Cascara Sagrada

Cascara Sagrada is an herbal laxative that is derived from the red-tinted bark of Rhamnus purshiana, a tree which is indigenous to the Pacific Northwest United States. It was commonly used by many Native American tribes who called it “sacred bark” and shared their medicine with Europeans.
Cascara sagrada was historically introduced to Europeans by Eli Lilly &Company, who marketed “Elixir Purgans”, a laxative which had cascara as an ingredient along with other herbs.
Currently, numerous popular laxatives incorporate cascara sagrada. In order to exploit the laxative properties of cascara sagrada, the bark has to be cured for at least a year. The process can be expedited by heating or dehydrating. The curing process is integral to neutralize the properties of cascara sagrada that can inflame the stomach or bowels.

Cascara sagrada, when properly treated, is considered to be very safe and effectual by most doctors or healers.

Health Benefits of Cascara Sagrada

The efficacy of cascara sagrada as a laxative has been demonstrated many times. When properly treated and used under the supervision of a healthcare professional, it can soothe constipation. Cascara is so gentle that even the elderly can take it, and it can treat the constipation that can be a result of complications of surgery (through averting the stress and pain that accompany anal fissures or hemorrhoids). However, the herb hasn’t been thoroughly tested, and so other benefits may not be known.

Dosage Recommendation

Every individual interacts with laxatives differently, so start with the smallest possible dose, and it is important that it is always taken with a lot of water. To treat constipation or other maladies like hemorrhoids, take one teaspoon of liquid essence three times a day or 1-2 teaspoons before going to bed; or take 1 to 2 pills of dehydrated bark before going to bed.

Damiana Herbal

Damiana flourishes in hot, humid regions in Central America, South America, and Texas. It has a bright yellow flower, and was used as an herbal remedy by many native Mexican cultures to treat respiratory, neurological, and sexual disorders. It was introduced to the United States in 1874, and has since been used to treat sexual disorders, or as treatment for depression since it is a euphoric.

Although few systematic studies have been completed to support the effectiveness of damiana, the reported effects of damiana as inducing euphoria indicate that damiana, when taken in small quantities, could be a relaxant and reduce anxiety. This would also logically support damiana’s effectiveness in treating sexual disorders, since sexual dysfunction could be a result of stress or anxiety.

Possible Side Effects and Interactions

The leaves of the damiana plant can be a gentle laxative, and so when taken to excess it can lead to diarrhea. Also, since few studies of damiana exist, there is little knowledge of how damiana can affect female hormones, so damiana should not be taken by pregnant women.

Pet Herbal Remedy

For years, herbal medicine was the early man’s first line of defense against many ills and accidents that were bound to plague him. By observing animals, man learned how to use leaves, earth, mud, and water to make soothing applications and treatments. Today, we still use herbs to cure the tiniest discomforts although the methods we now use have undergone a refinement from when they first appeared in man’s to-do list.

These current times, the use of herbal remedies is growing rapidly, especially in the United States. Not only are they cheaper, they are also natural, ergo, safe to use. The food and drug supplement industry generates more than $1.5 billion dollars annually in sales of such products. And the thing about it is that it’s not only people who use herbal remedies but animals as well.

Pet herbal remedy is steadily gaining some following from pet lovers and owners. Its popularity lies in the idea that if humans can benefit from it, why not pets? We all love our dogs, our cats, our birds, our fishes, or what have you. And we only want what’s best for them. Some prescription drugs can cause a variety of interactions among our beloved animals and we don’t want that. So the solution? Pet herbal remedy.

Pet Herbal Remedy
Treatments for Any Condition

Below are some examples of pet herbal remedy combinations you can use to treat a specific condition in your pet. If you’ve tried the pet herbal formula given and still, the signs persist or the condition gets worse, seek veterinary attention. As a general rule of thumb, it is best if you consult a veterinarian first before starting with pet herbal remedy products.

Ashwagandha : Indian Herbal

In the field of herbal study, there is an herb that holds the reputation of being the first class adaptogenic tonic in one of the greatest herbal medical systems in the whole cosmos. This is particularly a wonder herb that can match and even surpass the world’s prime herbal tonics like the Panax ginseng, astralagus, dang gui, reishi nushroom, and the South American suma for its great uses and medicinal benefits. Such herb bears the name “ashwagandha”, which is the wonder herb of India.

For more than 2,000 years of the Indian medical system which is known as “Ayurveda”, ashwagandha has been held in high regard by many generations of people for its great abilities to help in the proper functioning of the body. Ashwagandha is a small evergreen shrub that is widely cultivated in India and in some parts of the Middle East for several medicinal properties. This herb can also be found in the some parts of Africa.

This erect and grayish plant with long roots known as ashwagandha has a small greenish flowers and fruits that are red-orange in color when ripe. It has been applied traditionally in a variety of ways. Ashwagandha can be used as a sedative, diuretic, rejuvenation tonic, anti-inflammatory agent, and as an “adaptogen’ or endurance developer.

Traditionally, some of the Western herbalists refer to ashwagandha as “Ayurvedic ginseng” due to its fame for enhancing energy, strength, and stamina, as well as for its potential to give relief to stress.

Ashwagandha is typically applied since its beginning till now in its powdered form. It is noted that such powdered form is developed from the whole ashwagandha plant and the root alone. It has therefore some various forms that really give certain effects to those who use it.

However, ashwagandha is typically used in test tubes and animals. In fact, the use of this herb have been limited for those purposes alone, and it is then hard to form a proposition about the importance of this herb to humans. Although, there are several studies that are conducted mostly in India, and those studies have considered that ashwagandha does have anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, and immune-boosting properties. Also, the different chemical constituents of ashwagandha have demonstrated a number of therapeutic effects.

