Blue Health Dictionary

Iris versicolor. N.O. Iridaceae.

Synonym: Flag Lily, Liver Lily, Snake Lily, Water Lily.

Habitat: Marshy places in Central America.

Features ? Rhizome cylindrical, compressed towards larger end, where is cup-shaped stem scar. Breaks with sharp fracture, showing dark purple internally. Taste, acrid and pungent.

Part used ? Root.

Action: Alterative, diuretic, cathartic.

Skin affections; stimulates liver and other glands. Dose of the powdered root, 20 grains as a cathartic.... blue flag

(English) Resembling the blue flower

Bluebelle, Blubell, Blubelle, Bluebella, Blubella... bluebell

A common name for a mild form of depression that sometimes occurs in women after childbirth. Baby blues almost always disappears without treatment but can occasionally develop into a more serious depressive illness (see postnatal depression).... baby blues

An infant with a cyanotic (bluish) complexion, especially of the lips and tongue, caused by a relative lack of oxygen in the blood.

This is usually due to a structural defect of the heart or the major arteries leaving the heart.

Such defects may need to be corrected surgically (see heart disease, congenital).... blue baby

Methylene blue, or methylthionin chloride, is used in a dose of 75–100 mg, as a 1-per-cent intravenous injection, in the treatment of METHAEMOGLOBINAEMIA, which may occur following high doses of local anaesthetics such as prilocaine.... methylene blue

Irregularly shaped areas of bluish-black pigmentation found occasionally on the buttocks, lower back or upper arms in newborn infants of African, Chinese and Japanese parentage, and sometimes in the babies of black-haired Europeans. They measure from one to several centimetres in diameter, and usually disappear in a few months. They are commonly mistaken for bruises.... mongolian blue spots

Blue Flag tea has a long history in treating liver ailments: Native American tribes used to consume it for its hepatic properties. Blue Flag Tea description Blue flag is a perennial herb also known as the liver lily and the fleur-de-lis, native to North America. It has smooth spear-shaped leaves topped with a light bluish-purple flower. Blue flag plants grow in bunches and bloom during late June and early July. Blue Flag tea is the resulting beverage from brewing the abovementioned plant. Blue Flag Tea brewing To prepare Blue Flag tea, place 1 teaspoon of the dried roots in a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes. The tea can be consumed three times a day. Blue Flag Tea benefits Blue Flag has been successfully used to:

• stimulate the liver and thus, it is helpful in the treatment of jaundice and hepatitis
• fight impurities of the blood
• fight against skin problems like acne and psoriasis
• detoxify the body by increasing the production of bile, as well as frequency of urination
• help treat indigestion
• treat rheumatism
• help in weight loss

Blue Flag tea can be an effective laxative, diuretic and as an emetic. It is also effective in reducing inflammation of the skin, decreasing the symptoms of skin infections. It is also good in treating burns, bruises and wounds. Blue Flag Tea side effects Until further studies are conducted, pregnant and nursing women should avoid intaking this type of tea. Blue Flag tea has proven its efficiency in dealing with severe liver-related diseases. Also, applied topically, it can treat skin problems, but not only.... blue flag tea for a healthy liver

Malva sylvestyis. N.O. Malvaceae.

Synonym: Cheese Flower, Common Mallow, Mauls.

Habitat: Around ledges and roadsides.

Features ? Several erect, hairy stems, two to three feet high. Leaf and flower stalks also hairy. Roundish leaf has five to seven lobes, middle one longest. Numerous flowers (June-September), large reddish-purple, clustered four or five together on axillary stalk.

Part used ? Flowers, herb.

Action: Demulcent, mucilaginous, pectoral.

1 ounce to 1 pint infusion makes a popular cough and cold remedy.... blue mallow

Colloquial term for Hapalochlaena spp.... blue-ringed octopus

Squaw root. Papoose root. Caulophyllum thalictroides L Mich. Root and rhizome. Action: anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic (womb), oxytocic, emmenagogue, anti-rheumatic. Excellent relaxing and stimulating nervine for the womb. Its principle influence is on the generative system and the sympathetic nervous system connected thereto, soothing and imparting tone to each. (J.T. Lyle) North American women gathered it along the trails for easy childbirth and to promote rapid recovery. Not given before pregnancy is commenced. For great exhaustion before labour with feeble results.

