ADVANTAGES IN USING HERBAL MEDICINE

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May 23, 2011 | By Tracy Morris

Photo Credit old medicine image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com You may have heard a lot about "natural" medicines. That's one of the terms used to refer to herbal medicines, sometimes called botanicals. There are healing practitioners who use only herbal medicine, but you can also find conventional physicians who are either already well-versed in herbals or interested in learning more. As a patient, you can bring your own interest in herbal medicine into the exam room, but first learn all you can about the advantages.

DEFINITION
Herbal medicine is more than just herbs used for cooking or making herbal tea. They are remedies made from various parts of plants -- roots, flowers, stems and leaves, for example -- and prepared in different forms for treating many ailments. Herbal medicine can be used for physical or mental conditions, and with expert professional guidance, may be used in conjunction with conventional, synthetic drugs. When herbals are used with synthetic drugs, the term "complementary therapy" applies, as the medicines are intended to complement each other for the patient's benefit. While botanicals haven't been in standard use in the United States, the practice of using of herbal medicines is thousands of years old and quite common in some other parts of the world, including Europe. advertisement
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FORMS OF HERBAL MEDICINE

Commonly prescribed forms of herbal medicine include tablets or capsules made from a plant's derived chemicals; tinctures, a liquid made by combining a botanical with alcohol and water; extracts, liquid that has soaked chemicals from herbs; infusions, from steeping herbs in boiling water; and decoctions, used particularly with plants that require longer simmering in boiling water. What you commonly think of as herbal tea is actually an infusion, unless the beverage contains elements of tea plants. Patients may purchase herbal medicines either directly from the prescribing practitioner or at specialty pharmacies.

SEVERAL TREATMENTS IN ONE

One of the benefits of herbal medicine is their tendency to have more than one active ingredient. Naturopathic physician Janet McKenzie, BSN, MBA, ND of Ontario says, "Because herbal medicines consist of more than one active ingredient which work together, fewer side effects are likely than for patients taking pharmaceuticals. Plus, herbal meds can treat more than one problem at a time." Generally with conventional pharmaceuticals, you'll need a different medication for each condition, or even one for each symptom of your illness. Dr. Anne Jeffres, associate academic dean and research faculty at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, lists some examples of dual-duty herbal medicines as ginseng -- which the University of Maryland Medical School says is used for both circulatory disorders and memory enhancement -- Reishi mushrooms and astragalus. This multi-systemic therapeutic effect is also the root of another benefit of herbals: cost.

RELATIVE LOW COST

As fewer patients have insurance coverage for pharmaceuticals, many are looking for herbals medicines to fill in the gaps. Part of the reason is that herbals can cost less out of pocket. Jeffres points to the multisystemic nature of herbal medicines as being notably responsible for the lower cost, because patients may need to buy only one medicine for several ailments. McKenzie says in her private practice, most patients pay an average cost per supplement of about $25.

FOOD GRADE MEDICINE

Many herbal medications are "food grade," which means it can be safely eaten by people. "Since these therapeutic formulas are derived from safely edible substances," McKenzie says, "it's often safer to take them over a long period of time, which is especially helpful if you're taking them as a preventive measure." She cautions, however, that not all herbal remedies are food grade, and some may even be toxic, so you're safest by using the prescribing services of a certified herbalist or physician.

TAILOR-MADE PRESCRIPTIONS
Jeffres adds to the list of advantages the fact that herbal medications can be compounded specifically for your medicinal needs. Plants used for medicine have been analyzed for hundreds of years, so knowledge is vast about their chemical ingredients when broken down. Formulas made up of several herbs can be made, either by the prescribing practitioner or in a specialty pharmacy, whether to impact the effect of a medicine by dosage or ingredients.

GROWING POPULARITY
Americans may be newcomers to the use of herbal medicines, but the number of prescribing practitioners is growing as patients express more interest. The University of Maryland Medical School says more medical and pharmacy schools are teaching future professionals about herbal medicine. The primary and safest sources for herbal medicine are certified herbalists, which can be found through the American Herbalists Guild's listing; naturopathic physicians, listed by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians; traditional Chinese medicine physicians, also known as Oriental medicine, which can be found through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine; and even pharmacists and medical doctors.
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Benefits of Ginger
Health Benefits of Ginger: powerful ally against inflammation
As we consider the benefits of ginger, we take a refreshing look at a food which is also a spice, which also has been used as a natural medicine for centuries. Ginger has the botanical name Zingiber officinale, indicating its official place in the historical pharmacy of natural medicines. It is closely related to the turmericplant. The root of the plant is the part we consume, and it was first widely cultivated and used as a medicinal food in China and India. The many benefits of ginger are reflected in its value historically. It was brought to Europe centuries ago on the early spice trade routes, and because of its value was cultivated as a commodity on colonial islands in the Caribbean. We know it has been used for perhaps 2000 years in traditional Chinese medicine for nausea and improving digestion, has been thought in Ayurvedic medicine to prevent heart disease and treat arthritic complaints, and is generally seen as a warming remedy for illnesses and conditions associated with cold. In the modern era, we have learned that ginger has potent antiinflammatory properties, reducing production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes which circulate in higher levels in the blood during inflammatory states. Hoping not to sound like a grocery list, let me list here a number of the better researched health benefits of ginger. There are quite a few, so I will not go into a lot of detail beyond listing them.

