The Medicinal Herb Info site was created to help educate visitors about the often forgotten wisdom of the old ways of treating illnesses. Many of today's drugs and medicines were originally derived from natural ingredients, combinations of plants and other items found in nature.

We are not suggesting that you ignore the help of trained medical professionals, simply that you have additional options available for treating illnesses. Often the most effective treatment involves a responsible blend of both modern and traditional treatments.

We wish you peace and health!

Ethnobotanist Talks About The Riches of the Rainforest

I don’t know if you are a follower of the T.E.D. Talks, but here’s one that deals with the medicinal herbs in of the rainforest as well as the current plight of the Amazon indigenous peoples. Ethnobotanist, Mark Plotkin tells of the richness of the plant life, cultures and peoples of the Amazon rain forests and what we can do to help preserve them.

This presentation was given in Brazil as part of the T.E.D. Global Talks.

Mark Plotkin is the author of the book Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest and the book Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature’s Healing Secrets.

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Oil of Cinnamon May Help the Body Burn Fat

nullOne of the most popular flavors today is that of cinnamon. We use it in desserts, to add flavor to coffees and teas, and even in many savory dishes as well. Now we have some very welcome news about our favorite cinnamon. It contains an ingredient that helps improve metabolic health…and may even aid weight loss. This ingredient is cinnamaldehyde, an essential oil that gives cinnamon its flavor.

A recent research study has found that cinnamaldehyde causes fat cells to burn more energy using a process known as thermogenesis. Scientists have known that mice, given cinnamon were somehow protected from becoming obese, but little was understood about why this happened.

“Scientists were finding that this compound affected metabolism,” says Jun Wu, who also is an assistant professor of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Michigan Medical School. “So we wanted to figure out how—what pathway might be involved, what it looked like in mice, and what it looked like in human cells.”

Wu’s team used cells from a wide range of humans across age groups, ethnic groups and weight ranges. They then applied the cinnamaldehyde to the cells. The cells then started to show signs of increased thermogenesis, or the fat-burning process.

There is much more research needed to fully understand why this happens and how it can be harnessed for use in the human battle against obesity. As new developments are released, I’ll report on them here. Stay tuned.

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Cancer Treatment that ‘Reboots’ Itself, Thanks to This Herb

Stinging NettleA recent research study has found that a “chemo-catalyst” found in stinging nettles can enable cancer treatments to destroy cancer cells in a new way. This chemo-catalyst is known as sodium formate, or JPC11 and is a non-toxic ingredient that can cause the treatment to convert substances used by cancer cells to reproduce into an unnatural lactate. Without the substance needed by the cancer cells, they are destroyed.

“This is a significant step in the fight against cancer. Manipulating and applying well-established chemistry in a biological context provides a highly selective strategy for killing cancer cells,” says James Coverdale, a research fellow from the chemistry department at the University of Warwick.

IN addition, this newly discovered compound can even cause the treatment to “reboot” itself, attacking the cancer cells over and over. This may eventually allow for the use of smaller doses of the cancer treatment and a reduction in the side-effects of chemotherapy.

In recent years, certain types of cancer, namely ovarian and prostate cancers, are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment. This new addition to the chemotherapy may be just the thing to overcome this resistance by attacking the cancer cells in a new way.

Another advantage to the use of this new method of treating these cancers is that the JPC11 only attacks the cancerous cells, leaving the normal, healthy cells intact. Traditional treatments can also damage healthy cells.

This research is ongoing, but shows great promise for treating cancer. And we owe it all to stinging nettles. Once again, a medicinal herb offers hope for new treatments. I will update this site as new discoveries are made on the subject. Stay tuned.

Learn more about stinging nettles here.

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Organically Grown Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto is a medicinal plant, native to the eastern United States, whose use originated with the Seminole tribe in Florida, according to Medicinal Herb Info. The 1-inch fruits resemble olives because of their dark purple or black color. These fruits are harvested and their extract is used to make medicinal treatments. Some saw palmetto supplements are raised organically, others are not. Consult your health care provider before you begin to use saw palmetto to treat a health condition.