Uses: Early American settlers and Indians claimed its power to prevent premature labour and miscarriage, prolonged painful labours and rigidity of the os. Indicated in labour with no expulsive effort and to counter false labour pains with bearing down sensations in the abdomen. Dr Farrington (Ellingwood’s Therapeutist) knew a single dose to arrest them after lasting several hours.

For persistent amenorrhoea and to increase menstrual flow; painful adolescent menses. Habitual abortion. Painful inflammation of the vagina, internally; and as a douche. Adolescent leucorrhoea. Acute rheumatic pains of the menopause. Combines well with Motherwort for rapid recovery after childbirth. Preparations. Thrice daily, or as dictated for an acute condition.

Powder: by capsule or for decoction: dose, 0.3-1g.

Liquid Extract BHP (1983): 1:1 in 70 per cent alcohol; dose, 0.5-1ml. Tincture. One to ten parts 70 per cent alcohol. Dose: 1-2ml.

Note: Chiefly used the latter half of pregnancy. ... blue cohosh

Blueness of ears, hands, feet or nose, due to slow circulation of the blood through the small vessels of the skin. See: ACROCYANOSIS. ... blue flesh

A blue-black pigmented spot found on the lower back and buttocks at birth. The spots are a type of naevus and are caused by a concentration of melanocytes (pigmentproducing cells). Mongolian blue spots are commonly found in black or Asian children, and they usually disappear by the age of 3–4 years.... mongolian blue spot

(Huckleberries)

Nutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Low Protein: Low Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: High Fiber: Moderate Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin C Major mineral contribution: Calcium

About the Nutrients in This Food Blueberries have some protein and a little fat. They have no starch but do contain sugars and dietary fiber—primarily pectin, which dissolves as the fruit matures—and lignin in the seeds. (The difference between blueber- ries and huckleberries is the size of their seeds; blueberries have smaller ones than huckleberries.) One-half cup fresh blueberries has 1.5 g dietary fiber and 9.5 mg. vitamin C (13 percent of the R DA for a woman, 11 percent of the R DA for a man).

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food Fresh, raw, or lightly cooked.

Buying This Food Look for: Plump, firm dark-blue berries. The whitish color on the ber- ries is a natural protective coating. Avoid: Baskets of berries with juice stains or liquid leaking out of the berries. The stains and leaks are signs that there are crushed (and possibly moldy) berries inside.

Storing This Food Cover berries and refrigerate them. Then use them in a day or two. Do not wash berries before storing. The moisture increases the chance that they will mold in the refrigerator. Also, handling the berries can damage them, tearing cells and releas- ing enzymes that will destroy vitamins. Do not store blueberries in metal containers. The anthocyanin pigments in the berries can combine with metal ions to form dark, unattractive pigment/metal compounds that stain the containers and the berries.

Preparing This Food R inse the berries under cool running water, then drain them and pick them over carefully to remove all stems, leaves, and hard (immature) or soft (over-ripe) berries.

What Happens When You Cook This Food Cooking destroys some of the vitamin C in fresh blueberries and lets water-soluble B vitamins leach out. Cooked berries are likely to be mushy because heat dissolves the pectin inside. Blueberries may also change color when cooked. The berries are colored with blue anthocyanin pigments. Ordinarily, anthocyanin-pigmented fruits and vegetables turn red- dish in acids (lemon juice, vinegar) and deeper blue in bases (baking soda). But blueberries also contain yellow pigments (anthoxanthins). In a basic (alkaline) environments, as in a batter with too much baking soda, the yellow and blue pigments will combine, turning the blueberries greenish blue. Adding lemon juice to a blueberry pie stabilizes these pigments; it is a practical way to keep the berries a deep, dark reddish blue.

How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Canning and freezing. The intense heat used in canning the fruit or in blanching it before freezing reduces the vitamin C content of blueberries by half.

