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Welcome to the December, 2011, email health newsletter of The Herb Growing & Marketing Network.....

The following is blatant self-promotion:
HerbNET is an information site provided by The Herb Growing & Marketing Network....a trade association for the herb industry...we offer a monthly online trade journal The Bu$iness of Herbs, an online resource guide, The Herbal Green Pages,  marketing classes, free banner space on both our sites, free classified advertising, conferences, and regional seminars, credit card merchant status, internet design and marketing work; very reasonable hosting rates and lots more....all for only $95 a year.  For full details on us and how we can help you promote your business, go to HerbWorld.  And if you're thinking about it, buy aren't sure, try our Trial Membership, all the benefits of full membership for 3 months.  We're so sure your business will benefit from it, you'll want to stay.     

 We help members a lot with a variety of promotion assistance and if you want to know more about that, drop me a line and I'll send you a listing of all the ways we promote your business.   

The December 2011, HerbNET magazine is online HerbNET - Magazine - Letter From the Herbalist   with profiles on Apple Sage, Texan Snakeroot, White Sage, Sweet Vernal Grass, Sneezewoty, Rabbit Tobacco and Spinach.  

What's New

Bits of Info: 

Canker sores got you in a tizzy?  Try a cool cup of chamomile tea.  Brew it, let it cool and then swish it around your mouth for 1 minute.  The tea's volatile oils will instantly reduce irritation while its antibacterial chamazulene will speed healing.  82% of sufferers reported a significant pain relief minutes after swishing with the tea.

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Radishes help the body eliminate energy sapping, fat trapping toxins, says the Journal of Food Science.  It explains that phytochemicals in radishes increase the activity of detoxifying the liver enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase.

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The journal Environmental Health Insights states that eating onions can reduce blood glucose and insulin levels similar to those achieved with a diabetes drug.  The combination of sulfur-containing compounds and flavonoids.  So go for Vidalia or other sweet onions and put them in whatever you can. 

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The isoflavone genistein in runner beans improves the liver's ability to metabolize cholesterol.  Researchers have investigated genistein's's effect on post-menopausal women found that the plant compound eases the cellular inflammation that damages the heart. 

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The University of Exeter's researchers have reported that beets improve physical stamina. 

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Some people now think that oregano essential oil is the best thing for colds or sinus infections.  Since oregano essential oil works best when it’s absorbed through the GI tract, add 3 drops to water or juice and drink once daily for five days.  Oregano essential oil is not cheap, so don’t try and save money by buying something close but not the same thing.  And 3 drops is enough.  More is NOT better.

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Want to get rid of weeds but can’t abide chemicals?  Mix equal parts lemon juice and white vinegar in a spray bottle and thoroughly spritz the weeds avoiding desirable plants.  The combination of the vinegar’s acetic acid and the lemon’s citric acid will eat away at stems and dry the roots, killing existing weeds and deterring future growth.  Do this when the weather is all clear for several days.  Won’t work  as well as Roundup, but it’s a lot less toxic.

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Even as a child I was fascinated by using ingredients from the kitchen cupboard to create concoctions for my skin.  So I couldn't wait to try this: To rejuvenate a dull complexion, mash six red grapes with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then stir in 2 Tablespoons of flour until it forms a paste.  Smooth on the mask, leave on for 10 minutes, then rinse off.  The antioxidant resveratrol in red grapes will help minimize wrinkles, while olive oil's oleic acid will restore skin's natural lipid balance.          

(there are fascinating tidbits of botanical remedies in First for Women)

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You never know when you'll need it:
Herbalpedia
a complete herbal encyclopedia of 2550 plants
and if you put Christmas Special in the Gift Certificate/Promo
area, you'll get $15 off the normal price. 
Don't wait...it disappears December 10.

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Here's the latest medicinal herb news:

Chinese Herbs Equal to Tamiflu in Reducing H1N1 Fever: Study

A traditional Chinese herbal treatment may reduce fever from H1N1 ("swine flu") influenza just as well as the prescription medication Tamiflu, a new study suggests.

The herbal recipe -- known as maxingshigan-yinqiaosan (M-Y) -- is easily accessible throughout China and much less expensive than Tamiflu (oseltamivir).

However, finding the medicine in the United States is difficult, if not impossible, given that it contains the stimulant ephedra. The United States has banned or restricted the sale of ephedra products because of concerns about possible complications, such as heart attack, stroke and even death, related to its use as a weight-loss supplement.

Per World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, in most instances, Tamiflu was the treatment of choice, where it was available. However, it is often out of reach in less developed parts of the world, such as rural China, where traditional herbal medicines are a likely default treatment.

