http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/food/cooking/fennel.-a-wonderful-herb-to-cook-with.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/cooking/fennel.-a-wonderful-herb-to-cook-with.html Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Fennel dates back to ancient Greek, and is still considered to be a Mediterranean vegetable.

These days, most fennel on the American markets is grown in California. There are two types of fennel, one grown for seeds, the other used as a vegetable. The common type, florence or finocchio, has a bulbous base, stalks like celery, and feathery leaves that resemble Queen Anne's lace, and can be prepared in numerous ways.

It has a fresh, fragrant, anise-like flavor that is enhanced by cooking. When used raw in salads or salsas, it has a refreshing, crisp texture, complementing other raw vegetables and fish.

The crisp and slightly sweet bulb is particularly pleasant served raw in salads. Whether braised, sautéed, roasted, or grilled, the bulb mellows and softens with cooking.

The bulbs should be heavy and white, firm and free of cracks, browning, or moist areas. The stalks should be crisp, with feathery, bright-green fronds.

You can keep fennel for a few days in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic. Do not keep it more than a day or two because the flavor diminishes as it dries out.

Braising is an effective way of cooking fennel. Cut the bulbs in quarters, from tip to root, and remove just enough of the core, so that the quarters still hold together. Then melt some butter in a frying pan, add the fennel plus about 150ml chicken or vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper, cover and braise for 20-25 minutes until tender. It is particularly nice with fish or pork.

The bulb may be also be used in antipasto platters and has an anise flavour, and can be eaten as a vegetable, cooked or raw. The stems may be chopped and added to salads.

The leaf, which is feathery, similar to dill weed, has a licorice flavor and is commonly used in fish dishes.

The leaves may be chopped and used in soups, with fish or added to salads. The seeds may be used in pickles, tomato sauces, sausages and pickles.

The flowers may also be used in herbal vinegars and salads. Fennel leaves should be added at the last minute when cooking to retain the best flavor.

In salads, try adding finely chopped, raw fennel to potato salad or coleslaw, to add crunch and a mild aniseed flavor. Also sliced fennel can be used in the poaching water, when poaching or steaming fish. Or it can also add it to homemade fish stock.

An important nutritional value of fennel is that it contains large amounts of vitamin C, one cup containing nearly 20% of your daily vitamin C requirement

Fennel can be a very effective accompaniment to chicken dishes. I like to use all of the drumstick and thighs to most effectively flavor the fennel

In this simple chicken dish cut up a whole chicken, about one and a half kilos, separating the drumsticks from the thighs.

Otherwise you will need

80ml olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, sliced to 6 mm thick slices

fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish, lemon wedges, salt and pepper to taste


Then, preheat your oven to 200 degrees C. Drizzle half the olive oil into bottom of baking dish and layer with fennel slices. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 10 minutes

Lay the chicken thighs and drumsticks on top of the fennel, skin side up, baste with pan juices and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Then add the breast pieces and baste again.

Keep basting the chicken until it is golden brown – it should take about another 20 minutes to fully cook.

Serve the chicken and fennel with the parsley garnish and spoon the pan juices over. Bon appetit!




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Ian Finlayson is the chief writer and Webmaster of The Herb Spiral, a site dealing with cooking with herbs and with the therapeutic properties of medicinal herbs. For more about cooking with fennel and other culinary herbs visit
this page on his site

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/losing-weight-a-problem-get-help-from-the-right-herbs.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/losing-weight-a-problem-get-help-from-the-right-herbs.html Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
It is tempting and easy to say that simply eating less and exercising more will make you lose weight. But maybe eating less is the not necessarily the ultimate answer? Maybe it is more to do with eating the right things. Eating foods that will speed up rather than slow down your metabolism.

