Health Tips

Why Herbs?

Traditional soft drinks and energy drinks remain popular with many consumers. But they're attracting closer scrutiny now as media and health officials point out their negative health effects. These beverages typically contain high sugar and caloric content, caffeine and other unhealthy ingredients known to increase the possibility of breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other epidemic diseases. Smart consumers seeking a healthier lifestyle find the perfect alternative in Dr. Chao Herbal Drinks. In ancient cultures, herbs have been used to prevent cancer and other diseases for more than 5,000 years.

Recent events have provided strking examples of the power of herbs in fighting disease. In the spring of 2003, the SARS epidemic hit worldwide, including in China. But a nationwide program of herbal preventive medicine there spared China from what could have been a massive disaster. In 2008, the H1N1 influenza virus posed a similar threat. Again, people in China and other Asian Countries used herbs to prevent and treat the flu. with amazing results.

Properly applied herbal remedies can be remarkably effective, and are particularly attractive for their minimal side effects, low cost and suitability for long-term use. They were used for therapeutic purposes in ancient China, India and Egypt.

Medicinal Values of Herbs

Herbs and their capacity to cure have been recognized for thousands of years in cultures around the world and have been used medicinally in some form or the other. According to researchers, herbs have high nutritional content as they are composed of a variety of minerals, vitamins and antibiotic substances that help in strengthening the body's immune system against diseases.

Future of Herbal Medicine

Before considering the future of herbal medicine, it’s better to know how herbs are used for medicinal purposes. Plants have long been connected to natural healing and preventive properties due to the nutrients contained in them. Mention of these herbs is derived from ancient Chinese and Egyptian papyrus writings that refer to their popular uses and benefits.

Herbs and Natural Cures

The green revolution has a new meaning for the American people, increasing the love of and desire for organic, side effect-free and natural medicines. Millions of Americans and people around the globe now realize the value of herbs and natural cures, which are easy on the body and the pocketbook as well.

Natural Whole Herbs

With the emergence of herbal medicine on a global scale, it’s importance has increased. As more people turn towards natural cures, the status of herbs has increased to new heights. The popularity of drugs including the remedial properties of natural whole herbs is on the rise with around 80% of modern medicines using some form of herb compound in their composition.

Herbal Flavoring Oils

Herbs have been used for around 5,000 years in many civilizations around the world. They are immensely popular for their curative, remedial, energizing and flavoring qualities. Their therapeutic values have benefited the medical world and their flavoring qualities have enhanced the variety of dishes in many kitchens of the world in different ways. Read on to know more about herbal properties.

Herbal Supplements for Energy

Herbal supplements for energy are formulas from the lap of nature that contain essential plant or root extracts, or sometimes even whole herbs, that provide vitality and that extra zing to patients looking to alternative therapy for a complete cure.Some of the most popularly used substances in herbal supplements for energy include herbs like ginkgo biloba, ginseng and bee pollen, as they are considered to be natural energy boosters with scientific evidence in support of their beneficial properties. Unlike most so-called “energy” drinks on the market today, Dr. Chao’s purely herbal beverages don’t use any caffeine.

Medicinal Herbal Supplements

Herbs have been used for their medicinal value for thousands of years in many civilizations all over the world to effectively fight illnesses and build the immune system. Herbal medicine supplements have recently gained more popularity due to the scientifically supported evidence of their effectiveness, safer composition and affordability for long-term treatment. These medicinal herbal supplements stem from that branch of alternative medicine that is referred to as botanical medicine or phytomedicine. This is because these supplements contain active ingredients consisting of plant seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes. Read on to know more about herbal supplements.

Mainstream medicine and herbal supplements: the feel good factor

Long practiced outside of conventional medicine, herbalism is gaining ground as an effective antidote to the stress and strain of daily living and common ailments. Herbalism is even entering the arena earlier reserved for conventional medicines, such as synthetic drugs in treating serious ailments like cancer, Parkinson's disease, Leukoderma, and Alzheimer's, among others. This rise in popularity for medicinal herbal supplements is largely due to the recent analyses and ongoing scientific research regarding their effectiveness, plus safety factors that add to their value in the treatment and prevention of diseases.

