Herbal Remedies -- Friend or Foe?

Increasing attention is being drawn to herbal supplements (the use of herbs in various forms to alleviate ailments). More people are turning to herbal remedies for relief, claiming they are tired of paying high prices for traditional medications and worried about possible chemical side effects. However, recent reports describe the harm some herbal supplements can cause. How do we know which are the best supplements and, more importantly, if these remedies are safe?

Opinions on the safety of herbal products vary greatly. The herb industry is partly regulated in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration. However, some advocates of this "alternative" medicine industry discounts many of the FDA's opinions, claiming that they have business ties to the pharmaceutical industry, causing a conflict in interest. However, there seems to be a consensus that the U.S. should move towards a model where herbal supplements are subject to regulatory controls and scientific testing similar to that of pharmaceuticals, in the interest of consumer safety.

Tug of war: Herbal medicine vs. Pharmaceuticals

Who believes that herbal supplements are beneficial? According to the World Health Organization, most of the world population (approximately 80 percent) have used herbs to try to heal an ailment. Herbal "medicine" is a multi-billion dollar industry, grossing over $2 billion in 1996 and estimated at almost $6.5 billion in 2000. This figure seems less impressive when you compare the profits of the top 10 drug companies, each of which enjoy average profits of $2.5 billion.

Some people complain that taxpayers subsidize research for pharmaceuticals, and then end up paying huge medical bills if they do not have insurance to cover the cost of the drugs. That is pretty profitable business, according to herb supporters.

The top selling drugs are for heartburn, ulcers, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression and allergies. Supporters of "natural" remedies say that these common illnesses could be alleviated by a change in diet and exercise, as well as reducing stress. However, it is often easier to pop a pill than it is to change a lifestyle.

Most of us recognize the need to improve our nutrition and want to eat things that are healthy for us, perhaps including herbal supplements. You may have resisted taking prescription drugs, and wondered if there is a more "natural" way to solve the medical problem.

Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since the Stone Age, so itis not surprising that a natural solution is appealing. However, consider the following facts:

1) More than 50 percent of the drugs made in pharmaceutical companies are actually made with plant derivatives, such as digitalis (made from foxgloves) and taxol (from the Pacific Yew).
2) According to a study by the California Department of Health Services, 32 percent of 260 Asian patent medicines sold in California were contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs, steroids or heavy metals. Herbal medicines imported from India, Mexico and China also were found to have less-than-natural substances.
3) Prescription weight-loss pills containing a Chinese herb,Aristolochia fangchi, have been found to cause cancer or severe kidney damage, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The FDA announced they will stop the import of this herb.
4) Take a look at some of the reputed benefits and side effects of some popular herbs.

USA TODAY July 19, 2000 story on "functional foods" indicates that foods and beverages with added herbs and supplements are being looked at more carefully by the FDA. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has identified 75 foods with herbs added including varieties of some popular beverages. The FDA has the authority to take products off the shelves if they feel products are unsafe. No clinical trials are required for "functional foods," so be aware of the foods and beverages you consume.

Still not clear on whether to use herbs?

Do not rely on an advertisement for an herbal product or the recommendation of a friend who may have a totally different medical history and react in a different way. It has been found that some herbs cause premature contractions, so pregnant women should avoid herbal supplements as should the very young or elderly, who are prone to adverse affects of many herbs. If you are thinking of using herbs as a preventive measure or to relieve symptoms, make sure you:

1) Research the herbs and products you are interested in, looking at varying opinions to give you a rounded perspective. Remember that just because it is natural, does not mean it is safe. Some herbs (e.g. comfrey) have toxic effects. Be careful!
2) Talk to your physician or contact us to determine if there may be side effects or if it may counteract other medications you are taking. Forty percent of people taking herbal supplements do not tell their doctors and dentists. Do not make this mistake! If you take herbs that act as blood thinners and you need a tooth extracted or other surgery, you may bleed excessively.
3) If you buy a herbal product, follow the directions carefully.
4) It is not uncommon for people to have allergic reactions to herbs soon after taking them. If you have any problems such as nausea, rashes, cramps, stop taking them. Call your physician if you have any concerns.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/

Getting a Good Nights Sleep – How I Solved my Own Sleep Problems!

