Top Herb Supplements Sold in America

Every year millions of people try and use herbal supplements. Herbal supplements are big business bringing in millions of dollars each year. Herbal supplements are usually not regulated by the government and do not have to show evidence for specific claims that their product may treat. Most people who use herbal supplements are looking for a treatment for their hard to cure ailment or trying to keep at optimal performance. Here are some of the top herbal supplements currently on the market. 

Ginkgo Biloba is a herbal supplement that focuses on the mental faculties of a person. Most people who want to improve memory or prevent dementia use this herb. Although the jury is still out on the effectiveness of this herb, it has shown to increase the blood flow within the brain

St John’s Wort has been known for years in Europe for treating mild depression. St John’s Wort is now extremely popular in America as well. Many people who tend to get depressed from time to time use this herb instead of prescription medicine.

Ginseng has been said to give you energy throughout the day. Today you can find Ginseng all over the place, from Tea’s to soft drinks. If you feel tired or fatigued, Ginseng might be a great pick me up.

If you have any questions or would like to try one of the supplements it is always best to talk to your physician prior to doing so.

Arthritis - Fish Oil Connection

For many people, it seems that arthritis is a condition of aging that one simply can not avoid. The aches and pains of life simply catch up with the patient over the course of their lifetimes, resulting in achy and stiffened joints. But what many people do not realize is that arthritis is a condition that can be controlled with various drugs and supplements – leaving the patient to lead a healthy and pain free life.


What is Arthritis?
Though some myths about arthritis seem to still pervade common thought – i.e. cracking one's knuckles can lead to arthritic joints – science has shown that there is more to the story. Arthritis is a condition in which the joints swell, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. Some cases of arthritis are linked with the amount of activity that is done over the course of a lifetime, while other cases are the result of trauma to the joint. Aging is another direct cause of arthritis. As the joints begin to weaken from the years of use, the joints can become damaged, leading to the inflammatory response.
The problem with arthritis is that it can lead to a much lower quality of life for those affected. Instead of being able to move around easily, these patients can have bad days in which they area unable to move well, causing them to stay indoors and away from activities they enjoy. Arthritis can also lead patients to avoid certain movements. And this lack of activity can actually make the condition worsened.
There are many forms of arthritis that can affect the patient:
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Gout
Juvenile arthritis
Septic arthritis


It's important to note that some forms of arthritis can affect juvenile patients as well as those not in their later years. Rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile arthritis can affect very young patients, but become a lifelong battle of pain control and mobility problems.

How is Arthritis Usually Treated?
For most patients, arthritis is treated with pain medications as well as medications that help to reduce the amount of inflammation in the joints. By adding physical therapy and other forms of activity as well, you can increase the mobility of the joints without causing more harm to them in the process.
In extreme cases of arthritis in which the joint is severely damaged, the joint may need to be replaced entirely. This is often seen in the case of damaged knees and hips, whether the condition was hereditary to begin with or simply a case of aging.
For more aggressive and painful forms of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, patients may need to have IV medications on a weekly basis to help control the inflammation.
Are There Other Ways to Stop the Inflammation?
This is a question that may have asked in the beginning stages of arthritis. To answer this query, scientists have begun studying the body to see how the inflammatory cycle works and how it can be disrupted. There has been some success with anti-inflammatory drugs like prednisone, but these can have negative side effects that patients do not enjoy. Prednisone especially can cause bloating and excessive weight gain in the patient, which can be uncomfortable as well as damaging to the patient's mental status.
A team of researchers at Royal Adelaide Hospital found that fish oil might be a good supplement for those suffering from arthritis conditions. Though they were studying the supplement for its effectiveness on cardiovascular diseases, they noticed that not only were patients having fewer arthritis flare ups, but that they were also being protected from heart disease. In addition, they were not experiencing the same side effects as their traditional medications and were able to replace many of their medications entirely.
As an added bonus, these researchers have also indicated that fish oil might work well as a preventative measure against arthritis.

