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Showing posts from July, 2012

MORINGA OLIFERA

Botanical name          Moringa olifera Lam. Family                        Moringaceae Synonyms                   Moringa olifera Gaertn. Common names Bengali                        Sajna English                         Drum stick tree Hindi                           Soanjna Malayalam                   Muringa Sanskrit                      Shigru Tamil                          Murungai Occurrence & Distribution Indigenous to north –west India . Plentiful on alluvial land in or near sandy beds of rivers and streams. Cultivated frequently in hedges and homeyards Description A small or medium sized tree, 10 m high. Bark corky, soft, thick, deeply fissured. Wood soft. Leaves usually tripinnate, 30.5-61 cm long , leaflets elliptic. Flowers bisexual , irregular, fragrant, white , borne in large panicles . Pods triangular, ribbed, pendulous, greenish, 22.5- 50.0 cm or more in length. Seeds trigonous, winged Flowers in February and fruits in March- April

HERBARIUM ( Including common names and therapeutic uses of 1001 medicinal plants )

Author: Dr.K.S Gopi B.Sc, B.H.M.S, MD Professor ( Rtd. ) Govt. Homoeopathic Medical College Kozhikode , Kerala From the very beginning man search for the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants . There are an estimated 250000 species of flowering plants worldwide and less than 10 % of them have been investigated for their medicinal properties WHO estimates that 80 % of the global population still relies on plant bases medicines for primary health care 10001 medicinal plants are included in this book Salient features Demy ¼ size Detailed study of herbarium Techniques of herbarium preparing Scientific name and name of the plant family Common Indian and foreign names of plants Distribution and description of plant Therapeutic uses of plants This book will be immense use to Practitioners of different systems of medicine Students of undergraduate / postgraduate Research scholars in medicinal plants Drug inspectors / Analysts/ Manufactur

PLANT MEDICINE FOR ALCOHOLISM

Characterized by the frequent and excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks , alcoholism is a state of both physical and psychological dependence. The quantity of alcohol consumed is not necessarily a determinig factor , as tolerance varies according to the individual The British medical association recommends a limit of 3-4 units a day for men and 2-3 units a day for women who are not pregnant. A unit is 25 ml spirits ( 40 % alc. Vol. ),  50 ml sherry or port ( 20 % alc. Vol. ) 12 ml wine ( 8 % alc. Vol. ) or 1 small can beer, lager or cider ( 3.5 % alc. Vol ) The threshold of alcoholism has been defined as a daily intake in excess of 1 ml of pure alcohol / kilo of body weight or 750 ml ( one bottle ) of wine with an alcohol content of 10 % for a person weighing 75 kg Symptoms Delirium tremens – until an alcoholic drink is consumed Redness and enlarged capillaries in the face Weight loss Blackouts Aggressive behavior, excessive laughing or crying Memory p

HERBS FOR HYPERTENSION

Hypertension   is defined as the circulating of blood and the pressure against the arteries.   A combination of unhealthy diets, little exercise, stress and genetic factors are the cause of hypertension (high blood pressure). Herbs have the ability to treat High blood pressure and many high blood pressure herbal remedies are available to treat this condition. Most people are shocked when they come to know that they are affected by hypertension or High Blood pressure. There are no symptoms in most of the cases, the excess pressure in the arteries and veins are the primarily reason for Hypertension. Middle aged men and old age people are mostly affected by this condition, but today hypertension is also found in many young adults. Natural high blood pressure herbal cures are preferred by everyone due to the adverse effect of the medicine. Apart from the side effects, the drugs are very expensive and some find difficult to afford it. Blood pressure herbal remedies are inexpensive and

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

This inflammatory disease initially affects a particular joint , hands, knees, feet. It develops  instages with periods of remission and tends to spread joints . It affects between 0.5 percent to 1 percent of the [population , predominately women who are three times more likely  to suffer from the condition than men. Early symptoms  can appear around the age of 25 or during menopause Symptoms Discomfort or intermittent pain in the joint area. Stiffness and swelling of the affected area, particularly after resting As it develops , malformation of the joints Increased pain that disturbs sleep Ankylosis (fusing of the joints restricting movements ) Anemia, fatigue, weight loss, sometimes fever and aching of muscles Causes It is an autoimmune disease . The body’s immune system attacking the synovial membrane lining the joints. There is often a family history of autoimmune disease Self measures Avoid unnecessary fatigue Acupuncture Take vit B supplement

