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 (63 page)

The herb lost popularity but interest in it was renewed in the 1950s, when scientific research supported many of the medicinal claims that herbalists had known for centuries. The liver is the body's second largest organ and has often been called the body's toxic waste disposal plant and chemical factory, and Milk Thistle is said to have no pharmaceutical equivalent in the remarkable way in which it benefits and affects the liver.

Some of Milk Thistle's constituents include beta-carotene, mucilage, silymonin, silymarin (a flavonoid that is its most active ingredient, which increases protein synthesis in liver cells by increasing RNA activity and stops absorption of toxins in the liver), apigenin, calcium, essential fatty acids, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc.

Medical Uses:

Milk Thistle is known to be extraordinarily useful as a tonic to safeguard the liver from all types of liver disorders. As a free-radical scavenger, it protects the liver from toxins and pollutants by preventing free radical damage, and it also stimulates the production of new liver cells.
  It is considered a remarkable herb for relieving temporary discomforts associated with cirrhosis, alcoholic poisoning, jaundice, fatty liver, hepatitis and viral hepatitis. A flavonoid complex (silymarin) stimulates liver protein creation, enabling the organ to produce new liver cells and replace the old ones damaged by hepatitis infection or other toxins.

Milk Thistle increases the production of bile, the fluid created in the liver that helps to break down fats in the small intestine. This helps to remove (via excretion) testosterone byproducts that cause acne. As a demulcent with mucilaginous properties, it soothes mucous membranes from irritating substances and helps to protect the intestinal lining (reducing inflammation of the intestine), alleviating the constipation of irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease, as well as other inflammatory bowel disorders.

By increasing the bile production and stimulating protein synthesis in the liver, Milk Thistle regulates the digestion of fats and may be beneficial in preventing arteriosclerosis and strokes, in addition to reducing the chances of gallstone formation by promoting total, normal cholesterol levels and helping the liver convert low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") into high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good cholesterol"). Milk Thistle is also thought to prevent cholesterol that has been excreted into the bile from being reabsorbed into the body.  Another compound in Milk Thistle stops the oxidation of LDL cholesterol into a form that creates plaques in the linings of artery walls.

Milk Thistle is believed to detoxify the liver and gallbladder and the poisons that enter our blood stream by enhancing overall liver function. The herb has been effective in countering the toxic effects of nicotine, alcohol, carbon monoxide pollutants, dry-cleaning fluid and cadmium. Thousands of years ago the herb was prescribed to counteract the poison of snakebite, and current research shows that Milk Thistle does, in fact, combat the poisonous activity of many toxins, including the deadly mushroom poisoning of Death Cap.

Milk Thistle is not only a rebuilding herb for the liver and gallbladder; it is believed to also protect the kidneys, brain and other tissues from chemical toxins. Using the herb is believed to protect against inflammation of the bile ducts.

Milk Thistle regulates the digestion of fats and alleviates common stomach problems, such as nausea, lack of appetite and dyspepsia, and it may also help ease abdominal distention and fatigue.

Milk Thistle is thought to help to protect specialized immune cells in the liver known as Kuppfer cells by engulfing bacteria, toxins and other invasive matter from entering into the liver and may destroy harmful cells that have entered blood circulation as the first step in spreading to other parts of the body.

Chronic liver damage sometimes results in diabetes, in which the liver is no longer able to respond to insulin, and Milk Thistle has been said to help promote and regulate normal blood sugar levels and may also help to actually lower blood sugar.

For thousands of years Milk Thistle has been used to promote lactation and increase the production of breast milk in nursing mothers.

Dosages:
Take one (1) capsule, one (1) to two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

Precautions:
Currently, there are no warnings of contraindications with the use of Milk Thistle, but the herb may reduce the efficacy of birth control pills.  It is essential that people with diabetes and liver disease should have regular blood tests.

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If all you want is a kiss, walk under a bough of
Mistletoe
, but if you are
exhausted, irritable or suffering from headache or hypertension
, try Mistletoe for relief.  Perhaps more importantly, there are very hopeful and exciting studies currently being conducted on Mistletoe in the area of immune therapy, which show promise in building defense against disease.

Plant Description:

European Mistletoe (not to be confused with American Mistletoe, an entirely different plant that is seldom used medicinally) is a woody perennial that is native to Europe and Asia and continues to grow throughout Europe, as well as northwest Africa, parts of Asia and elsewhere. 

It is an evergreen shrub with branches that may extend ten feet across with feathery leaves, yellow flowers and sticky white berries.
  Mistletoe is a parasitic plant and grows on young branches of deciduous host trees, such as firs, ash, apple, hawthorne and oak. 

As a true parasite, it assumes the varied nutrients acquired from the host plant; at no time does it receive its nourishment from the soil.
  The plant is propagated in seeds carried by birds and cannot be cultivated from the soil.  Mistletoe has been used in herbal medicine since ancient times and was considered sacred to the Druids who went forth in white robes to collect it (particularly revering the oak-grown plant) and cutting it with great ceremony, using a golden knife. 

History:

The mysterious Druids believed that Mistletoe protected its possessor from all evils, especially regarding Mistletoe from the oak trees to be superior and providing them with many wonderful cures, including remedies for sterility, epilepsy and as an antidote for poisons. 

There are many legends surrounding Mistletoe, and it became embedded in European rituals, folklore and folk medicine.
  European Mistletoe was an important herb associated with welcoming the New Year and was cut from the oak trees at a particular phase of the moon (using a golden sickle). "Kissing under the Mistletoe" originated in Scandinavian lore.  Balder, the god of peace, was killed by an arrow made of Mistletoe, then resurrected by other deities, and the plant was subsequently entrusted to the goddess of love, who established it as a symbol of love, with the custom that anyone passing beneath it should receive a kiss. 

