(Samoan) In mythology, goddess of the moon
Habitat: Native of Europe and West Asia. Cultivated in North India as a crop.
English: White Mustard.Ayurvedic: Siddhaartha, Shveta Sarshapa, Sarshapa-Gaura.Unani: Khardal Safed.Siddha/Tamil: Venkadugu.Folk: Safed Raai.Action: Stimulant to gastric mucosa, increases pancreatic secretions; emetic (used in narcotic poisoning), diaphoretic, rubefacient. (As a counter-irritant it increases flow of blood to a specific area.) Used externally as a poultice in bronchitis, pleurisy, intercostal neuralgia, chilbains.
Seeds contain glucosinolates. Sinalbin in B. alba and sinigrin in B. juneja oil are toxic constituents. The oil with toxic constituents should be avoided in gastrointestinal ulcers and kidney disorders. When moistened, sinigrin in the seeds is degraded to allyl isothiocyanate, a potent irritant volatile oil. (Francis Brinker.)Glucosinolates are goitrogenic. Excessive consumption of Brassica sp. vegetables may alter absorption of thyroid hormone in G2 tract. (Sharon M. Herr.)... brassica albaHabitat: Cultivated as an oil-yielding crop.
English: Field Mustard, Turnip Rape.Ayurvedic: Sarshapa, Siddhaartha.Unani: Sarson.Siddha/Tamil: Kadugu.Action: Stimulant, diuretic, emetic, rubefacient, counter-irritant. Used externally for bronchitis and rheumatic pains (increases flow of blood to a specific area). Powdered seeds are used as a tea for colds, influenza and fever.
The seeds contain glycosinolates (the derivatives are responsible for tox- icity). The concentration of the major glucosinolate, gluco-napin, varies from 0.64 to 1.8% in the oil-free meal of Indian brassicas. The glucosinolates in rapeseed meal split upon enzymatic hydrolysis to produce glucose, potassium, hydrogen sulphate and a sulphur- containing compound which undergoes intramolecular rearrangement to give rise to the antinutritional factors, isothiocyanates or thiocyanates.The volatile oil of mustard is given internally in colic; in overdoses it is highly poisonous and produces gastro- enteric inflammations. It is employed externally as a liniment for rheumatic pains.Adulteration of mustard oil with argemone oil (Argemone mexicana is frequently found growing in brassica fields), by accident or by design, has led to the widespread epidemics of dropsy and glaucoma due to an alkaloid sanguinarine.Black mustard contains sinigrin, which on hydrolysis by enzyme my- rosin, produces allyisothiocynate; the white mustard contains sinalbin, which produces p-hydroxybenzyl isothiocy- nate. Mucilage contains sinapine.Dosage: Seed—500 mg to 1 g paste. (API Vol. III.)... brassica campestrisNutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Low Protein: Trace Fat: Trace Saturated fat: None Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: Trace Fiber: Trace Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: None Major mineral contribution: None
About the Nutrients in This Food Coffee beans are roasted seeds from the fruit of the evergreen coffee tree. Like other nuts and seeds, they are high in proteins (11 percent), sucrose and other sugars (8 percent), oils (10 to 15 percent), assorted organic acids (6 percent), B vitamins, iron, and the central nervous system stimulant caffeine (1 to 2 percent). With the exceptions of caffeine, none of these nutrients is found in coffee. Like spinach, rhubarb, and tea, coffee contains oxalic acid (which binds calcium ions into insoluble compounds your body cannot absorb), but this is of no nutritional consequence as long as your diet contains adequate amounts of calcium-rich foods. Coffee’s best known constituent is the methylxanthine central ner- vous system stimulant caffeine. How much caffeine you get in a cup of coffee depends on how the coffee was processed and brewed. Caffeine is Caffeine Content/Coffee Servings Brewed coffee 60 mg/five-ounce cup Brewed/decaffeinated 5 mg/five-ounce cup Espresso 64 mg/one-ounce serving Instant 47 mg/rounded teaspoon
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food In moderation, with high-calcium foods. Like spinach, rhubarb, and tea, coffee has oxalic acid, which binds calcium into insoluble compounds. This will have no important effect as long as you keep your consumption moderate (two to four cups of coffee a day) and your calcium consumption high.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Bland diet Gout diet Diet for people with heart disease (regular coffee)
Buying This Food Look for: Ground coffee and coffee beans in tightly sealed, air- and moisture-proof containers. Avoid: Bulk coffees or coffee beans stored in open bins. When coffee is exposed to air, the volatile molecules that give it its distinctive flavor and richness escape, leaving the coffee flavorless and/or bitter.