How Can Patients Get Started?
While the benefits of fish oil for arthritis seem to be clear, patients will still want to talk with their physicians before adding this supplement regimen to their life. Fish oil can not always replace other medications, however, but it might be able to increase the effectiveness of the current therapies.
Even if patients are not ready to go for completely supplementation, they can try adding more foods with these essential fatty acids in them. For example, eating more fish and fortified foods can help to boost essential fatty acid levels. You might also want to try other essential fatty acids like those found in flaxseed and nuts and seeds.

Conclusion
While science is beginning to link the benefits of fish oil for arthritis, some patients may still be wary of taking these supplements. However, it is clear that adding a few additional sources of essential fatty acids to the daily diet is a good idea when you have inflammatory conditions. As the benefits become clear to the patient, they can always move onto higher levels of these fatty acids in the supplement form.
Dave McEvoy is an expert in omega 3 fish oil EPA with over 20 years experience; for more information about fish oil and how it can help come and visit our site.

How To Make Your Own Kombucha

Kombucha.
Typically, when people talk about Kombucha, they fall into 1 of 3 categories: Love it! Hate it! Or, my favorite... what the heck is it?!

 Kombucha is a sweetened tea that's been fermented using a scoby ("Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast"). It takes between 7-14 days to make a batch of kombucha, and the result is an effervescent slightly tart, slightly sweet brew that apparently contains a whole slew of amino acids and vitamins...

Kombucha is a sweetened tea that's been fermented using a scoby ("Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast"). It takes between 7-14 days to make a batch of kombucha, and the result is an effervescent slightly tart, slightly sweet brew that apparently contains a whole slew of amino acids and vitamins. You can find bottled Kombucha from makers like GT Dave's at Whole Foods and the like, but they average anywhere from $3.50 to $5 for a single bottle. So I decided to try and brew my own at home. But where to start? It wasn't like I could just pick up a starting scoby at my neighborhood grocery store. But friends, success lay in store. I brewed the booch, and I'll tell you how I did it...
The First Batch

Materials:
• 4 liters of filtered (not tap!) water
• 8 tea bags (black, oolong, green or white tea only)
• 1.5 cups white sugar (NOT brown. Whole Foods' 365 Organic Cane Sugar works well)
• 1.2 cups kombucha from a previous batch as an acid starter
• 1 kombucha culture, or scoby (size doesn't matter)

The Equipment:
• A 5 liter glass jar
• A clean piece of cloth to cover the jar (a wife beater shirt piece is perfect!)
• A rubber band to secure the cloth
• Some bottles to store the finished tea
• A warm location for storing (70-86 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal)
• Non-metallic spoon and measuring cup

The Process:
I ultimately decided that I should start with the quart bell jar rather than the 5-liter jar, as Eric instructed, in the event that my "booch," as he calls it, didn't turn out to my liking the first time around. (See below if you're making a 5-liter batch.) So, after thoroughly cleaning my hands and the counters, jars, and non-metallic utensils I was going to use, I gently took my scoby out of the bag and placed it to sit on a plate (primed with a teaspoon of kombucha, so as not to shock the culture) while I prepared the tea.
Since I was brewing a very small 1-quart batch, I used the supplies that came in my starter jar. (Eric Childs essentially made our first brew "dummy proof" by pre-measuring out the sugar, tea and kombucha starter for us... it was just a matter of putting it all together.) I poured boiling water into the jar (which I primed by running it under hot water for a few minutes so the glass wouldn't crack) about half way and let my black tea bags (Darjeeling and Oolong are the best) steep for 20 minutes.
Once the tea had sufficiently steeped, I removed the bags and stirred in the sugar till it was dissolved. Then I filled up the rest of the jar with cold water, added the starter liquid, and carefully dropped my scoby into the brew (brown side down) and secured the tea cloth covering it with a rubber band. Finally, it was off to the dark, warm cupboard above my fridge to sit and ferment. And I waited...

From top left to right: Day 1, Day 3, Day 7, Day 10 - time to drink!