Herbal supplements are a vital part of this stream of alternate medicine that has devoted followers who have benefited from treatment for many conditions such as asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, menopausal symptoms, chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome, etc. Athletes and people working long hours, especially work that requires extreme physical activity, have greatly benefited from the natural cures offered by energy boosters using medicine herbal supplements to support their daily diet and a demanding pace of work.

Guidelines for using medicine herbal supplements

Individuals trying out any supplements for the first time are advised to consult their health practitioner before self-treating, as some herbal products are often mislabeled and may contain undeclared additives and adulterants. Furthermore, certain pure medicine herbal supplements may have extra potency for an individual's metabolic functioning and cause allergic reactions or may interact with conventional drugs. For example, the popularly used St. John's Wort effectively used to treat anxiety is known to cause sensitivity to the sun's ultraviolet rays, and may cause an allergic reaction, stomach upset, fatigue and restlessness in some persons. In addition, St. John's Wort must not be taken with anti-depressant medication.

Kava kava and Echinacea have both been linked to liver toxicity with the result that the former has been taken off of the market in several countries due to the guidelines stated by the U.S. FDA. Similarly, if not administered under supervision Valerian medicine herbal supplement may cause oversedation, and in some people it may even have the unexpected effect of over stimulating instead of sedating.

History of herbal medicine and popularity of usage

The use of herbs for treating disease and preventing its spread began with the ancestors of modern China and India. They observed plant properties and their usefulness in the healing process of the human body. A bit of common sense, practical experience and favorable responses from patients made herb therapy a well known science, which even medicinal practitioners credited as having natural effectiveness. While the traditional herbal medicines may have been considered merely complementary medicine for supplementing the natural processes of the human body, Western doctors are now recognizing it as a separate field of medicine due to herbs’ intrinsic and pure healing values.

Beyond the Curative: Why herbs?

Herbal medicine practitioners in China used to mix different herbs for specific diseases, using the same kind of herbal mixtures for different people with the same disease as it was felt that individual qualities and physiology differed, so the herbs would have different effects. The benefits of herbs extended beyond the curative as they were intended to have recuperative and further preventive powers for recipient by strengthening his/her metabolism. This was based on the reasoning that a weak metabolism makes someone susceptible to disease. Thus herbal medicine practitioners selected specific types of mixed herbs for different persons.

Still wondering? Take a cue from the tangible benefits:

Herbs work in synergy and in tandem with the natural balance of the human body, so they are gentler than drugs and more holistically targeting. This enables herbal medicines to have fewer side effects, as compared to conventional medicine.

Among the main benefits of Herbs, the most important is that it helps in cleansing, purifying and normalizing body functions without the anxiety of side effects. Herbs regulate and tone the glands to function normally and maintain the natural balance in the body. Herbs have a high vitamin and mineral count and contain other beneficial nutrients that nourish and strengthen the body; thus, they have high nutritional content. Herbs help to energize the human body and stimulate the immune system, better equipping it to deal with disease so it can heal itself. This is the reason why almost half the drugs commonly used today are derived from plant extracts or contain some herbal compound. Penicillin is a prime example -- it is actually a mold, an organism produced by a fungus, a primitive plant.

Herbs and their curative propensity are used medicinally in some form or the other. Research indicates that herbs have a high nutritional content since they are composed of a variety of minerals, vitamins and antibiotic substances that help strengthen the body's immune system against disease.

Recognizing the medicinal value of Herbs: Market watch

Herbs derived from a variety of plants are reported to possess medicinal properties; however, not all are marketable, and some of these are required only in small quantities. This alone should help readers understand the potency of herbs as medicines since they are effective even in small amounts, if mixed well. It may not be public knowledge but it is nevertheless true that Aspirin is a chemical imitation of salicin, which is obtained from the bark of the white willow tree. Other popular drugs also have some root in the herbal system of medicine.