Storing This Food Store unopened vacuum-packed cans of ground coffee or coffee beans in a cool, dark cabinet—where they will stay fresh for six months to a year. They will lose some flavor in storage, though, because it is impossible to can coffee without trapping some flavor- destroying air inside the can. Once the can or paper sack has been opened, the coffee or beans should be sealed as tight as possible and stored in the refrigerator. Tightly wrapped, refrigerated ground coffee will hold its freshness and flavor for about a week, whole beans for about three weeks. For longer storage, freeze the coffee or beans in an air- and moistureproof container. ( You can brew coffee directly from frozen ground coffee and you can grind frozen beans without thawing them.)
Preparing This Food If you make your coffee with tap water, let the water run for a while to add oxygen. Soft water makes “cleaner”-tasting coffee than mineral-rich hard water. Coffee made with chlorinated water will taste better if you refrigerate the water overnight in a glass (not plastic) bottle so that the chlorine evaporates. Never make coffee with hot tap water or water that has been boiled. Both lack oxygen, which means that your coffee will taste flat. Always brew coffee in a scrupulously clean pot. Each time you make coffee, oils are left on the inside of the pot. If you don’t scrub them off, they will turn rancid and the next pot of coffee you brew will taste bitter. To clean a coffee pot, wash it with detergent, rinse it with water in which you have dissolved a few teaspoons of baking soda, then rinse one more time with boiling water.
What Happens When You Cook This Food In making coffee, your aim is to extract flavorful solids (including coffee oils and sucrose and other sugars) from the ground beans without pulling bitter, astringent tannins along with them. How long you brew the coffee determines how much solid material you extract and how the coffee tastes. The longer the brewing time, the greater the amount of solids extracted. If you brew the coffee long enough to extract more than 30 percent of its solids, you will get bitter compounds along with the flavorful ones. (These will also develop by let- ting coffee sit for a long time after brewing it.) Ordinarily, drip coffee tastes less bitter than percolator coffee because the water in a drip coffeemaker goes through the coffee only once, while the water in the percolator pot is circulated through the coffee several times. To make strong but not bitter coffee, increase the amount of coffee—not the brewing time.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Drying. Soluble coffees (freeze-dried, instant) are made by dehydrating concentrated brewed coffee. These coffees are often lower in caffeine than regular ground coffees because caffeine, which dissolves in water, is lost when the coffee is dehydrated. Decaffeinating. Decaffeinated coffee is made with beans from which the caffeine has been extracted, either with an organic solvent (methylene chloride) or with water. How the coffee is decaffeinated has no effect on its taste, but many people prefer water-processed decaf- feinated coffee because it is not a chemically treated food. (Methylene chloride is an animal carcinogen, but the amounts that remain in coffees decaffeinated with methylene chloride are so small that the FDA does not consider them hazardous. The carcinogenic organic sol- vent trichloroethylene [TCE], a chemical that causes liver cancer in laboratory animals, is no longer used to decaffeinate coffee.)
