until May 2006 that the FDA required the manufacturer "to alert health-care professionals and patients that these medicines may increase the chance of severe asthma episodes, and death when those episodes occur.

Eggplant is a popular vegetable in many parts of the World. It is also referred to as aubergine, garden egg, or melanzana. The peel contains antho-cyanidins, compounds like those in blackberries or purple grapes, and the flesh is rich in soluble fiber, which may help lower cholesterol. The Nurse's Health Study has been tracking tens of thousands of women for decades to see how diet and lifestyle affect health. Surprisingly, eggplant consumption was associated with higher blood pressure (Hypertension, May 1996). Based on this research, we wouldn't trade Medicine for eggplant.

Because why should we spend more money than anybody in the World for drugs we think are the safest and in fact it's really quite the opposite? be hard to track. Your Medicine may have been manufactured by a small generics company in Florida, put into the drug distribution system there, shipped to New York, and sold to a hospital, a nursing home, or a repackager. From there the pills might be shipped to California or Louisiana, resold to another wholesaler, and eventually end up on the shelf at your local pharmacy.

Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

It was later used by the Germans in World War II as "truth serum." Harmine and related compounds can inhibit the breakdown of serotonin, therefore their use with 5-HTP would have an additive effect.14"16 Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) This plant has also been widely used in folk Medicine as a sedative and antihypertensive.9 An early study involving 128 subjects demonstrated that an aqueous extract of valerian root significantly improved sleep quality.

In 1980, the World Health Organization urged researchers to examine whether traditional medicines produced any beneficial clinical results. In the last ten to twenty years, scientific investigation has confirmed the efficacy of many of these preparations, some of which are remarkably effective. Covered here are those plants which appear most effective, are least toxic, and have substantial documentation of efficacy.

Botanical Medicines There are a number of excellent choices from the botanical World to help with antioxidant mechanisms. Flavonoid-Rich Extracts Among the best may be flavonoid-rich extracts from Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry), Vitis vinifera (grape seed), and Pinus mar-itima (pine bark), as well as curcumin from Curcuma longa. The occurrence of cataracts in rats can be retarded by changing their diet from a commercial "lab chow" to a "well-defined diet."17 Preliminary research suggests that flavonoid components in the well-defined diets may be responsible for the protective effects.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements Phyllis A. Balch, CNC See book keywords and concepts

As they have for centuries, indigenous rainforest tribes around the World rely on the forests for virtually all their medicines. They too have incorporated herbs into their religions and everyday lives. Researchers estimate that the world's rainforests contain literally thousands of potentially useful medicinal plants. Rainforests exist on every continent, though most research attention is currently directed at the rainforests of South America, particularly in the Amazon, and of the South Pacific Islands.

AYURVEDIC REMEDIES Ayurvedic Medicine is one of the oldest forms of Medicine in the World. It incorporates tools such as diet, exercise, breathing exercises, meditation (yoga), mental visualization, therapeutic massage, and herbs to treat illness and maintain health. This ancient healing method also uses color therapy, sound therapy, and aromatherapy to help create balance within the body. In Ayurveda, the fundamental healing philosophy is the concept of the three doshas, or basic types of energy or functional principles.

OTHER HERBAL HEALING SYSTEMS The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of the earth's population today depends on plants to treat common ailments. Herbalism is an essential part of Ayurvedic (Indian), traditional Asian, Native American, and naturopathic medicines. Many homeopathic remedies are derived from plants as well. Oriental herbs are a recent addition to the American herb scene, with the influx of several popular Chinese herbs. The Chinese are today's foremost herbalists, drawing on thousands of years of experience in compounding and processing roots and herbs.

The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs: A Guide to Understanding and Using Herbal Medicinals Leslie Taylor, ND See book keywords and concepts

TRIBAL AND HERBAL Medicine USES Virtually all parts of the fedegoso plant are used in herbal Medicine systems around the World. PLANT CHEMICALS BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH Fedegoso has been used as natural Medicine in the rainforest and other tropical areas for centuries. Its roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds have been employed in herbal Medicine around the World. In Peru, the roots are considered a diuretic, and a decoction is made for fevers. The seeds are brewed into a coffee-like beverage for asthma, and a flower infusion is used for bronchitis in the Peruvian Amazon.

Muira puama is employed around the World today in herbal Medicine. Early European explorers noted the indigenous uses and the aphrodisiac qualities of muira puama and brought it back to Europe, where it has become part of herbal Medicine in England. It is still listed in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (a noted herbal Medicine source from the British Herbal Medicine Association); it is recommended there for the treatment of dysentery and impotence.3 It is also used elsewhere in Europe to treat impotence, infertility, nerve pain, menstrual disturbances, and dysentery.

It is a genus of about 100 species of deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the World. Interestingly, no matter where they are found, most all Ziziphus species on every continent are used in traditional Medicine systems where they grow. The genus in general is recognized with potential pharmacological actions by scientists worldwide. TRIBAL AND HERBAL Medicine USES Juazeiro bark in used in South America to treat and prevent cavities and dental plaque.

Soon, children with viral infections, adults with herpes, cancer patients, and many others throughout the World may benefit from new medicines from the Amazon rainforest. But what will the indigenous tribes see of these wonderful new medicines? As corporations rush to patent indigenous medicinal knowledge, the originating indigenous communities receive few, if any, benefits. LOSING THE KNOWLEDGE The destruction of the rainforest has followed the pattern of approaching natural land and natural World peoples as resources to be used, and seeing wilderness as idle, empty, and unproductive.

Many types of ferns are used in traditional Medicine around the World. Most, including samambaia, are considered a tonic, blood cleanser, expectorant, and are used for numerous upper respiratory conditions. In Honduran traditional Medicine systems today, samambaia commonly is used for tumors, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, and arthritis.

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