The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (32 page)

Fenugreek

The seeds of fenugreek have been found effective in the treatment of diabetes. Fenugreek seeds, when given in varying doses of 25 gm to 100 gm daily, diminish reactive hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. Levels of glucose, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides were significantly reduced in the diabetes patients when the seeds were consumed.

Bengal Gram

Experiments have shown that the intake of water extract of Bengal gram enhances the utilization of glucose in both diabetic and normal persons. When kept on a diet, which included liberal supplements of Bengal gram extract, the condition of tile patient improved considerably and his insulin requirement was reduced to about twenty units per day. Diabetes patients who are on a prescribed diet which does not severely restrict the intake of carbohydrates, but includes liberal amounts of Bengal gram extract, have shown considerable improvement in their fasting blood sugar levels, glucose tolerance, urinary excretion of sugar, and general condition.

Black Gram

For a milder type of diabetes, two tablespoons of germinated black gram, taken with half a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice and a teaspoon of honey, is said to be useful. It should be taken once daily for three to four months. A restriction should be placed on the intake of carbohydrates. Even in severe cases, regular use of this combination, with other precautions, is useful as a health-giving food for the prevention of various complications that may arise due to malnutrition in diabetics.

Mango Leaves

The tender leaves of the mango tree are considered useful in diabetes. An infusion is prepared by soaking 15 gm of fresh leaves in 250 ml of water overnight, and squeezing them well in the water in the morning. This filtrate should be taken every morning to control early diabetes. As an alternative, the leaves should be dried in the shade, powdered and preserved for use when necessary. Half a teaspoon of this powder should be taken twice a day.

Parslane

The seeds of parslane are useful in diabetes. A teaspoon of the seeds should be taken every day with half a cup of water for three to four months. It will increase the body's own insulin and help in curing diabetes.

Other Foods

Besides bitter gourd, certain other vegetables have been found useful in diabetes. These include:


        
String beans


        
Cucumber


        
Onion


        
Garlic


        
Tea made of the pods of string beans is valuable in diabetes.

* * * * *

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, disease that affects your central nervous system, which is made up of your brain and spinal cord. Multiple sclerosis is a condition affects the immune system and attacks components of your body as if they did not belong there.

In multiple sclerosis, the body mistakenly directs antibodies and white blood cells against proteins in the myelin sheath, a fatty substance that insulates nerve fibers in your brain and spinal cord. This results in inflammation and injury to the sheath and ultimately to the nerves that it surrounds. The result may be multiple areas of scarring (sclerosis). Eventually, this damage can slow or block the nerve signals that control muscle coordination, strength, sensation and vision.

Multiple sclerosis affects an estimated 300,000 people in the United States and probably more than 1 million people around the world.  Twice as many women are affected with the disease. Most people experience their first signs or symptoms between ages 20 and 40.

Multiple sclerosis is unpredictable and varies in severity. In some people, multiple sclerosis is a mild illness, but it can lead to permanent disability in others. Treatments can modify the course of the disease and relieve symptoms.

Symptoms


        
Numbness


        
Weakness in one or more limbs, which typically occurs on one side of your body at a time or the bottom half of your body


        
Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement


        
Double vision


        
Blurring of vision


        
Tingling or pain in parts of your body


        
Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain head movements


        
Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait


        
Fatigue


        
Dizziness


        
Muscle stiffness


        
Spasticity


        
Slurred speech


        
Paralysis


        
Problems with bladder


        
Bowel dysfunction


        
Sexual performance


        
Forgetfulness


        
Difficulties with concentration

Causes

Your central nervous system contains millions of nerve cells, which send electrical signals to and from your brain along wire-like extensions of the cells called axons, or nerve fibers. Myelin is the fatty substance that coats and protects these fibers, similar to the way insulation shields electrical wires.

In people with multiple sclerosis, the immune system mistakenly destroys the cells that produce the myelin sheath. As a result, myelin becomes inflamed and swollen and detaches from the nerve fibers. The detached myelin may eventually be destroyed. Firm or hardened patches of scar tissue form over the fibers. When nerve impulses reach a damaged area, some impulses are blocked or delayed from traveling to or from your brain. Ultimately, this process leads to degeneration of the nerves themselves, which likely accounts for the permanent disabilities that may develop in MS.

