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 (79 page)

Treatments:
With regard to good coronary health, Red Wine Extract from Grapeseed has become a popular supplement for preventing heart disease and arteriosclerosis.  Numerous studies now say that the level of antioxidants may be a more significant factor than cholesterol levels in determining the risk of developing heart disease.

The powerful antioxidants in Red Wine Extract are said to help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol that ultimately leads to the process of arteriosclerosis, and the high flavonoid content in Red Wine Extract appears capable of significantly reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke. Red Wine Extract is said to help reduce platelet aggregation (clotting) in the blood, thereby also reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis, stroke and heart attacks.
  Moreover, it appears to raise the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs or "good" cholesterol) in the blood, while decreasing the low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, or "bad" cholesterol) and thereby help to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

The HDL is said to help clear the "bad" cholesterol from the arterial walls and help eliminate it from the body. This action also helps to promote better circulation of blood throughout the body, especially to the heart.

For good vascular health, Red Wine Extract is considered the best herbal supplement that will maintain the health of capillaries, through which the blood delivers nutrients to individual cells and carries away waste products.

Red Wine Extract is also said to improve peripheral blood circulation, resulting in less pain and swelling in arms, ankles and legs and fewer nighttime cramps.
  Use of Red Wine Extract is thought to relieve numbness and tingling, as well as varicose veins.  When the walls of small blood vessels weaken, the fluids they transport leak out, causing swelling, and OPCs strengthen capillary walls by blocking the degradation of the two proteins that give them strength and elasticity, collagen and elastin.  This action stops edema and swelling.

Red Wine Extract is believed to significantly improve blood circulation, which benefits both cardiac and cerebral function. Furthermore, because OPCs are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, they can protect the brain and spinal nerves against free radical damage.
  Recent studies indicate that Red Wine Extract's compounds (OPCs) may also be helpful in inhibiting Alzheimer's disease and dementia and possibly improving cognitive and brain function (particularly in women).

As one of the finest antioxidants found in nature, Red Wine Extract from Grapeseed supports the immune system and works to combat free radical damage to cells and tissue and defend the body against serious malignant disease and infection. This herbal supplement contains an important source of nature's most potent antioxidants, tannin compounds called proanthocyanidins (also called OPCs for oligomeric procyanidins or PCOs for procyanidolic oligomers)
 that provide a high degree of antioxidant capacity, which fight free radical damage in the body. 

These compounds allow the body's cells to absorb vitamin C, which is helpful in protecting cells from the free radicals that can bind to and destroy cellular compounds. Such qualities are believed to be helpful in building the immune system and fighting invasive material and other infections.

They are classified as flavonols, and the way in which these versatile healing compounds are distinct from flavonoids is their simple chemical structure, which allows them to be readily absorbed into the bloodstream. They work actively against fat-soluble and water-soluble oxidants, thus protecting the cells from damage. OPCs may also be derived from Pine Bark (the original source) and are present in Pomegranate, Hops, various flowers, fruits, berries, nuts and beans. Clinical tests suggest that OPCs may be as much as fifty times more potent than vitamin E and twenty times more potent than vitamin C in terms of bioavailabile antioxidant activity.  Studies have shown that Red Wine Extract not only enhances the development of normal cells, but may also inhibit abnormal cell growth.

Macular degeneration may be slowed by the use of Red Wine Extract, and it may also reduce myopia and improve vision that is stressed by computer screens or glare.

Red Wine Extract's OPCs are said to promote tissue regeneration, strengthen and repair connective tissue, enhance collagen production, revitalize ageing skin and promote tissue elasticity, all of which also helps to reduce the tendency to bruise easily and increases the healing of injuries.

Test tube research has shown that the polyphenols in Red Wine Extract inhibit the growth of the
Streptococcus mutans
 bacteria that causes tooth decay.

Red Wine Extract is said to reduce histamine production, thus moderating allergic and inflammatory responses, and this action has helped many allergy sufferers.

Precautions:

Do not take Red Wine Extract if you have anemia or if you are taking blood-thinning medication (aspirin, Coumadin, etc.).
  Since the tannin content of Grapeseed is high, it may counter the effects of iron supplements and should be taken at a different time.

Dosages:

Take one (1) capsule, one (1) time each day with water at mealtime.

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The use of
Red Yeast Rice
as a treatment for colic, diarrhea, digestive disorders and poor circulation may be traced back to the Tang Dynasty in China; and throughout Asia, it is an important traditional food. More importantly, however, is its recent introduction in Western society as a supplement that may
significantly reduce serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood
.

Facts:


        
Botanical Names:
Monascus purpureus; Monascus ruber

• Family:
  Mucorales 
  (mostly saprophytic fungi)
  
• Other common names:
  Chinese Red Yeast Rice, Red Rice, Fermented Rice, Red Yeast, Anka, Ankak, Hung-Chu, Hongu
  

Medical Uses:

Red Yeast Rice may significantly lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the blood. In one clinical trial, including 502 patients with hyperlipidemia, there was a 17% reduction of total cholesterol in the treated group. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad cholesterol") were reduced an average of 24.6%, and serum triglyceride levels fell an average of 19.8%. High-density lipoproteins (HDL or "good cholesterol") rose by 12.8% in the treatment group. The monacolin content in Red Yeast Rice is believed to account for the majority of the cholesterol-lowering activity of the yeast. Monacolins include the hydroxymethyglutaryl coenzyme-A, the enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. The mechanism of hypolipidemic activity is not entirely clear, but the presence of monacolin I (lovastatin mevinolin) and its corresponding beta-hydroxy acid appear to be responsible for the lipid lowering activity. There are claims that the hypolipidemic effects of Red Yeast Rice have been found to be greater than those obtained from equivalent doses of the pharmaceutical form of lovastatin.