Medical Uses and/or Benefits As a stimulant and mood elevator. Caffeine is a stimulant. It increases alertness and concentra- tion, intensifies muscle responses, quickens heartbeat, and elevates mood. Its effects derive from the fact that its molecular structure is similar to that of adenosine, a natural chemical by-product of normal cell activity. Adenosine is a regular chemical that keeps nerve cell activ- ity within safe limits. When caffeine molecules hook up to sites in the brain when adenosine molecules normally dock, nerve cells continue to fire indiscriminately, producing the jangly feeling sometimes associated with drinking coffee, tea, and other caffeine products. As a rule, it takes five to six hours to metabolize and excrete caffeine from the body. During that time, its effects may vary widely from person to person. Some find its stimu- lation pleasant, even relaxing; others experience restlessness, nervousness, hyperactivity, insomnia, flushing, and upset stomach after as little as one cup a day. It is possible to develop a tolerance for caffeine, so people who drink coffee every day are likely to find it less imme- diately stimulating than those who drink it only once in a while. Changes in blood vessels. Caffeine’s effects on blood vessels depend on site: It dilates coronary and gastrointestinal vessels but constricts blood vessels in your head and may relieve headache, such as migraine, which symptoms include swollen cranial blood vessels. It may also increase pain-free exercise time in patients with angina. However, because it speeds up heartbeat, doc- tors often advise patients with heart disease to avoid caffeinated beverages entirely. As a diuretic. Caffeine is a mild diuretic sometimes included in over-the-counter remedies for premenstrual tension or menstrual discomfort.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Stimulation of acid secretion in the stomach. Both regular and decaffeinated coffees increase the secretion of stomach acid, which suggests that the culprit is the oil in coffee, not its caffeine. Elevated blood levels of cholesterol and homocysteine. In the mid-1990s, several studies in the Netherlands and Norway suggested that drinking even moderate amounts of coffee (five cups a day or less) might raise blood levels of cholesterol and homocysteine (by-product of protein metabolism considered an independent risk factor for heart disease), thus increas- ing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Follow-up studies, however, showed the risk limited to drinking unfiltered coffees such as coffee made in a coffee press, or boiled coffees such as Greek, Turkish, or espresso coffee. The unfiltered coffees contain problematic amounts of cafestol and kahweol, two members of a chemical family called diterpenes, which are believed to affect cholesterol and homocysteine levels. Diterpenes are removed by filtering coffee, as in a drip-brew pot. Possible increased risk of miscarriage. Two studies released in 2008 arrived at different conclusions regarding a link between coffee consumption and an increased risk of miscar- riage. The first, at Kaiser Permanente (California), found a higher risk of miscarriage among women consuming even two eight-ounce cups of coffee a day. The second, at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine (New York), found no such link. However, although the authors of the Kaiser Permanente study described it as a “prospective study” (a study in which the research- ers report results that occur after the study begins), in fact nearly two-thirds of the women who suffered a miscarriage miscarried before the study began, thus confusing the results. Increased risk of heartburn /acid reflux. The natural oils in both regular and decaffeinated coffees loosen the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a muscular valve between the esopha- gus and the stomach. When food is swallowed, the valve opens to let food into the stomach, then closes tightly to keep acidic stomach contents from refluxing (flowing backwards) into the esophagus. If the LES does not close efficiently, the stomach contents reflux and cause heartburn, a burning sensation. Repeated reflux is a risk factor for esophageal cancer. Masking of sleep disorders. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem associated not only with automobile accidents but also with health conditions such as depression and high blood pres- sure. People who rely on the caffeine in a morning cup of coffee to compensate for lack of sleep may put themselves at risk for these disorders. Withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine is a drug for which you develop a tolerance; the more often you use it, the more likely you are to require a larger dose to produce the same effects and the more likely you are to experience withdrawal symptoms (headache, irritation) if you stop using it. The symptoms of coffee-withdrawal can be relieved immediately by drinking a cup of coffee.
Food/Drug Interactions Drugs that make it harder to metabolize caffeine. Some medical drugs slow the body’s metabolism of caffeine, thus increasing its stimulating effect. The list of such drugs includes cimetidine (Tagamet), disulfiram (Antabuse), estrogens, fluoroquinolone antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, norfloxacin), fluconazole (Diflucan), fluvoxamine (Luvox), mexi- letine (Mexitil), riluzole (R ilutek), terbinafine (Lamisil), and verapamil (Calan). If you are taking one of these medicines, check with your doctor regarding your consumption of caf- feinated beverages. Drugs whose adverse effects increase due to consumption of large amounts of caffeine. This list includes such drugs as metaproterenol (Alupent), clozapine (Clozaril), ephedrine, epinephrine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, phenylpropanolamine, and theophylline. In addition, suddenly decreasing your caffeine intake may increase blood levels