Gary Null, Ph.D.
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 Additionally, turmeric is excellent for its anti-inflammatory properties. Gravel root or chamomile tea will help dissolve gallstones.
What to Avoid
Certain foods aggravate gallbladder disease, the most common offenders being eggs, onions, and pork. Dairy products and any other foods high in fat also tend to intensify the problem. Sugar may aggravate the gallbladder and should therefore be avoided. Note that being overweight places a person at high risk. Certain prescription drugs do as well; check with your physician if this is a concern. |
| Part of the ginger family, and an ingredient of curry powder, turmeric, or its main active component, curcumin, is a powerful antioxidant that seems to work against skin cancer.
•Ginseng... Studies associate the use of ginseng with lower incidences of all forms of cancer. It contains ingredients called saponins that encourage macrophage and natural killer cell activity.
•Lentinan...This extract of the shiitake mushroom acts as an immune modulator and can help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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 And in the middle of the night, with a tooth throbbing so badly that you can't bear to drive to the drugstore, you can mix a teaspoon of turmeric with enough water to make a paste and just dab it on the sore tooth.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
If you have an aching tooth, chances are your nerves are frayed as well. Chamomile can help with both problems,- it's used in Europe to treat mouth and gum irritations and is known worldwide as a gentle sedative.
It also fights infection, promotes healing, and is one of the safest herbs known. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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 The problem is, your body has a hard time absorbing it. turmeric me-
Cause: Although surgery is ultimately meant to help heal the body, cutting through skin and muscle causes deep-tissue trauma that can make the cure feel worse than the condition. Knowing what to expect helps. As your body works to regenerate tissue, it is typical to experience some pain, swelling, and inflammation. Recovery times will vary depending on the type of procedure and your age, nutritional status, and general state of health.
Incidence: More than 46 million people undergo some type of surgery each year. |
Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D.
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 Mung beans are commonly cooked with rice, ghee, coriander, turmeric, cumin, and salt in the justly famous therapeutic East Indian recipe called kichari, which can be eaten exclusively for 10 days to a month as a balanced general detoxification.
Contraindications: Because of their cooling nature, mung beans should be avoided or cooked with warming spices for those with a weak digestion. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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| Although it has been used for thousands of years in India for cooking, dyeing, and medicinal uses, turmeric was largely overlooked in North America until the 1970s. When modern science finally took a closer look, the results were impressive.
When compared to the popular anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone (Butazolidin) in a clinical study, curcumin was found to be equally effective at treating arthritis. It's okay to take curcumin for arthritis indefinitely.
Ginger
For pain relief without side effects, eat some type of ginger every day. |
| You would need to eat about l/$ cup of turmeric to get the pain-relief power of two capsules of standardized extract.
Cayenne
Rub the sore area with red-pepper ointment three or four times a day. Creams and ointments containing red pepper stimulate the release of your body's own painkillers, says Dr. Jacques. Scientists believe that the active substance, capsaicin, also intercPain-^acifying Qompress
For quick relief from lower-back pain, apply a compress soaked in a blend of pain-relieving essential oils and water, says Jacqueline Jacques, N.D. |
| She suggests looking for a turmeric product with a standardized extract of curcuminoids, the active ingredients.
Oats or Passionflower
Drink a cup of tea before bedtime. Oats have antidepressant properties that can round off some of the sharp edges before you go to sleep, according to Dr. Kruzel. "This herb helps restore the nerve endings that are frayed, in the body and in the brain," he says. Passionflower has a similar ability to restore the central nervous system. |
| Mix 2 tablespoons of turmeric powder with enough warm water to form a paste, advises Connie Catellani, M.D., medical director of the Miro Center for Integrative Medicine in Evanston, Illinois. Sandwich the paste between two layers of gauze, wrap it around your sore wrist, and hold it in place with a bandage. It's less messy doing it this way than daubing it directly onto the skin, says Dr. Catellani. Leave the bandage on all day. It's safe to do this periodically, but for no longer than 3 to 4 days at a time. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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 Kuttan R, Sudheeran PC, and Josph CD: turmeric and curcumin as topical agents in cancer therapy. Tumori 73, 29-31,1987.
40. Deodhar SD, Sethi R, and Srimal RC: Preliminary studies on antirheumatic activity of curcumin (difer-uloyl methane). Indian J Med Res 71, 632-634, 1980.
41. Satoskar RR, Shah SJ, and Shenoy SG: Evaluation of anti-inflammatory property of curcumin (diferu-loyl methane) in patients with postoperative inflammation. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 24, 651-654,1986.