...and it worked! After a few days, a new scoby started to form at the top of the brew — the "baby" scoby. As you can see from my time lapse picture above, my mother scoby moved to the top of my brew around Day 3, and then a new scoby started to form. The new scoby was white and the brew smelled very vinegary-ey — like kombucha — which is a good sign. You never want your booch to smell meaty or cheesy. That means it's contaminated.
I started sampling the brew around Day 5 to determine when I could bottle it. When to bottle is really determined by personal taste, by how sweet you want your booch. The longer you leave it, the more sugar will be "eaten up" by the culture, and the more tart your booch will be. I ended up bottling around Day 8 this time around.
When I determined the booch was ready, I carefully removed the scoby (again, making sure everything around me was extremely clean!) and filtered out the brew, leaving a little bit behind as my "starter liquid" for my next brew. Then I poured the brew into a canning jar and put it in the cupboard to carbonate for 2 days. After that I transferred it to chill in the fridge... and voila! My first glass of homemade kombucha.
The Follow-up 5-liter Batch
I felt confident enough to start a 5-liter batch, and I was now able to follow the measurements provided by Eric in his "Kombucha 101" packet (and shown above). Because it was such a bigger batch, I let it brew for a full 14 days. You can see it here on Day 12. Even though I started with my small 3-inch-in-diameter mother, my baby scoby grew to the width of my large jar. My bounty from this batch yielded 7 jars!

Day 12 of my 5-liter brew

7 containers of booch!

If you're interested in brewing at home, you'll need to find a scoby to get started. (If you're in the New York area, I'd be happy to share one of my scobys with you!) You can find scobys online, although I must admit, that kind of freaks me out a little bit. And, as Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan said, there is something very unnerving about meeting someone on the street corner to "exchange a mushroom." (Which she ultimately ended up not doing.) I would recommend finding a friend to get a culture from, or else, find a restaurant in your area that makes and sells kombucha, and ask their chef if he/she would be willing to share a culture with you. I almost did this myself before I found the Kombucha class.
There are a whole host of flavors and teas you can add after you ferment, before you bottle. You can add another tea flavor, a juice puree, dried fruit... the options are endless! I haven't experimented with this at all yet, but I'm anxious to try it at some point.
Do you brew your own kombucha? What has your experience been?
UPDATE: No scobys left!

Hot Tea

Forget lattes and Jamba Juice.
These days Hollywood types are all guzzling kombucha.
By Kevin West


Photograph by Monica May
photo : Kombucha brewer G.T. Dave in his office.

The first thing you notice upon entering the headquarters of Millennium Products, the maker of a trendy health-food drink called GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha, is the smell. It’s a sharp odor akin to cider vinegar—strong enough to prickle your nose—and it utterly permeates the 50,000-square-foot facility from which company founder G.T. Dave and his employees shipped more than a million bottles last year. One wonders how Dave himself must smell at day’s end; he drinks up to a gallon and a half of kombucha daily.
“I taste-test all the batches,” says Dave, who at 30 is gym-toned and sleek as an otter. “I get customers calling in and saying, ‘I’m drinking X bottles a day. Is that too much?’ I suggest everything in moderation, but then I tell them how much I drink and that it’s never turned on me.”

