SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 GINKGO FOR ISCHEMIC STROKE

Ginkgo biloba is a well studied herb for a variety of medical conditions. A published study in Medicine revealed and discussed Ginkgo as adjunctive treatment for ischemic strokes. This was a systemic review. This review studied 15 published trials between 2010 and 2018 which included over 1,500 patients . It is an excellent review of these studies

Conventional trained physicians would not consider a herb to be used in ischemic stroke patients. I feel we need to know all the data that is out there and has been published.

The authors of this study concluded that Ginkgo biloba extract improved neurological function compared to conventional therapy is ischemic stroke patients.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 EGGPLANT

Eggplant ( Solanum melongea) has been part of my Italian heritage from my childhood. I can’t remember a Holiday or even a Sunday meal without eggplant. Whether it was in parmigiana or breaded —it was always on the table. It is recommended to reduce calorie intake and to prevent type II diabetes. Recently a study published in Nutrients discussed daily intake of eggplant powder to reduce blood pressure and stress in a psychological stressed individual.

Any herb or food that can reduce blood pressure is interesting to me . We know from may studies that Garlic can do this as well as Glove Artichoke. These same authors discussed in previous studies the BP lowering effect of ACh ( acetylcholine ) in hypertensive rats. The study was better for the BP patients in the study versus the stress individual part of the study

The study was published in the HerbalGram of the American Botanical Council. I would suggest joining the American Botanical Council ( ABC) as a member. The articles published are always interesting.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 CHERRIES

As a new gardener in the state of Connecticut I have planted many berry trees this year. One is a Bing Cherry Tree. I look forward to having cherries next year and there after. It is hard to resist a cherry during the season You be wondering if there are health benefits to eating cherries.

A single cup of this fruit which is about 20 cherries has plenty of Vitamin C, only 90 calories and 3 grams of fiber. So yes it is worth having cherries. In addition cherries are packed with antioxidants, potassium and even melatonin

One of the main benefits is that cherries can relieve arthritis pain. It has many anti inflammatory properties. I prescribe cherries to patient having an acute gout attack. The American Institute of Cancer Research lists cherries as a good fruit for cancer prevention and studies have shown that cherries can decrease growth of cancer

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 MORE FLU CASES

As the weather is getting colder you can expect an increase in COVID cases and the flu. This is not good for the Northeast and colder climates. There is good news for countries below the equator

The flu season in the Sothern Hemisphere usually peaks in August ( as their flu season is April to September) This year there were surprisingly the flu. The countries below the equator had a record low flu season. This is great news. The flu season in the Southern Hemisphere started shortly after COVID hit. The reason can also be attributed to more flu shots this year for the Southern Hemisphere.

We should expect the increase in the Northeast due to the regular flu cases and added Corona cases. Have you had your homeopathic flu shot ? Yes I said homeopathic flu shot which is available in our offices. I have been administering a homeopathic flu shot for more than 17 years. It is a very effective homeopathic IV or IM remedy.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 HEADACHES

There are many different types of headaches. I have found over the years that headaches can be caused by digestive disorders Once I repair and restore the gut—most headaches go away. Of course tension and stress may cause headaches as well as the Chinese say ‘weak kidneys’ and a ‘ sluggish liver . ‘

There are many remedies for external application of oils of ginger, peppermint and wintergreen. My father swore by Tiger Balm for any headache or joint pain.

I prefer to make a tea blend of equal parts of the following herbs with good success.

I use:

1. Peppermint

2. Rosemary

3. Valerian

4. Skullcap

5. Chamomile

This is a very effective tea formula.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 RUTIN

Rutin is a plant constituent recognized for it s many medial benefits. It is an antioxidant, anti inflammatory and its anticarcinogenic properties. It also has cytoprotective. You have probably had rutin and didn’t lknow it. Rutin is found in buckwheat, black tea and apple peels.

It scavenges free radical which prevents disease and also chelates iron to protect cell damage,

As a Connecticut gardener there are many invasive plants that contain Rutin. The ones that have planted are wormwood, yarrow, and St John’s wort.

Other invasive plants that contain Rutin that I have not planted yet include Jimsonweed, barberry, Japanese honeysuckle and Japanese knotweed.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 FOODS THAT CAUSE INFLAMMATION

“If you want to battle inflammation, start by taking a look in your kitchen. And when you make your grocery list, add less inflammatory foods and more anti-inflammatory foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds and fatty fish. You must stop or decrease sugar and refined carbohydrates. It is possible to do. It might seem difficult at first. Check labels.

According to various studies, saturated fats trigger a host of inflammatory responses such as swelling, pain, and loss of function. If inflammation becomes chronic, it can lead to various diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or and cancer. There are better choices than saturated fats. Pizza and cheese are not these sources. These must be avoided. You can buy a cauliflower pizza but just watch the sugar content. Or better yet make your own pizza dough with artichoke, brown rice or quinoa flower.

Trans fats have bene in the news as far back at the 1960’s Remember margarine. You need to avoid trans fats at all costs. Besides margarine trans fats are found in popular fast foods, processed snack foods, packaged cookies, and frozen products This is why you must read labels.

If you want to stop disease, STOP inflammatory foods.

Until tomorrow…

SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 ONE OF THE TWIN PEAKS

Without discussing the pandemic of COVID —there are two epidemics - obesity and diabetes. Many patients gained weight during the quarantine. There were a percentage of patients who ate better as they had time to prepare and cook food.

Changes in glycemic status can lead to pre-diabetes, which left untreated can lead to diabetes. Conventional or allopathic doctors do believe in behavioral dietary changes , diet lifestyle change, and medications. The pharmaceutical market for diabetic medications is overwhelming. These are oral medications I am not discussing insulin. I believe the most effective treatment for pre-diabetes includes behavioral changes including a healthy diet, regular aerobic exercise, and appropriate nutraceuticals/ herbs.

A recent study was published in Phytotherapy Research on Yerba matte and white mulberry. It was reprinted in the American Botanical Council, Herbalgram. If you are NOT a member- join the American Botanical Council today.

Yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis, Aquifoliaceae) has been shown to positively affect glucose absorption as well as have hypocholesterolemic and anti-inflammatory effects. White mulberry (Morus alba, Moraceae) had been used to decrease weight and adiposity, improve insulin resistance, increase glucose uptake, GlUT4 translocation and adiponectin, inhibit a-glucosidase activity, and improve endothelial function. Studies have shown that chromium picolinate may be beneficial in glucose and lipid control

More studies need to be done on plants and glucose metabolism. There are many herbs as bitter melon, cinammon and gymnema to help diabetes as well as nutraceuticals as chromium, vanadium, and alpha lipoic acid.

Until tomorrow…