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 (84 page)

Plant Description:

The flavonoid rutin is a flavonol glycoside comprised of the flavonol quercetin (see
Quercetin
) and the disaccharide rutinose. Rutin is found in many plants, especially buckwheat. Other rich dietary sources of rutin include black tea and apple peels.

Rutin is considered to be an important nutritional supplement because of its ability to strengthen capillaries, whereby helping people suffering from arteriosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries), high blood pressure or venous insufficiency. Rutin belongs to a group of plant compounds called bioflavonoids that also include the important catechins of
green tea
and the polyphenols of red wine. Recent studies have shown that the
bioflavonoids
are powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals. Free radicals are said to be responsible for as much as 90 percent of all the human diseases such as cancer, arteriosclerosis, strokes, senility due to aging, etc.

Rutin is one of many bioflavonoids that are not actual vitamins in the strictest sense, sometimes being referred to as Vitamin P, and may be found in herbal plants, fruits, vegetables and nuts, etc., and because they cannot be manufactured by the body, they must be supplied through the diet. Bioflavonoids are a class of flavonoids that include rutin, hesperidin, quercetin, eriodictyl and citron, and they are essential for the absorption of vitamin C,
which should be taken simultaneously
, so they may act synergistically for maximum benefit. Citrus fruits are a great source of bioflavonoids, and other sources include apricots, nuts, peppers, grapes, buckwheat (which supplies Rutin), blackberries, black currants, cherries, plums, prunes and rose hips.

History:

Several herbs also provide bioflavonoids, including Chervil, Elderberry, Hawthorne Berry, Horsetail and Shepherd's Purse.
  Flavonoids have been studied since the 1940s, and their antioxidant activity is now considered undisputed. With the immense volume of research being released every year with regard to the effects of free radicals on human health, the role of flavonoid antioxidants cannot be ignored.

Medical Used:

Rutin is a bioflavonoid, and it provides essential support molecules for vitamin C absorption (and should, in fact, be taken at the same time to gain maximum benefit). Rutin supplementation prevents the breakdown of vitamin C in the body before it is metabolized and intensifies its beneficial immune-enhancing effects in the body.

With regard to eye health, the bioflavonoid, Rutin, is said to improve capillary integrity and believed to help lower ocular pressure when used in conjunction with conventional drugs. (Bilberry extract is particularly rich in Rutin and can be beneficial in cases of diabetic retinopathy.)  Rutin may be very helpful in combating cataracts, macular degeneration (the most common cause of blindness) and free radical damage to the retina. The antioxidant activity that fights free radical damage appears to play a role in the prevention of cataracts and other forms of visual impairment.

Because Rutin improves capillary integrity (it works synergistically with vitamin C in this regard) by protecting and preserving the structure (permeability) and strength of those capillaries, this action is said to be of great help for capillary fragility (easy bruising and bleeding) and venous insufficiency (varicose veins and spider veins). The bioflavonoid, Rutin, is thought to lessen symptoms associated with prolonged bleeding and help in cases of bleeding gums and hemorrhage.

Rutin is believed to stabilize the collagen matrix by preventing free radical damage, thereby helping to maintain the health of the body's collagen (the intercellular cement). Collagen is a major structural protein, forming molecular cables that strengthen the tendons and vast, resilient sheets that support the skin and internal organs, and Rutin supplements help to support this critical function of the body.

Rutin, like all bioflavonoids, is said to be a good source of antioxidants that act as free radical scavengers searching for and engulfing the unstable molecules that are produced during the body's use of oxygen, which may cause damage to tissues and cells. This activity may have a beneficial impact in building immunity against invasive infection, and some current studies have asserted that ingesting supplemental flavonoids may be beneficial in combating harmful infectious attack.

Current research claims that Rutin supplements may promote healthy cholesterol levels in the blood, thereby promoting good circulation and possibly reducing hypertension.

Rutin (once again, like all bioflavonoids) is used extensively in the treatment of athletic injuries, because bioflavonoids are thought to relieve the pain of bumps and bruises. They are also reported to reduce pain located in the legs or across the back and may ease the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Precautions:

Extremely high doses (many times the recommended dosage) of Rutin may cause diarrhea.

* * * * *

Safflower
oil is rich in polyunsaturates, has become synonymous with maintaining good heart health by reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.  Now Safflower is available as a dietary supplement that is also used to cleanse the blood and improve its circulation, and alleviate the painful, stiff joints of arthritis and gout.

Plant Description:

Eurasian like herb (Carthamus tinctorius) of the family Asteraceae (
aster
family). Safflower, or false saffron, has long been cultivated in S Asia and Egypt for food and medicine and as a costly but inferior substitute for the true
saffron
dye. In the United States, where it is sometimes called American saffron, it is more important as the source of safflower oil, which has recently come into wide use as cooking oil. Safflower is classified in the division
Magnoliophyta
, class Magnoliopsida, and order Asterales, family Asteraceae.

Safflower is a spiny-leaved annual with prickly oval leaves and a red/orange/yellow flower that grows to a height of three feet and thrives in light, dry soil in sunny places. This bitter, aromatic herb is native to the Mediterranean area and Middle East, but the exact country of origin is undetermined.

It is now widely cultivated in Europe and North America and is enormously commercially valuable for its oil.
  Safflower is not related to saffron, although the flowers are used similarly, and were both used as a brilliant dye for silks. 