Sleep plays a major role in your well being. Not getting a good nights sleep affects your daily routines, your health and your mental attitude. We all need an eight hour sleep night but many of us have gone through periods when this was not the case.

For years I had trouble getting up in the morning. I felt sluggish and not as mentally alert as I should have been. Sleeping was a problem. It seemed to take ages for me to fall asleep and worse still the night was filled with restless, shallow sleep and frequent wakening.

Then, I started to snore and this caused an even greater problem: the beginnings of sleep apnea. It was time to take action and after speaking with my doctor, decided on a simple overnight sleep test. I desperately needed to get a good nights sleep.

This took the form of a small monitor attached by wires to my fingers. All I had to do was go to sleep as usual and the machine measured the breathing rhythms. This was analyzed in the next few days and it was found that I was not going into any form of a deep sleep but waking many times during the night. The poor breathing and snoring was causing a mild form of sleep apnea, forcing me to “wake-up” many times during the night and, as a result, get a very poor night’s sleep. And a very sluggish daytime resulted.

The answer was obvious and simple. I needed a CPAP sleeping machine as soon as possible which, fortunate for me, was partly covered by my own health insurance. This may be true in your area and should be checked out right from the beginning as costs could be in the hundreds of dollars.

But the results are dramatic.

CPAP stands for ‘continuous positive airway pressure’, a machine which was initially used for the treatment of sleep apnea at home, but has now become widespread in intensive care units as a form of ventilation. Many of us use them today.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway becomes narrow as the muscles relax naturally during sleep. This reduces oxygen in the blood and causes arousal from sleep. The CPAP machine stops this phenomenon by delivering a stream of compressed air via a hose to a nose mask or full-face mask, keeping the airways open under air pressure so that unobstructed breathing becomes possible, reducing or preventing apnea.

It is the air pressure that prevents the apneas although you do have to learn to breathe only through your nose and not through your mouth. This sounds easy, but for me it took almost three weeks to train myself not to open my mouth to breathe while I slept.

What happens is that when the machine is turned on, but prior to the mask being placed on the head, a flow of air comes through the mask. After the mask is placed on the face, it is sealed to the face and the air builds up pressure. At this point, it is the air pressure that accomplishes the desired result. This has the additional benefit of reducing or eliminating the extremely loud snoring. My own machine also has a distilled water container and the air passes over the water to prevent drying out of the nasal passages.

My own machine is very small, portable, automatically changes to different power sources, almost noiseless and best of all, acts like a humidifier to my nasal passages. The air pressure can be turned up or down for your own situation, and besides cleaning the face part regularly yourself, the machine is serviced by the providers once a year.

Does it work? I sleep much better now and awake refreshed. I do not snore; I do not have any form of sleep apnea! I have used it on three continents and it travels with me as cabin luggage, although the airline security people will have a look at the machine as you go through.
Getting a good nights sleep for me, has been accomplished with the use of a modern sleeping machine.

Author : David LeAche

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=346290&ca=Medicines+and+Remedies

Sleep Help That Works – 5 Ways to Relax and Get Some Sleep!

If you’re like me then you need some sleep help. If you tend to have difficulties getting to sleep or wake up at odd times during the night it may be that your body and mind are just not ready for sleep when you think they should be.

Sometimes, in order to get a good night of sleep, you first need to teach yourself to relax so that falling asleep becomes more natural: your body and mind are ready for sleep!

Relaxation and sleeping is not the same thing, although many would have you believe they are. Obviously they are closely related but relaxation being the opposite of stress, it has to be a pre-cursor to actually sleeping because few of us sleep well when under great stress.

Sleep is a semi-unconscious state when our bodies and our minds rejuvenate themselves and much of the mass of information that bombards us during the day gets sorted and evaluated. We know we need about eight hours of good sleep as an adult, but many of us have difficulty achieving this. Our sleep help should come in the form of sleep preparation commonly called relaxation.

Here are five different ways I have used to successfully prepare both body and mind for much needed deep sleep.

