Ginseng

This famous Chinese herb has been used for over 5,000 years. It was worth more than gold to the Qing Dynasty of ancient China.

Ginseng is used in thousands of formulas to provide vivacity and energy. Ginseng is used more than any other herbal remedy.

Ginseng contains nitrogenous compounds, minerals, vitamins, fat-soluble compounds, and carbohydrate compounds in its stained root. The herb is costly and not easy to produce and takes six years to reach maturity. Researchers today label ginseng as a strong immune system tonic that can uniquely affect the entire body.

Various types of ginseng include Japanese ginseng (Panax japonicum), Asian ginseng (panax ginseng), Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), and American ginseng. Asian ginseng is the most popular and grows in China, Korea, and Japan. Siberian ginseng is native to Korea, China, Japan, and Russia. America ginseng can be found in forested areas from Quebec to Minnesota and south to Georgia and Oklahoma.

American and Asian ginseng, both similar in chemical composition and appearance, are the types recognized for having healing powers. Ginseng grown in North American is often thought of as the most favorable and costly. It is grown and exported from Wisconsin, British Columbia, and Ontario.

ECHINACIAE

Echinacea is a very popular herbal remedy, but its full potential is not completely known by many in the medical profession. For hundreds of years, Echinacea was used by numerous cultures to promote better health.

Echinacea, sometimes called coneflower, is a wildflower that flourishes in meadows or wet valleys in the Midwestern United States. Echinacea is most famous for its medicinal properties, but it is also common in gardens since it has striking purple blossoms.

Health Benefits of Echinacea

Echinacea works to increase the activity of the immune system by stimulating white blood cells, which attack the viruses and bacteria that lead to illness or infection. This also makes it very beneficial for people with AIDS since their immune systems are weakened. This application of Echinacea is being extensively researched, since the full effect of the immune system on AIDS and cancer is still unknown. Echinacea is also every effective in treating respiratory ailments like colds. Some research has found Echinacea to be effective as an antiviral or antifungal, which also helps it fight infection. The full potential of Echinacea, for these applications and others, still needs to be thoroughly studied.

In some parts of Europe, Echinacea is taken in an IV as supplemental treatment for some forms of cancer. Some European medical professionals also inject Echinacea to remedy infections of the urinary tract. However, neither of these practices are common in America.

Echinacea can also be used externally to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It can also be an ingredient in hemorrhoid treatments or to sooth inset bites. Some people use it to shield their skin from sun damage.

Dosage and Administration

To make a tea out of Echinacea, use 1-2 teaspoons of Echinacea in a cup of unheated water. Slowly heat the mixture until it is boiling and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. The tea can be taken three times daily.

If you are taking it in tincture form, take 1-4 milliliters three times daily.

YOHIMBE

Native to the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon, this tall and possibly endangered evergreen provides a wide variety of medicinal benefits. The bark of the yohimbe was used originally to treat problems including leprosy, fever, and coughs by West Africans. It has also been used to dilate pupils, as an anesthetic, as a way to prevent heart disease, and as a hallucinogen and an aphrodisiac.

During the rainy season from May to September, Yohimbe bark is harvested. This is the time that it has the greatest alkaloid content. Yohimbe trees usually die after they have been stripped of their bark requiring the planting of numerous new trees. Yohimbe trees grow quickly and sometimes sprout from dead trees.

The alkaloid yohimbe is the main chemical in the yohimbe’s bark. Yohimbe is said to prevent various depressive disorders as it inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO) and dilates blood vessels. Yohimbe also stops alpha-2 adrenergic receptors that belong to the sympathetic nervous system. Today yohimbe is frequently used to treat erectile dysfunction. No research has been completed that supports yohimbe’s medicinal uses.

Dosage and Administration

15 to 30 mg daily of yohimbine is recommended to treat most conditions including erectile dysfunction. 5-10 drops three times daily of yohimbe bark tincture is a common supplementation.

Precautions & Side Effects

Side effects while using yohimbine and yohimbe may include nausea, increased blood pressure, dizziness, anxiety, rapid heart beat, and insomnia. You should not use yohimbe if you are pregnant, have peptic ulcers, or suffer from kidney disease. Because yohimbe can cause anxiety disorders, children and adolescents should not use it. No more than 40 mg should be taken daily or serious side effects could result.

Yohimbine and yohimbe can possibly cause birth defects or miscarriage when ingested by pregnant women. Breast-feeding women and children should not take either because they might cause anxiety disorders. Those with high blood pressure, prostate hyperplasia, or kidney diseases should refrain from taking yohimbe products because they can heighten these conditions. Schizophrenia and depression can be aggravated or triggered by yohimbine and yohimbe.

PEPPERMINT OIL

Introduction

This fact sheet provides basic information about peppermint oil—uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. The herbA plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots. peppermint, a cross between two types of mint (water mint and spearmint), grows throughout Europe and North America. Peppermint is often used to flavor foods, and the leaves can be used fresh or dried in teas.

Common Names—peppermint oil

Latin Names—Mentha x piperita

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What It Is Used For

• Peppermint oil has been used for a variety of health conditions, including nausea, indigestion, and cold symptoms.
• Peppermint oil is also used for headaches, muscle and nerve pain, and stomach and bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

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How It Is Used

Essential oil of peppermint can be taken in very small doses in capsule or liquid forms. The essential oil can also be diluted with another oil and applied to the skin.

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What the Science Says

• Results from several studies suggest that peppermint oil may improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
• A few studies have found that peppermint oil, in combination with caraway oil, may help relieve indigestion, but this evidence is preliminary.
• Although there are some promising results, there is no clear-cut evidence to support the use of peppermint oil for other health conditions.

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Side Effects and Cautions

• Peppermint oil appears to be safe for most adults when used in small doses. Possible side effects include allergic reactions and heartburn.
• Capsules containing peppermint oil are often coated to reduce the likelihood of heartburn. If they are taken at the same time as medicines such as antacids, this coating can break down more quickly and increase the risk of heartburn and nausea.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.