CHOLESTEROL LOWERING HERBS

Studies shown that many herbs have cholesterol lowering properties . Some of them are the following Cinnamon Cinnamon  has a historical use as a spice and as medicine. Cinnamon is the brown bark from a cinnamon tree. Traditionally, it is in use to control blood sugar and high-cholesterol levels and may also relieve digestive problems or improve your appetite. Its bioactive compound works similar to statins(cholesterol-lowering drug) in lowering cholesterol level with no/low side effects. Arjuna Arjuna is an herbal remedy for heart ailments; it can lessen the effects of stress and nervous conditions. Arjuna improves cardiac functioning and regulates blood pressure. It improves circulation of blood to the heart and tones the heart.  It inhibits absorption of lipids in the blood, thus reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. It is a mild diuretic, so it can help lower hypertension. Arjuna lessens the ability of the blood to clot, so it can prevent stroke and heart attack Coriander Coria

HERBS FOR CANCER

Many   HERBS "boost" the immune system and so shore up the body against future or existing cancer.A few of them are mentioned below. Iscador (Mistletoe Extract) Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) is a semi-parasitic plant that lives with several tree species, including oak, pine, fir, elm and apple, and has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of human ailments. Extracts of mistletoe have been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to stimulate the immune system. Only the European species of mistletoe is used in the treatment of cancer. Mistletoe preparations are used to stimulate the immune system and to kill cancer cells. It has been reported to reduce tumor size and improve the quality of   life   and survival of some cancer patients. Three components of mistletoe (lectins, alkaloids and viscotoxins) may be responsible for its biologic effects. A typical treatment course lasts several months to years with subcutaneous injections given early in

BITTER GOURD

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Health Benefits Blood disorders:  Bitter gourd juice is highly beneficial for treating blood disorders like blood boils and itching due to toxemia.  Mix 2 ounces of fresh bitter gourd juice with some lime juice.  Sip it slowly on an empty stomach daily for between four and six months and see improvement in your condition. Cholera:     In early stages of cholera, take two teaspoonfuls juice of bitter gourd leaves, mix with two teaspoonfuls white onion juice and one teaspoonful lime juice.  Sip this concoction daily till you get well. Diabetes   mellitus:   Bitter melon contains a hypoglycemic compound   (a plant insulin) that is highly beneficial in lowering sugar levels in blood and urine.  Bitter melon juice has been shown to significantly improve glucose tolerance without increasing blood insulin levels. Energy:   Regular consumption of bitter gourd juice has been proven to improve energy and stamina le

CURRY LEAVES

Curry leaf has many herbal medicinal properties and its a most prominently used herb in south indian cooking.  Using curry leaves with food strengthens the functions of stomach and promotes its action.  It is good for indigestion problem.  It also helps to control Diarrhea, and upset stomach problems.   It also helps  to prevent premature graying of hair 1. For  cholesterol : Drink   f inely chopped curry leaves with butter milk 2. Mix lime juice, honey or sugar crystals to the juice of curry leaf and drink it. This prevents nausea and dry vomiting. 3. For Hair:   Heat oil and add some curry leaves. When the curry leaves turns dark black remove the oil from heat and let it cool down. Store in a glass container. Apply this oil on your head and leave it overnight. This helps prevent premature aging of grey hair and also nourishes the hair roots. This oil also acts as a very good stimulant and helps in hair growth. 4. Mix curry leaf with finely chopped ginger. Mix it w

CURCUMA LONGA

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF CURCUMA LONGA 1. anti-oxidant; 2. Contol hypertension 3. Control cholesterol level in blood 4. Control blood sugar level 5. Arthritis: inhibits inflammation. 6. Alzheimer's Disease: inhibits formation of, and breaks down, Amyloid-beta oligomers (entwined fibres) and aggregates (lumps) in rodents; blood thinning: reduces clotting and clinging together of platelets; 7. Cancer: causes apoptosis (death) of various cancer cell types including skin, colon, forestomach, duodenum and ovary ; 8. inhibits viral and fungal disease; inhibits bacteria including Helicobacter Pylori; 9. Diabetes: reduces diabetes in rodents; we await clinical trials.