Two of the herbs I am highlighting in this article are the currently popular appetite suppressants, hoodia gordonii and garcinia cambogia . But they are not to stop you eating. They serve to help you control and manage your intake, so that you can regulate the quantity and sort of food you are eating, and cut back on, maybe even eliminate, the snacks. You haven't got a hope in Hades of winning the weight battle if you are ravenous all the time. You need to give yourself a chance by curbing that appetite.

Also, as you get older, you need to give your digestive/evacuation system all the help it can get. The longer your food hangs around your system the more toxins there are in your body to drag you down. You are never going to feel a hundred percent if your food, including all the fats and toxins you consume, is going through your system at a snail's pace.

A number of herbs are particularly effective in helping to achieve a smoothly working system, from mildly laxative herbs, such as dandelion ( taraxacum officinale ) to bulking herbs, to be consumed with lots and lots of water, such as psyllium (plantago psyllium ), which contains mucilage, which builds bulk to push the waste out.

Cascara sagrada is the herb generally recommended for persistent and/or severe constipation. It is commonly supplied in supplements that combine it with other herbal ingredients that soothe the intestinal tract.

But the big weight loss success story of the past two and bit years in Western society is the hoodia gordonii plant. African Sans Bushmen have used hoodia for centuries to curb appetite while on their long hunting treks.

In 2004 the West “discovered” it and much research has been carried out to establish the processes which make it work and to ascertain whether there are any adverse side effects. It seems the hoodia plant is rich in steroidal glycosides, which actually fool the brain into thinking the stomach is full, as if you have just eaten a big meal. And, seemingly, it has no discernable detrimental side effects. Certainly at this point in time the hoodia plant appears to be a blessing, with no negatives, particularly for those people who are grossly overweight and whose uncontrollable overeating is likely to lead to diabetes and other diseases.

Another traditional weight loss plant being currently researched is garcinia cambogia . It is being promoted for weight loss due to various possible beneficial effects it may have on the body. It has an effect on an enzyme which is used by the body to store fat, possibly resulting in a greater portion of fats consumed to be eliminated. Also it seems to cause the body to use up fat stored for energy during prolonged exercise whereas normally carbohydrates are used up before fats during exercise.

Other sources suggest that the hydroxy citrate acid (HCA), which is contained in the rind of this Indian fruit, appears to block the conversion of sugars and starches into fats. It is also surmised that HCA may suppress appetite by raising levels of certain brain chemicals such as serotonin, a key stimulator of appetite. Although more research has to be carried out with this fruit, importantly it has not shown any negative side effects so far.

Other ingredients in herbal weight loss products include elderberry for its beneficial effect on the urinary tract and bladder; raw, they are a laxative and diuretic.

Cranberry, vaccinium oxycoccus, and bearberry, uva ursi , are also herbs that support urinary tract health. Bearberry, dandelion and gallium aperine, are also diuretic and bearberry and yarrow (milfoil), achillea millefolium, promote kidney health.

Anise, pimpinella anisum, calendula, calendula officinalis , and licorice, g lycyrrhiza glabra , are commonly included for stomach, digestion health and carminative properties.

Senna ( cassia senna ) is a well-known stimulant laxative and diuretic but is not often used on its own. Yarrow is also known for cardiovascular support and licorice used for constipation, and liver problems. Two culinary herbs sometimes included in weight loss products are parsley and mint, m entha piperita, for their property of aiding digestion.

Of course, as with any medicinal regime, whether it comprises a combination of pharmaceutical, herbal, vitamin or mineral components, it is absolutely essential that you are aware of potential detrimental interactions.

It is also important that you don't double up on an active ingredient that could be part of more than one of the components. I am not a great fan of mixing pharmaceutical and herbal medicines, although there are many other experienced and knowledgeable herbalists who are happy to use herbal products as complementary to pharmaceuticals. That is an issue for another day's debate. If in doubt, if you are mixing and matching medicines, if you are unwell, or pregnant (actually or possibly), or a nursing mother, make sure you get advice from a professional with herbology training.