Medical Uses and/or Benefits Anticancer activity. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, wild blueberries rank first among all fruits in antioxidant content; cultivated blueberries (the ones sold in most food markets) rank second. Antioxidants are natural chemicals that inactivate free radicals, molecule fragments that can link together to form cancer-causing compounds. Several ani- mal studies attest to the ability of blueberries to inhibit the growth of specific cancers. For example, in 2005, scientists at the University of Georgia reported in the journal Food Research International that blueberry extracts inhibited the growth of liver cancer cells in laboratory settings. The following year, researchers at Rutgers University (in New Jersey) delivered data to the national meeting of the American Chemical Society from a study in which laboratory rats fed a diet supplemented with pterostilbene, another compound extracted from blueber- ries, had 57 percent fewer precancerous lesions in the colon than rats whose diet did not contain the supplement. The findings, however, have not been confirmed in humans. Enhanced memory function. In 2008, British researchers at the schools of Food Biosciences and Psychology at the University of Reading and the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the Peninsula Medical School (England) reported that adding blueberries to one’s normal diet appears to improve both long-term and short-term memory, perhaps because anthocyanins and flavonoids (water-soluble pigments in the berries) activate signals in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that controls learning and memory. If confirmed, the data would support the role played by diet in maintaining memory and brain function. Urinary antiseptic. A 1991 study at the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) suggests that blueberries, like cr anber r ies, contain a compound that inhibits the ability of Escherichia coli, a bacteria commonly linked to urinary infections, to stick to the wall of the bladder. If it cannot cling to cell walls, the bacteria will not cause an infection. This discovery lends some support to folk medicine, but how the berries work, how well they work, or in what “dos- ages” remains to be proven.

Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Allergic reaction. Hives and angiodemea (swelling of the face, lips, and eyes) are common allergic responses to berries, virtually all of which have been reported to trigger these reac- tions. According to the Merck Manual, berries are one of the 12 foods most likely to trigger classic food allergy symptoms. The others are chocolate, corn, eggs, fish, legumes (peas, lima beans, peanuts, soybeans), milk, nuts, peaches, pork, shellfish, and wheat (see wheat cer ea ls).... blueberries

Protection ... blueberry

Vaccinium and Gaylussacia species

Description: These shrubs vary in size from 30 centimeters to 3.7 meters tall. All have alternate, simple leaves. Their fruits may be dark blue, black, or red and have many small seeds.

Habitat and Distribution: These plants prefer open, sunny areas. They are found throughout much of the north temperate regions and at higher elevations in Central America.

Edible Parts: Their fruits are edible raw.... blueberry and huckleberry

Colloquial term for the single-tentacled Physalia utriculus.... bluebottle

If you’re looking for a fruity-flavored tea, try the blueberry tea! Not only is it richly aromatic, but it also comes with several health benefits. About Blueberry Tea Blueberry tea can be considered a type of black tea which has been infused with blueberry flavor. It can also contain pieces of dried blueberry, as well as pieces of other dried berries. Blueberry leaves may be used, as well. Blueberries are grown all around the world. Based on the place where they are cultivated, harvesting time may vary. In North America, harvesting starts in May and ends in late summer, while in the Southern Hemisphere, harvesting takes place during winter and may last until early spring. They are rich in vitamins, dietary fiber and dietary mineral manganese. Blueberry Tea Cocktail There is also a cocktail with the name “Blueberry Tea”. It is made from tea and liqueurs, and it is served hot, usually in a brandy snifter. The usual ingredients for the cocktail are Grand Marnier liqueur, Amaretto liqueur, and hot Orange Pekoe tea. If interested, you can give it a try. However, be careful not to mix it up when ordering Blueberry Tea in a place that might serve both. Despite its name, it might not contain anything blueberry-related; still, the taste is fruity, similar to that of blueberries, which is why the cocktail is named Blueberry Tea. How to prepare Blueberry Tea There are several ways in which you can enjoy a cup of Blueberry tea. For a classic cup of Blueberry tea, add a teaspoon of Blueberry tea leaves into a cup of hot water. Let it steep for 3-04 minutes before removing the leaves. Add sugar or honey to sweeten the taste. Another way to prepare Blueberry tea is with black Ceylon tea. Add a teaspoon of leaves or a teabag in a cup of hot water and let it steep for 3-4 minutes. After removing the tea leaves or the teabag, add fresh blueberry juice and stir; the more blueberry juice you add, the stronger the flavor. This is ideal during hot summer days, when you can serve it iced. Also, you can replace the black Ceylon tea with rooibos tea or white tea. Health Benefits of Blueberry tea Drinking Blueberry tea leads to plenty of health benefits. The black tea leaves are rich in antioxidants, amino acids, minerals and vitamins, while blueberries have plenty of nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C and E. Together, they help you stay healthy! The antioxidants that are found both in the tea leaves and in the berries are good at helping you fight off cancer. A cup of blueberry tea can reduce the risk of developing tumors and cancer. The antioxidants also have a neuroprotective effect on the brain. Therefore, it may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. Blueberry tea also helps when it comes to muscle damage. This time, the antioxidants are the ones protecting the muscle cells from muscle oxidative damage which is usually associated with high-intensity exercise. Blueberry tea reduces the risk of diabetes. Consumption of blueberry tea helps boost the insulin sensitivity. This way, the body uses insulin more efficiently to store glucose. It also helps lower the blood sugar levels, reducing the need for insulin. Blueberry tea lowers the blood pressure, as well, reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Polyphenols that are part of the blueberry tea’s composition help prevent urinary tract infections. They keep the harmful bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. Also, blueberry tea has ellagic acid, which protects the metabolic pathways. Side effects of Blueberry tea Besides the many health benefits, don’t forget that blueberry tea has a few side effects, as well. They’re not too harmful, but you should still remember them. If you’re suffering from diabetes, you know that blueberry tea is good for you, since it lowers the blood sugar levels. Still, you have to carefully monitor your blood sugar levels. In some cases, it may lower the blood sugar levels too much, and you might get hypoglycemia. Blueberry tea might affect blood glucose levels, so it might interfere with the blood sugar control both during and after a surgery. You should stay away from blueberry tea (and blueberries, in general) two weeks before the surgery. Be careful not to drink too much blueberry tea! This applies to all types of tea, too. It is recommended not to drink more than six cups of tea per day. For some, it might be even less. See if you get any of the following symptoms: headaches, dizziness, insomnia, irregular heartbeats, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. If you get them, you should reduce the amount of tea you drink.   Blueberry tea is a delicious, aromatic type of tea. It’s also good for your health, as it combines the health benefits of both black tea leaves and blueberries. Drink a cup or two a day and you won’t regret it!... discover the blueberry tea