It’s hard to imagine a salesman advising customers to consume less of his product, but Dave’s testimonial for kombucha goes beyond mere salesmanship. Given 30 seconds to spiel on his company, he will inevitably mention his mother, Laraine, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994 but rallied to a complete recovery because, she says, of kombucha’s ability to “turbo-boost” the immune system. Today, Mama Dave continues to make public appearances to tout kombucha’s health benefits.
Back in the mid-Nineties, kombucha was not widely available, but it’s hardly a new invention. Made by fermenting tea with a culture—in much the same way milk is cultured to produce yogurt—the drink has been regarded as a health tonic in China for more than 2,000 years. In recent decades samples of the culture, or “mother,” were swapped in America’s fringe health circles, and fans nurtured their own batches. Laraine Dave, a devotee of Eastern spirituality, and G.T.’s father, Michael, an attorney and CPA, first got their “mother” from friends who owned a Beverly Hills juice bar. “I drank it purely for vanity reasons,” recalls Laraine, citing the claims that kombucha improves skin quality and thickens the hair. G.T., then a teenager, was initially skeptical. “It wasn’t until my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer that I really started paying attention,” he says. “She’s still the reason why I do what I do.”
Convinced that kombucha had saved Laraine’s life, Dave, a Beverly Hills High School dropout, devoted himself to the potion full-time. In 1995 he started brewing small batches of the stuff in his parents’ kitchen and selling it to a local health-food store. In 1999 Whole Foods picked up his product, and in 2005 he sank his life savings into a larger bottling plant in L.A. (A psychic told him the building would bring him great success after he brought her a soil sample from the site.) These days Dave’s kombucha and Synergy drinks (kombucha flavored with fruit juice) are available in more than 1,000 outlets, and he’s building a house in Beverly Hills. He calls kombucha a “blessing.” Retailers agree. “The sales are so remarkable that the first time I saw [the numbers], I thought it was a mistake,” says Perry Abbenante, senior global grocery coordinator for Whole Foods.
The label of Dave’s drinks suggests that kombucha supports the immune and digestive systems, and fans also credit the drinks with everything from forestalling hunger to imparting a sense of spiritual calm. The medical establishment, however, isn’t completely convinced. “There have been no clinical trials,” points out Mary L Hardy, medical director of the Simms/Mann–UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, but she does note that “most probiotic foods stimulate the immune system.”
But lack of clinical data hasn’t kept kombucha from becoming a Holly­wood trend. In the past year the beverage has been photographed in Lindsay Lohan’s hand and plugged by Tina Fey on Late Show With David Letterman. (“It smells horrible,” she quipped, “but it tastes…horrible.”) The cast of Grey’s Anatomy has cases of Dave’s brew shipped to the set, and CAA partner Kevin Huvane sends it to clients. Dave has declined corporate buyout offers and still personally oversees the brewing of every batch. Kombucha, he insists, is extremely sensitive to the “energy” of its maker. “So until the day that I find a way to clone myself,” says Dave, “I don’t see a second factory happening.”

Read More http://www.wmagazine.com/beauty/2008/07/kombucha#ixzz1DZCBhJHD
http://www.wmagazine.com/beauty/2008/07/kombucha

Kombucha - Will I like it?

Give it a try.  I like GT’s the best of those you can purchase in the store.  They look like this:

                                                                    GT's kombucha.

I like the original the best.  Try it more than once.  I really experienced it as an acquired taste.  Like beer, and we all know how awesome that turned out after our first initial tastes as a kid (ahem) or high schooler.  You can get them in the refrigerated drinks section of larger or more organic leaning grocery stores, or health food stores.  See how expensive it is?  It doesn’t need to be, because you can make it yourself!
Look, Lindsay Lohan likes it!

What's So Special About Ganoderma Mushroom?