Reduce your food intake; look after your digestive system. Make sure your system is evacuating waste efficiently and eat foods that will speed up your metabolic rate, not slow it down – and exercise. Herbs can help with all of that, except maybe the exercise – you are on your own on that one.





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Ian Finlayson is author of The Herb Spiral and several other web sites dealing with the properties of specific herbs, and is a regular writer of articles and reviews on medicinal herbs and herbal products. For information specifically dealing with women’s herbs and formulas go to this page on The Herb Spiral site.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/curb-your-appetite-with-hoodia.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/curb-your-appetite-with-hoodia.html Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Hoodia gordonii is one of many species in the Hoodia genus and it takes a trained botanist or San collector to be able to distinguish species without looking at the flower. It is part of a genus that has other Hoodia species which do not contain the much sought after active ingredient present, P57 that occurs in Hoodia gordonii.

Hoodia’s popularity stems from claims that the tribemen of the Kalahari desert relied on hoodia for thousands of years to ward off hunger and thirst during long hunting trips. Hoodia Gordonii is not a drug and does not have the unpleasant side effects of a drug.


Weight Loss

The only way you're going to lose weight is to eat less.

Derivatives of the Hoodia Cactus have been used for many centuries by the African people for weight and appetite control however have only become known to the general public only a few years back when it was published on TV in BBC News and “60 Minutes” at around the same time.

This unique property has led to the successive research studies on extracting the active component of the plant and developing it into the world’s safest weight loss/diet supplement.

South African scientists have been testing the Hoodia plant since 1996 when they discovered the plant contained a previously unknown molecule, dubbed P57 by Britain's leading pharmaceutical researcher Phytopharm, that replicates the effect glucose has on nerve cells in the brain fooling the body into thinking it is full, even when it is not. Hoodia Gordonii is completely natural and has not shown to have any side effects in the studies conducted.

This unique property of the plant has raised interest in the pharmaceutical community for the development of a safe and effective food supplement for weight loss.

This created a new buzz in the weight loss market with people who were hungry for new weight loss supplements after their loss of Ephedra a few months before.


Kalahari

Since Hoodia Gordonii can only be found in the Kalahari desert of South Africa, so to satisfy the current demands drug companies are performing experiments to try to synthetically create the active ingredient, the appetite suppressing part of Hoodia Gordonii in the lab.

Therefore the native Hoodia Gordonii plants growing on the San Bushmen's land are the only source of this much sought after weight loss supplement.

The San ("Kalahari Bushman") have used Hoodia Gordonii stems to stave off hunger and thirst when on long hunting journeys, as it acts as an appetite suppressant.

The Active Ingredient, P57

Research of the Hoodia Gordonii and its active ingredient P57 officially started in 1937 where a Dutch scientist first noted that bushmen who ate Hoodia Gordonii had the ability to suppress their hunger and thirst.

Of all the 500 varieties that grow in Africa only the specific variant called Hoodia Gordonii has the active ingredient P57 which works as an appetite suppressant.

It was then South African scientists, working with a British company named Phytopharm, who isolated what they believed to be an active ingredient in hoodia gordonii, a steroidal glycoside, which they named p57.

Recently, Pfizer, who developed Viagra, has invested approximately $21 million for the right to develop the active ingredient, P57 which mimics the effects that glucose (it is ten thousand times as active as glucose) has on the brain.


Summary

Hoodia gordonii is completely natural; it is not a drug like most diet pills. It is not a stimulant as you might think, and has no known side effects that have been encountered. It is not a fat burner, it is not a carbblocker or a pharmaceutical cocktail of chemicals.

Pharmaceutical companies are trying to duplicate the active ingredient, P57, so that they can patent it for use in the burgeoning weight control industry.

Hoodia gordonii is very rare and is protected by national conservation laws in South Africa and Namibia. .

Hoodia gordonii is now accepted as a remarkable weight loss product that can effectively aid one to lose weight and feel great again.