of lithium, a drug used to control mood swings. If you are taking one of these medicines, check with your doctor regarding your consumption of caffeinated beverages. Allopurinol. Coffee and other beverages containing methylxanthine stimulants (caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine) reduce the effectiveness of the antigout drug allopurinol, which is designed to inhibit xanthines. Analgesics. Caffeine strengthens over-the-counter painkillers (acetaminophen, aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories [NSAIDS] such as ibuprofen and naproxen). But it also makes it more likely that NSAIDS will irritate your stomach lining. Antibiotics. Coffee increases stomach acidity, which reduces the rate at which ampicillin, erythromycin, griseofulvin, penicillin, and tetracyclines are absorbed when they are taken by mouth. (There is no effect when the drugs are administered by injection.) Antiulcer medication. Coffee increases stomach acidity and reduces the effectiveness of nor- mal doses of cimetidine and other antiulcer medication. False-positive test for pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytoma, a tumor of the adrenal glands, secretes adrenalin, which is converted to VM A (vanillylmandelic acid) by the body and excreted in the urine. Until recently, the test for this tumor measured the levels of VM A in the patient’s urine and coffee, which contains VM A, was eliminated from patients’ diets lest it elevate the level of VM A in the urine, producing a false-positive test result. Today, more finely drawn tests make this unnecessary. Iron supplements. Caffeine binds with iron to form insoluble compounds your body cannot absorb. Ideally, iron supplements and coffee should be taken at least two hours apart. Birth control pills. Using oral contraceptives appears to double the time it takes to eliminate caffeine from the body. Instead of five to six hours, the stimulation of one cup of coffee may last as long as 12 hours. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are drugs used to treat depression. They inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your body that metabolize tyra- mine, a substance found in many fermented or aged foods. Tyramine constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. Caffeine is a substance similar to tyramine. If you consume excessive amounts of a caffeinated beverage such as coffee while you are taking an M AO inhibitor, the result may be a hypertensive crisis. Nonprescription drugs containing caffeine. The caffeine in coffee may add to the stimulant effects of the caffeine in over-the-counter cold remedies, diuretics, pain relievers, stimulants, and weight-control products containing caffeine. Some cold pills contain 30 mg caffeine, some pain relievers 130 mg, and some weight-control products as much as 280 mg caffeine. There are 110 –150 mg caffeine in a five-ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee. Sedatives. The caffeine in coffee may counteract the drowsiness caused by sedative drugs; this may be a boon to people who get sleepy when they take antihistamines. Coffee will not, however, “sober up” people who are experiencing the inebriating effects of alcoholic beverages. Theophylline. Caffeine relaxes the smooth muscle of the bronchi and may intensif y the effects (and/or increase the risk of side effects) of this antiasthmatic drug.... coffee
Habitat: Native to East Asia; cultivated in Assam, Vadodara, Tamil Nadu, Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
English: Wild Yam, Greater Yam, Asiatic Yam.Ayurvedic: Kaashthaaluka. Aaluka (var.). Aalukas (yams) of Ayurvedic texts, belong to Dioscorea spp.Siddha/Tamil: Perumvalli kizhangu.Folk: Kathaalu.Action: Even the best among the cultivated yams causes irritation in the throat or a feeling of discomfort when eaten raw. Wild yams—cholagogue, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, diuretic. Also used for painful periods, cramps and muscle tension.
Key application: Dioscorea villosa L., Wild Yam—as spasmolytic, anti-inflammatory. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)The edible tubers of Dioscorea alata are purple-coloured and contain an- thocyanins, cyanidin and peonidin- 3-gentiobioside acylated with sinapic acid. The tubers contain surcose, while leaves contain large quantities of D- fructose, D-glucose and the polyols, 2-deoxyribitol, 6-deoxysorbitol and glycerol.Mouldy yams are reported to contain a compound ipomeanol which is being tested against human lung cancer. (J. Am Med Assoc, 1994,15, 23.)Diosgenin obtained from Dioscorea species was used in the first commercial production of oral contraceptives, topical hormones, systemic corticos- teroids, androgens, estrogens, pro- gestogens and other sex hormones.The chemical transformation of di- osgenin to estrogen, progesterone or any other steroidal compound does not occur in human body. Topically applied Wild Yam does not appear to cause changes in serum FSH, estradi- ol or progesterone. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Diosgenin, combined with the drug clofibrate, caused a greater decrease in LDL than either substance alone in rats. (Sharon M. Herr.)... dioscorea alataHabitat: Native to China; grown as an ornamental.
English: Common Crape Myrtle.Siddha/Tamil: Pavalak-kurinji, Sinappu.Folk: Saavani, Faraash.Action: Seed—narcotic. Bark— stimulant, febrifuge. Leaves and flowers—purgative. Root— astringent. Used as a gargle.... lagerstroemia indica
Habitat: Arunachal Pradesh (Mishmi Hills).
Action: Toxic to CNS.
The extract of the bark and leaves are used as an adulterant of illegal opium and are sold in the black market in certain areas in Indonesia.The bark contains an iridoid glu- coside, ligstroside, and the phenolic glucosides, syringin and sinapaldehyde glucoside.Family: Oleaceae.Habitat: F. excelsior Linn.—Great Britain, Europe and North America. F. hookery—Western Himalaya at 2,700-3,350 m.