the characteristic appearance of a patient suffering from heart failure as a result of *chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, marked by *cyanosis, oedema, and breathlessness at rest. The left ventricle of the heart is enlarged (see cor pulmonale).... blue bloater

an oxazine chloride, used for staining lipids and lipid pigments. Nile blue A (Nile blue sulphate), which stains fatty acids, changes from blue to purplish at pH 10–11.... nile blue

see baby blues.... postpartum blues

a dye used in microscopy for staining basophilic substances in tissue specimens.... toluidine blue

Water flag. Iris versicolor L. and I. caroliniana Watson. French: Iris. German: Blaue Iris. Spanish: Mavi Susan. Italian: Giglio azzura. Dried rhizome, root.

Action: anti-inflammatory, astringent (liver), cholagogue, diuretic, laxative, stimulant, anti-emetic, blood and lymph purifier, anti-obesity. A powerful alterative for passive sluggish conditions involving the liver, gall bladder, lymphatics, veins and glandular system. Restores loss of tonicity to involuntary muscle structures.

Uses: Chronic liver conditions to increase flow of bile. Cirrhosis, psoriasis, eczema and scrofulous skin disorders, acne, shingles, anal fissure. Combines well with Yellow Dock, Red Clover. Poke root and Queen’s Delight for skin disorders BHP (1983). Soft goitre (persist for months). Migraine or sick headache of liver origin. Reported to be of value in thyroid deficiency. Jaundice (Dr M.L. Tyler). Uterine fibroids: combined with Goldenseal and Balmony (Priest). Promotes secretions of pancreas, intestines and salivary glands.

Traditional combination: With equal parts Yellow Dock and Sarsaparilla as a powerful lymph cleanser. Henry Smith MD. “I use Blue Flag when there is any local disease involving the lymph glands. The vessels become enlarged and congested because of obstruction. Disease in these vessels is the forerunner of chronic skin disease. Blue Flag can be given in expectation of satisfactory results.”

Colonel Lydius, explorer. “The Indians take the root, wash it clean, boil it a little, then crush it between a couple of stones. They spread this crushed root as a poultice over leg ulcers. At the same time, the leg is bathed with the water in which the root is boiled. I have seen great cures by the use of this remedy. (Travels in North America, II. 606)

Preparations: Thrice daily.