However, though herbal medicine markets in the Western World have seen a rise in the demand of herbal medicines, the occasional setback may be due to most herbs not being recognized as drugs or the general public’s lack of awareness about herbs having any medicinal values. The second major problem is that since herbs are natural substances, they cannot be patented.

Crediting herbs with medicinal values

Herbs have nurturing and remedial properties and solutions derived from plants, bark or roots that have proved to be highly effective in treating common health problems. But the prudent medicinal advisor would still maintain that every would-be herb user does need to find out which herbs to take for a given ailment instead of experimenting with the system.

In fact, U.S. Government regulations strictly prohibit herb suppliers from making medicinal claims about herbs unless they are backed up by validation through costly, time-consuming tests - putting them on par with the procedure for testing any new synthetic drug. This is not done to undermine or doubt the medicinal values of herbs but to prevent unscrupulous persons from marketing unsafe or worthless herbal cures, advertised to cure people in one shot, etc. Therefore being an educated consumer when considering using any form of medicine, be it synthetic or herbal, is the most important aspect of holistic treatment.

Medicinal benefits of Herbs: synthetic side effects avoided

The foremost reason for herbs ranking high in medicinal benefit is because they are natural products that can help perform the same miracles and save lives much like synthetic drugs, but without the many side effects ranging from the unpleasant to the lethal which synthetic drugs are known to cause. The use of herbs can also replace the consumption of expensive prescription drugs. Since herbs work without disturbing the natural balance of the body, the interest in their medicinal values have grown in recent years. St. John's Wort is widely used in the treatment of mild depression, and is an alternative to costly anti-dpressants, such as Prozac, plus the side effects of these high priced manmade pharmaceuticals.

Theorizing the history of herbs, their potency and wide use: future facts

Before wondering about the future of herbal medicine, it is wise to know something about the background of herbs used for medicinal purposes. Plants have long been attributed with natural healing and preventive properties due to the nutrients contained in them.

Ancient Chinese and Egyptian papyrus writings and other indigenous cultures like the African and Native American refer to herbs’ popular uses and benefits. Using herbs in healing rituals, many civilizations developed their still effective and immensely popular traditional medical systems, like the Indian Ayurveda and traditional Chinese Medicine. These use herbal therapies systematically in accordance with a person's individual problem and physiology and intended for holistic healing. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 80% of people worldwide use herbal medicines for some aspect of primary healthcare. Moreover, in the last quarter of the century, the growing public dissatisfaction over the prohibitive cost of prescription drugs has been largely responsible for many Americans turning to natural and organic remedies like herbs.

A Worldwide phenomenon: the future is in herbal medicine

What the Western world does, the rest of the planet follows -- and in this case, it is to Westerners’ bodily benefit, since using herbal medication helps them build up an immune system they will need as long as they live. This has led to increase in the use of herbal remedies. In a way, it secures the future of herbal medicine, too. Germany has its herbal remedies set just right with about 600 to 700 plant-based medicines made available and prescribed by nearly 70% of its physicians regularly. China, India and South America have always followed their traditional herbalism and now the proven wisdom of plants and their pure benefits are taking the rest of the world by storm, with the right marketing and growing awareness of the holistic goodness of herbs.

The future of herbal medicine: planting purity

A sort of a revival is occurring in herbal medicine in the United States, despite the FDA maintaining that herbs need to still be classified as dietary supplements and forbids manufacturers to claim their products are able to treat any diseases. However, in certain European countries, herbs are classified as drugs and are regulated. This indicates a brighter future for the purity and curative properties of herbal medicines, with so many millions of people around the globe using herbal medicine for everyday healthcare.

The growing number of persons looking at herbal therapy is increasing steadily with herbs being recognized as medicines and generations of practicing physicians associated with indigenous medicinal systems. The future of herbal medicine is secure and bound to be even brighter, not only are herbs a natural remedy with no side effects, but also an inexpensive option for primary healthcare.