Organic Defined

The term “organic” refers to the way a plant is grown. Organic farmers use no pesticides, genetically modified organisms, radiation, sewage sludge or conventional fertilizers, according to Organic.org. Farms have to be inspected before they can be certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as organic. The companies involved in transporting, handling and processing organic foods also need to be certified by the USDA as organic. Saw palmetto extract that is certified as organic has met all these criteria. Plants that are not organic may have been rasied using any of the processes forbidden for organic farming, so supplements that are not organic may have unwanted additives or contaminants.

Health Benefits

Saw palmetto supplements are primarily used as a natural treatment for the symptoms of enlarged prostate, according to MedLinePlus. Saw palmettos must be taken for as long as two months before it will begin to offer any improvement. Some men have reported that taking saw palmetto supplements helped them grow thicker hair, but there have been no supporting research studies to confirm this result. MedLinePlus adds that saw palmetto may also be used to treat migraines, chronic bronchitis, asthma, sore throat, colds and coughs. Whether or not the supplements are from an organic source does not change their potential uses.

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Carrots & Cholesterol

Carrots

Carrots are actually the root of a plant that grows 2 to 4 feet tall. This familiar orange vegetable is generally cultivated throughout the world as a dietary staple, according to Medicinal Herb Info. But carrots offer a number of health benefits, including the ability to help lower blood cholesterol. WHFoods.org warns you not to eat too many carrots, or you could develop a condition known as carotoderma, where your skin turns a yellow or orange color. Before you begin to eat carrots to lower your cholesterol, consult your health care provider.

Cholesterol Explained

Cholesterol consists of two forms of a waxy substance in the bloodstream, reports MedLinePlus. Some is needed for normal functioning, but too much of the wrong kind can lead to serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. The “good” cholesterol, or HDL, is helpful in getting rid of too much of the “bad” cholesterol, or LDL, in the bloodstream. If the LDL levels become too high, it can stick to the walls of the arteries and build up. Eventually, this accumulation can cause blockages. Exercising more and eating healthy foods such as carrots can help lower your cholesterol levels.

Carrot Nutrition

Carrots are naturally rich in nutrients without adding a lot of calories to your diet. Just one cup of raw carrots gives you less than 53 calories and less than 3 calories from fat. Raw carrots contain no cholesterol and are loaded with fiber. Other important nutrients you get with carrots are Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, according to WHFoods.org.

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New Articles on Herbal Remedies!

mortar and pestle

Here are some of the recent articles I’ve written for LiveStrong.com. I hope you enjoy them.

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Check Out These New Herbal Articles!

Burdock

I’ve been busily writing about medicinal herbs all week and here are some of the latest articles that have been published on LiveStrong.com:

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Shea Butter as a Hair Treatment

extracting shea butter

One ingredient often used in beauty products today is shea butter. But there’s a lot to know about this interesting beauty treatment product. Shea butter has skin healing properties, and it has long been treasured for its ability to treat dry, damaged and fine hair, according to TargetWoman.com.

Origin

The AgbangaKaite.com website tells us that shea butter is extracted from the fruits of the wild shea tree that grows all over East Africa. The local women in Togo harvest and extract the shea oil for use in products all over the world. TargetWoman.com describes the extraction process as harvesting the shea nuts, then cracking, grilling and then pounding them. The resulting pulp is then boiled for hours to extract the thick shea butter. Pure shea butter is solid at room temperature, but quickly melts when applied to the skin or hair.

Shea Butter & Hair

According to the Treasured Locks website, shea butter is an extremely effective treatment for dry skin all over the body, including the scalp. It helps to protect the skin from cold in the winter and helps relieve eczema, psoriasis and other skin ailments. Shea butter is also an excellent hair conditioner and helps relieve dry, itchy scalp when massaged in. There are quite a few readily available products containing shea butter such as lotions, African Black Soap, shampoos, creams, lip balm, etc. But many people swear by using pure shea butter and massaging it into the hair and scalp.

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New Herbal Articles

Dandelion

Here are a brand new bunch of articles that I’ve written for LiveStrong.com lately. I hope you enjoy them:

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New Articles About Herbal Remedies

Dong Quai

Here’s an update on some of the recent articles I’ve had published on the LiveStrong.com web site:

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