Herbal Remedies For

Specific Ailments: A-G

Acne
Equal parts:  Butternut, Burdock, Echinacea and Cleavers to 5ml of tincture applied three times a day.

Altitude Sickness
In a pot of boiling water, steep Cloves, Allspice, Bay Leaf, Celery Seed, Cinnamon and Marjoram in quantities to taste.  Mix in the following mints:  Basil, Savory and Thyme.  Should be taken in advance of anticipated travel or hike.

Alzheimer's Disease
This disease affects four million Americans.  It strikes about 10 percent of people over 65 and about half of those who live beyond 85.  Acetylcholine is a brain chemical known as a neurotransmitter.  Acetylcholine is a key ingredient to cognition and reasoning.  People with Alzheimer's often have a deficiency of Acetylcholine.  The problem with experimental and FDA approved drugs is their toxicity which carry a potential for liver disease.  Since the premise is to slow the degeneration of Acetylcholine and preserve what is already in the brain, there are herbs that can help. 

It just makes sense to look at herbal alternatives, specifically those herbs that contain compounds that prevent the breakdown of Acetylcholine.  Horsebalm, Rosemary, Brazil Nut, Dandelion, Fava Beans, Fenugreek, Ginkgo, Sage, Stinging Nettle, Willow and Gotu Kola are all beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer's.  Those herbs that can be added as dietary supplements are encouraged.  Horsebalm helps to prevent the breakdown of Acetylcholine.  Add a few droppers of Horsebalm to a favorite herbal shampoo.  Research has also shown that adding foods high in lecithin is promising.  Plant foods such as Dandelion Flowers, Poppy Seeds, Soybeans and mung beans should also be added to the diet.

Arthritis
The term Arthritis literally translates to "joint inflammation."  If you suffer from Arthritis, chances are you have taken drugs to combat the effects or tried other "home remedies."  If you haven't yet tried "Urtication," it might be helpful.  The term "Urtication" comes from the botanical name, Urtica dioica and dates back some 2,000 years to biblical times.  Urtica dioica is "Stinging Nettle.  The treatment is to grasp the nettles in a gloved hand and swat the sore joints with the nettles.  This may seem bizarre, but the practice has proven to be so effective for some sufferers of arthritis that they now maintain a nettle plant on their window sill.

Asthma
Ephedra sinica (Ma Huang) is an excellent bronchodilator.  The natural form of Ephedra is better tolerated than the synthetic "edphedrine" causing fewer negative heart symptoms.

Gumweed                              24 parts tincture
Pill Bearing Spurge            24 parts tincture
Lobelia                                   12 parts tincture
Wild Cherry                          12 parts tincture
Licorice Root                       12 parts tincture
Motherwort                          12 parts tincture
Ma Huang                              10 parts tincture
Aniseed                                     1 parts e.o.

5ml. of mixture taken 3 times a day.  If Pill Bearing Spurge proves difficult to obtain then double the amount of Gumweed to make up for it.

Athlete's Foot
Fungicidal essential oils are the most effective topical treatment. Examples are Myrrh, Ti-Tree and Garlic.  The treatment will be smelly but will also show dramatic results.

Bad Breath
Chewing on parsley will eliminate bad breath.  Chewing on Cardamom is very effective as Cardamom actually kills bad breath bacteria.

Bronchitis
Try two teaspoons of horehound per one cup of boiling water.  Add lemon and licorice to taste.

Bruises
Crush and chop chilled parsley and apply to bruised area.  Parsley will pull the color from the bruising very quickly.  Possible to have the discoloration gone within 24 hours.

Burns
There are three levels of burns.  First degree only hurts the outer layer of skin, like a sunburn.  Second degree burns will develop blisters indicating the burn has penetrated deeper into the skin and is more painful.  The worst type of burn is a third-degree burn and is a medical emergency.  For minor first and second degree burns, use a leaf from an aloe plant for instant relief.