The green revolution has taken on a new meaning in the United States with the growing love of its citizens for organic, side effects-free and natural medicines. Millions of Americans and their global counterparts are realizing the value of herbs and natural cures, which are easier on the body and the pocketbook as well.

Importance of herbs and natural cures:

Although many Synthetic drugstore medicines are accredited with providing miracle cures for diseases, sometimes they have serious, sometimes lethal repercussions. Thus the popularity of herbal and natural cures have grown as a reliable source of naturally nourishing alternative therapy with holistic results for the human mind and body.

Uses of herbs and natural cures: everyday, accepted remedies

People may not be aware that they are indulging in herbal medicines, but among the many everyday uses of herbs are drinking a cup of coffee or eating turkey seasoned with rosemary, a natural cure. Metamucil, an accepted laxative which treats stomach pains, has its roots in herbs like Psyllium/ Plantain. Mentholated cough drops have their base in plants, as so do many other synthetic drugs. This is just the beginning, as the system of natural healing experiences a renaissance in recent times.

Market contribution of herbs and natural cures: Pharma sector

The director of a program for Collaborative Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Illinois in Chicago, attributes this rising trend of patients looking at herbal and nature cures for holistic health as a natural phenomenon. He theorizes that even many of the medicines discovered by conventional scientists were found when they were looking into plants for their traditionally used healing powers.

Some herbs/natural cures used in health care

Digitalis – used to treat heart conditions and is derived from the herb Foxglove.
Quinine – well-known anti-malaria drug that comes from the bark of the cinchona tree.
Taxol - potent drug used for cancer therapy derived from the yew tree.

In this way, we come to realize that herbs and natural cures serve beyond the primary healthcare division in the lives of many patients too and herb power is natural power. From ancient times, herbs have been used for medicinal and culinary purposes and the use of even a small amount of fresh herbs on a daily basis goes a long way in preventing disease and warding off illnesses by strengthening the immune system. This is largely due to the fact that herbs contain nutritional substances beneficial to health and have a profound effect on the person eating the food while flavoring it at the same time. Herbs have often been used as substitutes for ingredients that individuals may not be allowed to eat as part of a restricted diet. For example, persons told to go on a reduced/salt free diet may replace the need for sodium with celery, thyme and marjoram.

With the emergence of herbal medicine on a global scale and more people veering towards natural cures, the status of natural whole herbs has been elevated to an important one. Though the exact statistics are not available, agencies like WHO have revealed that the popularity of drugs including the remedial properties of natural whole herbs is on a rise with over 80% of modern medicines using some form of herb compound in their composition.

Herbal Extract and Natural Whole Herb: the healthier cousin debate

There has been an influx of herbal supplements in the market that claim to cure and prevent common illnesses, supported by pure, natural plant extracts with which healing takes place with no side effects. Many doctors question the wisdom of these herbal extracts on the basis of containing isolated and concentrated components of herbs, which are overly active. They are concerned about the active herbal components, which they fear may have been divested of important synergy-giving properties since they were kept in laboratory-controlled isolated situations. Their humble cousin, the country-bred natural whole herb, is presumed to have the synergistic components intact since it is kept in natural surroundings.

Experts dealing with the traditional form of herbal medicine prefer using the natural whole herb, be it in tea -- as is the case with basil or chamomile flavored tea for sore throat -- or as a mixture like cucumber juice, glycerin and rosewater for dealings with sunburns.

The truth is that each herb needs to be studied individually for its nutritional value and medicinal qualities so as to determine whether it is beneficial as an extract or as a natural whole herb. It is quite possible that at times, the active ingredients in an herb may be too little, or even toxic, so it needs the isolation to be removed to in order to achieve any goodness.