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Ian Finlayson is author of The Herb Spiral and several other web sites dealing with the properties of specific herbs, and is a regular writer of articles and reviews on medicinal herbs and herbal products. For information specifically dealing with women’s herbs and formulas go to this page on The Herb Spiral site.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/alternative/three-great-herbs-all-women-should-know-about.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/alternative/three-great-herbs-all-women-should-know-about.html Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Black Cohosh

Firstly there is Black Cohosh, cimicifugae racemosae – commonly referred to as the menopause herb.

Interest in Black Cohosh and dietary supplements containing Black Cohosh has come from women seeking alternative treatments for symptoms associated with the menopausal transition, including hot flashes and night sweats, anxiety and depression, and vaginal dryness. This interest has been heightened by recent findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which pointed to a shift in the risk/benefit balance of hormone therapy due to the risks associated with cardiovascular events, stroke, breast cancer, blood clots, and other conditions.

Black Cohosh is used for a variety of other complaints, but has become best known in the Western World for its beneficial effect on hormone functioning due to its phyto-estrogenic properties. Herbalists also use Black Cohosh to prevent miscarriage in cases of women at high risk. Many women miscarry in the very early stages of pregnancy and may not even realize that they have been pregnant.

Historically, Black Cohosh has been also been used for a range of conditions. Native Americans and the early U.S. colonialists used it for a great variety if disorders including amenorrhea, bronchitis, chorea, dropsy, fever, hysteria, itch, lumbago, nervous disorders, snakebite, yellow fever, and disorders of the uterus.

Today, preparations of Black Cohosh consist of the fresh or dried rhizome with attached roots of cimicifuga racemosa.

Studies recently carried out in Germany have confirmed that cimicifuga is strongly estrogenic and that it is effective in relieving menopausal symptoms.

For the technically minded, its main constituents are triterpene glycosides, cinnamic acid derivatives, chromone, isoflavones, tannins and salicylic acid.

Black Cohosh is regarded as a relatively safe herb, there being no documented contraindications to it.

Side effects are also few, perhaps occasional gastric discomfort, and rare hepatic (liver) dysfunction.

It has been suggested by some authorities that medicinal quantities of Black Cohosh may possibly magnify the effects of synthetic hormones in susceptible women, such as women taking HRT or the contraceptive pill.

It has also been hypothesized in some circles that, because of its estrogen-like effects, it could promote metastasis of breast cancer tissue. (In an experiment done on mice, however, Black Cohosh increased metastasis of cancer to the lungs, but did not cause an increased incidence of breast cancer.)

It is not advisable to take Black Cohosh during pregnancy or lactation.

Otherwise there are no known interactions with other drugs

Wild Yam

Wild Yam is another very popular herb for women and has been also used to relieve menstrual cramps or pain, menopausal symptoms, rheumatic conditions, and gallbladder complaints, bilious colic and nausea. It also has been proposed as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy but (as one might imagine) there is much debate about that.

Traditionally, Native Americans used Wild Yam for birth control, also for rheumatism, menstrual pain and complications during childbirth.

Studies have shown that wild yam contains steroidal saponins, mainly dioscin and diosgenin, which can be used to manufacture progesterone, and other steroid drugs used for contraception. Be aware, however, that the body does not convert dioscin to progesterone

Some authorities warn that the use of Wild Yam may be contraindicated for women taking progesterone and/or estrogen. Otherwise there are no consistent reports of adverse side effects.

In recent times Wild Yam has been strongly promoted as a female breast enhancer and as a sexual stimulant and is consequently an increasingly common ingredient in female herbal supplements.

Dong Quai (or Quoi), Angelica polymorpha.

Dong Quai has been used for many centuries in Asia to balance female hormones and as a treatment for the various discomforts associated with menopause.

It has also been traditionally used In Asia to treat arthritis.

Today, Dong Quai is recognized as being rich in iron, magnesium and niacin. The root of Dong Quai is still used to relieve menstrual problems or menopausal symptoms, to improve mental acuity and alleviate symptoms of daily stress.