It is a pungent, bittersweet, warming herb, and the stems and leaves are used in herbal medicine. Mistletoe has been used medicinally since ancient times, and Dioscorides and Galen both sang its praises for a variety of ailments, including an external remedy made from a glutinous extract.
  Hippocrates prescribed the herb internally for disorders of the spleen. Mistletoe was introduced as a cancer therapy in 1917, and was administered by injection. 

Today there is very exciting research being conducted in the area of immune therapy, and there are currently patent medicines used in Europe that include European Mistletoe, which are employed in oncology therapies. Patented European drugs,
Helixor
and
Iscador
(containing Mistletoe lectins), are routinely used as a supplemental treatment in oncology therapy in Europe, but there are no conclusive studies in the United States to confirm these applications. The German Commission E has approved European Mistletoe as a treatment for degenerative and inflamed joints and as a palliative therapy for malignant tumors.

The constituents in European Mistletoe vary according to the host tree on which it grows, but some common properties include glycoprotein (lectins), alkaloids, peptides, polysaccharides, saponins, viscin (the active resin), potash, phosphoric acid, mucilage, sugar, lignins, tannin, choline and vitamin C.

Medical Uses:

European Mistletoe is considered a nervine that is said to relax the whole body or a part of the body by affecting the nervous system.
  It has been used in herbal medicine for centuries to relieve the symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions, hysteria, delirium, vertigo, exhaustion, St. Vitus dance, and nervous tension and to ease irritability.  It is said to be a mild sedative.

Mistletoe is thought to be an excellent immunostimulant.
  Some animal and human studies suggest that Mistletoe lectins may stimulate the proliferation of healthy cells and natural killer (NK) cells, and possibly enhance the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs.  Lectins are also thought to stimulate the movement of immune cells called T-cells that patrol the body seeking to destroy intrusive infection.

European Mistletoe is considered a cardiotonic that is reputed to regulate and strengthen the heartbeat, as well as regulate a fast heart rate from feeling nervous. The herb is believed to promote normal blood pressure and ease mild hypertension, thus possibly showing benefit in cases of hardening of the arteries.
  It is also said to relieve the temporary headaches associated with high blood pressure.

Used externally, European Mistletoe has been applied for relief of arthritis, rheumatism, chilblains, leg ulcers and varicose veins.

Dosages:
Take one (1) capsule, one (1) to two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

Precautions:
Great caution is advised when taking European Mistletoe; it is a very powerful herb, and it should be used only under the direction of a qualified health care practitioner.  Pregnant and nursing women should not use Mistletoe, nor should people with heart problems or those who take MAO inhibitors for depression or Parkinson's disease.  All parts of the plant are highly poisonous if eaten.  Do not take Mistletoe if you have tuberculosis (TB), AIDS, hyperthyroidism, an inflammatory disease, or brain or spinal cord tumors. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following side effects: low or high blood pressure, fainting, seizures, change in eyesight, hallucinations, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. There have been reports of allergy, and thus if there is itching, rash, tightness in your throat or chest pain, stop taking Mistletoe.

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Pansy
is a colorful addition to our salad bowls and ancient love potions, but more importantly, Pansy is a soothing expectorant that has been used to treat lung problems (bronchitis, dry cough and asthma), as well as numerous skin problems (diaper rash, weeping eczema, cradle cap).

Plant Description:

Pansy
is a pretty flower that is native to Europe and is widely cultivated as a garden ornamental, but it also grows wild in fields, meadows and along forest edges in the temperate regions of North America, Asia and Europe.

History:

The Pansy is sometimes called a cultivated weed with hollow stems, bearing lanceolate leaves and solitary flowers of yellow, blue-violet; or it may be dual-colored with white. The plant thrives in well-drained, moisture-retentive soil in sun or partial shade and flowers from May to September, growing to a height of fifteen inches. The name, Pansy, is thought to be derived from the French word, penser, which means "to think," and the Pansy's three colors (purple, yellow, and white) stand for memories, loving thoughts and souvenirs, all of which ease the hearts of separated lovers, recalling one of the flower's common names, Heartsease. Pansy is a member of the violet family, and its use in herbal medicine may be traced to ancient times. Homer told us that Athenians used it to moderate anger, while the Roman, Pliny, recommended it to prevent headaches and dizziness, and it was also used in love potions.

In Gerard's Herbal of 1597, he recommended Pansy for infantile convulsions and for chest and lung inflammations, as well as for scabs, itching and ulcers - uses that are continued in herbal medicine to this very day. It is interesting to note that the Chinese used Pansy in herbal medicines throughout history in all the same ways as they were employed in the West. In the seventeenth century, North American tribes treated boils and swellings with Pansy, and by the late 1800s, it was being employed as a remedy for a variety of skin diseases, such as scabies. Pansy was once included in the United States Pharmacopoeia and has continued as an important factor in herbal medicine. Some of the constituents in Pansy include mucilage, resin, alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oil, violine, a bitter principle, salicylic acid and saponins.

Medical Uses:

Pansy has been used for centuries as an effective expectorant that has been helpful in easing chest problems, such as bronchitis, asthma, lung inflammation and dry coughs. It is said to help loosen and expel phlegm. The mucilage in Pansy acts as a demulcent that soothes mucous membranes and eases painful coughs, and the salicylic acid content helps to ease the pain of lung inflammations.