42. |
| Other good recommendations are ginger and turmeric, as both of these herbs are excellent carminatives (substances that promote the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytics (substances that relax and soothe the intestinal tract).
Kidney stones
Kidney stones are extremely common in the United States. Each year nearly 6 percent of the entire U.S. population develops a kidney stone. More than 10 percent of all males and 5 percent of all females experience the pain of a kidney stone during their lifetime. |
| In another study, curcumin from turmeric was found to be about thirty times more potent than zingerone in preventing lipid peroxidation.5
Effects on prostaglandin metabolism
Numerous constituents in ginger are potent inhibitors of prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis.6-8 The most potent components appear to be the pungent principles, although the aqueous extract has also demonstrated inhibition. |
| The protective effects of turmeric and its derivatives are only partially explained by its direct antioxidant and free radical-scavenging effects. It also inhibits nitrosamine formation, enhances the body's natural antioxidant system, increases the levels of glutathione and other nonprotein sulfhydryls, and acts directly on several enzymes and genetic material.
Antiinflammatory effects
The volatile oil fraction of Curcuma longa possesses antiinflammatory activity in a variety of experimental models (e.g. |
| Cardiovascular effects
The effects of turmeric and curcumin on the cardiovascular system include lowering of cholesterol levels30-31 and inhibition of platelet aggregation.32,33 This is of great significance in preventing atherosclerosis and its complications.
In rats fed a diet containing as little as 0.1 percent curcumin and cholesterol, cholesterol levels fell to one-half those in rats fed cholesterol and no curcumin.30 This indicates that even at small doses, curcumin may be effective. |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
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| Curcumin, an ingredient in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory properties. Astragalus stops free radical damage and aids detoxification processes. The Japanese frequently eat burdock root, a bitter herb known for its ability to cleanse the liver.
The Chinese herb phyllanthus and the ganoderma mushroom have been shown to act against hepatitis B.
Dandelion root is used for hepatitis and jaundice because it stimulates the liver and gallbladder. When large quantities are taken, patients are sometimes cured in a short period of time. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Salicylate levels are especially high in some herbs and condiments, including curry powder, paprika, thyme, dill, oregano, and turmeric. Although the intake of these herbs and spices is relatively small, they can make a significant contribution to dietary salicylate.68
Other flavoring agents
Other flavoring agents such as cinnamon, vanilla, menthol, and other volatile compounds may produce urticaria in some individuals.5 Recently the artificial sweetener aspartame has been shown to induce urticaria. |
Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D.
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| Other additions to a rice diet can be small garnishes of sauteed onions, garlic, ginger, freshly chopped parsley, coriander, sweet basil, oregano, and a basic nonoverspiced curry mixture consisting of fresh finely ground coriander, cumin seeds, turmeric root. These foods all have their unique healing attributes and will contribute to flavor immensely. A simple and healthful sauce can be made with equal parts sesame tahini butter, miso paste, and water. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 I'd go with commercial oil of turmeric, diluting it with water (one part oil to two parts water) and apply it directly to the affected area using a cotton ball or clean cloth.
V Tomato-and-herb sauce. Here's another way to take advantage of some other herbs that have fungicidal properties. Make a tomato sauce and go very heavy on the basil, celery, carrot, dill, fennel, sage and thyme. In one quick meal, you'll get a dish with dozens of fungicides: Just heat it up and pour over pasta. |
| If I had gallstones, I would definitely cook lots of curries—and go heavy on the turmeric.
V Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea). Goldenrod contains the compound leiocarposide—a potent diuretic that helps the body flush excess water. I've seen good clinical evidence that goldenrod is effective in treating chronic kidney inflammation (nephritis). For both of these reasons, I wasn't surprised when Commission E endorsed goldenrod for preventing and treating kidney stones.
The commission recommends making a tea using five teaspoons of chopped, dried flowering shoots per cup of boiling water. |
| This endorsement does not surprise me, since turmeric contains curcumin, a compound that has been tested for its effect on gallstones. In one study, mice with experimentally induced gallstones were placed on special feed containing a modest amount of curcumin, and within five weeks their gallstone volume had dropped 45 percent. After ten weeks they had 80 percent fewer gallstones than untreated mice.