History:

The Portuguese, in the 1700s, added Safflower to foods as saffron substitute, hence the reasons that Safflower is sometimes commonly called "False Saffron."

Safflower's use dates back to the ancients, and its utilization in textile dyeing was evident in mummy wrappings of 3500 B.C.  The herb was described in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in 1061 A.D., and in medieval records of medicinal use, Safflower was prescribed by physicians as a highly stimulant antispasmodic and to relieve menstrual cramping and pain in women. 

A tonic was made in the Middle Ages to relieve constipation and respiratory problems, and a tea was prescribed for colds, flu and fevers.
  Originally grown for its rich dye, Safflower is still used for the yellow and red dyes that the flowers yield.  Mixed with talc, it is included in cosmetic rouges, and the flowers are often part of fragrant potpourris.  The oil is also incorporated into varnishes and paints.  However, since scientists found that Safflower oil has one of the highest percentages of polyunsaturates available and the lowest cholesterol content, the demand for Safflower has become huge as part of a heart-health conscious diet. Safflower is rich in the valuable and essential, fatty linoleic acid, and other constituents include linolenic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, lignins and pigment.

Medical Uses:

Safflower has become famous for its help in lowering cholesterol and maintaining good coronary health.  It is rich in linoleic acid, the essential fatty acid that lowers blood cholesterol and helps to prevent heart disease.  Consumption of polyunsaturates in the diet helps to remove plaque and reduce blood cholesterol, which make it effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Safflower improves circulation and aids in blood vascular cleansing.
  It has been used to treat and reverse a condition of congested and stagnant blood (poor blood circulation), reduce blood clots, and ease lower abdominal pains caused by blood congestion in women.  Safflower also helps to stimulate congested or obstructed menstrual blood flow.

As a laxative, Safflower is said to be an effective bowel cleanser that also improves colon function.

Safflower has been used for centuries to induce perspiration, thereby helping to diminish fevers. The herb is also considered an effective diuretic and bladder cleanser.

As an anti-inflammatory, Safflower is believed to be very helpful in treating arthritis, gout and painful, stiff joints.
  The herb helps to clear toxins and wastes from the system and acts indirectly by stimulating hydrochloric acid production that helps to neutralize, dissolve and eliminate uric acid deposits from the system.  It also has become part of sports formulas to help reduce lactic acid build-up in athletes after strenuous exercise.

Safflower is believed to aid good digestion. It is a bitter herb, sometimes called a soothing, digestive-tract healant that is good for heartburn, gas, diverticulitis, and ulcers.

Safflower is said to improve liver function and increase the production and release of bile, thereby helping to treat jaundice. The herb has been found to have a calming effect on hysteria and panic attacks.

Safflower is thought to help the respiratory tract by helping to remove phlegm from the system and clear the lungs.

Used externally, Safflower has been used to alleviate skin diseases and is a good wash for measles rash, scarlatina, and other inflammatory eruptions of the skin, including those of viral origin.

Precautions:

Pregnant women should not use Safflower.

Dosages: 
Take two (2) to three (3) capsules, two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

* * * * *

Saffron
is the most expensive spice in the world that has been used for thousands of years in cuisines, dyes, and medicines. Try it as a supplement to stimulate good digestion, purify and circulate the blood, improve the appetite, and perhaps even as and aphrodisiac.

Saffron being a natural herb, all its benefits and contents cannot be fully quantified chemically and as everybody knows that statistics can be made to prove anything. There are many contents in a herb which even scientists agree that at times cannot be identified let alone quantified and even if so, there are many inexplicable benefits that are proved by a variety of testaments and age old experiences which can not be explained by science.

Saffron is a prime example of one such Herb. Therefore, it is important for every supplier to state the origin or source of his saffron, for you to judge its quality because the growing area, its soil and climate creates the basic characteristics and strength of the saffron.

Saffron is grown in the world, its production is in the hands of small individual farmers and not in the hands of co-operatives or large corporations and traditional methods of quality control are the only form of checking the quality and originality of the Saffron. Chemical analysis at time of each purchase is hardly practical.

True Saffron is a low, ornamental perennial with grass-like leaves that thrives in well-drained soil in warm situations in full sun.

History:

Saffron is said to be a native of Asia Minor and has been cultivated there and in southern Europe since ancient times. Now it is cultivated worldwide, especially in Spain (where it was introduced by Arabs) and the Mediterranean areas for its extraordinary culinary value (paella and risotto Milanese).

The word, Saffron, is derived from the Arabic,
za fan
, meaning "yellow," referring to its ancient use as a dye. The shoes of Persian kings were dyed with Saffron, and the ancient Greeks regarded it as a royal dye, as well as an ingredient in perfumes. This pungent, bittersweet herb is one of the world's oldest medicinally used plants. The Chinese prescribed it to treat the emotional problems of depression, shock, and fright, and in India, Saffron was used as an aphrodisiac.

The English herbalist, John Gerard, attributed almost miraculous powers to Saffron when he wrote in 1597 that the herb might restore life to a person on the verge of death. The herb was at one time included in the
Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia
and was thought to be an effective treatment for measles, among other ailments.

Medical Uses:

Saffron has long been used to improve digestion and improve the appetite. It is said to stimulate circulation to the organs of digestion, including the gallbladder, liver, and spleen. It also coats the membranes of the stomach and colon and soothes gastrointestinal colic and acid-burning digestive problems. Saffron is considered a carminative that helps to relieve stomach gas.