Plant Description:

Red Yeast Rice is the product of fermentation of rice with various strains of the yeast (Monascus purpureus), and it has been utilized for centuries in China and throughout Asia as both a food and herbal medicine. The traditional method of making Red Yeast Rice is to ferment the yeast naturally on a bed of cooked, non-glutinous, whole rice kernels.

History:

It was apparently first noted as a medicine during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-917) and employed for treating indigestion, diarrhea, and congestion of the spleen and for improving blood circulation, among other applications. Red Yeast Rice was introduced to Taiwan by winemakers in Fukien, China, about a century ago and became popular in the preparation of foods, including fish, meat, rice wine (
fu chiu
), red soybean curd, and pickled vegetables. It was (and still is) employed as a coloring agent and is also said to add flavor to foods.

The fungus,
Monascus
, which has been isolated from Red Yeast Rice, was introduced into Western society by Dutch scientists who noted its beneficial effects on the people of Java in 1884. It was introduced into the United States during the latter half of the 1990s as a dietary supplement for the promotion of healthy serum lipid levels.

The botanical specifics,
purpureus
and
rubus,
are recognition of the herb's purple or moderate rose/red coloration. Some of the constituents in Red Yeast Rice include starch, protein, fiber, fatty acids (oleic, linoleic, linolenic, palmitic, stearic), phytosterols (beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol), isoflavones, polyketides (monacolins) and natural pigments.

Precautions:

Pregnant and nursing women should avoid Red Yeast Rice, and those with active liver disease or who take prescription blood thinners, hyperlipidemia drugs, prescription statins, antifungal, antibiotics, and protease inhibitors, should consult with a health care provider before using Red Yeast Rice.

* * * * *

Rehmannia Root was
long used in China to heal many ailments and even as a tonic to prolong life;
Rehmannia Root
is becoming popular in the West as a
blood refresher
. It is often recommended to
regulate deficient blood patterns
, such as anemia, irregular menses, uterine and postpartum bleeding, pallor and light-headedness.
Healthy blood is a good start for a better body
.

Plant Description:

Rehmannia is a perennial herb with reddish-violet flowers native to China, Japan and Korea. Its common name is Chinese Foxglove.

Medical Uses:

Rehmannia's root is used medicinally in Oriental medicine to replenish vitality, to strengthen the liver, kidney and heart, and for treatment of a variety of ailments like diabetes, constipation, anemia, urinary tract problems, dizziness, and regulation of menstrual flow.

History:
Rehmannia Root is a native of China and is one of the first species of the genus to be introduced and cultivated in the West. It thrives in light, moist, well-drained, neutral-to-acid, sandy soil in full sun, and when cultivated, the thick, reddish-yellow roots are lifted in autumn or early winter for use in herbal medicine. Rehmannia Root is one of the most popular tonic herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where it has been used for thousands of years. Listed as one of the fifty most important Chinese herbs, it was first mentioned in Chinese medical literature during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - A.D.23). The fresh or dried roots have been used in China for centuries to treat a long list of ailments and were even used as a tonic to counter the effects of ageing! Some of the constituents included in Rehmannia Root are beta-sitosterol, calcium, copper, glucose, glucosamine, histidine, mannitol, zinc, amino acids and vitamins A, B, C and D.

Treatments:
Rehmannia Root is considered a tonic for the blood and enhances circulation throughout the body, especially to the brain. As a blood energizer, the herb has been used to treat blood-related deficiencies, including anemia, dizziness, pallid face and light-headedness. It is also said to control hemorrhage of all kinds, including excessive menstruation, and women find the herb helpful when used to regulate flow and strengthen the body after the weakening effects of childbirth.

The glycoside content in Rehmannia Root helps to manufacture certain hormones that are believed to ease many unpleasant symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, restlessness, insomnia and loss of bone strength. Rehmannia Root has also been regarded as an effective fertility enhancer.

Rehmannia Root is thought to protect the liver and shows promise in relieving hepatitis (when used by herbalists in combination with licorice). Some studies echo the ancient claim that the herb may actually strengthen the liver, kidneys and heart.

By preventing the depletion of stored glycogen, Rehmannia Root may be effective in the treatment of hypoglycemia.

Rehmannia Root is a mild diuretic, promoting the flow of urine and helping to reduce fever. It is sometimes referred to as a refrigerant that helps to disperse heat from the body.

Precautions:

Pregnant and nursing women should not use Rehmannia Root, and overuse of the herb (many times its recommended use) may lead to abdominal distension and loose stools. Other side effects may include nausea and abdominal pain.

Dosages:

Take two (2) capsules, two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

* * * * *

Reishi Mushrooms
have been revered in China for thousands of years as an almost magical fungus that was believed to not only prevent serious ailments, but also help seriously ill persons to recover from disease.  Modern studies have shown remarkable medical potential for the use of Reishi Mushrooms in
promoting healthy heart function and combating viral infection
 and other serious malignant diseases.  It is considered a fine
antihistamine,
and it appears that this tasty treat is becoming an important
support for the immune system
and overall good health!