Usefulness of natural whole herbs:

Herbs are very useful as a natural way of balancing the human body's metabolism and revitalizing its regular functioning without the side effects of prescription drugs. Natural whole herbs have within them substances that are productive for the human body, as many of these are not found in the body. For instance, the goji berry has zeaxanthin, a carotenoid, which is found in the retina and other tissues. This works to provide a nourishing supplement to the human eye. Hence, specific components of some herbs are not drugs, but do supply crucial molecules to the body.

Modern uses of natural whole herbs

Established pharmaceutical companies have long used chemical compositions that have a plant base in their preparations, be it the oncology drug Taxol, derived from tree bark, or Digitalis, the standard treatment for congestive heart failure, that is made from the Foxglove plant. Since it is not possible to patent whole plants and herbs, it is easier for big pharmaceutical companies to extract the active ingredient, make copies to their precise specifications and include the synthetic version as part of a proprietary formulation of chemicals.

Herbs’ therapeutic values have benefited the medical world while their flavoring qualities have enhanced the variety of dishes in all kitchens of the world in different ways. Herbs add fragrance and subtle flavoring to various food groups and when used in pure essential oils, they have health as well as culinary benefits. The cooking method applied affects the results obtained when using herbal flavoring oils in preparing food.

Tease the tongue, please the palate: some ways to use herbal flavoring oils

Herbs can be used as a natural sweetener, especially if you add a drop or two of citrus, spice, or floral essential oil to a cup of honey, mix well and let stand. If you wish to use it in an oil base, you can put a few drops of essential oil on a piece of paper towel and place it above a jar containing sugar, its lid covered for a week for best results.

This method will enable you to add the natural flavor of the top herbal notes of the herbs used in the essential oil of choice and extend it to your preparation using honey or sugar; it will lend a special fragrance and taste to your daily cup of tea, or even in baking and cooking.

For dry baking ingredients, you can make use of a drop of citrus herbal flavoring oil or allspice, dispensed onto a paper towel for giving cakes, cookies and breads that tantalizing aroma and tongue teasing quality. For best results, seal the paper towel in the jar in which you intend to store the baked goodies and let stand for 6-7 days.

Herbal flavoring oils are extensively used by chefs in giving a signature taste to salad dressings, soups, stews and sauces. However, it is important to use these at the end of the cooking process so that the natural fragrance does not evaporate or lose its essential individuality.

Some essential herbal flavoring oils: a handy guide

Some of the integral herbal flavoring oils are citrus, which gives off notes of lemon and or/ sweet orange; spice with the taste of cinnamon and/or clove; floral fragrances like lavender and the ever popular pure herb-based ones containing one or more ingredients like rosemary, fennel, carrot seed, thyme, marjoram and basil. If the herbal flavoring oils are properly administered, their essential oils are a natural, safe, and effective way to improve health and wellness, providing a truly satiating experience for the culinary creativity that prompted their use. However, it is important to remember that dousing the food with extra drops of herbal flavoring oils must be avoided as this can take away from the very idea of subtleness of flavor. Pure organic herbal flavoring oils are best for cooking, so choose wisely and buy those that are pesticide free.

How to Learn About Herb Gardening

A herb is a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season. It is regarded highly for its distinct medicinal, savory, and aromatic qualities. If we talk about herbs, it is natural to step into the growing band of green thumbs interested in nurturing the desire for herb gardening either for ornamental, medicinal or culinary taste indulgence.

How to Dry Herbs

Herbs are plant used for making medicine, for flavoring foods or just for ornamental purposes. They are divided into two categories: annuals and perennials. Herbs are fast gaining popularity among those with a green thumb. They are sometimes dried and used for various reasons.

How to Plant Herbs in a Container

Ancient Egyptians and Romans may have developed the idea of container gardening and it soon caught the fancy of other people where land was at a premium or manpower unable to sufficiently cultivate commercial herb plantations.

Top Tips for Herbal Gardening

For all those people who have made a trip to the grocery store but were disappointed that they were out of stock, creating a small herb garden of your own will be of great help. With a little planning of the garden, you will never have to go without fresh basil, rosemary or mint and will have a stock from a personal herb garden anytime of the day.