It is used also to relieve muscle spasms, and is also used to treat PMS, vaginal dryness, and hot flashes.

Dong Quai should not be used during pregnancy or by people suffering from colds and flu. It should not be taken with Warfarin as it could lead to bruising and uncontrolled bleeding.

Today, many different herbs are used to address not only health disorders that are peculiar to women but to improve women’s quality of life, their sexuality and general well being. Herbal remedies, however, should not be taken by people already taking pharmaceutical drugs without reference to a competent herbal medical practitioner.




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Ian Finlayson is author of The Herb Spiral and several other web sites dealing with the properties of specific herbs, and is a regular writer of articles and reviews on medicinal herbs and herbal products. For information specifically dealing with women’s herbs and formulas go to this page on The Herb Spiral site.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/anyone-for-a-hoodia-chocolate-shake.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/anyone-for-a-hoodia-chocolate-shake.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
With Hoodia Gordonii now generally accepted by everyone in the weight reduction business as the safest weight loss herb ever from the viewpoint of effectiveness and lack of side effects, it was only a matter of time before the massive confectionary industry saw scope for cashing in on its commercial potential.

And why not? With over half the women in the US now labeled as overweight or clinically obese a drink that is both appetite satisfier and appetite suppressor is an interesting concept.
Sadly, the original consumers of the plant did not have the good fortune to have access to flavorsome chocolate shakes in their austere environment. In fact their need to curb their appetite was to render them, not impervious to the temptations of readily accessible confectionary delights, but rather more able to stave off hunger pang consequential to long periods of food deprivation in the desert.

These were the hardy bushman of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa.

It is however hard to imagine the marriage of a herb utilized in such austere and harsh circumstances to the Deep Dark Chocolate and Creamy Chocolate Almond flavors of our present day indulgences. One is left wondering how such shakes are produced, as is claimed, to contain no added sugar, trans fat or lactose, add up to a mere 80 calories, incorporate the somewhat non-flavorsome Hoodia Gordonii herb but still satisfy the cravings of our current generation of shake and chocolate junkies.

Nonetheless, a spokesman of the Duane Reade stores in the New York claims just that. "We expect excellent reception in the marketplace for retail chains that are looking to upgrade their product lines and expect it will soon be available in many more major chains from coast to coast," claims Arthur Low, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Scientific Response.
Tammy Vaserstein, Creative, Principal, MoxieTM adds that the “rich, dark chocolate-brown labels convey premium indulgence and beautiful photography of chocolate bars and almonds reflect taste and flavor,"

Yes, indeed, the marketing expertise of the shake industry will undoubtedly effectively persuade consumers that that they can now continue to enjoy their gastronomic excesses without risk of expanding their waistline yet further, using the established success and general acceptance of Hoodia as a weight reduction tool.

But, one has to wonder, how will this work? The action of Hoodia is to stop you wanting to eat more, not to enable you to eat the same as before but consume fewer calories. Hmmm… If they can really make shakes that taste like creamy dark chocolate and deep chocolate almonds – one salivates at the very thought of it – without added sugar, trans fat or lactose, why add Hoodia?

Do they really want their consumers to realize half way through their shake that their appetite is now satisfied and they don’t want any more? Or does the name Hoodia now conjure up an image of a low calorie food that one can eat as much of as they like and not put on weight?
I hope not, because that is not what Hoodia is all about







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Ian Finlayson is the Webmaster and author of a number of websites and innumerable articles on medicinal and culinary herbs. More information on Hoodia effects, side

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/alternative/black-cohosh-the-menopause-herb.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/alternative/black-cohosh-the-menopause-herb.html Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Interest in Black Cohosh and other dietary supplements from women seeking alternative treatments for symptoms associated with the menopausal transition, including hot flashes and night sweats, anxiety and depression, and vaginal dryness has increased recently in the wake of findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which pointed to a shift in current thinking on the risk/benefit balance of hormone therapy due to cardiovascular events, stroke, breast cancer, blood clots, and other conditions.