English: European Ash, Weeping Ash.Folk: Kum, Sum, Hum, Sinnun (Punjab, Kashmir).Action: F. excelsior—laxative, antiinflammatory, febrifuge. The bark and leaves are used for arthritis and rheumatism.
The herb gave coumarin derivatives, including fraxin, fraxetin and fraxinol; flavonoids based on aesculetin, including aescin, also rutin and quercetin. A coumarin derivative is actively diuretic.A saccharine exudate, manna, consisting principally of mannitol, is obtained by incising the stem barks of some Fraxinus sp. found in India. The manna of commerce is derived from F. ornus. F. hookery (bark)—astringent, febrifuge, bitter tonic. Leaves—cathartic.Ash Bark is used, in decoction, in the treatment of intermittent fever and ague, as a substitute for Peruvian bark. Also used for treating obstructions of the liver and spleen and in rheumatism and arthritic affections.Preparations of European Ash Bark showed an analgesic, anti-exudative and antiphlogistic action. (German Commission E.)Habitat: Indigenous to the coasts of the Mediterranean from Spain to Smyrna.
English: Flake Manna.Unani: Turanjeen.Action: A children's laxative. Usually prescribed with other purgatives. (Not to be used in the presence of ileus.)
Key application: In constipation where an easier elimination and a soft stool are desirable; in animents such as anal fissures, haemorrhoids and post-rectal and surgery. (German Commission E.)The exudation contains 40-90% mannitol, 10-15% stachyose and man- notriose, glucose, fructose.... fraxinus griffithiiHabitat: Native to West Asia; cultivated throughout India as a salad plant.
English: Garden Cress, Water Cress.Ayurvedic: Chandrashuura, Chan- drikaa, Vaas-pushpaa, Pashume- hankaarikaa, Nandini, Suvaasaraa, Aashaalim.Unani: Habb-ul-rashaad, Tukh-e- Taratezak, Haalim, Sipandaan.Siddha/Tamil: Alivirai.Action: Used in asthma, bronchial affections and bleeding piles. Seeds—lactagogue, diuretic, and emmenagogue. Used for treating skin disorders, fever, amoebic dysentery and asthma. Leaf— stimulant, antiscorbutic, diuretic. Roots—used in secondary syphilis and in tenesmus.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the use of dried seeds, in powder form, in gout.The seeds are a good source of iron, but its bioavailability is poor (5.4% of total iron). They are used for rapid healing ofbone fractures. The ethano- lic extract of seeds significantly increased collagen synthesis and its deposition at bone fracture portion in the treated rats. The tensile strength of the broken tibiae also increased.The seeds contain an alkaloid (0.19%), glucotropaeolin, sinapin (cho- line ester of sinapic acid), sinapic acid, mucilaginous matter (5%) and uric acid (0.108 g/kg). The seed oil exhibits pronounced oestrogenic activity.The seed mucilage allays the irritation of the mucous membrane of intestines in dysentery and diarrhoea. It consists of a mixture of cellulose (18.3%) and uronic acid-containing polysaccharides; acid hydrolysis yield L-arabinose, D-galactose, L-rhamnose, D-glacturonic acid and D-glucose.The plant contains pantothenic acid, pyridoxin and rutin. Ethanolic extract of the plant showed antiviral activity against rinderpest virus.Dosage: Seed—3-6 g powder. (API, Vol. I.)... lepidium sativumHabitat: Western Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.
English: Gipsywort, Bugleweed.Folk: Gandam-gundu, Jalneem.Action: Cardioactive, diuretic, peripheral vasoconstrictor, sedative, narcotic, antihaemorrhagic, antitussive, thyrostatic.
Key application: In mild thyroid hyperfunction (contraindicated in thyroid hypofunction, enlargement of thyroid) with disturbances of vegetative nervous system; masto- dynia (tension and pain in breast). No simultaneous administration of thyroid preparations. Administration of Bugleweed preparations interferes with the administration of diagnostic procedures using radioactive isotopes. (German Commission E.)The leaves contain lithospermic acid. Plant contains luteolin-7-glucoside; ur- solic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, ellagic acid and other derivatives of phenolic acid. The antioxidant activity of the plant is partially attributed to rosmarinic acid. Antigonadotropic activity of the leaf extract is attributed to phenolic precursors.Ethanol extract of the plant showed diverse effects on the pituitary, thyroid and gonadal glands of rats.A closely related species, Lycopus virginicus of Europe, exhibits anti- thyrotropic activity. It induces TSH repletion in hypothyroid rats and reduction of TSH levels in euthyroid rats. Antigonadotropic activity has been demonstrated in rats.... lycopus europaeusHabitat: Native to Britain and Europe; found in Kashmir.