1…Exercise has been shown to be one of the greatest natural stress reducer. One very good way to relax is to take an evening walk or an evening swim at your local activity center. Yoga based exercises have been very successful. I was once told not to allow my soccer team players to swim before they went to bed, the evening before the tournament final, because they would be too relaxed and not play so well. Actually it was quite the reverse, and they played better than ever!

2…We must make sure our sleeping environment is conducive to sleep. Turn off the noise, turn down the light, make sure there is fresh air and then take some time to do some pre-sleep relaxation. This may be reading or doing breathing exercises but the environment should be a supportive one or your efforts will be wasted.

3…Consider what you have eaten or drank before you try to sleep. Alcohol is not conducive and neither is caffeine but not being hungry or thirsty is also to be considered. Personally I have a bowl of non-sugared, whole wheat cereal and one percent milk, which makes me feel well fed and yet has few calories. Toast is good: consider something that is healthy, caffeine free and very low on sugar. Large late night suppers are not a good preparation for a good night sleep as your body doesn’t relax under heavy digestion.

4…Another area of relaxation for me is having a relaxing hobby that takes your mind away from the day’s problems and acts as a relaxing activity for the mind. Some collect and organize coins or stamps, some draw and paint others write or ‘blog’. Whatever it is should put you into a state of “slow down” so your mind can relax and the move to sleep is but a short step. I know several people whose hobby involves a pet such as a cat, and this is the trigger to relaxing before sleep. Sleep help in the form of a family pet such as a small dog or cat to cuddle up to can be a very powerful trigger.

5…Most of us need to meditate in some form before sleeping. This can take the form of deep breathing and thinking or taking a long warm bath. Reading helps for some but whatever the method we need to involve both our body and mind. Listening quietly to books on tape, listening to soft music perhaps in a quiet environment often promotes a meditative sleep.

Many of us need to train our bodies and minds to relax before we can enjoy a good, deep night’s sleep. Besides making sure you’re ‘tired’ from a good day’s work there are methods we can employ to promote the pre-sleep relaxation. Give yourself some sleep help and devise some relaxation methods that work for you.

Author : David LeAche

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=346684&ca=Medicines+and+Remedies

Therapeutic Massage For Autistic Children

Autistic children are different. Autism can be broadly defined as a kind of brain disorder. Parents become aware that they have an autistic child when he or she is 2-3 years old. From then onwards their life becomes very challenging as they struggle to cope with their child. Most autistic children shut themselves from the world and like to remain in a cocoon of loneliness. They hate to communicate with another adult and detest being touched. They are unable to use language properly even to express their basic needs. The child is usually unable to form sentences and may repeat a few words that he has heard. Some may be dumb Most have an extremely short attention span unable to concentrate on anything for more than two minutes. The most heartbreaking fact for parents is the child’s inability to express love in the form of kisses hugs or cuddles. Many exhibit behavioral problems by displaying fits of uncontrollable rage

At times an autistic child drives parents crazy. They usually go in for various treatments both conventional and unconventional and hope that it will bring them positive results. More often than not disappointment follows. Research has shown that massage therapy often works wonders for an autistic child. There are many kinds of massage therapies available but the parent has to learn with the help of the therapist what works for their child. Though most autistic children hate to be touched many react positively to massage therapy. Parents should learn the correct massage techniques from a massage therapist. It is important that the massage is given in the right way to bring positive results. Before you begin the exercise, make the child look at your mouth and say the word massage slowly. By repeating it everyday your child will learn what to expect when you say the word. Massage in the form of long soothing strokes especially on the head, face and neck is very effective. Make a timetable and set aside a particular time each day for massage. Giving a massage before your child goes to sleep works wonders. Many parents of autistic children reported that their hitherto sleepless child experienced sound sleep for a greater period of time. Parents of autistic children who have practiced massage therapy made glowing reports of their child’s progress. The attention span of most children increased substantially helping them to focus on the task they were doing. The child no longer loathed being touched and was able to bond better with his or her parents and other children. They were calmer and experienced less behavioral problems.