Curcumin increases the solubility of bile, which helps prevent the formation of gallstones and helps eliminate any stones that, have formed. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Extracts of garlic, onion, pomegranate rind, turmeric (Curcuma longa), and various citrus rinds have all been shown to possess anthelmintic properties against Ascaris.18,19 Bromelain and papain, like certain other proteolytic enzyme complexes,20 are useful in dissolving the outer layer of the worms that shields them from proteases. Fig powder is also helpful, presumably for its laxative effect. |
| The results of these studies indicate that turmeric or curcumin may provide benefit in the treatment of acute exacerbations of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, the safety and excellent tolerability of curcumin compared with standard drug treatment is a major advantage. Toxicity reactions to curcumin have not been reported. Animals fed very high levels of curcumin (3 g/kg body weight) have not exhibited any significant adverse effects.96
The recommended dosage for curcumin as an antiiruTammatory is 400-600 mg three times a day. |
| To achieve a similar amount of curcumin using turmeric would require a dosage of 8,000-60,000 mg. Because there remains a question on the absorption of orally administered curcumin, curcumin is often formulated in conjunction with bromelain to possibly enhance absorption. In addition, bromelain also has anti-inflammatory effects (see below). If a curcumin-bromelain combination is used, it is important to take it on an empty stomach 20 minutes before meals or between meals. Providing curcumin in a lipid base such as lecithin, fish oils, or essential fatty acids may also increase absorption. |
Susun S. Weed
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 Joan's wort, turmeric root, usnea, wild yam root, and yellow dock root.
XXII tireast uancerr Breast rlealtn!
Sedatives and stimulants cause a variety of rapid reactions, some of which may be unwanted. Some parts of the person may be stressed in order to help other parts. Strong sedatives and stimulants, whether herbs or drugs, push us outside our normal ranges of activity and may cause strong side effects. If we rely on them and then try to function without them, we wind up more agitated (or depressed) than before we began. |
| All members of the mint family, including rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, lavender, and sage, are excellent sources of anti-cancer antioxidants, acids, polyphenols, phenolic diterpenes, flavonoids, and phytosterols. turmeric contains the potent flavonoid curcumin, as well as carotenes, antioxidants, and phytosterols. Many other widely used seasoning herbs such as nutmeg, cloves, caraway, cayenne, cumin, celery seed, coriander, and the Asian culinary herbs, lemon grass, galanga, and betel nuts, are strong anti-cancer agents. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Toxicity studies on turmeric (Curcuma longa): acute toxicity studies in rats, guinea pigs & monkeys. Indian J Exp Biol 1980; 18: 73-75
97. Taussig S, Batkin S. Bromelain: the enzyme complex of pineapple (Ananas comosus) and its clinical application. An update. J Ethnopharmacol 1988; 22: 191-203
98. Cohen A, Goldman J. Bromelain therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Penn Med J 1964; 67: 27-30
99. Leung A. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics. New York, NY: John Wiley. 1980
100. Kiuchi F et al. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| To make it, mix garlic, ginger, mustard, turmeric, chili peppers and horseradish or wasabi. Start with just a little of each and experiment until you find a combination you can live with. I must warn you, however, that this herbal formula is very hot. It will open your sinuses as well as your bronchial tubes.
I'm serious about it, though. If you can handle the heat, a little of this mixture spread on crackers or bread will really help. You can also make a piping hot tea containing any or all of these ingredients.
V Plants containing vitamin C. |
Dr. Cass Ingram
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 Other herbs, such as silymarin or turmeric, are helpful, however, the aforementioned are the most aggressive and powerful. For instance, one study found that cumin oil alone increased tissue glutathione levels by nearly 700%, while rosemary boosted it by some 400%. Taking glutathione-boosting vitamins along with the herbs/spices dramatically improves the operations of the internal glutathione factories, giving the individual ideal health as well as the best chances for combating a deadly disease or toxic crisis. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| Come to think of it, a fruit cocktail made of pineapple and papaya spiced with ginger and turmeric would taste pretty darn good.
I always take a whole-foods approach whenever possible. I think that generally, whole foods have more healing power going for them than any individual ingredients that have been isolated from them.
Cancer Prevention
It gives me great pleasure to be alive and well in my late sixties. I must admit that I had a hard time during my 65th year. You see, I was haunted by one disturbing health statistic in my family. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Those exposed to smoke, aromatic hydrocarbons, and other environmental carcinogens will probably benefit from the frequent use of curry or turmeric.
The activity of phase I detoxification enzymes decreases in old age. Aging also decreases blood flow though the liver, further aggravating the problem. Lack of the physical activity necessary for good circulation combined with the poor nutrition commonly seen in the elderly add up to a significant impairment of detoxification capacity, which is typically found in aging individuals. |
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