English: Bogbean, Buckbean, Goat's bean, Marsh Trefoil.Folk: Buckbean.Action: Bitter tonic, deobstruent. Laxative in large doses. Used for diseases of liver and gallbladder, and rheumatism. (Contraindicated in diarrhoea, dysentery and colitis.)
Key application: Leaf—in loss of appetite, peptic discomforts. (German Commission E.) As a bitter tonic. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) The drug stimulates saliva and gastric juice secretion. (German Commission E.)The herb contains iridoid glyco- sides, foliamenthin, dihydrofoliamen- thin, menthiafolin and loganin; pyri- dine alkaloids including gentianine; coumarins (scopoletin); phenolic acids (caffeic, with protocatechuic, ferulic, sinapic, vanillic including others; fla- vonoids including rutin, hyperoside.Choleretic action of the herb is attributed to the synergistic action of caffeic and ferulic acids and iridoid glycosides.Scoparone and scopoletin (cou- marins isolated from the aerial parts) exhibit antihepatotoxic, choleretic and cholagogue properties.The rhizomes contain dihydrofolia- menthin, loganin, menthiafolin and a triterpenoid saponin menyantho- side. Aqueous extract of the rhizome showed greater preserved renal function and higher glomerular filtration rate, possibly due to Platelet Activating Factor (PAF)-antagonistic effect of the extract.... menyanthes trifoliataHabitat: Tropical Himalayas, Khasi Hills, Deccan Peninsula and the Andamans.
English: White Lady, White Rag Plant.Ayurvedic: Shrivati.Siddha/Tamil: Vellai-yilai, Velli- madandai.Folk: Shrivara, Bedina, Bebina, Bhutakesha (Maharashtra), Naagaballi (Bengal)Action: Flower—diuretic, anti- asthmatic, antiperiodic. Leaves and flowers—used in external applications for ulcers. Root—used in the treatment of white leprosy. White petiolate bract—prescribed in jaundice.
The flowers contain anthocyanins, hyperin, quercetin, rutin, ferulic and sinapic acids; beta-sitosterol glucoside.Mussaenda glabra Vahl (tropical Himalayas from Nepal eastwards, Bihar, Bengal and Assam) is known as Son- aaruupaa in Assam. An infusion of the leaves is used for cough, asthma, recurrent fevers; also as a diuretic in dropsy.... mussaenda frondosaHabitat: The Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim and the hills of Assam.
English: Snake Weed, Bistort, Dragon Wort.Unani: Anjabaar.Action: Anti-inflammatory, haemostatic, astringent, demulcent, anticatarrhal, antidiarrhoeal. Used for internal haemorrhages, irritable bowel, diverticulosis, urinary and uterine affections. Used as a mouth wash and gargle for ulcerated mouth and bleeding gums.
The herb contains ferulic, sinapic, vanillic, syringic, melilotic, p-couma- ric, p-hydroxybenzoic, gentisic, sali- cyclic and ellagic acids, about 15-20% tannins mainly catechins.When administered before the induction of adjuvant arthritis, the aqueous-ethanolic extract of the herb inhibited both the maximal oedema response and the total oedema response in rat.... polygonum bistortaHabitat: Southeastern North America.
English: Sabal, Saw Palmetto.Action: Ripe fruit—diuretic, urinary antiseptic, antiandrogenic, and antiexudative.