Cancer
Let's make it perfectly clear that as of this writing there is no known cure for Cancer.  In fact, the term itself is ambiguous and can be any type of malignant illness.  What we will give you here is a Cancer and Blood Purifier:

4 parts Licorice Root
4 parts Red Clover
2 parts Burdock Root
2 parts Stillingia
2 parts Berberis Root
2 parts Poke Root
1 part Cascara Amarga
1 part Prickley Bark
1 part Buckthorne Bark

Fill gelatin capsules.  Take 1 on the first day, 2 on the second until you reach 36 per day for 2 years.  Avoid vinegar, pork and tomatoes.

Canker Sores
Mouth wash:  Equal parts Marshmallow and Chamomile infused to be gargled often.  Also consider Balm and St. John's Wort.

Colds and Flu
At the first sign of sniffles, immediately ingest Echinacea.  There are over 200 viruses that can cause the common cold.  They are shared by coughing, sneezing and by hand.  Therefore, the first treatment is prevention!  Wash hands often and well, using a good anti-bacterial soap.   Eating garlic can help in the prevention of colds and flu.  

Here are a few other remedies:
Pour a cup of boiling water over a couple of tablespoons of fresh, shredded Ginger Root.  Makes a good hot tea that is effective against the most common cold viruses.

Constipation
One to three tablespoons of whole or crushed Flaxseed two or three times a day will help with chronic constipation.  Be sure you get at least eight glasses of water a day to keep the bulk moving through the digestive system.

Coughing
Slice a large onion into rings.  Place in deep bowl.  Cover the slices with organic honey.   Allow to stand overnight.  In the morning strain the liquid creating a simple cough elixir.

Dandruff
Create an herbal scalp rinse. 
Add one teaspoon of Potassium Chloride (find in salt section at the supermarket) into 6 cups of water.  Heat until the Potassium Chloride dissolves.  Chop four ounces of fresh Celandine (if fresh is not available use a half cup of the dried herb instead).Add Celandine to the solution.  Allow to stand for two hours.  Then boil slowly for 20 minutes.  Strain out the plant material, and simmer reducing to one and one half cups.  Add eight ounces of glycerin and continue simmering reducing the liquid slowly to two cups.  Strain the result and bottle it.  Store in cool place.  Use once or twice a day as a hair rinse.

Depression
Persistent depression is a serious disorder and you should see your doctor for treatment.  In the meantime you might like to try a Licorice tea.  Simply add some to any of your favorite herbal teas.  Using up to approximately 3 cups of tea a day or more or ingesting larger amounts can produce headache, lethargy, sodium and water retention, loss of potassium and high blood pressure.   At least eight Licorice compounds are monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors which are compounds capable of potent antidepressant action.

Diarrhea
Use two to three teaspoons of Agrimony (high tannin content) leaves to make a tea.

Apple pulp is rich in pectin.  Try eating applesauce.

Use cooked carrots to treat diarrhea in infants.  Will soothe the digestive tract while providing nutrients that are lost during the attack.

In all cases, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. 

Earache
Taken internally, Garlic can help cure a middle ear infection.  A few drops of Garlic oil in the ear can't hurt either.  You can also try using a teaspoon of dried Echinacea in tea.

Fever
Two to three teaspoons of Elder flowers a day in tea will help reduce feverish chills.

Try Ginger tea or eat candied ginger or sip ginger ale.  Add peppermint to fever-fighting teas.

Flatulence
Ever wonder why the instructions on packages of beans recommend soaking the beans overnight?  It actually has nothing to do with the recipe, but everything to do with an anti-gas remedy.  You can also deflate flatulence with a tea made up of Camomile, Caraway, Dill, Fennel, Lemon Balm and Peppermint.  Sweeten with Licorice.

Gallstones and Kidney Stones
The best way to treat these diseases is with prevention and that begins with drinking six to eight glasses of water each day.  This keeps the urine too diluted to create the stones in the first place.  Drink several cups of Stinging Nettle Tea each day to prevent and treat kidney stones.  To one cup of boiling water, steep one teaspoon of finely chopped dried herb.

Gout
It is purported that Celery Seed keeps uric acid below critical levels.  Try taking two to four tablets of celery seed extract daily.

On the next page we will talk about Herbal Remedies For Specific Ailments, covering remedies beginning with H to Y.