Herbal Remedies

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

I don't know about anyone else but I love reading about herbal remedies. I also like aromatherapy and have jsut finished watching a hilarious skit by Billy Connelly about a major accident and some idiot running around with an aromatherapy bottle - I laughed so hard I nearly passed out.

But back to the subject - as we now know there is something to herbal cures whether it is cranberry juice or garlic there is some therapeutic benefit maybe not as strong or as consistant as we would like there still is some effect. Here is a link to some herbal remedies that you might find interesting.

http://abc.net.au/newengland/features/everydayherbs.htm

[laughingfairy]

I love herbal remedies, but I would add one word of caution.

If growing herbs, PLEASE be sure you know what you are growing.

I planted herbs that I had purchased at a local chain store. One of them had been mislabeled. I did not bother to check the identity of it with another source. It turned out to be St. Johns Wort. I was on the pill at the time and now have a very beautiful child. LOL.

From now on I check any herbs I purchase with a local grower who I trust and I check it against my herb books that have photos not just drawings. :)

[chris_at_lucas_RN, RN]

I'm fascinated by herbals, aromatics and most of all, homeopathy. I've seen the last one work--on someone who really thought it was nothing more than not dangerous. It worked. Wow.

I figure, there must be something to it, if people have been doing this stuff for centuries. On the other hand, sometimes I think the dopey stuff I see advertised on TV that they just came up with last week might be valuable too, so who knows?

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

It was the article on cabbage that cought my eye - my mother who is an ex-midwife talked of using cabbage leaves to soothe the breasts but they thought it worked because they kept them in the fridge to make them cold and used the full leaf which sorta fitted the shape if you get my drift.

[Jamiers]

Ever tried Kava? It is grown in tropical climate and some indiginous lands. While most often it is mixed with coconut juice, it also comes in capsule form. It relaxes me on a stressful day, it is very tranquile in nature.

[Peeps Mcarthur]

Ever tried Kava? It is grown in tropical climate and some indiginous lands. While most often it is mixed with coconut juice, it also comes in capsule form. It relaxes me on a stressful day, it is very tranquile in nature.

A word of caution. Kavakava was responsible for some liver enzymes in studies meant to show its efficacy. General Nutrition Centers pulled it from thier shelves about 2 years ago. Since it is VERY RARE for opponents of herbal remedies to have to have any raw data, I would give these studies credibility.

Now let me say I am always skeptical of reports of herbs being "linked" to side effects such as Ephedra being linked to just about anything bad by the AMA because it is interferring with thier stimulant business (insomnolence, attention deficit, weight loss), or St Johns wort being linked to depression of all things and hysteria because it is wiping out thier MAO inhibitor market.

It is pretty obvious that any "study" with nothing but anecdotal reports can be contrived with paraphrasing such reports, to show any results, good or bad. In the case of the Kavakava studies, liver enzymes can only be presented through measurable data.

Truly as rare as a true side effect of an herbal remedy, measurable data in the industry should not be taken lightly.

For all of the above reasosns I switched to Valerian.