The M-Y flu preparation is composed of 12 herbs: ephedrae, zhimu, qinghao, shigao, yinhua, huangqin, chaoxingren, lianqiao, bohe, zhebeimu, niubangzi and gancao.

To compare the relative effectiveness of M-Y and Tamiflu in treating H1N1 influenza, the study focused on 410 previously healthy patients who were diagnosed with a "very mild" form of the illness.

Within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms, the patients were assigned to one of four five-day treatment groups. One group was given 75 milligrams of Tamiflu twice a day in capsule form; a second group received 200 milliliters of M-Y four times a day in liquid form; a third group took the same dosages of Tamiflu and M-Y together; and a fourth group received no treatment.

All of the herbs were screened for quality, and the M-Y mixture was deemed to meet Chinese safety standards.

The results: Both M-Y and Tamiflu were effective at eliminating fever, whether administered on their own or in combination.

All three approaches helped to resolve fever sooner than no intervention whatsoever, However, none of the treatment methods appeared to be superior in terms of overall viral control, and side effects were minimal in all cases.

Even though the ephedra-containing herbal is not readily available in the United States, the M-Y herbal formula is available in many countries besides China, including Korea, Japan, India and Germany.

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An interesting study recently conducted by Penn State researchers has revealed that diets rich in spices and herbs may effectively help lower fat levels in the blood, in addition to reducing the body's insulin response. The study was featured in the Journal of Nutrition.  According to the research team led by associate professor of biobehavioral health, Sheila West, regularly consuming common spices and herbs such as cinnamon, basil, oregano and turmeric can supply the body with valuable antioxidants that are useful against a variety of health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and many more.

Professor West also mentioned that elevated levels of triglycerides can increase the risk of heart disease, which makes antioxidant-rich spices a very useful addition to our diets. Her findings reveal that two tablespoons of spices can supply the body with a quantity of antioxidants similar to that in 5 ounces of red wine or 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate.

The science team tested their hypothesis on a group of six overweight, but otherwise healthy, men between the ages of 30 and 35, who had been given specially prepared foods during a two-day trial period. Test meals were seasoned with spice mixes that included black pepper, paprika, rosemary, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, oregano and garlic powder. Control meals were very similar to test meals, with the exception that they did not include any spices or herbs.

On the choice of adding this specific culinary spices mix, doctoral fellow Ann Skulas-Ray commented "We selected these spices because they had potent antioxidant activity previously under controlled conditions in the lab." To keep an accurate track of the changes that occur as a result of adding spices to food, West and her team periodically sampled blood from all 6 test subjects over a 3 hour period

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/tastes/article/antioxidant-spices-found-to-reduce-the/#ixzz1WjGZUm4p

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Ask the Herbalist is our attempt to answer as many health questions as possible related to herbs.  It's our way of giving back.  Carlos Guerra is our herbalist.and he answers them because he really wants to help.  He receives no compensation for this service.  If you would like him to do a more indepth personalized consultation, it is available for $35.  Write him directly.

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Butterbur is an herb, a member of the daisy family that grows throughout North America. Historically it has been used to treat abdominal pain, headaches, asthma, insomnia and as an appetite stimulant. In a recent series of medical studies, it seems to reduce the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

This excellent series of medical studies originated from a group of researchers in Germany. The initial study demonstrated that an extract from the leaf of butterbur plant is safe. The second study looked for the optimal dose of butterbur for allergic rhinitis. It included 180 participants with allergic rhinitis who were divided into three groups: high-dose butterbur, low-dose butterbur and a placebo.

The high-dose butterbur was more effective than the low dose and both were significantly superior to the placebo. In the third study, butterbur was compared to both placebo and the antihistamine medication fenofexadine (Allegra). Three hundred participants with allergic rhinitis were evenly divided into three groups: fenofexadine, butterbur and placebo. Over the course of the study, both the fenofexadine and butterbur groups had significant relief of symptoms. Interestingly, high-dose butterbur performed as well as fenofexadine. Some additional data demonstrated that the combination of fenofexadine and butterbur was no better than butterbur alone.

Butterbur appears to be effective, have fewer side effects and is much less expensive than many of the common medications used for allergic rhinitis. It may be a reasonable option to medications. However, some butterbur preparations may contain liver toxic chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Only certified and labeled “PA-free” products should be used. Always check with a physician familiar with herbs before combining medications and herbs.

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We'll see you next month....and if you have any suggestions of what you'd like to see on HerbNET, drop me a line.

Maureen Rogers
The Herb Growing & Marketing Network
and HerbNet's Slave
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