Decoction: half a teaspoon to each cup water; simmer gently 15 minutes: dose – one-third cup. Liquid Extract, BHC Vol 1. 1:1, 45 per cent ethanol. Dose: 0.6-2ml.

Tincture, BHC Vol 1. 1:5, ethanol. Dose: 3-10ml. Powdered root. Half-2g.

Blue Flag is an ingredient of Potter’s Irisine Mixture.

Note: Tincture is best made from fresh root in early spring or autumn. ... blue flag root

Eucalyptus globulus var. globulus

FAMILY: Myrtaceae

SYNONYMS: Gum tree, southern blue gum, Tasmanian blue gum, fever tree, stringy bark.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A beautiful, tall, evergreen tree, up to 90 metres high. The young trees have bluish-green oval leaves while the mature trees develop long, narrow, yellowish leaves, creamy-white flowers and a smooth, pale grey bark often covered in a white powder.

DISTRIBUTION: Native to Tasmania and Australia. Mainly cultivated in Spain and Portugal, also Brazil, California, Russia and China. Very little of this oil now comes from its native countries.

OTHER SPECIES: There are over 700 different species of eucalyptus, of which at least 500 produce a type of essential oil. Many have been extracted simply for experimental purposes, and research is still being carried out with regard to the different constituents of each oil. In general, they can be divided into three categories. 1. The medicinal oils containing large amounts of cineol (or eucalyptol), such as the blue gum, but increasingly the blue malee (E. polybractea), the narrow-leaved peppermint (E. radiata var. australiana) and the gully gum (E. smithii). 2. The industrial oils containing mainly piperitone and phellandrene, such as the peppermint eucalyptus (E. piperita), grey peppermint (E. radiata var. phellandra) and increasingly the broad-leaved peppermint (E. dives var. Type). 3. The perfumery oils containing mainly citronellal, such as the lemon-scented eucalyptus (E. citriodora). See also Botanical Classification section.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: A traditional household remedy in Australia, the leaves and oil are especially used for respiratory ailments such as bronchitis and croup, and the dried leaves are smoked like tobacco for asthma. It is also used for feverish conditions (malaria, typhoid, cholera, etc.) and skin problems like burns, ulcers and wounds. Aqueous extracts are used for aching joints, bacterial dysentery, ringworms, tuberculosis, etc. and employed for similar reasons in western and eastern medicine. The wood is also used for timber production in Spain.

ACTIONS: Analgesic, antineuralgic, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, balsamic, cicatrisant, decongestant, deodorant, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, parasiticide, prophylactic, rubefacient, stimulant, vermifuge, vulnerary.

EXTRACTION: Essential oil by steam distillation from the fresh or partially dried leaves and young twigs.

CHARACTERISTICS: A colourless mobile liquid (yellows on ageing), with a somewhat harsh camphoraceous odour and woody-sweet undertone. It blends well with thyme, rosemary, lavender, marjoram, pine, cedarwood and lemon. (The narrow-leaved eucalyptus (E. radiata var. australiana) is often used in preference to the blue gum in aromatherapy work, being rich in cineol but with a sweeter and less harsh odour.)

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Cineol (70–85 per cent), pinene, limonene, cymene, phellandrene, terpinene, aromadendrene, among others.

SAFETY DATA: Externally non-toxic, non-irritant (in dilution), non-sensitizing. ‘When taken internally eucalyptus oil is toxic and as little as 3.5ml has been reported as fatal’..

AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE

Skin Care: Burns, blisters, cuts, herpes, insect bites, insect repellent, lice, skin infections, wounds.

Circulation Muscles And Joints: Muscular aches and pains, poor circulation, rheumatoid arthritis, sprains, etc.

Respiratory System: Asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs, sinusitis, throat infections.

Genito-Urinary System: Cystitis, leucorrhoea.

Immune System: Chickenpox, colds, epidemics, ’flu, measles.

Nervous System: Debility, headaches, neuralgia.

OTHER USES: The oil and cineol are largely employed in the preparation of liniments, inhalants, cough syrups, ointments, toothpaste and as pharmaceutical flavourings also used in veterinary practise and dentistry. Used as a fragrance component in soaps, detergents and toiletries – little used in perfumes. Used for the isolation of cineol and employed as a flavour ingredient in most major food categories.... eucalyptus, blue gum