Doctors and researchers do not understand what causes this autoimmune reaction. Something seems to trigger the condition in susceptible people.

Genetic factors may make certain people more susceptible to multiple sclerosis. However, genetic susceptibility is only part of the explanation. A number of researchers believe the disorder is related to a protein that mimics the myelin protein, which may be introduced into the body by a virus. Other researchers believe that the immune system overreacts toward myelin proteins in people with MS, which leads to an abnormal tendency to develop autoimmune disease.


        
Heredity:
Multiple sclerosis is more common in people of Northern European descent. There also appears to be a genetic component to the condition, although the risk to children of people affected by MS is less than 5 percent over their lifetime. Researchers suspect that the tendency to develop multiple sclerosis is inherited, but the disease manifests only when environmental triggers are present.


        
Environmental:
Environmental factors have some influence on multiple sclerosis. Many viruses and bacteria have been suspected of causing MS, most recently the Epstein-Barr virus, known also for causing infectious mononucleosis. Some studies have suggested that developing infection at a critical period of exposure may lead to conditions conducive to the development of MS a decade or later.


        
Geographical:
Multiple sclerosis is more common in countries with temperate climates, including Europe, southern Canada, northern United States, and southeastern Australia. The reason is unknown.

A period of disease activity (exacerbation) may be triggered by a viral infection, such as a cold or flu, or by changes in the immune system during the first six months following a pregnancy.

Patterns of MS


        
Relapsing remitting:
This type of multiple sclerosis is characterized by clearly defined flare-ups, followed by periods of remission. The flare-ups typically appear suddenly, last a few weeks or months, and then gradually disappear. Most people with MS have this form at the time of diagnosis.


        
Primary progressive:
People with this less common form of multiple sclerosis experience a gradual decline, without periods of remission. People with this form of MS are usually older than 40 when signs or symptoms begin.


        
Secondary progressive:
More than half the people with relapsing remitting MS eventually enter a stage of continuous deterioration referred to as secondary progressive MS. Sudden relapses may occur, superimposed upon the continuous deterioration that characterizes this type of multiple sclerosis.


        
Progressive relapsing:
This is primary progressive MS with the addition of sudden episodes of new symptoms or worsened existing ones. This form is relatively uncommon.

Diagnosis


        
Medical history:
Your doctor reviews your signs and symptoms and their pattern.


        
Neurological examination:
This examination systematically tests various parts of your nervous system, including your reflexes, muscle strength, muscle tone, and sensations of pain, heat, touch and vibration. Your doctor may also observe your gait, posture, coordination and balance, and ask questions to help determine the clarity of your thinking, judgment and memory.


        
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan:
This imaging technique may reveal MS lesions, which are caused by myelin loss. An intravenous dye, gadolinium, will highlight "active" lesions that have developed within the past two months and this may help doctors know whether the MS is in an active phase, even if no symptoms are present indicating an attack of MS. Newer MRI techniques can provide even greater detail about the degree of nerve fiber injury or permanent myelin loss and recovery.


        
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture):
In this procedure, a doctor or nurse removes a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid from within your spinal canal for laboratory analysis. This sample can show abnormalities associated with multiple sclerosis, such as abnormal levels of white blood cells or proteins. This procedure can also help rule out viral infections and other conditions that can cause neurological symptoms similar to those of MS.


        
Evoked potential test:
This test measures the electrical signals sent by your brain in response to stimuli. An evoked potential test may use visual stimuli or electrical stimuli, in which short electrical impulses are applied to your legs or arms.

Treatment

If your attacks are mild or infrequent, your doctor may advise a wait-and-see approach, with counseling and observation.

Medications
for multiple sclerosis treatment include:


        
Beta interferons:
Interferon beta-1b (Betaseron) and interferon beta-1a (Avonex, Rebif) are genetically engineered copies of proteins that occur naturally in your body. They help fight viral infection and regulate your immune system.


        
Glatiramer (Copaxone):
This medication is an alternative to beta interferons if you have relapsing remitting. You must inject glatiramer subcutaneously once daily. Side effects may include flushing and shortness of breath after injection.


        
Natalizumab (Tysabri):
This drug is administered intravenously once a month. It works by blocking the attachment of immune cells to brain blood vessels — a necessary step for immune cells to cross into the brain.  It reduces the immune cells' inflammatory action on brain nerve cells.