Due to the fact that ashwagandha is applied to heal or treat some major disorders that are connected with nerve tissue damage which in turn related to the destructive molecules called as free radicals, there are some findings which assumed that ashwagandha may have antioxidant properties. Ashwagandha is also found out to be beneficial to central nervous system and it may help to ease arthritis, reduce the stress and increase endurance, as well as it boost sexual performance.

It is just necessary to know that when the ashwagandha is included as part of an herbal blend, its effects may be diluted or may be too tough to detect. So, the proper consultation and prescription should be made before adding the herb. It is however noted that the right idea to take ashwagandha is to take it with a meal or a full glass of water. And for the reason that ashwagandha may have sedative qualities, fully understanding of how it affects you prior to doing any other activity that requires total alertness is indeed a right move.

Angelica Root

Called Chinese Angelica, Angelica Root, and Dong Quai, this herb helps lower symptoms of menopause, relieves menstrual cramps, and regulates menstrual periods. No scientific evidence supports its effectiveness, but Anglica has been used in oriental medicine to treat these symptoms for centuries.

This herb is primarily used to relieve reproductive problems in females. In particular, treatment includes lowering menopausal symptoms, regulating cycles, and relieving menstrual cramps. There is no scientific evidence to support angelica’s effectiveness in treating reproductive problems.

Oriental medicine often combines Chinese angelica root with various other herbs to provide treatment for conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, allergies, and asthma. Limited evidence supports angelica’s ability to increase immune system function; this suggests why the root is effective in treating allergies. It also may possess anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting possible benefits when treating conditions including asthma and arthritis. Angelic root may possibly relax blood vessels because of one of the chemical it contains. This may make it effective in lowering high blood pressure.

Additional research is necessary to determine and validate angelica root’s medicinal value.

Ingredients and Constituents of Chinese angelica

* Resin
* Volatile Oil
* Valerianic acid
* Coumarins
* Tannins
* Vitamin A
* Vitamin B
* Bitter iridoids
* Bergapten

Dosage Recommendations

Women take up to 3-4 grams daily. Angelic root can be ingested in powder form in tea, through tinctures, tablets, and capsules.

Possible Side Effects

Those who regularly take Chinese angelic root should avoid large amounts of ultraviolet radiation and sun exposure. It is thought to have very low toxicity, but should not be used by women who are pregnant or nursing.

Lavender

1. Lavender – The Plant

In olden times, spouses were encouraged to place lavender flowers between their bed sheets as this plant was supposed to keep them from quarreling. Folklore aside, lavender can work magic to any home and any garden.

The lavender plant has characteristic small, spear-shaped leaves that are green in color when young and turn silvery-gray as it matures. The margins of the leaves are dented with teeth-like shapes in some varieties, making the foliage look even more attractive.

There are actually several species of the lavender plant. Spanish lavender, or Lavandula stoechas, was a popular scent used in Roman baths. Lavandula dentata, or French lavender, was also used in the same manner. The English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, has a superb oil quality and mainly used as scent for perfumes. Lavandin, Lavandula x intermedia, with its royal purple color and long-stemmed flowers, was mainly used for ornamental purposes.

When speaking about its flowers, the darker the color, the more sought-after the species is going to be. Dark purple flowers of the lavender plant are perfect for drying since their pigments don’t fade quickly.

2. Health Benefits of Lavender

Native to the Mediterranean region, the lavender plant is best recognized around the world for its fresh and heady fragrance. However, aside from its scent, the lavender also has a long history in herbal healing.

Researchers have also studied the extract from crushed lavender flowers. One extract distilled from Lavandula angustifolia and perillyl alcohol is said to have properties that could prevent and treat various cancers, including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, liver, and prostate. In an animal experiment, researchers at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) discovered that lavender extract could reverse the growth of advanced mammary tumors in rats.

Since the time of the Romans, the lavender plant was used in baths for its sweet scent and soothing effects. In fact, this is where it got its name. The Latin “lavare” means “to wash.” The Tibetans also used an edible variety of lavender as butter which they used as an ingredient in a traditional treatment for nervous disorders. Today, the lavender is valued widely in Europe for its essential oil. The oil, which may be applied topically or internally, is said to cure a host of ills, from anxiety to sunburn.

Other uses of this herb include treatment for sunburn and minor cuts and scrapes. The flower, famous for its aroma, also has antiseptic and astringent properties which folk healers took advantage of hundreds of years ago. Tea made from dried flowers have therapeutic effects that can help people counter insomnia and promote restful sleep. Used in aromatherapy, the herb is said to relieve nervous tension and lift mild depression.

Goldenseal

Goldenseal is used to ease the symptoms of problems such as indigestion, stomachache, constipation, diarrhea, ulcers, canker sores, sore throat, gingivitis, sore mouth, vaginal irritation, mild conjunctivitis, colds and flu, and earaches.

Description of Goldenseal

Goldenseal is native to forested areas of the eastern United States, mainly in the region of the Ohio River. Today it can still be found there, but is also grown in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Goldenseal looks similar to the daisy and has a red berry that resembles a raspberry.

Berberine is the compound found in goldenseal that produces medicinal characteristics. This compound can kill various germs and has anti-bacterial effects against parasites including giardia and tapeworms and can fight yeast infections. Berberine is suspected by researchers to have the ability to activate white blood cells, helping them fight infection better. It is considered as an internal and external disinfectant.

Dosage and Usage

In capsule form, 4-6 grams daily is often recommended. 2-4 ml of goldenseal in liquid form can be taken three times each day.

A standardized extract can be taken three times a day in the amount of 250-500 mg per dose. The extract should contain 8-12% alkaloids. Use of this extract should not occur for more than three weeks. Usage should stop for a minimum of two weeks before using again.