The fruit contains fatty acids, especially capric, caproic, caprylic, lau- ric, myristic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic and palmitic acids; sterols, principally beta-sitosterol and its 3-gluco- side (and fatty acid derivatives), cam- pesterol and stigmasterol; triglycerides; triterpenes; alkanols; polysaccharides; flavonoids; essential oil and anthranilic acid.Key application: In urination problems due to benign prostatic hyperplasia stages I and II (German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO.) (The lipophilic extracts of Saw Palmetto berries are used in France and Germany for the treatment of BPH. In a study (1999), shrinkage of the epithelial tissue in the transition zone of the prostate has been recorded. (Expanded Commission E Monographs.) (For Clinical studies, see ESCOP.)In India, Sabal palmetto Lodd. Ex Roem. & Schult (Sabal or Cabbage Palm) is planted in gardens for ornament. The sweet drupes are eaten as such or cooked for preparing a syrup. Other species of Sabal introduced into Indian gardens are: S. mauritiiformis Griseb. & Wendl., S. mexicana Mart., S. umbraculifera Mart., and S. minor Pers. The leaves of S. mexicana contain cyanidin. The leaves of S. minor contain caffeic, p-coumaric and sinapic acids.... seronoa repensEvidence exists that bereavement is related to a suppression of white cell function. As long as one year may elapse before a normal blood pattern is regained. (Dr Stephen Schleifer, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City)
To help restore lymphocyte count and relieve depression/anxiety: Combine equal parts Red Clover (blood): Valerian (nerves) and Motherwort (heart).
Tea: 1-2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes; half-1 cup 2-3 times daily.
Alternative. Tea: equal parts Motherwort, Balm and Chamomile. 2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-15 minutes. 1 cup as desired.
Liquid Extracts: 20-60 drops in water, 2-3 times daily.
Pulsatilla. (Nalda Gosling, FNIMH, Herbal Practitioner: Apr 79, p.11)
Note: Grief is known to make changes in hormone production and invariably centres on the reproductive system manifesting as a uterine or prostate disturbance. ... grief
Causes: damage from gall-stones, aftermath of infections, drugs; the commonest is alcohol. Usually made up of three factors: toxaemia (self-poisoning), poor nutrition, infective bacteria or virus.
Symptoms. Loss of appetite, dyspepsia, low grade fever, nosebleeds, lethargy, spidery blood vessels on face, muscular weakness, jaundice, loss of sex urge, redness of palms of hands, unable to lie on left side. Mechanical pressure may cause dropsy and ascites. Alcohol-induced cirrhosis correlates with low phospholipid levels.
Treatment. Bitter herbs are a daily necessity to keep the bile fluid and flowing. Among other agents, peripheral vaso-dilators are indicated. Regulate bowels.
Teas. Balmony, Milk Thistle, Boldo, Bogbean. Dandelion coffee. Barberry tea (cold water). Tablets/capsules. Calamus, Blue Flag, Wild Yam.
Formula. Wahoo 2; Wild Yam 1; Blue Flag root 1. Dose: Liquid Extracts: one 5ml teaspoon. Tinctures: two 5ml teaspoons. Powders: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon). Thrice daily.
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum). Based on its silymarin contents: 70-210mg, thrice daily.
Practitioner. For pain. Tincture Gelsemium: 5-10 drops in water when necessary.
Enema. Constipation may be severe for which warm water injection should be medicated with few drops Tincture Myrrh.
Diet. High protein, high starch, low fat. Reject alcohol. Accept: Dandelion coffee, artichokes, raw onion juice, turmeric as a table spice.
Lecithin. Soy-derived lecithin to antidote alcohol-induced cirrhosis. (Study: Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center & Mount Sinai Hospital School of Medicine, New York City)
Supplements. B-complex, B12, C (1g), K, Magnesium, Zinc.
Treatment by or in liaison with a general medical practitioner or gastro-enterologist. ... liver – cirrhosis
The disease is transmitted by the anopheles protozoa. Old cases present with fever, jaundice, diarrhoea and confusion.
Symptoms: incubation 2-5 weeks. Onset sudden, with shivering and high fever (104°F), headache, vomiting. Symptoms recur every 2-3 days. Blood sample examination confirms.
Treatment. Drugs once useful in the fight against malaria are losing their effectiveness. Drug resistance becomes a major problem; in which case the remedies of antiquity have something to offer.
Alternatives. Yarrow was once regarded as the Englishman’s Quinine. Nettle tea (Dr Compton Burnett). Prickly Ash (Ellingwood). Barberry, Chiretta, Peruvian bark BHP (1983). Mountain Grape (Berberis aquifolium) (Ellingwood). Wild Indigo, cases of extreme prostration (Dr Wm Boericke).
Sweet Wormwood. The Chinese Qing Hao (Artemisia annua) proved beneficial for millennia before Quinine arrived on the scene. Its re-discovery by Professor Nelson is declared ‘very effective’.