Black Cohosh Root is nowadays, in fact, used for a variety of complaints, but has become well known in the Western World for its beneficial effect on hormone functioning due to its phyto-estrogenic properties. Black Cohosh is also used by herbalists to prevent miscarriage. Many women miscarry very early in pregnancy and may not even realize that they have been pregnant.

Preparations of Black Cohosh consist of the fresh or dried rhizome with attached roots of Cimicifuga racemosa in effective dosage. It has as its main constituents triterpene glycosides, cinnamic acid derivatives, chromone, isoflavones, tannins and salicylic acid.

Recent clinical studies carried out in Germany have confirmed that Cimicifuga is strongly estrogenic and that it is effective in relieving menopausal symptoms. The daily dosage (as recommended by Germany’s Commission E Monographs) is, in extracts with alcohol 40 - 60 percent (v/v) corresponding, 40 mg of the drug.

Some authorities have suggested that medicinal quantities of Black Cohosh may increase the effects of synthetic hormones in susceptible women, e.g. women taking HRT or the contraceptive pill. Because of its oestrogen-like effects, it is thought that it may promote metastasis of breast cancer tissue, however, in an experiment done on mice, Black Cohosh increased metastasis of cancer to the lungs, but did not cause an increased incidence of breast cancer.

There are no known contraindications and few direct side effects to Black Cohosh Root extracts, except for occasional gastric discomfort, and rare hepatic (liver) dysfunction.

There are no known interactions with other drugs but it is considered prudent that preparations using Black Cohosh should not be used during pregnancy or lactation.

Black Cohosh (cimicifugae racemosae rhizoma) should not be confused with Blue Cohosh (caulophyllum thalictroides), which has different properties, treatment uses, and side effects than Black Cohosh. Black Cohosh is sometimes used with Blue Cohosh to stimulate labor, but this therapy has caused adverse effects in newborns, which appear to be due to Blue Cohosh.

While Black Cohosh shows great promise in the safe relief of menopausal symptoms, further research is being undertaken by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, it is important to inform your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you are using, including Black Cohosh to ensure safe and coordinated care.




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Ian Finlayson is webmaster of The Herb Spiral, a site committed to presenting balanced information on the benefits of medicinal herbs. Please visit the site for more information on Black Cohosh Root

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/supplements/ginkgo-the-herb-to-aid-the-brain.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/supplements/ginkgo-the-herb-to-aid-the-brain.html Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Ginkgo is perhaps the most widely currently used herbal treatment aimed at augmenting cognitive functions--that is, improving memory, learning, alertness, mood and so on. Germany recently approved the extract for treating dementia.

Modern studies have also demonstrated the significant effect that Ginkgo biloba has on the cardiovascular system, relaxing blood vessels, acting as a circulatory stimulant and anti-inflammatory. One of the most important active ingredients, ginkgolide, has been clinically shown to be just as effective as standard pharmaceutical drugs in treating irregular heart beats. Improving blood flow throughout the body, Ginkgo biloba can also reduce blood 'stickiness', which lowers the risk of blood clots.

Studies have showed that the Alzheimer's patients who received ginkgo performed better on various cognitive tests than did patients who received a placebo. Improvements were evident in standardized tests measuring attention, short-term memory and reaction time; the average extent of improvement resulting from ginkgo treatment was 10 to 20 percent

It was reported that ginkgo's effect was comparable to that of the drug donepezil, which is currently the pharmaceutical drug of choice for the treatment of Alzheimer's.

A large clinical trial of ginkgo with more than 3,000 volunteers is being carried out by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine . The aim is to see if the herb prevents the onset of dementia and, specifically, Alzheimer's disease; whether it slows slows cognitive decline and functional disability (for example, inability to prepare meals); reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease; and decreases the rate of premature death.

