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Nutraceuticals and Disease Prevention Pt. 2

© June Kaminski

The use of herbs for specific physical conditions is still in its infancy in modern society. Still, it is a movement whose time has come. Any trip to the pharmacy will expose you to a gamut of herbal preparations for a variety of ailments. This week we will begin to explore the use of herbal remedies for common concerns.

Migraines, Headaches & Depression

Feverfew has a long history in traditional and folk medicine as a treatment for ailments such as fever, headaches, nausea and depression.

In recent years, Feverfew has become popular as an effective treatment for migraine headaches. It may also help ease diseases caused by chronic inflammation such as arthritis. It is an aromatic plant with a strong and lasting odor, handy when used externally as an insect repellent and for treating nasty insect bites.

Oil distilled from Lavender flowers is useful as a stimulant, tonic, headaches, and relief of intestinal gas. It's also useful for quieting coughs and disinfecting wounds.

Applied as a compress, Lavender oil provides relief from neuralgic pains, rheumatism, sprains, and sore joints.To help you sleep, put a little dab of the oil on the skin right beneath your nostrils just before you retire.

Historically used as a nerve tonic, St. John's Wort is now widely used as a mild antidepressant. It's also a potent antiviral and antibacterial agent that is being trialed as a useful therapy for AIDS sufferers.

St. John's Wort is one of the best herbs for mood elevation. Several controlled studies have shown significant results in treating patients with mild to moderate depression. Improvement was shown with symptoms of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, anxiety, headache and exhaustion with no reported side effects.

Sites to Visit for More Information.

The Herbal Information Center offers a commonsense description of 33 tested and useful herbs for a variety of ailments. Offers a guide on how to make your own Herbal tinctures, and a free newsletter. Special pages on Feverfew, Lavender, St. John's Wort, Aloe Vera and more.

The Herbal Encyclopedia offers tips on how to gather, dry, and store herbs; articles, reference lists, herbs for children, and other resources to help you learn to work with herbs in an informed and careful way.

VHS Herbology offers a large index of articles and information about herbs for health and specific ailments, the low down on various herbal preparations, herbal history, and how to pick herbs with discernment.