By James Pang
Ganoderma mushroom is from the Mycetes kingdom. These are generally short and tiny fungi that are unable to manufacture their own nutrient through photosynthesis like green plants.
They can either Earth breed or lead a parasitic life by breaking down and surviving on nutrients of other plants and animals. However, due to the increasing worldwide popularity of Ganoderma mushroom as medicinal herb, this fungus is now mass produced with scientific cultivation method.
Within the kingdom of Mycetes, Ascomycetes are the lower grade while Basidiomycetes such as Ganoderma Lucidum and mushroom are of a superior grade.
The Basidiomycetes have a very close relationship with mankind. Many are edible and have excellent healing properties. These fungi naturally become the more precious medicinal herb in the Basidiomycetes kingdom.
Generally, mushrooms family can improve immune system by activating Macrophage and Natural Killer (NK) immunity cells. Macrophage is one of our important first line defence against virus, bacteria and foreign substances. NK cells are responsible to kill cancer cells.
Some can even improve allergic conditions such as skin allergy, nose allergy and asthma. Some of the beneficial medicinal mushrooms are:
    * Golden needle mushroom (Flammulina velutipes)
    * Shitake (Lentinus edodes)
    * Maitake (Grifola frondosa)
    * Agaricus Blazei (Agaricus blazei murrill)
    * Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum)
All these fungi can prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, hardening of blood vessel and even cancer. But of all the fungi, Ganoderma Lucidum significantly stands out in its medicinal values.
However, you may ask...
Among these mushrooms, it is proven that Agaricus Blazei Murill (ABM) has the highest concentration of beta glucan polysaccharides. So, does Agaricus Blazei Murill mushroom has the best anti-cancer effect?
That's right. ABM is the best mushroom for anti-cancer property. But comparing AMB with Ganoderma Lucidum, which one is better?
Ganoderma Lucidum does not only contains beta glucan for anti-cancer, it also contains Organic Germanium. This precious mineral has been proven to have strong anti-cancer effect too. Having both beta glucan and organic germanium together greatly enhance Ganoderma mushroom ability to fight cancer.
Besides, Ganoderma Lucidum contains Triterpenes to help cleanse our blood vessels from cholesterol and fatty substances.
Ganoderma mushroom even has Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). This enzyme functions as our primary defence line against free radicals in our body. SOD in Ganoderma Lucidum can help to protect against attack from harmful free radicals. This makes Ganoderma mushroom one of the best fungi for anti-free radical and anti-aging.
In a Chinese medical encyclopedia "Ben Cao Gang Mu" (Materia Medica - Detailed Outline of Medicinal Herb), an ancient medical practitioner Lee Shi Zhen in the Ming Dynasty classified Ganoderma Lucidum as a "superior herb".
He grouped Ganoderma mushroom into six categories by its color and form, namely Green, Purple, Red, Yellow, White and Black Ganoderma. All six types have its own medicinal values and healing effects.
According to the record, "continuous consumption of Ganoderma mushroom makes the body light and young, lengthening life and making one like an immortal who never dies".
Later, modern medical researches on Ganoderma Lucidum proved the findings of those ancient medical texts. That is why for over 2000 years, Ganoderma mushroom is highly praised in China. The Chinese calls it the auspicious herb, which also influenced their literacy and arts.
Find out more about Ganoderma mushroom at http://www.ganoderma-for-health.com/ or learn how to choose the best Ganoderma extract to improve your health at
http://www.ganoderma-for-health.com/ganoderma-extract.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Pang

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil - Its Power-Packed Benefits

By Peter J. Rose Platinum Quality Author
Benefits, that's all we want to achieve in using certain products. We always opt to use things that are offers sure benefits to us, after all who would like to use harmful products, right? So we tend to research whereabouts of certain things to avoid further incidents. Aromatherapy on the other hand, has a great effect and help on us. We may always got drained and tired after a hard days of work but then we always opt to spend our spare time in relaxation activities such as massage therapy. But one of its aid, is the essential oils. Some oils may come and go but the most significant thing is knowing that you know exactly what you want and what you need. Ylang ylang oils has been famous for its unique scents and because of it, it has a long history of its usage since hundreds of decades ago.
Ylang ylang essential oils had somehow been used for welcoming a newlywed couple through spreading it on their bed. Ylang ylang oil has also been used to cure insect bites and alleviate irritations caused by the bite. The oil has also been used to treat certain skin diseases and conditions. It is also good to use for the improvement of hair growth, so for bald people, better try this one. It has also believed to strengthen the immune system and fight against infections.
The Ylang ylang oils has also been used to druve off sadness and loneliness and promotes joyous feeling and positive thoughts. And it also helps people who has very low self-esteem, by other means, it heightens up your self-confidence, and shakes off the shyness in you. While using it on aromatherapy sessions, it significantly improves positive thoughts and brings back the concentration and focus within yourself. On some cases, its supreme effect is achieved when mixed on other oils such as orange oils. Jasmine oils, eucalyptus essential oils and sandalwood essential oils.
And on the other hand, the Ylang ylang essential oils also believed to have positive effect on regulating the beat of the heart for those people who suffers heart problems as well. And then, it aids on digestive difficulties such as intestinal problems, difficulties on bowel movement and proper digestion for faster metabolism activities.
And as you can see, the Ylang ylang essential oil has been proven useful and beneficial on many ways even for those unexpected ways.
Learn more about essential oils and Ylang Ylang Oil by visiting the website of Florapathics today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_J._Rose

Effective Herbal Home Remedies for a Cold

By Kermit Chandler
Since the common cold is a viral disease, regular medicines stand no chance against it. The best that a regular drug can do with the common cold is usually to make it less intense. What could you possibly lose trying natural home remedies for a cold instead?