NCCAM is also studying Ginkgo as possible treatment sfor asthma, symptoms of multiple sclerosis, vascular function (intermittent claudication), cognitive decline, sexual dysfunction due to antidepressants, and insulin resistance. NCCAM is also looking at potential interactions between ginkgo and prescription drugs.

In a study in France a small group of elderly people with mild, age-related memory impairment were given a fairly high dose of Ginkgo. An hour after the treatment, the subjects' memories were tested by rapidly presenting short lists of words or drawings and then asking the patients to recall the lists immediately afterward. Their ability to recall the rapidly presented material increased significantly after ingestion of ginkgo.

This finding raises the possibility that short-term, rather than long-term, biological actions provide the basis for ginkgo's reported effects on cognition

Ginkgo should only be taken under the guidance of a knowledgeable medical professional. Taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, Ginkgo can increase the risk of bleeding. It is also possible that ginkgo might interact with certain psychiatric drugs and with certain drugs that affect blood sugar levels.




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Ian Finlayson is webmaster of The Herb Spiral, a site committed to presenting no-hype information on medicinal herbs.Please visit the site for more information onGinkgo Biloba

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/nutrition/green-tea-the-antioxidant-of-antioxidants.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/nutrition/green-tea-the-antioxidant-of-antioxidants.html Sun, 11 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0600
Green tea contains polyphenols which protect against certain cancers, and are also potent antioxidants. These antioxidants have been shown to be highly beneficial to the heart by helping prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

There are four primary polyphenols in green tea, often collectively referred to as catechins. They are powerful antioxidants, and have been shown in recent studies to fight viruses, slow aging, and have a beneficial effect on health.

Much of the initial evidence that green tea is anti-carcinogenic is based on epidemiological studies which show lower rates of many types of cancer among populations such as Japan and China that drink green tea as part of a daily cultural habit.

Clinical tests have demonstrated that the catechins in green tea destroy free radicals which are highly reactive molecules and fragments of molecules that can damage the body at the cellular level leaving it susceptible to cancer, heart disease, and many other degenerative diseases More recently, controlled studies on green tea extract have yielded impressive results, identifying the polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as the responsible component. EGCG is able to force certain cancer cells into a situation in which they must die or be killed in a process called ''apoptosis''. Further evidence shows that EGCG has an inhibitory effect on the enzyme, urokinase, which is required for tumor formation, thus preventing the formation of tumors.

It has been shown that (EGCG), an antioxidant found in green tea, is at least 100 more times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells and DNA from damage believed to be linked to cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. This antioxidant has twice the benefits of resveratrol, found in red wine.

The only possible negative side effect from green tea is possible insomnia because it contains some caffeine. Its caffeine content is, however, much lower than coffee.



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Ian Finlayson is webmaster of The Herb Spiral, a site committed to presenting no-hype information on medicinal herbs. More information on green tea can be found here

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/supplements/ginseng-for-health-and-strength.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/supplements/ginseng-for-health-and-strength.html Sun, 11 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0600
Whereas ginseng was formerly supposed to be confined to Chinese Tartary, it is now is known to be also a native of North America ( species Panax quinquefolium after the five-leaf formation common to the species), and was used by the native North Americans. Chinese Ginseng is a larger plant, but presents practically the same appearance and habits of growth.

Asian ginseng, which includes Korean, Manchurian, Vietnamese and Chinese ginseng, is considered to be very "yang", or warm, and is often used for relatively limited periods of time. It contains roughly half the number of active ginsenocides found in American ginseng, which is considered to be cooler, or more "yin", and better suited for long term usage. For this reason American ginseng has become very prized in Asia, and most American ginseng is imported to Asian markets. Siberian ginseng is different again and is described separately here.

Used regularly, Ginseng can regulate the menstrual cycle, improve hormone balance and tone the uterus to improve the ability of the foetus to implant after conception.