Ginger may be best known for improving digestive health. It has a 2500 year history in Traditional Chinese Medicine against nausea, and has been approved by the German Commission E for indigestion and for motion sickness. It has a long history in European herbal medicine for general tummy aches in kids and adults. Historically it has been used as a carminative (anti-gas), but I have no data to back this one up. Medical research in animals shows that it protects the stomach against ulcer development, and may work as well as the prescription drug metaclopramide to improve gastric emptying and intestinal peristalsis, which means it could reduce reflux symptoms. Human studies document its effectiveness in morning sickness, chemotherapy induced nausea, post-op nausea and motion sickness. As an anti-inflammatory, the benefits of ginger are unquestioned. In history, the traditional medicines of both India and China have valued ginger against arthritis and rheumatic complaints. From modern medical research, we know that laboratory studies show that ginger blocks the formation of inflammatory compounds such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins (very much like the COX-2 inhibitors which are conventional arthritis medications ). And as you might expect from this, there are some case reports in human medical literature of reduced pain and swelling in arthritis (both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis). That anti-inflammatory property of ginger is significant from the standpoint of preventing brain disease. Heres why. We know that Alzheimers dementia is associated with increased inflammatory markers in the brain, and that specifically a compound called TNF-alpha increases its activity in the brain in Alzheimers. A 2004 article in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (authored by some researchers from my alma mater, Johns Hopkins) showed that a ginger extract has the potential to slow the progression of brain cell loss in Alz heimers disease. So while we have no clinical studies in humans showing that ginger can impact Alzheimers or any dementia, the data suggest that a ginger extract could prevent some of the damage to brain cells that marks the progression of Alzheimers disease. And this brings me to an important point. The safety of ginger is the very thing that allows me to recommend it to people concerned about brain disease even though it has not been proven to help people with brain disease. There is no down-side, and some science shows there could be benefit. So while an individual continues to get good conventional medical care, I can recommend ginger supplements and food with no reservation. While I personally prefer to take my medicine as food, I am frequently ask ed how much ginger should I take? There are no definitive dosing guidelines, but if you want to take a powdered ginger extract in capsules, a minimum dose would be 250mg four times daily (with meals and bedtime). If you like the crystallized ginger, one cube is probably 1000 mg of ginger, and one or two a day would be a good dose. This is a very safe herb with virtually no toxicity or interaction with drugs. But why not enjoy its delicious and pungent flavor and aroma in food? Exploring new tastes by adding ginger to familiar foods

can bring excitement to a meal, so just enjoy it, and feel free to ignore its medicinal qualities which will benefit your body while you just focus on the flavor! So I hope you are excited enough now to check out a recipe , and enjoy the benefits of ginger as a medicinal herb on a regular basis. to your health and wellness,

Robert Pendergrast, MD

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BENEFITS OF THE GINGER HERB

15 0 COMMENTS PRINT

May 26, 2010 | By Jon Mohrman

Photo Credit fresh ginger image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com Ginger has long been used medicinally, particularly in China, where its use dates back more than two millennia. The purported benefits of ginger are believed to derive primarily from two types of compounds, gingerol and shogaol, explains the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, or MSKCC. As with other herbal remedies, clinical evidence for the effectiveness of ginger is insufficient to identify definite benefits, and is sometime contradictory. However, certain benefits stand out as fairly wellsupported, in contrast to a long list of traditional, unsubstantiated uses.

GASTROINTESTINAL RELIEF
Ginger is commonly used to treat mild gastrointestinal problems, according to MSKCC. These include upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, lack of appetite and intestinal gas. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine points out that many supplements for digestive problems and nausea, as well as for cold and flu treatment, include ginger extract as an active ingredient. advertisement
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MOTION SICKNESS REMEDY

Motion sickness presents symptoms including dizziness, nausea, vomiting and perspiration. Ginger can remedy all of these symptoms, according to World's Healthiest Foods, or WHF. In fact, WHF cites that

ginger may be a more effective motion sickness remedy than Dramamine, an over-the-counter and prescription drug widely-used for this purpose.

MORNING SICKNESS REMEDY

Ginger can help treat the nausea and vomiting accompanying pregnancy, or morning sickness, states the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. One gram daily for up to four days is considered safe and effective for pregnant women to both ease nausea and reduce the occurrence of vomiting episodes, says the UMMC.

OTHER NAUSEA-RELATED BENEFITS

The National Institutes of Health, or NIH, identifies two other types of nausea that may be remedied with ginger. When taken prior to surgery, ginger may prevent or reduce post-operative nausea and vomiting. Also, ginger may reduce the severity and duration of nausea that is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatments.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties potentially useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to WHF. Ginger can lessen inflammation-induced pain, and reduce reliance on pain medications, points out the UMMC. Patients with other conditions related to inflammation may benefit from ginger as well.

HEART DISEASE PROTECTION

Ginger may function as an anti-platelet agent, according to the NIH. The UMMC adds that, along with helping to prevent blood clots, another possible benefit of ginger is lowering bad cholesterol levels. These two effects can help protect against heart disease.

OTHER PURPORTED BENEFITS

Protection against colorectal cancer and treatment of ovarian cancer are two possible benefits of ginger cited by WHF, which adds that it offers a boost to the immune system. Ginger may also be useful in remedying the effects of drug withdrawal and in treating colic and muscle spasms, according to MSKCC. The NIH lists a few other possible benefits that need to be better substantiated by research, including promoting urination in stroke patients, treating migraines, aiding weight loss and shortening labor.
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REFERENCES

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Ginger National Institutes of Health: Ginger National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Ginger University of Maryland Medical Center: Ginger World's Healthiest Foods: Ginger

Article reviewed by Veronique Von Tufts Last updated on: May 26, 2010

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