Another benefit from massage that few people are aware of is that it helps to remove toxins from our connective tissue and muscles which makes our child lead a healthier life. Many autistic children have lower levels of the hormone Oxytocin which induces feelings of warmth and emotional connections in our body. According to research massage helps to release Oxytocin in our body which is so necessary for autistic children. Long soothing strokes help drive away stress and make them more relaxed which help them respond in a better way to their environment. Massage therapy makes the autistic child feel that the world is a safe place and helps them relate to it in a better way.

Author : Juliet White

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Sleep Problems – 5 Evening Snacks That Help me Sleep!

For many of us with sleep problems the nights seem long and the days a time of irritability and tiredness. Getting a restful eight hours of sleep is something our body and mind needs and we deserve.

There are many ways to support the mind in getting the sleep we need. Relaxation from stress, a good sleep environment and the correct choice of foods we eat are but three such remedies. The third of these, the food and drink we consume before we go to bed, can have a major effect on the quality of rest we get.

We have all heard of foods that help us sleep and how eating certain things for lunch can slow down our work rate during the afternoon. Then there is the notion that eating turkey can, in some way, put us to sleep.
We have been led to believe that certain foods make us tired, while in actual fact what is happening is a chemical reaction within the body that is causing amino acids to affect our brain activity in such a way as to induce a sleeping mode.

The best example to explain this is the drinking of warm milk just before going to bed. When we drink warm milk, (I am not sure why it has to be warm!) the tryptophan it contains triggers the body to release melatonin, which is a natural sleep hormone. Some foods, it turns out help us sleep and others do the reverse.

The sleep inducing serotonin and melatonin are triggered in the body by the amino acid tryptophan, and serotonin is a neurotransmitter that slows down brain activity, like slowing down the electricity to the brain.
The nerve traffic to the brain slows down, your brain isn’t so’ busy’ and sleep comes much easier. Therefore, eating foods with more trytophan helps build more and more relaxing neurotransmitters and this helps make you sleepy.

Foods high on the glycemic index are not a good idea as they release sugar into the bloodstream which triggers insulin which does make us sleepy but the side effects are that it produces a weight gain and often does not produce the correct deep sleeping pattern. So, the best evening snacks are eaten before nine o’clock, are not high on the glycemic index and contain complex carbs, protein and some calcium. Calcium is a helper in that it helps the process along. Obviously, dairy foods like milk and cheese are very good candidates!

Bearing all this in mind, here are my top five evening snacks that help me with my sleeping problems:

1. Cottage Cheese: this is light, easy to use and comes in a variety of added fruit flavors. Dairy products contain the magic tryptophan but also have the calcium and low glycemic value.

2. Sugar Free Whole Grain Cereal with Milk: Again we have the dairy but this time with whole wheat cereal (whole wheat bread would have a similar effect) which is fairly low on the glycemic
index but will trigger some insulin production which again will induce sleep without the weight
gain problems.

3. Oatmeal Cookies and a Glass of Milk: by now you should be seeing the trend! The addition of oatmeal also helps a little with lowering cholesterol.

4. Half a Banana on Whole Wheat Toast: Bananas contain magnesium as you know but they also contain both melatonin and serotonin which will help us feel drowsy. The whole wheat toast will trigger some insulin production, as it is a carbohydrate, and this will also help sleeping without causing a weight gain. (…and also go a little way in lowering cholesterol.)

5. Chamomile Tea: okay this isn’t a snack but add an oatmeal cookie and you have a winner. Chamomile has a mild sedating effect and is well known among the sleeping problems crowd. The oatmeal cookie triggers insulin but has some other good side effects.

These are my five favorite snacks, and although I am not a doctor or trained nutritionist, I think they fit the “sleep inducing foods” bill without causing other bad side effects, besides which I really like them! Yes I did leave out turkey because how often do I have turkey around to use as a late night snack!

Remember also that light meals are preferred over heavy and to avoid, the spicy, the fatty, the caffeine and the alcohol. Also that it takes over an hour for the tryptophan induced amino acids to reach the brain so don’t leave it too late.

A little science and a sensible snack we really like, can really help with our sleep problems.

Author : David LeAche

http://www.isnare.com/?aid=347677&ca=Medicines+and+Remedies