Echinacea is one of the most popular herbal treatments for the common cold you'll find anywhere. How effective Echinacea turns out to be depends entirely on how the extract is prepared. If you buy Echinacea juice or if you buy a combination of the roots and herbs on refined, you'll probably find that it does you no good. Getting Echinacea tincture on the other hand makes for a great cold remedy. All you need to do is mix a few drops in with warm water or use several times a day.
There are lots of people who believe in home remedies for a cold. Take the herb known as goldenseal. A mixture of Echinacea and goldenseal three times a day the moment you suspect you're coming down with a cold can be a great cold preventive. The great thing about this herb is that there are almost no known side effects.

The ancient herb ginseng is another great home remedy for the common cold. People generally use it to boost a general state of well-being. Its function acting against a common cold has only recently begun to be researched. Taking ginseng extracts the moment you start feeling a cold coming on not only makes the cold less serious, it stops a cold in its tracks sometimes as well.
Nasal rinsing with a neti pot has been well-trusted among home remedies for a cold for quite a while. It happens to be especially popular among people who believe in holistic medicine. The moment you feel a cold coming on, all you need to do is to rinse your nasal cavity out with saline wash several times a day. Not only is it likely to prevent the cold from ever establishing itself, it is likely to cure a cold quickly as well. Doing this when you're healthy though, doesn't help at all.

Pelargonium sidoides maybe a strangely-named and a not very well-known remedy for a cold. But plant extracts from this herb have been proven to be a great with a cold and even bronchitis. There was a study in the journal Phytomedicine about eight years ago that tried treating hundreds of adults with serious bronchitis. With treatment with pelargonium sidoides several times a day, they saw quick relief from their symptoms.
If you have a well-stocked herbal medicine cabinet at home, these home remedies for a cold can turn out to be really dependable.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kermit_Chandler

Ayurveda Treatments for Longevity

By Dr Rajesh Deven
It is around 1500 BC the fundamental principles of Ayurveda got organized. According to Ayurveda, human body is a part of nature and the immune system is capable enough to deal with almost every problem that affects the body. Then why does the body malfunction? It's a common question everybody asks. There are various reasons that weaken our self-regulating system like stress, inadequate nutrition, bacteria etc., which lead to malfunction of organs.
Anything that enters to our body can put forth three possible effects:
• Act as food that nourish the organism
• Act as a medicine which can bring balance in the organism
• Act as poison that disturbs the organism.
Therefore, it is important to know that what is good and not good to your body. Ayurveda covers all these.
Ayurveda treatment and practices in every case start and progress mainly based on three aspects:
• Prevention of Diseases
• Rejuvenation of Body
• Long Life
Ayurveda medicine states that the universe is composed of five elements -space, air, fire, water and earth called Panchabuthas. Every living being is a composition of these five basic elements and it is represented in the body as Doshas, Dhatus and Malas. Dosha is something that controls and maintains the body. There are three doshas Vata dosha (air), Pitta dosha (fire) and Kapha dosha (earth and water) they are known as tridoshas. Dhatus is body tissues which are the supportive parts of our body. They are seven plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow and reproductive tissue. Malas are the body wastes such as urine, feces, sweat, saliva, tears and other secretions.
The first and foremost step in every ayurveda treatment program is to identify the body type of patient. Treatment schedule and other related aspects decide after the initial identification of your particular body type. Herbal medicines, exercises, meditation, medicated oil, different types of massages etc are the main methods of treatment in ayurveda. There are hundreds of ayurvedic training and treatment centers in India. Think taking pills for every disease that affects is not the right way to being healthy, it in fact spoils your self-regulating system.
Dr. Rajesh Deven is the director of School of Ayurveda and Panchakarma, an ayurveda training and treatment centre based in Kerala India. The center offers various ayurveda courses, distance learning programs, panchakarma training, ayurvedic and panchakarma treatments well suited for people come from different parts of the world. At our treatment and training center we also prepare ayurvedic medicines and products such as body massage oil, herbal body scrub, fumigation pot, yoga mat and massage table etc for international and domestic market.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Rajesh_Deven





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