Ginseng may help the body deal with physically and mentally stressful exposures such as heat, cold, physical exhaustion, viruses, bacteria, chemicals, extreme working conditions, noise, and pollution. By strengthening the system, it may also help prevent illness.

The anti-stress effect seems to derive from its antioxidant and steroid metabolism activity on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal endocrine function. It improves adaptation to diminished blood flow to the brain. Ginseng also produces an increase of amine nerve transmitter substances in the brain and adrenal gland

Recent research has clinically demonstrated that regular use of ginseng will help to increase physical and mental performance, withstand stress and boost immune functioning. Ginseng has been approved by medical authorities in Germany as an invigorating tonic for fatigue and to protect against and recover from illness. Research has largely supported the use of Ginseng to maintain health and strengthen the system rather than to treat particular disorders.

Ginseng should be used only after consultation with your health care professional if you are suffering from high or low blood pressure, fever, cancer, diabetes, heart problems or allergies.

Ginseng may lower blood sugar levels. Diabetics must monitor blood levels carefully while using this product. Also, care should be exercised if taken in conjunction with Ginger (in large doses), Diamana or Fenugreek which also effect blood sugar levels. Consult your licensed naturopath if in doubt.

Some authorities have suggested that medicinal quantities of panax ginseng may increase the effects of synthetic hormones in susceptible women, e.g. women taking HRT or the contraceptive pill.

Ginseng can also increase the stimulant effects of caffeine (as in coffee, tea, and cola).

Ginseng is not recommended for use during pregnancy.

It is unknown if this product is excreted into breast milk. Because of the potential risk to the infant, breast-feeding while using this product is not recommended.



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Ian Finlayson is webmaster of The Herb Spiral, a site committed to presenting balanced information on the benefits of medicinal herbs. Please visit the site for more information on Panax Ginseng

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/hoodia-seen-a-fat-san-bushman-lately.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/weight-loss/hoodia-seen-a-fat-san-bushman-lately.html Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0600
The plant is a succulent that grows in the high deserts of the Kalahari Desert region of South Africa. It has appeared on the weight management scene only recently (since early 2004) in the west, but has been used for millennia by the San people of the Kalahari a tribe of hunter-gatherers to help ward off pain, hunger and thirst when the Bushmen made long trips in the desert

Hoodia has made an enormous impact on the weight loss products scene since it was first introduced in the West. While weight loss experts first greeted it with acclaim, competing vesting interests are now frantically doing their best to play down its effectiveness.

Hoodia’s effectiveness derives from its appetite-suppressing component P57, which pharmaceutical companies are trying to synthesise so that they can patent it, but, until that happens, this plant is the only source. Hoodia Gordonii is not a stimulant, and has no known side effects

Research carried out at Brown University in Rhode Island recently suggests that the steroidal glycosides in hoodia affect nerve cells in the hypothalamus that monitor blood glucose. It appears that the effect of this is that the brain thinks that the body has sufficient blood sugar and doesn't need to eat more and shuts down the hunger mechanism.

The first human clinical trial was reputedly conducted by Phytopharm in which a group of morbidly obese men and women was placed in a place as close to prison as it gets. All they could do was read, watch television -- and eat. Half the group were given Hoodia and half were given a placebo. At the end of 15 days, the group on Hoodia had reduced their food intake by 1000 calories a day( compared with the average daily diet of around 2200 calories)

More recently, in two double-blind studies lean and obese laboratory rats were given Hoodia, which brought about major weight loss in the obese rats and moderate appetite suppression and weight loss in the lean rats. Hoodia also induced a modest drop in the rats' blood sugar levels, and no adverse side effects were reported.

There are no negative side effects reported for the use of this herb. A major claim made for Hoodia is that it does not produce the same unpleasant side effects as other appetite suppressants.



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Ian Finlayson is webmaster of The Herb Spiral, a site committed to presenting no-hype information on medicinal herbs.
Please visit the site for more information onHoodia Gordonii


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>