Formula. Liquid Extracts: Boneset 1; Yarrow 1; Barberry half; Valerian half. Few drops Tincture Capsicum. Dose: 1-2 teaspoons every 2 hours.
Malaria was rife in parts of America, especially Arkansus. During the Civil War it was difficult to obtain Quinine and various alternatives were tried. Where symptoms of chills and intermittent fever presented, Gelsemium gained considerable reputation as a substitute, also as a preventative. A favourite prescription was three drops tincture in a little brandy every 2-3 hours before the chill, and repeated every hour.
Dr M.H. Grannell, Sinaloa, Mexico. “I do not doubt that I treat more malaria than any other five physicians in the United States. My sole remedy, unless other indications present themselves, is Gelsemium. I give the following with never-failing results: 30 drops Tincture Gelsemium in 4oz water. Dose: 1 teaspoon hourly.” (Ellingwood, June 1920)
Thomas Nuttall, botanist. In 1819, when on tour in Arkansus, relieved a malarial attack with decoction of Boneset.
David Hoffman, MNIMH. 1 teaspoon Peruvian bark in each cup boiling water; infuse 30 minutes. Thrice daily.
Diet. 3-day fast.
Treatment by or in liaison with a general medical practitioner. ... malaria
Constituents: sinigrin (black), sinalbin (white), mucilage, sinapine.
Action: diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, rubefacient, stimulant. As a counter-irritant it induces inflammation causing dilation of blood vessels, thus increasing flow of blood to a specific area, externally.
Uses: Internal. As a tea for colds, influenza and early stage of fevers for profuse sweat to reduce a raised temperature. Hypothermia (quarter of a teaspoon powder in honey, banana mash or tea) to stimulate body heat. Today, rarely used internally.
Emetic: 1 tablespoon powder or seeds in pint tepid water.
Uses: External. As a poultice for painful chests to promote increased circulation for the relief of bronchitis, pleurisy, intercostal neuralgia. Chilblains. Cold, painful joints of old age.
Foot-bath: 1 tablespoon in muslin bag to 2 pints boiling water. Cool, stir well.
Preparations: As necessary. Quarter of a teaspoon powder to each cup boiling water (honey increases palatability).
Powder: sprinkle in boots or shoes for fisherman’s cold feet.
Oil: for cold arthritic joints: 1 part Mustard powder or seeds gently simmered in 20oz vegetable oil half hour. Strain. Bottle. external use only Internal use – practitioner only ... mustard, common
FAMILY: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
SYNONYMS: Sinapsis nigra, B. sinapioides, black mustard.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: An erect annual up to 3 metres high, with spear-shaped upper leaves, smooth flat pods containing about ten dark brown seeds, and bright yellow cabbage-like flowers.
DISTRIBUTION: Common throughout south eastern Europe, southern Siberia, Asia Minor and North Africa; naturalized in North and South America. Cultivated for its seed and oil in England, Holland, Denmark, Germany and Italy.
OTHER SPECIES: The Russian variety is known as brown mustard or ‘sarepta’ (B. juncea); the white mustard (B. alba) does not contain any essential oil. Also closely related is rape (B. napus) and other local species which are used in India and China.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: The seeds are highly esteemed as a condiment and for their medicinal qualities. They have been used in the East and West to aid the digestion, warm the stomach and promote the appetite, and for cold, stiff or feverish conditions such as colds, chills, coughs, chilblains, rheumatism, arthritis, lumbago and general aches and pains.
ACTIONS: Aperitif, antimicrobial, antiseptic, diuretic, emetic, febrifuge, rubefacient (produces blistering of the skin), stimulant.
EXTRACTION: Essential oil by steam (or water) distillation from the black mustard seeds, which have been macerated in warm water.
CHARACTERISTICS: A colourless or pale yellow liquid with a sharp, penetrating, acrid odour.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Allyl isothiocyanate (99 per cent). NB: Black mustard seed or powder does not contain this constituent, which is only formed by contact with water during the production of the essential oil.
SAFETY DATA: Oral toxin, dermal toxin, mucous membrane irritant. It is considered one of the most toxic of all essential oils.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE None. ‘It should not be used in therapy either externally or internally.’.
OTHER USES: Used in certain rubefacient or counter-irritant liniments. Used extensively by the food industry especially in pickles, seasonings and sauces. Little used as a fragrance component except in cat and dog repellents.... mustard
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